The maze had gone silent.
Not the silence of safety, but the silence of a predator's den the kind that made every breath sound too loud, every heartbeat a drumbeat echoing through stone. Dust drifted from the cracked ceiling where the Banting had forced its way into the corridor, its wings scraping against the walls like blades on bone.
It was massive easily twice the height of any human. Its body was a grotesque fusion of insect and beast: jagged black chitin armored its torso, but patches of raw, pulsing flesh peeked between plates, oozing faint green fluid.
Its wings were skeletal, stretched thin by membranes that quivered with every twitch. Worst of all was its face: a cluster of eyes glowing sickly emerald, and a maw that split too wide, rows of serrated teeth clicking together as though eager to taste blood.
Kana muttered, "That's not a Banting… that's a nightmare."
[System scan initiated…]
Haruki's vision flickered as translucent text scrolled before him:
Enemy: Chrysalid Devourer (Banting – Class B)
Threat Level: Catastrophic
Abilities Detected: [Venomous Claws], [Poison Fog], [Adaptive Carapace]
Recommended Strategy: Retreat.
[Survival Probability: 12%.]
Haruki's mouth went dry. Class B…? We barely survived the F-Class trials…
The monster's head swiveled unnaturally, focusing on them with its cluster of eyes. Venom dripped from its fangs, hissing as it corroded the floor.
Rai stepped forward, daggers sparking faintly with electricity. His posture was tense, but his voice was steady. "Kana, stay back. Haruki… don't hold back this time."
Kana snorted, though her knuckles were white around her bow. "Like we even have a chance holding back."
Kuro, by contrast, smirked like a child unwrapping a gift. His blade gleamed black under the torchlight. "Now this… this is worth my time."
Haruki swallowed, tightening his claws. His heart pounded so hard he thought his chest might split open. The System's words clawed at his mind. Retreat.
But there was nowhere to run. The maze behind them had sealed, stone walls shifting into place.
The only way out… was through.
The Banting shrieked, its scream high and piercing, shaking the walls and rattling Haruki's bones. It lunged, claws carving into the stone where they'd been standing a heartbeat earlier.
The battle had begun.
The Banting's claws gouged through stone as if it were soft clay. Sparks spat from the walls, chunks of rubble raining down as the beast reared back, wings unfolding with a snap that filled the corridor.
"Move!" Rai shouted.
The team scattered as the monster's tail whipped sideways, smashing into the ground with an impact that rattled their bones. A fissure split across the floor, glowing faintly with green poison that seeped from the creature's body.
Kana loosed two arrows in rapid succession. Both whistled through the air with deadly precision, striking between the Banting's plates of chitin yet instead of piercing, the shafts splintered, bouncing harmlessly off its carapace.
Kana's eyes widened. "It bounced?!"
The Banting's head snapped toward her, emerald eyes glowing hotter. It shrieked, maw yawning open, venom spraying in an arc.
"Cover!" Rai lunged, tackling Kana aside just as the poison hissed into the floor where she'd stood. The stone corroded instantly, melting into a bubbling pit. The stench of acid filled the corridor, burning their throats.
Kana coughed, clutching her bow. "I'd like to formally request a different monster!"
Rai grimaced, a burn already forming on his arm where a drop had splashed him. "Stay focused. This thing's not invincible."
"Could've fooled me!"
Meanwhile, Kuro had already launched himself forward, blade gleaming black. He slid beneath the monster's swipe and slashed upward, carving across its underbelly. Sparks erupted as his blade screeched against chitin, leaving nothing more than a shallow scratch.
Kuro's grin only widened. "Oh, you're tougher than you look."
The Banting roared, tail lashing. Kuro twisted aside, the strike grazing his shoulder and tearing his armor. Blood welled, but his smirk never faltered.
"Pathetic," he muttered, raising his sword again.
Haruki clenched his claws, heart hammering. He couldn't just stand there. With a roar, he dashed forward, gauntlets glowing faintly with crimson code. He swung at the beast's hind leg, claws sparking as they scraped across the carapace.
For an instant, the runes flared brighter and then one claw dug deeper than expected, cutting a shallow groove into the Banting's armor.
The monster shrieked, jerking its leg back. Venom splattered the floor, sizzling where it landed.
Haruki staggered back, panting. I actually cut it.
[Notice: Weak point discovered. Carapace integrity: 94%. Target remains overwhelmingly superior.]
The Banting reared up, wings slamming against the walls, the force blasting them with a gust of foul, hot wind.
Kana scrambled to her feet, loosing another arrow not at its armor this time, but at its eyes. The arrow struck true, sinking into one glowing orb. The Banting shrieked, thrashing violently.
"Yes!" Kana yelled. "It's got a soft spot!"
