The unbreakable Desperate collided with the wooden sword.
Under the suppression of the massive impact descending from the heavens, Ryuu's body was sent flying backward into the woodlands, kicking up a pervasive cloud of dust.
After snapping an unknown number of large trees, the residual force finally dissipated, and the two separated once again.
"Burn brightly."
"Full power flames."
Scorching flames clashed once more with the wind dancing in the sky, causing countless streams of red and green light to explode amidst the forest.
Since obtaining the [Astrea Record]...
Her friend's magic, "Scarlet Pimpernel," had become the skill Ryuu used most frequently.
That crimson red which always charged at the front, smiling as brightly as the morning glow, only made people feel nostalgia and warmth, but...
Wrapping around the whole body, winding around the weapon, flowing endlessly like a long river—this was the [Red Flower of Justice], the signature magic of the Astrea Familia's former captain, Alise Lovell. But why was it so strong?
No.
Why was Alise, who used it, so strong?
In their past training, Ryuu recalled that she had never won against her even once—
Chi!
Strong winds sliced through the leaves and branches, descending from the sky once again to clash with the blazing fire.
Under that raging firelight, Ryuu looked at the girl wrapped in the breeze. She had become calm at this moment; that was the appearance of someone who had fully entered a state of combat.
Sword and sword clashed again.
In terms of ability stats, the two were actually evenly matched at this moment.
Although Ais had leveled up to Level 5 half a year earlier than Ryuu, she had listened to Loki's advice. Aside from going to the Dungeon with Isagi to fight a "Goblin General," she had spent most of her time doing daily training within the Familia.
Her ability stats had improved, but not by much, and were not far off from Ryuu, who had leveled up not long ago.
But at this moment.
As soon as they exchanged blows, the Elf girl fell into a passive state, suppressed to the point where it was difficult to fight back.
[It can't go on like this.]
Her instincts as an adventurer were reminding her that she must make a change, otherwise she would certainly lose.
But what should she do?
Facing the golden-haired girl attacking like a gale once more, Ryuu began to force herself to think while defending.
Because she had to think; if she didn't think, she would lose.
This is combat.
How could she be defeated so shamefully in front of her junior?!
She also had a reason she absolutely had to win!
[Combat requires strategy.]
[Of course, there are people who rely on instinct—well, like that idiot Alise, for example—but I prefer to use my brain.]
Strategist, commander, the brain of the Familia—these are indispensable existences.
Under the diffuse sunlight.
Sitting before the floor-to-ceiling window, the pink-haired Pallum girl, who was always tinkering with her "wonderful little toys," would always reveal a wicked, treacherous smile.
[Pallums aren't good at fisticuffs, so we fight with our brains. Of course, there are also powerful guys like Finn, which is why he is the Pallum's "Braver."]
[Observe, judge, find the opponent's weakness, and utilize your own strength rationally. That's what I say, but it's actually hard for Ryuu to understand, right? Because some things cannot be understood just by listening to others.]
Ah.
She had never served as a commander before, because there was no need.
Crusading against the [Pale King] with her juniors was the girl's first time formally becoming a commander. And although she said that, the combat plan was actually proposed by Isagi; she was merely "following the script."
Even so, it still made her feel an unprecedented, massive pressure at the time.
And even longer before that.
As the junior who joined the Familia last, Ryuu actually had no experience fighting alone.
Whether exploring the Dungeon, maintaining public order in the city, fighting against Dark Familias, or facing unbelievably powerful enemies.
No matter what.
The Elf girl always had companions by her side.
Therefore, even if she understood nothing, she just had to follow her companions, just as Goddess Astrea had said from the very beginning.
[Ryuu is a fellow who cannot act alone.]
And ever since her companions all died, she went to the other extreme.
The career of revenge over the past year or so could not only hardly be called combat, but it also wore down her intuition as an adventurer and increased her dullness. In Isagi's words, it was "noob stomping" too much; coming back to play high-end matches, she inevitably couldn't keep up with the rhythm and her mechanics would deform due to excessive pressure.
"Ah, am I going to lose?"
Only a few minutes after the battle began, the Elf girl's decline was already fully revealed.
Heith stood beside Isagi.
She was "forcibly" called out by the young man. Her function, well, was to continuously use healing magic on the two girls who were dueling, so that the combat training could become even more prolonged.
Damn guy!
So he called her here to "go to work," huh?!
She was all too familiar with doing things like this. Heith was indignant, because she had originally thought Isagi was calling her out to go on an adventure together.
Although she had said something like "Last time was the last time!", whenever she recalled the previous adventures during this period, as a senior adventurer, Heith could feel the danger and—
Opportunity!
The Level 4 young man and the strength of his companions made Heith realize that all of this was naturally because of that special Dungeon.
Although she didn't gain much from the first two explorations together, if she prepared well, she might be able to grasp it properly next time, increase her ability stats, or even level up to Level 5!
Become a First-Class Adventurer!!
Huff, huff, huff...
This temptation was simply too great for Heith. The warriors who revered Freya incomparably tempered themselves throughout the night not only to obtain the Goddess's gaze, but most importantly...
The Goddess wants to become the strongest in the city, so as Familia members, they must also become the strongest in the city!
Yet the result was making her run over here to "go to work," huh?!
That said, Heith was still very professional. While maintaining continuous healing magic on the two girls at all times, she would occasionally throw a wide-range heal at them.
Moreover, she gradually began to watch with relish.
"Miss Sword Princess is really amazing. Also, she hasn't used her full strength yet, right?"
It wasn't holding back.
