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

Page 694

"The Great Fairy's 'Wind'..."

Rives's eyes narrowed sharply.

The gusts of wind blowing towards her were perhaps preventing Revis from getting close to Ais's protective layer. It was impossible to approach recklessly now. It was conceivable that Ais, who was consuming immense "magic power" like water, would soon perish, yet the wind showed no sign of abating.

Accepting Ais's burning will to burn her life, the "wind" continues to rage.

"A futile struggle...!"

The output of such astonishing power could trigger a reaction from the "fairy clones" hidden deep within the man-made labyrinth.

Based on this judgment, Rives attacked Ais with fury. With a charge powerful enough to tear through the oncoming wind, she thrust her sword at the girl.

Ais met the attack with the "Sword of Despair." She didn't allow the howling wind to stop, transforming into a moving storm, constantly defending and escaping Revis's attacks.

"Tsk... Stop struggling!"

"!"

The sudden gusts of wind repeatedly hindered the attack, and despite the girl's severe injuries, Revis was unable to corner her. This was because whenever Revis's attack speed and close-range momentum were reduced, the swordswoman (Ais) countered with her sword skills.

Moreover, the wind radiating from her entire body reaches every corner, and if Rives is careless, she could be blown away.

That went beyond "armor" and could be described as a "fortress" of wind, causing Revis's face to contort in annoyance.

(Not yet, not yet...!)

Ais is enduring it.

She continued to create "wind," spurring her body to withstand Revis's fierce attacks.

Ais is waiting.

Waiting for that moment to arrive, until one's own "wind" triumphs over this chaotic labyrinth.

Endure, endure, endure.

Waiting, waiting, waiting.

Ais risked her life to continue the ugly defensive battle, which was nothing more than a survival measure.

She continued to emit the wind's howl.

"Have you had enough?!"

“Wu!?”

Rives's attack finally struck Ais squarely.

With all his might, he raised his sword high and slashed down, cutting through the strong wind and sending the indestructible sword (the sword of despair) flying along with it.

Ais propped herself up, but as if declaring her limit, one of her knees buckled.

The "wind" that had been continuously released also disappeared.

"If you resist any longer, things will get complicated... I'm going to knock you unconscious and cut off your limbs so you can't move."

Ais narrowed her eyes as she looked down at Rives.

Then, just before the longsword, raised high above his head, was about to strike Ais, it struck.

sand!

Footsteps echoed in the large room.

"……What?"

The red-haired man turned his head and stopped in his tracks in astonishment.

★

At the same moment, as Ais launched her final defensive battle.

"Miss Tiona, Ax has already...!"

"...This is really bad."

Repeated attacks and various traps left Tiona and her companions exhausted.

There is nowhere to escape.

An endless maze, the silent confinement of the stones, and the sinister laughter of darkness. Not only do fatigue and injuries accumulate, but there are also no reliable signposts to rely on. Under these circumstances, the group members are already on the verge of despair.

If it's that underground labyrinth (dungeon) that I've challenged many times, at least there's a map.

Knowing the monster's strength, knowing the trap's effectiveness, and knowing where to rest.

There are no artificial mazes (here).

Not only that, but they also deliberately opened the "door" with ulterior motives, cutting off the adventurers' escape route.

Without their companions or any means of resupply, they were isolated and helpless. The members were pushed to their limits, their expressions like those of people imprisoned in an endless jail, slowly crushed by an invisible enemy called "despair."

Even Tiona's smile couldn't stop the low morale.

Like the male members, Tiona was also affected by the "poison" of the venomous maggots, and sweat dripped down her face.

at this time.

"!...There's wind?"

The mage (Elphie), who was supporting a male member of the group, noticed the air movement that was gently touching her skin.

Tiona also stopped in place and stopped moving.

The air was clear and flowing, unlike the murky air in a maze.

It patted the large double blades in its hands, gently blew upwards along the surface of the blades, and then came over to stroke Tiona's cheek.

Something was calling to her.

(Wind...wind?)

Upon hearing the whispering footsteps of the wind in her ear, Tiona's eyes widened abruptly.

Then, in the next instant—BOOM!

Just like a raging storm, a deafening wind roared.

"What's wrong!?"

"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!?"

A gust of wind swept in from the depths of the passage, causing Elfie and the others to lean back and stumble.

It was a hurricane, slapping against my cheeks, shaking my weapons, and blowing my hair into a mess.

The sound of the wind dispelled the darkness of the labyrinth, harsh yet warm.

"W-What's going on?"

"Is it another trap!?"

"--no."

The unexpected headwind in the labyrinth threw Elfie and the others into chaos, but Tiona looked up.

The clear sound of the wind brought back many memories for her.

I recall the golden wheat fields swaying in the wind, the drifting white clouds, and the fairy reciting poetry—a blonde girl running on the breezy hills.

The wind is calling to Tiona and the others.

"It's Ais!"

His face, which had been tinged with weariness, was once again filled with a smile.

The Amazonian girl, who always acted on instinct, ran out without saying a word.

"Ais is calling me!"

"Miss Tione, what's that gust of wind...!?"

A different location from where Tiona and the others were.

Tione, who was leading the orc Kos and others, also heard the sound of the wind.

"ah--"

Tiony held down her flowing hair, and a beam of light flashed across her face.

The wind that kept blowing back and forth awakened a memory.

"Yes...it's Ais! It's Ais's 'Wind'!!"

—The caves on the mountainside are often exposed to the wind.

—In other words, as long as you walk in the direction the wind blows, you won't encounter a dead end.

Grace and the others had said this to her when they first entered the maze.

That dwarf elder did indeed say that the wind could indicate the correct direction.

The man-made labyrinth hidden directly beneath the city (Oario) couldn't possibly have winds blowing naturally. Tione was certain that the wind still blowing towards them was definitely coming from Ais's [Wind Spirit Dash].

"She's telling us! Telling us her location—the meeting point for our companions!"

Ais's "strong wind" swept through every corner of this man-made maze.

The hypothesis derived from certainty is utterly absurd, but if it were that swordswoman (the girl), it could indeed be done. A smile bloomed on Tione's face.

Amidst the many forks in the road, the wind seems to be calling out, "I am here," blowing from one of the paths.

Following this "wind" will lead them to Ais. And as long as all the members who hear the wind follow it, the Loki Familia trapped in the labyrinth can be reunited.

Tiony and the others ran in the direction called by the "wind".

"Let's go!"

"yes!!"

"That silly girl! She's messing around again!"

Grace lashed out at the "wind" that flowed through the vast labyrinth.

"This 'wind' is Miss Ais's...? Is this even possible!?"

Navi exclaimed in astonishment, finding the whole thing utterly absurd.

She was right. How could the power of just one adventurer possibly extend throughout the entire labyrinth?

But this is all because the girl's "magic (wind spirit dash)" is so exaggerated that it can fight the "floor master" to a standstill, coupled with her strong and resilient spirit.

At the same time, Grace also saw through it: Ais was burning her life force to bring forth this guiding wind. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to summon such a powerful "wind".

In other words, she is also in crisis, forcing her to make a brute-force decision.

"There's no time to hesitate anymore!"

Grace, her tattered armor clanging, gave orders to her bandmates:

"Run, you bastards! When those brats lose this 'wind,' it'll be our defeat!!"

"What the hell is this gust of wind?!"

Valetta, as an enemy, also heard the howling of the wind.

A strong "wind" blew towards her, causing her to quickly cover her face with her arms and groan.

"Raul!"

"Let's go!"

Raul, Angie, and the others, who were wandering aimlessly in the maze, also started running with Finn.

"Brother Bert... this is..."

"!"