[This is the first stage of the Soul-Hunter Exams. You have to survive the upcoming wave of magical beasts and capture a flag for a given time limit in order to advance to the next stage.]
[Time remaining: 59:59]
"We have an hour to capture as many flags as we can, what's the plan?" Kazuki asked, getting straight into business.
"If you wish to survive to the end of this phase, don't move from that spot." Kaira said disdainfully.
"What? Aren't we supposed to be a team?"
"Team? This is a C-rank Dungeon, there's nothing much you can do in here. I only chose you because I wish to clear this phase by myself. There's no team, if you want to pass this phase. Do as I say."
She took off into the ancient ruins, lunging at high speeds that left trails of dust in her wake. It was obvious, the intense training she'd been put through.
Her Soul-Technique, would undoubtedly be something beyond comprehension.
"So much for teamwork." He sighed, then ventured into the city. Explosions, burst of multi colored light filled the air, and by the sound of it, the battle against the dungeon beasts had already begun.
"It's natural, I don't blame her. The weak will only be a burden, but this time, she judged wrong. I'm not that person, not anymore." The city seemed very familiar, and it was.
He remembered the first phase of this exam from Takashi's perspective in the novel, but in his perspective. It was a whole lot different.
[Malicious Intent has been detected.]
Kazuki stopped moving immediately, and his eyes shot open. The system notifications informed him of a danger lurking nearby, but he couldn't sense a thing, even at the level he was.
He turned and found his eyes locked on a beastly figure. It had the body of a huge, black wolf, yet it stood upright on two legs, towering over him at nearly seven feet tall.
[A dungeon beast has appeared.]
[Black Wolf.]
Kazuki stood still as the wolf salivated, it glared at him with murderous intent, but despite that, he seemed calm.
Like the threat before him was nothing more than a passing breeze. It lunged at him, moving at an incomprehensible speed.
'What's this?' Kazuki thought. Even as the wolf drew closer, he didn't feel any urge of urgency, any fear.
"That's right." He thought as he spread his palms open, and the Steelfangs in his inventory materialized in them.
"Compared to that Soul-Beast... Compared to the lightning serpent, you're nothing!" As the black wolf lunged to sink its fangs into him, Kazuki dropped into a crouch, slipping past the strike before plunging both daggers deep into its chest.
[Stun effect has been activated.]
A surge of electricity burst from the daggers, coursing through the wolf's body. Its nerves convulsed under the shock, leaving the beast frozen and unable to move.
"Alright, now to-"
Before he could finish speaking, the wolf's right claws lunged at him almost immediately, and his eyes went wide with shock.
"W-what?" The wolf shouldn't have been able to move, yet it did, and now, it's claws were aimed at his skull at point black.
"I see." He muttered under his breath as it's claws descended on him.
He figured out, recalled from his knowledge, how it could move even after being stunned, it was the same reason he couldn't sense it before.
Primal will.
It was an instinct common in each and every feline that hunted within a dungeon, it was bound by ancient instincts that drive it to hunt and kill, even when stunned.
So while Kazuki's daggers stunned most of it's nerves, it acted instinctively without information from it's brain.
At that final moment, as Kazuki thought it was over for him, his fears shut off like a switch that was flipped.
[Skill (Bloodlust Of The Assassin) has been activated.]
Kazuki vanished, and the wolf's claws sliced at the air where he previously crouched.
Instinctively, the beast let out a growl and spun around, drawn to the powerful presence behind it. Standing in its sight was Kazuki, silent and still, his hair falling over his forehead, casting a shadow across his eyes, his face unreadable and cold.
The beast roared, lifting its right arm high as sharp claws slid into view. It brought them slashing down toward Kazuki, but he tilted his head to the left in a swift motion, narrowly avoiding the strike. In the same instant, Kazuki thrust his right hand forward, pressing his palm firmly against one of the daggers buried in its chest.
Electricity surged through his arm and into his palm, then into the dagger. The built up energy imploded, leaving a large hole in the wolf's chest, and lighting the sky with a blinding blue light.
The light cast a bright glow on the entire dungeon, and everyone froze in their tracks, their eyes wavering at the dense pressure of the Soul-Energy they felt from the light.
"W-what is that..." Kirito stammered, unable to find the proper words to use.
Even Kaira froze, she couldn't believe her eyes.
The black wolf collapsed to the ground, lifeless, while Kazuki stood frozen, his head bowed as though bound by some unseen force. After a few seconds, he finally stirred, and his senses returned to him immediately.
"W-what happened.." He felt dizzy as he tried remembering what happened.
[You have defeated a B-rank Beast.]
[You have defeated the Black Wolf.]
[You have gained 50XP.]
[You have levelled up a skill]
[Bloodlust Of The Assassin > Level 2)]
[You have obtained a flag.]
"Huh?" He felt a wave of calmness wash over him, and his head stopped spinning. "What happened..." For a moment, everywhere went blank, and it felt like he wasn't in control of himself.
Then when he came back to his senses, he found the beast on the ground right besides him, dead with a huge hole in it's chest and blood pouring from it.