The courtyard had grown quiet after Marie's dazzling transformation. The rays of the morning sun were reflected off the crystalline armor, sending streaks of gold, silver, and various colors that nearly blinded the others.

"Well… they are comfortable at least, even if they are meant to be metallic," Lisa finally said, rolling her shoulders as her various angelic white wings contracted. "So now all there is left to do is test our new armor… the only place we can get a good fight, though, will be the labyrinth."

The others nodded, though Alma was the one who voiced the lingering question. She lifted her hand toward the musical ring that hovered just above her waist. "But why do some of us even have these aura rings? The only difference I think is that they are for those of us that can't fly, possibly… right?"

All eyes turned to Marie. She beamed, clearly waiting for someone to ask that very question.

"That's exactly what I had in mind," she said proudly. "The rings aren't just for show. They're for enhancing your abilities and giving those of us who can't fly mobility." She spun in place, her mirrored shards flickering before combining into a ring beneath her feet, much like Charlotte's shield when it had lifted her into the air.

"Think of them like magical stabilizers. If you can't fly, they'll let you jump higher, glide, and adjust your balance midair. Perfect for navigating the labyrinth's terrain and for keeping up with Logan and Lizzy, who have those flashy wings that let them zip everywhere."

Ruri's cheeks flushed thinking that she was now going to be able to keep up with Logan as her own twin rings rotated lazily around her wrists. "So, you are telling me these rings will help me fly somehow?"

"Sure, the principle is the same for all of them, mine and Charlotte's combine to make a platform," Marie said, hands on her chin as if trying to remember each function she asked Ruben to give them.

"As for you, Ruri, those rings will link up to various parts of your body and lift you up, a safer method for you than those of us who are heroes. Alma's work differently, though, since she already commands wind, her gown can spread out like sails. All she has to do is direct her magic, and the suit will carry her through the air."

Alma glanced down at the crystalline folds of her gown, her lips parting in surprise, though she tried and failed to hide the worry in her eyes. "Wait… don't tell me I'm going to look like a blimp or a balloon when this thing is being pushed around by the wind…"

Marie clasped her hands dramatically, her eyes sparkling. "Well… you've got the gorgeous looks to pull it off, don't you? Besides, now you can finally keep up with everyone else."

Alma groaned softly, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed the hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

Now that they know what their aura rings could do, they began to plan their day.

Before they could set off, Ruben cleared his throat.

The smith hero stood with his own suit that he used to get here, though one look at him and you could clearly see he had worked throughout the night.

"One more thing. Marie's given me a way to see how your suits perform in real combat. The crystals she embedded will record and feed everything back to me so can correct any errors that the nano-probes might produce. That way, I can adjust the fits, flaws, and maybe even improve the ring systems."

His eyes softened as he looked across his inventions. He had even made a set for Wayana and Irma to use when they aren't using the mecha suits he crafted for them.

His next words, though, carried a trace of worry since he was not the one to take proper measurements. "That said… the suits are holding up, right? No issues, I hope?"

"They fit perfectly," Serana said plainly, testing how easy it was to remove her gauntlets; they basically disappeared when she thought about it.

"Of course they do!" Marie interjected, puffing out her chest proudly. "I was the one who handled the all the work in designing them."

"Well, you outdid yourself as always, Marie…" Rubina added, she stretched herself to see how the nano-probes worked when she moved around. "You two, Ruben, this almost feels like a second skin, it's perfect."

Charlotte shifted uncomfortably, tugging at her armored skirt. "They… fit me perfectly, but how we haven't even spoken much?" she admitted, her cheeks turning pink.

"Well, I may have… done 3D models of you all," Marie admitted before going quiet, her cheeks pink with embarrassment.

She quickly waved her hands as if to brush it off. "Anyway, don't worry about that! Just thank Ruben and the spirits for helping us make these powers real. Now then, we really need to start testing. The last thing I want is for my best work to fail when it matters most. And besides…" her tone softened, "I want to use these as a reference to upgrade Logan's armor. Maybe next time, he won't come back as beaten up as he did yesterday.

Lisa was the first to take to the air, her white wings unfurling to their full span as she rose effortlessly above the courtyard. Sunlight caught on her new armor, casting radiant flashes across the stone below.

She turned back toward Ruben, who was now next to Irma and Wayana.

"We'll test them properly, Ruben. We'll even give verbal feedback on what needs to be adjusted. I think the 84th floor of the labyrinth will do; it should be at least safe enough. It has strong monsters, but nothing we can't handle together."

The others nodded in agreement.

It was the day after Logan's brutal fight in the dungeon, and though their leader still rested, they all carried the same thought in their hearts: if he had faced such a challenge alone, then they needed to rise higher together.

By midday, sunlight poured over the city as they put their new suits to use.

They took turns leaping into the air, testing the aura rings and the weight of their armor. Some stumbled at first, others glided more naturally, but each attempt improved their control.

When Ruben finally gave his nod of approval, Silvia stepped forward. With practiced precision, she spread her hands and opened a glowing rift in space. "No need to waste time flying all the way there," she said, her voice calm as a portal expanded before them.

One by one, they stepped through, the world shifting in mere moments before they instantly emerged on the 84th floor of the labyrinth.

