Marvel Multiverse System

The red-haired woman's blade sliced through the air with primal ferocity. It was a long, wild sword, forged—Ais was almost certain—from the fang of a monster from the lower levels. Its sheen was dull, lead-gray, but the edge… the edge shimmered faintly in the night's dim light.

The sword clashed repeatedly with Desperate, Ais' personal weapon, crafted by the Goibniu Familia. A blade that could never be broken, made especially for her… yet in that moment, it was being pushed to its very limit.

The redhead charged like a living storm.

"Tch…" Ais bit her lip. The wind she summoned wasn't enough.

Her wind armor, her magic Ariel, trembled around her body with every blow received. The woman didn't retreat—didn't even hesitate. She fought with pure technique and instinct, trading blows with Ais as if she were her equal.

No… as if she were superior.

The sword spun in her hand like a whirlwind, and no matter how much Ais boosted her movements with wind, the opponent kept reading every step, every retreat, every slash.

A strike from above—Clang!

Ais blocked, but was knocked back two steps. Her body shook under the impact. Still, she remained standing, golden eyes blazing.

"Why won't you… fall?" Ais murmured, panting.

The redhead raised her gaze with her lone green eye. A cold smile curled on her bloodstained lips.

"Because I've already fallen once… and now, all that's left is to move forward."

She died once… and returned like this? Like a monster?

Ais gritted her teeth. It didn't matter. This fight… this opponent… was forcing her to surpass her limits. She could feel it. Her sword felt lighter. Her steps, more precise. The wind… responded better to her will.

I'm evolving…

The barrier of level 6… was close to breaking.

And her enemy had noticed it too.

With a determined expression, the redhead narrowed her lone eye. In a blink, she vanished.

She disappeared—!

"Ais!" Riveria shouted from afar.

But it was too late. The redhead appeared beside the swordswoman, her blade slashing diagonally, seeking the opening between the wind flow.

Clang!

Ais cried out in pain as she was struck. Her body was flung aside like a leaf in the wind. She rolled on the ground, gasping, tasting blood.

The redhead charged again. Even wounded, blood dripping from her left hand, she raised her sword with a wild glare.

If she hits me again…

Ais lifted Desperate. Her heart pounded, the wind around her beginning to swirl with greater force. And then, like a whisper in her mind, she remembered Yuri's voice.

"Wind Breathing: Ninth Form — Idaten Typhoon."

"With Ariel… you'll be able to pull it off perfectly."

Ais closed her eyes for a brief moment. The wind roared in her ears.

"Let's see… if I can…"

She took a half-step back. Then, with explosive force, she leapt into the air.

"Wind Breathing: Ninth Form…"

Desperate was gripped with both hands. Then, with a graceful spin, Ais twirled in the air—a cutting flower within the storm.

"Idaten Typhoon!" she shouted.

The wind answered. A whirlwind formed instantly around her blade, creating slicing circles of air that expanded and contracted in fractions of a second.

BANG!!

The swords collided, and the red-haired woman was thrown backward, eyes wide in shock. Ais' blade pierced her defense and stabbed into her shoulder, carving a deep gash.

The redhead dropped to her knees, blood gushing from the wound. Her body, monstrously resilient as it was, gave in before the swordswoman's perfect technique.

"I-Impossible…" she murmured.

"Did I… lose?"

Ais landed lightly on the ground, still surrounded by Ariel's wind. Her golden eyes locked onto her opponent.

But something changed in the redhead's gaze. Defeat didn't break her. On the contrary… her eyes gleamed with cruelty. Cold, monstrous cruelty.

"I'm not afraid of death…" she said.

"I've already died once. Now all that's left is to keep going until I burn myself out!"

With an animalistic cry, she ignored the pain, spun her body, and delivered a brutal kick to Ais' stomach, launching her backward.

When Ais got up, gasping, the enemy was already retreating.

"Hey! Stop!" Ais yelled, but was ignored.

The red-haired woman ran without hesitation to the far west side of the island. Upon reaching the edge of a cliff, she paused for a moment, turned, and stared at Ais with her lone green eye—a blank yet determined look.

Then, without hesitation… she jumped.

Ais ran to the edge and leaned over, watching the woman's silhouette slide down the rocky wall toward the lake, vanishing into the darkness.

"She escaped…" Ais murmured, breathing heavily, body trembling, yet eyes determined.

Despite the pain, something inside her smiled. She had used Yuri's technique… and won.

The sound of something hitting the water's surface hard echoed not long after.

Ais didn't move. Her sword remained firm in her hands, though her knees nearly gave out. The chase ended there. She knew she had used everything—every thread of strength, every drop of magic power—all channeled to defeat that opponent.

And now, the red-haired woman had plunged into the lake's depths.

Ais narrowed her eyes, trying to spot a silhouette in the water below. Nothing.

"No sign of her…" she muttered.

Even with her trained vision, the lake's dark mirror revealed only distorted reflections and the occasional distant splash. If the redhead chose to stay submerged—or follow the 18th floor's underground tunnels—chasing her would be a foolish… and deadly game.

The 18th floor was vast. Too vast. Rolling meadows, treacherous swamps, dense forests… all served as perfect hiding places for someone who knew the terrain like the back of their hand.

"She's like a dungeon monster…" Ais muttered.

"No matter how high your level is… if you don't know the terrain, you're at a disadvantage."

Even seasoned adventurers like her felt the silent hostility of that floor. If she rushed after the redhead blindly, she would only find traps, ambushes, death.

No… the risk wasn't worth it. Not now.

Ais took a deep breath. The wind around her began to fade, as if feeling its master's exhaustion.

She clenched her fists. Her body ached, but that wasn't what made her tremble.

It was the unmistakable sensation of having crossed a limit.

"Yuri…" she whispered.

"I can feel it. I've reached the realm of Level 6."

It wasn't just intuition. It was like an electric current running through her soul. Her muscles, her mind, even her control over the wind… had reached a new stage.

She slowly turned, her golden eyes fixing on the distant battlefield where the young man was fiercely fighting the demi-spirit.

Even from afar, the power radiating from him was undeniable.

"You too, huh?" she murmured, a small smile on her lips.

"You'll cross that threshold… in your own way."

The wind blew around her once again. Not like before, with fury and urgency. Now it was gentle. Proud. Acknowledging the new strength of the Sword Princess of the Loki Familia.

---

(End of Chapter)

"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."