Living My Third Life In Danmachi

Chapter 21: Luke vs. Aiz

Now that I've reached Level 3, the world looks completely different.

It's like an adventurer power-up sequence! I feel like I could take off while shouting "WRYYYYY!!!"—well, I can fly, but still.

For my development ability, I chose Resistance. Endurance seemed like a good option too, but come on, a real man should be able to take a hit!

Riseria and Lili gave me a deadpan look at my dumb reasoning, but I ignored them.

"Oh, sorry, Aiz. I've been busy lately, so I couldn't make it last time."

"Congrats on your [Rank Up]."

"You already heard?"

"From Loki."

Well, yeah, considering we were drinking and laughing at our home, of course it would've reached Aiz's ears by now.

Lately, Aiz has been improving at an incredible pace. Even among Level 4 adventurers, she's already reached quite a high level. It's only been two months, but her talent is absolutely ridiculous.

Of course, I'm not talking about her status. That part usually grows slowly, so even for Aiz, it's probably only around F-rank at best right now.

I've been helping her refine her combat framework through controlled sparring.

No matter how much real combat experience someone has, it's hard to establish their own unique style without a significant number of battles.

…Well, I just fought like a brute until I figured things out, so I don't really have room to talk.

"That's enough for today. You're still doing your basic training every day, right?"

"Yeah, I practice for an hour every morning, without fail."

"Fundamentals will never betray you. If you want to get stronger, effort is the most important thing."

Effort—followed by real combat experience. If I had to name the key factors for getting stronger, those would be my top two. Honestly, that's all there is to it.

"…Luke."

"What?"

"Isn't there a way to get stronger faster?"

Aiz looked straight at me as she spoke.

The earnest gaze of a 12-year-old girl… mixed with the natural cuteness of her age… Damn, my heart!

Okay, enough with the dumb thoughts. Time to take this seriously.

In Aiz's eyes, I saw something I was very familiar with.

That impatience unique to kids.

Do you know how many kids I had in my past lives? Just in my previous life alone, I had nine. I've been a pro at raising kids for a long time now. Honestly, aside from writing and cooking, raising kids might be the only thing I'm actually good at.

I could tell just by looking. Children, when they want something, want it now. They want it fast. There are individual differences, sure, but self-control isn't fully developed at that age.

"Unless you're willing to do some reckless, dumb shit like me, it's impossible. And I wouldn't recommend it."

"But…"

"Aiz."

I lowered my voice, making it more serious. Not that she'd necessarily listen just because I said so, but at the very least, it might make her think twice.

"You're only 12 years old. Your growth rate is already fast enough.

Take it easy."

"But… there's something I have to do. And to do that, I need to get stronger."

"That so?"

Back in my previous life, when I was raising my kids, there was a time when they all hit their rebellious phase at once, ganging up to shout, 'I hate you, Dad!' in unison.

And how did I handle it?

"Come at me. Hitting puberty already? Fine, I'll help you blow off some steam."

I went all out. No holding back.

...

Luke Blade—a newly promoted Level 3 adventurer.

Aiz Wallenstein—an experienced Level 4 adventurer who had already spent over two months at her new rank.

There was no way I could be a match for her. The difference in levels was that big.

But—

"If you don't steel your mind, you'll lose in spirit, dumbass."

Luke exuded a bloodlust he rarely ever directed at close friends, fully committing to facing Aiz seriously.

Aiz, who was used to fighting monsters but not humans, instinctively drew her rapier and faced him.

Normally, when she sparred with him, she always controlled her strength. Thanks to that, she had refined her swordsmanship to a much more intricate level.

But that also meant—

Her opponent had been holding back just as much.

The raw, unfiltered killing intent that no monster could ever replicate. Combined with Luke's piercing gaze, its effect was doubled.

Aiz's survival instincts screamed at her.

'This is dangerous!'

Even her blood itself reacted, urging her into action.

—『Open your eyes, Storm』.

A concise chant. At the same time, her magic, [Ariel], activated.

Winds swirled violently around her, enveloping her entire body.

Aiz's absolute enchantment magic—the very foundation of her strength. Thanks to it, she wielded power on par with a Level 5 adventurer.

