[FGO]: 26

In Ais' pale golden eyes, Scáthach saw a flame called "indomitable."

A look of appreciation flashed in her eyes as Scáthach raised her hand and gently beckoned with a finger.

"Once more!"

Ais launched herself at Scáthach again with reckless abandon.

The two figures crisscrossed atop the city wall, occasionally letting out a few spirited cries that showed their determination.

Watching from the side, Ryou was thrilled.

In his eyes, Scathach's combat style had always been about speed, an unbreakable fast pace.

However, today, her combat style completely overturned his impression.

Thrusts, slow thrusts, rapid thrusts—light, heavy, slow, fast, sometimes continuous, showcasing the sheer brilliance of the word "thrust."

Moreover, while fiercely sparring with Ais, Scáthach still had the leisure to offer guidance.

"The rapier in your hand is not a chopping weapon!"

Perhaps because Ais often fought against huge monsters, some habits were hard to break. Even though she wielded the lightest rapier, she often used wide, sweeping strikes.

"Missing the target isn't just because you're slow. From your footwork, the power of your body, to the force applied by your wrist, even the changes in the wind at that moment can affect the precision of your thrust!"

"If you can't change the rhythm and force at will, then first learn how to thrust quickly and fiercely!"

"If you can't hit the vital spot, don't blame the length of the weapon. If you want to hit the target, you will hit the target."

Scáthach seemed to notice the confusion in Ais's eyes. The wooden sword in her hand suddenly thrust into the air.

Then, a shocking scene unfolded. Accompanied by a blood-red magical glow, the wooden sword suddenly refracted in mid-air, seemingly extending, and struck towards Ais's chest.

"Ugh!"

Ais clutched her chest and staggered back a few steps, falling to the ground.

However, her pale golden pupils remained fixed in astonishment on the wooden sword in Scáthach's hand that had now returned to its original state.

On the other side, Ryou's jaw dropped in shock.

Shishou, just how skilled are you to use a wooden sword to perform 'Gáe Bolg'?

Indeed, the so-called pinnacle of Heroic Spirits each had a unique skill, far beyond what a mere mobile game could display.

"Want to learn?"

Scáthach's lips curled into an amused smile, seemingly recognizing the deep yearning in Ais's eyes.

Ais quickly nodded like a little squirrel.

"Unfortunately, I haven't acknowledged you as my disciple yet," Scáthach mercilessly rejected.

However, her refusal did not dampen Ais's determination to grow stronger.

She immediately dragged her battered body up, assumed a stance, and stared intently at Scáthach.

"Please teach me!"

"How about this," Scáthach pretended to think deeply, "If you can manage to injure me, even if it's just my clothes or a strand of hair, by sunrise, I will take you as my disciple. How's that?"

Boom!

Ryou seemed to hear the sound of roaring flames.

Ais's pale golden eyes lit up with a brilliance that almost felt scorching.

"Yes!"

The simple answer conveyed an unyielding determination that anyone could hear.

"Awaken!"

Ais shouted, and a cyan whirlwind enveloped her.

This was Ais's unique magic, a rare spell that comprehensively boosted offense and defense, speed, and even granted short-term flight capabilities.

"A bit interesting," Scáthach's eyes narrowed, her demeanor becoming slightly more serious. With her magical prowess, she could easily see how much this magic had boosted Ais's combat abilities.

"I'm coming!"

Ais called out, immediately thrusting her sword forward.

Compared to before, both her speed and momentum were worlds apart, with her destructive power having increased by at least fifty percent.

"Do you think that's enough? Naive!"

Scáthach's eyebrows shot up coldly as she dodged Ais's thrust. Then, like lightning, she thrust her sword towards Ais's abdomen.

Bang!

The wind magic's protection was utterly ineffective against Scáthach's attack. Her wooden sword easily pierced through the wind barrier and struck Ais's abdomen.

"Ugh!"

Ais couldn't help but release her grip on her sword, clutching her abdomen and retching.

"Did you think that this level would make you worthy of being my disciple?"

Scáthach looked down at the kneeling Ais with no trace of pity in her voice.

Hearing this, Ais's stubbornness flared up. She propped herself up with her sword, standing back up with defiant eyes fixed on Scáthach, showing no intention of giving up.

A flicker of satisfaction flashed deep in Scáthach's eyes, but her expression remained cold.

Quickly, Ais launched another attack on Scáthach, only to be repelled even faster. This time, a bruise appeared on her delicate, doll-like face.

"Again!"

