"Roar—"
At this point, it was obvious that it was no longer a match. Although the Juggernaut was a monster, the fact that it had ambushed from underground showed it possessed a certain level of intelligence.
The current situation was extremely unfavorable. It had to leave immediately.
Looking at the pallums with their various hair colors in the distance, the Juggernaut retreated. Even though it had already lost two forelimbs, it did not affect its speed in the slightest.
It had already seen it just now—although those pallums were fast, if it truly chose to flee, they would not be able to catch up.
However...
Thud!
Its retreating body seemed to collide with something invisible. The Juggernaut turned its head, only to see a sight that should never appear in the dungeon—a deep azure, like the stars in the sky.
It looked somewhat similar to the light surrounding those pallums.
Which meant that if it didn't defeat them, it would never escape!
Kill... devour...
There was no other way!
"Sorry, everyone. I was the one holding you back earlier."
Noin walked out from behind the group, drinking a potion as she moved.
That sudden attack earlier had truly frightened her. If it weren't for that barrier, she would have already been sliced to pieces.
"It's fine. You protected everyone, Noin. Without you just now, the rest of us might not have been able to block that attack."
"We've been sealed in here together... that was the captain's doing, right?"
"So we're supposed to take down the Juggernaut?"
"Of course. Even we struggle to deal with it if we're not careful. If it escapes, it'll definitely massacre other adventurers."
"Isn't that perfect? That thing hit me pretty hard just now. If I don't kill it, I won't be satisfied!"
At this moment, everyone's opinions were surprisingly unified. They absolutely could not let this monster escape!
"Then everyone—let's go!"
At the edge of the battlefield.
A translucent Elise floated in the air, watching the grand battle unfolding below.
"Not bad at all."
Having just gone through a battle against the floor boss Amphisbaena, she had expected them to be somewhat out of rhythm. Yet now, they were fighting remarkably well.
In battle, individual skill is important, but in group combat, coordination is just as crucial.
A single mistake can bring devastating consequences to the entire team.
But right now, the Astraea Familia's coordination was exceptionally solid.
"Thankfully, we've trained together regularly. Their teamwork is quite good—no one's dragging things down... hmm?"
Just as Elise was about to say no one was holding them back, reality immediately proved her wrong.
Ais!
Unlike the other members, Ais had joined the Astraea Familia far too recently. She hadn't even had the chance to properly coordinate with the others...
Even Ryuu could keep up with everyone's rhythm without disrupting their attacks, but Ais could not.
Perhaps her individual strength was impressive—Elise had said she had great talent—but having strength didn't mean she could cooperate well.
Looking at the blonde figure in the distance, shrouded in black aura and charging recklessly, Elise pressed a hand to her forehead in exasperation.
"As expected... I'll have to have a proper talk with Ais."
After the battle, she would deal with her!
And she would handle her the same way she handled Fan Xinglou!
The perspective returned to the battlefield.
"Take this!"
Wrapped in black aura, Ais was relentlessly attacking the fishbone-like monster before her.
It seemed she had once again lost control.
Many of her teammates' attacks were being disrupted by Ais. If this continued, the hard-earned advantage would be completely lost.
"Ais, stop already!"
"It's no use, she's not listening at all!"
"Captain, hurry and take her away!"
Even as the others called out, Ais kept her gaze locked onto the distant monster, the hatred in her eyes growing stronger.
Until...
"Eh!"
A terrifying presence surged from behind, freezing Ais in place.
It was like someone dreaming of falling from a skyscraper—jerking awake in an instant.
That overwhelming pressure could only be...
Ais trembled as she turned around, only to see Elise smiling at her.
"M-Mom... Sister..."
"Listen to me, Ais. Come wait off to the side with me for now, alright?"
How terrifying is the authority of an elder figure—especially one who feels like a mother?
No matter how tall you are or how old you get, you'll always be afraid of your mom.
That instinctive, bloodline-like pressure was overwhelming. Ais immediately followed Elise in small steps, disappearing together with her.
The rest of the group let out a sigh of relief. Ais' earlier actions had caused them considerable trouble.
But there was no need to worry—after this incident, Elise would definitely give her a proper lesson.
"Now then, it's our turn!"
With no more interference, Alise and the others unleashed their full power, launching a fierce assault on the Juggernaut.
Because the Juggernaut lacked a magic stone, the only option was to kill it outright.
Alise and the others quickly stripped it of its mobility, leaving it with nowhere to escape. Even the magic-reflecting shield on its body began to crack under their coordinated attacks.
It wouldn't be long before this subjugation battle truly came to an end.
Meanwhile, Elise held the unconscious Ais in her arms, quietly waiting at the rear of the battlefield.
"This was always meant to resolve the Astraea Familia's fate. Let them handle it."
After all, in the original story, Ais belonged to the Loki Familia and had never even encountered the Juggernaut. Letting her take part in this fated battle was somewhat unnecessary.
Better to leave it to Alise and the others—they were already capable of standing on their own.
Sure enough, as the magic reflection disappeared, the Juggernaut completely lost its advantage over the Astraea Familia. Ryana, Celty, and Ryuu had already begun preparing their final spells.
This time was different from before—the three had clearly drawn out their power to the utmost, aiming to eliminate the monster in a single strike.
Sensing the danger, the Juggernaut would not sit still. The looming sense of death surged wildly within it.
Those three chanting in the distance—those were the threat!
But in the end, it was too late.
"Disappear, monster!"
"This is the power that carries all our resolve!"
As the girls' voices fell, a storm of red and blue lightning began to swirl. A greatsword adorned with scattered wings appeared above the Juggernaut.
It tried to dodge, but no matter how it moved, the tip of the blade remained locked onto it.
"Flamefeather Holy Thunder Sword!"
The last thing the Juggernaut saw was a slash that filled its entire vision!