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

“—Huh!”

"!"

Having only recalled half of what happened, Ais continued her fiery sword dance with her opponent.

The masked adventurers launched a series of attacks, and Ais faced their challenge head-on.

The battle intensified. The opponent's high-speed movement never ceased, creating an astonishing symphony of motion. First, they closed in on Ais with an acceleration capable of shattering stone slabs, then instantly slowed down before unleashing a top-speed slash. The opponent employed exquisitely precise timing and speed, weaving dozens, even hundreds, of "interference tactics" into the high-speed battle. These were incredibly subtle, yet unparalleled, movements of unparalleled precision. Enough to compensate for a level difference, even to the point of forcing [Sword Maiden] to slow her judgment for a fleeting moment—this tactical prowess was truly remarkable.

Having been forced into a passive position, Ais decided to use her high-speed movement to catch up with the masked adventurer, but unexpectedly...

"...!?"

The enemy's wooden swords destroyed the surrounding wooden crates and barrels, scattering countless fragments everywhere.

Shotgun shells filled her vision, forcing Ais to shoot them down. The shattered wood fragments rained down like a storm, preventing Ais from pursuing her opponent.

The masked adventurer refused to let the [Sword Maiden] get close, making the most of the terrain.

The battlefield where the two were fiercely fighting was a junkyard. Stacks of wooden crates and barrels served as cover, obstructing Ais's view. She first saw the masked adventurer rush past from the left, then turn back to the right the instant he entered a blind spot, providing an unexpected boost to her attack. Ais cried out that she couldn't keep up with the agility that kept exceeding her expectations.

The wooden barrel burst open, and wooden crates flew up. First, a huge amount of waste flew from the front, followed by a blow from a wooden knife coming from the side.

“Hmm!?”

Ais managed to block the attack, but the masked adventurer immediately moved out of Ais's attack range.

Her opponent was never greedy, launching an attack only when they were just passing each other before disappearing from Ais's sight. Even when Ais retaliated, her opponent was able to withstand the attack with his own skills, never slowing down his rapid pace.

Precise, high-speed combat, coupled with masterful hit-and-run tactics.

When an opponent smashes a barrel or crate, many fragments fly into the air, their trails whizzing around at incredible speeds, much like a "whirlwind."

Accompanied by continuous, intense sounds, fragmentation bullets rained down from all directions, almost giving one the illusion of being "trapped in a storm."

(Seriously, they used every ounce of their strength... pulling out all the stops to deal with me.)

The opponent's inherent abilities (skills), the boost from light particles, and the terrain effects all contribute to the impact. Their willingness to unleash every single card in their hand conveys a strong sense of conviction, a determination to keep Ais here.

Ais deflected the enemy's attacks while thinking.

The opponent cannot maintain full strength for too long. As long as the enemy's stamina is exhausted, there is a way to break through the battle, or you can take time to let your eyes get used to the opponent's speed and then respond accordingly.

But that's a poor choice.

If the masked adventurer is in league with Bell, then the enemy's objective is to "buy time".

If Ais loses the boy after spending too much time chasing him, then Ais has "lost".

"..."

Ais was extremely annoyed.

If it weren't for this situation, I imagine we could have spent more time enjoying the sword fight.

If both sides were completely unburdened, they would surely be able to engage in a full-blown confrontation.

If she were the same level as me—it would probably feel even more like a worthy opponent.

Finally, Ais drew the scabbard of the Sword of Despair from the sling.

"!!"

Upon seeing the Sword Maiden wielding a sword in her right hand and holding the scabbard in her left, the masked adventurer, who was moving at high speed, widened his eyes.

(Holding a sword and scabbard in each hand... [Sword Princess] can use dual swords? How is that possible? I've never heard of it.)

Even with doubts and confusion in her heart, she never stopped running. The masked adventurer continued to speed along, making full use of his abilities (skills), and carefully observing how the blonde, golden-eyed girl would make her moves.

In the center of the back alley, Ais, imprisoned in the Gale Cage, closed her eyes.

The hands holding the sword and scabbard should be relaxed and hanging down.

This lack of formality is like saying, "You can call from anywhere you want."

(Like waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump...?)

While seemingly intended as a direct counterattack, this is actually a passive tactic.

Did she abandon her pursuit of high speed and intend to gamble everything on a single strike?

This was a welcome development for the masked adventurer who aimed to buy time. She didn't need to attack; she could maintain the stalemate she desired simply by continuously disrupting her opponent.

(However, [Fiora] should have already realized that I'm buying time... Is she trying to lure me into being careless? Is it a trap?)

As a battle-hardened warrior, the masked adventurer attempts to decipher the swordsman's intentions.

This extremely short period of time allowed her to switch from offense to defense, a position she had been aggressively pursuing.

The wind's brief moment of breathing was hardly a defensive maneuver—but it was more than enough for the girl.

The next instant, Ais dashed off at top speed.

「!?」

She dispelled her "mimicry" form and initiated a lightning-fast close-quarters battle.

The masked adventurer was astonished to see the golden-eyed swordsman rushing towards his predetermined route and rapidly closing in.

Everything was designed to shake her resolve; it was a "tactic" Ais had laid out to make the masked adventurer, who intended to buy her time, hesitate for a moment. Only then did the masked adventurer realize that the time she had given him to think was a "trap," and he had no choice but to use all his strength to prepare to fight back.

"Hmm—!?"

Although she encountered an unexpected attack, she did not slow down her pace and swung the wooden sword horizontally with all her might.

The power gained from the ability (skill) bonus, plus the amplification from the light particles.

Faced with this blow, imbued with all grace and delivered with all its might—

*Snap!*

"────────"

[Fiora] saw through it at a glance and, with the precision of threading a needle, easily deflected it with her sword.

Insufficient "strength".