Ais charged at her relentlessly, this time getting injured on the neck.

Scáthach showed no mercy, striking Ais's neck with her sword, nearly causing her to pass out. Ais staggered and took a long time to get back up.

"If this were an iron sword, you'd be dead by now!"

"Or have you been so flattered by those weaklings that you think you're some kind of unparalleled genius?"

Scáthach's strikes were merciless, and her words were filled with mockery.

Seeing the battered Ais, even Ryou found it hard to watch.

Just as he was about to speak up, Scáthach shot him a glare.

The meaning of that look was clear.

'Dare to plead, and I'll beat you too!'

Ryou immediately backed down, letting out a helpless sigh.

However, Ais's resilience was terrifyingly formidable. Despite Scáthach's heavy blows, she kept getting back up to fight again.

"Again!"

"Again!"

"Again!!!"

It seemed as if these were the only words she knew, being knocked down repeatedly, only to rise again and again.

Whether it was Ais's stubbornness that angered Scáthach, or whether Scáthach's inner sadistic tendencies were fully awakened, her strikes became heavier, mercilessly battering Ais.

Ais's delicate face was bruised and swollen, her swordswoman's outfit was in tatters, and her exposed skin was covered in bruises.

If the members of the Loki Familia saw their 'princess,' their treasured gem, being beaten like this, they would probably fight to the death.

"The sun is about to rise. You've done your best, so just give up. No one will blame you," Scáthach unexpectedly softened her tone, gently advising.

Ryou, however, couldn't help but shiver internally.

Giving up is always an easy choice, especially towards the end when it's the easiest to give up.

The saying "To travel a hundred miles is to consider ninety miles as halfway" illustrates this very principle.

Scáthach's change in attitude wasn't out of genuine concern for Ais; rather, she was setting a massive trap for her. People have their limits, and if Scáthach had remained as cold as before, Ais would have persevered out of sheer determination. Instead, Scáthach's seemingly considerate demeanor was a gentle knife, killing without mercy.

However, she underestimated Ais's obsession with becoming stronger. Faced with Scáthach's gentle trap, Ais seemed not to hear it at all and took her stance.

"Wind!"

With a sharp shout, the green wind surged around Ais, not forming a protective armor but instead wrapping around her sword.

She completely abandoned her defense!

Ais charged at Scáthach like a hurricane, her pale golden eyes free of any distractions.

"I must become stronger!!!"

At that moment, a sliver of golden sunlight spread across the horizon, making it seem as though a golden battle robe had been draped over the determined girl.

Scáthach's gaze grew incredibly serious; she could feel that Ais had broken through her limits.

Zing!

The sword light flashed, and the two figures crossed paths.

After a long moment, Ais suddenly collapsed to the ground. Ryou hurried over, letting her lean against him and administering a healing potion.

In the golden sunlight, the unconscious Ais looked like a sleeping beauty, leaving him in a daze.

A beautiful woman is like a painting.

Ryou now deeply understand the meaning of this phrase.

At this moment, Scathach slowly walked over, squatted beside Ais, patted her head, and then said to Ryou, "Tell her for me that she has passed. I accept her as my disciple."

"Shishou?"

Ryou exclaimed in surprise.

Scáthach didn't speak but pointed to her waist. There, a small tear had appeared in her purple battle attire, though it was unclear when it had happened.

"This child has very high potential, perhaps not less than..." Scáthach abruptly stopped.

However, Ryou had already grasped her meaning. With careful nurturing, Ais's achievements might not fall short of the legendary hero Cú Chulainn.

For Scathach, this was a very high evaluation.

Ryou couldn't help but look at the sleeping beauty before him with a complicated expression.

Wanting to bring Ais under his wing was certainly due to Ryou knowing her potential from the original story, but there was also a bit of personal desire.

Since he was recruiting talent anyway, why not choose someone who was also pleasing to the eye?

Unlike the other members of the Loki Familia, Ais had her obsessions, which was her greatest weakness.

So, Ryou directly used the unfathomable power of Scathach as bait to lure Ais in.

And this pure-hearted girl took the bait.

But unexpectedly, he had stumbled into receiving such a great gift.

While he did feel a bit guilty for manipulating such a pure-hearted girl, Ryou did not regret it.

Especially after his master personally said that her talent was no less than Cú Chulainn's, Ryou was even more determined not to let her go.

"Feeling like you're being despicable?"

Scathach seemed to see through his thoughts at a glance and asked teasingly.

