Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

The wind around them swayed along with it.

"I'm going now."

Push off the ground with your foot.

With a deafening roar and a cloud of dust, Ais disappeared.

It gained tremendous acceleration by utilizing the wind force attached to its entire body.

As the name suggests, Ais transformed into a whirlwind, charging straight towards the monster army.

"!"

Only the largest one at the very front had time to react to the high-speed sprint.

The monster suddenly opened its mouth and spat out corrosive liquid, regardless of how close the opponent was.

Ais swung her sword from below at an angle.

Using the swirling wind as a shield, he swiftly deflected the purple liquid.

An attack that the enemy could not defend against was cleaved in two by the silver trajectory.

“——”

Hand-to-hand combat.

She swiftly traversed the cracking corrosive liquid, giving the enemy no further chance to act, and Ais nestled into their arms.

Facing the monster frozen in place, she slashed diagonally down from the shoulder. Protected by the wind, the sword, though deeply embedded in the body, did not dissolve. Bodily fluids instantly splattered from the wound, but the swirling air around Ais blew them away. The corrosive liquid could not penetrate the wind armor that combined offense and defense.

The golden eyes narrowed.

Then, his right hand, which was gripping the sword hilt, swayed.

—Ais Wallenstein

One of the most famous and strongest warriors, the real name of the blonde, golden-eyed girl.

Ranked among the top swordsmen in the labyrinth city of Orario, a first-class adventurer.

Her other name is "Sword Princess".

"——!"

A series of merciless slashes.

She slashed wildly at the monster with astonishing speed, sharpness, and swordsmanship.

The monster, slashed and killed, let out a miserable scream, spraying marble-like fluid from its body, and collapsed helplessly.

Perhaps due to a loss of balance, the yellowish-green skin swelled up and bulged until it exploded.

"That's dangerous!"

“Ooo ...

The corrosive liquid scattered in all directions like bombs.

The bodily fluids even sprayed onto Tiona, who was some distance away from Ais and the others at the point of battle. The black rhinoceros that was splashed with the liquid let out a wail and rolled around on the ground.

"Seriously, it explodes after being defeated."

With a sigh, Finn approached the worm-like monster.

The medium-sized opponent twisted its body, attempting to knock Finn down with its flat, stingray-like arms—but Finn easily dodged it, using his small stature as a defense mechanism.

He turned around, causing his loincloth to flutter, and closed the distance between himself and the enemy in a near-lying position, using Ais's "Sword of Despair" to slash at its warts.

"Great, it works."

He deftly dodged the bodily fluids that gushed out with the monster's screams, and nodded as he looked at the undissolved sword.

The spine of the "Sword of Despair," exposed to bodily fluids, was smoking, but the blade remained undamaged. Finn laughed at the special weapon that could withstand even the corrosive fluids of monsters, and unleashed his next slash.

He only targeted that group of short-legged animals, cutting them off two or three at a time.

Having lost half of its side parapodia, the monster lost its balance and fell to the ground.

Although not as gifted as Ais with magical abilities, Finn's movements were still agile and skillful, and most importantly, there was nothing superfluous—no hesitation in taking action. This was the wisdom and courage he had learned to defeat opponents far greater than himself.

The little boy focused on depriving his enemies of their mobility, running across the battlefield.

"!"

As for Ais, she repeatedly defeated the monsters.

With the help of the powerful whirlwind swirling from [Wind Spirit Swiftness], the enemy can be killed in just one or two strikes.

The monster was unable to withstand the sword, which had become much sharper. The corrosive liquid was also sliced ​​apart by the sword's wind pressure, and sometimes it was even bounced back, dissolving its own body.

Ultimately, the monster's attacks were no match for Ais's lightning-fast agility.

They repeatedly lost sight of her, their outstretched arms were evaded, and they were slashed as they brushed past her.

The girl who moved so freely across the battlefield like a gust of wind was incredibly fast.

"Ais!"

"!"

She teams up with Finn, who comes from the front, to attack a particularly large monster from both sides.

When the enemy lost his footing after having his leg cut off, Ais immediately leaped into the air and slashed at the monster.

The sword, slashing to its hilt, produced a slight, hard sensation.

Her attack struck the "magic stone" perfectly, turning the monster into a pile of dust.

"Raul, come on, cheer up!"

"There's no way, Miss Tione, I'm dying."

"If you dare spout such nonsense again, I'll send you to your death right now! How am I supposed to help the commander if you don't fully recover quickly?!"

"Ah, I was wrong, please don't kill me...!"

Listening to the sounds behind her as Tione laid Raul on the ground and treated him with elixirs (restorative and antidotes) while cursing angrily, she observed the entire battle.

The number of monsters appearing from the entrance of the passage gradually decreased.

Although Ais and Finn's momentum overwhelmed the enemy, the situation of being outnumbered and outmatched remained unchanged, and they could not afford to be careless.