But the victory was fleeting. The monster's other eyes flared brighter, venom spilling from its fangs in a torrential spray. The poison mist spread across the corridor like a rolling fog, stinging their eyes and searing their lungs.
"Poison fog!" Rai shouted, yanking Kana back by her arm. He swung his daggers, sparks of lightning flaring as he whipped up a current of air to push the mist aside. But it wasn't enough. His breathing grew ragged, sweat pouring down his face.
Kana grabbed his arm. "You're overdoing it"
A sudden roar drowned her words. The Banting's claw slammed down, striking where they stood. Rai shoved Kana clear, but the claw raked across his side, tearing through leather and flesh.
He cried out, blood spraying the floor.
"Rai!" Haruki's stomach lurched.
Rai dropped to one knee, clutching his wound, his daggers still sparking despite his trembling hands. "Don't… stop. Finish it."
The Banting hissed, venom dripping as it advanced again, towering over them like death incarnate.
Haruki's claws pulsed, runes burning hotter. His breath hitched, torn between fear and the growing hunger inside him.
This fight was only beginning.
The Banting's roar echoed through the labyrinth, vibrating in their bones. Dust rained from the ceiling. Its wings snapped outward, unfolding fully now blades of chitin lined their edges, each flap slicing the air like guillotines.
Haruki stumbled back, heart hammering. The claws strapped to his hands thrummed, crimson veins of light crawling up his arms like living fire.
[Notice: Host synchronization increasing. WARNING stability at risk.]
He clenched his teeth. Not now. I can't lose control here.
The Banting surged forward, wings cutting downward in a deadly arc. Haruki ducked, the wind pressure alone sending him tumbling across the floor. Kuro intercepted, blade flashing black as he deflected one wing barely. The impact launched him backward, his boots scraping furrows into the stone until he slammed into the wall.
"Still standing," Kuro muttered, wiping blood from his mouth. "That all you've got?"
The Banting screeched in reply, venom raining from its fangs.
Haruki rolled aside, droplets sizzling where they landed. He lunged again, claws sparking, aiming for the groove he'd carved earlier. This time, he struck deeper the runes flaring like molten fire as his claws sliced another gash into the chitin.
The monster howled, staggering on its hind legs.
Haruki grinned, breathless. "Yeah… I can hurt you."
But the glow from his claws spread wider, racing up his forearms into his shoulders. His vision blurred at the edges, red seeping into his sight. A pulse of hunger throbbed in his chest, demanding more.
Just a little longer…
"Don't lose it, Haruki!" Kana's voice pierced through, sharp with urgency. "That thing isn't worth your sanity!"
Her shout snapped him back just enough to steady his breathing.
Rai, clutching his bleeding side, forced himself upright. Sparks of lightning danced weakly around his daggers. "We need… to press it. Don't give it a chance to reset!"
"On it." Kuro's grin sharpened. He darted forward again, this time in sync with Haruki. The two moved like jagged shadows one dark, one burning red.
Haruki struck first, claws raking along the Banting's foreleg, prying at its joints. The beast reeled, turning its head toward him just in time for Kuro's blade to stab into the shallow wound Haruki had left earlier.
A screech tore from the Banting, venom spraying wildly as it writhed. For the first time, it staggered backward.
Kana seized the chance, drawing a glowing arrow and firing. The projectile slammed into the exposed joint, exploding in a burst of light. Chitin cracked.
"Yes!" Kana pumped her fist. "Now we're getting somewhere!"
The victory was short-lived. The Banting's wings beat furiously, blasting them all back. Its body shimmered faintly—like heat distortion before plates of chitin shifted, knitting tighter together.
Haruki's stomach dropped. It's… adapting.
The monster hissed, venom mist pouring from its body. The corridor filled with thick, choking fog, stinging their lungs. The visibility dropped to almost nothing.
"Kana! Stay close!" Rai shouted through the haze. His lightning sparked faintly, illuminating ghostly outlines of walls and claws.
Haruki staggered, coughing. He could barely see, but the System's runes burned in his vision, tracing faint crimson outlines of the Banting's movements. It lunged from the mist, claws swiping down.
Instinct took over. Haruki raised his gauntlets and for the first time, his claws caught the strike. Sparks and venom flew as he held the monster's weight, knees buckling but refusing to break.
A guttural roar escaped his throat, half-human, half-something else. He shoved upward, forcing the Banting back a step.
[Notice: Host synchronization at 41%. Power output increased. Stability compromised.]
Kuro appeared from the mist, blade plunging deep into the Banting's foreleg while it was locked against Haruki. The beast howled, writhing, its venom fog thickening.
Haruki's eyes burned crimson. His pulse thundered, his claws begging him to tear more, rip deeper, feed.
