After Ayaka's burial, a strange, unsettling silence descended upon the cave. As if the cave itself was holding its breath.
Drip... drip... Water fell from somewhere above—each drop echoing like a stilled heartbeat, reminding us all... of death.
I walked at the front of the group, blood-soaked sword in hand. The flickering torchlight cast shadows ahead, but the darkness seemed to deepen with every step. It felt like something... was lurking.
The air was heavy... suffocating. As if invisible hands were choking our throats.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ayaka's face again—her last, sorrowful smile... her final, whispered words.
("Master... perhaps this is my punishment...")
I clenched my teeth. Rage burned inside my head like fire, mixing with grief. But why? Why here? Why us?
"Ryan," Grace called softly from behind, her voice trembling, "are you okay?"
I didn't answer. What could I say? I wasn't okay. None of us were. And in this silence... something was coming.
And right then—
A terrifying, chilling hiss shook the cave. As if an ancient monster had awakened from the darkness.
"HSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!!"
Everyone froze. Hearts pounding in our chests. It was coming from the left tunnel—the exact path Daniel and his team had taken. What had happened there? Why this sound?
Jackson muttered a curse under his breath, fear lacing his voice.
"Nothing good about this! Something's gone wrong over there... something bad!"
"Let's go!" Kaito shouted, bolting forward, but uncertainty flickered in his eyes.
We followed, one by one, racing toward the sound. Each footfall echoed through the cave, warning us... danger was approaching.
Then—
Sudden gunshots. Sharp, relentless.
Screams. Mingled with pain and terror.
"FIRE!! FIRE!!!"
We rounded the corner and skidded to a halt. Our hearts seemed to stop. What we saw ahead... was the gateway to hell. But what? What could be tearing everyone apart?
Daniel's team was in utter chaos, as if battling an invisible enemy.
And that's when our eyes fell on it—a massive, shadowy python—at least thirty feet long—towering over them. Its body covered in dark, glistening scales, shimmering coldly in the light like frozen fear. Its eyes red, like harbingers of death.
Two soldiers had already vanished into its belly... forever.
The rest fired like madmen, but the bullets bounced off its armored hide, useless. Why? Why wasn't anything working?
"Bring the rocket! Get the launcher!" Daniel yelled, desperation in his voice.
But the man couldn't even lift it. The python's tail whipped around like a lash—slowly, but with deadly speed—
CRACK!!
He slammed into the wall, bones shattering into dust. Blood sprayed everywhere, splattering our faces. Who's next?
"Fall back! Everyone, fall back!" Jackson roared, but his voice wavered.
But before anyone could move, the serpent lunged again. One man's scream cut short—his entire body vanishing into its jaws... swallowed. The sound still echoes in my ears.
Then it turned toward Kaito. Hunger in its eyes. Would Kaito survive?
From a distance, I saw him unleash his best move: Blood Moon Slash. Light flashed brightly, but...
But even that attack did nothing. Its scales were too tough. Such a powerful strike, and it barely scratched. Why? How was this possible?
Suddenly, the python targeted Kaito's stomach with its tail—swift, unstoppable. He couldn't dodge in time. The impact hurled him far, crashing hard. Blood trickled from his head... slowly. His skull must have cracked. He went limp. Not moving. Was he dead?
Seeing that, fury exploded inside me toward this python. In my mind, I screamed, "Ayaka died right in front of me—I won't let Kaito die! Never!"
I unleashed my top three attacks on it. Each blow shook the cave.
Blood Moon Slash!!
Inferno Cyclone Slash!!
Final Grave Strike!!
After those powerful blows, I dropped to my knees, gasping for air. My body was on the verge of shutting down. But... had it worked?
Each strike landed true, making the beast writhe and scream in agony for a moment. But even then, it thrashed wildly, attacking us relentlessly. It wouldn't stop. Why wouldn't it stop?
I parried its strikes as I retreated step by step. Each clash felt like the end.
Then it pounced on Mr. Jackson and Albert. They were strong, but against this thing, they were nothing—their attacks slid off like rain. How long could they hold?
From behind, Daniel and his soldiers kept firing. Exhausted from the fight, barely hanging on. Would their ammo run out?
Seizing the moment, I desperately searched for a way to kill it. Some weakness... but what?
Suddenly, an idea flashed in my mind. Risky, but our only chance.
I stood up again, charging back into the fray. As they battled and realized they couldn't win, they began to retreat. That's when it locked onto me. Its eyes on mine. What now?
I slipped into its blind spot and unleashed a special move. Swift, silent.
Phantom Eclipse Strike...
SLASH!!!
I drove my dual blades straight into its eyes. It shrieked in pain, the cave trembling. But it wasn't over yet.
Then, leaping onto it, in that vulnerable state, I pried its mouth open—and hurled a grenade inside. Time seemed to freeze. Would it explode? Or fail?
BOOM!
The grenade detonated in its maw, blasting its head clean off. A fountain of blood.
Blood drenched my entire body. I gasped for breath, a blue aura emanating from my eyes. But... was this the end? Or was there more?
Everyone stared at me in stunned silence. The quiet returned.
Evan muttered, "He looks like a total monster right now. Who is this kid?"
Albert thought to himself, "I thought he was just a kid... I was wrong. I knew he was strong, but not this strong. But... what next?"
After slaying it, my body gave out completely. My breathing slowed. The world blurred before my eyes. Darkness descending... but what else lurks in the cave?
And within moments... everything went black.
To be continued