(Mei's POV)
What... what am I even witnessing?
Minoru said he'd only been a Summoner for a little over a month.
A month.
And yet-this?
This isn't normal.
Every clash between him and Ippon-Datara sends shockwaves tearing through the chamber. Stone cracks. Air distorts. It's like watching two storms trying to devour each other.
I can follow Ippon-Datara's movements. That hammer and those red-hot forge-clamps aren't just weapons-they're part of his body. Every swing is like a blacksmith reshaping the battlefield. Calculated. Brutal.
But Minoru? He's something else entirely.
Ever since he cast Sukukaja, his body has become a blur of momentum and grace. I can hardly track him. It's like he's not just fighting-he's dancing.
No-flowing.
Every dodge, every counterstrike-it's all so precise, so fluid, like he's spent his entire life drilling these motions into his bones. I studied martial arts. I trained for years.
But he fights like it's his first language.
Ippon-Datara swings his massive hammer in a downward arc, raw force behind the blow.
Bang!
Stone erupts beneath them.
Crack!
It connects.
Minoru's right arm bends in a way it shouldn't.
Broken.
But he doesn't stop.
Doesn't hesitate.
His left hand surges with darkness-shadows wrapping around his fist like a second skin. He closes the gap, twists past the demon's grasp, and slams his palm into Ippon-Datara's chest.
A burst of dark flame erupts-black fire that eats rather than burns. The forge-born brute roars, metal shrieking under the assault.
And still Minoru doesn't fall.
But I see it. He's swaying. Shallow breath. Eyes dimming.
No time.
"Dia!"
The healing light rushes from me like a heartbeat. Minoru steadies. The smaller wounds seal first-his ribs, his bruised side. But the arm is still limp.
One more.
"Dia!"
This time, the bones knit back together. The blackened skin clears. His fingers twitch.
He breathes deeper.
He lives.
The shadows vanish in the wind, and what remains is Ippon-Datara, bruised, scorched, steam hissing from his wounds. The steel plating on his shoulder hangs loose. Sparks flutter from his chest.
They stare each other down across the wreckage.
Two hundreds meters apart.
Still standing.
Still fighting.
I thought I knew what strength looked like.
But now... I'm not so sure anymore.
----------
(Minoru's POV)
Seriously... what a tough bastard.
That hit should've caved in anyone else. And yet he's still on his feet.
D- in Endurance, huh?
He's earning it.
Thanks to Mei's Dia, my body's holding together-barely. The sharp pain in my ribs has dulled to a pressure, and my right arm can move again. That second cast saved me.
But something else is gnawing at me.
He spoke of a mistress.
Which means... there's something stronger than him waiting in the wings. If she shows up right after this, I'm not sure we're walking out of here.
Focus.
Right now, Ippon-Datara.
I scan the distance. He's gone-my last hit must've launched him past my max vision range. At least he's injured.
I shift into a defensive stance.
Something's coming.
A blur in the air.
I raise my arms just in time as he crashes down from above, his hammer screaming through the wind. I twist, deflecting the blow-but it's not enough. His other hand, the forge clamp, shoots forward, aiming for my throat.
Too slow.
I duck under and twist my hips, driving a Lunge-charged punch into his chest.
BOOM!
The ground fractures beneath us. Dust, stone, air-all ripped apart by the impact. Ippon-Datara stumbles, metal limbs faltering, and I don't waste the moment.
Another punch. Right into the same wound.
His breath-if you could call that iron rasp "breathing"-catches.
Good.
Now break him.
I shift my weight, pivot around his left leg, grip under his shoulder and hip-
And throw.
His heavy body slams into the earth with a metallic thud, limbs flailing like broken tools. Before he can rise, I leap.
Mid-air.
Focus.
Bufu!
The ice spear crashes into his chest again. Not deep enough to pierce, but enough to knock the wind out of him-if he had lungs.
Still... I can't keep burning Magatsuhi like this. Not with her waiting somewhere.
I brace to finish it-
Then the wind shifts.
A tornado forms around Ippon-Datara's body, swallowing him whole in a cyclone of feathers and pressure.
A voice.
Sharp, precise.
Refined.
"Caw, caw! Fret not, warriors. I, Halphas of the Fallen, answer the summons of Lady Mei!"
