What does “the strongest” mean to Mizuhi?

When asked that question, she would undoubtedly answer without hesitation:

“Sakuraba Rakka.”

The pinnacle that lies ahead of innate talent, the result of relentless training. She believed that the person who stood at what could be called the limit of human potential was the strongest.

And if that was the case, if Sakuraba Rakka was the strongest, then who was this girl standing before her, surpassing that?

“Ahaha, you’re funny!”

“Is that so? I’m glad you like it.”

The sound of blades clashing rings out.

The sound of a large scythe and a spear colliding, swung freely and mercilessly.

However, the exchange was overwhelmingly one-sided.

The girl called Sorciera was cornering Sakuraba Rakka as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“I thought this was the real Sakuraba Rakka, but you’re surprisingly nothing special.”

“That’s hurtful.”

Sakuraba Rakka, saying this in a playful tone, dodged the scythe and thrust her spear forward. A lightning-fast strike wrapped in wind.

Yet, Sorciera, without changing her expression, simply tilted her body slightly to avoid it.

“…You’re not predicting, you’re reacting after seeing it. Your reaction speed is incomprehensible.”

“Is that so? It was such a slow attack though.”

The scythe barely blurred its outline.

In the next moment, it came down in a swift arc.

Sakuraba Rakka’s right shoulder was effortlessly severed.

“Oops.”

Sakuraba Rakka, distancing herself from Sorciera, placed her left hand against the wall. To her surprise, the right hand she had just lost had miraculously returned as if nothing had happened.

“That’s the tenth time now. Could you be invincible?”

“No, it’s still having an effect. Hm… maybe I’m in a bit of a pinch?”

Despite saying this with a shrug, Sakuraba Rakka’s eyes were not smiling.

“I’ve been trying to extract the strongest version of you from my imagination, but it’s not going well. It’s like there’s some kind of strong protection preventing my interference.”

“I see.”

Bored, Sorciera spat the words out. Then, while swatting away an incoming attack from Sakuraba Rakka with her scythe, she spoke.

“There is no star with the same radiance. What you speak of is mere nonsense. It’s an inferior imitation.”

“Tch, you sure do talk big.”

“Of course. The real Sakuraba Rakka would never expose such a pathetic display.”

“Is that so? You’ve met her before? Well then, it’s been a while!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. This is our first meeting, you fake.”

Sorciera clearly declared that the person in front of her was an imitation.

There was a slight tinge of anger in her eyes.

Just then.

“—What will you do?”

As she asked that question, something was tossed toward Mizuhi by Sorciera.

It was a gun that Sakuraba Rakka had lost from her hands. Mizuhi grabbed it instinctively.

Sorciera, looking at Mizuhi, said with a hint of exasperation:

“Isn’t it time for you to stop spectating?”

“…Ah.”

Mizuhi stood next to Sorciera.

This girl’s true identity was still unknown, but in this moment, Mizuhi had decided to place her trust in her.

“No star shines the same as another.” Yes, that’s right. That isn’t my teacher, nor the strongest I aim for.

The thirst for victory that she had discarded began to roar within Mizuhi once again.

Mizuhi was no longer thinking of sacrificing her life. She was solely focused on imagining the scene where she would defeat the fake before her.

“Ahaha, Mizuhi, you’re still fighting? Just give it up already. You should sit back and watch the fight. You can’t catch up.”

“Is that so? From where I’m standing, it looks like you’re the one who’s been left behind.”

“What?”

Before she knew it, the massive scythe that Sorciera wielded was right before her eyes.

The body, a creation of the dungeon, did not require blinking.

Therefore, there should be almost no lag in visual information.

Even so, Mizuhi couldn’t see the movement before it happened.

“Damn it!”

Sakuraba Rakka used the wind to create armor around her.

She waited for the brief moment when the scythe would stop for just an instant to slice through it, and then thrust her spear as a counter.

However, the spearhead was shattered by a bullet.

“I’ve seen that counter far too many times.”

From behind, Mizuhi, holding a gun, spoke.

Flames erupted from the barrel.

“You can’t win, you worthless imitation!”

“Oh? Is Sakuraba Rakka roleplay over already? You can’t just stop halfway, you know?”

The scythe embedded itself into Sakuraba Rakka’s body.

And it slashed deeply.

“Ah!”

The absence of pain worked in Sakuraba Rakka’s favor, as she managed to move despite sustaining a fatal-looking wound and jumped backward.

