The Penalty Zone had become a graveyard of broken centipede husks. Dozens lay defeated at Ryusei's feet, their armored shells cracked and steaming under the blazing sun. Each one that fell brought her a rush of system notifications—level ups, stat boosts, and, most importantly, the healing she so desperately needed. Her cuts mended, her bones stopped aching, and her energy roared back to full.
"Finally..." Ryusei exhaled, glancing at her hands—no longer trembling, no longer bloody.
In the System Store, she browsed the weapons tab, her eyes locking onto a named Knight Killer, it's a small black and orange dagger with a gray hilt. It grants its user an attack power boost of +75 and an additional boost of +25 against armored enemies.
She also redeemed her reward ability from defeating Knight Commander Igris the Bloodred:
Ruler's Hand — an advanced form of telekinesis that allowed her to grasp, throw, and crush objects or enemies from afar with invisible force.
"Now we're talking..."
And with her resolve burning brighter than ever, her Silverine Aura Manipulation hit Level 5, while her Silverine Physiology finally advanced to Level 2, unlocking greater resistance and control over her unique aura.
———————————————————
[Penalty Quest Complete.]
Teleporting back to: Throne Room.
———————————————————
The world shifted again—and Ryusei appeared back on the cold stone of the throne room.
But something was different. Very different.
The Knights had multiplied—by the hundreds. They filled the hall, their armor clinking, their visors locked on her.
Without hesitation, Ryusei launched into battle, her new dagger slicing through their ranks. But something was wrong.
"Why aren't my levels going up?"
No matter how many she cut down, her XP bar didn't move. That's when she noticed it: Every time she killed a Mage, several knights crumbled into ash.
"They're summoned constructs...?"
She shifted tactics immediately, darting between knights, searching for the cloaked figures that chanted in the corners. One she found crouched behind a broken pillar.
"Let's test this out..."
She drew in her Silverine Aura, and with a sweeping slash—
[Aura Slash] cut the Mage in two.
The summoned Knights it had conjured disintegrated instantly.
She picked them off, one by one, her movements precise and deadly. The remaining three Mages, in desperation, summoned a giant knight golem, nearly three times her size.
"Always a last boss, huh?"
Working together with Charcadet and Rika, Ryusei dismantled the summoners and then tore down the golem, its heavy footfalls crashing to silence.
At last, the throne room was still.
———————————————————
System Notification:
You have survived for 4 hours, 32 minutes.
Job Change Quest: Complete.
Analyzing fighting style...
Recommended Class: Necromancer.
Class Type: Hidden.
You may refuse this class, but this decision is irreversible. Proceed?
———————————————————
Ryusei frowned.
"Necromancer? Seriously? I'm a swordswoman. I fight. I don't raise corpses..."
But she paused, glancing over her shoulder at the wreckage. The magic users… the knights… Igris.
There was power in commanding shadows. She saw it now. They had been stronger than the frontline fighters. More dangerous.
She paced. Thought. Then—
"...I'll take it."
The system responded at once.
———————————————————
Class: Necromancer → Upgraded: Shadow Monarch (Hidden Evolution)
New Ability: Shadow Extraction
Command Word: [Arise]
Maximum Current Shadows: 30
———————————————————
A rush of darkness swept over the room.
Shadowy smoke crept from beneath the fallen enemies, pooling at her feet. Ryusei extended her hand toward one corpse.
"Arise."
Black mist surged from the remains—and a shadow soldier formed before her, armored in black with glowing violet eyes. She repeated the command again, and again, until thirty stood behind her in formation.
But one body remained.
At the far end of the throne room, still laying on the wall where she had slain him,
Knight Commander Igris the Bloodred.
Ryusei stood tall before him, extending her hand.
"Arise."
The dark tendrils rushed toward the corpse—but the body remained still.
"Arise."
Again the command rang out, firmer this time—but the shadows recoiled once more. A second failure.
A final chance remained.
Ryusei's hand trembled—not with fear, but with resolve.
She took a deep breath. The throne behind her groaned under the weight of silence and memory. Her voice rose, unwavering and clear, echoing through the ruined throne room.
"I don't have to explain."
"As hunters, without a second awakening, our abilities will stay the same in our lifetime."
"That's why we practice martial arts... and call upon companions."
"Are you waiting for your king to return? The king who may not return at all?"
She stepped closer, kneeling before the fallen knight.
"Commander Igris... you are a warrior."
"Wielding your sword against enemies must be your inner desire."
"Do you want to let your sword rot in such a desolate place?"
She rose again, silverine aura flaring around her faintly, glowing blue eyes locked on Igris.
"If you need someone to wield your sword for—"
"Fight for me."
"Don't guard that empty throne."
"Protect me, who stands before you."
She raised her hand, palm open.
"Arise."
"...Igris."
A long pause. The air itself seemed to hold its breath.
