The Astraea Familia made ample preparations for this expedition.
Every member had changed into completely new equipment, custom-forged by specialists to fit their individual combat styles, physiques, and aesthetic preferences.
Eleven beautiful young girls in the prime of their youth formed a moving scenic view as they walked down the street.
"Look! It's the Astraea Familia!"
"The heroes of the Great Feud."
"They are all so cute..."
However, the tone quickly shifted.
"Who is that guy?"
"Hey! Do you want to die?!"
"What's wrong?"
"Are you an idiot? That's the Hephaestus Familia's Yotosai. During the Great Feud, he single-handedly wiped out countless enemies and executed two Evilus executives! He is a true thousand-man slayer! If you want to become another lost soul under his blade, I will not stop you."
"Huh? He looks like a fifteen years old kid, yet he killed over a thousand people? It's so weird for such a dangerous guy to be walking openly on the street!"
Many onlookers shrank back in fear of Rayleigh's fierce reputation.
For a brief moment, the bustling street parted, clearing a wide path.
Kaguya quickened her pace, matching Rayleigh's stride. "How does it feel to be feared and revered, Lord Yotosai?"
"..."
Rayleigh remained momentarily speechless.
Although the rumors held truth, being the subject of such a gossip did not feel particularly comfortable.
"Anyway, how about we head straight down to the 18th Floor in one push?" Rayleigh asked Alise.
He quickly received the Captain's agreement.
"Then let us begin."
The party moved out, controlling their marching pace to accommodate the Level 2 members in the vanguard.
Upon descending to the 7th Floor, the party encountered their first pack of monsters, numbering over twenty.
Before the Astraea vanguard could even draw their weapons, a massive wave of sword slash crushed the horde, sweeping the cavern passage clean.
Nani?!
Seeing Rayleigh obliterate targets twenty meters away with a single casual swing, the werewolf brawler, Neze Rankett, stared in sheer astonishment.
This marked the first time the newer recruits had formally partied with Rayleigh.
Rumors held limited reference value compared to firsthand experience.
Seeing it with their own eyes completely shattered their common sense. Even against Level 1 Dungeon spawns, casually wiping out two dozen targets from a distance without magic remained genuinely terrifying.
"Rayleigh-san, are you a Magic Swordsman?" Celty Srowa asked timidly.
The young Elf, even younger than Ryuu, have a short green hair, round glasses, and tightly gripped a mage's staff.
"Hmm, strictly classifying it within the Guild's parameters, I suppose that is correct."
A swordsman capable of utilizing high-tier spells—a Magic Swordsman.
The label fit well enough on the surface. Of course, his true classification remained Shinigami.
"Then was that quick-cast Magic just now? I've heard rumors of spells that can be activated without an incantation."
"No, that was not Magic," Rayleigh clarified.
He raised his Zanpakutō, channeled his Reiatsu into the steel, and swung it casually toward the blind spot behind their formation.
Swish!
A crescent of sword slash shot into the darkness, traveling twenty meters before a guttural shriek echoed from the shadows.
A stalking monster had been observing them and Rayleigh executed it without looking.
"This.... is not a spell, it's simply the act of concentrating raw energy onto the edge of the blade and unleashing it through the physical slash."
"Eh??? You can do things like that?"
Rayleigh smiled faintly.
He did not know if anyone else in Orario could replicate the feat. He lacked the capacity to perform it back when he was a Level 1, but with every level-up, his manipulation of Reiryoku improved significantly and undergoing a qualitative evolution.
Releasing sword slash was a fundamental Shinigami combat art.
Furthermore, this specific technique did not register as a Development Ability or Skill on his Falna.
If he had to rationalize it, the technique mirrored the heroes of ancient times who achieved miraculous feats of physical prowess before the Gods ever descended to grant the Falna.
"Has your sword slash already reached this level of raw output?" Gojouno Kaguya asked, genuine surprise breaking her stoic demeanor.
As Rayleigh's frequent sparring partner, she remained the most familiar with his techniques and combat rhythm.
She had witnessed him utilize flying slashes during their previous expeditions, but the technique definitely lacked this apocalyptic level of destructive force back then.
...
The party crossed the threshold into the Middle Floors.
Facing a synchronized pack of twenty Hellhounds, Rayleigh unleashed another horizontal slash.
The condensed sword slash instantly sheared through the passage, bisecting every beast in its trajectory in a matter of seconds.
"Unbelievable..." the party's Mage, Ryana Lietz, murmured.
She originally assumed the Middle Floors would provide an opportunity for her rear-guard spells to shine.
No one anticipated Rayleigh disposing of mid-tier Dungeon spawns with such terrifying efficiency.
As a result, the expedition group arrived at their destination a full two hours ahead of their scheduled itinerary.
Through the Dungeon's localized self-repair mechanism, the 18th Floor had fully reverted to its pristine state as the "Labyrinth Resort."
The lawless town of Rivira had also been completely rebuilt upon the island.
However, Rayleigh and the Astraea Familia opted not to enter the settlement.
Instead, they secured a defensible clearing near the crystal trees and established a forward camp.
They planned to rest briefly before plunging straight into the Deep Floors.
Before advancing, they needed to switch their gear to Undine Cloths.
Unlike the Middle Floors, which bred fire-type anomalies, the impending Deep Floors consisted of a massive aquatic domain dominated by water-attributed monsters.
At the campsite, the girls began preparing rations.
Rayleigh unequipped his swords, laying them out in a neat row across a flat stone table.
The cute dwarf girl, Asta Knox, approached the table. "Rayleigh-san, why do you carry so many swords? Are they backups?"
'Hmm?'
Rayleigh, currently peeling an apple, glanced at the dwarf.
Despite her racial lineage, Asta's physical height mirrored that of an average human, making it difficult to identify her heritage.
Unless someone possessed a deep familiarity with dwarven traits, they would likely miss the subtle differences.
She served as a heavy tank for the Astraea vanguard, the full suit of heavy plate armor she wore served as a proof.
"These blades are not spares. They are all my Zanpakutō."
"Eh? You mean all four of these swords are active?" Asta tilted her head, trying to visually process how Rayleigh could effectively dual-wield—let alone quad-wield—in a live combat scenario.
"Their innate abilities vary drastically, so I select which one to draw depending on the situation," Rayleigh explained.
The four swords resting against the stone were Senbonzakura, Ruri'iro Kujaku, Sakanade, and... Hyōrinmaru.
After confirming the expedition's main battlefield would take place within an aquatic domain, Rayleigh set out to forge the ultimate ice-type Zanpakutō.
It was a notoriously volatile blade, he only gained the confidence to forge it after his Magic attribute finally shattered the SS-Rank threshold.
Hyōrinmaru's Shikai ability possessed the absolute power to freeze the moisture in the surrounding atmosphere, generating localized ice to execute its attacks.
Therefore, within a domain saturated with water, the blade's area-of-effect power would exponentially multiply.
Furthermore, it could instantly flash-freeze the surface of the deep water to create solid footholds, eliminating the inherent disadvantage of the aquatic terrain.
It was a pity Ardee Varma could not join the expedition.
Although formally bound to the Ganesha Familia, her spirit firmly belonged to the Astraea Familia!
Wielding Nejibana within this specific biome, the water-type Zanpakutō would easily exert over 100% of its maximum potential.
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