"Udaeus actually knows how to wield a sword?"
Even Riveria was taken aback by the sight.
Having defeated this floor boss multiple times, the Loki Familia was deeply familiar with Udaeus' attack patterns.
Summoning Dragon Tooth Warriors and using impaling spikes from the ground were supposed to be its primary attack methods. At most, it would strike with its palms. No one had ever heard of it using a sword!
"Is it because of the solo challenge?"
Riveria pondered the difference, feeling increasingly anxious.
The secrets of the Dungeon were endless. Even within known floors and among familiar monsters, unknown patterns and attack styles could still emerge.
This unpredictability was what made the Dungeon so fascinating—yet also incredibly deadly.
Even a Level 1 adventurer could be caught off guard by an unforeseen danger and lose their life.
"Ais, fall back! Don't take it head-on!"
Riveria shouted urgently from the rear.
Even Eiji was momentarily distracted by Ais' battle, inadvertently allowing himself to be surrounded by Dragon Tooth Warriors. He had to sacrifice large portions of his veil defense before managing to escape.
He relied on Riveria's defensive magic to fight against twenty Dragon Tooth Warriors simultaneously. Normally, even two would be a challenge without using his abilities.
His magic consumption when using his skill was directly proportional to his speed boost.
The faster he moved, the more magic he consumed.
"Hey, Udaeus, you suck!"
"ROAR!"
With another furious roar, twenty more Dragon Tooth Warriors emerged from the ground.
Eiji continued cutting them down while keeping an eye on Ais' battle, prepared to intervene if a critical moment arose.
Now that Udaeus had drawn a massive black greatsword, Ais' situation had become increasingly dire.
"Boom!"
"Ais!"
Riveria cried out in despair as Ais failed to dodge in time and was struck head-on by the greatsword.
Her body was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into the wall.
Her vision turned red as blood from a forehead wound trickled into her right eye, making it hard to open.
So strong.
As expected of a floor boss—especially one displaying an unknown battle mode.
That full-powered attack had shattered the last remnants of her Holy Veil and left her with serious injuries. She could feel her internal organs shifting.
"But this is exactly why I can't give up..."
Ais forced herself to stand.
Eiji's battle entered her vision.
That unfathomable strength resurfaced in her mind, reigniting her fighting spirit and crushing any lingering hesitation.
"I must continue to grow stronger. Only then can I fulfill my long-held wish—"
She murmured inwardly.
She noticed Eiji glance at her, holding what seemed to be a razor blade in his fingers, hesitating as if ready to intervene.
Ais stopped him with a look.
Eiji hesitated for a moment but was soon forced to shift his focus back to his own battle after getting surrounded again.
"Huff—!"
The wind howled.
Ais, driven by sheer willpower, squeezed out every last bit of magic within her, concentrating it all at the tip of her sword.
Using Udaeus' own swing as a launch point, she flipped off the greatsword, twisted her slender waist and legs to their limits, then descended from the ceiling—aiming straight for Udaeus' left shoulder!
During their battle, she had discovered its weakness.
It couldn't continuously swing that black greatsword.
Although its full-powered swings carried devastating force, it required Udaeus to channel the strength of all its bones to execute.
In other words, after a full-force swing, it had a momentary opening.
If she could avoid the impaling spikes from the ground, she had a chance to deal a decisive blow!
"—Lil Rafaga!"
A spiraling wind strike.
Udaeus raised its greatsword to block, but in an instant, an immense force bore down upon it.
The explosive vortex of wind engulfed the entire hall. At the very center of the storm, Ais' finishing blow sent the black greatsword flying.
A split second later, with a thunderous crash, Udaeus' left arm was severed at the joint, tumbling to the ground.
...
...
...
The battle lasted for an hour after that.
Even with both arms gone, Udaeus continued to pose a tremendous threat to Ais.
It wasn't until an hour later that a final silver slash delivered a lethal blow.
A shattered jaw, fractured ribs, and a broken horn... But the decisive injury was the severed tail spine.
With deep reluctance, the massive black figure toppled backward, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Ais stepped onto its chest and delivered the final strike, ending its life.
"Congratulations."
Eiji approached, handing her the last few healing potions.
"What about you?"
Ais, covered in wounds, had her armor and clothes torn in multiple places.
Yet, she didn't care about the exposure. Instead, she looked at Eiji with concern.
Eiji's breathing was far heavier than hers, and his body bore numerous wounds from the Dragon Tooth Warriors—remnants of his reckless aggression. Still, since he had wiped out the rest in one go, it was worth it.
"I'm fine."
Eiji shook his head. Ais' injuries were far worse than his.
"Alright, both of you, sit down! I'll heal you!"
Riveria stormed over, her face dark as thunder.
She was on the verge of exploding.
Ais instinctively shrank her neck.
The fearless girl only ever showed hesitation when facing Riveria's lectures.
"You two are unbelievable! Ais, you too, Eiji—!"
Ais had recklessly thrown herself into Udaeus' attack range with no regard for her safety.
Eiji had also chosen to provoke Udaeus unnecessarily, causing it to summon multiple additional waves of Dragon Tooth Warriors.
Troublesome little brats!
Riveria fumed, grumbling and scolding them both—though part of her also felt relieved.
At least nothing serious had happened.
If anything had gone wrong, she wouldn't have been able to face Finn and Loki.
***
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