kscans

Chapter 228 - A Beast from the Age of Gods

With a roar, the Orthrus lunged.

"Voooh!"

"Gaaah!"

I retreated to dodge a bite arcing in from the right, but it used that momentum to lunge with its left head.

I instinctively met its fangs with my left gauntlet, but the difference in mass sent my body staggering diagonally backward. As I stumbled, the Orthrus spun, using the momentum from its lunging heads.

Its serpent tail, thick as a log, slammed toward me, the sheer wind pressure cracking the stone floor.

In response, I forced myself to spin from my off-balance stance. Empowered by the acceleration of wind and flame, I brought my blade to meet the jade-colored serpent.

The instant they collided, a hard, metallic clang echoed as scales met steel, and a powerful shock shot up my right arm.

But it was only for a moment. My sword, aided by my opponent’s own speed, sliced through scales, flesh, and bone in one clean motion.

The serpent’s head flew through the air. The Orthrus shrieked as it lost its balance, the force of its spin exposing its flank to me.

Without a moment’s delay, I gripped the hilt with both hands and charged. My blade slipped between its ribs and pierced its heart, and I channeled wind and flame into the wound.

The storm raging inside tore its organs to shreds, and a heat ray burst out its other side.

It might have multiple heads, but it only had one body. I twisted the hilt and swung the blade diagonally upward, but no blood sprayed out. Instead, fragments of the carbonized Orthrus scattered through the air.

With a ground-shaking thud, the giant beast collapsed. Taking a few steps back, I raised my sword and scanned my surroundings.

It seemed the three-headed giant fighting over there had just been defeated as well. Both monsters were turning into white salt upon the black stone floor.

"Good work, everyone. No other enemies around."

"Got it. …Phew."

I replied curtly to Erina-san’s voice and exhaled.

As I relaxed my stance and rolled my neck, she handed me a water bottle.

"Here. Hydrate."

"Mm, thanks."

I sheathed my sword and gave a small nod.

As I did, a drop of sweat trickled down my cheek. It seemed I was more exhausted than I’d realized.

"You too, senpai!"

"Thank you."

"Oh, Erina-san. While you’re at it, could I get a spare Magi Battery?"

"You got it! One battery, coming up!"

"Thanks."

I took the replacement battery from her and moved around to Blanc’s back.

I removed the old one and installed the new. After confirming that mana was flowing properly, I handed the spent one to Erina-san.

"If you would."

"Okay!"

"Blanc. While we rest, stay on alert, just in case."

"Sakon, please watch the opposite side of Blanc. Ukon, you can join guard duty after you’ve collected the drop items."

With Blanc watching our front and Sakon our rear, the three of us leaned against a wall for a short break.

This was a mentally taxing dungeon. With attacks coming one after another, you had to constantly push your entire body, brain included, to its limits.

It wasn't just that the enemies' stats were high; the sheer number of attacks and the weight behind each one created intense pressure.

"Looks like everyone’s exhausted."

"You bet, senpai! Even ninjas need a break!"

"Indeed, indeed. Rest well. I’ll keep an eye out through the mirror on Ukon, just in case."

"Thanks, senpai! All hail the president!"

"Hmph. You can praise me plenty later."

"Too much work, so no thanks!"

"Oh, um…"

Aira-san seemed wounded by the simple rejection. Tough luck.

But it really was too much work. Not because of Aira-san's personality, but because of sheer exhaustion.

The proof was that Mia-san wasn’t even trying to console or harass her older sister. She was busy taking a small vial from a pouch on her hip, downing it, and then forcefully washing it down with the sports drink from her water bottle.

"How are your mana levels, both of you?"

"I’m still good to go! My fighting style doesn’t really use that much, anyway."

"I can still go on as well. I still have two of the mana potions my grandmother gave me."

Mana potions. Professor Arisugawa was usually reluctant to let others drink them outside of emergencies, saying their ‘scientific safety hasn’t been guaranteed,’ but it seems that’s been changing recently.

Perhaps it was the result of her own experiments, or perhaps the direct dangers had increased to the point where worrying about side effects was a luxury.

Probably both. From what we knew, the only downsides to that potion were its incredibly foul taste and the intense fatigue that hit you a day later.

I felt bad for Mia-san, but we were counting on her.

"I’ve been wondering, how useful are those wooden ox carvings? Being A-Rank drop items, I imagine they have a dramatic effect."

Aira-san asked, seemingly trying to get back on track.

Whether the drops from the monsters here were affecting our combat… huh.