If the war drags on, Libra will tip in favor of the monster.

"Proud warriors, archers of the forest! The advancing raiders are ahead, take up your bows. Answer the voice of your brethren, nock your arrows!"

Ais and the others continued their fierce battle far ahead, while Lefia chanted in the rear.

Her eyes burned with a sense of mission. Of course, there was nervousness and trepidation, but a sentence entrusted to her by the girl she secretly admired carried more weight than any of that.

"Please help us next time."

She must repay them. This time, Rafia must respond to their struggle.

She wants to use this "magic" to save them.

Lefia's almond-shaped eyes widened as she spoke with unwavering determination.

"[Light the flames, forest lights. Command your arrows, fire arrows of the elves!]"

As the clear and melodious chanting continued, the light from the magic circle beneath their feet intensified.

The developmental ability "magic" is derived from the basic ability.

This is a magical specialization that can only be learned through "leveling up" by those who have thoroughly studied magic. It is different from "skills". Magic circles can provide various benefits when using magic, such as enhanced power, expanded range of effect, and increased efficiency of mental energy. It is proof of a high-ranking mage who has obtained "magical" abilities.

The structure features multiple rings and a complex pattern.

The ever-increasing, rich golden light illuminated Lefia's beautiful face.

"[Like a sudden downpour, fire burns the barbarian tribes]."

After reciting the last part of the incantation, the magic's power exploded.

Lefia raised the corners of her eyes, her gaze sharp and intense.

"I'm about to unleash my power!"

While shouting, aim at the enemy, covering the entire cavern except for the rear where Raul and Tione are waiting.

Seeing that Ais, Finn, Tiona, and the others had all retreated, Lefia raised her staff and cast a spell.

"[Volley of Fire Javelin]!"

Countless bursts of fire rained down.

The blazing, arrow-shaped magic projectiles arced through the air, hurtling towards the monster. Arrows that struck or pierced the enemy with a loud burning sound and a whooshing sound emanating from them ignited a great fire, while arrows that missed the target shattered the ground and ripped up rocks.

Hundreds and thousands of fiery arrows even engulfed the monsters' screams. The wide-range magic, which could not be described as a bombardment, turned the cavern crimson, instantly creating a sea of ​​fire.

The black rhinoceros and the larval monster were burned to ashes.

"See, it really worked! One shot! One shot! Lefia is amazing!"

"I... I used all my mental energy, so that..."

"That's too extravagant, isn't it? And Riveria too, these elves... Damn it, my fur is all singed."

"Wow, this magic is so amazing, it's really exciting to watch!"

Tiona, Bert, and Grace, who had formed a triangle to protect Lefia, Tiony, and the others, have all returned. Grace has dealt with all the enemies outside the magic's range.

As Tiona was praising Lefia for wiping out the enemy, Ais and Finn returned.

"...Thank you, Rafia."

"Ah...yes!"

Although Ais's expression lacked emotion, a slight smile did appear.

The small smile she gave herself, along with those words, made Lefia's eyes widen, and then she immediately beamed with deep emotion. Her azure eyes welled up with tears, and she quietly wiped them away.

The scene was instantly filled with a celebratory atmosphere.

"..."

"Commander? What's wrong?"

Sparks were still flying as Tiony walked toward the silent Finn.

In the corner of his field of vision, Raul, who had narrowly escaped death, was touching his stomach.

"Before we escaped into this cave... just when we were almost caught in a pincer attack, the monsters came from the front. And that path is the proper route to the 50th floor."

“…No way.”

"I hope I'm just being overly pessimistic... but I can't be that optimistic."

Finn seemed to have a bad feeling as he looked down at his right thumb.

He licked his fingertip and looked up at the astonished Thione.

"Call Ais and the others to gather. We're heading back to camp at full speed."

▲

Connecting the 50th and 51st floors is a rock face slope.

There's a large hole in the west wall of the 50th floor, leading to a steep slope that's almost a cliff. To get to the 51st floor, you can simply jump down in one go, but you'll have to spend some time climbing back up.

The yellowish-green slime covering the rock face made everyone realize that something was wrong. Ais and the others didn't use their hands, but instead used a series of jumps to rush up the slope.

After jumping out of the hole, I heard shouts from the crowd and a deafening explosion.

"The camp...!"

Tiona ran through the grey forest, reacting to the black smoke rising from the direction of the campsite.

Ais and the others ran even faster, crossing the large forest.

"Rivia, and everyone else!"

Emerging from the forest, one is greeted by a wide-open plain, a flat rock platform for setting up a campsite, and a huge swarm of worms lying flat against the rocks.

The monster used its many legs to stick to the rock platform and climb up, spraying corrosive liquid at Riveria and the others who were defending the platform.

The team members blocking the corrosive liquid at the cliff edge discarded the shields that were about to begin dissolving.