The sacred underground church where Hestia had briefly taken refuge, was also once the secret biase of Alfia within Orario. However, following the war, the entire site had been reduced to a charred ruin—deserted and forgotten.
It was here, amid broken stone and crumbling archways, that Leon and Tsubaki began their direct combat trial.
The purpose of this test was threefold: to assess Tsubaki's melee strength after her angelic reincarnation, gauge her magic resistance, and evaluate the power of the flame she had awakened.
Because they were focusing on close combat, the trial excluded advanced combat skills or techniques. This was raw force versus raw force—pure weapon-on-weapon collisions.
The two clashed.
Sparks exploded as their weapons struck, the impact echoing through the ruins like thunder. Leon narrowed his eyes, instinctively reading Tsubaki's newfound might.
"Level 6. Stats around 300." Leon muttered after the first exchange.
Tsubaki grinned. "Then let's test speed next."
Leon nodded, and the two began a series of rapid movements—slashes, dodges, feints—testing agility, reaction time, and speed of execution.
After several minutes of intense exchange, Leon finally lowered his weapon and offered his conclusion.
"Your overall close-combat strength is firmly within the Level 6 range." He said. "You've exceeded 300 in physical stats."
"Hah! Not bad!" Tsubaki laughed, hands on her hips. "At Level 5, I was barely over 100. Getting a full upgrade plus a stat boost—this is a massive win."
Leon smiled but remained thoughtful. "More than that, you've probably entered a period of rapid growth. Your body is in a state of rebirth. The gains will come faster—at least for now."
Tsubaki nodded seriously. "Then let's move to the next trial: magic resistance."
Leon raised a hand, already gathering magic power. "Alright. I'll start at Level 4 intensity and raise the power incrementally."
To test her resistance, Tsubaki would confront the spells barehanded, without resistance skills—only her angelic body and natural resilience.
Leon released a compressed blast of Level 4 fire magic.
Tsubaki stood her ground and met it with a straight punch.
Boom!
The spell shattered like glass, scattered by the sheer force of her strike. Her fist was slightly scorched, but she remained unshaken.
"Nice! That barely hurt!" Tsubaki beamed. "Keep going!"
Leon nodded and ramped up the next blast to Level 5.
This time, when Tsubaki punched forward, the explosion didn't break apart.
Instead, the two forces—flesh and fire—clashed, wrestling in midair for several tense seconds.
Eventually, the spell fizzled out from lack of sustained magic power. Leon had cast it without chanting or reinforcement.
Tsubaki, however, was left staring at her fist—blood trailing down her knuckles.
"Yeah… that one hurt." She muttered, shaking out her hand.
Leon examined the injury. "So, Level 5 magic is your current threshold. But don't worry—this will improve as your angelic form matures."
"If angelic resistance stopped at Level 5, it'd hardly be worthy of the name."
"I agree." Tsubaki nodded, then gave Leon a playful pout. "But still, heal me, will you? My fist's bleeding, you know."
Her tone was laced with exaggerated charm.
Leon chuckled, raising a hand. A warm glow of light magic wrapped around her injured hand, restoring it instantly.
Tsubaki clenched her fingers into a fist, grinning. "No matter how many times I see it, your healing magic really is something else."
Leon never needed healing potions—just stamina and magic recovery items. His spells alone were more effective than most professional medics.
"Alright, let's move on." Tsubaki said, excitement rising again. "Now it's time to test the flame ability I just awakened."
She looked at Leon, fire practically dancing in her eyes.
"I have a feeling the flames are even stronger than my physical strength."
Leon nodded. "Then unleash your strongest flame attack. I'll measure it myself."
Tsubaki didn't hesitate. She took a deep breath and raised her hand, beginning to charge her inner flame.
The air around her shimmered. Heat intensified. The scent of scorched dust filled the ruined hall. The surrounding atmosphere twisted visibly, as if reality itself was warping around her.
Leon responded in kind. A white light formed in his palm, divine and focused.
Then—
BOOM!!!
Flame and light collided with cataclysmic force.
A blinding explosion tore through the ruins, shaking the foundations of Orario itself.
Elsewhere in the city, the patrols scrambled to respond. When they arrived at the impact site, they found a massive crater—dozens of meters wide and nearly five meters deep. Scorch marks and lingering flame marred the edges.
...
In the Hephaestus Familia's workshop room, Tsubaki collapsed onto a cushion, wiping sweat from her brow.
"Phew… that was close. We nearly got caught." She muttered with relief.
She hadn't expected her collision with Leon to cause such destruction.
Had they not suppressed the spell output at the last second, it might have gouged a crater hundreds of meters wide.
She turned to Leon, who had just returned alongside her.
"Hey, Leon. Based on that last attack—how powerful was it?"
She tilted her head, curiosity written across her face.
"I mean, if you had to rank it in terms of magic—did it reach Level 7 output?"
Tsubaki wasn't exactly sure how to classify what she'd done. All she knew was that the strength of the flames far exceeded even her most powerful forged magic swords.
She remembered Riveria's magic clash with the Demi Spirit on the 59th floor but hadn't had time to observe it properly back then.
She was hoping Leon had a clearer answer.
Leon thought for a moment before replying.
"With your current max output? I'd say it's between the upper limit of Level 6 and early Level 7."
"Comparable to Riveria's strongest magic when cast at full strength."
Tsubaki's eyes widened.
"That means I can go toe-to-toe with Riveria now!"
Leon smirked. "Don't get too excited. Riveria still has more magic power and mental endurance than you."
"She might run longer in a drawn-out battle, especially because your firepower consumes magic power with every use."
"But…" he added, "you don't need to chant."
"In a direct clash, you're evenly matched."
Tsubaki's grin stretched ear to ear.
"Wow… from nothing to this in one step. Leon, you've really handed me a game-changer."
She leaned back lazily, hands behind her head.
Leon crossed his arms. "Don't get cocky. This is only the beginning."
"You're in your growth phase. Push yourself while it lasts. Train hard. Refine your strength."
Tsubaki rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes, yes. I'll work hard."
She then glanced at him with a half-smile. "But you know, this power… it's all thanks to you."
"Let me repay you sometime, properly."
With that, she waved as Leon departed.
—
After leaving the Hephaestus Familia, Leon made his way to Twilight Manor.
Upon arrival, he noticed that most members of Loki Familia were nowhere to be seen.
They had all headed to Daedalus Street, continuing their search for the rumored entrance to the artificial dungeon.