Seems like it never ends…
Donna let out a long sigh as she leaned against one of the walls of the central hall, taking a few seconds to catch her breath after yet another relentless wave of proto-monsters.
Her clothes were stained with a mixture of blood and green slime that had spread across much of the hall. Even so, her body remained completely unharmed. For an S-Rank hero, it was practically impossible to suffer even a scratch from creatures that weak.
Still, numbers exhaust anyone.
Donna and the other instructors could not abandon their positions. Not while the central hall was still full of students.
"Did you finish the count after the last group?"
Donna asked, drawing the attention of one of the instructors who was examining a notebook while scribbling hurried notes.
"Y-Yes, Miss Longbern!"
He adjusted his glasses and began flipping through the pages quickly.
"At the moment, almost all the students who were on the excursion are already here in the hall… with the exception of seven names."
For a moment, Donna let out a breath of relief.
Almost everyone was safe.
But before she could truly relax, the instructor tore a page from the notebook and handed it to her.
Seven names were written there.
==========
Kevin Voss
Emma Roshfield
Amanda Stern
Jin Horton
Ren Dover
Melissa Hall
Kazehara Yuto
==========
"Argh… figures."
Donna sighed again.
Those students were strong enough to reach the central hall without any difficulty. The fact that they were still not here probably meant only one thing.
They were trying to solve the problem themselves.
Her gaze grew more serious.
Looks like this hole goes deeper than we thought…
✦☀✦──────────────────────⚔──────────────────────✦☾✦
Spurt.
With a wet, unpleasant sound, a sword was pulled out from the body of a proto-monster, which collapsed to the floor for the final time.
"I think that was the last one in this area."
A new window appeared in front of Kevin.
====================
• Eliminate 30 Proto-Monsters (30/30) ✔
• Do not allow any student to die
• Defeat 1 Elite Proto-Monster (0/1)
Rewards:
• Experience (XP)
• Monster Cores
• Bonus reward if all students survive
====================
"Looks like you lost… but that was obvious."
Jin said with an arrogant smile while running his fingers through his blond hair and spinning a dagger still stained with blood between them.
"We both killed thirty-two monsters. That's a technical tie."
Kevin replied, clearly annoyed, as he wiped the blood and slime off his blade.
"Classic loser talk."
"What did you say?"
When the group had gathered there, Kevin and Jin had made a small bet about who would kill more monsters. Nothing surprising. The two of them were always competing.
"Alright then… since it's a tie, why don't we settle it right now?"
Jin raised the dagger and pointed it at Kevin with a provoking grin.
"Fine by me."
Kevin answered immediately, unsheathing his sword. It was definitely not the first friendly fight between the two.
"Alright, that's enough. You two look like children."
Emma interrupted, pushing both of them back with the side of her twin swords, still stained from the fight.
"I think we cleared this area. That should help the factory staff, right?"
She wiped a drop of sweat from her forehead and sheathed her weapons, leaning against the wall. After fighting so many proto-monsters, it seemed she had finally overcome the fear of that dark, unsettling corridor.
"Yes… but they're still taking quite a while."
Kevin commented thoughtfully, referring to the factory employees who had yet to resolve the situation.
Maybe the problem was more complicated than they thought.
"Well… either way, I think we should head to the hall. I doubt we'll find anything else here."
They had decided to remain there precisely to clear the corridor and make it easier for students to pass through. So far they had already helped more than ten students, sending them safely to the central hall.
But before they could decide their next move…
A scream echoed from the depths of the corridor.
"HEEELP!!!"
!!!
"W-What?!"
A man appeared running toward them in desperation. He tried to run straight past the group, but Kevin grabbed him by the shoulders.
"W-We… w-we need to run!"
"Hey, calm down. Look at me."
Kevin tried to steady the man. He was drenched in cold sweat, trembling uncontrollably. He wore a white lab coat, clearly a factory employee.
"T-That thing is coming! We have to go!"
Kevin looked back toward the direction the man had come from.
