Ren followed the group as they carefully made their way through the narrow, winding passages of the hidden dungeon. The air grew colder the deeper they ventured, and the walls seemed to close in, as if the ancient stone itself was watching them. Tension was thick among Shiro and his classmates; each step they took was weighed down by the unknown dangers lurking in the shadows.
Their progress was slow but steady. Along the way, they encountered traps—some simple, like pressure plates that triggered arrows from the walls, and others more dangerous, such as collapsing floors and sudden bursts of fire. Ren, hidden within his Unexistence skill, silently admired how well Shiro and the others handled themselves. They worked together seamlessly, their training and instincts guiding them through each obstacle.
“Is this really it? I was expecting a more thrilling adventure,” Rolan remarked, unimpressed by the dungeon’s difficulty.
Lucius immediately smacked the back of his head. “Why the hell would you say that? You’re basically asking the universe to jinx us.”
“Hey! That hurt,” Rolan grumbled, rubbing his head. “I’m just saying, I thought a mysterious dungeon would be more impressive than a few old traps.”
Just as he finished speaking, Rolan bumped into Shiro, who had stopped abruptly.
“Wha—Shiro, why’d you stop walking?” Rolan asked, confused.
Shiro glanced over his shoulder with a smirk. “Looks like you got your wish.”
“Huh?” Rolan peered around Shiro and froze. “Oh… crap.”
A few meters ahead stood a dozen skeletal figures, armed with rusted weapons. They were skeletal warriors, animated by dark magic.
“Now look what you’ve done,” Lucius sighed, shaking his head.
“How is this my fault!?” Rolan protested, sounding defensive.
“Enough,” Liana said, stepping between them. “Focus.”
“I’ll cover the rear,” Celes said calmly, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any further threats.
The group engaged the skeletal warriors in their preferred formation. Shiro and Rolan took the vanguard, displaying their swordsmanship, while Liana and Lucius provided magical support. Celes, with her unmatched speed and agility, guarded the rear. This formation was second nature to them, honed through countless hours of training.
Despite being only first-years, they made quick work of the skeletal warriors. In the academy’s setting, Class F was filled with prodigies, each possessing incredible talent. They had been placed in this class not because of their lack of skill, but due to their unconventional backgrounds.
Shiro led the charge, his swordsmanship precise and deadly, while Rolan backed him up, cutting through enemies with ease. Liana and Lucius cast protective spells and magical attacks to shield the group, while Celes moved with lightning speed, dispatching any enemy that tried to get close.
Ren, watching from the shadows, was thoroughly impressed. “Yeah, skeletal warriors aren’t even a challenge for them,” he muttered. Seeing the fight play out in reality was entirely different from observing it on a screen. The group he’d played alongside so many times in the game now stood before him in flesh and blood.
But what thrilled Ren the most was watching one particular member of the group.
“Oh, she’s so cool!” he murmured in awe, his eyes glued to Celes. “I never realized just how fast she could move. Now I can finally see her true skills.”
Celes was tasked with protecting Liana and Lucius, the group’s support. As an agent, she had been trained to have heightened perception, allowing her to see things most wouldn’t notice. Combined with her speed, agility, and reflexes, she was a formidable fighter.
“Look at how she uses those twin knives,” Ren whispered, fanboying over her abilities. “She’s hitting all their weak points with perfect precision.”
A pang of guilt hit Ren as he watched her, though. Even as a fan, he felt awkward. “I probably look like a creep,” he muttered. “I should look away... but what else can I do while I’m stuck like this?”
He briefly considered revealing himself to the group, using his knowledge to help guide them. But there were a few reasons why that wasn’t an option.
“First, if I just pop out of nowhere, I’ll only end up scaring them,” Ren mused. “Second, the cooldown on my skill makes it pointless to try helping in real-time.”
He sighed. “And third… I don’t have any combat or magic skills. I’d just end up being dead weight.”
Ren couldn’t help but feel useless in his current state. Still, thanks to the hints he’d provided earlier to Valis, they now stood a chance of making it through the invasion, if they succeed at getting the item.
“This isn’t over yet though,” Ren muttered, knowing what awaited them ahead.
After what felt like hours of navigating the labyrinthine corridors, the group finally arrived in a large, circular room. The stone floor was smooth, and the walls were adorned with ancient carvings, depicting scenes of battle and conquest. Torches flickered in iron sconces, casting eerie shadows that danced along the walls. The air was thick with the smell of damp stone and something darker, more ominous.
“This place…” Rolan murmured, his voice echoing in the vast chamber. “It feels… different.”
“It looks like an arena,” Liana observed, her gaze sweeping across the room.
