Rose's core floated in front of her as she stared at its mass. There was still an outer maze of channels surrounding the actual inner core but, being its maker, she passed through that and connected to it swimmingly.
From time to time, she perused the bit of knowledge her creator, Bianca, had left to her as she tried to see if there were any clues to alter her being. Yet, it was always the same as when she had been in the slums. Intentionally, she had been left with only enough skill to survive with. The girl had not left her information on the actual workings of a homunculus's core, only enough that slight modifications could be made.
'What a crafty woman,' Rose thought incredulously as her core floated back into her, passing through her skin, and etching back within her dead heart. She sighed. 'Alos's Mage Academy really might be the only path I can take.'
With that done, she summoned her blades and stood before Lilias.
"Ready?" The dragonian asked.
Rose nodded. "Ready."
They charged at one another as Rose's vision blurred.
----------------------------------------
Lilias Aunbren appeared within a large, square, white room.
'I see, another solo-floor,' She thought.
She had just completed a spar session with Rose, a rest, and now she climbed onto the 7th floor of Alos's Dungeon, finding herself alone just like the previous. The only difference was that she still had her two swords strapped to her back, and her satchel with their alternate cores.
'The dungeon must be testing us individually through a series of floors from the 5th. This likely won't be the last, She thought as she stared about her.
She was not alone. The same as before, there was a barrier cutting the room into two. However, there was no timer and, on the other end, there was another individual who was glancing about confused.
A voice rang into her mind.
[You shall fight. The person who wins shall be allowed to climb to the next floor. The individual who loses shall be kicked back to the previous Rest Floor, though they may try again whenever they so please. You may forfeit at any time with but a word, else the last individual standing wins.]
As she elected to term the voice that which belonged to the dungeon, she examined the man.
[The battle will begin as soon as the word 'start' rings in your mind.]
It was a male of dark-blue, low-cut hair, wearing a simple set of leather armor upon his lean body. He was tall, and his eyes seemed to be staring at her, puzzled. There was no hint of a weapon on his person. Yet, what drew her attention the most were the small white horns poking from his hair, and the tail coiled around his waist.
'A male dragonian without a visible weapon. He must be of the Audrius clan's bloodline,' Lilias thought, drawing her weapons into her hand and changing their cores. 'Then that means I shall be fighting a true mage. Whether he originated from Trea or not.'
Then she felt the hum of the surrounding mana changing, molding and gathering as the man raised his hands.
[Start.]
The barrier disappeared.
Blue dazzled above the hands of the individual.
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"Why is a female dragonian wielding blades and climbing Alos's dungeon?" The man spoke immediately. "What is this, a circus?"
Lilias stopped her initial desire to immediately charge at him as her crimson eyes narrowed. With his words, she now knew he was assuredly from Trea, an Audrius born and raised within the dragonian city. She stood from her stance, blades parallel to her legs, and tilted her head at him as if she found him amusing.
"What is it to you?" She asked. "Am I supposed to tell you everything about me simply because you asked?"
He chuckled, a spear of ice forming into one hand, while wind whirled in the other. Lilias noted that. 'Rigidness in one hand,' she thought, 'Freedom in the other.' The elements of a true mage represented their inner being so, naturally, it could also be used to assume the ballpark of their character.
"I'm simply curious, princess of the Aunbrens'," He said.
Lilias shifted on her feet, her tail wrapping around her waist. She readjusted the grip she held on her weapons as the man continued his words.
"You are her, right?" He muttered. "The princess who broke Trea's rules and ran, weapons in hand, to save a brother who did the same."
He chuckled.
"It was a bit comical seeing you struggle against your own father, but perhaps less so than when your brother crumbled under his might."
This time, he smiled.
"A once in a century genius said to one day take over the Aunbren clan, reduced to nothing, just like that. To be thrown into Lanxin's lair? I'm a bit sad for him, really."
Expressionless, Lilias opened her lips.
"Are you done?" She asked.
He scoffed and the spear in his hand flew, blasting wind.
"You know, I once wished for your hand in marriage," He said, slicing down with his other hand as wind flew.
"That is lovely," Lilias replied. "I'm sure I refused you as I did any other man."
Her hand blurred, her right sword lashed out, slicing the ice-spear down its length, two divided parts rushing past her and slamming the wall behind. Then she brought her arm back down as a blade of wind came, her weapon's interloping body dividing and swishing about the air, breaking that magical attack as well.
Unscathed, Lilias took a step forward and ran towards the man, hands tightly gripping her weapons.
"So you do not remember me?"
A barrage of pikes of ice covered her front. Lilias moved her body and her blades simultaneously, dodging through many and slicing apart any that wished to hit her. Coming past it, she spoke.
"No."
A beam shot from her left sword, piercing forward.
The man jumped out of the way as her attack slammed against the white wall, rolled and stood, then pushed his hands forward.
It was as if a hurricane had been summoned. The wind roared and blasted forward, visibly spiraling about like innumerable blades.
Lilias hunkered down on her feet, crossed her swords before her, and brought her tail as well.
Then the attack slammed into her, skidding her back across the floor as her clothes ripped about and scars of blood appeared on her person. The attack over, she dropped her mangled tail, and looked stockily at the man.
The man chuckled. "Didn't you learn how to wield magic? Why aren't you using it? Don't tell me your father beat that out of you?"
He stood leisurely.
Lilias didn't reply.
Her knees bent, and she kicked off of the floor, leaping towards him.
A wall of ice appeared in front of her, and she slashed her blade, slicing through it. Then her face met a hammer swinging through the air, knocking her off of her feet as she flew towards the side
However, her feet met the wall of the room, no dent made within, and she leaped forward as a ghostly aura of blue wrapped around her figure. Soon, she was covered in a transparent bubble of the ghastly energy, her horns and tail extended by it, and her figure jagged.
Blades of wind slashed into her and did nothing.
The man moved to run.
Lilias's blades slashed and she landed.
A spray of blood shot into the air, the man's head detaching from his body as he tumbled down.
[Congratulations, you have won.]
Lilias stood as she swung her weapons, splashing blood off of them before sheathing the twin blades back behind her. Her spirit receding, she looked to the left and expressionlessly entered the doorway that had spawned.
On the other end, she was back within what the Rest Floor. Surprisingly, Elsa and Rose were already there.
"Oh?" She asked immediately, "What occurred within the floor for you two to finish so fast?"
Elsa grinned brightly.
"As soon as I turned into a wolf and started crackling with lightning, they forfeited," She said, sounding quite pleased with herself.
"I summoned my gear, and they forfeited," Rose said, sounding rather displeased. She had been ready for the challenge, only to be disappointed. Then she asked back, "What about you? What happened?"
Lilias shrugged as a thin smile crossed her lips. She supposed she was the one who had wasted the most time, allowing the man to spew his lips.
"I fought someone with more bravado than their worth," She answered, "They also forfeited in the end."