Pyramid Hallways——
Zaria, Han, and Rika snuck through the oddly clear hallways.
"Is it just me, or did all those jerks that hawked us down just leave?" Zaria questioned.
"Nah, they're definitely gone," Rika noted. "Did the spider scare them off?"
Han paused. "It's empty…too empty…"
Zaria and Rika turned to him.
"Something wrong?" Zaria asked.
Han's eyes went wide. "Shit…they're not retreating…they're after someone bigger! We gotta find Mr. Nyugawa!"
Han hurried down the hall, leaving a confused Rika and Zaria to follow him.
Elsewhere—-
Omariro, Rei, and the dwarves watched as the bandits slowly approached, their leader sporting a curious expression.
"Amazing…" he commented. "I'd heard the Kaitansha were using this dungeon as their tournament, but to get the strongest of them all, right at my doorstep? It must be a late birthday gift, I'm sure!"
Rei put her hands on Omariro's shoulders as the leader walked forward. "Is that a friend, Mr. Omariro?"
"No," Omariro replied. "Impossible."
"That's the guy who imprisoned us!" Sunako's mother pointed. "Don't get too close, he's inhuman!"
The man dropped his club and stretched. "C'mon, no need for accusations? Business is business."
"You no dwarf," Omariro noticed.
"Nah. I'm not."
He took off his mask, revealing charcoal skin and an elven face. "I'm a Sagyami Erufu. To you humans, that means a *Dark Elf.*"
With a gesture of his hand, all of his subordinates took off their masks, revealing similar features and skin tone.
"Elves?" Rei inquired. "I thought they'd gone extinct by now!"
The leader pointed to Rei. "That girl behind you…she's a bit of an oddball, isn't she? Where'd you find her?"
"A place," Omariro replied.
"Oh ho! Not much for talking, are we? Okay. That's fine. We can settle this like men."
With a blaze of black energy, his body coated itself in armor. "I'll just take her, then. Along with you!"
He looked back at his soldiers. "Round up the dwarves. I'll take Nyugawa and his puppet."
〈Boss: Kagenoroi Ōzoku. Level: 45,000.〉
"Such a high level!" Rei giggled.
He picked up his club.
〈Rule: Defeat *Ōzoku.*〉
Sunako's parents immediately tugged at Omariro's arms.
"Wait!" her father cried. "Please, it's not worth the risk! He's crazy—-!"
In the blink of an eye, Ōzoku was in front of Omariro, slamming his hammer down.
BOOM.
Omariro casually blocked the attack with his forearm, and Ōzoku's club bounced off.
"Puny man," Omariro remarked.
"Look at your arm," Ōzoku chuckled.
Omariro looked down, but his arm was now a gray husk, unable to move.
〈Domain Effect: *Withering Force.* Description: Any attack from Ōzoku's club that successfully connects will *Wither* the area on contact.〉
"Now, you wanna try that again?"
Omariro glanced at his arm one more time, before turning his attention back to Ōzoku.
"Only need one hand."
Faster than anyone could perceive, Omariro zipped forward, using his good arm to grab Ōzoku's head and bash it into the ground.
〈Boss HP: 100% → 69%〉
"What the hell—?"
Omariro then flung him into the air, sending him crashing into the ceiling.
〈Boss HP: 69% → 44%〉
"That old man…" Sunako's father gasped. "Is he really old?"
"So strong…" the mother gawked. "Who IS he?"
Ōzoku landed on the ground, falling to his knees. "Heh…shoulda known they wouldn't put ten million sigils on your head for nothing…heh…"
He cracked his neck, and he pulled out a sigil from his pocket.
"I don't much like cheating, but if that's what you gotta do, then that's what you gotta do."
The sigil floated in the air.
〈Sigil Ability: Frenzy. Description: When *HP* is below 50%, *ATK,* *DEF,* and *SPD* are increased by 175%.〉
Golden energy flowed through Ōzoku's body. "Better. I love evening the odds."
By the time he finished talking, he was behind Omariro, preparing to strike him.
"Jugen-Mahōshi: Gekkō no Gokō!"
A moonlight shield formed around Omariro, defending him from the attack but cracking in the process.
"Almost forgot," Ōzoku sighed. "The girl."
"I wanna jump in!" Rei announced.
"No," Ōzoku assured. "You don't. But I'm curious, let's see what you're made of."
Behind her, the other bandits snagged the dwarves, holding them in place.
"Let us go!"
Ōzoku lunged at Rei, who put a hand up. "Jugen-Mahōshi: Tsuki no Megenka!"
