Allen Fromel and Bete Loga sustained a massive, point-blank impact powerful enough to rattle the adventurers' camp far in the distance. Blood now dripped from their bodies, which were riddled with wounds from projectile-like debris and suicidal defensive maneuvers that had pushed their muscles to the point of collapse.
Both adventurers possessed abilities focused entirely on blinding speed; consequently, their endurance remained lower than other first-tier adventurers of the same level. Naturally, one could not compare their stats as Level 6s to any second-tier or lower rank, but their opponent was a born monster with brute strength surpassing even that of Revis.
An immense gap in physical power turned every glancing blow from the beast into a surely fatal injury.
"Don't screw with me!!"
Allen lunged with explosive velocity. Surrendering to a violent rage that made him forget his wounds and pain, he resumed his assault. His movements, driven by pure predatory instinct, rendered the path of his silver spear's blades invisible to the naked eye.
Allen forged his fury into raw power. He closed in on the beast with demonic speed, dodging a fist that slammed into the earth by a hair's breadth before delivering a full-strength strike as he blurred past.
A succession of attacks followed at such staggering speeds that they appeared as teleportation—a barrage of stabs that arrived before the sound of the air being pierced. A rain of silver light erupted from his divine mastery, weaving together the movements of the silver spear and the silver boots. Despite the sensation of striking a solid block of steel, Allen did not waver; he continued to pour a hellfire of attacks without pause.
Although the bull possessed a massive body shielded by hide and rock-solid muscle, it could not withstand this relentless torrent of thrusts. It began to retreat, letting out cries of intense agony.
"Uoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!"
Yet, the black bull did not falter. It transitioned to a counterattack immediately. It swung a massive right fist like a cannonball to intercept the incoming strikes. Facing that destructive force, the duo did not retreat; instead, they dove into the heart of the danger.
As a testament to their resolve, the silver spear began to trace intersecting paths of light, while the silver boots—leaving behind phantom afterimages of reddish-silver—spun with unprecedented speed and ferocity.
The scene resembled a raging storm or a lightning bolt piercing the horizon. Within their sharp focus, the flow of time in the world around them began to slow significantly.
"Gah!!"
Bete Loga evaded the bull's strike by a narrow margin. He leveraged his momentum to spin his body, burying his silver boot directly into the bull's face. The magical power stored in the boot exploded upon the horrific impact, turning into raging, swirling flames that split the earth beneath their feet.
This should have been a finishing blow. Bete Loga's eyes widened in shock, his features twisting as if he were witnessing something impossible.
He had delivered a kick charged with enough power to crush a Floor Boss. Yet, the bull did not fall. Although blood gushed from its entire body, its will to fight never waned; if anything, it seemed to burn even brighter.
Bete Loga stood trembling before this strength, endurance, and vital spirit that no human adventurer could possess—traits unique to monsters that transcend all limits.
The bull glared with fury at the foot that had kicked it, then swung down a massive arm resembling a giant tree trunk.
The blow generated a violent wind as it approached, prompting Bete Loga to let out an angry grunt as he twisted his body in mid-air in a desperate defensive maneuver to move away.
The moment Bete Loga cleared the area, a silver flash surged to take his place. In the next instant, the Labyrinth floor collapsed deeply, triggering a resonant earthquake. The strike Allen delivered with all his might possessed destructive power rivaling a giant's hammer.
But even after receiving this extraordinary blow, the bull remained standing. The wounds caused by Bete's attack were already beginning to knit together. The bull looked down at the two with a condescending gaze, then lunged at them again, spreading its arms wide.
Neither Allen nor Bete Loga could hide their dread before this monster that fought two first-tier adventurers without yielding an inch. The "Beast's" roars, which shook the surroundings, nearly shattered their resolve, forcing them to retreat to a certain distance to regroup.
Immense pressure pierced their skin—a murderous intent and an overwhelming presence emanating from the beast. Despite their fury, Allen and Bete Loga re-aligned their weapons toward the creature that combined an indomitable will with pure combat instinct.
No matter how powerful Level 6 adventurers were, their physical and mental energy had limits. Continuing to cross such dense lines of death as if facing a Floor Boss would inevitably drain their strength.
More surprisingly, the monster began to adapt gradually to the movements of both warriors. It displayed "finesse" and "maneuverability" as if it possessed true intelligence. While its skill had not yet reached the level of these veterans, utilizing it with those terrifying stats made it a lethal weapon.
Facing this horrifying growth, the two realized with certainty: if they did not bring it down here, no one would be able to deter it in the future.
The speed of the monster's growth had seemingly surpassed even their fears.
"Uo... Uoooooooooo──!!"
