In the same place they’d previously fought against the Alex Twins just a few days ago, Seiji stood beside Cora with fierce cloaks of Dragon Fury coating their bodies. Selene stood with Lirio just a few feet ahead, covered in cloaks of a reddish-white aura Seiji’d never seen before.
“Phase One!” Selene shouted, gathering red-white aura in her hands.
“Ready!” Everyone shouted as they gathered aura in their hands.
Phase One was simple – shoot the 500-foot Pit Demon in its red, leathery pot belly and force it over to their location. When they’d exited the cave, they’d quickly come to realize why it’d been so agitated. Not a single demon roamed about the Hell Pit. The tower, which had been reduced to rubble three days ago, was completely gone. The Pit Demon had eaten it all, and it now hungered for a new meal.
As Seiji fired off his fourteenth Dragon Shot, a feat only possible due to an aura-enhancing elixir they’d each taken before heading out, the Demon lifted its mutated goat head, focusing all ten of its eyes on the group.
With speed that shouldn’t have been possible on a creature that massive, the Pit Demon sprinted on all fours in their direction. Saliva dripped from its fangs and forked tongue as it let out a deafening roar.
“Phase two!” Lirio shouted, carrying his voice with aura.
“Ready!” They again shouted in unison.
Lirio and Selene sped off in opposite directions, shooting pitch-black balls of aura into its eyes. The Pit Demon stood from its crouched position and covered its eyes with a single hand, swatting at the oncoming attacks with the opposite.
Phase Two involved attacking the Pit Demon while it was distracted. They’d developed the technique on day four after noticing it ignored most attacks while it ate food. Using that to their advantage, Seiji kicked off with Dragon Fury, landing at the monster’s towering leg. He didn’t need to look to know Cora had done the same.
If the Pit Demon were human, Seiji would take it down by attacking its vitals. Since the creature was as tall as a skyscraper, the vitals they had access to were limited. Thankfully, he’d developed a new technique in his fight against Alexandros to make up for his lacking height.
Reinforcing his body with Dragon Fury, Seiji formed Dragon Shots beneath his feet and blasted himself into the sky with the explosion. When he reached the back of the Pit Demon’s massive knee, Seiji unsheathed the dragon-hilted dagger at his side and stabbed it into the Pit Demon’s skin. Black blood spurted out from the impact, but Seiji couldn’t afford to cover his eyes. The window of time he had here was limited.
Flexing his free hand into a claw, he slashed the back of the Pit Demon’s knee with an endless flurry of Dragon Claws. Though Dragon Fury was enough to burn off the oil-colored blood from his body, it wasn't enough to get it out of his mouth. Seiji did his best not to think about it.
This isn’t real. It’s a simulation! There isn’t actually liquified rotten meat in my mouth!
As the Pit Demon began to topple over, Seiji prepared for the next Phase. The Pit Demon’s signature attack – the ability to paralyze then blast opponents with small meteors, had a glaring weakness. It took a massive amount of aura to cast. They’d also learned that on day four after blasting it enough times to force it to use the technique. Seiji looked at the rapidly healing wall of flesh he’d just been hacking at. His dagger had been absorbed into the Pit Demon’s leg. Gashes slowly turned to slits then finally clean patches. After it cast its technique, the Pit Demon healed far slower. The only issue was that they needed to provoke it into attacking. As the Pit Demon slammed into the obsidian earth, Seiji knew what was soon to come.
“Phase Three!” Seiji shouted, sprinting toward Lirio.
“Ready!” They all shouted.
The Pit Demon rose to its hands and knees, fire forming between its sharp fangs. They only had a short window of time before Phase Three kicked off in earnest. Lirio and Selene both had access to a technique named Royal Shield that allowed them to take powerful attacks with minimal pushback. Cora had something similar, Dragon Stance, which allowed her to fully negate damage at a substantial aura cost. The plan was to have Lirio protect himself and Seiji with the Royal Shield while Selene covered Cora with it. Due to the potential for failure, though, Cora had an extra aura-enhancing elixir tucked away into her skirt in case she got attacked anyway.
Selene sped towards Cora as the Pit Demon leaned back as if taking a breath – the telltale sign it was about to cast its technique. To Seiji’s horror, the Demon didn’t begin its paralyzing technique. Instead, it blasted Selene with a pillar of fire, not unlike Cora’s Dragon Fire technique. She cursed, forced to use her Royal Shield to defend herself against the unknown attack. Lirio called out, preparing to approach her when the Pit Demon’s fanged maw twisted into a horrible smile. Just as Seiji registered the look, everyone froze.
