Once more, the group faced relentless challenges as they advanced through the trials. Each stage was more grueling than the last, with enemies growing in number, strength, and tactical prowess. Some wielded rare, deadly weapons, while others employed battle strategies that tested the group’s wits and teamwork.
Yet, despite their fatigue and dwindling resources, they prevailed. By the time they reached the 19th challenge, they were barely standing. Their potions were depleted, and Liana’s mana was critically low, but they knew they couldn’t quit—only one challenge remained.
With great effort, Shiro pulled himself to his feet, determined to help his friends push forward. Rolan and Lucius, too weary to bicker, supported each other as they prepared for the final battle. Celes helped Liana, who was on the brink of collapse after exhausting her mana reserves. Ren watched from the shadows, his heart heavy with sympathy. He knew he couldn’t interfere, not now. Their journey would mean nothing if he stepped in.
Shiro glanced at his companions, a mixture of pride and concern in his eyes. “We’ve come this far together. We’re not backing down now, right?”
Rolan, with a wry smile, responded, “Not a chance. But when we’re done, remind me the next time we meet that mysterious man, I’m giving him a piece of my mind for dragging us into this mess.”
Lucius chuckled weakly. “Count me in. I’ll need to vent some frustration after all this.”
Despite his exhaustion, Shiro found the strength to laugh. “I’m in too, though I’m not sure how effective it’ll be—considering we’re the ones who agreed to do this.”
Ren, overhearing their banter, felt a rare pang of fear. He hoped they were joking.
“We’re definitely getting that ice cream tomorrow, no matter what anyone says, Celes,” Liana remarked with confidence as she stood with Celes’ help.
Celes smiled. “Yeah, I’ll take you there. Consider it a reward for what we’ve been through tonight.”
“Maybe we can ask that mysterious man to pay for it?” Liana added, looking around. “It’s the least you could do, right!?” She shouted, hoping Ren would hear her.
Ren, feeling a bit guilty, sighed while Celes giggled. “I wish I could, but I don’t even have enough to buy a piece of candy,” he muttered, acknowledging his poor financial state.
As the final challenge began, horns blared, signaling the arrival of their ultimate test. Ren’s expression darkened—he knew what awaited them. The blaring horns quieted, and suddenly, a ring of fire erupted before the group.
The flames spiraled upward, forming a blazing tornado. Shiro’s group readied themselves, weapons drawn, bracing for whatever emerged. As the flames subsided, two figures stepped forth—one muscular, the other feminine, both with horns and bat-like wings. Their skin was blood-red, their eyes glowing like embers from the depths of hell.
Demons, clad in black armor, glared menacingly at their opponents. The male demon brandished a flaming sword, while the female demon held a blazing bow.
“A-Are those... demons?” Liana stammered, a pang of fear in her voice.
“I thought demons were only myths!” Rolan remarked, fear in his eyes.
“Well, myths or not, they are standing right in front of us now!” Lucius shouted, readying his wand.
A tense silence hung in the air as both sides waited for the first move. The female demon notched three fire arrows, letting them fly toward the group. Lucius reacted swiftly, raising a rock barrier to intercept them. One arrow struck the barrier, but the other two curved around, homing in on their targets. Liana, though drained, managed to conjure a protective shield, blocking the arrows in the nick of time.
Liana breathed heavily, sweat pouring down her face. "That was close… too close."
Shiro frowned, sensing something amiss. "Stay sharp! They’re not done yet."
Before he could voice his concern, the male demon launched into the air, diving toward Shiro with blinding speed. Shiro barely blocked the attack, surprised by the demon’s strength—it was almost as powerful as the rock golem they had faced earlier. Rolan rushed in, aiming for the demon’s head.
"Got your back, Shiro!" Rolan shouted, swinging his blades.
The demon, as if sensing Rolan’s approach, ducked just in time and counterattacked, sending Rolan flying with a powerful kick. Shiro seized the opening, but the demon deflected his tachi and punched him right in the gut, sending him sprawling.
Lucius, seeing his friends in trouble, tried to assist but was pinned down by a relentless barrage of arrows from the female demon. She fired rapidly, moving as she did, giving Lucius no chance to counter.
"Can’t… keep up…!" Lucius gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain his defenses.
Celes, ever watchful, hurled a flash grenade at the demon, creating a blinding burst of light. "Gotcha!" she yelled, seizing the opportunity to dash in with her knives, aiming for the demon’s head. The female demon blocked with her bow, forcing Celes to switch targets and slash at her legs. The demon screeched in pain but quickly retaliated, knocking Celes back with her leg.
"Celes, duck!" Lucius shouted, gathering his energy.
Trusting her friend, Celes dropped low just as a lightning bolt shot over her, striking the demon squarely. The female demon let out a shriek, momentarily paralyzed. "Nice one, Lucius!" Celes grinned, quickly regaining her stance.
The male demon, hearing his partner’s scream, tried to rush to her aid, but Rolan intercepted him, slashing at his wings. "You’re not going anywhere!" Rolan taunted, holding his ground.
