Danmachi: Strongest Familia

After all, the Ganesha familia had captured the upper- and middle-level monsters, so their strength wouldn't be too overwhelming. 

This was the city of Orario, and during the Monster Festival, nearly all the top adventurers had gathered here. 

It was only a matter of time before the monsters were dealt with, though it seemed they had already frightened a few low-level adventurers. 

"Should we step in to help?" Eina asked Sol enthusiastically. 

The Monster Festival was a fascinating event, and participating in it would certainly add some entertainment amidst the chaos. 

Seeing her spirited demeanor, Sol considered it for a moment. 

"Alright. Head to the festival grounds and check things out. Astraea is already there. If anything dangerous happens, make sure to protect her." 

"Leave it to me! I'll protect Sister Astraea!" 

Eina playfully saluted before bouncing off toward the festival grounds. 

Shyvana was about to follow her when Sol stopped her. 

"There are still monsters roaming around here. It's better to keep someone capable of fighting by my side as a bodyguard." 

They continued walking, but before long, the sound of fighting reached them from nearby. 

Before Sol and Shyvana could investigate, a wall suddenly collapsed toward them. 

Shyvana reacted instantly, stepping in front of Sol. With a sharp inhale, her chest puffed up, and flames surged from the corners of her mouth. 

The intense dragon breath engulfed the falling rubble. 

However, using fire to burn stones wasn't the best idea. Flames wouldn't make the rubble disappear... 

Sol looked on, puzzled, as the fire-wrapped stones continued their descent. 

Realizing her mistake, Shyvana flushed with embarrassment. It had been a reflexive reaction—an awkward, clumsy one. 

There was no time to fix her blunder now. As a peak Level 4 adventurer, her crimson dragon scales covered her forearms in an instant. 

Though she wasn't wearing her armor, Shyvana had the convenience of partial transformation. 

A single dragon wing burst through her top. With a powerful swing of her body, the wing smashed against the falling debris. 

Like a game of badminton, the rubble was sent flying. 

Unfortunately, the nearby building wasn't so lucky. Several large holes appeared in its walls as a result. 

"That was a bit excessive…" Sol muttered, covering his mouth and nose as the air filled with dust. 

The choking dust cloud made him uncomfortable, but Shyvana waved her dragon wing again, instantly clearing the space. 

"My apologies, Sol-sama. Are you alright?" 

Retracting her dragon wings hastily, Shyvana turned back to check on Sol, completely forgetting the now-exposed tears in her clothing. 

Her worried gaze softened when she saw that he was unharmed. 

"Don't worry. A little incident like this won't hurt me," Sol replied, waving a hand dismissively. Even if the stones had fallen, it wouldn't have been an issue. 

Even without divine powers, his body was still that of a dragon. 

Handing Shyvana a bedsheet blown in from nearby, Sol watched as she skillfully wrapped it around herself. 

She was already accustomed to this shortcoming of her partial dragon transformation. Without special clothing designed for such changes, this was the inevitable result. 

"Run! Monsters are coming!" 

Before Shyvana could catch her breath, two panicked men rushed out from a distance, yelling frantically. 

Chasing right behind them were several Ratmen, their sharp teeth glinting and claws ready to strike. 

Really? These are just Level 1 monsters. Can't you put up a bit of a fight? 

"Shyvana—" 

Sol sighed and motioned to his bodyguard, who immediately sprang into action. 

Though the bedsheet hindered her movements slightly, it didn't pose much of a problem. 

The two fleeing men, upon spotting Sol and Shyvana, immediately changed direction, leading the Ratmen straight toward them. 

Shyvana, however, didn't even flinch. She calmly prepared herself, her stance steady as the Ratmen charged. 

As the first two lunged at her, she swung her dragon claws with lethal precision. 

The Ratmen were split cleanly down the middle, their magic stones shattered into fragments. Within moments, their bodies disintegrated into black ash. 

The remaining Ratman barely had time to react before Shyvana closed the distance in a single stride. Her massive dragon claw encased its head entirely. 

With a simple squeeze, the creature's skull was crushed, and its lifeless body dropped to the ground. Unlike its companions, this one left behind an intact magic stone. 

"These guys are pathetic. Getting chased down by Ratmen," Sol muttered, shaking his head in disapproval as he glanced in the direction the men had fled. 

Despite Shyvana's swift actions, the fleeing men had managed to vanish without a trace. 

"If they ever level up, I bet the only skill they'll gain is running away," Sol added dryly. 

"Maybe they're just civilians who live nearby," Shyvana suggested softly. 

"Forget it," Sol said dismissively. "Let's head toward the Monster Festival venue and see what's happening there." 

When they arrived near the venue, the Ganesha familia was already hard at work cleaning up the chaos. Their efforts had dispersed most of the bystanders, but their numbers were stretched thin. 

With no clear count of the escaped monsters, it was unrealistic to deal with all of them at once. However, they had already contacted the guild for assistance, and several top-tier adventurers in the area had begun to act. 

As Sol predicted, Astraea had also made her way to the scene. Alise and the others had gathered shortly after hearing the commotion. 

Though they hadn't brought weapons, their high levels ensured that the rampaging monsters were quickly subdued. 

Eina, sent by Sol, soon found the group but realized that the battle was already winding down. 

It seemed there was no need for her to intervene. 

"Well, it looks like they don't need my help after all," she remarked with a faint pout. 

"Thanks for rushing over," Astraea said with a smile. "Since you're here, could I ask you to check on the city? It seems a few monsters may have made it through."