Chapter 62 You Can Ask Lion Anything
Explorer Guild, underground training ground.
Among the many explorers gathered there, Lion was also watching Aaron and Fiona, who were facing each other in the center of the training ground.
The explorers, who had become onlookers, were eagerly waiting for the battle between Aaron, who was now the talk of the town, and Fiona, who had been the center of attention lately.
The reason was that Aaron, who was rumored to be the real deal, and Fiona Ackerman, who had been the topic of conversation, were about to clash.
Their battle, which was expected to play a central role in the upcoming Nord subjugation 2 days later, was the focus of attention for many explorers.
And, just as the battle was about to begin, a group of people pushed through the crowd of onlookers and approached Lion.
"Hey, Lion. Got a minute?"
"Mr. Io."
The one who called out to him was Io Suleiman, a famous explorer who was leading the group.
Io was not only a well-known figure in the explorer community but also someone Lion had worked with as a guild staff member during the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫'s activities.
In the past, Io had led a top-tier party in Necronia, and unlike Aaron, who didn't socialize much, Lion had many acquaintances.
That's why he was also familiar with the people who had come with Io.
"Mr. Lion, it's been a while."
"Oh, Glen. You're still the same, huh?"
He couldn't help but smile wryly at the person who had greeted him.
Glen――that was the name of the party leader of the ≪Glen Squad≫, an Adventurer Party affiliated with the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫.
Glen was a handsome person with golden hair, blue eyes, and sharp features, who exuded an air of nobility, despite being in early twenties.
On both sides of Glen were two beautiful women clinging, and behind, two more beautiful women of different types followed.
There was one Glen, and 4 beautiful women. This group of 5 was known as the ≪Glen Squad≫ party.
At first glance, it seemed like a gathering of people who didn't fit in with explorers, but in reality, they were incredibly powerful and well-known throughout Necronia. In a way, they were even more famous than Fiona, the "Sword Dance Maiden".
That's because――
"Hey, look! It's Glen!"
"That guy's always so annoying!"
"...Hawk~ Ptooey!"
"...What a joke!"
"I'll kill him someday!"
When Glen appeared in the training grounds, the male explorers all let out a chorus of angry voices.
The members of the ≪Glen Squad≫ party were all Glen's girlfriends, making it a harem party.
That alone was enough to gather the male explorers' angry voices, but on top of that, Glen was quick. Despite having 4 girlfriends, Glen would immediately start flirting with any woman who caught Glen's eye. And to make matters worse, Glen didn't even feel guilty about it, constantly increasing the number of girlfriends.
Among the explorers, there were many who had been victims of Glen's flirting, having their girlfriends stolen or being targeted by Glen's party members. As a result, Glen had accumulated a considerable amount of hatred.
Normally, it wouldn't be surprising if Glen were to be stabbed by the men, but somehow, that hadn't happened yet. It was probably because Glen was simply too strong, and――
"Sir Glen, you're as beautiful as ever today!"
"Kyaaa! Sir Glen!!"
"...So cool!"
"Ahhh, Sir Glen waved at me just now ."
"Hug me!"
"Dear Big sister..."
The fact that Glen's true gender was female might also be a factor.
Glen――whose real name was Glenda von Lorentz.
She was a genuine noblewoman from a foreign country, a true aristocrat.
However, her attire and hairstyle were completely masculine, making her a beautiful cross-dresser.
"...Try not to get stabbed, okay?"
"Well, I can't make any promises. If a beautiful woman asks me out, I can't exactly say no."
As Lion said this, Glen glanced around at the surroundings, looking a bit annoyed, and shrugged her shoulders.
He realized that warning her would be pointless, so he turned his attention back to Io.
The training grounds, which had become noisy with Glen's arrival, required him to raise his voice slightly to talk.
"What's going on, Mr. Io? Why are you here?"
Earlier, Io had said "Did I make it in time?" but they hadn't made any plans to meet up.