Insufficient "speed".

Lv is insufficient.

Even though the masked adventurer used all his skills, he was still outmatched by Ais's Lv.6 "capacity".

This is an undeniable "practical gap".

Undoubtedly, the masked adventurer was incredibly strong. Her skills were even more refined and agile than he remembered.

However, Ais became far stronger than her.

Ais tirelessly ventured into the dungeon, relentlessly slaughtering countless monsters. She was also drawn into the "Colorful Monster" incident, engaging in numerous deadly battles with the "Fairy Clone" and other monsters.

One is a veteran who has retired from the front lines, and the other is a "warrior" who is still engaged in fierce battles on the front lines.

The sheer number of battles they traversed before this "rematch" clearly distinguished their relative strengths and weaknesses.

And because their "skills" were evenly matched, Ais lowered her eyebrows in regret and brandished another weapon.

"Luckily, it's the scabbard (this way) --"

Fortunately, you attacked from the right. She thought.

As the masked adventurer's left hand, along with her wooden sword, was deflected, leaving only one hand in a gesture of respect, Ais murmured to her.

"If it's a sword, I won't be able to control my strength."

While relieved that she didn't have to sever her opponent's body, Ais calmly unleashed a strike from the scabbard in her left hand.

"—Huh!?"

A lightning-fast flash of sword light pierced his abdomen.

A powerful "decisive blow".

The air in his lungs was blasted out, and the masked adventurer was sent flying backward with the force of a burst dam, spitting out blood from his lips.

Along the way, she smashed wooden crates and barrels, sending countless pieces of wood flying high into the air.

Soon, his thin body was slammed against the wall.

The masked adventurer carved cracks into the brick wall, and in the moment before losing consciousness, his eyes met those of Ais, who stood there.

Her narrowed, sky-blue eyes revealed regret as she bent her neck forward.

The song of the wind ended there, replaced by long golden hair fluttering in the wind in the back alley.

"……sorry."

three minutes.

This is the time that this unknown battle has taken.

It was a brief period of time bought by the masked adventurers.

Ais didn't look at the unconscious woman again before leaving the scene.

*

"What the heck was that 'wind' just now!?"

Tiony was furious.

Ordered by Finn to act as a scout and guerrilla, she chased after the "Armed Monsters" that appeared in the western part of Labyrinth Street. She approached the enemy group that was advancing eastward in a straight line towards the central area of ​​Daedalus Road, where the Loki Familia had set up its headquarters, from behind, pursuing them at an astonishing speed. When she saw the monsters' formation, she threw throwing knives and other weapons to attack them from behind.

The monsters were numerous and therefore slow-moving, and by this point it was impossible for them to escape the pursuit of the first-level adventurer; they were just a hair's breadth away from being caught.

If it weren't for that "divine wind" blowing.

"First, you sneakily hid and sprayed some 'ice' randomly, and then you blew some weird 'wind' at me! Are you kidding me?!"

"Wow, that was amazing! We were flying in the sky just now, Dione! So that's what it feels like to be a bird!"

"Shut up too—!!"

Hearing her sister (Tiona) casually spout such mindless nonsense, Tione, enraged, couldn't help but clench her fist and punch the wall by the roadside.

The "armed monsters" were surrounded by "invisible guards." Two of them, using some unknown ability to become invisible, unleashed "ice" attacks on them, hindering their movements. Tione and her companions quickly identified the "invisible" enemies and easily dodged the ice attacks, but were repelled by the enemies' "secret techniques."

That was an unbelievable "hurricane".

That unprecedented "wind bombardment," which even the Sword Princess (Ais)'s wind (Wind Spirit Dash) could hardly replicate, truly "blew them away." That's right, they were blown high into the sky, forced to stay away from the monsters that were about to catch up, and turned into stars in the night sky.

The first-level adventurer's relentless pursuit was reversed at the last minute.

Needless to say, Tione, who had been tricked, roared loudly—so loud that it terrified the city's residents, who thought a monster had appeared—and shook the heavens.

"How dare you look down on me like that..."

They were blown far away, and when they finally landed, they were already not far from the western edge of the labyrinth street. Tiony was furious, and her words and actions became completely like a villain's; she punched the wall again.

She realized how short-sighted she had been, failing to fully see through the enemy's secret tactics. Worst of all, she hadn't accomplished a single task ordered by her beloved leader (Finn), leaving her furious and unable to quell her anger. Yet, at the same time, her remaining rationality was also prompting her to consider the enemy's situation.

Finn also said that the enemy leader was not a beast tamer but a magician, so the enemy's "invisibility" might be some kind of ability of this person.

If the "invisible" enemy belongs to the Hestia Familia—the gust of wind might be the power of the "Demon Sword." They fought a brilliant siege battle during their war game against the Apollo Familia, a scene that Tione found unforgettable.

Could it be the work of the legendary weapon "Crozo's Demon Sword"—the Demon Swordsmith (Wilf Crozo)?

"You bastard!" A surge of anger welled up within Tione. If her suspicions were true, she would definitely grab that guy and beat him to a pulp, or at least knee him in the stomach. Tione made up her mind, her eyes bloodshot.

Almost at the same moment, a red-haired youth felt a strong chill and his shoulders trembled.

"Watch me catch up with you right away, Tiona!"

"Um!"

Driven by anger, she ran toward the central area, which the enemy considered their destination.

Tiony would run wildly, kicking and smashing black brick buildings and streets, with the momentum of a surging wave.

That was speed beyond what humans should have, even evoking sympathy for the monsters being chased. In fact, Tione and her companions caught up with the enemy's rear three minutes later.

If this continues, we'll soon be able to launch a pincer attack on the enemy's garrison, and those monsters' days are numbered.

However, things did not go as she expected.

"!"

"Tiona!?"