Enraged, the demon slammed his sword into the ground, creating a fiery shockwave. "Not this time!" Rolan braced himself, but the shockwave was too wide to evade.
Liana, though drained, managed to cast a barrier just in time to shield him. "I’ve got you, Rolan!"
"Thanks, Liana!" Rolan called out, his gratitude clear in his voice.
The male demon, realizing Liana’s vulnerability, turned his attention to her. "Liana, watch out!" Shiro yelled, panic in his voice.
The demon flew toward Liana with murderous intent, creating a towering wall of flames behind him to block Rolan and Shiro. Desperate to protect her, Shiro used his "Step Slash!!" technique to close the distance.
But just as he neared the demon, a fiery arc was unleashed, forcing Shiro to block and sending him crashing aside. Liana, drained and defenseless, struggled to maintain her barrier, but the demon’s relentless strikes shattered it like glass. With a final, brutal blow, the demon sent Liana flying, her body scorched and wounded as she hit the ground with a thud.
Seeing Liana fall, something inside Shiro snapped. His vision blurred with rage as he screamed, "You’ll pay for that!" Without hesitation, he charged the demon, unleashing a furious flurry of attacks. The demon deflected his strikes with ease, but Shiro's anger only fueled his determination. Each step he took was firm, each swing of his tachi more precise, his movements like a flaming tornado, ready to consume his foe.
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Suddenly, Shiro sensed Rolan’s presence behind him. Acting on instinct, he ducked just in time. "Rolan, now!" he called out.
Rolan lunged forward, his twin blades flashing as he slashed at the demon's hands. The demon howled in agony, dropping his weapon. "Got you!" Rolan shouted, triumph sparkling in his eyes.
Seizing the moment, Shiro unleashed his strongest technique: "Soul Slash!!" In a blur of motion, he sliced the demon cleanly in two. The demon let out a guttural cry before collapsing, lifeless, unable to react in time. The cut was so clean that no blood spilled.
Meanwhile, Celes continued her relentless assault on the female demon, keeping her grounded and preventing her from taking to the skies again. Lucius, seeing an opportunity, bombarded the demon with wind cutters, slashing through the air whenever she tried to evade. "Let’s finish this!" Lucius called out, his voice filled with unshakable resolve.
Realizing her partner had fallen, the female demon let out a furious, ear-piercing scream before ascending into the air. She unleashed a storm of fire arrows, cascading down like deadly fireworks. Lucius reacted swiftly, raising a massive rock wall to shield the group. "Hold on, everyone!" he urged, pouring the last of his mana into reinforcing the barrier.
The fire arrows struck relentlessly, engulfing the colosseum in thick, black smoke. With her vision obscured, the demon prepared for another attack. But suddenly, a knife shot through the smoke, piercing her wing. "You’re not getting away!" Celes growled, her voice cold and deadly.
The demon shrieked in pain as she plummeted to the ground, her flight cut short. Emerging from the smoke, Celes held a grenade in hand. Her expression was as sharp as her blade. Without a word, she tossed the grenade at the demon’s feet. The demon’s eyes widened in horror as the explosive ticked down. "This is for my friends," Celes whispered softly before the explosion tore through the air, obliterating the demon in a violent flash of light.
The battle was finally over.
Shiro rushed to Liana’s side, his heart pounding. She was injured but alive. Liana, too weak to heal herself, tried to sit up, but her strength was gone. Celes quickly moved in, applying emergency first aid to stop the bleeding. "Just hang in there, Liana," she said gently, her usual confidence replaced by concern.
Rolan and Lucius, utterly spent, collapsed onto the ground. "We did it… we really did it," Rolan panted, a tired but triumphant smile spreading across his face.
Lucius chuckled weakly. "I can’t believe we actually won," he murmured, disbelief laced with relief.
Despite his exhaustion, Shiro smiled proudly at his friends. "We did it… together."
Ren watched from the sidelines, his heart finally easing as he saw the group celebrate their victory. It had been a close call—too close—but they had proven themselves once again. Despite their triumph, Ren could see the toll the trials had taken. They were utterly exhausted, barely able to stand, physically and mentally drained.
"They're going to need medical attention when we get back," Ren murmured worriedly, already anticipating the aftermath once they returned above ground.
He felt a strong urge to step forward, to congratulate them on their hard-fought victory and offer help. But just as he was about to do so, a nagging sensation crept into his mind. Something was off.
"Where’s the end fanfare?" Ren thought, scanning the arena.
In the game, when challengers completed all the trials, there would always be a victorious drum roll or some grand fanfare to signify their success. But now, there was nothing. The eerie silence that filled the colosseum felt wrong—too quiet, too ominous.
Then it hit him like a truck.
Ren’s eyes widened in realization, a chill running down his spine. He had made a terrible miscalculation.
"Shit! I need to warn th—" Ren tried to speak, but suddenly, the ground shook beneath him.
A violent tremor rocked the colosseum, causing dust and debris to rain down from the ceiling. Shiro and his companions staggered, struggling to maintain their footing.