Shiro nodded, his hand tightening around the hilt of his tachi. “It’s too large to be just a room. And those carvings… they tell a story.”
The group spread out, cautiously exploring the chamber. There was a weight to the air, a palpable sense that something monumental had once taken place here. But their curiosity was quickly cut short as the temperature plummeted, and a cold, unnatural wind began to swirl through the room.
Shiro was the first to sense the change. His instincts flared, and in one swift motion, he drew his sword. "Everyone, ready yourselves!" he commanded, his voice tense.
The others followed suit, weapons drawn and spells prepared, their senses heightened. The shadows in the room twisted unnaturally, slowly converging toward the center of the arena as if pulled by some unseen force. From that point, a swirling vortex of black smoke began to form, its dark energy warping the air around it. A low, ominous hum resonated through the chamber, making the very ground seem to tremble.
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From the depths of the swirling darkness, a figure began to take shape—an imposing knight clad in black armor that glinted dimly in the faint light. The armor was ancient, etched with glowing blue runes. In its gauntleted hands, the figure held a massive greatsword, its blade wreathed in blue flames that flickered menacingly, casting eerie shadows across the room.
But what drew everyone's attention was the figure’s head—or rather, the absence of it. Where a head should have been, there was only a hollow space, from which rose a plume of ethereal blue fire, burning with a fierce intensity that made the shadows recoil.
“A Dullahan…” Lucius whispered, his voice a mix of awe and dread.
The creature's presence was overwhelming, exuding an aura of death and despair. The air around it crackled with dark energy, and the temperature continued to drop, the chill seeping into their bones. The Dullahan stood motionless, its greatsword resting against the stone floor, as if waiting—perhaps for a challenger, or perhaps for prey.
“What is a creature like this doing here?” Liana asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Shiro didn’t respond. His focus was entirely on the Dullahan, his instincts warning him that this was no ordinary opponent. This creature was a guardian, a test of their strength and resolve, and it wasn’t going to let them pass easily.
The Dullahan raised its sword slowly, the blue flames along the blade flaring brighter as it did. The sound of metal scraping against stone echoed ominously through the chamber, and the ground itself seemed to vibrate in response. The creature took a step forward, its presence so powerful that the group could feel the pressure pushing them back.
“We’ve come this far. No turning back now,” Shiro said through gritted teeth, raising his sword in a defensive stance.
Rolan moved beside him, grinning despite the tension. "Let’s go! I’m not letting you hog all the glory!"
Liana and Lucius positioned themselves behind the two, their wands at the ready. "We’ll handle support. You two keep it busy while we figure out a way to take it down," Lucius said, adding a faint smirk despite the dire situation.
"I’ll search for a weakness," Celes murmured, her twin knives gleaming as she prepared to move with deadly precision.
From the sidelines, Ren watched intently. “This will be their real test. From this battle, I’ll be able to gauge just how strong they’ve become.”
The group steeled themselves, preparing for the imminent clash. The Dullahan, sensing their resolve, let out a deep, rumbling growl before charging with terrifying speed. Its greatsword sliced through the air like a bolt of lightning.
Shiro barely had time to react, his instincts taking over as he rolled out of the way. The Dullahan’s sword crashed into the ground where he had just stood, sending a shockwave through the stone floor and leaving deep cracks in its wake.
“Spread out!” Shiro shouted, knowing they couldn’t afford to stay bunched together.
The group scattered, each taking position around the Dullahan, trying to reform their formation. The creature, sensing their movements, slowly turned its headless form toward them, the blue flames atop its neck flickering mockingly.
Lucius was the first to counterattack. Chanting under his breath, he raised his staff and launched a barrage of fireballs at the Dullahan. The flames exploded against the creature’s armor, but it didn’t even flinch. The runes on its armor glowed brighter, absorbing the magic like fuel and intensifying the blue flames on its sword.
“It’s absorbing the fire!” Lucius yelled in frustration.
“Then use something else!” Rolan shouted back.
Undeterred, Rolan darted forward, his twin blades flashing as he aimed for the Dullahan’s joints. He struck at its elbows and knees, hoping to cripple it, but the Dullahan parried every blow with ease, its greatsword moving with surprising speed for something so large.
With a single, sweeping motion, the Dullahan knocked Rolan back, nearly disarming him. Rolan stumbled but quickly regained his footing, eyes narrowing as he analyzed the creature’s movements.
“This thing’s no ordinary monster,” Rolan muttered. “It fights like it’s seen countless battles.”
Celes, observing from the edge of the arena, assessed the situation. She could see brute force wouldn’t be enough. They needed to exploit a weakness—something the Dullahan couldn’t guard against.
