The Skeleton Knight stepped forward, its armored boots hammering the ground. With every step, green fire flared brighter in its sockets. The greatsword it carried gleamed faintly, its edge etched with runes.
Daichi tightened his grip on the shadow blade. Sweat rolled down his temple. This isn't like the Ogre. That thing… it's faster. Smarter.
[Threat Analysis: Skeleton Knight. Rank B. Strength: 67. Agility: 42. Skills: Sword Mastery, Mana Reinforcement, Undead Resistance.]
"Resistance?!" Daichi hissed.
[Affirmative. Effectiveness of basic shadow binds reduced by 48%.]
"Great. So, basically, I'm screwed."
Lilith's wings snapped open, her whip crackling with violet flame. "Not screwed, darling. Not yet." She licked her lips, eyes shining crimson. "Unless, of course, you want to be. I can arrange that."
"W-would you take this seriously?!"
The Skeleton Knight lunged. Its blade cut the air, leaving a trail of sickly green mana.
Daichi barely rolled aside, the impact splitting the stone floor. Dust clouded the chamber.
Lilith's whip lashed forward, striking its helm. Sparks flew. The knight staggered but recovered instantly, swinging its blade at her. She dodged effortlessly, wings carrying her aloft.
"Move, darling!"
Daichi obeyed instinct. His shadow cloak flared, his body blending with the darkness. The knight's blade sliced through where he had stood an instant before. He reappeared behind it, slashing across its back.
The blade connected—but only shallowly. The knight barely flinched.
"Tch… it's like cutting steel!"
[Correction: Bone density reinforced by mana. Suggest targeting core under ribcage.]
"Understood!"
---
The Skeleton Knight spun, its greatsword whistling. Daichi raised his blade, shadows hardening along its edge. The impact rattled his bones, sending him skidding across the floor.
Lilith swooped low, her whip curling around the knight's ankle. With a pull, she yanked it off balance.
"Now, darling!"
Daichi lunged, shadow blade aimed for its chest.
The knight caught him mid-charge. A bony hand clamped around his throat, lifting him into the air.
Daichi choked, legs kicking. The knight's green fire burned brighter, almost mocking.
"D… damn it…!"
[Warning: Oxygen deprivation. Host survival time: 23 seconds.]
"Oh shut the hell up!"
The knight hurled him like a ragdoll. He crashed into the wall, ribs screaming in protest.
Lilith landed beside him, crimson eyes narrowed. "Pathetic again. If you die here, my fun ends early."
Her hand seized his jaw, forcing his gaze to hers. Her lips brushed his ear. "Fuse with me again, darling. You crave it, don't you?"
Daichi's breath hitched. His body trembled—not just from pain, but from the memory of that intoxicating fusion.
The system chimed.
[Fusion Ritual Available.]
[Proceed? Y/N]
Daichi's lips curled into a snarl. "Do it."
---
Lilith pressed her lips against his. Heat flooded his veins. Shadows coiled around his limbs, wings bursting from his back. His eyes flared violet, fangs lengthening.
Their breaths synchronized. Their hearts beat as one.
[Fusion Complete: Soulbinder + Succubus Queen.]
[Temporary Form: Shadow Incubus.]
Daichi's voice dropped, deeper, layered with Lilith's sultry echo.
"Round two."
The Skeleton Knight charged. Daichi blurred, vanishing into shadows. He reappeared behind the knight, blade stabbing into its ribcage.
The knight roared, twisting. Daichi's wings flared, lifting him into the air. His blade glowed with violet fire.
"[Shadow Execution]!"
He plunged the blade downward, piercing just below the sternum. Shadows erupted from the wound, skeletal hands clawing inside.
The knight convulsed, shrieking. Its sword swung wildly, nearly clipping Daichi's wing.
Lilith's voice purred in his skull. Harder, darling. Tear it apart.
Daichi snarled, twisting the blade. "Break!"
The shadows detonated. The knight's chest exploded outward in shards of bone and green fire.