Without hesitation, she dashed forward and swung her sword at Luke, making sure to control her strength so she wouldn't kill him.

"Holding back? Are you kidding me?"

Luke effortlessly evaded her sword, slipping through the raging storm surrounding her with precise footwork. In the next instant, he lifted his leg and kicked Aiz in the head.

Not just once. Using centrifugal force, he followed up with a series of rapid kicks.

Renewal Taekwondo – Triple Rotation Kick.

"You want to get stronger? Fine, I'll entertain your childish tantrum. Soru."

Even with her magic reinforcement, Aiz felt the impact. Instinctively, she leaped back to create distance.

But—

Luke was already closing in again at breakneck speed.

Her eyes widened in shock.

She hadn't used her full speed, but still—a Level 3 keeping up with the enhanced speed of a Level 4?

"If you don't come at me with the intent to kill…" Luke's voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp as a blade.

"You might be the one who dies. Rankyaku!"

Aiz blocked the incoming slash with her sword, but even then, she couldn't completely nullify the impact.

Luke, maintaining a certain distance, relentlessly launched blade-like kicks at her, one after another. He didn't leave a single opening—so much so that it felt downright unfair.

"Is this what you meant when you said you wanted to get stronger? Even after using magic, you still can't beat a mere Level 3?"

Despite his harsh words, his gaze remained cold and calculating.

He wasn't just attacking—he was observing, analyzing Aiz's every move.

When fighting humans instead of monsters, Luke's approach was completely different.

Unlike monsters, who acted purely on instinct, humans could think, adapt, and strategize.

"Tch…!"

Aiz gritted her teeth as she deflected Rankyaku, waiting for the right moment.

Now that she had adjusted, it wasn't impossible to block. No matter how unorthodox his techniques were, he was still just Level 3. Compared to Aiz, who had temporarily boosted herself to Level 5 strength, he still felt lacking.

And then—

For just a brief instant, Luke took a breath.

A tiny opening appeared.

Aiz didn't miss her chance.

With a sudden burst of wind, she accelerated instantly, aiming to end the fight in one decisive strike.

Dragging out the battle would only give her opponent more time to analyze and adapt. The longer it went on, the more she would be at a disadvantage.

"LIL RAFAGA!"

Her ultimate technique.

A thrust empowered by [Ariel], combined with her own raw physical ability—her strongest attack.

A strike so fast it could be mistaken for a flash of light, aimed straight at Luke's left chest.

But—

"You know…"

Luke's voice rang out as he moved like a feather on the wind, effortlessly slipping past the attack.

"Did it ever cross your mind that I let that opening happen on purpose?"

He smirked.

"If you're fighting humans, always assume they're setting a trap. That's how you sharpen your technique."

Before Aiz could react, Luke hooked his ankle around her wrist and yanked downward.

Renewal Taekwondo – Homigori.

A thrusting attack is precise—if its trajectory shifts even slightly, it misses entirely.

And Luke took full advantage of that.

Without giving Aiz a moment to recover, he launched into another barrage of kicks.

Renewal Taekwondo – Jin Hoechook.

Even with her magic enhancement, the sheer impact of the attack sent shockwaves through Aiz's body, her eyes widening in shock.

"[Ariel] is…!"

The air currents generated by Luke's spinning kicks were disrupting [Ariel] itself.

The good news? It wasn't completely canceled out.

The bad news? That meant some of the damage was now actually getting through.

"Are you scared?"

Luke growled, his voice carrying an almost predatory edge.

In response, Aiz kicked off the ground, summoning a violent gust as she took to the skies.

It was almost an instinctive retreat.

Her mind reasoned that if she was in the air, he wouldn't be able to follow.

But—

"Haven't you heard the rumors?"

Luke smirked.

But—Luke was already on her heels, using Moonwalk to pursue her.

"Don't run. Didn't you say you wanted to get stronger? Was all that just bullshit?"

His words were sharp, relentless.

"You can't even handle someone like me and you're already running? Do you really think you can achieve what you want? Do you think the world is that easy?"

Aiz's eyebrow twitched at his merciless taunts.

"Killing something means proving that I'm alive."

