Blades and sword flashes intertwined, crossing paths as they charged toward the red-haired woman.
"Tch!"
The red-haired woman's face turned pale as she clicked her tongue in frustration. She endured the pain in her left shoulder, gripping her rapier with her only remaining arm to fend off the oncoming storm of attacks.
The sword and blade wielders were using identical sword techniques, their relentless slashes pouring down like a raging storm.
The rapier took the lead in the assault, while the katana provided support from the side. The dazzling flashes never ceased for even a moment as countless streaks of light crossed and advanced.
The red-haired woman continuously retreated, growing increasingly alarmed.
"How is their coordination this perfect?"
The rapier, wielded at an overwhelming speed, was the primary attacking force.
But Ais's sword strikes were far from flawless—if she could just catch a flaw, she could counterattack.
Yet, every time a weakness appeared in the rapier's assault, the katana would immediately step in, suppressing her counter before she could even act. Then, the rapier would resume its torrential offensive.
Their timing was impeccable.
This level of coordination was only possible for two people who knew each other's swordplay intimately, imprinting it into their very bones. Even the slightest misalignment would have broken their flow.
With Ais leading the attack, Eiji, despite being only Level 3, played a crucial role.
Otherwise, with his current physical abilities—without considering his abilities—he wouldn't have lasted more than a few seconds against a Level 5 opponent, let alone avoided being instantly overwhelmed.
"—Luminous Flow!"
Eiji uttered a low command as if signaling something.
Ais's eyes flickered, and in the next instant, her swordplay transformed.
If her previous attacks were like a raging storm—one strike faster than the last—her swordsmanship now became vast and immeasurable, like the depths of the ocean.
The flurry of strikes continued.
But now, they were entirely unpredictable.
One strike came fast, the next slowed.
A sudden burst of speed would be followed by an unexpected deceleration.
"What kind of bizarre sword technique is this?!"
The red-haired woman nearly coughed up blood.
The greatest advantage humans had over monsters was their ability to predict an opponent's next move.
But that very ability relied on rhythm.
For example, in a series of rapid thrusts, an opponent would naturally assume that each strike would be faster than the last, aiming to seize control of the battle.
If the attacks followed a predictable acceleration, the enemy could anticipate the speed and trajectory of the next strike, allowing them to block or counter in advance.
Luminous Flow was designed to counter this entirely.
Though still a series of rapid attacks, the technique required the swordsman to vary their strike speed unpredictably—fast, then slow, then suddenly even faster.
The purpose was to completely disrupt the opponent's sense of rhythm, making prediction impossible.
In the resulting chaos, an opening could be found to land the decisive blow.
However, a human's natural instinct is to increase speed as they attack. Overcoming this instinct was necessary to master the technique, making it impossible for beginners to learn. If an inexperienced swordsman forced themselves to use it, they would only ruin their own rhythm and become utterly ineffective.
Ais had yet to fully master this move, but Eiji was there to cover her openings, making up for any weaknesses in her technique.
The red-haired woman had clearly fallen into their trap.
Her predictions of Ais's sword speed were completely off. Her hands and mind fell out of sync, leaving her in utter confusion, overwhelmed to the point of nausea.
Schlick!
In a flash, Ais targeted the red-haired woman's increasingly sluggish right arm. With a single stroke, another sharp sound of steel slicing flesh rang out, and her right arm was sent flying into the air.
"Ugh… ahhh!"
The red-haired woman let out a muffled groan.
She stared at her now completely severed arms, her face filled with disbelief.
"…So it was his swordsmanship… It's practically sorcery!"
She glared at Eiji, her eyes burning with hatred, as if he were a thorn in her side.
What are you looking at?
If he wasn't worried about his charm ability being an AoE skill and accidentally affecting Ais, she wouldn't even have the chance to speak—she'd already be on her knees, begging for mercy.
Eiji inwardly sneered.
Honestly, this woman was stunningly beautiful, with an especially seductive figure.
But unfortunately, she was an enemy. And enemies deserved no mercy.
The red-haired woman's gaze flickered toward the distant mountain.
"Was the jewel defeated? Was it another Level 5… No, Level 6?"
The battle over there had already gone silent, but she didn't believe Eiji was the one responsible. The time frame was simply too short—even that fool of a monster wouldn't be taken down instantly.
Her gaze then shifted toward the distant town—
"Tch, that place was wiped out too?"
Flames roared into the sky.
Tens of thousands of fire-lances rained down, dyeing the entire Rivira district in crimson. The carnivorous flower monsters that once rampaged there were now completely eradicated.
"With this man in the way, there's no chance of taking Ais… And now, in this state, there's no point in staying here any longer—"
The red-haired woman made up her mind and immediately turned to flee.
"Trying to run?"
Without hesitation, Ais summoned a gust of wind beneath her feet and chased after the fleeing woman.
"Can you slow down a bit?"
Eiji sighed helplessly.
His speed was worlds apart from a Level 5, let alone considering that his magic reserves were still low. He couldn't sustain high-speed movement over long distances, and he had already used up most of his potions after returning from the lower floors.
Seriously…
Grumbling to himself, Eiji hurried eastward, step by step.
***
East Side of Town
A sheer, smooth cliff towered over the landscape.
When Eiji finally arrived, Ais was standing at the cliff's edge, gazing silently at the massive lake below.
The cliff was dozens of meters high—an instant death sentence for a Level 3. In the center of the lake, lingering ripples and traces of blood marked the woman's escape.
"She got away?"
Eiji stepped forward and asked.
"Mm."
Ais gave a small nod.
"The 18th floor is vast, and we have no idea which floor she'll move to next. There's almost no way to track her down."
The entirety of the 18th-floor labyrinth spanned at least ten kilometers in diameter. With their limited manpower, searching was impractical—especially since she could move between floors.
Eiji closed his eyes for a moment.
Then, he opened them again.
"She likely went to the lower floors. Should we pursue?"
"…Your intuition can even tell that?"
"It's a bit blurry, but I can barely make it out."
If she got too far away, it wouldn't work.
After all, his intuition was a combat skill—useful for sensing an enemy's intent and making split-second decisions, even tracking fleeing enemies.
But once outside a combat scenario, his intuition wouldn't provide guidance.
"We chase."
Without hesitation, Ais nodded.
The two of them quickly left the cliffside, exited the lake island through the northern gate, and descended toward the lower floors via the giant tree tunnel.
***
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