Inside the Training Space, two figures clashed violently.
Clang!
Ais and Alicia's swords met in mid-swing, red flame against red flame. Sparks burst between them as both blades screamed under the pressure.
Crack… crack…!
The sound of splitting steel echoed sharply.
Both women disengaged at the same time, their bodies sliding backward in perfect rhythm before they kicked off the air itself, twisting, and lunging forward again.
Boom!
Their blades met once more—and shattered.
Steel fragments scattered through the air.
Yet neither retreated.
With only the broken hilts remaining, both charged again, swinging as if their weapons were whole. Each impact carried enough force to ripple the air, every shockwave carving pits and fissures into the ground beneath them.
The more they fought, the fiercer they became. The fragments of their swords eroded further until barely any metal remained.
Bang!
Finally, with one last clash, both weapons disintegrated completely.
The two warriors froze mid-stance, panting, each gripping what was now nothing more than a piece of ruined iron.
Alicia smiled faintly. "You're really something, Ais."
She could tell—Ais hadn't gone all out. The blonde swordswoman had deliberately held back, matching her level instead of overwhelming her. Even so, the pressure was immense.
Ais wiped a bead of sweat from her cheek. "You're strong too."
She truly meant it. Despite the difference in levels, Alicia had resisted her full frontal assaults head-on—something almost impossible for a lower-ranked adventurer.
"If it weren't for the weapons," Alicia said with a laugh, "I could've kept going."
Ais nodded. "Yeah. But… these were expensive."
"Exactly! That's the real problem!"
Both sighed at once.
Even for seasoned adventurers, weapons that could withstand their power were rare. The ones they'd just broken were already second-tier, forged personally by Tsubaki, valued at nearly ten million valis each.
"Where's your Despair Sword, Ais?"
"…Still being repaired by the Goibniu Familia."
"What? The expedition ended months ago! It takes that long to fix a blade?"
Alicia stared, incredulous. Normally, maintaining a B-class weapon should take a week at most—two if the damage was severe.
Before Ais could reply, Riveria's calm voice came from the sidelines.
"That's because this idiot took her Despair Sword into the Challenge Space and decided to fight monsters far beyond her level. Naturally, she destroyed it."
Alicia nearly burst out laughing.
"You actually used your main weapon in there? Ais, you're rich! I usually ask Tsunayoshi to make me a practice weapon instead. Saves me the heartbreak of breaking my gear."
"!?"
"You can… ask Tsunayoshi for that?"
Ais's eyes widened.
Alicia grinned. "Of course. His ability makes it possible. When I enter the Challenge Space, I just have him forge something sturdy enough to last the fight. It still breaks, but hey—he doesn't charge anything. If you ask sincerely, he'll always help."
Ais froze.
The light in her golden eyes dimmed instantly as realization struck—she had spent forty million valis on repairs across two destroyed swords, all because she never knew this option existed.
Her expression turned dark.
"Pfft!"
Alicia couldn't hold it anymore and laughed.
"Ais, how could you take your real weapon into the Challenge Space? You know how hard those monsters' hides are, right?"
Ais wanted to retort, but Riveria stepped in again, sighing.
"This idiot knows that perfectly well. Her brain just refuses to process simple alternatives."
Holding her small azure staff, Riveria appeared almost ethereal, her body wreathed in faint indigo mist. She seemed less like a person and more like an apparition drifting out of a dream.
"Riveria-sama…"
Alicia turned, only to find Kaguya standing nearby—completely engulfed in blue fire.
"Ah, so Riveria-sama didn't silence her after all," Alicia murmured, amused.
Both Mist and Rain were Riveria's attributes—the perfect combination.
Mist to weave illusions.
Rain to calm minds and suppress resistance.
In the short time since her awakening, Riveria had already grasped the essence of illusion craft. Against adventurers even a rank lower, she could subdue them instantly.
Kaguya sighed, lowering her sword, her movements slow, dreamlike—her body still under the soothing pull of Riveria's rain flame.
"Your swordsmanship was troublesome," Riveria said gently, smiling. "But our difference in level is still too great."
Alicia blinked. "Even so, you handled that so easily…"
Riveria chuckled, her eyes glimmering behind the veil of mist. "Once you learn how to use this power properly… you'll understand. It's far more practical than most spells."
The elf looked down at her palm, where faint traces of white mist curled between her fingers like living threads.
She whispered almost to herself:
"This… might actually be better than magic."
(End of Chapter)
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