Dimensional Eclipse – Chapter 10
A Scene Just Before the Present Time
At the site of the explosion
Noxy – glaring sideways at Shirou, his tone sharp and filled with suspicion:
"Just as I thought… an explosion of this scale could only be caused by an artifact. D-level students could never do something like this… NOXY — glancing at SHIROU with narrowed, slanted eyes says,
"Maybe… some people can
Noxy holds up a ring in his hand its aura still faintly glowing. He explains to Shirou, his expression serious.
Noxy – "This… this ring must have triggered it. That's how this blast happened."
Shirou – narrowing his eyes, voice low and blunt:
"Yeah… I thought the same. But whose artifact could this be?"
Noxy – shaking his head, brows furrowed:
"I don't know… but if they used it, that means they must have faced an extremely powerful monster."
Noxy gestures around them, scanning the devastated battlefield.
Noxy – frustrated, voice heavy:
"Just look at this place… look at the state of it."
Shirou – scanning the area with sharp eyes, noticing details others would miss:
"Hmm… all I see here are these crimson, sharp crystals sticking out everywhere…"
Noxy – thinking silently to himself, his face tense:
"These crystals… they're radiating a powerful aura. Their opponent must have been unbelievably strong… Stronger than I ever imagined. Dammit… is this my fault? Did all of this happen because of me?"
Shirou – his tone cutting, breaking Noxy's thoughts:
"Hey. What the hell are you thinking about?"
Noxy – startled, quickly forcing a faint smile:
"Ah… n-nothing. Come on, let's keep moving."
Shirou – with a sharp glare, voice laced with warning:
"And don't forget what you said before."
Noxy – nodding, serious now:
"Yeah. I remember."
---
Flashback
Noxy – with urgency in his voice, approaching Shirou:
"I want you to help me find the other students."
Shirou – snapping back immediately, tone harsh:
And why should I even help you? Just tell me straight — what exactly is your purpose? What do you want from me? Why did you do all this? And the problems inside the Runes… were those created by you?""We're both badly injured. We should first go to the teachers and get treatment."
Noxy – shaking his head, voice firm:
"It's useless. We're already trapped in this place… completely."
Shirou – eyes widening, his anger flaring:
"What the hell are you saying, you bastard? What do you mean 'trapped'?"
Noxy – pleading now, desperation in his eyes:
"Please… help me. We have to save the others."
Shirou – cold and dismissive:
"And why the hell should I help you? This isn't some novel's fairytale. I'm not risking my life to save others. I don't give a damn about them. Just tell me what's happening here and how I can get out of this place. And don't you dare tell me that everything happening here is because of you."
Noxy – urgently:
"Come on! Your friends are out there too. Don't you care about them?"
Shirou – narrowing his eyes, voice like steel:
"Friends? I don't have any friends. Drop the useless talk and tell me how to get out of here. And answer me honestly
Noxy – swallowing hard, avoiding Shirou's burning gaze:
"Look, I can't explain everything right now. But if you help me find the remaining students, I promise… I'll tell you everything I know."
Shirou suddenly grabs Noxy by the collar, his face inches away, eyes glowing with dangerous intent.
Shirou – voice low and threatening:
"No. You'll tell me right here, right now. Or I'll bury you alive in this damn place."
Noxy – internally, shaken: "His eyes… I can tell. He's completely serious. What kind of guy is he, who doesn't even hesitate at the thought of killing someone?"
Noxy – voice steady despite fear:
"Even if you kill me, it won't help. "You won't be able to get out of here alive even if I die. We should first find the other students and figure out some way to get out of here."That's why I'm asking you… please, help me."
Shirou stares at him for a long, tense moment, then finally releases his collar.
Shirou – coldly:
"Fine. But don't forget… I'm not risking my damn life for anyone else."
Noxy – nodding:
"Alright. I understand."
Shirou – stretching his sore shoulders, lying down casually on the ground:
"Before we go anywhere, I need a little rest."
The flashback fades.
---
Back to Present
Shirou – bluntly:
"So… where the hell are we even going right now?"
Noxy – pointing at the ground, noticing stains:
"Look here. The bloodstains are still fresh. That means the others must've gone this way."
Shirou – skeptical, his tone biting:
"And how do you know this blood belongs to them?"
Noxy – calmly:
"Because inside this rift, the only humans right now… are us."