There was no reason to lie, so I gave my honest opinion.

"Maybe…?"

"They’re super helpful!"

"I can’t really tell…"

"Whoa, three completely different answers!?"

I could hear Aira-san practically doing a spit-take over the telepathic link, which made Erina-san laugh cheerfully.

"I think that’s to be expected. Senpai’s fighting style doesn’t really let her feel the effect, and Kyo-chan already had enough attack power for this dungeon to begin with."

"I see… so in that case, Kyo-chan-kun would only feel the benefit of the magic item when fighting a tougher, stronger opponent."

"…Then, in a way, this is perfect timing."

After Erina-san took the drop items, Ukon joined the watch.

As I watched, I took a sip from my water bottle. The cold sports drink was just what my slightly overheated brain needed.

"The boss monster’s location is close… right?"

"…Yes. This will likely be the last break you take in this dungeon."

It had been about an hour and forty minutes since we began our exploration.

We’d fought Geryon and Orthrus multiple times and even stopped by the exit area… but even so, we should have descended quite a long way.

The passages were mostly gentle slopes, but occasionally there were clear staircases. These were properly sized for humans, so the people of Atlantis must have used them as well.

Our current location was probably deep underground. Though, being in a dungeon, it was hard to tell for sure.

"Shall we get going?"

"Yeah!"

"Yes."

I handed my water bottle to Erina-san to put in her Item Box. Then I drew my sword from its sheath, gripping it as if to test the feel.

Then, one deep breath. A mental switch.

"Blanc, fall in behind me at a diagonal. Aira-san, we’re resuming the exploration."

"Understood. Your destination is near, but don’t let your guard down on the way."

"Right."

And so, we started walking again.

As if the journey so far had been a lie, we were able to proceed deeper and deeper without encountering any enemies.

What we reached was a massive, majestic gate.

Crafted from the same mysterious black stone as the walls and ceiling, it was adorned with blue and gold patterns. Blood-red jewels were embedded in it like scattered stardust, not gaudy, but asserting their presence all the same.

Even I, with no real eye for art, could see it was a masterpiece forged by a master craftsman. Yet at the same time, it exuded an overwhelming, intimidating aura.

"…Alright, we’re going in. Is everyone ready?"

I turned back and asked my companions once more.

I already knew the answer, but I felt it was something that needed to be said.

"Yeah! You bet I am!"

Erina-san declared, her pigtails swaying as she placed her hands on her hips with a confident grin.

"…Yes. Let’s do this. This is a wall we must overcome for the future."

Mia-san’s voice and the hand gripping her staff trembled with nervousness, but she still managed a brave smile.

I nodded back at them.

"I hate to be a buzzkill, but I have to say it… If you feel you can’t win, retreat immediately. Use the golems as sacrificial pawns and come back."

Aira-san’s calm voice came through the telepathic link.

It was obvious her words came from a place of kindness. But if that time came… it wouldn’t be her burden to bear.

It was ours, the creators who brought them here. Just like with Byakuren and the others.

That’s why I smiled and replied.

"Yes. But we’re going to win."

My grip on my sword tightened instinctively. Then, I consciously relaxed.

Unnecessary tension was a hindrance. I would face this with a clear mind.

"…If that’s the case, then."

A voice tinged with a wry smile echoed through the link.

"Go. And come back."

"Yes!"

We answered in unison. Blanc and I each placed a hand on the gate.

Pushing with our off-hands, we felt a dense wave of mana leak out. If it had a color, it would be the pitch-black of ‘death.’

With the sound of hard surfaces grinding together, the door slowly opened. Despite its thickness and texture, it was surprisingly light.

It wasn’t because of our strength… I don’t think.

This gate does not refuse those who come.

But should one try to leave, it would possess a weight beyond its appearance.

This room was made to eliminate the insolent who dared to enter this labyrinth with unworthy dreams.

A gap wide enough for three people opened, but the inside remained pitch-black. Without hesitation, I stepped through.

Slurp. It was a different sensation from passing through a dungeon gate. Similar to teleportation, it prevented any attacks from the outside.

And it was the signal for the ‘gatekeeper’ to awaken.

—Grrrrrrrrr…

The disgruntled growl of a canine. As if that were a switch, the skulls adorning the walls all ignited.

A vast space was illuminated by pale blue flames. This room, large enough to fit several Tokyo Domes, was completely empty.

Instead, there was a monster.

A massive body, the size of a large truck. Bristly black fur, each strand as sharp as a needle and as long as a spear.