The corridor remained silent. Just the same darkness as before.
"Hey, it's alright… there's nothing comi—"
BOOOOM!
A deafening explosion echoed as a nearby wall was suddenly blown apart.
Chunks of concrete were hurled down the corridor, raising a thick cloud of dust that made everyone cough and step back.
"Cough… cough… what the hell…?"
Before the dust even settled, a crushing pressure filled the air. Heavy. Oppressive.
Kevin was forced to drop to one knee for a moment. Emma and Jin also felt the weight of that presence.
Then the dust began to settle.
Slowly, a colossal silhouette emerged from the gray haze, oppressive and unmoving like a living wall.
Over three meters tall.
Its body was covered in dark steel armor, thick and irregular, polished enough to reflect fragments of the surrounding environment.
At the top of its head rose a single massive horn, long and sharp like a war spear.
Its body was marked by clean, precise cuts far too straight to be natural. Gaps in the armor looked as if entire sections had been removed by industrial blades or dismantling lasers. From those openings oozed a thick green liquid, dripping slowly onto the metal floor.
The armored shell ended in an exposed skull, skeletal and cadaverous, as if the skin had been completely torn away. The same green fluid leaked from the cracks in the bone and joints, pulsing slowly like a grotesque circulation.
The eyes were nothing but empty sockets.
And yet they radiated a suffocating fury that made everyone present freeze.
A new window appeared before Kevin.
[Elite Proto-Monster — Steel Rhinoceros {RANK C}]
Kevin let out a small nervous laugh as a bead of cold sweat slid down his face.
That was a monster he would never face under normal circumstances. An enemy two ranks above him. Its mere presence felt heavy enough to crush him.
He knew that alone… he would not stand a chance.
But he was not alone.
"Hey… Jin."
Kevin called, glancing back.
Emma and Jin looked just as tense as he was. Jin met his gaze and immediately understood. An arrogant grin spread across his face.
"I guess that's a good tiebreaker."
✦☀✦──────────────────────⚔──────────────────────✦☾✦
[Blood Moon Reaper {RANK C}]
The red letters still glowed in the small translucent window before my eyes.
Another Rank C monster, huh…
Just like the Infernal Spider I fought during Lock's test, this Reaper gave off exactly the same feeling. A towering wall covered in spikes.
But instead of fear…
It stirred ambition.
I want to win…
I can win!
Just like I had an advantage against the Infernal Spider thanks to Water Breathing and the rocky environment, this Reaper also had a clear weakness.
It was a proto-monster.
Even if it was strong, it was still just an animated corpse. It could never surpass the original monster.
Besides… those metallic feathers seem to conduct electricity very well…
"Tsk… what a pain!"
Melissa muttered beside me.
Her body trembled as she was slowly forced downward, almost dragged to the ground. At first glance it looked like fear.
But I knew that wasn't it.
She was suffering from the pressure of a Rank C monster.
That pressure must be incredibly annoying in this world. Many times, people didn't lose to stronger enemies simply because of the difference in power…
But because their bodies simply couldn't react.
Imagine trying to focus on a life-or-death battle while an invisible weight crushes every muscle in your body.
Looks like my immunity to pressure ended up being more useful than I expected.
"That damn crow…"
Melissa forced herself upright, supporting her body with a large silver spear that suddenly appeared in her hands.
"Stay out of this fight."
I stepped forward and spoke without taking my eyes off the Reaper. My hand was already resting on the sheath.
"What? You little brat! Are you joking—"
Swoosh!
The sound of projectiles tearing through the air echoed through the corridor.
Thunder Breathing — Second Form: Inadama (Thunder Sphere)
PLIN! PLIN! TAK! PLIN!
Five sharp impacts burst through the air.
Electrified slashes intercepted the metallic feathers almost at the same time, forming a small sphere of lightning that blocked the projectiles before they could reach us.
Melissa didn't even have time to react.
As soon as I deflected the last projectile, I shoved her away with force.