Being paralyzed reminded Seiji of the time he’d first been sent to Haven. Sir Lasko had him frozen and blinded while he conversed with Cora. Was this a similar technique? Before he could get lost in thought, the Pit Demon spat balls of fiery stone at everyone in the Hell Pit. The first meteor clashed against Lirio’s Royal Shield with the sound of metal pans slamming together. Lirio roared as the meteor forced him back. Seiji supported him, keeping him upright while they pushed against the meteor. Selene kept her Royal Shield active against both the torrent of fire and the meteor.
Cora, though… Seiji knew Cora was strong. He’d experienced her strength firsthand more than a few times throughout the Valkyrie Exam. Even still, he watched with awe as she grabbed the rock in her arms and crushed it with a roar loud enough to match the Pit Demon itself. With ferocity he rarely saw from her, Cora shouted with the authority of a queen.
“Phase Four!”
“Ready!” Everyone shouted with intense vigor.
Phase Four was the beginning of their journey into uncharted territory. This one was Seiji’s idea. If he’d just cast his best attack and left himself vulnerable, he’d go on the offensive. It only made sense that the Pit Demon would do the same, the bestial monstrosity it was. They repeated the same steps as Phase Two, though this time Selene and Lirio had to draw its fire and defend against house-sized fireballs and unnatural punches.
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Since Seiji didn’t have a Dagger, he couldn’t only focus on the back of the knees. He targeted the Pit Demon’s heels, its wrists, and its shins. Seiji’s goal was to either draw enough blood to make it slower or force it to stumble as he had earlier. The former ended up being the case as the Pit Demon finished its furious onslaught against Selene and Lirio and began to sway on its feet.
“Phase Five!” Selene and Lirio shouted at the same time.
“Ready!” Seiji and Cora shouted from opposite sides of the Pit Demon.
Both duos swapped places, with Seiji and Cora now facing the front of the Pit Demon as Lirio and Selene stood at the back. To no one’s surprise, the Pit Demon began to lean back, though it had trouble keeping its balance. Phase Five needed to be quick, and there wasn’t anything Cora and Seiji could do to speed it up. All they could do is wait for Selene and Lirio and hope this gambit worked.
“Firing now!” Selene shouted from behind the Pit Demon. “Prepare for the Final Phase!”
Lirio and Selene stretched their arms out in front of them. The Hell Pit seemed to buzz like a lightbulb as flashing white aura gathered between their hands. The buzzing noise reached a crescendo before stopping altogether as the duo release thick beams of white light at the Pit Demon’s back. The Pit Demon dissipated its forming technique, roaring in pain as it whirled on the two. Seiji’s eyes widened as he saw the impact of the beams. Pools of black blood oozed from two craters in its back, wide and deep enough to expose bone and seared muscle.
“Final Phase!” Everyone shouted at the same time, once again coating themselves in aura.
Seiji forms Dragon Shots in both hands as he watched Cora lean back, gathering aura between clenched fists. Lirio and Selene both gathered aura in their hands, though it took them much longer than it did Cora and Seiji. They were clearly exhausted after that last attack. Seiji trusted they’d be able to manage, though. They were necessary for the Final Phase.
The Pit Demon roared but was cut off when Selene blasted a buzzing ball of white light directly into its mouth. Lirio followed it with a pitch-black aura ball of his own. The Pit Demon tumbled back as Seiji aimed his Dragon Shots directly at the back of its knees. When it began to tumble, Cora unloaded Dragon Fire from each hand into the craters at its back. The Pit Demon stumbled back, trying to form its ultimate technique but was again cut off by a ball of white light by Selene.
Rather than attack in order, the group shot their attacks at the same time – over and over. They pelted the Pit Demon relentlessly, refusing to grant it a second to recover. After about a minute straight of various techniques, a plume of gray smoke had begun to form around the Pit Demon. After two minutes, they’d stopped hearing it roar. After five, they’d finally stopped attacking. When the smoke dissipated, the Pit Demon stood motionless with its mouth agape and its fists clenched. Its entire body was decorated with holes, exposed bone and muscle tissue, and gashes leaking black blood. It stood tall like a statue, but it didn’t move an inch.
HELL PIT BOND EVENT COMPLETE
TIME: FIVE DAYS
HOSTAGES SAVED: 0
ALLIES LOST: 2
PIT DEMON STATUS: DEAD
GRADE: C-
PREPARE FOR DEBRIEFING
He’d known from Selene that this mission was virtual, but having it confirmed by his System out of the blue still felt reassuring. Just as he’d begun to relay the results to Cora, his vision was swallowed by white light.
----------------------------------------
“So, how was it? My father was supposed to be here, but he’s having a meeting with the… Twins.
Seiji sat beside Lirio on the wooden floor of Training Hall 6, surprised to find Endora leaning on a bear rug on the wall. In truth, he’d wanted to speak to Sir Lasko about the existence of other virtual training missions. He’d alluded to the fact that Valkyries and the Royal Guard had access to them, so maybe he could try to convince–
“Valkyrie Endora? Oh my goodness!” Selene shot up from her seat beside Lirio and nearly tripped over him and the boy trying to run to Endora. “My name is Selene Andris! It is an honor to meet you.”
