The explosion of Alicia's Volcanic Cascade was no spell.
It was fury incarnate.
Flames ignited the dungeon's old bones, reducing columns to molten slag. Trees — once petrified by time — became screaming torches. The air itself shimmered, oxygen stripped away by the sudden surge of heat.
Alicia stood amidst the inferno, panting, eyes wide with disbelief.
And then…
The fire parted.
Out of the blaze strode Morvath, untouched.
The Hidden Sovereign.
Species: Abyssal Drake-Spawn. Class: S-Rank.
His steel-black scales gleamed like obsidian oil. Twin horns curled back over his skull, and between them, his eyes — ancient, hate-filled embers — fixed upon her.
"Was that meant to hurt?" he hissed, lifting his glaive, obsidian-edge crackling with cursed fire.
Alicia took a step back.
"That spell… should have melted mountains."
Morvath smiled. "Then your mountains are made of dust."
He lunged.
Too fast.
She couldn't move. Couldn't even scream.
But something moved.
A blur. A roar. A crack like a mountain splitting.
Juichi appeared.
He slammed into the path of the glaive, arms crossed, taking the full brunt. Sparks exploded as metal met flesh and bone. His forearm guards shattered.
He didn't budge.
"Juichi?!" Alicia gasped, heart in her throat.
He dropped to a knee, grinning through gritted teeth.
"Okay. Ow. That actually tickled less than Sensei's lightning punches."
DING!
Martial Arts Skill Leveled Up: Lv.15 → Instant Regeneration (Passive) Unlocked.
A golden glow pulsed over his ribs — wounds knitting shut in seconds.
Juichi stood, eyes narrowing. "Alright."
He rolled his shoulders. A shift came over him — not a transformation of body, but of intent.
"Guess it's Serious Time… maybe."
---
Elsewhere
Renji, half-conscious and bleeding out against a crumbled wall, forced one eye open.
The wind shifted.
That idiot…
That reckless, loudmouthed idiot…
He was moving differently.
"...He's actually fighting like a warrior," Renji whispered.
---
Battle Engaged: Juichi vs. Morvath – Round Two
The glaive came in a wide arc. Juichi didn't block. He slid under, pushing off one hand and flipping midair. His boot smashed into Morvath's face, snapping the serpent's head back.
Juichi landed, blade drawn in a lazy arc.
"Yo, Morvy. Ever heard of a trick called…"
"Crimson Dominion."
Red aura exploded from the blade.
Their weapons clashed — and this time, Morvath staggered. Cracks spiderwebbed beneath them, magic pressure igniting in a dome around the impact point.
The dungeon groaned.
Morvath hissed. "That power… It isn't just brute strength."
"Nope," Juichi smirked. "It's called being punched by a pervy monk until you see through time."
He ducked a claw, pivoted, then used his blade's flat edge to springboard off Morvath's shoulder, spinning and kicking him into the wall.
Juichi coughed blood.
But the wound on his side sealed almost instantly.
"Regeneration, huh…" He blinked. "This is nuts."
Alicia, still behind him, gaped. "He's healing like… like a monster."
Morvath snarled. "You cheat."
Juichi shrugged. "Talk to my system. I'm just the user."
---
The battle escalated.
Juichi flowed between strikes. His movements, once chaotic and instinctual, were now a balance of technique and brutality. Sakata's training — the weird drills, the pressure zones, the rhythm-based dodging — all kicked in.
Wind surged under his steps. Earth magic hardened his footing. Sparks of fire danced at the tips of his blade.
Morvath lashed out with a dark curse — Night Vein Decay — a wave of rot and poison.
Juichi shielded Alicia with his body, coughing violently as it hit.
Alicia screamed, "JUICHI!"
He straightened, coughing blood again.
DING! Temporary Buff Unlocked: Cooldown Reduction +15%.
"Nice timing," he chuckled, half-delirious. "Thanks, system…"
A new light entered his eyes. Something deeper than resolve.
A rage that had been quiet for too long.
"…This bastard hurt my party."
He took a deep breath.
"Serious Time… Maybe."
"SECOND STRIKE."
A burst of force detonated from beneath his feet.
He vanished.
Alicia barely tracked the motion — her eyes couldn't keep up. All she saw was the aftermath:
—First slash: Morvath's pauldron shattered.
—Second: His arm split open.
—Third to Fifth: His chest burst open, black ichor spraying.
—Sixth: Juichi shattered the glaive.
Morvath was flung like a meteor, slamming into the far wall. The entire chamber trembled.
He didn't rise.
Juichi stumbled, collapsing to one knee, then to the floor.
Exhausted. Nearly empty.
But smiling.
Morvath wheezed. "How…?"
Juichi's voice was low, eyes half-lidded. "You ever fought a stubborn idiot with plot armor?"
And then… he passed out.
---
Aftermath
Alicia dropped beside him, trembling.
She cupped his face, gently brushing the soot and blood from his cheek. "Don't… don't scare me like that again."
Renji limped forward, blood still dripping down his chin.
"Looks like… someone fell for the meat bun idiot," he muttered with a grin.
Juichi mumbled in his sleep, "Meat… skewer…"
Alicia wiped a tear, punching his chest lightly. "Stupid. Idiot. Brave… stupid idiot…"
She looked back at Morvath's shattered form.
"Is it over…?"
---
It wasn't.
Unseen by the trio, a distant wall cracked.
From within the dungeon's depth, an ancient glyph pulsed — one never meant to awaken unless the Hidden Sovereign was slain.
It flickered red, then black.
Something began to stir.
A deeper malice.
A true boss.
The Dungeon Master had taken notice.
And the game had only just begun.
---
To be Continued...
—Alicia confronts what it means to lead. Juichi sleeps. Renji bleeds. And the dungeon... watches.
!