Its four limbs, planted firmly on the stone floor, were as thick and powerful as the trunks of ancient, sacred trees. Its crimson claws looked like cursed swords that had drunk the blood of thousands.

But what commanded the most attention were the three pairs of eyes staring right at us.

A red glint, like the flames of a furnace that could melt even iron. Three canine heads glared at us, drooling venomous saliva.

And where a tail should be, a steel-colored serpent extended. It had no eyes, only a massive mouth that could easily swallow a human whole, from which it flicked its tongue.

There was no need to ask what this monster was. It was a beast known to almost everyone, a creature of legend.

The watchdog of Hell—Cerberus.

They say you can distract it with a wheat cake kneaded with honey.

But while in this labyrinth, the monsters require no food or drink. They don’t even have an appetite.

They say if you can play a beautiful melody, this watchdog will fall into a peaceful slumber.

But the monsters in this labyrinth do not sleep. They wait, sleepless, for intruders to arrive.

Therefore, the only way to defeat it is to fight. In the legends, only one man ever accomplished that.

Peerless, unrivaled, the greatest hero of Greece. Heracles alone.

Though there are three of us, we must face this monster head-on, just as that hero did. This is A-Rank.

Quietly, we each ready our weapons. After coming this far, none of us would flinch from being glared at by a mere monster that resembled the guardian of the underworld.

…No. That was a lie. I was terrified.

The pressure was so intense I wanted to take back my words and flee. The monster before me was merely called Cerberus because it resembled it, but its presence was so imposing it felt as if it had leaped straight out of mythology.

If I was going to run, now was the time. There would be no better moment.

But.

"Haaaah…!"

I forced a breath from the corner of my mouth.

And charged.

Leaving fear behind, tearing hesitation to shreds. Forward. Forward! FORWARD!!

"■゛■゛■゛■゛■゛■゛■゛—!!!"

I was met by a threefold roar that seemed to echo from the depths of hell itself. I answered with my own battle cry and raised my sword.

A slash, accelerated to its maximum by a blast of wind, its speed further enhanced by the flames wreathing the blade. It collided with a bite that came in a hook-like trajectory, using the full power of a twisting body.

The fangs of one of Cerberus’s heads clashed with my flaming blade. The venomous saliva vaporized instantly, and a shockwave shook the entire labyrinth.

The deadlock lasted for a few seconds. We were both thrown back, and the difference in mass sent me flying further. The stone floor at the point of impact was pulverized, the dust cloud already scattered by the shockwave.

Gritting my teeth against the lingering impact that resonated in my bones, I felt the power of the magic item. I see. Having this definitely makes a huge difference.

Instantly, the three heads of the now-distant Cerberus opened their jaws. The mana converged in less than a tenth of a second. What should have been a simple rapid-fire attack came as a tsunami of azure flames.

The hellfire sought to burn every living thing in this world to ashes. As this embodiment of death, a world apart from that of the Orthrus, surged forward, a great water serpent leaped over me to challenge it.

A massive volume of water, enough to swallow several houses, collided with Cerberus’s breath. Amidst the explosive sound and billowing steam, I kicked off the floor and leaped into the air.

Flying alongside Blanc, who had also blasted off with wind, I broke through the steam to assault the three-headed beast.

But we were swatted away by a sideways lash of its serpent tail, moving like a high-speed whip. We managed to block in time, but Blanc and I were sent flying in separate directions.

Cerberus didn’t stop there. It scattered the steam and swung its tail with its entire body. A second horizontal sweep, this time aimed at Mia-san.

Ukon and Sakon blocked it, bracing their stone and ice tower shields at an angle, their feet digging lines into the stone floor as they held their ground.

But Cerberus spun again. Without losing momentum, it unleashed an overhead slam.

I released a maximum-output blast of wind from my Flügel. Becoming a cannonball myself, I charged the serpent’s tail. Not the tip, but its midpoint.

I slammed my sword into it before it could reach full acceleration and managed to divert its trajectory.

It’s hard, and heavy. I was trying to swing my blade with all my might, but the steel-colored scales only cracked, and the blade went no further.

I was deflected, my own trajectory altered, and I moved away from the tail. Immediately, one of the heads shot a fireball at me.

I dodged it at the last second, but the intense heat seared my skin as it passed by. The stray shot hit the ceiling, creating a deafening roar and a shockwave.

"Guh…!"

The blast pushed me from behind, throwing me off balance, but no follow-up attack came. Cerberus’s attention had shifted to Blanc, who had charged again, and Erina-san, who had thrown a kunai at its eye.

