Boom—!!!!!!!
Orario was a city of many facets. While opinions on it differed wildly, no one could ever describe the Labyrinth City as quiet.
Explosions were a common enough occurrence that they rarely warranted a second glance. However, the nature of the specific blast that had just torn through the air was particularly intriguing...
'Strong! So this is... the strongest Familia!'
"Who the hell are you, kid?"
The Zeus Familia—undisputed titans of Orario. A den of monsters crawling with elite warriors whose strength reached unreachable heights. Alongside the Hera Familia, they held the crown of the strongest, yet a look of genuine surprise now clouded their faces.
"Weren't you the one who attacked without provocation?" Akumo asked coolly.
"I was just giving you a friendly stroke as a greeting!"
The speaker was a mere junior member of the Zeus Familia. However, that label lost its modesty when considering he was a Level 4 veteran adventurer—a First-Tier vanguard.
In any other Familia, this man's strike would have been more than enough to qualify for a captaincy. Yet Akumo was currently parrying and neutralizing every blow of his relentless assault.
Klang—!!!
Thud-thud-thud-!!!!
Akumo moved with surgical precision, his sword intercepting and redirecting the opponent's fists. The moment he created a lapse in the veteran's rhythm, he hammered a fist into the man's ribs and swung the edge of his hand toward his throat.
Tack—!
"You should have swung your sword instead!" the man barked.
Whoosh—!!
Crash—!!
The counterattack was heavy. Akumo was caught and hurled into a nearby building, the structure collapsing over him. But when the dust settled, Akumo emerged from the rubble, a grin of cold enjoyment playing on his lips.
Sring—!
"So you want to do this properly?" the Zeus member snarled, drawing his weapon.
"If that is what you wish," Akumo replied.
The moment the opponent lunged, Akumo moved.
'Wait... this brat...!'
With a level of speed and lethal precision that made his previous movements look like a crawl, Akumo's blade lashed out. It sought the man's arm with unerring accuracy, carving a red line across his skin.
Slash—!
"What is your true identity? Kahaha!"
"Purposefully keeping the wound shallow while maintaining that arrogance?"
Akumo ignored the taunt. He focused on the hyper-clarity filling his mind, his senses sharpening to a razor's edge. He was about to lunge again when a voice cut through the air.
"Stop playing around, won't you?"
'This presence...?'
Boom—!!!!
An intruder entered the fray. A heavy fist slammed into Akumo's flank with the force of a falling star, sending him spiraling through the air.
"Aww, Zard-san! We were just getting to the good part!"
"...."
"Zard-san?"
'He blocked that?'
Rumble—
From within the ruins of the building, Akumo walked out. Despite his sword being shattered, he was smiling. His aura remained unshaken.
"So you're Zard-san?"
"Ho...?"
"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Akumo. I'm a rookie who joined a Familia just a week ago."
"A rookie?"
"Yes."
"You haven't even been an adventurer for a week, yet you fought that man on equal terms and even mitigated my strike?"
"Such things happen," Akumo said casually.
"Is that so?"
Zard studied the young man before him with intense interest. He let out a booming laugh before turning around, leading his subordinate away. Akumo was bleeding, yet he looked refreshed. With a light step, he began his walk back to his Familia's manor.
"To be honest, they were terrifyingly strong!"
"Normally, you'd be missing a limb or two after a scuffle with those bastards..." Loki muttered.
"Riveria-san, you're an expert in magic, right?" Akumo asked, turning to the High Elf.
"Hmm? Indeed I am."
"Teach me magic later!"
"It's not something that can simply be taught through words... Wouldn't it be better to focus on refining your swordsmanship?"
"I won't be abandoning my sword. I'll master both," Akumo stated with absolute conviction.
"Do you take magic so lightly?"
Even while engaging in idle chatter with Riveria, Akumo's mind was a battlefield. He was already dissecting the previous fight, simulating what moves would have led to victory and calculating how to survive an encounter with a titan like Zard.
"Enough talk, you two. Akumo, you're heading into the Dungeon soon. Stay sharp."
"Understood~"
Thus, Akumo's true ascent in Orario began.