A humanoid crow, cloaked in elegance and menace, lands before me. Sleek black feathers ripple as he moves with uncanny grace. A green vest stitched with gold. A crisp white ruffle at his throat. Red eyes gleaming beneath a wide-brimmed hat, tipped with a single crimson plume.
He looks like a nobleman stepped out of a gothic painting-and he speaks like one, too.
At his side, a golden dagger gleams.
A demon from Mei?
Perfect.
That means I can hold back-at least a little. No need to waste more Magatsuhi than necessary.
"Dormina," Halphas commands, his voice smooth as silk.
Purple energy coils through the air, like velvet smoke, and slips into Ippon-Datara's frame.
The hammer-wielding demon stumbles.
And slumps.
Asleep.
Now.
I close the distance in a heartbeat.
Hand to his wound.
"Eiha!"
My voice cuts through the air.
Darkness answers.
It coils from my palm like a living thing-slithering, writhing, then latching onto the open wound. The world trembles. A pulse erupts beneath us. A wall of shadow rises, dividing me from him.
And then the fire starts.
Black flames-hungry, silent-lick the ground beneath him.
I feel it.
The surge.
The spell pierces.
A sharp, hissing sound tears through the silence as a jet of shadow crashes through his body-punching out the other side like a lance.
For a heartbeat, nothing moves.
Then-
BOOM.
The ground beneath us detonates. Shadows consume the floor. A towering pillar of darkness erupts under my feet-burning upward in a violent spiral.
I grit my teeth, hold my stance-but pain bites into my legs and arms.
Even with my resistance... I'm not immune.
I hiss.
Damn.
That hurt.
But at least I did real damage this time.
I stagger back, smoke rising from my clothes already in pieces.
Please, Mei...
I could use that healing touch of yours again.
The darkness peels away, sucked back into the void like smoke caught in reverse wind. What's left behind is nothing short of devastating.
A crater.
Fifty meters wide.
And in its heart-
Ippon-Datara.
-or what's left of him.
There's a gaping hole in his torso. His only leg is gone. Both arms-ripped clean off. No more smoke. No more furnace glow. Just twisted, broken metal and the stench of burnt Magatsuhi.
My knees give out. I collapse onto one.
Green light.
Soft. Warm. Familiar.
It coats my body like a blanket, stitching me back together.
"Thanks," I mutter.
"You're welcome," Mei replies, her tone... strange.
I blink. That wasn't her usual energy. No slang, no teasing. Just... distant. Cold.
Still shaken.
Can't blame her.
This fight rattled both of us.
Then I feel it.
A rush-
A pulse through every nerve in my body.
Magatsuhi floods in, filling me up like fire through hollow veins. The sign of a kill.
Burroughs' voice chimes:
"The 'Heatwave" skill has been assimilated"
Nice. Physical skill. Should hit hard.
But I can't celebrate yet. If the "mistress" shows up now, in this state? I'm screwed.
No time to rest.
"Whaou!" Mei finally says, back to her usual self. "Good job, Minoru! That was one hell of a fight! But yo, we gotta bounce fast before Big Big Boss comes crashin' down!"
That's more like her. A spark in her voice. A touch of awe. Even through the slang, I can hear it.
Admiration.
She heals me again, and this time it sticks-I can breathe, move, fight again. Mei mentions the cave size while she works-50 square kilometers, 200 meters high at the ceiling.
"...Seriously?" I mutter.
What kind of insane cave is this? Even if we kill every demon in here, getting out of the entire underground would be a nightmare.
Then-
My vision clears. Completely.
Clarity.
Crisp lines. No more blur. No more delay.
Shit.
Not now.
We're not even out of this room yet.
"Wait!" I turn, grabbing Mei by the wrist.
"Ehh? Yo chill, what's goin' on? We ain't that close for hand stuff yet~" she teases, but her voice is confused.
"Focus. This isn't a joke!" I bark, and I sprint, dragging her with me.
We reach the cave wall just as I feel it.
Magatsuhi.
Gathering.
High above.
In the center of the chamber.
Without thinking, I raise my hand-
Bufu.
A shell of ice forms around us, cocooning Mei and me in a fragile dome.
Too slow.
The air howls.
The ground screams.
The cavern shakes like a dying beast. Cracks form across our icy shield. Then-
Shatter.