"What the hell is happening?!" Rolan shouted, alarmed, as he braced himself against the shaking ground.
"I thought there were only twenty challenges!" Lucius yelled, his voice filled with confusion as he looked around in panic.
Ren cursed under his breath. That’s what he had told them—twenty challenges, the final one already behind them. But he had forgotten one crucial detail. In the game Illustria Chronicles, there were multiple difficulty modes: Easy, Normal, Hard, and the dreaded Nightmare. All this time, Ren had assumed this world mirrored the Normal difficulty, the standard mode most players experienced. But the absence of an ending sequence could only mean one thing.
This wasn’t normal mode. It was Nightmare.
As the horrifying realization dawned on him, the floor of the colosseum cracked apart, massive fissures spreading rapidly like a spider’s web. The ground a few meters away from Shiro’s group erupted violently, sending debris flying in every direction. Lucius, with the last of his mana reserves, summoned a rock barrier just in time to shield his friends from the deadly projectiles. But Ren knew the worst was yet to come.
A deafening roar tore through the air, so loud and powerful that it seemed to shake the entire colosseum to its foundation. The sound carried a bloodlust so potent, it was suffocating. Shiro and his companions froze, paralyzed by the sheer force of the creature’s presence, their bodies unresponsive under the crushing weight of the oppressive aura.
The ground continued to tremble as three massive heads, each attached to serpentine bodies covered in red and golden scales, rose from the depths. Their black, soulless eyes locked onto the group, exuding an aura of terror far beyond anything they had encountered so far.
Ren’s breath hitched. He knew this creature all too well. It was the hidden boss, the nightmare that haunted players in the game’s most brutal mode: the Hydra.
"Shit! How could I forget about this thing?" Ren cursed at himself, dread settling deep in his chest.
The Hydra, a monster so terrifying that even the most experienced players would hesitate before challenging it, loomed over Shiro’s group. In their weakened state, they didn’t stand a chance. Ren, watching from the shadows, felt his heart race with panic. This wasn’t just another challenge—it was a death sentence.
He had to act fast, or this battle would end in tragedy.
Shiro, trembling with fear, forced himself to stand. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to flee, to survive, but abandoning his friends was not an option. His tachi in hand, he positioned himself between the Hydra and his comrades, eyes burning with resolve. Even if it cost him his life, he would protect them.
"Shiro... don’t..." Liana groaned weakly, trying to get up, but she collapsed under the overwhelming exhaustion and bloodlust that filled the air.
Lucius attempted to muster the strength to cast a spell, but his mana was completely drained. Celes, clutching her knives, found her hands shaking too much to grip them properly. Liana could barely move, her energy depleted. They were all defenseless.
The Hydra's three massive heads glared at Shiro, their jaws glowing ominously as they prepared to release a devastating attack. The fiery light deep within their throats grew more intense by the second, threatening to consume everything in its path.
Shiro’s heart pounded in his chest. He knew what was coming—a storm of fire, hotter and more destructive than anything they had faced before. The Hydra’s flames would reduce them to ashes in moments. Time seemed to slow as the burning inferno began to build, the air itself rippling with heat.
"Is there nothing I can do?" Shiro thought desperately. Death was closing in, yet his mind raced, searching for a way out, for something—anything—to save them.
“Work alongside it.”
Ren’s words echoed in Shiro’s mind, a cryptic message that now felt like his only hope. Ren had given him a clue, a lifeline, and there was no better time to prove it.
With his final resolve, Shiro called upon the entity that lingered deep within him. “I know you’re there... so answer me now!” He screamed, the words fueled by raw desperation.
The world around him slowed to a crawl. The raging fire seemed to move in slow motion, inching closer but never quite reaching them. Colors drained from the colosseum, fading into shades of gray until nothing but darkness remained. Time itself felt like it had stopped.
And then, something began to stir.
Far above, a small white dot appeared in the sky. It grew larger and larger, its bluish hue becoming clearer as it approached. Shiro’s heart skipped a beat.
He knew what was coming.
Seconds felt like hours as a new kind of pressure descended upon him, unlike anything he had felt before. If the Hydra’s bloodlust was overwhelming, this presence was like the crushing weight of a falling star. The atmosphere shifted as if gravity itself had grown heavy, pulling everything toward it.
“This... this feels familiar,” Shiro thought, his mind racing through distant memories and fragmented dreams.
A brilliant light exploded in front of him, too intense to look at directly. Shiro shielded his eyes, barely able to see through the blinding radiance. He felt its power, its sheer presence, as the light enveloped him. For a moment, he thought he had been consumed.
But as the light slowly dimmed, Shiro opened his eyes—and what he saw left him breathless.
Standing before him was a majestic blue bird, its feathers ablaze with flames that burned eternally. The creature’s size was staggering, towering over Shiro as it stood on two powerful legs. Its eyes, deep and ancient, gazed down at him. This was the entity that had always been lurking in the back of his mind, slipping through his dreams, haunting his memories. The source of his dormant, dangerous power.
This was the moment he had been destined for.
The time to unlock his true potential.
“I have been waiting for you”