"I see."
Ais sat in her seat, watching the projection of her teacher's one-sided slaughter of Juggernaut.
"No wonder the teacher told me not to try it back then."
She remembered the teacher mentioning that Juggernaut had innate resistance to magic. Long-range magical attacks would be directly immunized or reflected, and close-range attacks with magic-enhanced weapons would still have a portion of their damage resisted by the monster. In simple terms, if your destructive power wasn't strong enough, facing that monster would be excruciating. Ais thought about her own destructive capabilities. All of her attacks were accompanied by "Ariel." Against a monster with incredibly strong magical resistance, her offensive power would be greatly limited.
In other words, no matter which floor Juggernaut originated from, it naturally had an advantage over her.
As for her teacher's rapid growth, Ais didn't find it that surprising.
"In that environment, even I experienced explosive growth. Since entering Orario, the teacher has always surrounded herself with monsters far beyond her level. Combined with her innate growth potential, it's only natural that she'd grow this quickly."
Ever since she understood the principle that "humans possess the strongest adaptability," Ais realized that in order to grow rapidly, one had to stop worrying about personal safety. Only through relentless effort, prolonged exposure to the harshest environments, and rigorous training could one adapt quickly and achieve rapid growth.
Of course, Ais saw the results not only in herself.
After accompanying Finn and the others on their expedition to Floor 64—and living there for two months—Ais saw similar results in them.
Even in such harsh conditions, most people experienced significant growth.
In just two months, they had achieved the status that would normally take a year or more to accumulate.
Even Finn, Riveria, and Gareth were no exceptions.
Only after witnessing all these results did Ais become even more convinced that her teacher's words held great truth.
Yet now, aside from deepening her understanding of her teacher's wisdom, Ais was pondering another question.
"Can I continue staying by the teacher's side from now on?"
After nearly half a year of instruction and shared living, Ais felt herself growing increasingly accustomed to life with her teacher.
Especially the kind of life forged through the trials of the dungeon.
Now, without some stimulating experiences, Ais even felt a sense of dullness.
This was her immediate thought after being away from her teacher for several months.
Sanjouno Haruhime's emotions were undoubtedly the most complex.
Watching the boy in the projection continue advancing relentlessly, she felt she could no longer keep up.
Her ears and tail drooped, and she looked utterly dejected.
"Ugh... I can't keep up. I'm completely falling behind now."
The thought that her purpose had been completely erased made Sanjouno Haruhime feel like crying.
She recalled their first meeting, when that boy had appeared before her like a god. In her darkest hour, he gave her hope, guided her to Loki Familia, and offered her a safe haven.
His attitude had been resolute, and his initial words sharp. Yet the question remained: he hadn't been obligated to save her. Was it merely a favor? She couldn't believe that.
Later, under Loki-sama's guidance, she came to understand the boy's true intentions.
He had led her here because this place was suitable for her.
So, this boy she had never met before had made all those preparations out of sympathy? He could have used this opportunity to take her away, but after that day, he never appeared in her life again.
Sanjouno Haruhime understood: that boy was severing ties with her life.
Just as Captain Finn had said, that boy accepted no one—just as he had always been someone who acted alone.
In the past, she had continued to strive in magic, hoping that one day she could stand behind that person.
But now, it seemed that the boy was moving far too quickly.
So fast that no matter what she did, she could never catch up.
How could this not make her feel crushed?
"Stop crying. You still have a chance."
Aisha, who had been sitting beside the little fox all this time, knew exactly what the little fox was thinking. She had been watching the little fox's progress from the sidelines and understood the reason behind her efforts.
"!?"
"Aisha-sama..."
Tears welled up in the little fox's eyes. Right now, only Aisha-sama's words echoed in her mind.
"Enough."
Seeing the little fox about to cling to her, Aisha gently pushed the affectionate creature away. "Although the distance between him and you is growing, that's simply his situation. Since entering Orario, he has been constantly pushing forward. Otherwise, he wouldn't have grown so quickly."
After seeing the projection of Bell's journey, Aisha understood. That boy had never once stopped on his path to power.
It could be said his entire focus was on acquiring strength.
As for why he rejected the little fox, it likely stemmed from his solitary nature.
In his entire Familia, there was not a single outsider besides himself. Therefore, Aisha could deduce that after entering Orario, he had scarcely interacted with the opposite sex. Opportunities certainly existed, but the real question was how to navigate them.
"Alright, once Loki-sama returns today, I'll go with you to ask for his opinion."
"Mm."
The little fox now placed all her hopes on Aisha-sama.
She wouldn't give up on even the slightest glimmer of hope, though she didn't know if Loki-sama could arrange a meeting between her and him.
The third projection's image had frozen on the scene of Bell slaying the Spirit Guardian.
Meanwhile, the first projection's image had frozen on a remarkably spacious floor beyond the "White Palace."
Level 37.
The floor belonging to the Floor Boss.
Standing before Bell was a colossal Skeleton King, its lower body anchored to the ground, gripping a massive sword.
The skeletal hands tightly clenched the greatsword. Though the skeleton had no face to be seen, the entire floor was eerily silent, as though knights were waiting for the arrival of their enemy.