“Shiro, lead it toward me!” Liana called, her wand glowing as she prepared a powerful spell.
Shiro nodded, darting forward and feinting left before slashing at the Dullahan’s side. The creature reacted instantly, blocking with its sword, but Shiro was already moving, drawing the Dullahan away from the others.
“Now, Liana!” Shiro shouted as the Dullahan turned toward him.
Liana unleashed her spell—a barrage of ice shards that shot toward the Dullahan’s legs. The shards struck true, encasing the creature’s lower half in a thick layer of ice. For a brief moment, the Dullahan was immobilized, its movements slowed by the frost.
“Rolan, Celes, now’s your chance!” Liana urged.
Rolan and Celes didn’t need to be told twice. Rolan charged in, aiming for the Dullahan’s exposed side, while Celes targeted its joints, hoping to immobilize it further.
But the Dullahan was far from defeated. With a roar that seemed to shake the very air, it raised its greatsword and slammed it into the ground, shattering the ice encasing its legs. The impact sent a shockwave through the arena, knocking Rolan and Celes off their feet.
Liana gasped as the Dullahan turned toward her, its blue flames flaring wildly. It raised its sword, preparing to strike her down. But before the blow could land, a flash of steel intercepted its path.
Shiro was there, his tachi clashing against the Dullahan’s massive sword. The impact sent tremors through his arm, but he held his ground, pushing back with all his strength.
"Not today!" Shiro growled, his eyes locked onto the headless creature.
For a brief moment, the Dullahan seemed to hesitate, as though it recognized the fierce determination in Shiro’s gaze. But it quickly resumed its attack, its movements growing more ferocious, more desperate. It swung its greatsword in a wide arc, forcing Shiro to retreat, though he refused to give an inch.
"Keep it up, Shiro!" Rolan shouted, scrambling to his feet.
Liana, recovering from her near-death experience, began chanting another spell. This time, she aimed for the Dullahan’s sword, hoping to weaken it, but the creature’s relentless attacks made it almost impossible for her to get a clear shot.
Ren watched it all unfold, his heart pounding. He wanted to jump in, to help, but he knew it wasn’t his place. This was their battle, their story. Yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off—that the Dullahan was stronger than it should have been.
As the battle raged on, Shiro and the others fought with everything they had, pushing themselves to their limits. The Dullahan, though powerful, was starting to slow. Its movements grew sluggish, the blue flames on its sword flickering as if they were losing strength.
"It’s weakening! Give it all we’ve got!" Lucius yelled, preparing another spell.
Celes darted in with her characteristic speed, striking at the Dullahan’s blind side. She landed a critical blow, damaging its leg joints. "Shiro, now!"
With a swift dash, Shiro lunged at the Dullahan with all his strength, his tachi gleaming.
"This is it!" he shouted, driving his blade into the Dullahan’s armor, piercing clean through.
The Dullahan staggered, collapsing to its knees as its greatsword clattered to the ground. The remnants of its armor began to disintegrate, leaving behind a faint light—a small, glowing orb pulsing gently with a blue hue.
Cautiously, Shiro approached, his sword still at the ready. The Dullahan made no move to attack, merely kneeling in silent defeat. The orb floated out of its chest, hovering before Shiro.
“What is this?” Shiro murmured, reaching out.
The moment his fingers touched the orb, it dissolved into a stream of light, flowing into his body. Shiro gasped as a surge of energy rushed through him, filling him with warmth and strength. The exhaustion from battle melted away, replaced by a newfound sense of power.
"What was that?" Liana asked, her voice filled with wonder.
"I don’t know, but I feel... rejuvenated," Shiro replied, his hand resting on his chest where the orb had entered.
"Well, I don’t think it’s a bad thing, but we should rest, just to be safe," Lucius suggested, his voice cautious.
"Yeah! We should celebrate too, defeating that monster is no small feat," Rolan added, excitement in his voice.
"We should use the potions we brought and rest for a while. We don’t know what else we might face ahead, so it's better to be at full strength," Celes advised.
"Celes is right," Liana agreed gently. "Let’s rest here. I don’t think anything else will attack us in this chamber."
With that, the group settled into rest, celebrating their victory over the Dullahan. Though their faces still showed fatigue, they were filled with a quiet happiness.
Except for one.
Ren stood apart from the group, his face clouded with confusion. "They shouldn’t have struggled for that long..." he murmured, replaying the battle in his mind. "Could it be...?"
He shook his head. "No, I need to see it happen a few more times before I can be sure."
Deciding to observe the group more closely from this point on, Ren’s expression hardened. There was something deeper going on, and he was determined to figure it out.