"Bete, if you want to fight, fight with me."
However, under Bete's astonished gaze, Ais seemed to have triggered a deep anger, her expression cold as she drew her sword.
"Bete, Ais, enough already."
Seeing this unexpected development, Finn could no longer stand by. With the authority of a leader, he sternly ordered them to stop, causing both Ais and Bete to freeze in place.
Originally, he wanted to test whether the rumors about Blake were true, but now it seemed like the members of the Loki Familia were about to fight each other.
It appeared that Ais's bond with this young man, Blake, was deeper than he had imagined.
"Kid, you're lucky this time. But next time, be careful when you're alone. I'll definitely prove that I'm stronger than you, and that a loser like you doesn't deserve Ais."
Bete unwillingly spat those words and prepared to let Blake go.
Upon hearing Bete's words, Lefiya, who had been staring at Blake with a strange expression, suddenly seemed to realize something and lowered her head, showing a dejected look.
For Lefiya, Ais was her hero, someone she had always admired. However, her own weakness had always been painful, and now that Bete had pointed it out so blatantly again, how could she not be hurt?
"Weakness, huh? You know, things like love have nothing to do with strength."
Blake casually walked past Ais and Tiona, stepping forward to face Bete, his crystal-blue eyes exuding an undeniable force.
"However, since you want to challenge me, I'll fulfill your request."
At Blake's words, Lefiya froze, and her gaze toward him changed—no longer filled with admiration or hostility. Finn and the others were slightly startled.
"Heh, that's what you said."
As for Bete, although he was angry that Blake had turned the situation into him being the one issuing the challenge, it didn't matter much—what he truly wanted was to teach Blake a lesson.
"Blake, do you really want to fight?"
Ais asked, looking conflicted. Both sides were people she knew well, and seeing them fight worried her.
Lili also expressed her concern. It wasn't that she doubted his strength, but rather, Bete was a well-known "Fierce Wolf" of the Loki Familia, and even if Blake won, there could still be serious consequences since they were all from Loki Familia.
Tiona, on the other hand, was full of excitement, cheering for Blake to teach Bete a lesson.
This, of course, made Finn and the others who had walked over facepalm helplessly.
"Hello, I am Finn, the leader of the Loki Familia. This is Riveria, Gareth, Lefiya, and Bete."
After showing concern about Tiona's excitement, Finn introduced his group to Blake.
"I understand. I am Blake, leader of the Hestia Familia. This is Lili."
Blake smiled slightly as he introduced himself and Lili in return, since Finn had shown him courtesy.
Seeing that their leader had arrived, Bete could only remain silent, waiting for Finn to finish these formalities before the fight could begin.
"Blake, I've heard some rumors about you from the 18th floor. You're the first person in history to do something like that."
Finn complimented with a smile.
"Not much. By the way, Finn, your title of 'Braver' is well-known to me. So are 'Nine Hell' and 'Heavy Tank' from Riveria and Gareth. Ais has mentioned them to me many times."
Blake responded calmly, without any arrogance, despite Finn's compliment.
This made Finn, Riveria, and the others look at him with more favorable eyes.
"We trust Ais is in your care, Blake. Although it might be a bit rude, I ask that you keep the duel restrained. Bete's just a bit hot-tempered and doesn't mean much harm."
Finn bowed slightly, speaking gently. Unlike Bete, who didn't believe in Blake's strength, Finn wouldn't make that mistake.
Generally, who would dare treat a god with disrespect? Moreover, it wasn't just one person saying it—a whole group of adventurers had confirmed the rumors.
And Ais herself had sought his guidance, meaning his strength couldn't be lacking.
Upon hearing Finn, Blake looked at him with some surprise before nodding. Although Finn was the leader of the Loki Familia and one of the strongest Level 6 adventurers, he still treated him, a lower-level adventurer, with politeness.
Such a flexible and understanding attitude made Blake return the courtesy.
"Leader, are you implying that I will lose?!"
After hearing Finn's words, Bete's expression twisted with dissatisfaction, clearly defiant.
"I didn't say that. However, this is just a friendly duel, so don't get it twisted. Keep it restrained, or I'll get angry."
Finn said with strong authority, glaring at Bete.
Bete's demeanor immediately softened under Finn's glare, showing that he did, in fact, respect Finn.
"Also, I brought recovery potions, so don't worry."
Finn added with a light laugh, which made Bete look even more dissatisfied, clenching his fists unconsciously.
"Well then, let's not waste any more time. Let's start. Ais, Tiona, Lili, please step back a bit."
Blake said with a light smile.
At this, Ais and Lili could only reluctantly step back. Though the situation had turned into a duel, at least it was still just a friendly spar.
Finn and the others stepped aside, clearing the area.
Without saying much, Bete coldly stepped back five meters and watched Blake, awaiting the fight to begin.
"Where's your weapon? I don't want people saying I won because of an advantage in weaponry."
Bete glared intently at Blake, drawing two short swords from his knee guards, growling.
"If I bring out my holy sword, I'll just cut you in half, and that wouldn't be good."
Blake responded calmly. He wasn't boasting. In his battles with Ais, although she hadn't been serious, neither had he.
He didn't need to bring out his holy sword to defeat a Level 5 like Bete, as he didn't want to accidentally break Bete's weapons. Though Bete had been antagonistic, he still wasn't an enemy.
Upon hearing Blake's words, Finn, Riveria, Ais, and the others began to ponder.
They didn't hear arrogance in his voice; rather, it seemed to come across naturally, almost like an undeniable truth.
Moreover, they noticed that when Blake said he would "cut you in half," it seemed more about destroying Bete's swords than injuring him, which left them confused about his intentions.
"Dammit, you're underestimating me. Since you're so arrogant, don't blame me if you get hurt!"
With his anger boiling, Bete dashed toward Blake like lightning, his dual blades cutting through the air with a sharp, ear-splitting sound, slashing toward Blake's midsection.
Seeing Bete's speed, which was comparable to Ais, Blake's crystal-blue eyes finally shifted, and he immediately activated both his enhancement magic and sensory abilities to their maximum.
The result was astonishing.
For instance, Bete, whose speed was usually incredibly fast and whose swords gleamed with a cold light, seemed to move as slowly as a turtle in Blake's eyes, clear as day.
In the next moment, Blake casually shifted his body to the side and dodged the incoming blades, then swiftly delivered a powerful kick to Bete's stomach.
With a muffled thud, Bete, who should have been the attacker, was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into a large crystal nearby and sliding to the ground. His face contorted in pain as he coughed violently.
But he ignored his injuries, staring at Blake—who was still in a kicking posture—with a look of disbelief.
What had just happened?
He couldn't make sense of it at all!
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