It had been a really long time since I'd seen a chimera.
And this was the first time I'd seen one that wasn't a subspecies.
Snake tail. Lion body. The eagle head was male, and the sheep head was female.
They were about the size of a large truck. I'd heard the biggest ones could get as big as an elephant.
A large truck... plenty threatening enough.
If one charged at me, I might end up reincarnating in another world, but sadly I'd just die.
"Even so, are chimeras really found in groups this big?"
There were more than ten of them. That seemed like a lot.
"Truth be told, even I have not heard much of this, my dear."
"That's precisely why we're investigating, you see."
"Mmm... again... the dungeon anomaly... makes me hungry..."
Well, yeah. That tracks.
A space had opened up in the 13th floor labyrinth, and a flock of chimeras had appeared.
Among them were chimera subspecies.
Shiro asked.
"Can I ask something?"
"What is it?"
"Is it always the same pattern? When you fight a group of chimeras, the chimera subspecies flee... and that just keeps repeating?"
"That is indeed so."
"That is so."
"Hmm… looping…?"
Shiro-san nodded.
"This is an 'event.'"
"What's that?"
"I've never heard of it."
"Riv hasn't… either."
Of course it was my first time hearing about it too. An event?
"—You know how the dungeon's artificial constructs sometimes reproduce buildings and ruins that once existed on the surface? It's the same thing. Rarely, an accident, an incident, or a phenomenon gets reproduced the same way. That's an EVENT."
"Is that so?"
"So the chimera group and the subspecies' behavior—that was an EVENT that happened somewhere in the past?"
"Hmm… and the cast is dungeon monsters?"
"That's right. The cast is dungeon monsters. The hollow one from earlier might have been some kind of EVENT too."
Ah, so that's what it was.
An EVENT was a recreation of accidents, incidents, or phenomena that once happened on the surface.
And the cast was dungeon monsters… I see.
"So the subspecies fleeing while using the chimera group as bait—because something like that actually happened before?"
"That's it."
Using the group as bait to escape. No—using them as a decoy to let others get away.
Seemed like the kind of situation that would come up a lot, honestly.
"No wonder it felt off. Look—even from a position where it can see us, it does nothing."
That had been bugging me for a while.
They could clearly see each other, and they could sense each other's presence, yet the chimera didn't attack.
So it wasn't within the event's range, huh?
Hmm? Then...
"Hm... so... what do we do...?"
"An event only performs predetermined actions. That makes its behavior very easy to predict."
"So we can get ahead of it, then."
"The question is how to get ahead of it, though."
"Um... I just noticed something."
I pointed a finger at a small cave behind the chimera subspecies—something that looked unnatural in the context of a labyrinth.
"What about that hole?"
"Could it be that the chimera subspecies always retreats there?"
"Hm... that's right..."
"When you chase it, it connects to a path with complex branching."
"And that's how it always gets away."
"You lose sight of something that massive?"
Even with all the branching, it seemed hard to lose track of something so enormous.
"Now that you mention it..."
"If the labyrinth is wide enough, I suppose there's no helping it."
"The width is normal."
"Hmm… it's the same… as the one we came through."
In that case, wouldn't they be unable to get through?
The chimera was about the size of a large truck.
"I see. This is just speculation, but in its current state, we won't be able to defeat the chimera subspecies."
"Huh?"
"Oh, why not?"
"If the chimera subspecies fleeing is part of the EVENT, then it most likely disappears the moment it enters that cave."
"So we can't chase it?"
Pakira made a face like she couldn't believe it.
Her two white tails also swayed skeptically, floppy and loose.
"Now that you mention it, the passage on the other side is the same width, so rather than not being able to chase…"
"…Can't get through… right."
Right. This labyrinth here — considering the passage width, the chimera couldn't get through.
They of Torquetam had only just now realized this, and were in shock.
"Isn't it good that you at least figured it out?"
"That may be so, but…"
"The problem is that even if that changes, nothing has been solved."
"Hmm… no matter what… Riv and the others… will let it escape."
"Pakira. What about that binding Relic?"
"It can't be used without an opening."
"And if you attack it, it flees immediately. That variant."
"This is... difficult..."
Honestly, it felt like we simply didn't have the decisive factor.
More importantly, listening to all this, Mineha was essential.
Her OOPArt, the 'Demon Star Manifest Spear,' could also reach long distances. If anything, that was its true specialty.
But that might be fine for defeating it... this wasn't about that.
"Hey, I'm wondering—is there really a reason to go to all this trouble for this one? On the 14th floor, there are other routes."
The maze here connected to all sorts of places. We'd even spotted teleportation circles along the way.
The three from Torquetam exchanged glances and nodded firmly.
"It may be foolish, but we have our reasons."
"It's revenge."
"Oh."
"Mm... Before... we got crushed... Next time, we won't lose..."
"Fine. We need to gather materials anyway, so I'll lend a hand."
Shiro said that, then pulled something out of her white pouch.
It was a staff. A pure-white metal staff.
Simple in construction, but that only made it look more refined.
She twirled the staff lightly overhead and began her chant.
"Thou art white and holy. Creation Relic—White Templum."
Four white pillars appeared, and from them, walls of light closed in around the flock of Chimerae.
