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Alicia turned around, her gaze falling upon the juniors of the same Familia.
However, she did not look at the [Ferocious Wolf] who was huddled in a corner gnawing on a steak, nor did she pay attention to the [Raging Snake] who was pestering the captain or the [Great Cleave] among the crowd.
Alicia looked at Ais, who was wearing a cute fox mask and devouring small cakes one after another.
"[Gale] and [Sword Princess] are once geniuses of equal fame⊠Have you ever fought against each other?", Alicia asked.
Ryuu: "Yes, once, but it was inconclusiveâŠ"
At that time, Ryuu was 14 years old, and Ais was 9 years old, both at Level 3.
Now, Ryuu is 18 years old, and Ais is 13 years old, both having just reached Level 5, standing at a fair starting point, seemingly the perfect opportunity to determine a winner.
Ais, with her cheeks puffed up like a little hamster, looked over, her gaze meeting Ryuu's.
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[Sword Princess] Ais Wallenstein and [Gale] Ryuu Lion, in today's Orario, their statuses and positions are worlds apart.
The former is a well-known powerhouse, the princess of the Loki Familia, a top-tier first-class adventurer, and a strong candidate for the future strongest in the city.
The latter is just a plain and ordinary waitress in a commonplace tavern in Orario, and a fugitive known only to a few.
But a few years ago, they were indeed adventurers of equal fame, the two brightest new stars of that era.
Ryuu started her adventures less than a year before Ais, and she took one year and two months to reach Level 2, becoming one of the fastest to level up among high-class adventurers.
Soon after, Ais also reached Level 2, taking only one year, a record that was only recently broken by [Sword King] Emiya Shirou.
After becoming high-class adventurers, Ryuu and Ais continued to chase each other, both taking about a year to reach Level 3, and then quickly advancing to Level 4.
After the destruction of the Astrea Familia, Ais continued to be active in the dungeon's labyrinth, while Ryuu moved into the city's underworld, beginning assassinations and subjugations against the Evilus.
Ais recently reached Level 5, while Ryuu, encouraged by Emiya, actively sought the goddess Astrea for her level-up.
The two, with similar leveling rhythms, had only one inconclusive confrontation, which in a sense is also a regret.
After the banquet, in a quiet alley, Ais stopped.
"RiveriaâŠ", Ais tugged at Riveria's sleeve.
"âŠI understand, Finn, you go back first, Ais and I will return later," Riveria said.
Finn exchanged a glance with her and nodded, "Alright, be careful."
The captain of the Loki Familia, Finn, and [Heavy Champion] Gareth, along with others, carried the drunken goddess Loki and the members, leaving first.
Ais turned around, and after a brief wait, a slender emerald figure descended.
"[Gale]⊠You've also reached Level 5."
Ryuu did not suppress her power, her sharp sword intent and surging magic burst forth, even Ais, who is not particularly adept at sensing magic, could detect the change in her opponent.
"Yes," Ryuu nodded gently, "Miss Ais, Lady Riveria excuse me, I wish to fight against [Sword Princess] to perfect my strengthâ"
As soon as Ryuu finished speaking, Ais had already charged out like a golden flash.
[Sword Princess] never leaves her weapon behind, even when attending a banquet, she still carries that [Desperate].
At this moment, suddenly challenged, Ais's eyes showed no shame or anger from being provoked, only fighting spirit.
'[Gale], will be an excellent opponent,' Realizing this, Ais did not hesitate to take the initiative to attack.
[Alf's Lumina] and [Desperate] collided, emitting a sharp sound.
Ryuu held her sword with both hands, standing firm like a rooted pine, unwavering, while Ais took a step back.
The first clash of blades, Ais was at a disadvantage.
Ais's abilities lean towards magic, with an average potential ability of A rank, followed by dexterity and agility, averaging A-B rank, with strength and endurance slightly weaker, at D rank.
