Base of Babel.

There weren’t many adventures going into the dungeon, this was the time of year it had the lowest number of adventures diving into the dungeon.

“Sorry, I’m a bit late!” Ai said, running up to him from the south with a flustered face.

“That’s fine. Are you okay? Your face is a bit red?”

“I-I’m fine! Let’s get going!”

“Alright, if you say so.”

 

3rd floor.

“So how are we going to go about the Monster Rex's?” Ai said nonchalantly, cutting down monsters.

“I’m going to fight them and move onto the next floor till I reach the Balor.”

“You’re just going to rush the dungeon?”

“Yup, I’d say it’ll be a hard thing to do what say you?”

“Well, if you're with me, it should be safe, right?”

“Hm, of course! If anything bad happens, I’ll be sure to get you out.”

“Say you wanna have another race!” she said with a bright smile.

“You gonna stay in line?”

“I take that as a yes then!” she then pushed Cirrus back and quickly ran.

“Ah well, I guess she does deserver a head start.”

After about 5 minutes, Cirrus began to run.

 

18th floor.

“Huff! Huff! N-not fair! I fought the Goliath first!” Ai said exhausted.

“You said it was a race, so I killed it and went on my way.”

“Hmmm…. fine! Is that how you’re going to play it so be it! I'll be quick about it as well!”

Ai uses her weapon to help herself up and took out a stamina potion and chugged it.

“Since I got here first, it should be right I get the head start.”

“Fine then! Go!”

“As you wish!” Cirrus said with a smile as he kicked off the ground and ran towards Rivira.

Running through Rivira, many were confused by what ran by and into the 19th floor.

Cutting down monsters, Cirrus runs over them and takes their magic stones as they fall into his shadow. He leaves markers for Ai to follow all the way down to the 25th floor.

“Huff! Huff! I hope to get a running skill!” Ai said as she flops on the ground.

“Well, I can just lend you my Ceryneian armor, but… hmm, that would be a bit unfair?”

“…” she looks at him and squints. “Carry me! I’m tired!”

“You said you wanted a race? Do you not wanna race no—“

“You win! And your reward is to carry me!” she said with her arms out.

“Big ass baby.” He walks over and lifts her in a princess carry.

“You better not drop me!”

“I won’t… probably.”

“I’m serious—!?”

Cirrus began his run again.

"Sorry what? I couldn't hear you!" Cirrus smirked.

Ai puffed up her cheeks, peeved at Cirrus teasing her.

 

With Cirrus having to carry Ai, he had to resort to a different way of attacking.

He had to use his legs to quickly crush the monsters, but it drastically slowed his speed.

“Hey, Ai, do you remember when I fought that mountain-sized monster?”

“Um, yeah? Why?”

“Well, because of this! Hecton!”

From the shadows of his sleeves, two red and black hands emerged and punched through the monsters and ripped their magic stones.

“Whoa!! You can do that!”

“It’s a skill but one I keep very, very secret so no telling anyone alright? Only Nox and Circe know this.”

“Hm! I’ll keep it zipped up!”

 

37th floor.

“Hmmm….” Ai said, looking around.

“What’s wrong?”

“… Something wrong?”

“No… I think it’s just that I haven’t been down here in a while. My ears are a bit off from all the little sounds and all.”

“We’ll be ready. The Udaeus is right up ahead.”

“You said the boss drops his sword when you fight him solo, right?” Ai said, looking up at Cirrus.

“Yeah… are you thinking of fighting him alone?”

“Hm! I wanna have a weapon like yours!” she said, getting off Cirrus.

“… Fine, but you will be wearing my Ceryneian armor just to be safe.”

“Come on, I can do it without it! Plus, it won’t be enough to level me up!”

“Hmmm…. so be, but if you’re in danger of death, I will step in got it.”

“Hm!”

Ai walks forward and warms up her limbs and walks forward, swinging her weapon around.

The earth began to rumble, and a massive black crystal-like stone emerged from the dungeon. Ripping from the crystal was the Udaeus, its black skeletal demonic appearance emerged like a demon clawing its way up from hell.

“Ai! Remember, never let your guard down!”

“Right!!”

As she quickly ran towards the Udaeus and began chanting.

“(When the bell tolls 108 times, gather the eight serpents.

No offerings of sacrifice to the earth, wind, fire, water, thunder, poison, light, and darkness.

I offer you steel and the clear sky.) [Murakumogiri]!”

A white mist covered the weapon, and as she draws she says.

“Hikaru Style!!!!!!”

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

As the Udaeus roared, a massive black sword emerged from the ground and the undead king grabbed it. Several black spikes popped up from the ground, slowing Ai down, but her instincts were already honed.

She evades the spikes as if it was second nature to her.

The Spartoi did nothing to actually slow her down by this point, as she uses them as stepping stones.

As the Udaeus held up its black blade, Ai had already seen this attack from many before her. Cirrus himself has come down with his weapon. The fear was more than he made her feel, but she was more than confident in her magic.

As the strike came down Ai was already within the blades range as the attack came Ai got into a stable stance and holding her weapon in a quick drawing form she clicked a button and the sword shot out, as it fires from the handle of the weapon she grabs it and swings with all of her might.

“[Kumokattā]!!!!!”

As the Udaeus fires its attack, Ai did as well, cutting a clean line from the blast, leaving behind only a flat land where the attack had hit.

Ai was breathing heavily, but she sheathed her blade again and quickly ran again. The Udaeus tried to swing again, but Ai jumped over its swing and chanted again.

“(When the bell tolls 108 times, gather the eight serpents.

No offerings of sacrifice to the earth, wind, fire, water, thunder, poison, light, and darkness.

I offer you steel and the clear sky.) [Murakumogiri]!!!! Hikaru Style: Raging Storm!!!!!”

Almost like a storm of blades, Ai drew her blade in a hail of strikes, each one cutting through the bone of the Udaeus and then a—

Tiiiing~~~!!

“Got you.”

She thrust her blade, piercing the Udaeus’s magic stone.

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The Udaeus then slowly turned to ash.

“Huff! Huff! Thump-thump!”

‘!!’

Ai wobbles a bit, grabbing her head from the amount of magic she used, but she regained her footing and clenches her fists, and holds them up high.

“SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! ORAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

She shouted towards the heavens in sheer joy.

“DID YOU SEE THAT!!!! I FUCKING DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE’S MY DAM DROP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Cirrus couldn’t help but make a smile as he walked towards her.

“Fuck, I love this girl.”

Cirrus puts the drop item into his shadow and they both continue down into the dungeon.

 

Floor 49.

On the sandy dunes of the 49th floor, Cirrus looks out to see the Balor. An imposing humanoid figure that stood twice as tall as Ottar with a grotesque pair of twisting horns and deep red skin like the walls of the floor and a long whip-like tail.

“… Whoa… it looks like a buffed-up minotaur,” Ai said, looking at the monster.

“Stand back, he is my target,” Cirrus said, walking down the dunes of sand.

“Right! I’ll keep watching!” she said, looking from the dunes.

As Cirrus draws his weapon, the Balor notices him and its eyes were set ablaze.

“ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!”

It charged at Cirrus.

“Time to test you out. (Exousía, Adorn: Chimera)!!”

 

---

Shirakusa Ai

Lv. 5

Strength: C671    Endurance: F388

Dexterity:B748   Agility: B740

Magic: G277       Hunter: G

Immunity: G        Swordsmen: F

Initiative: I

<Magic>

[Murakumogiri]

• Enchant Magic

<Skills>

[Isshin]

• When focusing intensely Strength, Dexterity, and Agility will increase drastically.

[Yorimitsu]

• When fighting any monster all stats are drastically increased.

[Nārāyaṇa]

• Great cutting power will be released upon the last second.
  

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