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

A burst of fiery energy erupted from the flames.

The stream of flames struck directly below, whipping up sand and creating a deafening roar that echoed across the ground. Just as the ferocious crimson light illuminated the surroundings, the dragon's neck swept across.

The endless stream of fiery torrents spread throughout the entire cavern following the movement of the nozzle.

「!?」

Faced with the overwhelming torrent of flames, Ais tried her best to escape. She leaped into a small mound with varying elevations, and the intensely hot fireball narrowly missed the spot where the little girl had been standing.

"Hooohoo..."

The mist in the cave was blown away by the terrifying bursts of flame.

No, it was burned to ashes.

Ais staggered to her feet from behind the mound and gasped when she saw the horrific scene.

Dead trees and grasslands were engulfed in flames. Large trees, their bodies ablaze, collapsed with a thud, shaking the ground. In a mere instant, the densely fogged buildings were reduced to scorched earth, sparks flying everywhere.

The pterosaur, with sporadic flames emerging from between its fangs, looked around with a surprised expression.

Because in the world where the view suddenly opens up, its primary target has disappeared.

Thanatos and his companions, who should have been hiding deep within the fog, vanished into thin air. The walls blocking the entrances and exits of the dungeon were still there, perfectly intact. The Extermination Apostles, born according to the will of the Mother Labyrinth, discovered that the Celestials had somehow escaped to the outside of the dungeon, and thus distorted their faces.

Soon, the dragon's eyes...

Naturally, they set their sights on the remaining prey—Ais.

"Roar! Ro ...

「!?」

The flying dragon, plunging rapidly from the sky, made the golden eyes tremble.

The pterosaur exuded a more ferocious presence than any monster she had ever encountered, posing a threat that Ais had to flee without hesitation. Its menacing howl sent shivers down the little girl's spine.

However, Ais gripped the sword with all her might.

What overcame her fear of insignificance was an astonishing fighting spirit. An emotion powerful enough to make her tremble dominated Ais at that moment, making her forget everything.

Ais raced towards the approaching pterosaur.

"Ughh ...

With lung capacity that seemed to come from nowhere, Ais let out a roar that a little girl shouldn't have, while raising the "Elzhu Sword" high above her head.

She aimed a sharp slash at the pterosaur that was growing larger and larger.

"!"

“Wu!?”

As they brushed past each other, the astonishing speed of the attack sent Ais tumbling across the scorched earth. Although she had narrowly escaped the enemy's claws, the force of the impact, as if torn her to pieces, still struck her. Ais immediately pulled herself off the ground, her eyes following the figure that had returned to the air.

As for the pterosaur, it glanced at its own body and seemed quite dissatisfied.

On the shoulder where its majestic wings extended, a section of the jet-black dragon scales had cracked. Although it was only a small piece missing, the protective scales that should have deflected any attack were still broken. The pterosaur glared back at the small girl who pierced through its vision with sharp eyes from below.

It looked down at the sharp-looking blue sword with its murderous eyes, and then swooped down again.

“──!”

In response to this move, Ais kicked the ground.

The place she needed to reach was a rock as tall as herself. Ais ran to the large rock jutting out from the grassland, used the momentum of her run to spin around, and slashed horizontally with the [Elzhu Sword] without holding back.

She fired a barrage of rocks, beckoning to the pterosaurs flying in from an angle above.

"!"

The strong, corrugated steel (Damask steel) blade beautifully shattered the rocks, sending countless flying stones flying. The dragon never expected such a long-range weapon and was caught off guard. Because of its excessive speed, it was hit squarely by the stone projectiles.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The sounds of violent collisions rang out continuously.

Although it did not harm the dragon scale-covered body in the slightest, it did take away the enemy's vision.

Seeing the rock fragments of various sizes flying towards it, the pterosaur closed its eyes in a moment of panic, which slightly reduced its speed.

Ais captured that moment.

(The usual methods for defeating winged monsters)

Ais swiftly leaped into the air. Seeing the little girl take the spot above her, the dragon's eyes widened in astonishment.

(Target the wings—knock it to the ground!)

Ais's eyes were bloodshot as she unleashed the strongest sword strike she could muster.

"Gooooooo!?"

The waving sword struck the dragon's wing with a single, powerful stroke, spraying out bright red blood.

It was a powerful strike that pierced through the dragon's scales and struck the pterosaur's muscle.

This is called "skill." It's the swordsmanship that the little girl has repeatedly amazed Loki and Finn—the signature move of her father (someone) from her memories. Her astonishing skill transcended an overwhelming gap in ability (stats), successfully wounding a dragon.

Ais unconsciously unleashed her full potential.

To draw upon the teachings of Finn, Grace, or Riveria.

He unleashed the swordsmanship of the "heroes" he had always witnessed in his childhood.

With a formidable enemy to be eliminated, Ais mobilizes all the elements that constitute her self in this moment, attempting to defeat her opponent.

(Too shallow! -- No, not yet!!)

