The sound of roots tearing through the ground echoed across the vast underground field, blending with the deafening roar of the creature ahead.
The gigantic Viola — a monstrous carnivorous plant with crimson petals and a pulsating core — slithered toward Shirou, its movements shaking the earth beneath it.
The ground trembled with every step of the beast.
Even so, Shirou's expression remained calm. A faint smile curved his lips.
"So that's how you want to play it…" he muttered.
Instead of retreating, he lunged forward, the impact of his feet cracking the soil. Magical light flared in his hands, and his firm voice rang out:
"Trace... on!"
The air shimmered as if reality itself were fracturing. Two blades materialized in his grasp — Kanshou and Bakuya, the twin white and black swords.
They gleamed under the cavern's dim light like fragments of moonlight and shadow.
The plant roared, its massive vines cracking the earth like furious serpents.
Shirou dodged each strike with precise movements, then leapt — his body arcing through the air — landing directly atop the Viola's massive head.
Sensing danger, the creature thrashed violently, trying to throw him off.
But Shirou had already anticipated this.
Using one of its petals as a springboard, he launched himself backward in a graceful somersault. His blades sliced through the air, leaving trails of blue light.
As he landed, he spun and hurled both swords straight toward the monster's pulsating core.
The twin blades flew like bolts of lightning.
A sharp shunk! tore through the air as both pierced cleanly through the creature's body, impaling its vital center.
The Viola shrieked, the ground quaking as if the earth itself cried out with it.
Its glowing core pulsed one final time—then went dark.
Shirou landed softly on the cracked ground and, without hesitation, extended his hand again.
"Trace on!"
Another pair of Kanshou and Bakuya formed in his grasp, light solidifying into cold steel.
He charged forward once more, cutting through the writhing vines.
Within seconds, the massive plant collapsed and disintegrated into glowing mana dust.
The silence that followed felt almost sacred.
For a brief moment, Shirou simply stood there, watching the last fragments of the creature fade into the air.
A faint smile touched his lips — not of arrogance, but of quiet peace.
All around him, his companions stared in awe.
The reflection of his figure danced in Lefiya's wide eyes — and in those of the other girls watching.
A faint blush crept across their faces, unbidden.
In that moment, Shirou looked truly radiant — the living image of a hero.
---
"How... how is that even possible?!"
The voice echoed, trembling with disbelief.
The masked man stared at the destroyed remains of the giant plant, his body shaking.
The horror in his eyes was absolute — as if he were witnessing an impossible nightmare come to life.
That brief moment of hesitation was his undoing.
"Tch... Focus on the fight!" Bete snarled, his golden eyes blazing.
Before the enemy could react, the werewolf dashed forward like lightning. The sound of his boots reverberated through the cavern—
Then came the impact.
BAAAM!
The masked man's head snapped sideways as Bete's kick struck him full force, sending him crashing into a quartz pillar. Shards scattered across the ground.
But before his body could even fall, another threat appeared—
A flaming arrow streaking through the air, aimed straight at Bete's back.
"Muspelflamme..." Shirou murmured, releasing a magical arrow of his own toward Bete.
The warrior spun just in time, blocking the fire arrow with the sole of his boot. The explosion engulfed the ground in flame, sparks flying everywhere.
Bete growled, his golden eyes gleaming fiercely.
Channeling the lingering magic from the flames into his legs, he launched another kick — this one blazing with incandescent power.
"Haaa!"
The strike landed squarely, the masked man's body slamming into the wall with bone-shattering force.
The impact shook the entire chamber.
"Die, you bastard!" Bete roared, fury burning in every word.
The ground still quivered when he turned, breathing heavily.
His eyes met Shirou's — calm, steady, unwavering.
And in that gaze, Bete felt something rare: pure, unshakable trust.
A comrade who would never falter.
A warrior who stood by his side without fear.
Shirou gave a quiet nod and stepped closer.
"Is it over?" he asked.
Bete scoffed, crossing his arms. "That kick should've killed the bastard."
Shirou narrowed his eyes, scanning the debris and rising dust. "Don't underestimate him. He's tough… we'd better make sure."
The two exchanged a brief glance — one of mutual respect and understanding — then readied themselves to finish the job.
But then... a voice echoed from within the smoke.
"Stop them... Violas!"
The ground trembled again.
From the quartz pillars above, new giant plants emerged, their petals unfurling like monstrous jaws.
"He's still alive?!" Bete shouted, stepping back beside Shirou.
A gust of wind swept the field, a surge of energy rippling outward.
Shirou raised his arms to shield his face as the smoke cleared.
And there he was.
The man stood upright — his body bloodied, his clothes torn and burned — but still alive.
Injured... yet smiling.
Before their eyes, his wounds began closing — flesh knitting back together in a grotesque display.
The mask that had concealed his face was now gone.
Filvis froze, her skin turning pale as her entire body trembled.
Her pupils shrank in shock.
"O... Olivas Act...?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"What?!" Asfi shouted, her face twisting in disbelief. "You mean he's the masked one?! That's impossible — he died on the 27th Floor!"
Her words hung in the air like ice.
Olivas Act.
Once a member of Evilus — the cursed faction responsible for the Nightmare of the 27th Floor.
Countless adventurers had perished in that massacre.
Only a few survived.
Filvis was one of them.
And Olivas Act... had supposedly died there.
Yet now he stood before them — alive, and smiling.
Olivas raised his gaze, his voice warped and dripping with venom.
"I truly did die... but thanks to her power, I live once more!"
Under their horrified stares, his chest began to glow with a sinister light.
A magic stone embedded in his body pulsed with dark energy — beating like a demonic heart.
He was no longer human.
He was a monster.
---
(End of Chapter)