The armored person drew the longsword from their waist and launched a heavy slash straight at Ais from the front.
"BOOM!"
The moment the longsword and rapier clashed, the force of the impact shattered the stone steps beneath their feet, sending a violent shockwave in all directions. The nearby Dogman girl was blown away by the blast.
"So strong!"
Ais was secretly startled.
That overhead slash came with such overwhelming power that her slender frame sank slightly from the pressure.
From the very first exchange, a trace of bitterness appeared on Ais's face. She was already struggling to withstand the armored figure's monstrous strength, her entire body bent like a drawn bow.
The enemy's strength was above hers!
Ais realized this instantly. She swiftly disengaged, spinning around and launching a full-body powered spinning kick toward her opponent.
"Boom!"
With another thunderous impact, the armored person blocked the strike with their arm but was still kicked back two to three meters.
"...You're the one who killed Hashana-san, aren't you?"
Ais shook off the numbness in her arms and raised her beloved sword in front of her, eyeing the armored figure warily.
"Eh? But wasn't the murderer a woman?"
The Dogman girl sat on the ground, trembling, watching the battle between two Level 5s in utter fear.
"It's rare to see a Level 5 Adventurer show up on this street. And to immediately launch an attack on me... your target must be that Jewel Fetus, right?"
Ais analyzed calmly, glancing toward the green orb held in the attacker's arms.
That person had intentionally taken her spinning kick just to retrieve the orb from the ground, and they had succeeded.
There was a hint of wariness in her eyes. Clearly, she was on guard against that Jewel Fetus.
"So what if I am?"
A woman's voice came from under the armor, making the Dogman girl widen her eyes in disbelief.
"Carrying this thing around is getting on my nerves."
The woman, clearly annoyed, removed her hood, helmet, and armor, revealing the face of a grayish-blue man. A moment later, she reached up and peeled off the face.
"Hashana's face… So that's how his head got crushed?"
The Dogman girl was stunned, staring in terror at the woman's brutal methods.
Scarlet red hair.
Once the armor came off, her true appearance was revealed. She had vibrant, short red hair, its ends roughly cut, as if it had once been long. Her eyes gleamed like emeralds.
She was beautiful, undeniably so. Her snow-white skin radiated allure, but her long, narrow eyes held no emotion at all. Her entire presence exuded an oppressive aura that screamed 'keep your distance'.
"My objective is complete. There's no point in dragging this fight out. Go ahead and enjoy yourselves with those flowers."
The woman retrieved the orb, clearly having lost all fighting intent.
She didn't care how Ais would respond and began retreating without hesitation.
"Wait!"
Ais quickly gave chase.
There were still many unanswered questions, and the murderer had to be brought to justice. Only then could the Adventurers in Rivira find peace of mind.
The two of them, one chasing, one fleeing, raced past the crystalline street, sprinting along the mountainous path toward the town.
Before long,
A new figure appeared ahead of the woman's path.
It was a young man wearing a cloak that obscured his features. From the way his robe swayed, one could just barely make out that he was a rarely seen, beautiful boy.
"Ryoji, stop her!"
"How could I possibly do that?"
Ais's urgent voice rang out from behind.
But the red-haired woman let out a mocking sneer.
That boy had been following her since the Crystal Plaza. She had noticed him from the beginning. His aura was far weaker and shorter in reach than theirs; he likely wasn't even Level 4. How could someone like him stop her?
Sure enough, the cloaked boy stepped aside.
The red-haired woman paid him no attention; it seemed only natural.
But just as she was about to pass by him, a coldly gleaming long blade shot out from his elbow.
The timing was perfect.
She was caught completely off guard, unable to dodge with a leap or slide. Her instincts screamed as she slammed on the brakes, raised her straight sword diagonally to block, and crashed into the attack.
"Clang!"
Sparks flew violently as the cloaked boy's blade was deflected at a wide angle.
But the red-haired woman's momentum was interrupted, her sprint slowed by a full second.
And in that fleeting second of hesitation, Ais had already caught up from behind.
"--Tempest!"
A low chant came from Ais's mouth.
Moments later, a microburst of wind enveloped Ais's body, lifting her into the air. She surged forward like a storm, launching a fierce assault on the red-haired woman.
"Amazing!"
Ryoji swung his numbed arm and looked on with admiration.
[Ariel].
That was the only Magic Ais could use.
Unlike typical artillery-type spells, it was a strengthening-type Magic. It wrapped her body in wind, enhancing her attacks, defense, speed, and even granting short-range flight. Truly versatile.
And with its ultra-short chant time, its practicality far exceeded most Magic.
Ryoji was honestly green with envy.
"This wind…?"
The red-haired woman, her escape route blocked, had no choice but to turn and meet Ais's onslaught.
With the wind's reinforcement, Ais's sword strikes gained a significant boost in speed, faintly producing the sound of the air splitting apart, though mostly masked by the howling wind.
Not only that, her wind-imbued strikes had a massive increase in attack power.
The red-haired woman had to constantly parry with her straight sword, pushing her strength and Divine Speed to the limit just to fend off the assault.
But even as she held off the attacks, a look of astonishment crept into her eyes as she gazed at Ais.
"I see… So you're Aria, huh?"
Thunk!
The words struck Ais like a sledgehammer to the heart.
Her golden eyes widened in shock, and the pounding in her chest thundered in her ears. A wave of disbelief and confusion engulfed her, and her delicate throat trembled with emotional turmoil.
"Why…?"
That was the only thought left in her mind. Ais's attack faltered for just a brief instant.
"Hmph!"
The red-haired woman let out a cold snort.
In that same moment, she suddenly unleashed a burst of explosive strength, batting Ais's rapier aside and closing the distance, driving the hilt of her sword straight toward Ais's abdomen.
If it landed, it would be enough to incapacitate Ais for a while, maybe even knock her out and allow the woman to carry her off.
"Shhrrk!"
But at that very instant,
A sharp sound cut through the air, and the woman was hit by a powerful sense of danger. Her instincts screamed again, and she immediately abandoned her attack, leaping backward.
"Ting!"
A silver sword shard tore through the air, streaking past her with a sonic boom.
The red-haired woman touched her cheek.
A drop of crimson fell into her hand, and a stinging sensation crept along her right cheek; a thin cut had opened there.
"Who do you think you're looking down on?"
The voice came from the cloaked boy with a defiant sneer.
(End of Chapter)
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