The monster swung a wide, black blow. It was a strike carrying enough destructive power to cleave pillars of rare ore. Bete Loga should have evaded it with ease──── but the strike stopped suddenly, right before Bete's eyes.
(What?── Could it be a feint?)
In that moment, the violent black strike buried itself directly into Bete Loga's body.
Asfi Al Andromeda had narrowly survived the tsunami of destruction and witnessed the struggle, which had lasted less than a minute.
The fight did not last long after Bete Loga's strength failed him, a single blow shattering the battle's balance. Ryu Lion was unable to fill the void Bete left, and Allen alone could not face an opponent of such might.
No matter how fast an individual is, they will fall into a trap if they are alone. The duo had managed to confuse the monster thanks to their combined extreme speed, but after Bete fell, Allen also received a crushing black blow.
Of course, the two did not go down without a response; the bull suffered grievous wounds across its entire body. The last two attacks it received while trying to settle the battle had torn its flesh beyond description.
The monster had achieved victory only after abandoning defense and surrendering to a suicidal assault. The price was steep; it was now in a critical state that made even its automatic regeneration via burning magical energy falter. Yet, the fighting spirit did not vanish from its eyes.
Its eyes watched a youth with a young face and white hair, rising from the wreckage left by its finishing blow.
"Oh.."
The sudden tsunami of destruction had easily shattered the formations of the high-level adventurers, leaving many unable to rise. As for Bell Cranel, who had been surrounded by adventurers, he managed to stand because he was relatively far from the center of destruction. Nevertheless, his legs were trembling violently.
Bell exerted every ounce of resolve to move his shaking legs and stand. What he saw inspired despair. There he saw Ryuu, the veteran elven warrior, and Allen, the cat person who served as a leader of the city's strongest Familia. More importantly, he saw his mentor, Bete Loga, lying fallen.
But there was no time to shake with fear.
The black shadow approaching him with heavy steps was about to arrive. It was the living embodiment of destruction and death.
The monster ignored the high-level adventurers entirely, charging its massive body in a straight line toward Bell. The black bull cut its path as if it saw these adventurers as mere trivial obstacles, tossing them left and right. Facing this rampaging beast that crushed every attack directed at it, even the strong adventurers retreated, shivering in terror.
Under Asfi's leadership, the adventurers tried to reorganize their ranks and fire arrows, but they did not affect it at all; it continued to advance with indescribable madness.
──── Targeting Bell alone.
"────?!"
"Uooooooooooooooooooooooooo──!!"
The speed of the black bull's pounce was majestic; it closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. It raised its front leg and brought it down with earthquake-inducing force, shattering the ground and sending dust and debris flying in every direction. Amidst the swirling sand and rock fragments that attacked Bell mercilessly, the black destroyer began to turn, searching for Bell to resume the assault.
The massive sword the bull carried sliced through the air as it swung downward, intent on crushing Bell into the ground he stood upon. A single blow of this kind was enough to end his life instantly. When Bell tried to jump back to evade, the black tyrant lunged toward him with even greater intensity.
Before the massive black body that suddenly appeared in front of him, Bell instinctively jumped aside. His evasion of the horizontal sword strike that shattered the earth was a pure miracle; had his reaction slowed for a fraction of a second, Bell Cranel's life would have ended at that moment.
The shockwave emanating from the sword's impact with the Labyrinth floor tore Bell's body with wounds. Bell was sent flying, feeling his eardrums about to burst from the roar of the impact, and he tumbled forcefully across the ground, scraping its surface with his body.
When he finally stopped, his body was battered and covered in blood. With great difficulty, he raised his head to find the black destroyer heading toward him once again.
Its speed was now far greater than before, charging like a runaway train that knew no stop.
"Master Bell!!"
"Gah, cough.."
While he felt as if his bones were shattering as he tried to rise from the rubble of the collapsed Labyrinth floor, a voice calling his name reached Bell's ears.
Bell looked around the Labyrinth, parts of which were lit by a faint, moonlight-like glow from the ceiling crystals, and saw the face of a familiar girl; it was Liliruca Arde.
Bell gathered what remained of his strength and stood to face the black destroyer.
The black destroyer landed, causing the ground to shake, its eyes glowing with a clear desire to fight. Although it was a monster with a massive muscular body, its gaze carried a glimmer of reason and intelligence. Even though it represented the embodiment of absolute violence, Bell, for some reason, no longer felt afraid of it.
The sight of it carrying that familiar black sword made it resemble a knight, and its gaze, watching him while crushing blue crystals under its feet, indicated a sharp intellect.
But why?
Why did Bell feel as if he had not met this monster for the first time?
Something inside him whispered it to him.
Bell stood sweating before the desperate power gap, brandishing his knife, while the black destroyer remained silent, making no sound, merely standing there in stillness.
