Under the steady buff of Akira's magic, Lyra followed closely behind, her movements light and nimble.
But when she caught a glimpse of Ais's incredible performance up front, her eyes widened with awe.
A look of sheer surprise mixed with admiration took over her face as she exclaimed loudly, "Wha—!? She's nearly the same height as me, and yet she can do that? Are you serious?! And she's just a kid! She's still going to grow taller, right? This isn't fair—I'm so envious!"
Her voice rang out with honest frustration, as if the very laws of the world had betrayed her petite frame.
"...So noisy and annoying. Quit being jealous for no reason, you little gremlin," Kaguya said with her usual teasing smile, her tone laced with mock helplessness.
Her voice held a practiced calm, but even she couldn't deny the impressive swordsmanship she had witnessed moments earlier.
Watching the technique Ais displayed with each strike, Kaguya couldn't help but comment as she turned to Alise beside her, "That child's swordsmanship really is something else. She's not even ten, and yet she's already reached such a level. It's unreal."
"Yeah, I know right? Looking at her, she's practically a Sword Princess in the making! Honestly, even someone as perfect as me feels envious right now." Alise said while casually slicing a lunging Needle Rabbit in two.
She had a smile on her face, but there was a flicker of honest jealousy in her crimson eyes.
Eventually, the group pushed forward and reached the tenth floor, but it quickly became clear that their overall pace had slowed noticeably compared to earlier.
The cause was obvious.
Unlike the relatively straightforward layout of the earlier cave levels, the terrain here had become increasingly complex.
Jagged formations and winding paths turned navigation into a puzzle, and a persistent fog clung to the air, reducing visibility and turning every turn into a gamble. The previously clear path now looked like a hazy mirage.
Because of this, every few dozen meters the team had to halt and reassess their direction, taking precious time to confirm they were still on the right path before cautiously pressing forward.
...
But amid the rising difficulty, Akira finally decided to step in.
With a subtle chant and a swift movement of his arms, a fierce wind suddenly surged out from around him. The swirling gale howled as it blasted through the dense fog, sweeping it away like scattered mist.
In an instant, the road ahead cleared, revealing a visible path for the entire party.
Akira's storm magic turned the frustrating terrain into navigable ground, and with his support, the team swiftly realigned their direction and resumed their advance without delay.
As they descended further, they eventually reached the threshold of the middle floors—floors thirteen to twenty-four. A certain tension settled in the air.
The number of fellow adventurers noticeably thinned here. It made sense—after all, in Orario, nearly half of all adventurers were still at Level 1. Few dared to venture into this area unless they had the strength and experience to survive.
Before entering the next cave, Alise glanced at the vanguard trio—Ryuu, Ais, and Akira—carefully observing their condition.
Then she turned to the group and announced, "All right, time to switch up the formation. Let's give the frontline spot to the others now."
A soft voice came from behind Akira, gentle but full of determination.
"Uhm… I still have strength. I can keep going..." Ais said, her voice faint but firm.
But before she could even finish her sentence—
"Reject!" came the chorus of voices from the entire party.
The double blow of the unified response struck Ais square in the chest, and her lips pouted in dejection.
She puffed up her rosy cheeks slightly and muttered under her breath, "Meanies… bullying…"
To be fair, she had been charging the hardest in the previous battles—even Ryuu would admit Ais had been more relentless than her.
If not for the need to keep the team balanced and safe, everyone might've just let her continue being the vanguard indefinitely.
Just then, Ryuu, who had remained quiet until now, stepped forward and tightly gripped the wooden sword in her hand.
Her lips parted as if to say something—but before she could get a word out, Akira suddenly reached out and, without warning, pinched her elf ears with remarkable precision.
"Wha—!? Akira?! What are you doing!?" Ryuu gasped, startled by the unexpected move.
Her face instantly flushed scarlet as she flailed in the air, trying to escape his grasp.
Akira released her ears with a helpless smile and said, "Alright, alright, no more stubbornness. Move to the rear guard and take a break. I'll be the front liner for now."
Even though his explanation was calm and reasonable, Ryuu's flushed face didn't cool down.
She turned her head away shyly, rubbing her reddened ear as she whispered, "Still… you shouldn't just grab people's ears like that. They're sensitive… it tickles…"
"Oops, my bad." Akira said sheepishly, before tilting his head toward her. "Alright, I'll let you touch mine. That way we'll call it even."
He generously offered up his own ears like a peace offering.
But Ryuu wasn't buying it. She immediately stomped her foot in frustration and exclaimed, "How is that the same?! That's not the same thing at all!"
Akira leaned in with a mischievous grin. "Why not? Mine might be shorter, but they're still ears, right?"
As he moved closer, his breath inadvertently brushed against Ryuu's ear like a teasing breeze. That soft sensation sparked a ticklish shiver through her body, as if tiny invisible bugs were crawling along her skin.
"Ahhh!" She squeaked, recoiling like she'd been zapped.
With a dramatic stomp, she shot backward several paces, her cheeks blazing like twin sunsets.
"D-Don't come any closer, Akira!" She shouted, shielding her ears with both hands as she glared at him like a cornered animal.
Not far away, in a quiet corner of the group, Kaguya was leaning against a boulder, resting with her arms crossed. Her expression wore its usual serene smile but the veins bulging on her forehead told a different story.
Within the long sleeves of her robe, her hands were clenched so tightly they trembled.
Yet despite the seething energy radiating from her, she only said, in a forced calm tone, "Wow… I'm actually getting pissed off. I feel like I'm gonna punch them both."
Lyra, who had been standing nearby and observing the whole interaction, grinned wickedly as if sensing prey. She leaned in and bumped her elbow lightly against Kaguya's waist.
"Oh~? Kaguya, don't tell me you're jealous?" She teased, her voice gleefully provoking.
"After all, you were the one managing everything about Akira before. What's the matter? He hasn't been doting on you as much lately?"
Kaguya gave a poised, composed laugh behind her sleeve as she replied, "Jealous? How could I be? Akira loves me the most. Not like a certain someone who always swoons over that brave swordsman from Loki Familia."
She lifted her chin with pride, the corners of her mouth curved in a graceful smirk.
Lyra clicked her tongue. "Hmph. Bringing up ancient history just to get back at me, huh?"
But then she paused, her grin slowly stretching as she added meaningfully, "But… I bet you haven't tasted that boy yet, have you?"
The teasing remark caused Kaguya's eyes to widen slightly in surprise. She looked at Lyra with sudden interest, then curled one hand into a ring and playfully inserted her finger into it, her tone dripping with mischief.
"Wait—don't tell me… you've already done that? You sure moved fast."
Lyra's face exploded into a deep blush. "Y-you're such a pervert!" She stammered, panic rising in her voice.
"There's no way I'd do something that quickly!"
But it was too late. Kaguya's expression turned knowing, her gaze narrowing as if she had solved a puzzle.
Both women were clever, and it only took a moment for her to fully interpret Lyra's subtle hint.
(End of Chapter)
Read 40 Advanced Chapters on patreon.com/astralicity