In the blink of an eye, another day slipped by. But within the time chamber, a full year had passed for the group. By now, they'd grown so accustomed to the chamber's peculiar environment that their training had become second nature—progress came at a frightening pace.
Watching everyone's growth, Shuo decided it was time for a new challenge.
"Hold up! Everyone, take a break from training—I've got something important," Shuo called out, waving his hand to catch their attention.
He held up a card, its surface gleaming with infernal script. "This is a Demon Party Invitation. Once we activate it, we'll be transported to an isolated dimension where we'll face demons and other creatures. If we win, we might get some sweet rewards. And if we lose? No penalty at all. So, who's in?"
The group perked up, curiosity sparking in their eyes as they eyed the invitation.
"Something this crazy exists? And it's risk-free? Count me in!" Akeno grinned, her enthusiasm contagious.
The others exchanged excited looks, eager for a new kind of challenge.
"Alright then. I can bring four of you with me. Kiyome, you'll have to sit this one out—beast tamers aren't a good fit for this event." Shuo's tone was apologetic but firm.
Kiyome pouted, but nodded, returning to her training with a resigned sigh.
With a flick of Shuo's wrist, the invitation flared to life. A dark red portal spiraled open before them, humming with otherworldly energy. Without hesitation, Shuo and his chosen four stepped through.
The world twisted. In an instant, they found themselves in the heart of a dense, ancient forest. Towering trees—each trunk at least four or five meters thick—loomed overhead, their tangled branches blocking out every trace of sunlight.
"So this is our battlefield? It kind of reminds me of the Underworld's familiar forests," Rias mused, breaking the uneasy silence.
"It's way too quiet here," Koneko muttered, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I don't like it."
"If even Koneko's on edge, there's definitely something lurking nearby," Akeno said, ruffling Koneko's hair with a gentle hand.
Shuo's expression hardened. "No point standing around. Let's scout the area and get a feel for the place."
He led the way, the group weaving through the shadowy woods. The further they went, the more the air seemed to thicken with tension. By the time they reached the forest's edge, an unshakable sense of dread pressed down on them—like the final curtain rising on a nightmare.
Suddenly, the world exploded in a deafening roar. The shockwave ripped through the trees, snapping ancient trunks like twigs. The ground trembled beneath their feet.
The pressure was overwhelming. Even Shuo staggered, but Koneko took the brunt of it—her knees buckled, and a thin line of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Before anyone could recover, a chorus of guttural hisses echoed from below. The earth shuddered violently. Dozens of eerie, emerald eyes flared to life beneath the soil.
Something's coming.
That thought barely had time to register before the ground erupted. A colossal shadow burst upward, its serpentine body coiling through the air and blotting out the sky. The beast was monstrous—hundreds of meters long, thick as a mountain.
But it was the heads that froze everyone in place. Eight of them, each crowned with wild, mossy growth, their eyes burning a venomous red. Eight tails lashed behind, their scales slick with blood and rot. Wisps of eight-colored clouds circled above, casting the creature in an unnatural gloom. Its back was overgrown with moss and trees; its belly, a festering wound that bled endlessly.
"Yamata-no-Orochi!" Rias gasped, horror etched across her face.
While the others reeled in shock, Shuo's heart hammered with excitement. If he could bring down a legendary beast like this, the rewards would be beyond imagination.
Before he could move, the monster reared back and let out a hellish screech. All around, the air shimmered—and suddenly, dozens of towering demons and twisted youkai appeared, each one three or four meters tall, eyes glowing with malice.
Shuo snapped into command mode. "You four—handle the small fry! Leave the big one to me!"
Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko nodded. They knew there was no way to help with the main event, but they could clear the field and keep the lesser monsters from interfering.
Akeno was first to act. Purple lightning crackled from her hands, arcing across the battlefield and blasting through the ranks of demons.
Zzzap!
In an instant, swathes of monsters collapsed into smoldering heaps, the air filling with the mouthwatering scent of barbecued meat.
"Power of Destruction!" Rias's voice rang out—suddenly, black wings unfurled from her back, and a surge of crimson magic gathered in her hands.
"Disappear!"
She unleashed her inherited power, a sphere of annihilation tearing through the enemy ranks. This was the pinnacle of her training—the strongest attack she'd mastered so far.
Meanwhile, Kiba and Koneko fought in their own styles.
After nearly a year of weighted training and Shuo's relentless sword drills, Kiba moved like a blur. His demonic blade sliced through the monsters with surgical precision, limbs and torsos falling in his wake.
Koneko was pure, unfiltered violence. She waded into the fray, fists flying, every punch sending demons flying or crumpling to the ground in mangled heaps.
As the battle raged, the group fell into a deadly rhythm—each strike, each spell, each movement perfectly in sync.
But overhead, Yamata-no-Orochi loomed, its eight heads watching, waiting, and hungering for blood.
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