Episode 18.5-6

They fought only five times on floor 36 before descending.

Floor 37, eight times.

Afterward, they had lunch.

The situation changed on floor 38.

A magic beast dodged Lecan's <Flame Spear>. The magic landed on the left sturdy part of its head, damaging only a little.

Lecan had charged out already.

The magic beast spat out venom.

Lecan who dodged this by crouching while moving to the left mowed down the magic beast's third leg on the right side.

The magic beast was about to turn around toward Lecan, he chopped off its pivotal leg right at that moment, tumbling it down to the right.

Ending up in a pose like it was presenting its neck to Lecan.

Lecan mercilessly lopped its head off.

Most fights on this floor ended up similarly.

The spiders here possessed the nimbleness to dodge Lecan's first strike, but they didn't stand a chance against the successive rapid barrage of attack.

He defeated 12 spiders, in which no one, not Arios, Heles, nor Eda participated even once.

They camped near the exit after the 12th magic beast was taken care of.

Heles seemed to be awfully fond of the crackling camp fire, she was gazing at it with a very content look on her face.

"Lecan-san. What you showed me today was truly eye-opening."

"Hm?"

"Your quick decision making at a moment's notice. Precise barrage of attack with no wasted movement. It was as if I was looking at the true depth of swords itself."

"I see."

"Arios-dono, so you managed to learn something from the battle today."

"Yes. Heles-san. I have come up with a few things I'd like to try out once we're out of the dungeon. It might result in the birth of new moves for my fighting school."

"I don't get it. Lecan-dono's attack, dodge, attack, attack. Once a battle was over, I understood what he did was the optimal course of actions. But how come Lecan-dono could do that? Was he aware of the best course of action even before the fight began?"

"Heles-san."

"Un? What is the matter."

"The best course of action to Lecan-san may not necessarily be the best to Heles-san as well."

"Eh? Aah. That only makes sense. Then what would be the optimum to me."

"We'll find that out tomorrow."

"I wonder about that."

"The enemies are slowly getting faster. Gradually getting sturdier. There should be room for us to take part in."

"I see."

"Haven't the battle today taught us that there are indeed things to learn in the heat of combat."

"Right."

"All right. The soup is ready~."

"Ooh! Eda-dono's soup is truly delicious. So how about it. Won't you become our house chef?"

"Which house is that and where?"

"I cannot tell you."

"Then I won't go."

"Of course. Ahahahahaha."

Laughter ensued around the campfire.

Lecan quietly smiled as well.

This party's atmosphere isn't half bad.

Thought Lecan.

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Just as Arios guessed, there was enough room for other members to participate in the combat on floor 39.

Though it wasn't exactly a walk in the park.

Lecan would chase the magic beast around while swinging his huge sword in all directions.

One would have to swing their sword at the magic beast all while plunging in that storm-like sword dance.

It was Arios who successfully got in first.

When Lecan swiftly moved to the right after shooting a <Flame Spear> at the magic beast's chest, Arios rushed in to the left.

When the magic beast rotated its huge body toward Lecan, Arios splendidly cut off the furthest back of its four right legs.

The third and fourth legs on either side of these magic beasts are the legs that support their body, used as pivots to turn around. With one of those legs suddenly cut off, the magic beast lost its balance losing its head to Lecan's sword as a result.

The next one who managed to take part was Eda.

Eda's arrow pierced through the magic beast's eye before Lecan's <Flame Spear> could hit it.

Either due to anger or pain, or perhaps in an attempt to counter attack, the magic beast opened its mouth.

The <Flame Spear> flew into its mouth, blowing its head from the inside.

The magic beast died instantly.

Lecan briefly praised Eda, which Eda returned with her best smile.

However, this was no coincidence.

Afterwards, the same thing happened again several times.

Of course her arrows couldn't match the speed of <Flame Spear>.

Normally, archers should have the upper hands in aiming and shooting, but in Lecan's case, he doesn't take time at all to finish his preparation.

Nevertheless, there's still a slight lag for him to raise his left arm, confirm his target and cast the magic.

In that brief space of time, Eda would aim at the target and shoot through the magic beast's small eyes without fail.

When they had a lunch break in the middle of the floor, Heles went to ask Eda.

"Eda-dono. How are you able get your arrows land right before Lecan-dono's magic? I understand you're capable of hitting the same target. But that only applies to yourself. There's no point if your arrow hits long before Lecan-dono's magic does. I thought it was a coincidence at first, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Just how do you manage to instantly know that Lecan-dono is going to shoot his magic?"

"Eh? I mean, like it's simple? I just shoot it like Lecan does."

"Like Lecan-dono? No, the intervals between his attacks are never the same. There are times where he would immediately take stance the instance the magic beast came into view, and times where he would observe for awhile first. He could be slow or quick at taking stance too."

"Uun. Wonder how do I say this. It's cause, like everyone is the same, you know."

"I do not understand."

"Heles-san."

"Arios-dono, do you get it?"

"In swordsmanship, there are techniques to curb enemy on the onset of them moving right."

"Umu. There are."

"You'll fail to pull that off if you attempt the technique after the opponent has moved. You read your opponent's breathing so that when they attempt to move their arm and body to swing their sword, you unleash that technique."

"That is indeed how you do it."

"As we are human swordsmen, we do not specialize in reading magic beasts' breathing. But we can read human's because we are one ourselves. That may very well be the basis of coordination, I believe."

"Reading, human's breathing, huh. I see."

"Besides, Heles-san."

"Yes, what is it."

"I feel like I'm getting the hang of reading magic beasts' movements by observing Lecan-san's actions."

"What. Is that true."

"Oh I'll prove them to you sooner or later."

"Nunu. I shan't lose."

Lecan said nothing.

However, he was thankful that Arios would give a nice explanation in place of his poor talker self.

Anyway, the soup you drink inside a dungeon tastes so good.

Everyone here must think the same as well.

During the battles the noon of that day, Heles would keep rushing headlong into the fray.

Her actions would get in Lecan's and Arior's way, sometimes their swords would clash, sometimes their bodies, messing up their entire group's rhythm.

No matter how much defensive gear you put on, a direct hit from a dungeon depths magic beast is no joke to humans. Messing up your rhythm here is as good as facing death.

Eda's ranged <Recovery> saved the party from crises many times over.

However, Heles wouldn't stop her reckless charges.

And no one reprimanded her for it.

Heles was surely on the cusp of grasping something.