The wall explodes into shards, and the world goes black.
Tendrils of shadow burst in. I throw myself over Mei, body first. I'm resistant to dark magic-she's not. And more than that...
You always protect the healer.
Debris falls.
But it doesn't crush us.
The darkness devours it mid-air.
"Goddammit... I just got healed!"
The pain rips through me-like knives under the skin. Not enough to kill.
But more than enough to scream.
"AHHH!"
A minute of hell.
An entire minute.
Then it ends.
Silence.
Cold.
Numb.
I can't feel my back.
"Minoru! Are you still-oh my god, your back! Don't worry, I'll fix it," Mei says, panic bleeding into her voice.
I feel warmth again. Skin re-knitting. Flesh returning. Her magic hums through me like lullabies sewn into light.
"Thanks," I whisper.
"Don't even mention it. You did just shield me from a death spell," she says, her usual grin peeking through her breathlessness.
I stand.
Slow. Sore.
But I turn-
And I see her.
At the center of the room.
Floating.
Graceful.
Deadly.
The mistress.
She's... beautiful.
Otherworldly.
A deep-purple dress wraps her form like liquid silk. She hovers, motionless, suspended above the shattered earth. Pale skin. Blonde hair so long and dark it blends with the shadows beneath her.
Elven features.
Long ears.
A cruel, knowing smirk.
And eyes-
Red.
Not angry.
Not cold.
Just... focused. Piercing. Smoldering with intelligence.
The high collar around her neck makes her look regal. Vampiric. In control of everything around her.
But the moment she sees us-alone in this ruined cavern-something shifts.
The smugness fades.
Replaced by rage.
Like watching a storm gather behind crimson glass.
Then, in a voice that cuts like silk-wrapped razors, she speaks:
"No need to ask. You're the ones who killed Ippon-Datara. But don't worry, I'm kind enough to grant you a final word."
She floats above the crater like a queen over a ruined kingdom. No rush. No fear. Just cold certainty. Her voice dances like a blade across silk-sharp and elegant.
Then Mei steps forward.
No hesitation.
"Those who entered this cave before us," she asks, voice steady. "Are they still alive?"
...Huh?
That's not what I expected.
Even the demon blinks. She tilts her head slightly, amused-no, genuinely confused.
"Of course not," she replies with a mocking smile. "Why would I keep my food alive? What would be the point?"
The air grows colder.
"You're the strange ones, really. I killed one human. Just one. And suddenly more kept coming. For vengeance. One after another. I didn't even hunt actively at first-the spell wasn't even in effect back then."
Her voice darkens. She leans closer, floating down slightly.
"I don't understand it. Humans kill pigs all the time, but pigs don't band together and start hunting humans in return."
She shrugs. Elegant. Detached.
Then smirks.
"Disappointing last words, really. Now-"
Her crimson gaze locks on me.
"Only you remain."
I step forward.
One foot into the cracked, shadow-stained earth.
And smile.
"...Honestly, I wasn't even supposed to be here."
My voice is low. Calm. Like I'm talking about the weather.
"But since I fell into this pit, might as well make the most of it."
Her eyes narrow.
"I don't care that you've killed humans. Really, I don't. You eat to survive-same as we do. Just like humans slaughter pigs."
I crack my neck. Stretch my arms. Feel the heat of my blood return with every breath.
"But right now- I'm not going to fight just to survive, After all if I kill you..."
I raise my hand.
Magatsuhi surges.
"...I get stronger. That's the main reason."
Silence.
My grin widens.
"So now, let me ask the question-"
I begin to cast.
The taunt magic flares from my voice like embers bursting from dry wood. Words twisted with power, laced with challenge. My tone deepens, each syllable like a drumbeat in the chest.
"What are your last words?"
Her eyes ignite.
"You arrogant-!"
Crimson fire explodes in her pupils.
And then-
She dives.
Like a comet.
Shadow trailing behind her like a cloak of vengeance.
Her claws shine like obsidian.
Her mouth is set in a snarl.
Her elegance is gone-
Replaced by fury.
"Mei, stay back!" I bark, feet bracing for impact, breath locking into rhythm.
The temperature drops.
Air pressure collapses.
Every muscle in my body coils like a spring.
The second round begins.
Now.