With a final scream, it collapsed, dissolving into dust.
---
Silence.
Daichi landed, wings fading, blade dissolving. His body shook from the strain, knees nearly buckling.
The system chimed.
[Victory. Rank B Guardian eliminated.]
[Loot Acquired: Mana Bone Shard.]
Lilith appeared beside him, brushing dust from his cheek with a clawed finger. Her lips curved into a sultry smile. "Mmm… you're getting stronger, my king. And… hungrier."
"I'm… fine," Daichi lied, gasping.
But his gaze was drawn to the altar.
A faint light pulsed across its surface. At the center lay a figure—a woman with long silver hair, her body draped in ancient elven robes. Her beauty was ethereal, almost unreal. Even in sleep, her presence radiated power.
Daichi's chest tightened. "That's…"
[Analysis: Sealed Soul Signature detected. Classification: Archmage Queen. Compatibility with Soulbinder: 91%.]
Lilith's expression soured. "Tch. The elf witch. Of all queens, it had to be her."
Daichi swallowed. "Elf… Archmage Queen?"
The system chimed again.
[Soulbinder Slot 2 Available.]
[Candidate Detected: Elara – Elf Archmage.]
[Proceed with Summon Ritual? Y/N]
---
The altar pulsed brighter with every second, runes crawling across its stone surface like veins of living light. The chamber trembled as if bowing to the presence sealed within.
Daichi's breath caught. The figure upon the altar began to stir.
Long silver hair cascaded down her shoulders like moonlight. Her body, draped in ceremonial elven robes, glowed faintly under the light of the runes. Even the air seemed to hold its breath.
Lilith's expression twisted with envy. "Of all the buried queens… it had to be her. The Archmage of a thousand stars. The Witch of Eternity."
The system's cold voice rang.
[Summon Ritual Initiated.]
The altar's mana surged. A shockwave blasted outward, whipping Daichi's hair and sending cracks racing through the stone floor. He shielded his eyes, but through the light he saw her rise.
Her chest rose with her first breath in centuries. Her robes clung to her curves as if woven from living mana. Slowly, her eyelids lifted, revealing eyes the color of frozen starlight—icy blue that pierced through Daichi like a spear.
The entire dungeon froze. The whispers of mana, the flickering crystals—all fell silent under her gaze.
Then she spoke. Her voice was soft, melodic, yet laced with overwhelming authority.
"...Who dares… disturb my slumber?"
The words weren't a question. They were a judgment.
Lilith hissed, her whip crackling with dark fire. "Careful, darling. This is no sleeping beauty waiting to be kissed. This is a storm bound in flesh."
Daichi swallowed hard, forcing himself upright despite the crushing pressure. "I… I'm Daichi. Soulbinder."
The runes responded, spiraling into the air and circling him like chains of light.
The altar blazed. Elara's body floated upward, her silver hair billowing like a river of light. Layers of arcane glyphs unfolded behind her in a mandala of power, each one humming with spells Daichi couldn't even comprehend.
The pressure nearly drove him to his knees.
Lilith smirked darkly, leaning close. "Mmm… will you tame her, darling? Or will she burn you alive with her cold flame?"
Elara's eyes locked on him, her lips curving—not in a smile, but in disdain.
"Another Soulbinder…" she whispered. "I thought I had slaughtered the last of your kind."
The runes constricted around Daichi, testing, crushing. He bit his lip, blood running down his chin, refusing to kneel.
I won't… yield.
The system's voice resonated within him.
[Warning: Host's soul synchronization dropping. Risk of collapse: 78%.]
[Override Suggestion: Prove dominance. Bind her, or be erased.]
Daichi's fists clenched. Shadows writhed up his arms, violet fire erupting from his veins.
"Elara…" His voice shook, but his eyes burned violet. "I'm not here to bow. I'm here to claim my place. Stand with me… or strike me down!"
The chamber split with light and shadow colliding.