Ryuu's abilities are similar to Ais's, leaning towards dexterity, agility, and magic, with strength and endurance being weaker, but Ryuu's potential abilities are higher.
Due to the accumulation of high-quality experience, her dexterity, agility, and magic all reached S rank at Level 4.
In terms of abilities, Ryuu has the advantage, and Ais's disadvantage doesn't stop there.
Ryuu admitted, "Your weapon seems a bit lacking in power."
Ais gripped the [Desperate] tightly, not commenting on this.
Ryuu's judgment was correct, the [Desperate] is indeed a first-class armament in terms of value and overall performance, but because Ais demanded the weapon to have an [Indestructible] property, the blacksmith of the Hephaestus Familia sacrificed some other performance aspects to ensure its toughness.
As a result, the [Desperate] is less powerful than other first-class armaments, and compared to the [Alf's Lumina], which emphasizes "magic resonance," it falls far short.
Ais was not disheartened by the temporary disadvantage and the issue with her weapon, she stepped forward without hesitation and launched another attack.
Ryuu gripped the hilt of her sword, the powerful magic unique to elves poured into the [Alf's Lumina], the holy sword made from the branch of the sacred tree in the forest flickered with a faint light.
She sidestepped, dodging Ais's sharp thrust, then swung a swift upward slash, which was immediately blocked by Ais's retracted blade.
'[Sword Princess]'s thrust was not at full strength, just to lure me into attackingâ,' Ryuu's attack was too wide, and she couldn't adjust in time, while Ais's thrust immediately followed.
[Alf's Lumina] barely parried, but a sword still grazed Ryuu's shoulder, cutting through her sleeve and skin.
"Strength and speed are above Ais's, but the movements are not coordinated enough, [Gale]'s swordsmanship should not be at this level⊠I see, you haven't adapted to the power after leveling up," Riveria said softly, she stayed as Ais' guardian, and unless Ais or Ryuu were in mortal danger, she would not intervene in the battle between these rivals.
'Are you using me as a 'whetstone,' [Gale]?', Ais thought, then launched a furious attack on Ryuu.
Apart from Emiya, whose sword skills have reached the realm of heroic spirits, and some martial gods with sword authority, Ais's swordsmanship is the ceiling of this world, but this does not mean that swordsmanship in the "mortal" realm has no reference value.
Ryuu's sword is special, her swordsmanship foundation was taught to her by Gojouno Kaguya, the [Gojou] family's thousand-year-old swordsmanship, incorporating the elf's magical sword skills, and refined through long-term life-and-death battles, forming an ultimate practical swordsmanship.
Moreover, she has subtly absorbed Emiya's movements during their sparring, giving her sword techniques a hint of the heroic spirit realm.
The Sword Princess's attacks were like a storm, Ryuu was initially overwhelmed, even leaving a bloodstain on her cheek, but she quickly adapted to the rhythm of the battle, her movements becoming more and more adept.
'[Sword Princess] is deliberately helping me adapt to Level 5 abilities,' Ryuu realized this.
As time passed, the offensive and defensive dynamics gradually reversed.
Immersed in the Level 5 offensive and defensive rhythm brought by [Sword Princess], Ryuu's absolute combat talent had already taken effect, unconsciously, her techniques became more agile, and her control over her body became more perfect.
Gradually able to unleash her full strength, Ryuu began to overpower Ais.
"[Sword Princess], you are a swordsman of the same type as me," Ryuu said.
This means that there is no similarity between their fighting styles, it's purely a contest of ability and skill.
Ryuu's potential abilities are higher than Ais's, and her weapon is more suitable for battles between adventurers. In terms of swordsmanship skills, Ryuu is not as good as Ais, but her skills have reached a level that can threaten [Sword Princess].
More importantly, it's the skills engraved by the Falna.
Ryuu's [Elf's Star Song], [Spirit Reload], and [Gale's Fierce Advance] can all be triggered in this battle, especially since it is currently late at night, the effect of [Elf's Star Song] can even be additionally enhanced.