"To be honest, I was on my way to visit the Guild Master with Glen about the Nord subjugation, but I heard there was something interesting going on and decided to drop by."
"Ah, I see. That's why..."
It seemed like he had come out of curiosity.
But that wasn't the only reason.
Io continued,
"Also, Glen here is one of the people who witnessed the ≪Extreme Sword≫'s battle during the previous Stampede."
Lion couldn't help but glance at Glen.
"If it's Aaron's battle, haven't you seen it multiple times in the labyrinth, Glen? What's the big deal about watching him fight Fiona?"
He knew that Glen was one of the witnesses, but Glen and Aaron were in the same clan. She had seen Aaron fight many times in the labyrinth, so he didn't think it was a big deal for her to watch Aaron fight Fiona now. It didn't seem like there was any significance to it.
Lion gave Glen a suspicious look, and Glen let out a wry smile.
"I only saw Master Gale's battle during our exploration to the 46th floor, and a few other times. Even though we're in the same clan, we don't often work together. So, if I see him fight again, I might be able to figure something out."
Io added,
"Aaron himself denied it, and I don't think he was lying, but still, someone as strong as the ≪Extreme Sword≫ with an unknown true identity is too dangerous. And besides, even if it's just a wild hope, if Aaron isn't the real deal, I want to know for sure... that's what it's about, right?"
"I see..."
It seems that the true identity of ≪Extreme Sword≫ is still being investigated. Perhaps, various places are doing so.
Maybe even Aaron being called ≪Extreme Sword≫ wasn't just Eva Kirke or the Kirke family's arbitrary decision.
(Though I didn't dare to ask...)
Lion thinks.
Back then, Aaron was in an extremely dangerous state. Having gained fame as an explorer, it wouldn't have been a good thing. Sending someone who's eager to die to the battlefield would have been unacceptable. So Lion pretended not to know anything.
Lion can ask questions.
Knowing that Aaron disappeared with a ghostly expression after being told that his 3 friends had died, if he asks him what he was doing and where, the truth will probably become clear.
However, the situation is different now――or so it seems.
(Because the person themselves doesn't need it)
Lion won't take action on this matter.
"Oh, it's about to start!"
Before long, Io looked at the center of the training grounds and said so.
* * *
A large crowd gathered to watch, and the battle between the 2 began.
Without any signal, Fiona suddenly moved.
Her speed was like a blur as she swung her sword.
In an instant――a stir ran through the explorers.
"――Whoa?!"
"What?!"
"What's going on?!"
Fiona, spinning around while dancing, swung her dual swords.
The numerous sword lines that cut through the air transformed into aura blades, charging towards Aaron. Each strike contained an overwhelming power that was evident from the aura's glow. And the speed at which the blades flew was so fast it was breathtaking.
But.
What surprised the explorers the most wasn't the power of the refined [Flying Slash] or its speed.
"How is she firing so many shots in an instant?!"
What was truly astonishing was the speed of the skill activation.
Even with the same skill, there's a tiny interval needed to activate it continuously. Normally, after using one skill, they need to convert magical energy and generate an aura to prepare for the next skill.
This process is usually done automatically by the skill, but that's what makes it hard to shorten the preparation time. Although the time gets shorter with skill mastery, there's a limit to it.
However, in front of the explorers, Fiona was able to release aura blades one after another without any interval, making it seem like a "non-stop" continuous attack.
"That's on par with Judas from back then...!"
Io muttered in amazement.
It was the 'Flash Swordman' Judas who attacked them at the 45th floor and struck Logan.
The Unique Job 'Flash Swordman' specializes in attack speed, and Judas's consecutive attacks were as fast as a flash. Moreover, at the 45th floor, his power and speed were enhanced due to some unknown potion.
From Io's perspective, Fiona's current consecutive attack speed and ferocity were unmatched, even compared to Judas from back then.
Aaron, who was defending against it with ease, was also surprised――
"It exploded!?"
"Wasn't that a [Flying Slash]?!"