She placed her hand on the dungeon floor. The severed body parts began to rapidly heal.

“No matter how many times I try, it’s useless. I will never lose. After all, you are the strongest I’ve imagined.”

“Wrong. You’re not my teacher. You’re just a being limited by the boundaries of my imagination. If it were my teacher, if it were Sakuraba Rakka, they would definitely be stronger, surpassing my imagination.”

“…Then I’ll surpass you!”

Sakuraba Rakka dashed forward with her spear.

It was the fastest strike Mizuhi had ever remembered.

It was an attack that could only exist within the realm of imagination.

“Is this all you’ve got?”

Gunshots rang out.

Two bullets, one of water and one of flame, hurtled toward Sakuraba Rakka. Upon nearing her, they collided and merged into a large burst of steam.

In the completely white-out vision, Sakuraba Rakka mechanically began to react to the situation.

“Such a one-trick pony.”

The wind began to stir, and within less than a second, the steam curtain was swept away.

But that one second was the limit she couldn’t overcome.

“Indeed, a one-trick pony.”

Sorciera was standing right before her.

Every pattern of evasion, counterattack, and all possible actions were calculated, and none of them seemed able to escape Sorciera.

“Match up, Mizuhi.”

“Ah.”

The scythe came crashing down, slicing Sakuraba Rakka vertically.

In retaliation, Sakuraba Rakka aimed her spear, but her hand was severed by a water bullet.

Now without any means of attack, Sakuraba Rakka was struck in the head by the scythe’s handle.

With her vision forced upward, the view was filled with the explosion of flame bullets.

“What?! …Blinding me, I see.”

Her vision was burned away by the flames.

At the same time, she felt the sensation of her right foot falling.

“Not good.”

Sakuraba Rakka leaped backward, using her remaining left leg and the wind to propel herself.

Though she had no sense of distance, she crashed into the wall, but it didn’t matter.

“I can heal it again soon.”

It was as if she were reassuring herself.

The two were not closing in on her, and she believed they must have thought they had won.

“…No way, you still think you’re Sakuraba Rakka at this point?”

A voice sounded in the darkness.

It was Sorciera’s voice, clear and cold.

“…I am Sakuraba Rakka.”

“Are you trying to convince yourself? How pitiful.”

“Is it alright to remain so complacent? Don’t you know who has the advantage in a battle of endurance between you and us?”

“I’ve already figured out your revival system.”

A strong voice, clearly declaring it.

At the same time, Sakuraba Rakka felt an odd sense of unease.

Why, despite everything, was her vision still so dark?

Her recovery system, which should have allowed her to immediately heal her body, was not working properly.

Her left leg was the only one functioning, and her body still bore signs of injury.

“…What’s happening?”

She switched from full recovery to focusing solely on restoring her vision.

Faintly, her vision started to return, and gradually, the surroundings became clear.

“Ah.”

She hadn’t realized the scream that escaped her.

She was too preoccupied to process that information.

“…The timing of the shot is up to you, right? You can do it, can’t you?”

“Leave it to me.”

Sorciera’s scythe handle, and Mizuhi’s two pistols.

Three gun barrels were all aimed directly at Sakuraba Rakka.

All three were focused with intense magical energy.

“Magical energy convergence…?! I see, you were draining the dungeon’s magic!”

“Your near-infinite healing ability was dependent on the dungeon’s resources. So, if we take it all, we’ll be fine.”

“…Monsters.”

“Then laugh, Sakuraba Rakka.”

Sorciera quietly stated.

“Counterattack is impossible.”

The scythe had already completed its magical energy convergence.

And now, Mizuhi too had just finished her magical energy convergence.

“This power…! I’ve never felt magic this volatile inside me before.”

“Can you ride it?”

“Yeah. I’ll make it my own, even if I have to force it.”

“Good.”

Mizuhi placed her hand on the trigger.

From the gun’s barrel, water and flame were eagerly awaiting the command.

Sorciera gripped the handle.

The ominous scythe silently awaited the moment.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes—Stargazer Sorciera.”

The name was spoken, and the trigger was pulled.

In that instant, silver light and swirling red and blue magic beams shot forth.

For any ordinary monster, these high-density magical beams would disintegrate them in less than a second.

“I will never accept defeat!”

With a scream, she maximized the wind ability.

