Chapter 260

Noticing the fate of the shield, Alise, who had shifted her strategy the moment she heard the warning, hurriedly asked.

"Can we use magic attacks!"

"No! That thing's body reflects magic!"

"Then the back row, focus on dodging! Do not launch any attacks!"

Dodging a black shadow that struck from the North North North Side, Alise, the strongest in the field, issued her commands.

"Kaguya! Follow me, let's cut off that thing's legs first!"

"Also, if my orders conflict with Ryuu's later, prioritize hers!"

"Ugh, what a pain."

Gripping the weapon at her waist, Kaguya assumed an iaido stance.

"Useless elf, remember to give us an explanation after this fight is over."

"Of course, I would have done so even without you asking."

Having helped her dear friends dodge the most dangerous initial strike, Ryuu adjusted her state, lowered the Noin in her hand, and assumed a combat stance.

"This thing's name is Juggernaut. Just treat it like a Floor Boss with high-speed movement capabilities."

"In any case, you absolutely must not be touched by its claws, or you will end up torn to pieces."

"Don't worry, I can keep up with it."

Alise's gaze darted around, watching the shadow weaving through the floor.

"Since that time two years ago, this is the first time my power has been boosted to this extent."

[Zheng Hua Hong Xiao]

This was a rare skill possessed by Alise, and its effects were divided into four points.

During battle, [Strength] receives a high bonus.

In adversity, [Endurance] and [Dexterity] receive high bonuses.

When fighting powerful enemies, [Agility] and [Magic] receive high bonuses.

If all three conditions above are met simultaneously, [Strength], [Agility], and [Magic] receive an additional small bonus.

It was a very simple and brutal effect; in short, it was an all-around attribute enhancement.

It allowed Alise to not be left without a way to fight back when facing enemies one level higher.

At this very moment, with the skill's effects fully activated, Alise, who had already reached the limit of Level 4, had completely stepped into the realm of Level 5.

Even for the Juggernaut, which had maxed-out agility, its movement trajectory was seen clearly by her.

"It's coming!"

With a boom, Alise vanished from her spot, appearing on the other North North North Side while carrying another Level 3 member who hadn't reacted in time.

And at that same moment, a cold glint flashed through mid-air.

Chii—!

"I cut it!"

Entrusting her comrades' safety entirely to their captain, Kaguya utilized the split-second pause in the opponent's attack to unleash the fastest iaido strike of her life.

· ·········· ·······

Glancing at the claw that had fallen to the ground, shining with a blue-purple light, Kaguya's expression became increasingly serious.

"Stupid elf! After the opponent has been attacked once, it will definitely become more cautious!"

"Follow me next, let's try to finish it off within three strikes!"

"I would have done that even without you saying so!"

"I didn't expect it to succeed on the first try."

At the edge of the battlefield, Lin Que watched calmly as the girls launched continuous attacks, gradually forcing the Juggernaut into a dead end.

Compared to the original timeline, where the result was a near-total wipeout in less than ten seconds.

This time, with their near-perfect response, they were beginning to approach victory step by step.

And the cause of this change was merely Ryuu's few hints regarding the Juggernaut's abilities.

"As expected, rather than a lack of base attributes, the bigger reason was the 'first-strike kill' nature of its abilities."

Lin Que, who had already prepared to rewind local time to let Ryuu try a few more times, couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.

It can only be said that in the original timeline, the Astraea Familia's luck was too poor.

They clearly could have become the third-largest Familia, comparable to the Loki Familia and Freya Familia, had they developed normally.

Yet, just before the dawn arrived, they encountered the most troublesome 'first-strike kill' god of war in the Dungeon world.

Magic reflection, defense-ignoring, plus high-speed movement.

At the same level, let alone the Astraea Familia, even if Ottar were in their place, he would have suffered a huge loss.

"This North North North Side seems to be fine now. As for the next steps, let's handle the details."

Looking at the members of the [Rudra Familia] not far away, who were acting suspiciously and seemed to be looking for an opportunity to strike from the shadows.

The shadow under Lin Que's feet instantly shot out, swallowing everyone except Jura in one gulp.

"Eh?!"

Jura, standing in place, reacted a beat late, a look of terror appearing on his face.

But before he could even speak, a palm gripped his head first, lifting him up.

"Although I'd like to finish you off along with them, to avoid causing too much change, I'll leave you for now."

Invisible mental fluctuations flowed into Jura's mind, and the opponent's memories began to be altered continuously.

After a while, confirming that there would be no lapses in the opponent's memory, Lin Que tossed him into a space gate nearby.

"With these false memories, try your best to live on."

"And then, five years from now, go meet your destined death."

ECHO is OFF.

The battle between the Astraea Familia and the Juggernaut ultimately concluded with Ryuu delivering the finishing blow.

Taking advantage of the moment Alise saved a member again and Kaguya severely wounded the opponent with her blade.

Ryuu, holding the resolve that she might be traded for the opponent, rushed in front of the Juggernaut before it could react and smashed its head with her strongest attack.

"It's over."

Looking at the corpse turning into a pile of ash at her feet, Ryuu felt as if she had completed a major mission, an aura of relief radiating from her body.

"With this... everyone doesn't have to die."

"Die? You useless elf, what kind of nonsensical things are you saying again."

Not far away, Kaguya, who had just put away her weapon, cast a glance over after hearing Ryuu's words.

"Speaking of which, why does it feel like your temperament has changed a bit."

"Eh? It seems like it's true!"

Alise also cast a glance: "Compared to a short while ago, Ryuu's temperament seems to have aged so much!"

"I think 'mature' is a more appropriate word."

“That is not the point!”

Ignoring the correction from the Pallum Lyra, Alise looked at the elf girl with some nervousness.

“Ryu, what has gotten into you? Don’t tell me those guys from the Rudra Familia secretly cursed you!”

"Don't worry, Alise, I'm fine now."

Facing the worried gazes of her Familia members, Ryuu shook her head, a joyful smile appearing on her face.

"On the contrary, my current state is better than ever."

"That much can indeed be seen."

Kaguya nodded in agreement: "So what exactly is going on? How did you know this guy's abilities."

"Also, what did you mean just now when you suddenly said 'don't have to die'? How come it sounded like you were certain we would die."

"This... it's a bit complicated to explain."

After digesting all the memories in her mind, Ryuu understood everything at this moment.