"So tell me, Aiz Wallenstein—what are you proving by fighting?"

The words hit her like a hammer.

Why have I been fighting all this time?

What was her most important goal?

"I fight… because I want to be strong. Because I need to be strong!"

Luke's grin widened for the first time in the fight.

"Good. At least you've got your resolve straight. Now—come at me."

For the first time since they started, Luke smiled.

Aiz didn't hesitate. She raised her sword once more.

Aiz ascended even faster, soaring above Luke, aligning herself directly above his vertical line.

Then—

She dropped down like a falling meteor.

'Lil Rafaga' won't work.

A thrust could be dodged or countered by one of his ridiculous kicks like before.

"[Ariel]—MAXIMUM!"

She poured everything into her magic.

A miniature storm coiled around her rapier, its force rivaling even a true tempest.

Her rapid descent, combined with her raw strength and magic—this was her full-power strike.

"Then I'll match you at full power too!"

Luke roared in response.

His left hand—charged with a three-shot nail punch.

His right hand—coiled with the power of Genbu's Fist.

His left leg—primed for Rankyaku.

His right leg—unleashing Blue Azure Dragon's Kick.

"Four Beasts Convergence—Shiji Hobaku!"

A thunderous clash erupted.

BOOOOM!

Luke's body plummeted to the ground.

...

Aiz took a deep breath, assessing her condition.

Not great.

Something was probably broken, and she had some bleeding as well.

Luckily, she had a potion on hand and had already healed herself. But honestly, Luke needed it more than she did.

"That was amazing, Luke."

"This? It's nothing. It's the only thing I'm really good at."

"…But you held back."

If Luke had truly intended to kill her, he would have gone for a swift, decisive battle from the very beginning.

Even the way he spoke during the fight—it wasn't just taunting. He had been pushing her, teaching her.

He had given Aiz the guidance she needed when she was struggling and frustrated.

"Honestly, in a 'fight to the death'…"

"I don't think I'd lose."

Fighting for survival was Luke's specialty.

He had always faced opponents stronger than himself, yet in the end, he was the only one who ever walked away alive.

"But seriously, how could I kill a kid who's practically like my daughter? That's just impossible. Even I have my limits."

Aiz blinked at his words but chose not to comment.

"Anyway, are you okay?"

"More or less. My body's pretty tough, you know."

Even though he had taken a Level 5-tier attack head-on, he had managed to counter with his own strike, significantly reducing the damage.

That said, he was still visibly more injured than Aiz.

"Thanks, Luke. You helped me clear my head."

"That's it for today's lesson, then. See you next time. I need to head back and rest at my Familia."

"Do you need a potion?"

"Nah, I've got some at home. No need to owe you one."

Luke waved off Aiz's offer, pushing himself up and getting to his feet.

…His arm is definitely broken. Just looking at it, it's obvious. Is he really okay?

"Pain's nothing new to me. See you next time."

"Yeah… see you next week."

With that, Aiz turned and swiftly headed back to her home, Loki Familia.

Luke, now alone on the chilly stone wall, glanced down at his broken arm in silence.

Then, instead of looking toward where Aiz had disappeared, his gaze shifted to the opposite staircase.

"Oi. Come out."

A heavy sigh echoed from the shadows.

"…Tch. You noticed me, huh?"

A rough voice accompanied the figure that emerged from the stairs.

A young man who looked two or three years older than Luke, with white hair and strange blue tattoos covering parts of his body.

More notably—he had wolf-like ears atop his head.

A beastman. Specifically, a Werewolf.

"So this is where Aiz sneaks off to every week… and it turns out she's been fighting you—the famous rookie?"

Luke tilted his head slightly.

"Don't know who you are, but how about an introduction first?"

"Bete Loga. Second-Class Adventurer of Loki Familia."

"Alias—Vanargand."

Level 4.

Their voices carried an edge, a faint growl underlying their words.

In just a few moments, both had already sized each other up.

Neither Luke nor Bete had lived easy lives.

Recognizing that, Luke smirked.

"Hey."

"What?"

And then—his dumb side woke up.

"Say it. 'If you want to change the world, you have to start by changing yourself.!'"

Luke grinned.

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