The furious roar reverberated through the passageway.
A flash of light surged from the end of the corridor in an instant, deflecting the massive black sword.
Before anyone could react, a second streak of light howled through the air, achieving maximum acceleration in an instant as it aimed for Revis's neck.
A sense of danger prickled at her skull, forcing Revis to retreat instinctively.
Eiji's face was twisted with fury.
His hands gripping the sword trembled slightly.
Just a moment later.
Had he been even half a second slower, Ais would have died before his eyes.
"Tch! You again, getting in my way!"
Revis steadied herself, shooting Eiji an irritated glare.
Just like back on the 18th floor, here he was again.
Was this bastard her natural enemy?
"But things are different now!"
Revis kicked off the ground with explosive force.
The black greatsword carried terrifying momentum as it swept diagonally toward his neck!
This strike was a genuine Level 7 attack!
In terms of raw power, it nearly surpassed that of a fledgling Level 5 by tenfold!
In her memory, two months ago, Eiji had been nothing more than a Level 3 at best. Even if he had improved, managing to force her back through a sneak attack, there was no way he could withstand this blow!
Eiji's eyes burned with ferocity.
He swung his katana without hesitation, meeting the strike head-on.
Boom!
The air itself seemed to explode.
A shockwave erupted, howling outward like a gale.
"What?!"
Revis's eyes widened in disbelief.
Against her overwhelming force, Eiji blocked with just one arm and a single blade.
Despite taking the full brunt of her attack, he stood completely unharmed, not even retreating a single step—only the metal floor beneath him cracked under the pressure.
"Hum—!"
While she was still reeling from shock, Eiji swung his right-hand blade.
The Twin Wings Style allowed him to instantly reach maximum acceleration, the blade's speed skyrocketing beyond human perception, transforming into an invisible flash.
Revis flinched, instinctively leaping back.
But just as she moved, Eiji's blade suddenly accelerated further, shattering her guard in an instant before slashing across her chest!
"Gah—!"
Revis screamed as she was sent flying backward.
Without hesitation, she dashed into another corridor, and with a deafening crash, the orichalcum gate slammed shut behind her, cutting off any pursuit.
"Tch, damn cockroach-like vitality!"
Eiji scowled at the trail of blood on the ground.
A normal person struck through the chest would be on death's door—even Finn wouldn't be an exception.
But Revis wasn't human. As a monster with enhanced traits, losing an arm last time or taking a slash to the chest now barely counted as serious injuries.
"Ais, are you okay?"
Ignoring the now-unreachable Revis, Eiji knelt beside her.
Seeing her covered in blood, he quickly pulled out a high potion from his pouch and sprinkled it over her wounds.
"How is it?"
Under his concerned gaze, Ais finally snapped out of her daze.
She lowered her eyes briefly, testing her movements before silently rising to her feet.
"... Much better."
"Good."
Eiji let out a relieved sigh.
High potions were truly overpowered—just one dose could pull someone back from the brink of death.
Although Eiji couldn't completely heal all of Ais's injuries, judging by her condition, it shouldn't hinder her movements anymore.
"Thank you."
Ais raised her head.
Her golden eyes met his directly.
It was a face she'd long grown accustomed to, yet now it stirred subtle ripples in her heart.
Suddenly, she found herself unable to meet Eiji's gaze, averting her eyes in hesitation.
"Don't say such formal things like we're strangers."
Eiji reached out and ruffled her hair carelessly, turning her smooth golden locks into a messy tangle.
Ais suddenly felt her cheeks grow hot, her gaze completely unsure where to settle.
Her expression stiffened as she quickly pulled her head free from Eiji's mischievous grasp.
"Huh? You always let me do this before."
Eiji blinked in surprise.
What was this?
Had the girl hit her rebellious phase?
"...Let's go."
Ais turned away, not letting him see her face at this moment.
"Alright."
Eiji shrugged helplessly.
"Then let's hurry and find the others first. We'll talk about the rest after we get everyone out!"
With that, he strode ahead confidently.
Ais lifted her foot and instinctively followed behind him.
"You'll find your own hero someday."
Suddenly, her father's words resurfaced in her mind.
"My own hero..."
Ais murmured softly.
"What'd you say?"
The distance was a bit too far—Eiji hadn't caught it.
"Nothing."
Ais shook her head.
Only after Eiji turned back around did she touch her own cheek.
"So warm..."
She had no idea what her face looked like right now.
And then—
She placed a hand over her chest.
'My heart is beating so fast...'
...
"I don't have time for you right now!"
In another passage, Tiona shouted at the Amazon before her.
"I have time—that's enough!"
The other woman responded coldly, throwing a relentless punch without hesitation.
"You unreasonable jerk!"
Tiona had no choice but to retaliate with a punch of her own.
But the exchange left Tiona stumbling back three steps, while her opponent only retreated two.
"Power... getting used to it. Good!"
The woman's gaze grew even more satisfied as she watched her.
She was an Amazon with striking crimson short hair and an exceptionally voluptuous figure, though her icy expression brimmed with overwhelming battle lust—enough to make anyone hesitate.
This was Bache of the Kali Familia.
While Argana had sought out Tione, Bache had set her sights on Tiona. The two pairs of fated rivals clashed once again within the artificial labyrinth.
"Uwah! More crystal spiders!"
"There's too many of them!"
From behind, Narvi and the others let out panicked cries as someone was injured by the crystal spiders.
A few of them might have been manageable, but with over a dozen swarming in at once—as if Level 4 monsters were nothing special—Narvi and the others were quickly overwhelmed. And that wasn't even considering those among them already poisoned by the venomous worms!
Tiona grew increasingly frantic.
Her mind was filled with thoughts of turning back to help her companions, but Bache refused to let up.
A momentary lapse in focus left an opening—Bache's fist slammed into her chest, sending her crashing into the wall with a thunderous impact.
"Damn it!"
Tiona swallowed the blood rising in her throat, her eyes darkening with fury.
Even after adjusting to her post-level-up strength, she was still slightly weaker than Bache. And with her attention divided for her allies, she stood even less of a chance.
But she wasn't without a trump card—if she was willing to self-harm—
"Someone's coming!"
"So fast!"
"Reinforcements!"
Suddenly, Narvi and the others burst into cheers of delight.
A continuous flash of blade light appeared from the end of the passage. The crystal spiders stood no chance—under the relentless, wave-like assault, the monsters were shattered into scattered limbs littering the ground, and the blocked passage was swiftly cleared.