The wolf's body still lay at his feet.
Ryuji stood still for a few seconds, his breath short, shoulders heavy, fingers still trembling from the impact of the fight. A metallic smell hung in the air, mixed with the dampness of the stone.
Silence fell.
A silence too clean.
Too sudden.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Then—
A sound.
A scraping against the rock.
A second one.
Then several more.
Ryuji slowly turned his head.
In the shadows of the dungeon… shapes were forming.
— "Of course…"
Eyes gleamed in the darkness.
One.
Two.
Then twelve.
They were there.
Wolves.
Smaller than the first… but more numerous.
And above all—
More organized.
They didn't charge.
They surrounded.
Slowly.
Methodically.
Ryuji took a deep breath, adjusting his stance despite the fatigue already settling in his muscles.
— "You're waiting for the right moment, huh…"
A growl answered.
Low.
Coordinated.
The yellow eyes glowed like embers in the dark.
Then—
A leap.
Ryuji pivoted sharply to the side, letting the jaws snap through the air. He retaliated immediately, striking with a shard of stone picked up from the ground.
Crack.
The impact made the beast recoil, but it didn't fall.
Not enough.
A second attack came already.
Too fast.
He raised his arm—
A sharp pain.
Fangs cut into his skin.
— "Tch…!"
He stepped back, his breath heavier.
They left him no respite.
A third wolf tried to circle behind him.
Ryuji anticipated it.
This time he moved forward.
No retreat.
A solid step.
He caught the beast mid-leap, using its momentum to slam it violently against the wall.
A spray of blood splattered the floor.
Another came from the right.
He spun, using the first body as an improvised shield.
Fangs sank into it.
A cry.
An opening.
He struck.
Again.
Again.
The wolves circled him, testing, probing, looking for a flaw. Every movement had to be precise, every counter instant. He parried one strike, then another, using his legs to push back and his hands to grab and throw.
One wolf lunged at his ankle. He kicked it up violently, rolling it across the floor before another lunged at his side. He grabbed its fur, ducked, and slammed it into the wall with a sickening crack.
The fight became a dance and chaos.
Each wolf seemed to know the next, leaping in sync, attacking and retreating, dodging his blows like a single organism. Ryuji had to improvise, using the walls, the stones, every obstacle for a moment's reprieve.
A claw grazed his thigh. He cried out and struck, hitting the beast's jaw, sending it staggering.
Another attacked from behind. He pivoted, taking a scratch on the shoulder, but in return, he sent it flying with a sharp movement, protecting himself with the bodies of the already fallen wolves.
His breath quickened. His muscles screamed. Yet each strike, each throw, each dodge was a small victory. The wolves began to bleed, their movements slightly less fluid, but they were still too many.
He grabbed a wolf by the hind leg and threw it into the others, creating a collision that made several howl and growl. He used the chaos to strike two more in the flanks, forcing them to retreat.
But for every successful attack, a new wolf appeared, emerging from the shadows. The fight seemed endless.
Ryuji felt the pain spread through his limbs. Wounds burned, blood stuck to his clothes and skin, his strength dwindling. But each wolf that fell brought him closer to survival.
A moment of distraction, and a claw slashed his chest. He staggered, but rose again, gritting his teeth, striking once more, over and over, turning pain into rage and precision.
Then—
Silence.
Everything stopped.
The wolves were on the ground, wounded, crouched, or retreating, unable to continue.
Ryuji stood for a few seconds.
Then his legs gave out.
He collapsed heavily onto his back, eyes fixed on the invisible ceiling of the dungeon.
His breathing was irregular.
His entire body burned.
Every movement brought a dull ache.
— "And I'm supposed to survive three days in here…"
A weak laugh escaped him.
— "This is hell…"
His eyelids closed for a moment.
Then—
An image.
The Basilisk.
Its gaze.
The massacre.
The betrayal.
His fingers clenched slightly against the stone.
— "…but…"
His voice was low.
Almost extinguished.
But firm.
— "If I want to beat it…"
His breath trembled.
— "I have to at least make it through this."
A sound.
Light.
But different.
Ryuji slowly opened his eyes.
Something approached.
Heavier.
Slower.
More… dangerous.
A silhouette emerged from the shadows.
Massive.
Imposing.
A wolf.
But nothing like the others.
Much bigger.
Its fur was dark red, almost burnt, and its long, thick fangs reflected the dim light of the dungeon.
Its eyes fixed on Ryuji.
Without hesitation.
Without fear.
A silence.
Then—
Ryuji smiled.
Exhausted.
But genuinely.
— "Yeah… of course…"
He closed his eyes briefly, as if accepting the situation.
— "It seemed too easy."
With effort, he stood back up.
His muscles protested.
His whole body screamed to stop.
He ignored it.
As always.
His gaze swept the floor quickly.
Then—
A skeleton.
Broken.
Ancient.
Next to him…
A sword.
Rusty.
But intact.
Ryuji approached it slowly.
Picked it up.
Weighed it in his hand.
Perfect?
No.
Sufficient.
He lifted his head.
Facing the monster.
His breath still unstable.
His body already spent.
But his gaze…
Still burning.
The wolf growled.
The ground shook slightly under its step.
Ryuji adjusted his grip on the sword.
And got into guard.
The fight was about to begin.