Katsuo and Serena descended the final staircase, their hearts pounding with anticipation. The deep rumbling they had heard earlier grew louder as they reached the bottom of the dungeon, and with each step, a sense of unease settled over them. They exchanged glances, silently acknowledging that this final trial would push them beyond anything they had faced before.

The staircase opened into an enormous underground chamber, dimly lit by a pulsating red glow emanating from the center of the room. The glow came from a massive, one-eyed Cyclops, towering at least three stories high. Its skin was rough and stone-like, its muscles bulging with raw power. In its hand, it clutched a colossal club, and in the center of its glowing, single eye was a red gem, gleaming ominously.

Katsuo’s eyes widened as he took in the scene. Scattered across the chamber floor were the bodies of the Extermination Squad, most of them either dead or seriously injured. Bloodied armor and broken weapons littered the ground, and groans of pain echoed faintly through the air from those who were still alive.

And in the middle of it all was Joel Ragnarok. The infamous colosseum champion stood before the Cyclops, his massive greatsword gripped tightly in his hands. His once-pristine armor was shattered, deep gashes covered his body, and his face was streaked with blood and sweat. His breath came in ragged gasps, but his eyes blazed with defiance as he faced the beast.

Katsuo’s eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. “Joel’s in trouble.”

Serena scoffed, though there was no humor in her voice. “You think? His entire squad got wiped out by that thing.”

Joel swung his greatsword with all his remaining strength, but the Cyclops barely flinched, blocking the blow with its club. The force of the block sent Joel staggering backward, nearly collapsing from exhaustion. Yet despite his condition, he bellowed in frustration, refusing to back down.

“Stay out of this!” Joel roared, noticing Katsuo and Serena. “This beast is mine to kill!”

Katsuo tightened his grip on his odachi, shaking his head. “You can’t do this alone.”

Joel growled in response, blood trickling down the side of his face. “I don’t need your help!”

The Cyclops let out a thunderous roar, its massive eye locking onto Katsuo, Serena, and Joel. The red gem in its eye pulsed, and without warning, it unleashed a giant laser, the beam of energy cutting through the air with terrifying speed.

“Move!” Katsuo shouted, shoving Serena out of the way as the beam scorched the ground where they had been standing moments before.

Joel barely dodged the laser himself, rolling to the side as the beam blasted into the chamber walls, sending chunks of stone flying. He cursed under his breath, his frustration boiling over as he struggled to remain standing.

“We have no choice,” Katsuo said, his voice firm. “We’re doing this together.”

Serena nodded, flipping her tonfas into position as she darted forward, her eyes locked on the Cyclops. “I hate team-ups with jerks, but fine. Let’s take this thing down.”

The Cyclops roared again, swinging its massive club in a wide arc. Katsuo and Serena dodged in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding the devastating blow. The ground cracked under the force of the attack, sending debris flying in all directions.

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Katsuo moved in with fluid precision, shifting into the 1st Form, The Way of the Blade, his odachi gleaming as he aimed for the Cyclops’s legs. His strikes were fast and precise, targeting the vulnerable points where the beast’s stone-like skin was thinner. But the creature’s size and strength made it difficult to land a significant blow.

Serena used her speed to dart around the Cyclops, delivering rapid strikes with her tonfas to its knees and joints. “It’s too tough!” she called out, dodging another swing of the club. “We need to hit that eye—the gem is powering the laser!”

Joel, gritting his teeth, growled in agreement. “I don’t need your help, but if you’re going to fight, make yourselves useful!” He charged at the Cyclops, his greatsword swinging with renewed determination, aiming directly for the creature’s midsection. His blade cut deep into its side, but the Cyclops barely reacted, only growing more enraged.

The red gem in the Cyclops’s eye pulsed again, and this time, the beam that shot from it was wider and more intense. Katsuo barely managed to block the edge of the beam with his sword, using the 4th Form, The Iron Mountain to absorb the impact. The force of the laser sent a shockwave through his arms, but he held firm, redirecting the energy away from himself.

Serena used her agility to leap onto the Cyclops’s arm, climbing up toward its head as she dodged its massive hand. “I’m going for the eye!” she called out.

The Cyclops, sensing her approach, let out a deafening roar and swung its club down, trying to knock her off. Serena narrowly avoided the attack, but the force of the blow sent her tumbling to the ground. She rolled to her feet, breathing heavily but undeterred.

Katsuo darted in again, switching between the 1st Form and 4th Form as he weaved through the Cyclops’s powerful attacks. He delivered a series of strikes to the creature’s legs, using the Iron Mountain form to deflect its crushing blows and the Way of the Blade to strike back with precision.

“We need to distract it long enough for one of us to land a hit on that gem,” Katsuo said, dodging another swing of the Cyclops’s club.

Joel, breathing heavily, scowled. “I’ll do it.” His muscles tensed, and a faint blue aura began to envelop his body. His eyes burned with fury as he unleashed his ability: Blood Surge.

With the surge of power, Joel’s strength increased dramatically. His movements became faster and more aggressive as he charged at the Cyclops. He roared, bringing his greatsword down with overwhelming force, striking the Cyclops’s arm and nearly severing it at the elbow. The beast howled in pain, its blood spraying across the chamber as it staggered back.

“Now!” Joel shouted, his voice hoarse from exertion. “Hit the eye!”

Katsuo and Serena didn’t hesitate. Katsuo sprinted forward, his odachi raised as he leaped toward the Cyclops’s head. Serena, moving in sync, darted around the creature’s legs, using her speed to close the distance.

Just as they reached the Cyclops’s head, the red gem in its eye glowed even brighter, pulsing with a dangerous intensity. Katsuo slashed at the eye with his odachi, while Serena aimed her tonfas for the gem, striking it with all her strength.

But before their attacks could land, the Cyclops let out a deafening roar and fired a massive laser into the ceiling of the chamber. The beam blasted through the stone, creating a massive hole that led to the outside world. Sunlight streamed down through the opening, momentarily blinding them all.

The Cyclops, now bleeding and enraged, staggered back. For a moment, it seemed like the battle might be over. But instead of collapsing, the beast did something unexpected—it leaped toward the hole in the ceiling.

"Is it... escaping?" Serena shouted, disbelief in her voice.

Katsuo’s eyes widened. "We can’t let it get away!"

Joel, his body still surging with the last remnants of his power, cursed under his breath. "You think I’m letting that thing go?" He took a step forward but stumbled, the Blood Surge wearing off as his strength finally gave out.

Before Katsuo or Serena could stop him, the Cyclops jumped through the hole in the ceiling, its massive form disappearing into the sunlight above. Dust and debris rained down as the chamber shook from the force of the creature’s escape.

Serena turned to Katsuo, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "Do we follow it?"

Katsuo didn’t hesitate. "We have to."

He glanced at Joel, who was now slumped against a pile of rubble, barely conscious. "What about him?"

Serena bit her lip, conflicted, but then shook her head. "He’s done. We can’t carry him with us. If he wakes up, he can follow."

Katsuo nodded grimly. "Let’s go."

Without another word, they sprinted toward the hole, the sunlight growing brighter as they climbed out of the dungeon and into the open air, ready to face the final battle against the escaping Cyclops.