Pavane for Living Girls

The third floor, with its wolves and nothing but, was no threat to the three of them anymore.

In the closed world of a labyrinth, the wolves' pack behavior had its limits. They were easy to pick off one by one.

Without having to stop and gather loot, their advance was considerably faster than last time.

They reached the fork before the room where they'd found the beehive and this time chose the left path.

Straight ahead from there, they found stairs and arrived at the fourth floor.

The moment Azu set foot on the fourth floor, wind swept up her hair.

Her skirt fluttered too, so she pressed it down with her hand.

"This is indoors, right? I wonder if it connects to the outside."

"It doesn't. We're underground to begin with."

"Right. Where is all this wind coming from?"

Alexia seemed to be enjoying the breeze.

They called it the Wind Labyrinth, but if you kept bathing in this wind, it would chill you to the bone.

"Stay sharp. The enemies past here are really strong."

Kazusa called out to Azu from behind.

"Got it. How's the bag looking?"

"Still pretty much empty. We got here fast."

"Alright, let's fill it up on the fourth floor!"

"Roger!"

Elza raised her right arm high.

But no matter how young Elza looked, there was no blending in with two actual girls.

"Get ready. Something's coming."

At Alexia's words, Kazusa retreated behind the stairs and Azu raised her sword.

Elza was twirling her mace.

What came toward them was a bird-like monster about the size of a palm.

"That thing's a Dragon, despite looking like that!"

Kazusa shouted from behind.

Dragon. Dragonkin. A species of monster that sat at the very top of the ecosystem.

It was hard to believe that the tiny Dragon monster flapping its little wings in front of them was that powerful.

Azu circled behind the monster, wound up, and slashed at its back.

A hard, dull impact traveled up through her hand.

It barely scratched the surface.

Not as bad as the bears from the third floor, but still a tough opponent to fight with a sword.

When it turned toward Azu, the little Dragon opened its mouth as wide as it could and began compressing the air inside.

Azu dove under the little Dragon's feet.

A blast of compressed air slammed into where she'd been standing, leaving a massive dent in the wall.

A direct hit would mean more than just an injury.

Even with Elza's blessing active, she couldn't afford to take that.

Alexia's magic pierced the little Dragon's wing.

A spell that condensed heat into a single beam.

She'd probably seen that Azu's attacks weren't getting through and prioritized penetrating power.

The Dragon monster wavered from the wound to its wing.

It wasn't flying on wings alone, apparently, so the wound didn't bring it down.

Elza didn't miss the opening. She smashed it to the ground with an overhead swing of her mace.

The little Dragon shrieked as it was slammed into the floor.

For a split second Azu nearly hesitated, but even as it hit the ground, the little Dragon was already opening its mouth again.

Azu channeled magic through her sword and drove it through the little Dragon's mouth.

Naturally, the inside was far softer than its hide.

The air that had been building up dispersed, and the little Dragon breathed its last.

Azu sat down hard, exhaling.

"Haaah…"

"I told you to be careful. It might look like that, but even a heavy warrior would get blown away if they're not experienced enough."

"That was a little close."

Azu wiped away her cold sweat.

"When a monster doesn't look like a monster, you hesitate. That'll get you killed."

Alexia pulled Azu to her feet while lecturing her. Azu brushed off her backside and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful."

"Listen. There are monsters out there that look like adorable rabbits but are unbelievably strong. You blink, and your head's gone."

"The Vorpal Bunny, right? Most famous rabbit on the continent."

When Kazusa named the rabbit monster, Alexia looked impressed.

"You know your stuff."

"I learned about it at the church reading group."

Kazusa said it with a hint of embarrassment.

"A Vorpal Bunny, huh. That little one has killed quite a few heroes."

"…? You talk like you've seen it. Have you?"

"Of course not. If I ran into one, I'd be dead, so obviously I've never seen it."

"Fair enough. You say the strangest things sometimes, Elza."

"Do I? I suppose I might."

Elza laughed, one hand touching her cheek.

The smile held an allure that belied her role as a cleric.

Azu gazed at the crystal they'd gotten from the little Dragon.

It was a transparent indigo, perfectly clear.

Inside the crystal, wind was blowing.

It was the kind of beauty you could stare at forever.

"Nice. You might just be lucky, Azu."

"Kazusa. What is this?"

"A wind Elemental crystal. You can get them from monsters with a strong enough wind element, but…"

Kazusa took the crystal from Azu and held it up to examine.

Through the crystal, she could see Alexia's light and the labyrinth's own faint glow.

"You usually don't see them until much deeper floors. I've only seen them a handful of times."

"Really? Does it sell for a lot?"

"Absolutely. It's valuable as a wind element material, and it's popular as a gem too. You can use it as an ingredient for enchanted accessories."

"Yes!"

Azu cheered.

"If we collect enough for everyone, that'd be perfect."

"You serious? I mean, I'd get one too in that case, but don't push yourself."

"Well, standing around won't get us any. Let's keep moving."

"Roger!"

The fourth floor had fewer monsters than the third, but each one was stronger.

Wolf monsters appeared here too, but they were larger than the ones on the third floor.

Their jaws and fangs could crush something the size of Azu's hand.

She deflected their bites with her sword, and Alexia struck the exposed openings with her magic or fire-wreathed battle axe.

Their durability was high too. Fights lasted longer, and fatigue built faster.

The threat level had certainly gone up, but it was still a productive hunt.

They found the stairs to the fifth floor but ignored them for now.

Pressing deeper, they came to a wide room.

A large window opened in the wall, and a strong wind poured through it.

No monsters in sight.

They decided to take a break there.