đźź Chapter 33 :
The gate connecting to the rest of the dungeon split in two, sending up a thick cloud of dust. Everyone turned toward the breach even the monster.
"Ugh—what's with this door? Nothing should open it except cutting it through," someone muttered.
That voice! I knew it instantly. Haizen stepped out from behind the clearing dust. He looked around, baffled by the scene.
"Huh? What's going on here? Animals in cages, a hawk, a monster… This isn't what I expected from a monster-filled dungeon."
The old hawk grew furious at Haizen's sudden arrival. "Tch — this is no time for a hunter to show up."
Viteco, Carrotou, and Argos, however, lit up at Haizen's appearance — his arrival seemed to offer them a new hope.
Haizen's gaze swept over everyone, and of all of us I caught the most of his attention — I don't know why, but I was the one he stared at longest.
"A horse, a rabbit, a turtle, and… a rooster! What a coincidence — a rooster here. My companion acts like a rooster, and now I find a rooster here."
Wait — did he say what I thought? Haizen actually saw me behaving like a rooster. Viteco, Carrotou, Argos, and even that dirty old hawk all noticed. Viteco turned to ask about my relationship with Haizen.
"Hey, Koko, is that your companion? Was he talking about you?" he asked.
"Yeah — he was," I said.
The hawk smiled craftily at the news. "Is that so? This man is your companion? Huh. Let's see how strong he is. Tiras, attack that man instead of those animals."
The monster fired a massive fireball from its mouth toward Haizen, but Haizen used the shattered stone door as a shield and took cover. When the attack passed, the monster advanced straight at him and lashed out. It swung a fist at the rubble, but before the strike landed, Haizen hurled the debris back at the monster's face.
Before the monster could react, Haizen struck it directly with his sword. The monster staggered but didn't fall. The old hawk looked annoyed. He pulled another cube from under his wing and pressed its button.
"I'll handle this, you stupid monster," he sneered.
As soon as he pressed it, the hawk's own body crumpled — the monster froze for a moment, then moved again. The old man had taken control of the monster's body. He leaped at Haizen, producing giant claws from the monster's hands. Even so, the old man — trapped inside the monster — couldn't land a hit: Haizen dodged every claw swipe.
The old man struck with a kick to Haizen's gut; Haizen parried with his sword, but the kick still sent him crashing into the wall. The old man then launched a huge fireball, which Haizen avoided with a leap — only to have the old man monster find him and slash his chest with massive claws.
The three companions watched in despair. Even Argos asked me if there was any way Haizen could win.
"Hey, Koko — can your ally really defeat that old man?" he asked.
"Though I've only seen him fight twice, I'm sure he'll win. That swordsman's holding back," I answered.
"Are you sure?" Argos pressed.
"Yes. Just watch, and you'll see," I said.
Haizen rose after being struck. The old man, grinning, taunted him, "Look at yourself, swordsman. Do you really think you can win?"
Since the old man was in the monster's body, Haizen could understand him unlike us, whose voices came from animal forms he couldn't comprehend. Suddenly Haizen laughed.
"I haven't understood any of this since I arrived here — caged animals, a hawk falling from nowhere, a talking mad monster. Fine — when I cut off your arm, I'll interrogate you," he said calmly.
"What did you say, you foolish swordsman? How will you cut my arms in this form?" the old man hissed.
"I don't need to be uninjured," Haizen replied. "Even like this, I can cut you down as I have others."
Haizen assumed his offensive stance — the same one he used during the hunter test — and spoke the same words he had then.
"Shadow Style."
A black aura formed around his blade. The old man, trapped inside the monster's body, lunged with claws for Haizen's neck; in an instant, the old man's arm was severed. The moment happened too fast for ordinary eyes.
Blood sprayed as the old man's expression twisted into furious shock.
"Ugh — you swordsman! You'll see!" the old man raged.
The claws on the monster's remaining arm grew in size, trying to strike back in a desperate burst of strength, but it was useless: its other arm was also cut off. The despair on the three companions' faces turned into awe. The old man was utterly broken — the old man monster arms had been severed.
In a last-ditch move, the old man tried to launch another fireball, but Haizen closed the distance with a flurry of sword strikes to the monster's chest. Instead of flames, blood gushed from its mouth. It was over — the old man collapsed, unable to continue fighting.
"Incredible. Koko — your companion is amazing," Viteco said, stunned by what had happened.
I had suspected this result from the start; I still hadn't seen Haizen's limits. Now, with the battle finished, it was time for interrogation. But before Haizen could begin his interrogation, he headed straight toward me. Yes, me. I'm not sure why, but he seemed to realize who I was.
He cut the iron cage open for each of us with his sword, then walked over and stared at me, as if trying to figure out who I was. Finally he spoke.
"I don't know what's going on here, but I have a feeling it's connected to Takero — I don't know if you understand me, rooster, but I'll try anyway. When I say 'Takero, idiot,' I want you to jump."
What kind of idea was that? Was this bald swordsman trying to humiliate me? I clicked in anger.
"You bald swordsman — who do you call an idiot?" I snapped.
Though my words only came out as "caw-caw" to Haizen, he read the anger in my tone and understood who I was.
"You really are Takero. Man, you really became a rooster. If you don't act foolishly in your real body, by the way, your human body is tied to a rock outside the dungeon — oh, and that horse is standing on two legs," Haizen said.
Viteco had, once again, forgotten he was a horse. He raised a hoof — or rather a front leg — toward Haizen, seemingly wanting to shake hands. Despite the absurdity, Haizen understood and shook it.
"Thank you, swordsman, for saving us," Viteco said.
"I don't get what you're saying, horse, but I'll compliment the stance — I've never seen a horse stand like that before," Haizen replied.
Viteco looked saddened that Haizen didn't understand him. Of course he wouldn't. Carrotou came over and told me something.
"So your name is Takero, not Koko?" she asked.
"Koko is the rooster's name. I didn't say my name before, but seriously—who would think Koko is a human name?" I retorted.
Oh right — they might think that. But it wasn't my fault; I hadn't expected Carrotou, Argos, and Viteco's names to be their real ones, so I just went along.
And now, after Haizen freed us, he returned to the old man, who could no longer move.
"All right, monster — now you're going to tell me how to fix this."