Inside the Training Space, two figures clashed at high speed.
Clang!
Ais and Alise's swords collided—crimson against crimson. Both blades cried out in protest at the same instant.
Crack, crack, crack!
The sound of fracturing steel rang sharply between them.
Both girls pulled back at once, retreating in perfect sync, using the recoil to launch into another charge.
Their feet barely touched the air before they kicked off again, twisting mid-motion, thrusting their swords toward each other once more.
Boom!
This time, their blades couldn't withstand the impact. Both shattered cleanly in half.
Neither of them showed the slightest thought of retreating. With only broken hilts in their hands, they rushed straight back in. Every swing of their half-blades carried the same force as a real sword.
Though the swords were broken, their strikes only grew fiercer. Each clash sent shockwaves bursting through the air, leaving explosions in their wake. The ground beneath them cracked and cratered, scarred with countless sword marks.
But as their strikes became sharper, their weapons deteriorated further.
Bang!
Finally, when the two fragments met again, they disintegrated completely—nothing left but scraps of metal.
The two of them stood there, gripping the remains of their swords—barely more than twisted chunks of steel lodged in the hilts.
"Impressive, Ais."
Alise smiled, admiration plain on her face. She could feel that Ais had been holding back much of her strength, matching her level yet still keeping her on the defensive.
"You're amazing too, Alise."
Ais's tone carried equal surprise. She knew all too well the overwhelming advantage a Level 5 Adventurer had over someone below.
Even when she suppressed her strength, that natural pressure usually crushed anyone of a lower level.
But Alise had withstood it.
That oppressive gap had vanished—Alise was holding her ground, even pushing back.
"Ah… if only our weapons weren't so bad. We could've kept going."
"Mm. But these swords are expensive."
"Yeah… that's the real problem."
Weapons were always an issue. Ordinary ones simply couldn't handle their level of combat.
Even so, these were no cheap blades.
Though not Unbreakable, the training swords they used ranked among the Loki Familia's second-tier weapons.
Each shattered sword had cost roughly ten million valis—a mage-crafted weapon, no less.
"Ais, where's your Sword of Despair?"
"...Still being serviced by the Goibniu Familia."
"What? Didn't the expedition end ages ago? Your weapon's still under maintenance?"
Alise blinked in disbelief. Normally, a third-tier weapon took at most three weeks to repair.
But it had been nearly half a year.
Why was Ais's sword still there?
Even Ais looked embarrassed.
Then Riveria's calm voice came from the side.
"That's because this foolish child took her Sword of Despair into the Challenge Space. She tried to fight monsters she couldn't defeat—and ended up sending her weapon to the Goibniu Familia for repairs."
Alise nearly burst out laughing.
"Wow! Ais, you're really loaded—using your main weapon in the Challenge Space! I always have Tsuna forge a special durable blade for me when I go. Saves my own sword from getting wrecked."
"!?"
"You can ask Tsuna for that?"
Ais was stunned.
"Of course. Tsuna's craftsmanship can handle it. I only ask him to make me something sturdy when I'm going to the Challenge Space. I wouldn't dare take my real weapon against a Floor Boss—I'm not that rich."
"Sure, Tsuna's weapons break too, but he never charges for it. If you ask sincerely, he'll always help."
Ais's golden eyes dimmed.
She hadn't known that.
So every time she entered the Challenge Space, she'd taken her Sword of Despair with her.
And now, hearing Alise say all this, she felt… rather foolish.
Worse, she'd already paid for repairs twice—nearly forty million valis total, draining almost all her savings.
"Pff—!"
Alise couldn't help laughing at Ais's expression of pure despair.
"Ais, what made you think it was a good idea to bring your real weapon into the Challenge Space? You know those monsters are absurdly tough, right?"
Of course Ais knew. But she'd gone anyway—with her main sword.
"This idiot knew," Riveria said dryly. "She just can't think her way around things."
Holding her wand, Riveria stepped forward, her body surrounded by an indigo glow—like a spirit emerging from mist, radiating mystery and authority.
"Lady Riveria…"
Alise glanced around, looking for Kaguya—only to find her standing nearby, eyes wide open, body wreathed in blue flames.
"Ah, as expected, Lady Riveria's silenced her."
The two attributes Lady Riveria had awakened—Mist and Rain—worked perfectly together.
Mist created illusions, while Rain soothed the targets, suppressing their resistance.
Riveria had truly mastered Mist, quickly learning the subtleties of illusion magic.
Even a Level 4 Adventurer could be subdued in moments.
"Kaguya's swordsmanship did give me some trouble," Riveria admitted with a light smile. "But the difference in our levels is still too great."
That level gap alone allowed her to overwhelm easily.
And more than that—her mastery over Mist was formidable.
Some powers could only be understood once you wielded them.
And Riveria couldn't help but sigh in satisfaction.
This thing works better than magic.
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