She charged out recklessly, her blade pointing straight at the [White-Haired Demon]'s head.
Her action seemed to become the signal for the battle to begin.
Emiya tried to stop Filvis, and at the same time, a red light thrown by the Masked man was already flying toward them.
"Flame stone? So fast, the opponent's level is above Lv.5."
He judged as such, immediately stopped the pursuit, projected flying swords, and threw them.
The blade collided with the flame stone, causing an explosion.
On the other side, Filvis had already charged in front of Olivas.
However, at that moment, something unexpected happened.
Olivas' level should be the same as Filvis', both at Lv.3. And since he was a beast tamer, he logically shouldn't be a match for Filvis in close combat.
But at this moment, Olivas easily pinched Filvis' sword between two fingers, and with just one strike, directly sent the elf girl flying.
Extremely fast speed, combined with terrifying monstrous strength.
The power Olivas displayed in that instant was of the first tier.
On the other side, the Masked man drew a bizarre long sword shaped like a monster's spine and charged at Emiya.
To intercept her were the ice katana and the pseudo-noble phantasm [Serpent of Blazing Fury] in Tione's hand.
Blades of extreme ice and blazing fire collided fiercely with the Masked man's strike, yet only resulted in a stalemate.
"This guy is Lv.6!", Tione roared, "Damn it, where did all these first-tier adventurers come from?"
Alicia and Tione joined forces to block the Masked man's onslaught, while Emiya quickly rushed toward Olivas.
[Futsu no Mitama] slashed a dark afterimage toward Olivas.
Seeing the sword light approaching, Olivas' expression changed drastically. He had to abandon his attempt to grab Filvis and shouted in panic, "Giant flower!"
A massive man-eating flower monster surged out from the door behind him.
However, before that, Olivas' body had already been engulfed by the sword's afterimage.
"Is he dead?", Lefiya asked instinctively.
"He was hit, but he probably didn't die," Looking at the "damaged" Olivas, Emiya replied.
Olivas' body was covered in sword wounds. Emiya's final slash should've finished him off, but it was blocked by the massive man-eating flower, failing to land completely.
Moreover, the opponent's body was abnormally tough, just like monsters from the deep layers of the dungeon.
Emiya stared at the enemy before him, seeing Olivas covered in wounds, flesh and blood indistinguishable.
Severely injured, then triggered healing ability to save himself, this seemed to become a kind of turning point. At this moment, a dazed or joyful expression surfaced on Olivas' face.
Olivas slowly caressed his tall body from bottom to top with his hand.
Beneath his torn clothes, his wounds and most of his skin were dyed yellow-green like the surface of a man-eating flower.
And on his still-healing upper body, in the center of his torn-apart chest, a dazzling, multicolored crystal was embedded.
The dazzling glow, the colorful [Magic Stone], and the yellow-green lower body that matched his eye color all proved that this man was no longer human.
This humanoid entity before them made the members of the Loki Familia feel intense disgust, rejection, and fear.
Emiya opened his mouth and asked, "What are you?"
Olivas took a step back, hiding behind the massive man-eating flower monster, a sinister smile hanging on his lips. His white hair slightly swayed in the dim light.
"I am the supreme existence, possessing the power of both humans and monsters!"
Olivas shouted.
"I see, a monster then," Emiya said indifferently, "You're pretty much the same kind of thing as that one who nearly got cut down by Ais."
To this being with both intelligence and stats, and yet with monstrous brute strength and a resilient body, Emiya ignored the intellect and directly classified it as a monster.
Olivas' eyes gleamed with murderous light. Despite being covered in injuries, he didn't seem to care about Emiya and the others.
Beside him, Filvis was struggling, trying to get up, but she seemed to be seriously injured. Every time she tried to prop herself up, she inevitably failed.
In the end, she collapsed powerlessly to the ground, breathing rapidly and weakly.
"Filvis!"
Seeing the dire situation, Lefiya rushed out, taking advantage of the enemy's lack of attention, and brought the dying Filvis back.
The Masked man, seizing the chaos, broke free from Alicia and Tione's encirclement and quickly retreated toward the rear door.
"Can't let her escape!"
Alicia and Tione immediately gave chase, but more man-eating flower monsters surged in like a tide, blocking their path.
"[Saber], come chase me if you dare."
The Masked man's distorted, hoarse voice echoed from afar, her words reverberating through the labyrinth like a ghostly whisper.
Without hesitation, Emiya gave chase immediately.
The Masked man's sudden retreat stunned Olivas, but after grasping the situation, an ominous feeling rose in his heart, and he quickly turned to flee as well.
However, he didn't have the same speed and agility as the Masked man and was soon caught up by Emiya.
Emiya gripped [Futsu no Mitama], and the power of the gravity field pressed down on Olivas like a massive mountain.
Olivas felt like he was bearing a thousand-pound boulder, his body instantly immobilized.
Meanwhile, Riveria had already begun chanting.
No longer paying attention to the doomed Olivas, Emiya decisively moved past him and pursued the Masked man's escape route.
Just as he stepped out of the chamber, the adamantite door behind him came crashing down with a heavy, low thud.
Olivas froze, his face filled with disbelief as he watched the scene.
When the Masked man Ein didn't instantly kill Alicia and Tione but instead fell into a deadlock, he already had a bad feeling.
'A Lv.7, entangled with two Lv.5s like that, what kind of act is this?', That was what Olivas thought at the time.
He dared to appear in front of Lv.7 Riveria and the others precisely because the masked Ein was present.