"...?"
That rampant killing intent it had been releasing vanished completely now, replaced by a profound silence as it watched Bell as if assessing him. Bell felt confused before this sudden calm.
Those red eyes staring at him seemed to carry a sense of nostalgia toward Bell. The crimson horns shining under the light of the crystals looked like a majestic crown atop its head. The two faced each other in silence, each watching the other's movements without a word.
The other adventurers stopped moving as they witnessed this strange scene. In those tense moments that almost made everyone forget how to breathe, the bull opened its mouth to break the silence.
"Name."
The black monster had spoken clear human words. Bell could not believe his ears; for a monster to understand human language—the arch-enemy of humanity and a creature devoid of reason—was something beyond the realm of logic.
"I want to hear your name."
It was no illusion; they were real human words. A calm and dignified voice that did not suit its monstrous appearance—a voice heard only by Bell and Ryuu standing near them. Its tone resembled that of a silent "warrior"; a low voice suggesting prestige, yet carrying a strangely comforting resonance.
"Dream."
"What?"
"── I am seeing a dream."
"A dream in which I fight one human."
"Amidst a struggle where flesh was torn and blood flowed, we exchanged our wills with certainty... the ultimate opponent."
Bell's eyes widened in shock as he connected the black sword the monster carried to the "dream" it spoke of. Memories of the not-so-distant past began to flood his mind.
The memory representing the first "adventure" and the first "achievement" of his life—the memory of the fight against the Minotaur. That battle in which he risked his life, and the moment he exhausted all his strength to see what lay beyond the limits.
"Another duel... there is an entity pushing me forcefully to this extent."
While Bell reached the truth amidst his shock, the monster continued speaking. It spoke of a scene Bell Cranel would never forget.
It was the encounter with the destined enemy that had fundamentally changed the course of the boy Bell's life. Bell's memory conjured the scene with total clarity:
The vision stained with crimson blood.
The shock that rattled the earth.
And the raging storm of violence.
"To meet the inhabitant of that dream, I stand here now."
The black monster continued to weave its words, and Bell's body trembled; it was not a tremor of fear or dread, but a tremor caused by the intense "longing" the monster displayed—an excitement that shook his very being.
"My name is Asterius ──────── I want to hear your name."
"... Bell. Bell Cranel."
The monster received the name as if carving it into its heart, and it seemed to smile with happiness. Then, it slowly pointed its black sword toward Bell. Bell was not so foolish as to miss the meaning of this gesture; the black destroyer standing before him was requesting a formal duel.
"Bell, please."
With a gaze full of the passion of intense combat, the monster pleaded:
"Let us fight again."
Under the light of the crystals, they stood face to face. The monster, bleeding from everywhere but having not lost its desire to fight after achieving the long-awaited encounter, and the boy, whose bones and muscles screamed in pain yet who did not move and remained brandishing his weapon.
Bell's mind screamed inside him that it was impossible, and that he had no chance of winning; how could he fight a monster that his own mentor could not defeat? Nevertheless, Bell's heart refused to run.
Bell looked beneath the bull's feet, where the pool of blood was expanding moment by moment. The blood that would not stop flowing stained the ground red, and it even bled from the arm gripping the black sword.
It was clear that he was riddled with wounds; had he not possessed the vitality of monsters, he would have passed away long ago.
Yet, that monster remained standing. Its eyes shone with sincere heat as it stared directly at Bell. Blood boiled in Bell's veins, and his heart pounded violently.
Bell's soul shook before the sight of that bull, which had decided to remain on the battlefield despite exhausting its magical energy and being in a near-death state.
That was the call to challenge from his destined opponent, who had paved his way by defeating Bete Loga and Allen Fromel, the fastest men of the City of Heroes.
Bell Cranel felt that he must not run from this situation. Bell lowered his body, stabilized his center of gravity, gripped his knife in his right hand in a reverse grip, and extended his left hand forward. Exactly as he had done when he embarked on that "adventure" for the first time.
Bell wanted to run, and at the same time, he longed to fight with all his strength. The monster remained still, and silence pervaded the place as if time had stopped in a work of art. Bell, holding the Goddess Blade in a reverse grip, and the monster, brandishing its massive sword; their gazes met, and nothing remained in the place but the thirst for conflict.
Bell broke the silence and launched forward with blinding speed.
In the moment the black sword intersected with the silver dagger, Bell felt that Asterius had turned up the corners of his mouth in a smile. Then the monster raised its head toward the ceiling of the Labyrinth—the mother of monsters—and let out a roar that shook everything around it.
──────── The starting gun of the battle had sounded.
▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
[100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
°
•
°
👑 Get early access to 85+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Raven737
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!Your support really helps the series grow—thank you