Ryou, however, laughed, "Despicable or not, I believe it's the right thing to do, and that's justice. What others think has nothing to do with me. Staying here might not allow her to grow to the height you expect, but following us might help her grow even more."

"My heart, my actions, I have no regrets."

...

Before Ais woke up, Scathach once again demonstrated her elusive abilities, disappearing into the sunlight.

When Ais woke up and didn't see Scáthach, she thought she had failed, showing a dejected expression. Even her pale golden eyes lost their luster.

Ryou couldn't bear to tease her any longer and quickly relayed Scathach's message to her.

Upon hearing it, Ais's eyes lit up instantly, and she radiated vitality.

She is an easy-to-read, pure-hearted girl, Ryou thought to himself with a hint of sarcasm.

Seeing the enthusiastic girl, Ryou suddenly put on a wolfish grin.

"From today onwards, we are fellow disciples, so you should call me 'big brother.' Come, repeat after me—Onii-sama~"

Ais immediately showed an indifferent face and shook her head.

"Tch~ you didn't fall for it, huh," Ryou muttered under his breath as he turned away.

"Alright, let's get down to business. Ais, are you interested in..." Ryou's expression turned serious.

Upon hearing his words, even the usually stoic Ais couldn't help but look surprised.

"Go back and think it over."

He wasn't in a hurry; the bait had been taken, and it was just a matter of reeling it in. Pressing too hard now could backfire. A skilled angler knows to be patient.

So, Ryou led the somewhat dazed Ais back to the dormitory building.

Although Ais's injuries had healed, letting her go home in clothes full of holes would likely result in the Loki Familia coming after him in full force.

"But who should I ask..."

Ryou scratched the back of his head. Although he had no regrets, Ais's current state was too suggestive.

Suddenly, he thought of his recently recruited female security guard, Revis.

Revis usually kept her distance from the tavern's female staff and wasn't very talkative. Plus, Ais probably had a lot of questions for her. She was the perfect choice.

So, Ryou immediately sneaked Ais into the dormitory, heading towards Revis's room.

Revis had chosen a room far from everyone else, seemingly not wanting to get too close to others. It should have been a place where no one would notice them...

But sometimes, the more you worry about something, the more likely it is to happen.

Just as Ryou and Ais were about to reach their destination, a suppressed gasp echoed from nearby, as if someone was about to scream but had their mouth covered.

This is just...

Ryou couldn't help but sigh, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. "Come out," he said with a hint of resignation.

Two graceful figures slowly emerged from the corner—it was Syr and Ryuu.

Syr initially looked embarrassed seeing Ryou, but her expression turned dangerous upon noticing Ais's disheveled state. Dark shadows seemed to emanate from behind her.

Ryuu, on the other hand, looked at him with utter disdain, as if he were a piece of large, flammable garbage.

"If I told you this isn't what it looks like, would you believe me?"

Ryou sighed deeply.

"What do you think, Mr. Pervert, who sneaks off before dawn with a vixen for a 'battle'?" Syr's face had darkened, and she looked like she was about to pull out a cleaver with one hand and a kitchen knife with the other.

"Scumbag," Ryuu spat out succinctly.

At this moment, Ais, oblivious to the situation, added fuel to the fire.

"None of your concern," she said calmly.

Young lady, you realize this is all because of you!

Ryou felt like shouting at her.

After much explanation and promises of various sweets, Ryou finally managed to appease Syr.

As for Ryuu, Ryou had already given up hope of changing her impression of him.

Knock, knock!

Ryou knocked on the door twice. After a moment, the door opened, revealing Revis behind it.

"It's you!"

Ais's expression changed dramatically, and her hand instinctively moved to her sword hilt.

"Don't be impulsive," Ryou quickly pressed down on Ais's hand.

"So, it's you, Ais Wallenstein," Revis's pupils contracted slightly as she spoke calmly.

"Ahem! I think it's better if we talk inside," Ryou coughed dryly, glancing at the corner where a pair of light gray eyes were staring intently at them, making him feel immense pressure.

"Come in," Revis said, giving Ais a deep look before stepping aside. Once Ryou and Ais entered, she closed the door.

Half an hour later, Ais emerged from Revis's room, looking dejected.

She had changed into a simple, everyday outfit. As for why she was dejected, it wasn't hard to understand. The Demi spirit had targeted Ais because of the spirit blood flowing within her.

The spirit that had merged with the monster had long lost its sanity, only knowing to devour its kin to complete itself. Ais's mother, Spirit Aria, was one of its targets. Naturally, Ais, who shared the same bloodline, had also become a target.