From a distance, a certain Goddess watched him, her expression a complex mixture of intrigue and calculation.
"That child... what is he?"
'He possesses a brilliant soul, yet it hasn't reached the pinnacle I seek.'
'And yet....'
Freya sensed something anomalous as she observed Akumo. The light reflected in her eyes was bright, but not yet blinding enough to melt her heart. However, she felt a premonition that bordered on certainty.
'I cannot shake the feeling that this child... will carve out something unprecedented.'
Freya decided to keep a close watch on him for the time being. Cloaked in her robe, she vanished into the shadows of the street.
Time flowed like a rushing river. Akumo carved his name into the annals of the city through various trials and feats.
"Is that the Monster Rex?"
There were times he engaged in brutal, earth-shaking battles against Floor Bosses.
"This damn Pass Parade!!"
At other times, he was unlucky enough to be caught in a monster train, only to annihilate every last beast and return to the surface as if he had just taken a stroll.
"So... what do you think you're doing?"
He drew his blade with cold fury against those who dared threaten his Familia.
Two years passed. It was more than enough time for a veteran soul like Akumo to grow into a powerhouse.
"Finally, Level 4~"
"You think Level 4 is a joke, brat? Sit still while I update your status."
"When are you ever going to use that magic?"
"I'll use it when the time is right~"
"Is it still unresponsive?"
"....Probably?"
The magic [Body · Soul · Mind] had manifested at some point, but even Akumo didn't fully understand its mechanics or activation conditions. Even when he spoke the chant or tried to force a manifestation under various conditions, no tangible form of magic appeared.
"I'm heading out for the day~"
Pushing the mystery of magic aside, Akumo left the Home to head toward a familiar destination, his body moving by habit.
"To that place again?"
"My body feels sluggish if I don't go."
"Sigh..."
Riveria watched him leave, clutching several volumes on magical theory. She had come to offer him advice regarding his struggles with his magic, but he was already gone. She resolved to speak with him once he returned.
Akumo arrived at a wide, secluded hill. Waiting for him were a giant of a man and a woman with silver hair and perpetually closed eyes.
"You're late."
Boom—!!!!!
Alfia, seemingly irritated by his lack of punctuality, immediately launched a silent [Gospel] at him. Akumo vanished from the impact zone and reappeared beside Zard.
"That almost hit me, you know?"
"I fired it intending for it to hit," Alfia replied coldly.
It had been two years since they first met. The tales of his feats passed on by Loki and the memory of their first meeting were now part of a shared history.
"Well then... shall we begin today?"
Sring—
As Akumo drew his blade, his atmosphere shifted. Unlike the raw spirit of two years ago, he now radiated a refined, lethal intent.
"[Gospel]"
Klang—!!!!!
Alfia's [Satanas Verion] erupted. The sound-based magic should have obliterated everything in its path, but Akumo's longsword carved through the shockwave, neutralizing the attack.
"Hmm."
Boom—!!! Boom—!!!
The barrage of magic continued. Even with his stats maxed out at the absolute peak of Level 4—granting him power comparable to a Level 5—Akumo was forced onto the defensive by her overwhelming repertoire.
It seemed like the sparring session would end like any other day, with Akumo pushed to his limits.
Whoosh—!!!
Klang—!!!
Akumo suddenly launched the spear from his back with blistering speed. Alfia intercepted it with her magic, but that momentary diversion was all Akumo needed. He closed the distance in a flash.
"[My experiences, my adventures, bloom according to my will]"
'I can do it...! I feel it coming!'
"[Gospel]"
Staring down the invisible wall of sound, Akumo focused every ounce of his being on her. He didn't blink. He swung his sword with the absolute conviction of a man who had conquered a thousand lifetimes.
Klang—!!!!!!!!!
"Alfia!"
Akumo's blade didn't just parry the magic; it sliced clean through the intangible spell, continuing its trajectory to strike the very palm of Alfia's hand.
"....How did you do that?"
Thud—
Before he could answer, Akumo collapsed from utter exhaustion. Zard let out a low whistle of admiration before hoisting the boy onto his shoulder to carry him back to the Loki Familia manor. The day's training was over.