"Haruki!" Kana's voice rang again, desperate this time. "Don't let it take you!"
Her words crashed into him like cold water. He clenched his teeth, forcing a ragged breath. The hunger receded slightly but not completely.
The Banting staggered, one leg crippled. Yet its wings still flared, poison dripping from every joint. Its remaining eyes glowed brighter, fury incarnate.
And Haruki knew: this was no ordinary Banting. This was a test. A predator designed to cull the weak.
He flexed his claws, crimson runes burning hotter. "Then let's see who breaks first."
The poison fog grew thicker, swallowing the corridor in a sickly green haze. Every breath burned, every blink stung like acid. Kana gagged, her bow trembling in her hands as her lungs fought for air.
"I..I can't see!" she coughed, stumbling.
Rai steadied her with one hand, his lightning sparking faintly as he forced his body to keep going. Blood dripped steadily from his side, staining his tunic. "Stay low. Don't… inhale too much."
The Banting's silhouette loomed in the fog, a massive shadow shifting, wings scraping against the walls with a screech that made their bones ache. Its eyes glowed like distant lanterns in the miasma, each step closer a drumbeat of doom.
Haruki squinted through the haze, claws glowing faintly crimson, runes burning against his skin. His System highlighted the beast's movements outlines flashing red like danger warnings.
[Notice: Poison levels rising. Host tissue degradation imminent within three minutes.]
Three minutes? His stomach clenched. We'll all be dead in less than that if we don't finish this thing.
He lunged, claws carving the fog aside, slashing at the Banting's torso. Sparks flew, another shallow groove cut into its armor.
But then the monster did something new. It convulsed, shaking violently, and venom poured from every crack in its body. The fog thickened into a near-solid wall, suffocating, blinding.
"Damn it!" Kana gagged, collapsing to one knee.
Rai stumbled, sparks dying around his daggers. His breaths came ragged, shallow.
Haruki's claws pulsed hotter, pulling at him, whispering. Give in. Let go. Tear it apart. Feed.
He shook his head violently. Not yet. Not like this.
Kuro emerged from the fog then, blade gleaming. His grin faintly illuminated by venom light was sharp, too sharp. He darted forward, striking the Banting's wounded leg. His sword slid in deep, cutting through sinew.
The beast roared, staggering but Haruki noticed something. Kuro's angle had been perfect, yet he pulled his blade free before delivering the finishing blow. The Banting stumbled but didn't fall.
Haruki's breath hitched. Why… did he hold back?
"Kuro!" he shouted, voice raw. "Go for the core!"
But Kuro only smirked through the haze. "Patience, kid. No need to waste all our cards yet."
No need? Haruki's gut twisted. This wasn't hesitation. This was intentional.
Kana, choking, didn't notice. Rai, too weakened, couldn't see. But Haruki did. His claws burned hotter, reacting not just to the Banting but to Kuro.
[Warning: Host emotional stability decreasing. Aggression levels spiking.]
The Banting lashed out suddenly, claws slamming down. Haruki dove forward, catching the strike with his gauntlets. Sparks exploded as he locked against it, knees sinking into cracked stone.
"Move!" he yelled, forcing Kana and Rai back with a shove of his shoulder.
The monster pressed harder, jaws dripping venom inches from his face. The claws burned like molten iron in his grip. His arms shook violently, every vein in his body glowing faint crimson.
"Haruki!" Kana screamed.
"I'm fine!" he lied, teeth gritted. Not yet. Just hold.
The hunger clawed at his mind. Whispers urged him to give in, to let the claws devour. His vision wavered red, every heartbeat screaming to rip and rend.
Then Kuro appeared again, this time behind the Banting. His blade poised for another strike… but again, he slashed shallow, carving flesh without killing.
Haruki's chest tightened. He's… letting it live. He wants us to break.
The Banting's tail whipped around, striking the ground near Kana. The shockwave flung her back, bow skittering across the floor. Rai dove to shield her, coughing blood as the poison ate at his wound.
They wouldn't last much longer.
Haruki roared, shoving the Banting's claw upward with a burst of crimson light. His claws extended, runes blazing like fire. He slashed across its torso, ripping a deep gash that finally sent it stumbling backward. Venom poured like a waterfall, sizzling against the stone.
[Notice: Synchronization at 57%. Critical threshold approaching.]
Haruki panted, shoulders trembling. His claws dripped crimson light, pulsing like a heartbeat. His gaze flicked to Kuro through the haze.
"You're holding back," he rasped, voice low, dangerous.
Kuro's grin widened, eyes glinting in the green fog. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. But tell me, Haruki what will you do about it?"
Haruki's claws burned brighter, hunger gnawing, demanding blood beast's or traitor's, it didn't matter.