Seizing the chance, I dove straight down from above. I held my sword over my shoulder and began a headfirst descent toward my target.

"■゛■゛■゛■゛■゛■゛—!!!"

With a roar, Cerberus leaped backward, displaying teleportation-like agility with its incredible leg strength.

Just before crashing into the floor, I righted myself, releasing a burst of flame from my sword tip to accelerate horizontally and narrowly avoid a crash.

I tried to close the distance, but Cerberus began to sprint sideways.

It was fast. As if to use every inch of this vast space, its four limbs became a gale. Moving in an arc, two of its heads acted as turrets, launching fireballs at me.

Chasing Cerberus at maximum speed, I evaded with a combination of barrel rolls and wall jumps. I also cut down a fireball aimed at Mia-san with [Concept Interference] and pressed forward.

Its attacks were heavy, but not unbearable. As I closed the distance, a phalanx of ice spears materialized in front of the sprinting beast.

With its own acceleration, a collision would inevitably impale it. Instantly, its limbs shattered the supposedly steel-hard stone floor as it made a phenomenal leap.

The truck-sized beast jumped nearly ten meters into the air. I instinctively looked up and met its three pairs of eyes.

This is bad…!

"■゛■゛■゛■゛ッッッ!!!"

Azure flames shot from its three jaws, converging into a heat ray that hurtled toward me.

I couldn’t dodge in time. I raised my blade and met it head-on with [Concept Interference].

"Gh, aaah…!"

My blade glowed red-hot, and my entire body screamed from the heat and impact.

I couldn't block it all. I managed to deflect it diagonally, and the bundled heat rays pierced the floor. Like a blowtorch to ice, it melted instantly, the beam tearing a gash across the stone.

Cerberus kept moving its heads sideways, chasing me. Was this breath attack its sword!?

Abandoning my half-melted sword, I retreated at maximum speed. I flew, desperately searching for a position that wouldn’t involve my allies. An azure line was drawn across the floor and ceiling.

I stamped my feet on the wind to come to a sudden stop, letting the heat ray pass. The shock felt like my organs had been turned inside out, and the bones throughout my body groaned. Gritting my teeth, I kicked off again, aiming for a position higher than Cerberus.

But it read my move. The serpent tail shot out to block my path, its massive mouth gaping open.

"Ooooooh!"

A meaningless cry escaped my throat. I barrel-rolled just before impact. My shoulder was grazed, but I dodged, only to find the heat ray closing in on me.

But just before it hit, a giant shuriken came flying in.

It caught the breath attack, transforming on the spot into a massive fiery tornado. I raised my left fist and charged into it.

One wrong move and my arm would be lopped off by the spinning blades, but I didn't hesitate, slamming my iron fist into the central ring.

A double dose of [Concept Interference] and [Mana Conversion]. The Daisharinmaru, which had been on the verge of being overpowered, flew toward Cerberus.

The shuriken tore through the breath attack, yet flew as if guided by it. It smashed into the beast’s left head.

A scream loud enough to be a sonic weapon echoed through the chamber as I reconstituted my sword in its sheath. I drew it instantly and dove toward the falling Cerberus.

But the monster’s eyes hadn't dimmed by even a fraction. If anything, they pierced me with a gaze even more intense than when we first encountered it.

Following the premonition from my [Spirit Eye], I changed my trajectory. The serpent tail passed through the space I had just occupied.

THUD. The beast landed with a ground-shaking impact. I landed opposite it, dozens of meters away on the stone floor.

I killed my momentum, my feet scraping sparks off the floor, and readied my sword.

Its left head was indeed smashed. But even that head was glaring at me with its remaining eye.

All three heads were still active. This was a creature of a different ‘caliber’ than any normal being.

"■゛■゛■゛■゛■゛■゛…………!!!"

With a low growl, Cerberus planted its forelegs firmly on the stone floor once more.

I, too, shifted my sword into a low guard.

Blanc, Erina-san, Ukon and the others, Mia-san. They all readied their weapons again.

Everyone sensed it. Even the golems, who shouldn't be capable of such thought, understood.

This is where the real fight begins. Cerberus’s warm-up was over.

The three-headed beast’s roar shook the world. Azure flames, leaking from the corners of its mouths, enveloped its entire black body, shimmering like both armor and a weapon.

This monster was the first circle of hell. The chain that keeps sinners from escaping. The boundary between this world and the next.

The hunt of the Underworld's Watchdog was about to begin.