Endora glanced between everyone still at the couch and Selene before looking down at the girl with an earnest smile. She’d begun to say something but was cut off when Selene pulled the Valkyrie into a hug. Endora laughed.
“I always forget Taurans are huggers!”
She patted Selene on the back with enough force to kill a Tier 1 Servant. Seiji recalled Thea’s words about patting Taurans on the back. Apparently, it was their version of the ‘Felzian Trick’. When Selene began to snort furiously and rub her cheek against Endora’s, Seiji realized that she hadn’t been lying.
“I know you well, Selene. I’ve heard nothing but great things about you.”
Selene separated from Endora holding onto Valkyrie’s forearms.
“I am honored! I admire your will to protect, Valkyrie Endora. When I become one, I wish to become a Valkyrie just like you. I wish to use my power to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and provide light to those in darkness.”
“Really, now?” Endora gave Selene a contemplative look. “I suppose it’s only fair I take on an apprentice of my own, hm?”
Selene began to pull Endora into another hug, but the Valkyrie placed a hand on her shoulder. “When you become a Valkyrie, we can talk. Until then, you have training to do.”
“Right!” Selene shouted.
She glanced between Lirio and Endora, wrapped the Valkyrie into another tight hug, grabbed Lirio’s wrist, then dragged him out of the Training Hall. Endora watched her leave, her eyes focused on the door.
“That was nice of you,” Cora said from behind him. Realizing it was just them, Seiji got up from the floor and sat beside Cora on the couch. She leaned on his shoulder.
Endora didn’t react to Cora’s comment, still staring at the door. “Cora, what do you think about Selene? As a person and a potential Valkyrie.”
“She’s strong-willed,” Cora answered immediately – from his shoulder. “If she wants to become a Valkyrie like you, she will.”
“Do you believe that she’s stronger than you?”
“She is. Seiji and I wouldn’t have been able to defeat the Pit Demon without her. Her and Lirio’s Tier 5 Skill was enough to turn the tide against a Tier 10 monstrosity. Seiji and I can’t do that yet.”
Seiji put his arm around her. They’d shared a mattress for a few days. An arm wasn’t that bad, right? Besides, he had to go on the offensive. If Cora got to make him all awkward, he got to do the same to her. Seiji felt a bit of smug satisfaction bubble up as he imagined Cora pulling away and–
Cora leaned into him, curling into a ball on the couch and hugging her knees. Her tail brushed against his hand as he tried – and failed – to form words. Seconds after the wordless, one-sided battle ended, his System popped up. Endora spoke up as he read its contents.
“Seiji,” She asked, still staring at the door. “Do Selene and Lirio have that aura that we have?”
Seiji stiffened. “Do you mean bloodlust?”
“If that’s what you call it, yes. Do they have that?”
“No, they don’t.”
He wasn’t trying to ruin their chances to train with Endora. While Lirio and Selene fought like they’d known each other their entire lives, they didn’t have any bloodlust. They didn’t intimidate him. They didn’t fill him with the kinds of emotions he felt when fighting against Alexandros, or when he walked down the corridor to the hidden grotto with them. They were tame. Normal. Not that there was anything wrong with that.
Endora placed her head between her thumb and forefinger, pacing about the training hall. She’d begun muttering to herself, and Seiji made a point of eavesdropping. The passing thoughts of a Valkyrie could be a treasure trove of information to a Cadet and a Servant.
“I see… If she doesn’t have any dominion, I suppose it could be taught. I wonder if–”
Dominion? Is that what bloodlust is?
“Why are you asking about Selene?” Cora asked. “Were you serious about wanting her as an apprentice?”
When Endora turned to them, Seiji’d expected her to look at them and tease them over how close they were. Instead, for just an instant, Endora looked at them with the weariness of ages. It was gone as soon as it’d appeared, replaced by the jovial smile he was used to seeing on her. Part of Seiji wondered whether it was real or not.
“I want you two to be motivated! You need to know who you’re up against.”
Cora sat up from their embrace, eyeing Endora. Seiji couldn’t exactly read her expression, but if he had to give it a word he’d call it apprehensive. As she stared at Endora, Seiji noticed the Valkyrie’s smile begin to fade.
Today had been a relatively good day, all things considered. Endora was a good friend to them. As interested as he was to learn her secrets, he decided to give her an out.
“I advanced to Tier 4,” Seiji said.
They turned to him with wide eyes.
“When?!” Cora yelled.
Seiji saw accusation in her eyes. She knew what he was doing. He turned to Endora, who gave him an uncharacteristically sheepish half-smile. She probably knew what he was doing too. He grinned back at them both.
“A couple of minutes ago. I can use Dragon Stance now.”