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[Name: Cerberus]
[Race: Magic Beast]
[Level: 41]
[Compared to Player: Extremely Strong]
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"Oh shit."
Cerberus let out a deafening roar before charging at Ryusei with terrifying speed, its massive claws tearing through the ground as it closed the distance in an instant.
"No no no no! Shit!" Ryusei cursed, trying to dodge to the side.
But the three-headed beast was too fast.
Before she could react, one of its enormous paws slammed into her with bone-crushing force, sending her body ragdolling through the air. The impact knocked the breath out of her as she crashed straight through the crumbling remains of a building headfirst.
The ruined walls shattered upon impact, debris and dust exploding outward as Ryusei's body tumbled violently through the wreckage.
She groaned in pain, her vision spinning as she struggled to pick herself up.
"Goddamn... that hurt."
Blood dripped down the right side of Ryusei's face, partially blinding her right eye, but she forced herself back up. Her hands crackled with pink cursed energy as she launched herself toward Cerberus like a missile.
The three-headed beast roared, activating its skill [Rage].
Its strength doubled instantly, muscles bulging as its eyes burned with pure fury.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Ryusei cursed, her fist slamming into the middle head. "Kokusen!"
A Black Flash erupted upon impact, the concentrated burst of cursed energy sending a shockwave through the air and forcing Cerberus back.
But before she could realize, one of the side heads lashed out with monstrous speed. It's ts massive jaws struck her like a sledgehammer, launching her straight into the ground.
"Fuck!" Ryusei coughed, blood spraying from her lips as her body hit the ruined street hard.
She barely had a second to react before Cerberus's enormous paw came crashing down toward her.
With a desperate roll, she barely avoided being turned into paste, the sheer force of the impact shaking the earth beneath her. Dust and debris exploded into the air as she scrambled back to her feet, heart pounding.
Ryusei sprinted through the ruined streets, her breath ragged as Cerberus thundered after her, each step shaking the ground beneath her feet.
"Rika! Rika, come out!" she shouted desperately.
A notification popped up in front of her.
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[ERROR: Summon Unavailable. Rika cannot be summoned in this dungeon.]
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Ryusei's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!"
A massive shadow loomed over her. She looked up and Cerberus was airborne, all three of its jaws wide open, ready to tear her apart.
"This dungeon... is a FUCKING NIGHTMARE!" she screamed, pushing her legs to move even faster as death quite literally came crashing down on her.
Ryusei pressed her back against the crumbling wall, her breath ragged as she clutched her bleeding side. Cerberus prowled nearby, its massive claws scraping against the debris-covered ground as it sniffed the air.
Her health was below 10%, her stamina dangerously low-she was completely exhausted. It had been an hour since she entered this nightmare of a dungeon, and Cerberus hadn't let up for even a second.
Every three minutes, like clockwork, the damn mutt activated [Rage], doubling its strength and speed, forcing her to keep running. She was getting tired of running.
She swallowed hard, trying to steady her breathing. If she didn't come up with a plan soon, this dungeon would become her grave.
'I ran out of health potions... and the buffs from Kasaka's Venom Fang don't affect Cerberus.' Ryusei muttered under her breath, peeking around the broken wall.
She quickly opened her inventory, scanning for anything useful. Nothing. Her stamina was shot, her cursed energy was running low, and none of her skills were strong enough to put the damn beast down.
'And if I go all out, I'll probably break my Silverine sword...' She sighed, gripping the hilt before hesitating. She couldn't afford to lose one of her best weapons.
Instead, she pulled out her Darkfang Dagger and opened her Shop Menu.
'Let's see...' She scrolled through the list, her eyes darting between the different items. None of the unlocked health potions would work. Her health was too low.
Her hand froze when she spotted something. A High-Grade Poison Potion.
'This is it..!'
Without hesitation, she bought it and tilted her head back, chugging it down. The moment the thick, bitter liquid slid down her throat, she coughed violently. The poison kicked in instantly, burning through her insides.
But then-her Poison Resistance skill activated, detoxifying the poison and gradually restoring her health.
"Yes!" she gasped, clenching her fists.
BOOM!
She moved just in time before Cerberus's massive body crashed through the wall, reducing it to rubble. The beast snarled, eyes locked onto her.
"You stupid mutt! Come and get me!" Ryusei yelled, planting her feet firmly on the ground.
Cerberus snarled, its three heads baring razor-sharp fangs, muscles tensing as it charged straight at her.
Ryusei activated [Quicksilver], her body blurring as she rushed forward to meet the beast head-on.
Both her daggers Darkfang and Kasaka's Venom Fang were gripped tightly in her hands, their sharp edges gleaming in the fiery glow of the ruined battlefield.