The wyvern, losing its balance, crashed to the ground. A split second later, Ais landed on both feet and began slashing at her opponent without pause. Her target was one wing. She wanted to destroy that wing, cutting off her opponent's means of flight. Ignoring the wyvern's furious roar, Ais unleashed a flurry of wild blows with her sword.

Consumed by burning passion, Ais unleashes all her sword skills to strike her opponent. She draws upon the legacy of her father, a legacy she herself is unaware of, and the blessings she has inherited. With these sword techniques, Ais dodges even the sharp fangs and claws of her enemies with minimal movement, continuing her attack despite her battle suit being torn.

Side, back. The blade constantly circled out of the enemy's line of sight while being wildly swung and slashed.

Each flash of the blade sent shards of dragon scales and sprays of blood, indistinguishable as to whether they came from friend or foe, flying everywhere.

The little girl attacked violently, as if possessed.

"—Ugh…"

however.

This touched the dragon's Achilles' heel.

Seeing the small beast, unaware of the disparity in power between species, repeatedly defying him, the pterosaur was so enraged that its eyes bulged with fury.

As Ais lunged at the wings, the pterosaur instantly spun its body with the force of breaking through the wind.

The tail, covered in scales, whipped up a vortex that swept away everything in its path.

"ah!?"

The tail slammed into Ais's chest.

Its tail, covered in hard dragon scales, was a vicious blunt weapon comparable to a high-grade adventurer's weapon. The impact, like being struck by a giant club, struck Ais, causing her to vomit blood. Although Ais hastily drew her sword to block between the two, the metal plates of her armor still deformed and peeled off; Ais was thrown back at a terrifying speed.

"Ugh, ～～～～～～～～……!?"

Although she was barely spared from instant death thanks to the protection of the corrugated steel sword, Ais still suffered severe injuries she had never experienced before. Just as her beloved sword cracked, Ais vomited repeatedly, spewing out saliva mixed with blood, convulsing repeatedly as she struggled painfully on the ground.

The pterosaur disregarded her condition and flew directly overhead.

Their eyes, flashing with a fierce light, stared at Ais and the ground of the maze.

Enraged, the pterosaur attempted to unleash its most powerful weapon, opening its mouth wide.

"Aaaaaah!!"

"!!"

A deadly breath descended upon the ground.

The firepower was vastly different from that of ordinary pterosaurs, and a fierce stream of flames swept towards Ais.

Ais slammed her fist into the ground, rolling and desperately trying to escape, but the scale of that attack was beyond the resistance of a novice adventurer.

soon……

"...!? The fire..."

Looking up, Ais was surrounded by a wall of fire.

The hellish scene completely cut off all escape routes. There was nowhere to run.

The pterosaurs could no longer let go of the humans who had injured them.

The dragons, reigning supreme among all living beings, scorned everything they looked down upon, unleashing a cruel, crimson glow, intent on burning everything to ashes.

"Hooohoo!!"

It spewed out a giant fireball that was over five meters in size.

Ais's eyes widened as a bright red light filled her vision.

"~ ...

A fiery red world enveloped her.

Although Ais managed to dodge the direct attack with all her might, the raging heat and impact force within the area sealed off by the fire wall still blew her away, instantly melting away the armor she was wearing.

She let her skin and hair be burned black, desperately trying to resist, but the vortex of flames mocked her. A breath of terrifying heat suddenly blew over her, slamming the little girl to the ground.

"Ah, ah ah ga ga ga ga ga...!?"

Ais planted the sword in the ground and tried desperately to stand up, but even breathing was difficult.

Ais, whose throat and lungs were almost burned, remained kneeling on one knee, unable to move any further.

The fire in the cave, which had transformed into a furnace of hell, raged fiercely, attempting to burn the little girl to ashes in one fell swoop.

(I'm going to...)

Ais listened to the burning sound of her body.

Listen to the desperate sound of sparks hitting your body, your hands and feet gradually being roasted.

(Did he die here?)

How could this be.

This is not allowed. I (you) have not accomplished anything yet. Stand up. Take up your sword. Roar! Transform everything into hatred, and slay the dragon above your head. Fulfill your long-cherished wish.

Ais's heart was screaming, urging her to stand up.

My back is burning hot.

My back is burning hot.

Black flames are burning fiercely.

The flames deep within her eyes, the karmic fire that drives Ais to fight fiercely against her enemies, utter a sound of hatred.

however……

Even the black fire that forms the source of hatred is about to be burned to ashes by the enemy's raging flames.

The enemy's fire was hotter than her own. Hot enough to burn away even the little girl's (Ais's) fragile awareness.

(That's all...)

The fierce heatwave blurred consciousness. Time flowed slowly in the fiery red world.

Even her beloved sword was beginning to melt, and Ais's sense of self was gradually losing its original form.

That will bring relief. —A long-held sense of self-abandonment and despair murmurs in a dry voice somewhere deep within.

No! No! -- The black flames desperately tried to refuse.

However, the body with the fiery tattoo is about to succumb.

In the end, I didn't change anything.

I got nothing.

Ais was left all alone, to be burned to death.

What a foolish end. What a simple conclusion. What a tragic... fate.

When the voices in her heart merged into one, Ais raised her face.