Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for just $7 to get early access to all upcoming chapters!
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations
________________________________________
Chapter 44: Fighting Spirit and Arrogance
Even though Bete had known early on that this human kid, Aiden, was a bit strange—able to beat up beastkin children of the same age with a human body—he never dreamed Aiden would be strong to such a ridiculous degree.
This was completely beyond his understanding of levels and common sense.
In Ais's eyes, only that figure wreathed in flames remained.
Her golden pupils reflected the trajectory of Aiden's every dodge and every swing of his sword.
As for Lefiya, she had already covered her mouth tightly with both hands, afraid to make a single sound that might disturb this sacred battle.
Her azure eyes stared unblinkingly at the fierce battle in the field, her heart beating so fast it felt like it would burst from her chest.
The shock was beyond words.
At the edge of the battlefield, the gazes of Robin, Hyacine, and Tifa never left the figure dancing wildly in the fire.
There was no worry or fear in their eyes, only a shining brilliance and heartfelt pride.
"Do we really... not need to help?"
Beside them, Mikoto couldn't help but ask again, her voice dry from nervousness.
Robin shook her head slightly. Her lake-green eyes reflected Aiden's figure, and a gentle smile played on her lips.
"This is his trial, the stairway to a higher place. We cannot steal this glory that belongs only to him."
Yes, before the battle began, Robin had proposed using her ascension magic.
She knew very well that as long as [Vox Harmonique, Opus Cosmique] was activated, given Aiden's already terrifying magic and abilities, defeating this Blazing Axe Mitachurl would be a sure thing.
But Aiden had refused.
With a monster close to Level 3 appearing in the Upper Floors, and in such a perfect situation for a one-on-one duel, if he still had to rely on external help to win, what kind of "Great Feat" would that be?
Robin's ascension magic was a final trump card to save the team from danger and turn the tide in desperate situations, not a tool for cutting corners to challenge a Feat.
To accomplish what ordinary people could not, to bridge the chasm of levels, to perform miracles with a mortal body—that was a true Great Feat.
From the moment the battle began, the word "lose" never crossed Aiden's mind.
If he lost, it would mean he was nothing special, wasting his transcendent potential despite his magic and skills.
But he wasn't a reckless fool.
He knew very well that even if he did lose, with Robin and Hyacine there, his group would absolutely not die here.
He might lose, but this Blazing Axe Mitachurl would absolutely die.
He craved adventure and exhilarating combat, but he would never joke with his companions' lives.
This was his bottom line as the Captain.
In the battlefield, the fight had reached a white-hot intensity.
Boom!
The burning giant axe smashed down with thunderous force. Aiden's feet pushed off the ground violently, his body sliding backward at an angle that defied physics. The axe blade fell, grazing his nose, and smashed into the ground, exploding a spiderweb of cracks and flying debris.
Before the Mitachurl could retract its move, Aiden was already closing in.
The flame sword in his hand didn't clash with the giant axe. Instead, like a nimble fire snake, it raced up the thick handle, stabbing straight toward the monster's wrist.
"ROAR!"
The Mitachurl roared in pain.
Its other free, massive hand turned into a black shadow, slapping down toward Aiden's head. The wind howled, threatening to squash this annoying fly into meat paste.
Blue light flashed in Aiden's eyes. His body twisted incredibly in mid-air. He tapped the tip of his sword lightly against the axe handle, using the leverage to flip over, dodging the lethal palm strike by a hair's breadth.
At the same time, while airborne, he flipped his wrist. The flame sword drew a brilliant arc, leaving a scorched sword mark deep enough to see bone on the Mitachurl's broad chest.
However, this seemingly severe injury completely ignited the monster's ferocity.
Ignoring the wound on its chest, the Mitachurl launched a violent headbutt toward Aiden, who was still in mid-air.
This attack came too fast and too fierce. Aiden had no time to adjust his posture and could only cross his arms in front of his chest to block.
Bang!
With a muffled sound, Aiden was like a baseball being batted away. He slammed viciously into the rock wall dozens of meters away. With a loud crash, he was embedded deep into the wall, unable to suppress a mouthful of blood spurting from his lips.
"Aiden!"
Tifa's heart tightened, and she instinctively moved to rush forward.
"Don't move, Tifa."
Robin reached out to stop her, her voice still calm.
"Believe in him."
In the indentation in the rock wall, Aiden slowly slid down. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looking at the monster not far away roaring in pain. The smile on his face only grew wilder.
Blood and pain only made his fighting spirit burn brighter.
He could feel the blood in his body boiling. The combat instinct honed countless times by Alfia was being fully awakened on the line between life and death.
He slowly straightened his body, raising the longsword in his hand high, chanting the final verse.
"—By this blade's glow I grasp."
The instant his voice fell, the longsword in his hand, already covered in cracks and nearing its limit, was completely swallowed by an even fiercer, purer golden-red flame.
The form of the sword disappeared. Replacing it was a blade of pure fire composed entirely of super-high temperature flames, emitting an aura capable of melting all things.
The battle had reached this point, and Aiden's spirit had soared to its peak. With a smile bordering on madness, he issued a declaration of challenge to the violent monster:
"Come on! Let's kill! Let's fight! Tear me apart, or—submit to me, monster!"
This declaration, mixed with fighting spirit and arrogance, exploded in the cavern like thunder.
Mikoto and Ouka were completely shaken. They opened their mouths, unable to comprehend how a Level 1 adventurer dared to speak such domineering words to a monster close to Level 3.
Ryu's fingers gripping her wooden sword turned slightly white. That figure completely overlapped in this moment with the memory of her best friend, who was always full of confidence and could turn the impossible into possible.
Riveria, Lefiya, and even Bete—all members of the Loki Familia were awed by this spirit that looked down on everything. For a moment, there was complete silence.
The provoked Blazing Axe Mitachurl let out a furious roar.
Its crimson eyes seemed about to spew fire. Abandoning all defense and technique, it charged at Aiden with an aura of total destruction for one final assault.
And Aiden, holding that blade of pure flame, transformed into a streak of golden-red light and went to meet it.
In the next moment.
A fiery red sword light, like the first ray of dawn tearing through the night curtain, shredded the dense fog filling the cavern.
________________________________________
Support this fanfict by leaving Positive Review, Comments, and Power Stones.
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations