Just the thought of seeing Alfia again and going all out against her caused Aiden's lips to curl into an uncontrollably frantic and ecstatic grin.
The golden flames surrounding him surged violently, his slashes moving so fast they became mere blurs.
"Faster! Gotta go even faster! Surpass your limits, only then can you grow stronger!" Aiden roared, his movements accelerating even further.
Even without a skill to boost his base stats, the potential of his Everlasting Flames enchantment was far from reaching its peak. The stronger his fighting spirit and the firmer his resolve, the brighter the flames burned, and the greater the boost became. At this moment, the amplification provided by Everlasting Flames was in no way inferior to Robin's Level Boost magic.
Which meant that in his current state, it was as if he had practically leveled up twice in a row.
He wasn't the only one; the red-haired girl on the other side matched his intensity.
Boosted by her own skill, the sword trails she unleashed grew faster and faster. To Daphne and the others watching from the sidelines, their movements had long since become impossible to track.
All they could see were two clusters of fire—one gold, one red—ricocheting madly across the dozens of meters of arena space, generating violent shockwaves and a continuous string of explosions.
The battlefield was utterly devastated. The ground melted, transforming into a terrifying purgatory of molten rock. At those appalling temperatures, even high-tier adventurers would be roasted alive if they stayed in there for too long.
"What... what kind of battle is this?" Daphne and Cassandra stared dumbfounded at the mythological spectacle unfolding before them, their minds blanking out.
They had absolutely no way of intervening in a clash of this magnitude. Daphne had zero doubts that if she dared to charge into that battlefield right now, she'd be instantly vaporized without even managing to deflect the shockwave of a single stray slash.
"So... so scary," Cassandra whimpered.
"Aiden's moving too fast! My healing magic can't lock onto him!" Hyacine was sweating bullets. Her Little Ica circled in the air, but try as it might, it couldn't direct the winds of healing toward that streak of golden light.
Tifa clenched her fists tight. She, too, couldn't keep up with their movements, only able to sense that terrifying, awe-inspiring strength from the destructive energy shockwaves radiating outward.
On the other side, Robin was concentrating entirely on maintaining the [Vox Harmonique, Opus Cosmique]. The massive drain on her magic and mental stamina left her with no spare energy to open the Mental Network. She could only silently provide her Captain with the greatest possible support.
With a deafening boom, the golden and crimson streaks collided violently once more, then crossed past each other.
Aiden had pushed Everlasting Flames to its absolute limit. Wielding world-shattering momentum, the golden flame sword violently clashed against the red-haired girl's equally blazing longsword.
CLANG—CRACK!
Accompanied by a piercing shriek of metal, the red-haired girl's longsword finally gave out under the weight of a clash that transcended limits, snapping cleanly in half against Aiden's flaming blade.
Undiminished, the golden sword light carved a massive, bone-deep gash across the girl's chest. Crimson fire and golden flames detonated against her sternum, spraying a fountain of blood.
Yet, as if entirely devoid of pain, the red-haired girl faced the fatal wound without a single ripple in her hollow green eyes.
The very instant Aiden's blade struck, she grasped the shattered upper half of her broken sword and, in a suicidal exchange, unhesitatingly drove it straight into his chest.
Practically in the same breath, as if linked by telepathy, both of them viciously launched a kick, slamming hard into each other's stomachs.
BOOM! BOOM!
Flames violently detonated between them. Like two fired cannonballs, they were blown backward simultaneously, each smashing a deep, human-shaped crater into the thick walls of intertwined tree roots.
"Aiden!"
"Captain!"
"Aiden!"
Up on the high platform, Hyacine, Robin, and Tifa all cried out in alarm. Abandoning their roles as spectators, they immediately leapt down.
Tifa was the first to reach the crater, digging a blood-soaked Aiden out from the splintered wood. When she saw the broken blade buried deep in his chest—with only the hilt protruding—her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Quickly, Hyacine, heal him!" Jeanne shouted anxiously.
Hyacine rushed over, pressing both hands against Aiden and releasing a gentle breeze of healing. Little Ica hovered anxiously above his head, letting out a series of cries while radiating a warm, life-giving glow.
Daphne drew her rapier, keeping a vigilant watch in the direction the red-haired girl had been thrown, while Cassandra cast healing magic alongside Hyacine.
Just then, Aiden's eyes snapped open, a massive amount of blood spewing from his mouth.
Mustering every last ounce of his strength, he grabbed Robin's arm. His voice was so weak it felt like it would scatter in the wind.
"Okay. Tifa, carry him. We need to go, now!"
Robin instantly understood what Aiden meant. He hadn't lost this fight, but he hadn't won it either. With Aiden critically injured and the Dungeon's malice lurking everywhere, lingering here for even a second longer was a supreme irresponsibility toward the team's lives.
With that in mind, Robin's gaze fell on the broken sword wedged in his chest. She gritted her teeth, a flash of heartache crossing her face, and reached out to grasp the hilt.
"Bear with it."
Before she even finished her sentence, she yanked the broken sword cleanly out of Aiden's chest with all her might.
Squelch!
Blood sprayed like a geyser, instantly soaking Robin and Tifa's clothes in crimson.
Aiden let out a muffled groan, more blood spilling from his lips as his complexion turned as pale as a sheet of gold paper.
Not daring to delay for a single moment, Tifa immediately turned and hoisted Aiden securely onto her back. With Little Ica following closely behind to provide continuous healing, the group wasted no time, swiftly fleeing the horrific battlefield that had been reduced to a molten purgatory.
Not long after Aiden's group departed, a pale arm reached out from the deep crater embedded in the wall.
Clutching her chest, the red-haired girl slowly crawled out.
Still expressionless, she swept her hollow gaze over her devastated surroundings. Meanwhile, the massive gash across her chest was rapidly healing at a visible rate.
Newly formed flesh and tissue swiftly sealed the wound. Soon, aside from her shredded clothing, not a single scratch remained on her body, exposing vast expanses of fair, delicate skin and her half-concealed, magnificent curves.
As if sensing something unusual, the girl's body stiffened slightly.
Looking down at her exposed state, she acted on an instinct even she couldn't fully comprehend, subconsciously raising a hand to cover her chest.
Standing in the dead-silent purgatory, she looked around the desolate crater in bewilderment before finally leaving the place of her rebirth.
Within the silent cavern, she left behind only a barely audible whisper, thick with confusion and loss.
"Who... am I?"
.....
Carrying a critically injured Aiden, Robin and the others sprinted back to the 18th Floor as fast as they could.
The moment they stepped into the familiar crystal forest, they ran straight into Bors, the boss of the Town of Rivira, who had also just finished the "Fire Bird" subjugation quest and was preparing to head back.
Seeing Aiden strapped to Tifa's back—covered in a terrifying amount of blood with a horrific hole in his chest—the one-eyed burly man instantly paled in shock.
"Flamescion, what happened?! What kind of monster did you guys run into to get hurt this badly?!" Bors asked frantically.
However, Robin merely shook her head calmly, offering no further explanation. She stepped right up to him, retrieved the Fire Bird's drop items from her pouch, and said, "Mr. Bors, the Focalors Familia has completed the commission. Here is the proof."
Bors instinctively accepted the drop items and dazedly handed over the pre-prepared reward.
Taking the reward, Robin gave a slight nod. "Farewell."
Without looking back, she led the group sprinting straight toward the surface, leaving a completely bewildered Bors and his men in their wake.
Upon returning to the surface, they didn't even bother going to the Guild. They headed straight for their Familia headquarters in the Seventh District.
---
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