"I'll fucking kill you!"
{Kouh Town- Night}
Meanwhile, back in Kouh Town, Rias and her peerage—Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko—had brought Issei along with them to hunt down the stray devil Viser.
The group approached the abandoned mansion, Rias immediately noticed the doors had been kicked down. The heavy wooden doors hung off their hinges, and the damage was far too precise to be random.
As they stepped inside, the eerie silence of the abandoned mansion was broken only by the sound of their footsteps. The once-grand entryway was now a mess of blood smeared across the floor, dark stains pooling in various spots, and craters scattered across the ground where something—or someone—had been violently thrown. The place was clearly in chaos.
Rias' eyes scanned the room, narrowing as she took in the damage. "This doesn't look like something a stray devil would leave behind. Whatever happened here... it's bad."
Suddenly, Koneko's ears twitched, and she lowered her head slightly as she sniffed the air, her sharp senses honed. "I smell it." She said, her voice quieter than usual, but tinged with certainty. "Okkotsu-san has been here."
Rias and the others froze. Okkotsu Ryusei? The name instantly sparked recognition, and Rias perked up hearing the name.
"Ryusei?" Rias echoed, her voice tinged with both surprise and concern. "What would she be doing here?"
Koneko's eyes sharpened as she continued sniffing, her feline instincts guiding her. "She's been here... and she left in a hurry."
Akeno crossed her arms, her sharp gaze sweeping the room. "If Okkotsu-san was here, it could mean trouble. She's not someone to leave a mess without good reason."
Rias didn't take her eyes off the bloodstains and craters. "She must've been here hunting the same devil we're after," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. "But why didn't she come to us first? This complicates things."
Rias shook her head gently. "The only thing we can be sure of is that Viser isn't a threat anymore. Whatever Ryusei did, she stopped her." She looked at Issei, her expression softening a little. "And for that, we owe her a debt of gratitude. The stray was luring people—men, women, children—into her trap, leading them to their deaths. She was a dangerous monster."
Akeno couldn't help but smirk, she stepped closer to Rias, who was still pondering the situation, and teased, her voice light and teasing.
"So, Rias," Akeno began, "I wonder how you'll thank Ryusei for all her hard work? Surely a simple 'thank you' won't do."
Rias blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure, narrowing her eyes at Akeno. "What exactly are you suggesting, Akeno?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe a little... personal gesture?" Akeno gave the other girl a wink.
Rias shook her head, though a faint smile lingered on her face. "I'll figure something out, Akeno."
{Back to Ryusei fighting for her life}
Back to Ryusei, still locked in a brutal life-or-death struggle against Cerberus in the Instant Dungeon, she gritted her teeth as she dodged another massive swipe from the three-headed beast. Her breath was ragged, her body battered, but she refused to back down.
With both Kasaka's Venom Fang and Darkfang Dagger in hand, she dashed forward, slashing wildly at all three of Cerberus's heads, her weapons carving deep wounds into the monster's thick hide.
Cerberus roared in pain, its claws tearing into the ground as it tried to shake her off. Ryusei seized the opportunity and leaped onto the left head, grabbing hold of its fur to steady herself.
With a fierce battle cry, she drove her dagger straight into its eye, twisting it deeper. The head howled, thrashing violently to throw her off.
But before she could react—
SNAP!
The middle head lunged forward, its powerful jaws clamping down around Ryusei's torso, half of her body caught in its mouth as its sharp teeth sank deep into her flesh.
"AAAARGH!!" she screamed in agony, feeling her ribs crack under the immense pressure. Tears welled in her eyes as she struggled, feeling the crushing force threaten to tear her in half.
With sheer desperation, she raised her dagger and stabbed the beast directly in its nostrils, twisting the blade for maximum pain.
Cerberus howled in agony, flinging her away, forcing its jaws open as it shook its head violently. Ryusei hit the ground hard, rolling to a stop, her vision spinning from the impact. Her body felt like it was on fire, pain radiating from every wound.
Blood soaked her clothes, and her breathing was ragged. She couldn't last much longer like this.
"Full Recovery!" she choked out through the pain.
A surge of green light engulfed her body, her wounds instantly closing, the unbearable pain washing away as if it had never been there. Her torn flesh stitched itself back together, her breathing steadied, and the strength returned to her limbs.
Her bright blue eyes snapped open, filled with rage.
"I'm not dying here," she muttered, gripping her daggers tightly.
Cerberus, now furious beyond reason, let out a deafening roar, its three heads snarling as it prepared to attack again.
"Round 3 motherfucker!"