Returning our perspective to the battle between Ais and Eugene.
Although outsiders held various opinions about this intense fight, for the two of them, there was nothing but giving it their absolute all!
Ais's speed and strength were more than twice as fast as during their first encounter.
The power of Ariel allowed her body to be as light as a feather and as fast as lightning.
However, that mobility found no breakthrough against the fire curtain covering Eugene's entire body.
His swordsmanship was already incredibly subtle, no less refined than her own, and he could perfectly control the battle-axe despite its size.
Moreover, the flame control magic provided a more direct boost to combat power than the support-type Ariel.
Consequently, Ais began to feel anxious.
I can't win!
Our strength difference isn't that large, but I just can't win!
She pushed the wind's assistance to the limit, her wrist flicking rapidly, the sword's shadow forming a dense net of light.
Yet, even so, she couldn't break through to Eugene's side.
She had no means of long-range attack.
In the original story, it wasn't until she reached Level 6 that she was able to increase her attack distance by using wind blades.
Currently, the only thing she could rely on was that concentrated, powerful thrust of wind meant to break through everything—Micro Wind.
But would that move really be effective against the current Eugene?
"Don't stop! Can you afford to hesitate at a critical moment like this?"
Eugene roared, simultaneously swinging a massive slash forward!
Sun Breathing, Third Form: Blazing Universe!
Two huge flames, appearing almost simultaneously, gouged out large patches of earth in front of him, sending sparks flying!
If it were just an ordinary sword technique, it would have ended there.
But under Eugene's command, two sheets of raging fire condensed into blades atop the axe, rapidly advancing along the direction of the slash, pressing straight toward Ais!
Ais moved horizontally, her body half-hidden in the air.
She tried to bypass the two fire blades, but the heat from behind forced her to turn back and swing her sword.
The flame, manipulated by Eugene, could track its opponent.
Even if it hit an obstacle, it would shatter into numerous small fireballs and continue its advance!
Ais used the surface-to-circle swordsmanship she had previously mastered, twisting the wind between her blades into a barrier.
She perfectly controlled the trajectory of her sword tip, wrapping the wind in the center to form a vortex, successfully deflecting the incoming fire blades.
But at the same time, Eugene had arrived behind her!
Sun Breathing, First Form: Waltz!
A perfect circular slash came from the side.
The flawless wind-breaking arc and power-generating posture gave this extremely simple move the fastest speed and strongest destructive power!
Hot airflow jetted from Eugene's mouth; the essence of Sun Breathing circulated within his limbs.
His muscles tightened, his feet cracked the earth, and he mercilessly swung his giant axe.
With the momentum to cut through everything, he attacked Ais's slender waist!
The hairs on the back of Ais's neck stood up like needles.
She sensed the attack, and a swordsman's instinct had already triggered a response.
However, this time, she made a fatal error.
Clang!!
Crack!
Hidden beneath the massive clash of metal was the sound of something breaking.
Ais's sword snapped.
If it had been an Indestructible weapon, her block would have been fine.
But this was a rapier whose selling point was its sharpness.
Its durability could not compare to the Despair Blade!
In the original story, it was also broken by Ais within a week.
But at that time, she still had reserves.
This time, she would pay the price for her misjudgment!
Puff!
The sound of the axe blade embedding itself into flesh was horrifying.
The thick axe blade, its edge carrying fierce fire, cut deep into Ais's body at her waist!
"Ah!!!"
The girl's expression changed dramatically, and her eyes widened.
Her figure vanished in mid-air, as if she had been cut in half.
But that was an illusion caused by the intertwining of wind shadows.
By relying on the power of the Wind Spirit, she was able to minimize her own weight.
Following the direction of the slash, Ais turned into a light breeze, drifting a long distance away.
On the ground, her footsteps were tracked by the blood that spread as far as she traveled.
The girl held the broken sword, one hand clutching her bleeding waist, cold sweat pouring down non-stop.
In that instant, she sensed death.
If she had stopped moving, she would have absolutely been sliced in two!
Sizzle...
Not only was she bleeding, but the scorched flesh caused by the flame made half of her body throb with pain.
"No good."
"You are ridiculously weak right now."
Eugene continued to provoke her fearlessly: "With just this much skill, you dare to constantly think about revenge?"
"You're completely wasting your time like this!"
"Did the gentle environment make you stupid?"
"Or did your comrades in the Familia spoil you rotten!"
Each sentence deeply pierced Ais's heart.
She bit her lip until it broke, and a thread of crimson spilled from the corner of her mouth.
She was unwilling, and she refused to admit it.
But what good was being unwilling?
Her weakness was an undeniable fact.
"Hey, hey! That injury looks bad!" Tiona frowned, peering out.
In their eyes, Ais's close combat ability was definitely among the best for an Lv. 5.
After all, she carried the title of "Orario's Strongest Female Swordsman."
Yet, even so, Ais was suppressed.
She even suffered a heavy injury due to a misjudgment!
With such an injury, her already small chance of victory was virtually eliminated.
"Miss Ais!" Lefiya felt her heart clench, seeing the injured Ais.
She wanted to plead with Loki again to intervene and stop the fight.
But at that moment, Eugene laughed.
"Did you hear that?"
"Your friends are worried about you."
"But so what? Will that make you stronger? Will it heal your wounds?"
"Or do you think you're omnipotent just because someone is watching you?"
He walked closer, his voice cold:
"Let me tell you how cruel the truth is."
"Fifteen years ago, Orario's strongest Familias, Zeus and Hera, once joined forces to launch an extermination against the One-Eyed Black Dragon."
"Their combined army included the legendary figure 'Empress' at Lv. 9."
"And two Lv. 8s, five or more Lv. 7s, and countless Lv. 6s!"
"Such formidable combat power has not been seen since the Age of the Gods, no, not throughout all of history."
"Even the monsters similarly crowned as the strongest, the Behemoth and the Leviathan, were defeated by them."
"But when this group gathered, confidently relying on each other, and went before that fiendish dragon,"
"They were tortured, crushed, and torn to shreds like children's toys!"
"It was because of their defeat that the so-called strongest Familias, Loki and Freya, emerged!"
"What 'Might' Ottar, what 'Loki Familia Big Three,' what 'Strongest Female Swordsman'—these flashy titles."
"What do you think these people could have accomplished in that battle?"
"Only adding fuel to the dragon's fire and bones to the corpse mountain beneath its feet!"
His voice carried a bone-chilling coldness, like needles stabbing into Ais's heart.
"So, what do you think you, as you are now, can do?"
"No matter how numerous the ants are, they are still ants; it's only a matter of size."
"You rely on each other to survive, but this also prevents your path to transforming into a butterfly."
Eugene tossed a healing potion toward her, like giving a handout to a beggar.
"Wake up."
"The only person you can rely on is yourself."
"I'll only give you one chance."
"Get up and show your true self."
"If you can't do that,"
"Then continue to indulge in your sweet dream of family,"
"And wait for death."
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