Some of the aura blades that attacked Aaron suddenly exploded.
However, their power was low, and it was hard to believe that Aaron was defeated, even though he was engulfed in the aura's light and disappeared from view. Nevertheless, the aura fragments danced around, creating a curtain that obstructed their vision.
Immediately after, Fiona created 2 aura swords and left them floating in place before running off.
She ran in a semicircle around Aaron, and when she reached the middle, she moved the floating aura swords towards Aaron, who was still obscured by the aura's light.
Her speed was also extraordinary.
[Dancing Aura Sword] is a high-difficulty skill, and usually, its movements can't be predicted. Controlling an Aura Sword from a distance without seeing it is like blindfolded horseback riding while juggling.
But the Aura Sword flying towards Aaron was incredibly fast and accurate.
"Whoa, can you really control an Aura Sword like that?!"
"That's not normal, it was deflected just now!"
"No, the 'Sword Dance Maiden' took his back!!"
At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but it was a high-level technique backed by the Aura Sword's surprise attack from the front. The vision obstruction caused by the Aura fragments didn't affect it, and it was deflected as if it was natural. However, that was just a feint to take Aaron's back.
Fiona, who had finished moving, knew Aaron would defend against the Aura Sword and started swinging her sword again without hesitation.
The dual swords spinning like they were dancing, releasing an unbelievable number of Aura blades from just one person.
However, Aaron countered it, and――
"Another explosion!?"
"No, look up! The Aura Sword is still there!!"
The Aura Sword that was shot into the air was still alive.
The 2 Aura Swords, responding to Fiona's consecutive attacks, dove down towards Aaron from above.
For an instant, the Aura blade Aaron had released to counterattack stopped.
"Did she kill him?!"
"This is the end!!"
"No! You bastard! This is crazy!!"
But Aaron dodged the Aura Sword and released another counterattack towards Fiona's fierce onslaught.
The intense battle between the 2 continued, with numerous attacks flying back and forth.
The explorers, who were stunned for a few seconds, finally realized――
"What's going on...? The 'Sword Dance Maiden's' attack power has increased, hasn't it?"
Someone who knew the performance of the Unique Job 'Sword Dance Maiden' answered that question.
"Foolish. You don't know, do you? The unique skill [Sword Dance] of the 'Sword Dance Maiden' increases the power of attack skills every time she swings her sword!!"
"What the...?! What kind of skill is that?! Does that even exist?!"
"Whoa, seriously?! That's insane!! Wait, what?!"
However, the voices of surprise were interrupted by another surprise.
The explorer who shouted was pointing at Fiona, who was intensely clashing with Aaron while producing one, then another, aura sword, making Aaron dodge greatly by moving them along the walls and ceiling.
And perhaps, only Aaron, who was hidden by the massive amount of aura fragments, didn't notice that Fiona was producing aura swords.
Before long, the produced aura swords exceeded ten.
"Whoa, 'Sword Dance Maiden' is that strong...!!"
"Amazing...!!"
"Big Sister... Fiona...!!"
The voices of admiration and surprise rose, impressed by the technique of controlling over ten aura swords while unleashing a fierce attack.
The next moment.
The aura swords, which had moved to surround Aaron, simultaneously charged towards their target.
"This is absolutely...he's going to die――Wait, what?!"
"Vanish?!"
With a grand sound, multiple aura swords and [Flying Slash] fiercely collided with Aaron.
Everyone present thought that Aaron was surely dead, but the one who launched the merciless attack had vanished.
"Fast!!"
"Whoa!!"
Next to Lion, who had his eyes wide open, Io and Glen also let out voices of surprise.
Perhaps, only those with the skills of Expert Explorers, like Lion and Io, were able to track Fiona's movements with their eyes. To everyone else, it seemed as if Fiona's figure had suddenly disappeared.
And only a few people knew where Fiona had moved to.
The massive amount of aura fragments blocked the view, and in the midst of that...
There was no need to think about the reason.
