As Kaito, Marcus, Elias, Lucas, and Calvin fought fiercely against the unending wave of mine spirits, a thunderous roar suddenly rolled out from the deepest part of the cavern. The sound was so heavy it seemed to shake the entire cave around them.
Leaving Kaito, Marcus and the others were even a little shaken and froze for a moment, their expressions pale as the roar carried with it a pressure that made their hearts pound.
Whereas the mine spirits reacted instantly. Their dull, green, burning eyes flared brighter, and in the next moment, they went berserk. With guttural cries, they surged forward, attacking with wild abandon. Their movements were faster, their strikes more violent, as if the roar had ignited their rage.
And before Kaito could even adjust, the wall beside him suddenly shuddered. Stone cracked open, and from it burst the Rank 1 mine spirit group leader that had previously escaped. And without hesitation, it lunged straight at him, its rocky body crashing forward like a boulder.
Kaito's eyes narrowed in surprise, but his instinct saved him. His feet shifted, and with Wind Veil Steps, he slipped out of the path of the oncoming strike. At this time, the mine spirit with it's once again grown massive arms slammed into the ground, leaving cracks along the cavern floor.
Kaito countered immediately. Twisting his body, he drove his knee hard into the spirit's midsection. And thanks to the Azure Thunder Meridian Art, even his body alone carried the strength of a Rank 1 mid-grade martial artist. The impact reverberated, caving in part of the mine spirit's torso. Being struck the mine spirit then roared furiously, the green fire in its eyes blazing brighter.
This time, it did not retreat. With a screeching bellow, it hurled itself forward again, swinging its jagged arms like massive clubs.
Kaito steadied himself, tightening his grip on his sword. The Rank 1 mine spirit crashed toward him, each step shaking the cavern floor. Its stone fists whistled through the air, aiming to crush him where he stood.
Kaito ducked low, sliding past the first blow. With a swift upward slash, he carved across its arm. Sparks flew, stone cracked, but the spirit's defense held. The creature turned its head with a roar and swung its other arm like a hammer.
But using the Wind Veil Steps, Kaito sidestepped sharply, and his blade striking in quick succession cut, thrust, slash. Each movement targeted the weakened joints he had spotted earlier. Chips of rock scattered, but still the spirit pressed forward.
The mine spirit stomped down, trying to pin him in place, then snapped its torso forward, attempting to bash him with its jagged head. Kaito leaned aside, letting the blow scrape past, and countered with a powerful chop to its shoulder. The strike split through half the joint, leaving the arm hanging awkwardly.
The beast roared in rage, flailing its half-crippled arm. Kaito closed in without hesitation. His sword danced in rapid succession stab, pierce, cleave each move precise, each aimed at another fracture. With one final overhead swing, he cleaved through the shoulder completely. The arm detached, crashing to the ground in rubble.
The mine spirit staggered but refused to fall. Its remaining arm lashed out wildly, it's stone fist aiming dangerously close to Kaito's chest. But Kaito twisted, and parried the strike with his blade, and then he used the recoil to thrust his sword directly into the crack in its torso where his knee had struck earlier.
The sword plunged deep, shattering the weakened core of the mine spirit. The green fire in its eyes flickered violently, then dimmed.
With a final roar, the Rank 1 mine spirit collapsed. Its massive body crumbled into rubble, the pieces scattering across the cavern floor.
Kaito exhaled sharply, lowering his sword. Finally it had been destroyed.
He then turned immediately toward Marcus and the others. They were still locked in combat, their movements growing sluggish under the relentless assault of the berserk mine spirits. Their faces were strained, sweat running down as they struck and parried desperately.
Without pause, Kaito then lunged into the fray. His sword swept wide, slicing through one mine spirit at its joints, then smashing down another with a cleaving strike. Marcus's staff swung beside him, smashing heads into fragments, while Elias's arrows streaked past his shoulder, striking joints with deadly precision. Lucas and Calvin guarded their flanks, cutting down anything that tried to slip through.
"Let's Keep moving!" Kaito shouted over the din. "Don't stop!"
They nodded, falling into formation once again. Step by step, they advanced, forcing their way deeper into the cavern. Kaito led from the front, his sword never ceasing. Every strike shattered stone, every motion pushed them forward. The others followed close behind, their formation holding even as fatigue weighed on them.
The deeper they went, the fiercer the resistance became. Mine spirits poured in from every side, their green eyes glowing like a storm of fireflies in the dark. Yet Kaito kept slashing, slashing, and slashing his sword moving as if it carried endless strength. The rubble of broken spirits piled behind them as they carved their path forward.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of fighting, the narrow tunnel widened. They stumbled into an open chamber, and all of them paused for breath.
It was the largest space they had discovered since entering the cave, a cavernous hall stretching wide,
The cavern was vast, its walls glittering faintly with embedded Spirit Stones, but it was not the faint glow that drew their attention. At the center stood the mine spirit leader, towering higher than any they had seen so far, its jagged rock-like body plated with thick layers of stone. From its skull-like head, two eyes burned with orange fire, glowing brighter than molten embers. Its presence pressed down on the group with suffocating weight. And this was no ordinary leader. It was a Rank 1 high-grade mine spirit.
And to top it all, this was not the only threat.
As Kaito scanned the chamber, his heart sank. Scattered throughout the space were at least five Rank 1 mine spirits, each like the one he had fought earlier. Beyond them stretched an uncountable number of Rank 0 and unranked mine spirits, their faint green eyes filling the cavern like a sea of fireflies. All of them turned toward the intruders. The leader, whose aura dominated the chamber, also locked its blazing gaze directly on Kaito and his cousins.
The air shook as the leader let out a roar. It was not just a sound, but a shockwave of force that rattled the cavern and pierced into their ears. The noise was so overwhelming that even Kaito instinctively clutched at his ears, his teeth grinding under the pressure. Marcus, Elias, Lucas, and Calvin immediately copied his actions, muffling the deafening cry as best they could.
But even after roaring, the leader did not relent. Its voice seemed to ignite the frenzy of every mine spirit in the cavern. Together, they roared back in response, a storm of guttural cries that made the ground tremble. Then, all at once, the horde lunged forward, stone limbs flailing, their movements wild and frenzied.
Kaito's expression hardened. There was no time to hesitate. He had thought the mine spirits might still be at their weakest since the mine had only recently formed. But judging from their strength now, his earlier decision suddenly felt reckless. If he had known, he might have brought one or two elders with him. When he saw the Rank 1 group leader earlier, he should have taken that as a warning and returned. But now, there was no retreat.