SHIROU — frowning slightly, eyes narrowing as he studies the blood on the ground — "How can you be so sure? This could also be the blood of some monster."
NOXY — glancing at SHIROU with a calm but piercing gaze, tone firm — "No. The aura energy of a monster's blood is different."
SHIROU — raising an eyebrow, surprise flickering across his face — "Oh… so you can actually tell from the energy whether it's monster blood or human blood?"
NOXY — nods slowly, expression serious, a hint of pride in his eyes — "Yes."
SHIROU — crossing his arms, tilting his head thoughtfully — "So this… is also one of your third-category abilities?"
NOXY — smirks slightly, a faint edge of confidence in his voice — "yeah you can say it … Besides, a monster's blood is naturally different from human blood. If you observe carefully, you can tell even without aura scanning. But yes, for that, you need experience. And generally, third-category abilities mostly depend on the aura web. But as we evolve in the future — like Type 3 aura users — this ability will grow even stronger."
SHIROU — eyes widen a little, a mixture of interest and calculation crossing his face — "Oh, interesting. By the way, I'm Category 2, so my level has evolved only within Type 2."
NOXY — leaning slightly forward, voice firm, a serious intensity in his eyes — "Come on, these categories and types are just for average aura users. But we have potential. In the future, with aura mastery, we can use the powers of all categories and types together."
NOXY — turns his gaze sharply toward SHIROU, staring seriously, almost piercing him with his eyes — "And I'm sure… you'll definitely achieve it."
SHIROU — though a hint of doubt flickers in his eyes — "Alright, you think so… but…"
Then suddenly…
Suddenly Noxy raises a hand.
Noxy – whispering sharply:
"Quiet. Be still."
Shirou – annoyed:
"What?"
Noxy – lowering his voice, eyes alert:
"Did you hear that? A sound…"
Shirou focuses. His ears sharpen as faint echoes reach him SHIROU hears faint sounds of a battle coming from somewhere in the distance
Shirou – muttering:
"Yeah… it sounds like someone's fighting nearby."
Noxy – decisive:
"Let's go. That way."
Shirou and Noxy both ran toward the direction from which the sounds of fighting were coming.
Present Time
Shirou frowning, tense
"what the fuck… what is this strange thing?"
Noxy breathing hard, uncertain
"I don't know… we were never taught about monsters like this in class."
Shirou annoyed, incredulous
"Damn it! Monsters about which there is no information usually appear only in higher-ranked rifts or Runes. How did one of these get here? This is only a C-rank rift!"
Shirou still didn't understand what was really happening here.
Noxy calmly, serious
"You're right… but for your information, we're not inside the original rift."
The monster lashed at them with its tentacles, but both Shirou and Noxy dodged while talking to each other.
Shirou shocked, voice rising
"What nonsense are you saying? What do you mean we're not inside the rift?!"
Noxy firm, serious
"I'm telling the truth. Right now… we are inside a Forbidden Rune."
Hearing this, Shirou was utterly shocked.
Shirou furious, teeth clenched
"What the hell is going on here? What did you do to the rift, damn it?!"
Noxy calm, still focused on the monster
"I'll explain later. For now, we need to deal with this monster."
Shirou analyzing, eyes narrow
"What grade is it? It seems pretty strong…"
Kaede shouting
"It's a B-grade monster!"
Shirou angrily, scolding Kaede
"You idiot! Do you want to die? Why are you yelling?!"
Suddenly, the monster attacked Kaede with a tentacle.
Jessica instinctively, panicked
"Watch out!"
She saved Kaede just in time Jessica's cheek are still red, as if she's blushing.In her mind, only SHIROU's face kept appearing the moment when he had saved her.
Kaede relieved, glancing at Jessica
"Thank you so much, Jessica… but wait, why are your cheeks red?"
Jessica embarrassed, flustered
"Shut up, you fool!"
Jessica thinking to herself, anxious
"In such a dangerous situation… why are these thoughts coming to my mind? Why am I thinking about that idiot boy… ahhh, I'm going crazy!"
Shirou Strikes
Shirou focused, raising his daggers
"Lightning Slash!"
He cut many of the monster's tentacles with his lightning slash, but they immediately regenerated.
Shirou angry, frustrated
"Damn it! How did it do that?!"
Noxy strategizing, serious
"For now, we just need to hold it until we evacuate others Then we'll attack briefly to stop it, and escape. We can't fight for too long."