Fiona didn't think she had defeated Aaron, but she created an opening by defending against his massive attacks, and she took advantage of that opening by closing in on him.
However, her speed was so fast that even a top-tier Necronia like Io would be left wide-eyed in amazement.
Anyone would think so.
This is the end of the fight――or so it would seem, if one didn't know Aaron Gale.
"Someone's coming out!!"
Immediately after, someone was launched out of the space like a bullet, surrounded by fragments of aura.
"It's the 'Sword Dance Maiden'!"
"Did she chase after him?!"
The explorers realized that it was Fiona who had appeared, and they understood what was happening.
But they soon realized that the fight was far from over.
An aura blade, likely launched by Aaron, flew towards Fiona, who had been knocked away. Fiona, who was about to land, tried to deflect it with her left sword without flinching――,
"It broke?!"
"No way, that's not it!!"
The moment Fiona's sword touched the aura blade, it transformed into countless small fragments.
But it was clear that it didn't actually break. The fragments took on a uniform, small blade-like shape, and they began to swirl around Fiona.
Aaron, who had finally emerged from the aura barrier, said something to Fiona.
In an instant, countless blades, too numerous to count, flew towards Fiona.
"This is bad!!"
"She avoided it!!"
As the explorers let out a cry of despair, Fiona jumped high into the air, seeking the only escape route――the sky.
Fiona avoided the countless blades and escaped into the air.
But it wasn't over yet.
Aaron shouted something at Fiona again, and for the third time, he swung his sword. The blades that flew out of his sword trajectory were headed in a different direction from Fiona――,
"Did he miss?"
And the moment someone muttered that, a series of explosive sounds, like something breaking, echoed through the air.
Right after, the blade's trajectory varied sharply. Each one came from a different angle, attacking Fiona at a speed that couldn't be followed by the eye. So, it was only after Fiona avoided them that Aaron's technique sparked a reaction.
"Whoa!!"
"What the?!"
"How did he?!"
The 2 astonishing events left everyone speechless, with only their voices slipping out in surprise.
Just a moment ago, Fiona was nowhere to be seen where she was supposed to be, and she was in a different place. And the blade, which had taken an impossible trajectory, passed through the empty space and created a deep gash in the training ground's floor.
"She teleported through the air?!"
"Is that [Sky Drive]?!"
"What kind of slash was that?! What skill is that?!"
As everyone raised their voices in amazement, Aaron and Fiona's battle continued without a break, ignoring the commotion around them.
Aaron aimed to strike Fiona the moment she landed, firing off an aura blade.
Then, a chubby, bespectacled magician shouted.
"Damn you, Aaron Gale! How cowardly!"
However, Fiona dodges it again by kicking it through the void and moving through the air.
"That's not [Sky Drive]! She's stepping on the aura sword!!"
"No way, that's possible?!"
It was only then that the onlookers finally understood.
Fiona was using the aura sword she created herself as a foothold to move through the air.
It seemed simple, but many of the explorers present knew how difficult it was to do.
Aaron continued to release aura blades to disrupt Fiona's landing.
But soon, the two's battle would shift to a new stage.
Suddenly...
Aura swords in Aaron's hand, like scattered papers blown by the wind, were released throughout the training ground, detaching from the sword in Aaron's hand.
The number of swords, the short time it took to generate them, everything was abnormal.
Furthermore, the aura swords placed around the training ground were perfectly controlled, standing still in place as if rooted.
The skill known as [Dancing Aura Sword], which is said to be at the Expert level, couldn't possibly do something like this.
Just by glancing around, there are over a hundred of them, and the number is staggering.
The magical energy needed to convert into an aura is insufficient――but even before that, the scale is so enormous that it's hard to even imagine being able to control it from the start.
"""......"""
The sheer abnormality of the situation left everyone stunned for a moment, and then the next instant, they all erupted into shouts.
"""Haaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!?"""
"""What the heck is this! What the heck is this!! What the heck is this haaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!?"""
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