But on the flip side, it was clear that the other party didn't know where Ais's mother was; otherwise, it wouldn't have targeted a half-blood like Ais.

After a while, Ryou also came out of Revis's room.

However, he was soon blocked at the corner.

The person blocking him was Syr.

Syr stood there, puffed up with anger, staring intensely into his eyes.

"What's wrong, Syr?"

Ryou asked curiously.

"I saw it..."

"Saw what?"

Ryou's head was filled with even more question marks.

"You took that sneaky cat in, and she came out wearing different clothes. You must have been doing this and that inside!"

Ryou's face turned dark on the spot, but Syr's imagination seemed far from over.

"And then that sneaky cat ran out first, and you stayed with that expressionless girl..."

Seeing Syr getting more and more agitated, Ryou had to cover her mouth with his hand.

"I told you, I just took her in to change her clothes and then let her leave first. I stayed behind to discuss some matters with Revis," Ryou explained.

Even though Ryou had covered her mouth, Syr's eyes spelled out, "I don't believe you."

Ryou sighed, released her, and asked, "What do you want, then?"

"A date..."

Syr mumbled in a barely audible voice.

"What did you say?"

Ryou asked instinctively.

"I said, if you go on a date with me when you return from the expedition, I'll forgive you."

Syr's face turned bright red as she ran off after speaking.

Ryou rubbed his nose. Was he being pursued?

But what did she mean by a date after the expedition?

Young lady, are you sure you're not jinxing me?

...

Meanwhile, Ais returned to her familia castle, heavy with thoughts.

For Ais, too many things had happened this morning.

First, she did everything in her power to become a disciple of that powerful female warrior. Then, Ryou lured her with the promise of even greater strength and extended an invitation. After that, there was a conversation with Revis about her mother.

When Ais returned, she didn't attract anyone's attention because she often liked to quietly slip into the dungeon to hunt monsters, so everyone was used to it.

However, there was one person—or rather, an elf—who constantly paid attention to Ais's unusual behavior.

The elf, Lefiya, had noticed early in the morning that Ais had sneaked out and returned in different clothes, looking somewhat dazed.

Lefiya, who was skilled at jumping to conclusions, immediately imagined all kinds of scenarios.

Such as her beloved Ais being toyed with by a man named Gudao, and then being abandoned.

Or that man named Gudao had caught something on Ais and was now blackmailing and threatening her.

I must ask Ais-senpai for the truth! Lefiya grew more and more fearful as she thought.

"Ai..."

When she peeked around the corner, she found that Ais had already disappeared.

...

"You want to update your 'status' now?" The goddess Loki, who had just gotten up and still had bedhead, looked at Ais with a strange expression.

Ais said calmly, "I feel like I've made significant progress."

This wasn't just talk. A warrior of Ais's level could sense even the slightest anomaly in her body.

The battle with Scáthach, although one-sided, made Ais feel as if she had undergone some sort of sublimation when she woke up from her unconsciousness. This situation could very likely be...

So, upon her return, she immediately dragged Loki, who was still fast asleep, out of bed.

"You are desperate, aren't you? Didn't I tell you not to push yourself too hard?"

Loki's reproach was filled with silent concern.

"Please, Loki," Ais's eyes were resolute.

"Alright, alright, sit over there."

Unable to refuse, Loki agreed to Ais's request, though she was quite skeptical.

When Finn and Riveria, the three giants of their familia, had leveled up from LV5 to LV6, they had gone through a bloody battle with a powerful floor boss to break through and ascend to LV6.

Ais had gone out early in the morning, at most to hunt small monsters. There was no time to challenge a floor boss.

If hunting small monsters could raise one's level, why were there so many adventurers in Orario stuck at LV1, unable to progress? It was because breaking through oneself was immensely difficult, and a single mistake could mean death in the dungeon.

Nevertheless, Loki diligently updated Ais's status.

However, when she saw that the number representing Ais's level had abruptly jumped from 5 to 6, she immediately shouted.

"Ais-tan has leveled up to LV6!!!"

Her shout echoed from top to bottom, and almost the entire castle heard it.

Thus, the morning calm of the Loki Familia was thoroughly shattered.

"Congratulations, Ais-tan," Loki said with a smile, handing over the updated status sheet translated into the common language.

But even the goddess Loki couldn't guess that when Ais saw the level change from 5 to 6, she made a silent resolution in her heart...