Rubik.

Archibald groaned as he slowly opened his eyes.

His vision was blurry and his head was pounding with pain.

He tried to lift himself up, but his body was aching and his muscles refused to cooperate.

"What... happened..." (Archibald)

He looked around at his surroundings.

This was the thirteenth floor of the labyrinth.

He was covered in debris and his face smeared with blood.

"Gah, this is not good," Archibald muttered to himself as he tried to sway the pain away.

He touched his forehead and winced as he felt the blood trickling down his temple.

The last thing he remembered was attacking Elzed.

And now, he was here.

He struggled to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain in his muscles, and tried to gather his bearings.

The area was empty with no monsters in sight.

And he couldn't sense anyone's presence around him.

"Lamperogue? Rumia? Lutessa?" he called out but received no response.

It was then he realized it.

"Great, just great. I am completely lost." (Archibald)

Archibald took out a piece of cloth from his pocket and tied it around his head to stop the bleeding.

He knew he had to find his team and escape from the labyrinth before something worse happened.

Archibald searched the room frantically, the darkness closing in around him.

He spotted his sword, <<Ver-Ather>>, a bit battered from his short encounter with Elzed.

It was lying on the ground.

He picked it up and examined it closely.

"I should've listened to Lamperogue and bought a better sword," he muttered to himself.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of three masked figures on the thirteenth floor.

Archibald raised his eyebrows and planted his sword into the ground, remarking, "Looks like the pale twinkʼs lackeys have arrived."

The pale twink was Elzed.

He didn't know his name so that was his preferred substitute.

However, he had no idea that the trio in front of him were his former companions - Rubik, Taro, and Nermel.

They had all donned masks to conceal their identities.

"So we meet again, Archibald.." (Rubik)

"Wait... how do you know my name." (Archibald)

Rubik chuckled.

"It's a small world, Archibald. I know a lot of things. And I know that you're looking for a way to get the crimson star. But unfortunately for you, I can't let you leave." (Rubik)

[ Huh? What the fuck's a crimson star? ] (Archibald)

Without wasting any time, Rubik acted.

"You two, proceed to the next floor while I deal with him!" (Rubik)

"Roger!" (Taro)

"You got it!" (Nermel)

The two moved quickly.

"You're not going anywhere!" Archibald yelled at Nermel and Taro as they made a break for the stairs.

『Thunder God Arts • Burst of Sound!』 (Archibald)

He charged towards the duo at an incredible speed, intending to strike them down with his sword.

However, before he could make contact, he found himself suddenly transported twenty meters away from them.

A tongue clicked prior to this occurrence.

He was bewildered by what had just happened.

"What sorcery is this?" Archibald growled as he tried to regain his bearings.

Rubik, watching the scene unfold from a distance, chuckled.

"You're getting slow, Archibald. You need more than just brute force to survive in this labyrinth."

Archibald, still confused, demanded, "What do you want from me?"

Rubik smirked. "I want to play a little game. And I promise, it will be quite entertaining."

"I'm not interested, I honestly just need to kick your ass and advance to the next floor.." (Archibald)

"You cannot defeat the might of [Spatial Magic], Archibald." (Rubik)

Archibald's eyes narrowed as he observed Rubik closely.

He had suspected that the man in front of him was his former companion, but he needed to confirm it himself.

"Are you...Rubik?" he asked, his voice low and wary.

Rubik's expression remained neutral.

Slowly, he removed his mask, revealing his face.

"I am," he replied calmly. "And how did you know?"

Archibald smirked. "That's not important.."

There were three reasons Archibald knew it was Rubik.

1. His unique [Spatial Magic] that could transpose or instantly teleport people within a fixed space.

2. (You can never defeat the might of [Spatial Magic]...) he recalled Rubik saying this during their time on the beach.

3. Rubik knew his name.

Rubik chuckled. "Well, there's no fooling you," he said, in a way praising Archibald's intellect.

"So, you guys are working for the pale twink?" (Archibald)

"I'd implore you not call Lord Elzed that..." (Rubik)

Archibald rubbed his chin and raised an eyebrow.

"So that's the pale twink's name," he said, "but the name Elzed doesn't suit a scrawny looking guy like him."

