Is It Wrong For Me To Start With Three Skills In Danmachi ?!

"Lefiya?" Ais glanced back while walking, silently asking with her eyes.

"A-Ais, I'm fine! It was just Mr. Fron scaring me half to death."

-------------------------------------------

"Hehe, Lefiya is quite nervous."

"N-no, I'm not! And Miss Tiona, please don't just look back casually, it's dangerous!"

"It's fine, I don't know why, but it's been so long since we last encountered a monster, it just feels kind of strange."

The innocent and naive Amazoness had a somewhat childish personality, yet she had an astonishing talent for battle instincts.

"Not running into monsters is actually convenient, we're about to reach our destination soon. Everyone get ready, that big guy isn't easy to deal with."

Tione, who was acting as the temporary commander, reminded the party members with a heavy tone.

Just as she said, as they continued forward... the originally wide passage gradually became narrower, clearly leading to a special chamber ahead.

"Check the mission details again while we walk."

"Our request is to obtain a sufficient amount of 'Cadmus Spring,' but this spring water isn't easy to collect. We have to fight 'that' and kill it first."

"'That'?"

Because of the conversations among the group, Lefiya gradually eased her nervousness a little.

"Yeah, the 'Dragon,' its name is 'Cadmus'."

"Dragon, Cadmus…"

"Yes, if you look only at combat power, it might even be stronger than the 37th-floor boss, Udaeus."

The 37th-floor boss, Udaeus, had a potential level of Lv.6 at the top tier, and under special conditions, it could trigger its Greatsword Form, with attack power high enough to possibly reach Lv.7.

"Gulp."

The elf girl's throat moved as she swallowed, feeling as if a devil lived inside the chamber ahead; the deep darkness and overwhelming pressure made her shiver inside.

"Um, since it's such a powerful monster, can't we avoid fighting it? Like luring it away…"

"Impossible, Lefiya. Do you know why it's called the 'Cadmus Spring'? Because the Dragon is the guardian of this spring."

Fron cracked a joke:

"So, where there's a dragon, there's a spring?"

"Mm-hm… you could say that, Cadmus is the sole designated drinker of this spring. Skipping past it is impossible."

"There's really only one choice, and that is to take it down."

"Remember last time, I got sent flying by it, just like the first time I met Fron, my whole body torn up. I almost died, you know."

Hey, what kind of mindset lets you say something so cruel with a smiling face? As expected of you, little angel.

"Since we're going for a frontal assault, there must be a concrete plan, right, Tione?"

"It's simple: Ais, Tiona, and I will pin it down head-on, giving Lefiya time to chant her magic, then we'll finish it off with a bombardment."

"And me?"

"You'll handle our healing and also protect Lefiya."

"Understood."

Then, they stepped carefully into the passage leading to the area ahead.

Moving further forward, they arrived at a wide, massive chamber; the 'Cadmus Spring' was at the deepest part of this chamber.

Everyone stayed quiet as Tione signaled them, and then they switched into formation.

Three girls served as the front line attackers, while Lefiya and Fron stayed in the back, ready for bombardment and healing magic.

This was Fron's first time participating in such a high-level operation; he held his breath and tried to keep his heartbeat as normal as possible.

At the same time, his left hand drew his staff from his waist, silently steadying himself.

Even the lively Tiona didn't chat anymore, Lefiya gripped her staff tightly, and Ais focused intently on the chamber ahead.

In the deep, dark environment, one could hear a pin drop, even the sound of each other's breathing was audible. Everyone concentrated, adjusting their state to the peak.

The sense of urgency swept over them, and cold sweat dripped down Lefiya's forehead.

—!

As the tension peaked, Tione gave a sharp look, and the tightly coordinated adventurers rushed into the wide hall simultaneously, their unparalleled physical abilities allowing them to accelerate rapidly.

Their figures blurred as they charged straight ahead, where their target was detected in the chamber's depths.

The monster stood over 5 meters tall, its strong muscles and robust frame covered in black dragon scales.

Its ferocious dragon head revealed sharp fangs, and even in the gaps of its teeth, one could see faint sparks colliding with each breath.

The huge, wide flesh wings, when spread, were estimated to exceed 10 meters, and the strong and powerful membrane turned them into a massive weapon.

The tail was covered with terrifying barbed spikes, extending all the way to the spine, matching the sharpness of the claws on its four dragon-like feet.

A monster, in the literal sense of the word.

Powerful, terrifying, exuding an oppressive aura even in slumber, releasing an anonymous, chilling sense of dread.

"[Awaken! (Tempest)]"

"[Avenger!]"

--!

The green magical wind blew the dazzling golden long hair into disarray. Ais drew her beloved sword at her waist, [Desparate], then lightly tapped her toes and, faster than Tiona, and Tione, rushed toward that monster.

!?

A clear "ding" rang out as the slash from the silver rapier, amplified by the spirit wind, merely struck sparks against the black scales.

"?"

Lefiya was dumbfounded, her body trembling in fear.

"Lefiya, chant your magic!"

Fron firmly slapped the elf girl's shoulder, his words stern and resolute.

"B-but…"

"The three of them entrusted you with the critical task of bombardment. Do you want to betray their expectations? At this moment, shouldn't you give it your all and respond to their trust?"

"B-but… I-I..."

Indeed, as a mage, Lefiya was still too inexperienced...

Facing such a powerful enemy, she shrank back, froze in place, unable to chant her spell with a calm mind, her magical energy faltering under fear.

"The one you admire is fighting with all her strength, and you're just standing there doing nothing, thinking you can just follow her?"

"Lefiya, where has your courage gone!"

"F-Fron…"

"You are not fighting alone. You need to believe in your companions more. Don't you trust them?"

"N-no, it's not like that!"

"Believe that they can protect you, and then use your magic to protect them. That's what it means to be a mage!"

!

The elf girl's beautiful face, unique to her kind, shifted through many expressions as she struggled internally.

"I…I can do it. My companions are protecting me. I…I must answer their expectations!"

"..."

The confusion and shadows in her sky-blue eyes slowly faded away, tears forming as she bit her lip and steeled her resolve.

"[In the name of Wishe, I wish—]"

The elf girl closed her eyes and began chanting her unique, powerful spell.

Yes, even Fron had never learned this magic.

"Lefiya!"

Powerful magical energy surged behind her, and Tione, Tiona, and Ais, turning back to see her opening a magic circle while chanting, smiled in relief.

"ROOOOOOOOAAARRRRR..."

"BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!"

"Puh—"

However, that monster had no intention of letting this subjugation battle proceed smoothly.

With just the slightest distraction, its spiked dragon tail lashed out at the three of them.

Ais fared slightly better thanks to her wind magic, though her armor was damaged.

But the Amazoness sisters, hit directly, suffered terribly: their abdomens torn open by the barbs, spewing blood as they were sent flying.

With a loud "boom," their broken bodies slammed into the chamber wall, shaking the ceiling so hard that unnamed rocks began to fall.

"D-damn it!"

The sisters struggled to get up from the ground, but the terrifying power of a Level 6 blow had shredded their bodies and nearly shattered their bones. Regaining combat strength any time soon was impossible.

Just as Tiona had said, a single strike had wrecked them completely.

A total level suppression, merciless and absolute.

"[Healing droplets, tears of light, eternal sanctuary.]"

"[Compose a medicinal hymn-three hundred, sixty, and five.]"

"[The melody of the healer's almanac saves all things.]"

"[Come, destruction of evil. The burial of wounds, interment of disease.]"

"[Curses be gone in the light of vitality. In the name of all that is holy -]"

"[Dia Fratel!]"