A moonlight beam emerged from her palm, zigzagging before striking Ōzoku in the arm.
〈Boss HP: 44% → 39%〉
"Not bad," Ōzoku remarked. "You must be a high level."
He pulled out another sigil.
〈Sigil Ability: Instant Recovery. Description: Recovers *60%* of Max HP.〉
He squeezed it.
〈Boss HP: 39% → 99%〉
"Damn. Just needed one more."
Rei clapped her hands. "Ooh! Are we going again?"
Ōzoku spun around, holding his club out, before chucking it at her.
"Jugen-Mahōshi: Mujin no Yoru no Mikazuki!"
Rei formed two moon crests from her arms, and by making an uppercut motion, she sent the club flying into the air, right back into Ōzoku's hands.
"Think fast!"
The club came at her again, faster than she could react, but Omariro stepped in front, blocking it with his shoulder.
"Girl held up well," he praised. "Better than many."
"Is that a compliment?" Rei beamed. "Yay!"
Ōzoku threw his club at them, nearly grazing Rei, but Omariro blocked with his other arm, the limb going limp.
"Hmm," Omariro analyzed. "Setback."
"Gonna be pretty hard to do damage with no arms," Ōzoku taunted. "Better call it quits."
Omariro remained still. "Girl. Shield."
"Okay!"
Rei formed a shield over both of them, just as a barrage of blades formed outside Rei's shield.
"The hell are you doing?" Ōzoku wondered.
"Teaching," Omariro answered.
"What—-?"
"Jugen-Tōshi: Seijin Rangeki!"
The blades attacked Ōzoku, who managed to deflect a few but got stabbed by others.
〈Boss HP: 99% → 72% → 61%〉
"Quit that!"
Ōzoku brought his club up and smashed it into Rei's shield, which shattered on impact.
"No! It broke!"
"Again!"
Omariro kicked Ōzoku's club out of the way as Rei formed another shield, with Ōzoku delivering an upward blow that damaged it heavily.
"So strong!" Rei exclaimed. "It can't hold up!"
"Shield only as tough as user," Omariro explained. "Girl break, shield break. Hold. That. Shield."
Rei put more focus into her moonlight shield, and the cracks slowly began to heal, but Ōzoku shattered it with a kick.
"Stop hiding behind your minion, old man!"
Omariro jumped into the air and kicked Ōzoku back, who grabbed his leg, tossing him aside.
"I'm sick of your games. I'm getting that bounty, and you're coming with me! Bandits!"
The surrounding bandits stopped and shifted focus.
"Forget the extra baggage. We'll deal with them later. Nyugawa takes priority. Neraziria wants to collect."
"Strange name…" Omariro thought.
The bandits all gathered around, nets, rifles, and spears in hand. Rei quickly jumped in front of Omariro. "Okay, that's enough! Leave Mr. Omariro alone!"
"Step aside, girl," Ōzoku ordered. "We'll toss you in after."
"Get away…" she demanded.
"You deaf or something? I said, step the hell aside—-!"
For a brief moment, a flicker of a memory flashed in Rei's head. Fire, destruction, and screaming.
"I said, GET AWAY!"
With a feral scream, Rei blasted all the bandits back and sent Ōzoku tumbling on top of them. With his ears bleeding, he immediately pointed to Rei. "Bitch is crazy! Shoot her!"
〈Rei…〉
Rei walked forward, emotionless, as the bullets seemed to…pass through her.
〈Rei…〉
Rei's entire mind felt…clouded.
"It's not working, boss!"
"Use the nets!"
A pair of nets coated her, but they passed through her body all the same. In a few more steps, Rei was right in front of Ōzoku.
"You're…too loud…"
Just as she lifted her hand to fire a moon blast, Ōzoku pulled out a sigil.
"Shit!"
〈Sigil Ability: Deflection.〉
The beam bounced off, just as Ōzoku prepared his club. "Eat steel, you witch!"
The word seemed to jog Rei back to reality, and she noticed the club flailing towards her.
"Hmm? Ahh!"
Omariro grabbed her, shielding her with his back as the club made contact.
BOOM.
Omariro got back up, holding his back, which now had him hunched over. "Girl lost focus."
"I…I don't know what that was…" she admitted.
"Girl not normal."
Rei held her head. "I'm…not…?"
"No. Does not matter. Girl unlock path. Girl keep moving. Girl is the shield."
"Cute," Ōzoku mocked. "And yet her master is down on one knee."
The dwarves watched, nervous.