Then—
The shadows surged.
Black mist coiled tightly around Igris's body, seeping into the seams of his armor.
The Knight Commander rose, his towering form emanating silent authority.
———————————————————
"Name registered."
[Igris has joined your Shadow Army.]
———————————————————
He knelt.
The thirty other shadows followed, dropping to one knee before Ryusei.
For the first time, the throne room knew a monarch—not one seated on the stone chair behind her, but one standing proudly before an army that chose to follow her will.
Opening her Soul Storage, a chilling mist curled around her fingertips. Within the depths of this spectral inventory, three distinct souls glimmered with residual hatred and power:
The Night Lord's Mad Dog, The Stray Devil Viser and the Gatekeeper Cerberus.
Ryusei focused on the Mad Dog first—the most volatile among them.
"You're perfect," she muttered.
She opened her shadow roster, dismissing three of the lesser shadow foot soldiers with a thought. Their forms evaporated silently, returning their essence to the void.
[Three Shadow Slots Cleared.]
[Extracting Soul: The Night Lord's Mad Dog...]
"Arise."
A rupture of black flame erupted before her. The air shimmered as a massive figure began to form, the ground trembling beneath its weight. A heavily armored black knight emerged, far more savage and wild in appearance than Igris or the others.
The black knight knelt—but barely. He twitched as if constantly on the verge of exploding into violence. Ryusei raised her hand, staring into the soulless chasm of the monster's helmet.
"Your name is Berserker."
The name seared itself into the creature's essence, and the system confirmed:
[Named Shadow: Berserker has joined your Shadow Army.]
She selected the second one:
The Stray Devil, Viser.
"Arise."
[Extracting Soul: Viser...]
The once arrogant and cruel Viser now stood reborn in black armor.
She bowed.
[Name your shadow.]
Ryusei stepped forward, her voice calm but firm.
"No point changing what already suits you. Your name is Viser."
[Named Shadow: Viser has joined your Shadow Army.]
Ryusei then turned to the final soul in her grasp.
"Alright, you beast," she whispered.
The screen pulsed again.
"Arise."
[Extracting Soul: Cerberus...]
The ground quaked.
A massive shadow erupted from beneath her feet, rising into a towering, grotesquely majestic form. Cerberus—the monstrous three-headed hound—emerged.
{Back in Kouh Town}
The moment Ryusei stepped out of the dungeon and back into the cool twilight of Kouh Town, a strange calm settled over her. Despite the towering battles and soul-crushing moments she'd just endured, something in the air felt... heavier. More personal.
She walked through the quiet streets, her new powers swirling quietly beneath her skin, when suddenly—
Bump.
She collided with a tall, silver-haired maid whose gaze was as piercing as it was composed.
"Okkotsu Ryusei, correct?" the woman asked, her tone crisp.
Ryusei narrowed her eyes. She recognized that face immediately—the same maid who once barged into her house and whisked Rias away in tears.
"Yes, that's me," Ryusei replied. "Is something wrong? Did Rias win the Rating Game?" She asked the question carefully, but her instincts already screamed the truth. Grayfia wouldn't be here unless Rias had lost.
Grayfia didn't waste time. "Please come with me. This is very important."
They walked in tense silence until they reached a familiar residence—Issei's house. Grayfia knocked once. The door opened.
Asia stood there, pale and visibly stressed, her blonde hair slightly disheveled.
"You can come in. Issei's parents aren't home right now," she said softly.
Ryusei's chest tightened. "What's going on? What happened, Asia?"
Asia bit her lip. "We lost, Ryusei… and Issei… he's badly hurt. He's in a coma."
She led them through the house into Issei's room, where the young man lay unconscious, bandaged and unmoving and his breathing was shallow.
"I healed him as much as I could..." Asia said with tears in her eyes.
Grayfia stepped forward. "This is perfect. Even if he were awake, I wouldn't ask him what I'm about to ask you, Okkotsu-san."
Ryusei turned to her sharply. "Huh? What do you mean? What are you asking me?"
Grayfia produced a glowing magic circle.
"This will allow you to enter the Underworld. You wish to save Rias, do you not?"
Ryusei clenched her fists. "Of course I do."
Grayfia's expression softened slightly. "Then please do. All she talks about... is you. You're the only thing giving her hope right now."
A sharp ding echoed in Ryusei's mind as a new notification from the system appeared:
———————————————————
[New System Quest: The Shadow Monarch vs. The Phoenix]
Defeat Riser Phenex and stop the arranged marriage to save Rias Gremory.
Bonus Objective: Awaken Hyoudou Issei from his coma.
———————————————————
Ryusei stepped toward Issei's bedside and looked down at her unconscious friend.
"Don't worry, Issei," she whispered. "I'll handle this."
She turned back to Grayfia. "I'll save her. I swear."