She was thrown several meters back, out of the attack line.
"Get out of here!"
It wasn't that Melissa was weak.
The problem was the enemy.
The Reaper wasn't the kind of monster you could afford mistakes against, like a warrior or a brute.
It was an assassin.
A creature made to kill quickly.
Against something like that… a single mistake meant instant death.
Swoosh.
As if confirming that thought, the Reaper simply disappeared from in front of me.
Instinctively, I ducked.
A claw sliced through the air exactly where my neck had been a moment earlier.
Almost at floor level, I pressed my hand against the sheath while my breathing intensified. Sparks of electricity began to crackle around my body.
Thunder Breathing — Third Form: Shiubun Serai (Thunder Swarm)
A burst of lightning echoed through the corridor.
Several electrified slashes shot toward the Reaper, each accompanied by spiraling bolts coming from different angles.
Swoosh!
But it was as if it were teleporting.
The black figure simply slipped between every strike, dodging with absurd ease.
At the end of my sequence, it spun its body. The cloak of black feathers moved like a living shadow.
POW!
A brutal kick slammed into my chest.
I was thrown several meters backward, landing on my knees while supporting myself with the sword.
Spurt.
I spat out a mouthful of blood.
My guard had been completely open at that moment. A mistake of mine that it took full advantage of.
The Reaper slowly tilted its head while watching me from a distance.
Those empty eyes seemed to mock me.
That was when I realized something.
It was ridiculously fast.
I could still follow its movements… but this was definitely not a fight that could be dragged out.
"So that's how it's going to be, huh…"
One strike.
That was all either of us needed.
This fight would be decided by speed.
"Let's see who's faster!"
My breathing intensified.
Electric crackles echoed around my body.
The veins beneath my skin bulged, pulsing with electricity. My blood flowed as if it were charged with lightning.
Two veins stood out around my eyes, forming something similar to the shape of a lightning bolt.
My hair rose from the static electricity.
Energy surged through every muscle in my body.
And then a strange smile spread across my face.
For some reason… nothing felt impossible anymore.
"Heh… hehehe… now we're finally even."
My voice vibrated together with the electricity as my hand returned to the sheath.
Thunder Breathing — First Form: Hekireki Issen Rokuren (Thunder and Flash, Sixfold)
I moved like lightning.
The first strike cut through the air.
But the Reaper dodged with a clean movement.
The next instant I rebounded off the wall and ricocheted back.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Second strike.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
It dodged all of them.
Its body moved like a blur of shadows.
But the sixth…
Even it wouldn't have time.
POW!
My blade collided with the cloak of metallic feathers it raised to block, creating an explosion of sparks that filled the air.
Both of us stepped back.
The Reaper held its stance… but beneath the black cloak it was possible to see burn marks spreading across the metallic surface.
"Heh… can't block electricity, can you?"
I laughed.
For some reason… every second I felt more indestructible.
The Reaper only stared at me with its empty eyes, completely indifferent to my sudden euphoria.
Then it advanced again like a shadow, its black claws aiming straight for my neck.
Thunder Breathing — Fifth Form: Retsu Kairai (Heat Lightning)
I moved at the same moment the Reaper attacked.
My charge came with an incandescent thunderbolt tearing through the air, radiating heat. Our blows collided in the middle of the corridor, and a violent explosion of sparks illuminated the surroundings.
Faster…
The Reaper jumped backward, shaking its cloak. In the same motion, it unleashed a storm of metallic feathers in my direction, like a torrent of blades.
Thunder Breathing — Sixth Form: Dengou Raigou (Electric Rain)
A storm of lightning echoed like rainfall.
Bolts intercepted dozens of feathers mid-air, lighting up the entire corridor with a shower of sparks.
Some still got through.
Shallow cuts opened across my body, tearing the skin and beginning to bleed.
But my smile only grew wider.
FASTER…
While the Reaper was still landing after launching the attack, I dashed forward like a thunderbolt and stopped right beside it, my grin so wide it barely fit on my face.