[ It sounds like something you'd hear in a Mecha anime,

well that's a wasted opportunity... ] (Archibald)

"Lord Elzed is a being that can kill you all," Rubik snapped his fingers, "just like that."

"Well, we have Rachel so I'm not bothered. We'll get out of this.." (Archibald)

[ Will Rachel really be enough to beat that guy?

The way he countered our attacks,

it was like he wasn't even trying. ] (Archibald)

Rubik chuckled.

"Your confidence is surprising, Archibald, but in the end, we'll acquire the crimson star and be granted what we so desperately desire." (Rubik)

Archibald looked at him in confusion.

"Crimson star?" he repeated. "What's that?"

Rubik's eyes glinted with excitement as he explained, "It's what we're searching the labyrinth for - a powerful gemstone that lies in the heart of the maze. That will be ours."

Archibald rubbed his chin in contemplation.

"Isn't that the philosopher's stone?" he asked.

Rubik shook his head.

"That's what simple-minded people call it. The crimson star is far more powerful than that," he replied confidently.

With a calm and collected demeanor, Archibald glared at Rubik.

He spoke in a stern, yet controlled voice.

"It's not too late to make the right choice and leave," he warned.

Rubik merely smiled in response.

"Hard pass.." (Rubik)

『Water Magic • Water Blade!』 (Rubik)

He conjured a ring of water in his palm.

The water spun at an incredible speed, creating a high-pressure ring that could cut through solid concrete.

Rubik sent the ring hurtling towards Archibald, his eyes glinting with malice and intent.

This was a Cerulean-ranked (3rd class) water spell.

But Archibald was not so easily defeated.

『Sky Lord Arts • Sky Flow』 (Archibald)

With a quick movement of his sword, he deftly deflected the ring.

His movement was fluid.

Like a flow of water.

He sent the ring careening towards a nearby boulder.

The ring sliced through the rock with ease, leaving a deep gouge in its wake.

Archibald fixed his cold gaze on Rubik, his eyes betraying none of the fear that had elicited in Rubik's heart.

"Can't you tell when your elders are trying to be nice?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from every syllable.

Archibald may have been merely thirteen in his current incarnation.

But in his previous incarnation, he had been forty-eight, making him technically older than Rubik.

And he wasn't afraid to show it.

Archibald initiated the offensive.

Dashing forth in a blur of motion, he was propelled by his [Burst of Sound] ability.

In a flash, he was before Rubik, poised to strike with his sharp blade.

But before he could make contact, he heard a soft click of Rubik's tongue, and suddenly he was on the opposite side of the room.

Archibald didn't allow himself to be surprised by this, though - he knew that Rubik's [Spatial Magic] granted him this exceptional power.

Despite the setback, Archibald pressed on.

CLICK!

CLICK!!

CLICK!!!

His sword met only thin air as Rubik kept teleporting him around the expansive chamber.

Rubik was unperturbed.

"Give up, Archibald... while I may not be able to defeat you outright, I can certainly slow you down enough times to exhaust you." (Rubik)

All of space was at his disposal.

Well, all of space within the thirteenth floor.

Rubik swiftly vanished a boulder beneath Archibald's feet, causing the boy to crash into the rock below.

But Archibald's training and experience kicked in.

He expertly sliced through the boulder using 『Sky Lord Arts • Attack Form 2: Clean Sweep.』.

A Jade-ranked sword technique that cut through even the toughest of obstacles in a clean horizontal arc of the blade.

『Thunder God Arts • Piercing Severance!』 (Archibald)

This time, Archibald took a rectilinear path towards Rubik, his sword pulsing with power as he charged forward.

His sights set on Rubik.

And his sword was aimed straight at Rubik's chest.

This was a small window of opportunity to strike.

CLICK!

But as before, Rubik clicked his tongue, and in an instant, Archibald found himself in another part of the vast room.

Frustration and annoyance boiled inside Archibald.

Rubik's simple yet effective cunning continued to keep him at bay.

"This is getting tiresome," Archibald muttered, his voice edged with impatience.

"As I've said before, Arch... you cannot defeat the might of [Spatial Magic] especially not with sword." (Rubik)

"Is that a challenge?" (Archibald)