Danmachi: Strongest Familia

To bolster their competitiveness, Kyle and Morgana decided to merge their Familias. 

The "merger," as it was called, essentially meant splitting a shared residence into two halves, with each side conducting its own business during the week. 

"Anyway, decide what works best for you. Just don't forget to find time for Garen and the others to upgrade. Do you need me to arrange someone for it?" Sol continued to inquire. 

"Not needed. It's just LV4 monsters," Kyle replied. 

"If you're planning to upgrade so many people at once, ordinary LV4 monsters won't cut it. You might as well go big," Sol suggested, narrowing his eyes as though scheming something. 

Kyle and Morgana exchanged a glance, falling silent in tacit understanding as Sol continued. 

"I heard that Amphisbaena on the 27th floor is about to respawn. If you can defeat this floor boss, upgrading everyone to LV4 should be no problem." 

"Amphisbaena is a floor boss comparable to LV6 in water battles, isn't it?" Morgana asked. 

"Exactly. But its true level is only LV5," Sol explained. "I can arrange for Haruhime to assist you when the time comes." 

Sol laid out his plan: relying on the strength of the heroes themselves, coupled with Haruhime's buffs and Sona's support, they could feasibly take down Amphisbaena. As an added precaution, an LV6 adventurer would stand by to oversee the operation, ensuring everything went smoothly. 

"Haruhime… that fox girl who can amplify levels? She's truly remarkable," Morgana remarked, licking her lips in admiration. 

"Hey—don't even think about my Haruhime, Morgana," Sol said, glaring at her warily. 

Something about Morgana always seemed off—she had an uncanny knack for trying to recruit his people. Despite providing so many heroes already, her greed seemed insatiable. 

Although the Sol Familia and Morgana's Familia operated like a headquarters and its branches, Sol was determined to keep certain key members close. 

"How stingy," Morgana muttered, turning away in irritation. 

Her plan to poach Haruhime had failed—Sol's vigilance was too strong. 

——

The next day brought clear skies and perfect weather, a fitting time to take on the floor boss. Morgana and Kyle decided to seize the opportunity without delay. 

Floor bosses were highly sought after, given their rare spawns. Acting swiftly was the best strategy. 

The Kyle and Morgana Familias quickly assembled their teams and set out for the 27th floor. 

Although the primary goal was to provide the heroes with a chance to shine, there were also several LV1 newcomers participating as supporters. 

Neither Kyle nor Morgana wanted to continue relying on Sol's funds to subsidize their Familias' living expenses, so they took this chance to organize a straightforward expedition. 

Most of the group consisted of commoners Kyle and Morgana had brought from Valoran. While referred to as "commoners," their potential was remarkable by Orario's standards—though still a step below the true heroes. 

Among the group, a few familiar figures stood out: Haruhime, Lulu, Fizz, and Irelia from the Sol Familia had joined the expedition, adding their experience and strength to the endeavor. 

One LV6 adventurer, accompanied by two heroes that use buff spells and one adept in water-based combat, was prepared to handle all contingencies. 

"Hey, which Familia is this? Starting an expedition again?" 

"Impossible. I haven't heard of any Familias preparing for an expedition recently." 

"Look at that flag—it's a design I've never seen before!" 

Most of the team consisted of unfamiliar faces. Irelia and the others were cloaked in uniform black, positioned strategically in the center, shielded by members on either side. Naturally, they avoided the notice of the curious adventurers outside. 

As onlookers observed the procession, their attention was drawn to the flags carried by the group. What caught their eye was the fact that there were two flags. 

"Is this... a coalition expedition?" 

Some quick-witted adventurers began piecing it together. 

"Could this be the Morgana Familia and the Kyle Familia? They arrived just a few days ago, didn't they?" 

"You mean the two gods with wings? That does look like their banners." 

In recent days, Morgana and Kyle had stirred up quite the buzz in Orario with their distinctive winged appearances. Even some bored gods had tried visiting them, but the Sol Familia turned them away—refusing to let their guests be treated like animals in a zoo. 

"But... those two Familias just arrived in Orario, didn't they? And they're already starting an expedition?" 

Several adventurers gazed enviously at the passing group. Their own Familias, despite years of development, still lacked the strength to undertake such endeavors. 

"Hey, aren't they new gods? How do they already have the strength for an expedition?" 

"No, I heard they came from outside Orario." 

"Still, I haven't seen the guild announce the ranks of their Familia members. Have you?" 

"Of course not. They've only been here a short time. The guild likely hasn't had time to process everything yet." 

While the adventurers whispered among themselves, the entire team entered the dungeon. Without hesitation, they made their way directly to the 27th floor, led by Irelia and her team. 

The low-level monsters encountered along the way were handed over to the newer members for practice. Despite this, the group maintained a steady pace. 

The 17th-floor boss, Goliath, had yet to respawn after being defeated by Eina during a previous expedition. The group passed through the 18th-floor safe zone without any issues. 

Unlike expeditions undertaken by Sol's Familia, Kyle and Morgana's team included a significant number of newcomers. As such, they couldn't advance directly to the 27th floor in one go. 

Once they reached the middle floors, the focus shifted to protecting the LV1 supporters, as the group planned to leave them behind on the 18th floor. This decision ensured the more experienced adventurers could focus entirely on the upcoming battles. 

Approaching the entrance to the 25th floor, Garen and Jarvan IV, acting as vanguards, cleared the area of monsters. The group paused briefly to reorganize their lineup before venturing further. 

Floors 25, 26, and 27 were interconnected, dominated by a vast lake that stretched across all three levels. The abundance of water naturally brought a surge of aquatic monsters, making it more challenging to avoid attacks. 

As the group advanced, Fizz dove into the river to scout, while Quinn released Valor, her aerial companion, to survey the area from above.