Rather, Ais's skill, [Avenger Princess], would only activate when facing Monsters. This meant the golden-haired girl at this moment was effectively missing a skill compared to her normal state.
"Moreover..."
"Moreover, Miss Ais's sword assumes [Monsters] as the imaginary enemy, not humans."
In this period of more than half a year, having trained intermittently with the golden-haired girl many times, Isagi understood the Sword Princess's "Sword" very well.
"Although there are humanoid types among monsters, compared to them, her imaginary enemy should be incomparably huge—guys with colossal bodies and flight capabilities that far exceed normal humans and monsters."
That is to say—
[Dragon].
Therefore, the girl needed to borrow the power of the wind to dance, circle, and surround, exchanging speed for advantage, waiting for the opportunity to find a weakness, and exploding with maximum power in an instant.
But even so, there was still something weird.
Isagi had this feeling before. Thinking carefully about it now, the problem lay in the weapon.
For a Great Dragon, even a "longsword" appeared too slender and puny. A weapon capable of slaying a Great Dragon must inevitably be something huge, heavy, and far exceeding normal size.
So that's how it is...
"Ah, I lost."
With Heith's voice completely devoid of any "mercy," the training of the two girls in the distance had reached its end.
Although she was somewhat unconvinced.
But Ryuu was beaten to the ground at this moment. Even with the power of recovery magic, she was already somewhat unable to stand up.
Although she had realized it just now, reality was that not everyone could explode with powerful strength at a life-and-death juncture, and then reverse the decline in one fell swoop to defeat the enemy.
That is a fairy tale found in hero stories.
The gap in power cannot be made up for by a momentary resolve and a brain that has just started to function.
Ryuu is a genius adventurer.
Ais is too.
And she is even more pure and resolute. Although she was quite unwilling, the Elf girl had to admit this.
That was why Isagi said it.
Senpai just lacks combat. If she's tortured less, she naturally becomes slack.
So—
Torture her more!
Isagi walked forward silently, arriving inside the woodland that had been ravaged into a mess by the two girls, and walked up to his Familia senior who was leaning against a large tree, her pretty face flushed red as she panted heavily.
Then.
He switched his Character Card and handed her the "Monkey Wine" which could directly heal injuries.
Watching Ryuu gulp down two large mouthfuls, her fatigue and injuries were swept away, and even her complexion inexplicably became rosier.
"Thank you..."
Ryuu bit her lip.
At this moment, alongside her shame, she was also a little moved.
However, just as the Elf girl was thinking that the young man might let her rest for a bit before continuing to train something with Ais...
The result—
"Stand up, Ryuu-senpai."
"?"
"It's my turn now."
The guy who arrived on the battlefield next was Isagi, but the young man's target was not Miss Sword Princess who was still flying in the sky, but the Elf girl who had just barely propped up her body.
The young man did not draw his sword.
But inexplicably, as clouds and mist curled around, Ryuu vaguely heard the sound of some stirring drum music coming from afar.
Subsequently.
That suffocating figure of the Goblin King actually walked out from within the clouds and mist.
"Only five minutes."
The leveled-up [Retaking the Westward Journey] Character Card had obtained a brand new power, "[72 Transformations]," allowing him to obtain the skill to transform into the opponent after defeating the [Pale King].
It wasn't like a Spirit Ash that creates an illusion of its form to unleash fixed moves for a period of time, but rather, completely obtaining all of its power for a certain duration—and it would strengthen as the Character Card leveled up.
Isagi was going to continue torturing Ryuu Lion!
Next.
Senpai absolutely has to experience suffering!!
...
Late at night.
The cold stars and moon of early winter were still diffuse.
"Isagi, do it one more time. Just that one from just now... one more time..."
"Ah... um... mm..."
Resting on a beautiful girl's thighs should have been a very blissful thing, but Isagi completely lacked such a feeling at this moment.
He had transformed into the [Pale King] too many times, leading to an excessive consumption of mental power!
He didn't know where he was, what he was doing, or what the point of it was anymore.
Before his eyes.
Ais's pretty face, truly as exquisite as a doll's, hung down slightly, looking at him.
She even revealed a pitiful, pleading appearance, wanting him to do it one more time.
He really couldn't do it anymore. Just now was the final transformation; it was absolutely impossible to do it again.
Even though there was a cooldown time of about half an hour every time he turned into the [Pale King], the number of times throughout the whole day was still a bit too much.
Especially after finishing torturing Ryuu-senpai.
This fellow Ais clung to him again, saying eagerly that no matter what, she also wanted to fight against that kind of monster, almost saying strange words like "Onegai watashi..." (Please, me...).
So tired.
Sure enough, being with two beautiful girls is an incomparably arduous task.
The starry night scattered specks of light amidst the cold, withered grass.
Ryuu watched from the side as Ais "monopolized" Isagi, her face full of a look that forbade others from approaching, and her heart at this moment was also very complicated.
There was fire.
She was also very angry.
Not only did she lose the fight, but there was also her dignity as a senior, and...
This is too weird, isn't it?!
Why did Ais, as the final "victor," pull the young man over and then give him a lap pillow?
Huh?
She even said this is what the winner should do.
???
Shouldn't this be a punishment that the loser would have... No, wait, even as a punishment it would be weird!
Too lewd!!
It wasn't envy or anything.
At this moment, Ryuu, who had finally retrieved her pure Elf brain, couldn't help but evaluate the golden-haired girl in the distance indignantly like this!
She didn't notice at all.
Not far away, the Goddess of Justice looked at Ais's incomparably natural actions, and as if thinking of something, she guiltily turned to look elsewhere, pretending she hadn't discovered the situation here at all...
____
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