Clang!
The piercing sound of clashing blades rang out incessantly.
In the dimly lit room, sparks danced through the air as sword winds ravaged the ground.
"So strong, and so fast!"
Ais's pupils continuously contracted.
Watching the battle between the two, her heart couldn't help but race wildly.
Revis's sword possessed monstrous strength, capable of tearing through super-hard metal as easily as scattering dust!
Such swordplay was terrifying beyond measure. Ais knew that if she were to face it, she probably wouldn't last even a single move—it would be instant annihilation.
Even Eiji avoided direct clashes with her.
Under the overwhelming force, Eiji continuously dodged left and right, evading Revis's strikes by the narrowest margins before countering with flashes of sword light.
His blade moved silently, its instantaneous acceleration surpassing the limits of human vision. To Revis, it appeared as swift as light itself.
At first, this startled her, forcing her to retreat hastily. But she soon discerned the pattern, focusing on Eiji's wrist movements to predict the trajectory of his sword.
Yet even so, Revis couldn't suppress Eiji.
His force-dispelling technique was near perfection. Even standing completely still, he could effortlessly redirect the power behind her strikes, his body flowing like water—untouchable and unharmed despite minutes of intense combat.
"Demonic Light Blade!"
Eiji's expression turned grave.
With a single slash, he channeled vibrational force into his blade, transmitting hidden energy into Revis's body through their clashing swords, rapidly damaging her internal organs.
"Guh!"
Revis spat blood, her eyes dimming momentarily.
But in the next instant, her gaze reignited as she swung her sword forward, completely unfazed!
"Such powerful regeneration!"
Eiji clicked his tongue inwardly.
He'd heard Revis possessed formidable regenerative abilities as a monster, but never imagined she could recover from organ-destroying injuries in the blink of an eye—almost rivaling a corrupted spirit's avatar.
Unless her magic stone was shattered, killing her would be impossible.
Yet she was equally aware of this glaring weakness, consciously protecting her chest. Whenever Eiji aimed there, she immediately retreated, refusing to let him near her vulnerable spot.
Thanks to this, the battle gradually reached a stalemate.
"You're running out of tricks!"
But Revis remained confident.
She unleashed another full-powered slash, holding nothing back.
Eiji once again dispersed the force using his Blend with Dust and Light technique, but his feet sank into the ground from the impact. To avoid being overwhelmed, he had no choice but to retreat several steps.
"Your demonic sword techniques are starting to repeat—meaning you're nearly out of options!"
Revis had seen through Eiji's limits.
This was the source of her confidence.
The move that bypassed defenses to damage organs, the technique that dazzled vision to close distance, the thrust surpassing ocular tracking... He'd used every trick in his arsenal, yet failed to break her magic stone.
"But you still haven't countered my force dispersion, have you?"
Eiji retorted.
"No denial about running out of techniques? Seems I hit the mark!"
A smile curled on Revis's face.
Eiji remained silent.
On this point, she wasn't wrong.
He had indeed exerted all his swordsmanship, employing every technique he knew, yet still failed to kill Revis.
But.
This was far from enough!
"Is that all the strength you have?" Eiji said coldly. "Stronger! Push out more potential—did you forget to drink your milk before leaving?"
This level of power was nowhere near enough to defeat him. The pressure fell far short of what he'd imagined!
Revis's eyebrows shot up, her eyes brimming with murderous intent.
"Timing's about right. Since you're begging for death, I'll oblige!"
BOOM—!!
The moment she spoke, a tremendous tremor shook the entire artificial dungeon.
A sacred pillar of light erupted skyward as endless waves of green flesh surged from the tenth floor, spreading rapidly upward and downward.
Soon, the green tide appeared near the trio like seawater flooding a porous sphere.
"That green flesh...?"
Ais paled abruptly.
Though she didn't know what it was, her bloodline screamed warnings—it was extremely dangerous, something she must never get caught in!
"Stop!"
Revis barked.
The green tide halted abruptly around her and Eiji.
While the flesh waves raged elsewhere, the assault here ceased instantly.
"It obeys Revis's commands? Is this also the work of the corrupted spirit?"
Ais tensed nervously.
Under Revis's orders, the green flesh deliberately avoided the three.
Revis retreated several steps before leaping straight into the swelling green mass.
Then, the room's temperature skyrocketed. The surrounding flesh turned crimson, rapidly decaying and releasing scalding steam lethal to humans.
"Now, die here!"
Revis reappeared before Eiji.
Crimson flesh draped over her like steel armor, dense bone structures coiling around her entire body—enough to trigger trypophobia instantly.
Steam rose continuously from her reddened skin as she radiated intense heat, yet she showed no discomfort, instead wearing a contented smile.
Schlick!
She plunged her hand into the rotting flesh, pulling out a blood-streaked crimson greatsword.
"Die!"
She laughed grotesquely.
BOOM—!!
A deafening roar filled their ears.
The ultra-hard metal floor beneath them shattered instantly.
Eiji barely registered the blur before—
CRASH!
A tremendous force sent him flying backward.
"So strong!"
His first conscious thought.
He adjusted midair, crashing violently against the ground multiple times before dispersing the impact.
"Far surpasses Level 7!"
Eiji rose again.
Had he not blocked instinctively, that strike might have critically wounded him.
Was this Level 8? He didn't know.
Nor did he care now.
"This feeling!"
Blood surged through his veins.
Despite the dire situation, his eyes shone brighter than ever, brimming with exhilaration.
Whoosh!
He stomped down—yet his charge was soundless.
"You dare come to your death willingly?"
Revis was taken aback.
Her current strength far surpassed his!
Was this guy out of his mind?
Even now, he still refused to give up?!
"Then I'll beat you into submission!"
With a furious roar, Revis summoned a violent gale and charged forward.