She said to us, utterly calm, as we stood there gawking.
"Now they can't get away, so have all the revenge you want."
Leaving us still gaping behind her, Shiro set up the table from her back.
She took a tea set out of her pouch and poured a white liquid into a white cup.
Then she looked at me.
"Want some?"
"Ah, no—I'm heading toward the Chimerae too."
"Be careful."
She sipped her tea with elegance.
We headed toward the flock of Chimerae.
The Chimerae charged at us the moment we approached.
But the white Chimera alone tried to flee, only to be repelled by the wall of light.
Being dungeon monsters, yet not even attempting to fight and instead trying to run first—it was nothing if not jarring.
So this was the "event."
Torquetam, taking down the Chimerae one by one with outstanding coordination.
But one at a time was all they could manage; the rest could barely keep the others at bay.
It must have been Mineha-san who held the role of keeping the other Chimerae from getting close.
If that was the case, then I'd take over.
Figuring I'd be fine with this many around, I raised my hand and began chanting.
[Banish]
I cast it, engulfing several Chimerae in the vanishing.
"Whoa..." Pakira says from behind my back.
"I see, I see. So that's what it truly is."
"Yes."
"It certainly is exceedingly dangerous."
Lupinus pushes her great shield forward, knocking a Chimera back.
"Mm..."
Void
Style...
Subaru
...Maia Blade...
A red slash cuts through one Chimera's serpentine tail, and Pakira's wind blade severs its forelegs.
As it lost its balance and tumbled, Riv crushed the eagle head with her black blade.
We'd finally taken down half the pack when something strange happened.
The remaining Chimerae vanished into thin air.
"Huh?"
"What the—?"
"What does this mean!?"
"...Still, this works out."
Only Riv was calm.
Not all of the chimera had vanished.
Just one remained.
Two long serpentine tails. A white tiger's body. A magnificent, ominous, enormous ram's head.
Black eyes that reflected nothing — a chimera subspecies.
The moment the chimera subspecies's eyes glinted, it spat something out.
Evil Gaze. Damn it — my body won't move.
The liquid projectile it spat out was hurtling toward me. At the last instant, someone stepped in front.
It was Lupinus. She raised her great shield and deflected the liquid projectile.
Where it dripped onto the ground, it melted through the surface while evaporating.
"How troublesome. Dissolving liquid, is it?"
"Mm... if that hit... you'd be stripped bare... how awful... eek!"
"Not even bones would remain."
Lupinus turned to me.
"Wof, are you alright, dear?"
"Ah, thank you. Lupinus, are you... a-are you okay?"
Even with a great shield, she couldn't block all the splash from deflecting the liquid.
Sure enough, thin wisps of smoke were rising from Lupinus's arms and legs.
"This much is nothing to worry about."
She flashed a quick smile. But I could tell she was putting on a brave face.
Evil Gaze to freeze them in place, then dissolving acid to melt them all at once... Brutal combo.
Liquids are especially troublesome.
With something like dissolving acid, even a stray splash could cause fatal damage.
"Geez, give it a rest already!"
"So... twitchy... annoying..."
Pakira and Riv were being chased by two of the variant's tails.
The tails turned out to be venomous snakes — white-furred serpents with black-red and pale green liquid glistening on their fangs.
Evil Gaze, dissolving acid projectiles, and venomous snakes. This one was different from the last chimera variant.
I wondered if even variants came in different types. Either way, I needed to maintain my distance.
Lupinus raised her shield and spoke.
"Strong. Well, rather — troublesome, I'd say."
"Indeed. In terms of sheer strength alone, the previous chimera variant was superior."
"Yeah... agree... just... super annoying..."
The three from Torquetam seemed to think so too.
Maybe it was because this was a chimera variant from a shallower floor.
"What we need to watch out for is Evil Gaze."
"Come to think of it, what about the anti-Evil-Gaze sunglasses?"
When I asked, the three of them turned their faces away.
"Long story short, they didn't work."
"You really shouldn't wear sunglasses inside a dungeon."
"I... can't see anything..."
"I-I see..."
"But the countermeasure for the Evil Eye lies in Lupinus's shield."
"Yes, I shall serve as the decoy. In the meantime, Pakira and Riv, please handle the venomous snake tails."
"Mm... hurry up... and cut them off..."
"I'll be wanting to use fire soon."
"Wof, please step back."
"Sorry about that."
"...Riv and the others'... wall to overcome..."
That's right. This was their revenge.
I looked at Pakira. Riv. Lupinus. And Torquetam.
"Understood. Be careful."
No need to worry. If it was them.
Lupinus raised her greatshield and lured the chimera subspecies head-on.
The chimera subspecies used Evil Eye to spit acid projectiles.
Lupinus caught them all on her greatshield.
In that opening, Pakira conjured a gust of wind to toss around the two venomous snake tails.
Riv sliced them clean off with Razor Blade.
With a piercing shriek, the chimera subspecies lost its balance and collapsed.
At that point, it was as good as a fish on a chopping block.
The toppled sheep-head was pinned down by Lupinus's greatshield.
Countless wind blades rained down on the equally toppled torso.
Riv's Razor Blade took its head for the finishing blow.
Right after taking it down, the three from Torquetam high-fived with grins on their faces.
Their revenge was over.