"Boss, the bill!"
Roy downed the last of his ale and tossed a small pouch of valis onto the counter with swagger.
"Keep the change."
The owner opened the pouch, counted carefully, and fell silent.
It was exact. Not a single valis extra.
Soon after, the group left the tavern and headed for the Dungeon.
Holding the duel on the surface would draw too much attention. Roy, Ryuu, Ais, and Riveria were all well-known adventurers. If word spread that Roy and Ais were about to fight, Orario's adventurers and gods would swarm the scene like madmen.
Roy had no interest in being treated like a circus attraction.
The Dungeon was the perfect location.
Astraea could not enter, so Cassandra and Daphne escorted her back to the Stardust Garden.
The remaining group descended rapidly to the Fifth Floor. The upper-floor monsters posed no challenge whatsoever—calling them fodder would be generous.
Inside a spacious chamber—
They smashed parts of the surrounding walls to prevent monsters from spawning. Ryuu and Riveria stepped back, leaving a wide open space for Roy and Ais.
"Where's your weapon?"
Seeing Roy empty-handed, Ais tilted her head slightly, her blank yet curious expression showing confusion.
Crackle!
Golden lightning surged from Roy's palm, solidifying into a long sword.
It was the first time Ais and Riveria had seen such a technique, and both showed clear surprise.
"So that's his magic," Riveria murmured, emerald eyes narrowing.
Until now, Roy had only fought publicly twice—once against Hyakinthos, and once against the remnants of the Rudra Familia.
Especially the second time—when he summoned over a dozen thunder wolves—people had deduced that his magic allowed him to generate lightning and forcibly shape it into tangible forms.
It was an unusual magic—capable of offense, defense, even summoning constructs.
But its most terrifying aspect was that it required no chant.
Roy and Ais locked eyes.
Silence fell over the chamber.
The faint buzz from the ale Roy had drunk earlier had long since faded in the Dungeon's cool air.
Ais was Lv. 4—one level above him.
Though Roy had already slain a Lv. 5 floor boss, he did not dare underestimate her.
Both adjusted their breathing, muscles tightening as they brought themselves to peak condition.
Clink.
A small stone fell from the ceiling.
The faint sound was like a starting signal.
They moved at the same instant.
Clang!
They crossed the distance in a heartbeat, meeting in the center of the chamber. Roy's lightning blade collided with Ais's rapier, producing a sharp metallic ring.
Roy gripped his sword with both hands, feet firmly planted, bracing against the heavy force pressing from Ais's side.
Steel scraped against steel. Sparks flew violently.
Ais spun, redirecting the blade with momentum, then lashed out with a fierce kick toward Roy's head.
The sharp whistle of air split his ears.
Roy quickly raised both arms to guard.
Bang!
The impact forced him back four or five steps.
Before he could regain his footing, a golden blur charged at him again with fierce momentum.
Roy cursed inwardly.
Is this a friendly spar—or a life-and-death battle?
If it were the latter, he would draw the Spirit Holy Sword.
Ais closed the distance instantly, her rapier thrusting forward in a storm of rapid strikes.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Roy's lightning sword transformed into a massive shield, blocking every blow. Heavy thuds echoed as the shield was steadily driven backward.
Ais shifted to the side, attempting to attack from an angle.
But the moment she appeared—
A spear shot toward her head with ruthless precision.
She narrowly avoided the tip. A strand of golden hair was severed, shimmering midair.
Even in that situation, her combat instincts remained extraordinary—she slashed at Roy without hesitation.
A cold blade flashed before his eyes.
Roy staggered back, heart pounding. Looking down, he saw his chest clothing sliced open.
Their exchange resembled a deadly duel rather than a simple spar, leaving even Ryuu and Riveria tense.
Roy's expression grew serious.
That petite body seemed to contain boundless strength. Her slender, snow-white arm unleashed force more terrifying than a full-grown brown bear.
He had to exert his full power just to contend.
Unbeknownst to him—
Ais was even more shocked.
Though she had only recently advanced to Lv. 4, she was undeniably a true Lv. 4 adventurer.
The gap between levels was no joke.
Lv. 3 adventurers or monsters alike could not last three moves against her.
Yet Roy not only endured—
He counterattacked, nearly injuring her.
Riveria quietly asked, "Gale Wind, may I know Justice Bud's status values at his last level-up?"
"I'm sorry, Lady Riveria."
Ryuu shook her head.
Respecting Riveria was one thing.
Revealing a companion's secrets was another.
At most, she would never raise her blade against Riveria—but in her heart, her comrades and goddess ranked even higher.
Riveria showed no displeasure at the refusal. Instead, satisfaction flickered across her flawless face.
If Ryuu had revealed confidential information simply because of her royal status, she would have been deeply disappointed.
But from what she observed—
Roy, at Lv. 3, was contending head-on with Lv. 4 Ais.
Their ability values were nearly equal.
That was impossible.
Riveria frowned.
To achieve such a result, Roy must have reached the very limits of his stats at Lv. 1 and Lv. 2—perhaps even broken past them—and his Lv. 3 values must also be extraordinarily high.
But that made no sense.
Hadn't they just defeated Amphisbaina and leveled up?
Roy should have been at base stats.
The answer was right in front of her.
Yet she found it hard to believe.
Ryuu, Daphne, and Cassandra may have leveled up from defeating Amphisbaina—
But Roy likely reached Lv. 3 before the expedition.
And slaying Amphisbaina afterward would have massively boosted his ability values again.
That meant the publicly announced timing of his level-up should be moved back by at least a month.
He had deceived everyone—
Even the gods.
Riveria's lips parted slightly as she stared at Roy like he was some kind of humanoid monster.
"Why… why can't I defeat him?"
Failing to quickly overwhelm Roy made the competitive Ais grow increasingly restless.
She was only eleven or twelve years old—utterly different from Roy's seasoned composure.
When she couldn't secure a swift victory, mistakes began to appear.
In Roy's eyes, her openings were becoming more frequent—
Though she was still forcing the fight forward with sheer strength.