Lisa raised her hand at once, summoning a radiant orb of light that floated above them. "Everyone ready?" she asked, her voice echoing faintly in the vast canyons below them.

Around them stretched an immense cavernous system, its jagged cliffs and steep ledges stretching higher than any cathedral; the darkness caused them to feel a little hesitation about flying when they couldn't see how far the ground was below them.

It was the perfect floor to test their skills in flight and coordination, but also their ability to work together.

The faint feeling of wind currents could be felt as soon as they began to fly in the large cavern.

At first, it seemed easy to just stay afloat and try to keep themselves from falling. Lisa even made new orbs of light that would follow one of the girls and even had mana to spare for making even more that let them see their surroundings clearly.

It was a peaceful area, with a beautiful, hidden waterfall that was visible only with Lisa present.

But then came the screeches from afar, they were earsplitting cries that vibrated against the walls.

Lisa's light orb illuminated movement above them. Dozens of winged shapes clung to the cliffs, their talons scaping through the stone as they gathered to take flight to reach the labyrinths' intruders.

"They look like harpies," Silvia muttered, narrowing her eyes. "Or… something close to them. But they seem more beast than human."

The creatures launched themselves from the ledges. Their wings were tattered and unkept yet powerful, feathers filled with sharp jagged edges that were clearly meant for more than just flight. Their faces were seriously ugly, beaks that contained sharp corners that resembled needle-sharp teeth, and their eyes glowed yellow; they looked eerie in the dark.

With the help of Lisa's light, they could clearly see that their most dangerous weapon are their claws, which were long and hooked, designed to tear flesh and armor with ease.

"Perfect test subjects, huh?" Rubina said with a grin, summoning flames that coiled easily around her hands.

"Yes, that is if there weren't so many. Watch out, they're coming fast," Charlotte warned, raising her sword as she stood over her shield. She was still getting used to balancing herself over it.

The first wave of monsters dove toward the girls.

Lisa, who flew as though she had been born with wings, shot upward with a single, powerful beat. Her spear was in position to pierce the first enemy that came towards her, while its tip flashed so bright it blinded those around her prey. With just one thrust, the creature split in two.

Alma's voice rose to help her comrades, providing shields and enhancing their next attack by almost double.

The only thing she did not like was that her gown began fluttering as a gale of wind surged outward, causing it to expand in size and making her sway just a little.

"Thanks, Alma!" Marie called as she readied a few illusions to keep the enemies confused. Three duplicates of her flickered into existence, each hurling crystalline projectiles that were all but fake.

The harpies needed to swerve to avoid the sharp projectiles, some even missed, slamming into solid rock as the illusions dispersed in a crystalline mist that returned to the girl.

Serana, who also knew the skies well, spread her bat-like wings, dark mist swirling from her armor as shade and chaos magic intertwined to produce the effect she wanted.

With a snap of her fingers, dark thorns began to stretch around her, constructing tendrils that wrapped around each enemy's body while pulling them all towards one spot.

Her attack easily skewered a cluster of harpies that had tried to flank them. Their screeches cut short as blood spurted, and yet none of that blood got a chance to drop into the deep canyon below as Serana used her blood magic to collect it and cause even further damage to the creatures that still intended to fly towards them.

Silvia stood calm at the center of it all, her visor glowing faintly as it marked each enemy that would pose the most danger.

She raised one hand, causing the circle of rotating runes around her waist to spin faster while splitting.

With a flick of her wrist, she wordlessly invoked Elemental Convergence.

Soon, various symbols began to glow; the first of these caused arcs of fire and lightning to dance together around her. This was only the start, as wind also appeared as the previous two elements merged into streaks of plasma that tore across the sky.

Entire groups of harpies dropped without her even sending the attack forth, burned to ash before they even hit the ground.

"Show-off," Rubina muttered, though a playful smirk tugged at her lips.

Ruri, who was the most inexperienced within the group, looked hesitant for only a moment before her rings responded to protect her. Ten or so golden bands began to rotate around her at high speed, orbiting her body in perfect symmetry.

"Kill them!" she commanded, as the small bracelets took on a deadly form, sharp edges formed as they quickly shot forward to attack the four or five harpies that swooped to attack the girl

"They're working!" she gasped, surprised that she didn't have to control them all the time.

"Focus, Ruri!" Lisa's voice cut through the dark as she closed in to help Ruri by killing a harpy that wanted to take her by surprise.

"Yes, sorry about that, and thanks, Lisa, I didn't even see that one."

Charlotte, who usually worked well in groups, braced herself as she provoked all the harpies around her. Her sword produced a strong, blinding light, the impact and radiance of the weapon reverberating through the cavern.

With a sharp twist of her sword, she was able to easily slash more than harpies almost at once. She then lunged, her short sword piercing through the chest of many more.

The only thing the others could see was the golden trail of her blade as she slashed to meet each of her opponents.

The group's combined strength was overwhelming. Harpies fell one after another, bodies scattering across the cavern floor. Yet the shrieks hadn't stopped. Deeper in the darkness, even more of the dreadful winged beasts approached, their numbers far from depleted.

Lisa hovered higher, her spear glowing with divine energy as she readied herself to use Holy Nova.

She swept her gaze across the battlefield, her voice commanding. "Get back, while I try to deal with the bulk of the group. We still need to fight various creatures to keep testing these suits."