"No…" Sunako's father worried. "Don't tell me they lost…"
Ōzoku swung his club. "Say goodnight, freaks!"
"Jugen-Mahōshi: Gekkō no Gokō!"
The club bounced off the shield, which cracked ever so slightly. Right on cue, Omariro blinked.
"Jugen-Mahōshi: Ten'yokukyū!"
A golden bow formed above Ōzoku's head, firing a golden barrage of arrows at him and his crew.
〈Enemy Defeated: +25〉
〈Boss HP: 61% → 3%〉
"What is this…" Ōzoku groaned. "He's withering away, yet he's pulling out all these tricks…who's really the monster, him or her?"
Ōzoku pushed himself up, roaring like an animal. "If I die, I'm TAKING YOU WITH ME!"
He charged at the two, but suddenly, he paused.
"Jugen-Tōshi: Cursed Spear!"
A spear impaled the side of his head, sending him crashing to the ground.
〈Boss HP: 3% → 0%〉
Zaria, Han, and Rika rushed into the room.
"Nice!" Zaria cheered. "I got him! Respect me, Zaria Takeno! Elite warrior!"
Ōzoku ripped the spear out of his head. "No! Wait! I can still fight—-!"
The world froze, and a shadowy female figure walked up to him, her hands behind her back.
"—-Priestess?"
"You lost, Ōzoku," she denounced. "It's time to return home. The Endless waits."
"But—-!"
"Your strength has proven not enough to handle this foe. You and the tribe have disappointed me. Come, Kagenoroi Ōzoku. Hell calls."
And with a polite bow, he disappeared.
Rei dropped her shield. "Yay! We did it!"
The trio quickly rushed to Omariro.
"Sir!" Zaria exclaimed.
"Are you okay?" Han asked.
"Your arms!" Rika noticed. "Quick, let me heal you!"
Omariro's arms and back returned to normal, and his body appeared to age slightly. "No. Body fine. Kids safe."
"Yeah," Zaria nervously laughed. "All we had to do was kill a spider."
She trembled. "Ew."
The dwarves all shared a look before clapping and cheering.
"They did it!"
"We're free!"
"Heroes! They're heroes!"
Sunako's parents approached Omariro, both kneeling before him.
"Thank you," her father acknowledged.
"You've saved us," the mother added. "Our daughter has found a great warrior indeed."
"Come," Omariro said, ignoring the praise. "We leave."
"These are the parents?" Zaria interrupted. "They look a little…rough."
Rika nudged her. "Hey, they've probably been traumatized! Cut them some slack!"
Rei walked over to Omariro. "Mr. Omariro…is it possible to have two forms of Jugen?"
Omariro paused, before nodding. "Rare. But true."
Rei looked at her hand. "What am I…?"
Omariro put a hand on her head. "You are Rei."
Her face turned red, and she sheepishly looked away.
Later——
Shinkaidan escorted the dwarves back to the Bōsa Nanzoku Tribe, where Sunako was eagerly waiting.
"Mom! Dad!"
She immediately jumped into their arms, tears flowing down her face.
"We're okay, honey," her mother assured. "Mr. Nyugawa and his allies saved us."
Sunako turned toward Omariro. "Thank you so much, sir! Here, please take this."
She handed Omariro a special glowing sigil. "It's…a token of our tribe. If you ever find yourself in need, please don't hesitate to use it!"
Omariro examined the sigil, before passing it to Rika. "Okay."
A gate behind them opened.
〈Commission Complete. Relocating to *Next* Floor.〉
Sunako and her parents waved as the party began to exit.
"Thanks for all your help!" they said.
"So, does this mean we've upped the score?" Zaria questioned.
"We've definitely done something!" Han replied. "Look!"
A UI showing a scoreboard appeared.
〈1st Place: Shinkaidan. Points: 200. All other teams have *0* Points.〉
"Whoa, we're demolishing those divisions!" Rika bragged.
"We move," Omariro commanded. "Others will not stay still."
He entered the gate, and they followed, with Sunako giving a final wave as it closed.
"I really hope we see them again…"
Floor 1,931—
Atsushi watched as the scoreboard updated.
"Nyugawa's on top once again," he mused. "I've moved too slow."
He turned to his division. "Move forward! Do not be fazed by what you see. Naraku-Kaidan has been the top for years! We will not falter!"
The division cheered, as they took in the jungle terrain around them. A large temple sat in the background, with a glowing waypoint.
〈Waypoint: 1000m〉
"Do your worst, dungeon."
——