Ein's stats were definitely stronger than Riveria, who had just recently leveled up.
But now, Ein had fled, she was being chased in panic by a Lv.4 [Saber].
"You!"
Olivas seemed to want to say something, but it was already too late.
[—O omen of the end, pure white snow. At the twilight hour, let the storm rise.]
[Sealed light, frozen earth, sweeping snow, triple winter, my name is Alf.]
A blizzard suddenly descended, and the furious magical power mercilessly enveloped Olivas and all the man-eating flower monsters.
In the bitter wind and snow, Olivas' body was instantly frozen, the cold penetrating his very bones, bringing with it utter despair.
———
Emiya used projection magic, instantly forming two swords in his hands, [Kanshou and Bakuya], one black and one white, glimmering faintly.
He locked onto the masked figure and hurled the twin blades forcefully.
The black and white swords drew two graceful arcs in the air, flying toward the Masked man at incredible speed, like two intertwined dragons, swift and precise.
As the Masked man was about to escape into the corridor, she stopped. The black and white swords landed precisely in front of her, crossed and standing, blocking her path.
She clearly realized that had she not stopped just now and rushed ahead, those two blades would've pierced her body without mercy.
"You can't escape."
Emiya's pace suddenly accelerated, instantly becoming a blur. Taking advantage of the moment when the twin swords sealed the Masked man's movement, he charged forward with all his might. The katana [Futsu no Mitama] in his hand released a cold gleam, slashing straight at the Masked man's back.
The Masked man turned sideways, lifted the sword in her hand, and barely blocked Emiya's attack. The blades clashed in the air, producing a sharp metallic sound and sparks.
Emiya and the masked Ein's blades clashed repeatedly, sparks flying. Emiya's swordsmanship was skillful and precise, his movements swift and fluid. The black and white sword lights interwove in his hands, forming a curtain of light, his attacks crashing down on the Masked man like waves.
Facing Emiya's assault, the masked Ein stood firm like a reef in the sea, not retreating a single step.
Their silhouettes crossed constantly, the blades clashing again and again, ringing out in metallic resonance.
Emiya swung his blade down. The sharp [Futsu no Mitama] tore through the air, aiming straight for Ein's shoulder.
However, to his surprise, Ein made no attempt to defend. She didn't block at all and let the blade strike her shoulder.
Emiya was slightly surprised, then immediately sensed something was wrong. A bad feeling spread in his chest.
Without hesitation, he let go of [Futsu no Mitama] and quickly projected [Kanshou and Bakuya] for defense. But even with the speed of switching weapons, it wasn't fast enough to fully block Ein's fierce counterattack.
Ein's sword was fierce. Her blade pierced through Emiya's twin swords, shattering [Kanshou and Bakuya] completely.
The powerful impact forced Emiya to retreat several steps, his feet carving deep marks into the ground, his chest wracked with pain from the blow.
He looked down at his side, there was already a deep wound carved by Ein's sword, and blood was seeping out.
And although Ein's shoulder had been slashed brutally by Emiya's blade, nearly severing her arm, if it were an ordinary adventurer, the arm would be completely lost.
However, Ein only staggered slightly and still stood tall.
Judging by the wounds, Ein was more severely injured. But Emiya understood this didn't mean he had the upper hand. In this exchange of wounds, they were fundamentally unequal.
Ein's wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Flesh and blood twisted and regenerated rapidly, as if she had never been injured.
This eerie regeneration was just like the [White-Haired Demon] Olivas Act, without a doubt, the Masked man before him was also a [Monster Person].
However, at that moment, Ein suddenly stopped attacking. She leaned against the wall behind her, clutching her wounded arm, panting slightly.
"Heh…", Her voice was low and hoarse, "[Saber], how about we have a talk?"
———
At the same time, elsewhere in the artificial labyrinth, Finn and his team were moving forward.
Their eyes cautiously watched ahead, when suddenly, the darkness at the entrance of the corridor was broken by messy footsteps. Soon, a shadowy figure wavered into the dim light.
"FIIIIIIINNN!!"
The moment the figure appeared, it let out a scream like a wailing specter from the depths of hell, its voice sharp and ear-piercing, filled with hatred and fury.
Raul and the others instinctively covered their ears the moment they heard the sound, trying to block out the deafening curses.
Standing high above, looking down at Finn and the others, was a terribly wretched-looking adventurer. She stood at the top of the corridor like a ghost of judgment, her face full of rage and hatred.
"You damned… phony hero!"
Her voice was as harsh as a broken bellows, filled with hoarse resentment, as if her very existence was for this moment of cursing.
"Oh, so you're still alive… Valetta," Finn looked at her and sneered, "Well, judging by your appearance, I'd say you're not long for this world."
Faced with the other's vicious curses and heart-wrenching hatred, Finn simply squinted his eyes and responded calmly.
"Captain, do you know her?"
The rabbit-eared adventurer Rakta beside him asked cautiously, her voice clearly tense.
"Yeah, she's [Killer Empress] Valetta Grede."
Finn remained composed, "Fifteen years ago, when Orario fell into darkness and the Evilus plunged the whole city into chaos, causing countless disasters, she was one of the main instigators of that chaos."
Upon hearing the name "Valetta," Raul and the others immediately tensed up. They finally realized who the person in front of them was.
At this moment, Valetta standing there looked just like a ghost returning from hell. She wore a long coat that had been burned pitch-black and was tattered beyond repair, with its fur trim already scorched and full of holes.
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