As for Ais's [Avenger], just as the goddess Loki said, this is "the strongest output skill in the history of the lower world that is worthy of pride," In terms of the boost to attack power, Emiya's [Oath Under the Snow] is also inferior to [Avenger].
But the problem is, the effect of [Avenger] is: greatly enhances attack power against all monster-type enemies, and super enhances attack power against dragon-type monsters, the enhancement effect varies according to the degree of hatred, the stronger the hatred, the greater the effect.
However, Ryuu is not a monster, let alone a dragon, and Ais does not hate her.
As a result, [Avenger] simply cannot be activated, "I think you look like a dragon," "If you were a dragon, that would be fine," little Ais does not have such an unreasonable divine skill.
Ryuu swung a fierce heavy slash, Ais blocked with both hands holding her sword, but was forcibly pushed back.
Ryuu spoke: "[Sword Princess], if you had used your full strength from the beginning, I would not be your match."
Ais shook her head: "Such a victory is meaningless, my goal is to hone my abilities."
"No matter what, thank you, [Sword Princess], as a reward, from now on, I will use my full strength."
Ryuu looked at Ais seriously: "Use your wind attribute [Enchant Magic], attack me with all your might, [Sword Princess] because from now on, I will start chanting, and when my chant is completed, It will be the end of the battle!"
Ryuu said, then softly recited the first line of the chant:
"When the mission is faithfully fulfilled, the scales will achieve balance."
The high-speed interwoven chant, paired with the astonishing magic power emanating from it, made Ais tense up.
"Awaken (Tempest)!!!", Ais suddenly shouted.
Using the ultra-short chant as a trigger medium, activated the magic.
The wind formed.
The visible flow of air danced around Ais like a dance.
The golden hair shining like gold dust fluttered with the wind.
[Ariel]
The only magic Ais can use.
Let the wind wrap around the body, protect the weapon, thereby assisting the attack, increasing speed.
'The chant words recited by [Gale] are not the [Light Wind] I have seen, she has awakened a new magicâ', Ais does not know the effect of Ryuu's new magic, and "uknown" means risk, before confirming the effect of the enemy's magic, one should generally be alert to such a killer move that can kill with one hit.
For the sake of caution, the correct approach is to adopt a hit-and-run tacticâ
'I will not escape!', On the contrary, Ais charged towards Ryuu at an unprecedented speed, she adopted a more fierce offensive.
'[Gale] would never speak without thinking, she must have absolute confidence in that magic, the magic she is chanting must be a super strong magic that can decide the battle,' Ais's clear golden eyes widened to the maximum, with hot sword light flowing within.
'Ending the battle before her chant is completed is my only chance.'
Courage, experience, talent⊠all accumulated in the [Sword Princess]'s small body allowed her to make the correct judgment in an instant.
From this moment on, the nature of the battle changed.
The two fastest swordsmen in the city began their offensive and defensive battle.
Ryuu: "The fortress of orderâŠ"
[Gale] recited the second line of the chant, the truly fierce storm was already approaching.
She raised her sword, parrying Ais's thrust.
This time, it was Ryuu who stepped back several steps in a row, her heavy footsteps even crushed the floor, leaving deep marks on the stone bricks.
After Ais used magic before her, the strength comparison between the two instantly reversed.
[Ariel], so powerful that it doesn't seem like a move a human could possess, Ais only has this one magic, but this one magic simultaneously has multiple composite effects such as enhancing attack power, increasing speed, providing protection for the user, and the intensity is extremely astonishing.
Attack, defense, speed, trinity, like the blessing of the "Wind Spirit," without triggering [Avenger], Ais, who controls the gale, almost reaches the limit of Lv.5.
Finn and Riveria regard Ais in the dungeon as a Lv.6 combat power, which is not an exaggeration at all.
However, the [Gale] in front of the [Sword Princess] at this moment is also not a simple character.
"The crown of integrity, the lamp of evil destruction."
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