Kana's voice cracked weakly behind him. "Stop fighting each other… please…"
But the Banting wasn't done. It rose again, wings spreading, venom cascading like rain. The labyrinth shook, ceiling beginning to crack under its rage.
They were running out of time.
And Haruki knew whether he fought the monster or Kuro first someone wasn't making it out of this corridor alive.
The labyrinth quaked as the Banting roared, a sound so deep it shook dust from the ceiling and split cracks through the walls. Its wings flared wide, blades of chitin gleaming through the venom fog. Its body shuddered, plates shifting transforming.
Kana gasped, voice hoarse. "It's… evolving?!"
The Banting's wounds sealed with grotesque speed, green ichor fusing broken chitin. Its eyes multiplied, glowing brighter, each one locking on them with predatory hunger. Poison poured like a waterfall from its fangs, flooding the corridor until the floor hissed with bubbling acid.
Rai collapsed to one knee, clutching his bleeding side. His lightning flickered, weak and erratic. "We… can't outlast it."
Haruki's chest heaved, claws pulsing crimson. The hunger inside him roared louder than the beast. Each breath tasted of blood and ash. The System's warnings blurred across his vision like static:
[WARNING: Synchronization at 62% → 70% → 76%...]
His skin burned, veins glowing faintly. He clutched his head, fighting the whispers gnawing at him. Not yet. Not yet.
The Banting lunged, claws slamming down with the force of a collapsing building. Haruki dove forward, intercepting the strike with his gauntlets. The ground fractured beneath his feet, cracks racing out like spiderwebs.
Kana shrieked. Rai tried to rise, only to falter.
And Kuro? He stood just beyond the fog, blade lowered, watching with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"You bastard" Haruki growled, forcing the Banting's claw back with every shred of strength. His claws sparked crimson fire, searing against the monster's chitin.
The hunger snapped inside him like a chain breaking.
[Notice: Synchronization at 83%. Host will lose control if threshold exceeds 90%.]
Crimson light exploded from his body, coating the walls, burning through the fog. Haruki's claws elongated, jagged, alive. His eyes glowed red, pupils slit like a predator's. His breathing became a snarl.
Kana's hand flew to her mouth. "H-Haruki…?"
He didn't answer. He launched forward faster than the eye could follow, claws raking the Banting's torso in a blinding storm. Chitin shattered, ichor spraying in fountains. Each strike left glowing trails in the air, burning crimson against the darkness.
The monster screeched, thrashing violently, but Haruki was everywhere clawing, tearing, ripping chunks of armor free. His movements blurred, no longer human.
The hunger laughed inside him. Yes. More. Tear. Feed.
The Banting reared back, wings slicing downward in desperation. Haruki met them head-on, his claws shearing through chitin like paper. Shards of wing clattered to the floor, steaming where venom clung to them.
Kana shouted something he couldn't hear. Rai tried to stand, but Haruki's vision tunneled until all he saw was the Banting. The enemy. The prey.
He leapt, claws plunging into its head. With a roar, he ripped downward, splitting through eye and bone. The Banting convulsed, venom spraying wildly. Its screech shook the walls then gurgled into silence as Haruki tore free its core.
A pulsing green crystal, slick with ichor, throbbed in his bloodstained hand.
Haruki landed heavily, chest heaving, claws dripping light and venom. His vision was red, heartbeat deafening. The hunger whispered: Crush it. Devour it.
His fingers tightened
"Haruki!" Kana's cry cut through.
He froze, trembling. Her silhouette stood through the haze, bow clutched in shaking hands, eyes wide with fear and worry. Not fear of the Banting. Fear of him.
Rai's voice followed, weak but firm. "Don't let it… own you."
Haruki's claws quivered, light flickering violently. His breath tore in ragged snarls. The crystal cracked under his grip then shattered, dissolving into light that scattered across the corridor.
The Banting's body collapsed with it, crashing into the floor, wings broken, venom hissing into silence.
The labyrinth went still.
Haruki dropped to his knees, claws retracting slowly, crimson fading from his veins. His body screamed in pain, every muscle trembling.
[Notice: Synchronization dropped to 58%. Host retains partial control.]
Kana rushed to him, kneeling by his side. "You scared me half to death."
He managed a faint grin. "Sorry… didn't mean to."
Rai limped closer, bloodied but alive. "You saved us… but at what cost?"
Haruki looked at his trembling hands, claws still faintly glowing. His reflection in the ichor-stained floor wasn't entirely human anymore.
And Kuro? He sheathed his blade, stepping from the fog. His grin was sharper than ever.
"Interesting," Kuro murmured. "Very interesting. Looks like our little F-Rank has teeth after all."
Haruki's gaze met his, crimson flickering in his eyes. For the first time, he wondered if the Banting had truly been the most dangerous enemy in this corridor.