She diverted the surrounding magical energy of the dungeon into the wind’s resources, creating a wind barrier beyond its normal power.

“I am Sakuraba Rakka! I am the strongest!”

Soon, the wall and the bombardment collided head-on.

Both were at their maximum, exceeding theoretical limits. However, without a moment of resistance, the bombardment shattered the barrier.

“Ah…”

A careless voice.

It was an exact mimicry of Sakuraba Rakka’s behavior.

“You’re good, both of you.”

With that, Sakuraba Rakka’s figure vanished into the light of the magical energy.

What remained were the burned and melted remnants of the operating room walls, the core, and magic stones.

Anything resembling Sakuraba Rakka had disappeared without a trace.

“Is it over?”
“Yeah.”

Sorciera nodded, exhaling softly before walking toward the exit of the operating room, away from the direction of the core.

“Don’t you need the core?”
“I don’t need it. …Ah, don’t misunderstand. I didn’t help you.”

Her scythe was aimed at Mizuhi.

“I only acted because our objectives aligned. This dungeon was irregular.”

“…What do you know?”
“Everything. About the upcoming calamity and the things you don’t need to know.”

Sorciera infused a bit of magic into the scythe. In front of her, Mizuhi stared straight at it without raising a weapon.

A brief silence passed between them.

The first to move was Sorciera. She let out an indifferent snort at Mizuhi’s stance and turned her heel, walking away.

Mizuhi watched her until she disappeared from view.

“…She’s gone.”

She collapsed to the floor in relief, sweat pouring out as if in response.

‘…Are you okay, Mizuhi-san?’

“Now that you mention it, you were there.”

‘I’m sorry I couldn’t be of help. The board told me to gather information on Sorciera immediately and use optical camouflage.’

“The board? I see, so that girl is something special after all.”

‘Yes. The moment she appeared, the magical depth in the area spiked drastically. It showed values that should have been impossible.’

Mizuhi shuddered, realizing she had fought alongside such a girl.

‘Mizuhi-san, the convergence bombardment you fired at the end. Normally, it would have been a large-scale attack done under the proxy calculations of the Diving Gear. However, Sorciera took on all the burden and calculations, making the bombardment possible.’

“No wonder such a thing could be fired.”

The operator’s voice, through the drone camera, continued seriously.

‘With the ability to interfere unilaterally with other explorers, superior magical manipulation, and her own skills, the Aepis board has temporarily classified Sorciera as an S-rank explorer. They’ve decided to make her existence public as an exceptional case.’

“…That’s reckless.”

The meaning of the board’s decision:
It meant that “Sorciera’s actions would be treated as a post-fact request from the Aepis board.”

This was an unprecedented decision from the Aepis board.

“She must be really sought after.”

‘There’s no reason to let her go. So, I’m sorry, but I’ll need to talk to you at Arianrod afterward.’

“That’s fine. My testimony as someone who fought alongside her will be valuable to the board.”

With that, Mizuhi picked up the core and magic stones. At that moment, the faint sound of the wall crumbling was heard.

When Mizuhi looked over, she saw Kei, battered and leaning against the wall.

“Mizuhi-senpai, sorry… I’m late.”

“Don’t worry. The dungeon has already been cleared. —By Sorciera.”

“Sorciera!?”

Kei’s voice rang out in shock.

“Sorciera, the ‘mysterious beautiful girl explorer who’s been trending in the streams,’ that one!?”
“Ah, yes. That’s her.”

Kei, using a strange phrasing for Sorciera, hurried toward Mizuhi.

“Mizuhi-senpai, are you hurt!? Isn’t Sorciera someone whose allegiance is unclear?”

Looking at Kei with concern, Mizuhi smiled to reassure him.

“At least, she’s not an enemy right now.”

“I see… Is that the dungeon’s core!? And there are so many magic stones…”

“Yeah. Sorciera left everything untouched.”

“She fought and didn’t ask for a reward? …That’s kind of creepy.”

Kei frowned.

Then, unsteadily, he began helping collect the magic stones.

“If your body hurts, don’t push yourself.”

“I’m fine. I didn’t do anything. Sorciera did everything, so this much is fine.”

“…No, I’ve been saved by you a lot.”

With those words, Mizuhi patted Kei’s head. Surprised by the sudden action, Kei turned slightly red but allowed it to happen.

Perhaps to distract himself from his embarrassment, Kei spoke after a while.

“Sorciera… who exactly is she…?”