Thunder Breathing — Fourth Form: Enrai (Distant Thunder)
A brutal sequence of attacks exploded through the air. Fast strikes filled with electricity, each one strong enough to tear apart steel.
FASTER!!! HAHA!
The exchange of blows became so absurd it was impossible to follow.
The Reaper answered every attack with claws and cutting feathers. Many strikes pierced my defense, opening wounds that made more and more blood run down my body.
At the same time, more burn marks appeared beneath the cloak of metallic feathers.
Even with my face soaked in blood, my smile only grew sharper as my laughter echoed louder and louder.
Feeling the electricity racing through my veins, I was energized.
Mentally sharper.
As if my body were indestructible.
It was… simply addictive.
At the end of the sequence, the Reaper spun its body exactly like before, preparing that kick.
This time I knew it was coming.
POOW!
I placed the blade between my feet and the attack, absorbing the impact and using the force to launch myself backward.
I was thrown into the air.
So fun…
This fight awakened something strange inside me. A sense of absolute freedom, as if I could finally let myself loose. Free like electricity.
But I guess that's enough.
Spinning in the air, I landed with my feet against a wall nearly thirty meters away. My body crouched slightly, my hand once again resting on the sheath.
The Reaper was absurdly fast.
It had dodged most of my attacks perfectly. Even with Thunder Breathing's incredible speed… there was one thing I knew for sure.
This strike was absolutely impossible to dodge.
Thunder Breathing — Honoikazuchi no Kami (Flaming Thunder God)
A violent electrical explosion shook the entire corridor.
Lightning ricocheted across the walls while thunder roared through the space. In the middle of the storm, I opened my eyes, glowing intensely, overflowing with electricity.
BOOM!
I launched forward. A trail of flaming lightning painted the air yellow and red as I charged.
In a single instant I crossed the thirty meters between us.
It was fun while it lasted…
Swooosh.
The monstrous head flew through the air.
Electrified blood sprayed as the Reaper's decapitated body collapsed.
My sword slid back into the sheath with a small click.
Finally I relaxed my body, letting the electricity fade away.
I fell onto my back on the floor, right beside the Reaper's body, breathing heavily as I stared at the dark factory ceiling.
The sharp smile disappeared, along with the electricity and the euphoria flooding my body.
My face returned to its usual boredom and indifference.
That…
was dangerously fun.
✦☀✦──────────────────────⚔──────────────────────✦☾✦
What the hell is happening?
That was the only thought running through Melissa's mind during the entire fight.
At first she could still follow the movements. But the speed escalated so much that eventually she could no longer see anything clearly.
It was absurd.
Was this the power of a Named Breathing technique?
But something else was even stranger.
Sometimes, between exchanges of blows, she caught glimpses of Yuto's face.
And that definitely did not look like him.
A sharp, almost demonic grin.
His face and body covered in his own blood.
Wild laughter echoing through the corridor.
It was the complete opposite of the lazy boy who always looked bored.
"Hey… you still alive?"
Melissa approached while I was lying on the floor.
"Yeah… I think so."
I slowly sat up.
"Here. Take this."
She tossed a small glass bottle toward me.
On the label it read: Intermediate Regeneration Potion.
I drank it immediately.
A fake strawberry taste filled my mouth.
Soon white vapor began rising from my wounds as they closed.
"Hey, idiot… why were you acting like a psychopath during that fight?"
"To be honest… I have no idea."
I still remembered the feeling.
Chaotic freedom.
But I couldn't really explain it.
"Probably the electricity. You overloaded your brain with it."
"That would explain this weird lethargy I'm feeling now."
I rubbed my head.
Looks like I found a weakness in Thunder Breathing.
"Alright, enough resting. Get up. We still have to fix this mess."
"Give me a second. I'm the one who fought."
"That's because some idiot pushed me out of the fight."
"Weak argument. I disagree."
"If you have the energy to complain, you have the energy to walk."
So cruel… 😔