Shirou determined, cold
"Fine. I'll hold its attention. You take the others somewhere safe."
Noxy hesitant, questioning
"Can you handle it alone?"
Shirou smirking arrogantly, confident
"Do you doubt the one who already defeated you?"
Noxy smiling faintly
"Alright. I'll take them away. But if you die… don't blame me."
Shirou grinning, cold
"Too bad for you. I don't plan on dying here."
Noxy Evacuates the Others
Noxy helped Fernando, Jessica, Kaede, and Shru move to safety.
Noxy asking Fernando
"Fernando, where are the other students?"
Fernando pointing, out of breath
"Emma took them to a safe place a little further away."
Kaede nodding
"Yes, I told her about a cave nearby. They can hide there for now since there are no monsters around."
Noxy approving
"Good. Let's move toward it."
Kaede tried to lift Shru but couldn't.
Kaede struggling, frustrated
"Damn… she's so heavy! She doesn't even look this big!"
Fernando stepping forward, decisive
"Leave her. I'll carry her on my back."
Noxy observing Shru's injuries, serious
"She's injured"?
Kaede grim, nodding
"Yes… that monster hit her directly."
Noxy thinking to himself, guilt-ridden
"Seriously… all this suffering… because of me? They told me nothing serious would happen… they just wanted to get Shirou expelled
Kaede concerned, asking
"Hey, Noxy? What's wrong?"
Noxy forcing a calm smile, hiding tension
"Nothing. Let's go."
As they moved, someone suddenly stopped them.
Jessica panicked, worried
"But what about Shirou? We can't just leave him behind!"
Noxy reassuring
Get everyone else to the other students. I'll go help him."
Jessica freaking out
"Do you think he can hold on until then? What if something happens?"
Noxy calm, teasing lightly
"Nothing will happen. Why are you worrying so much?"
Jessica's face flushed red instantly.
Jessica stammering, embarrassed
"I-I'm only saying this because he saved my life! I don't… I don't like him, got it? I'm not interested in him, okay?!"
Noxy teasing, suspicious smile
"Oh really? But I never said whether you like him or not… hmm? Do you?"
Fernando annoyed, stern
"Quiet! We don't have time for this nonsense!"
Noxy grinning, shrugging
"Relax, I was just joking. Thought a little humor might ease the tension."
Fernando serious, commanding
"Please, Noxy. Now's not the time. And Jessica, don't worry too much. Shirou is currently the strongest. Among us He can hold on for some time, and then Noxy will help him."
Kaede nodding
"Yes, and now he has become even stronger than before."
Noxy encouraging, firm
"Come on. The longer you delay, the longer he has to fight that monster alone."
Jessica finally nodded, trusting Noxy's words, and the group hurried toward the other students.
Shirou Prepares His Next Move
Shirou frustrated, thinking
"Damn it! Why are they taking so long? I don't have enough power to use my strongest attacks yet… I'll have to hold it off for a while until Noxy arrives."
He focused his aura, increasing its output. Blue lightning crackled violently around him.
The monster sensed this and attacked with all its tentacles.
Shirou arrogant, smirking, confident
"It's time to try something new… My basic but powerful attacks. I never used them against Noxy because I used my strongest attacks on him. I need new moves… For now, I'll try this one. I'll call it… Volt Edge!"
Shirou yelling, aura blazing
"Volt Edge!!!"
He threw his daggers at the monster. They absorbed surrounding aura energy, generating lightning. In moments, they were completely covered in lightning and collided directly with the monster.
A massive explosion rocked the area.
Noxy and the Others Watching from Afar
Noxy anxious, looking ahead
"How much farther do we have to go?"
Kaede pointing, out of breath
"Just a little further."
Noxy worried, thinking
"We both used full power against each other before… we're slightly better now, but launching a powerful attack is still difficult. I have to get there fast to help him."
They ran faster toward the others. Suddenly, they heard a sound from behind.
Fernando startled
"Was that an explosion?"
Jessica panicked
"It's coming from the direction where Shirou and the monster are fighting!"
Kaede shocked, anxious
"Judging by the explosion, it must have been huge! I can see some energy even from here."
Kaede worried
"Will Shirou be okay?"
Noxy calmly, analyzing
"Look closely… blue lightning is radiating. That's definitely Shirou's attack."
Fernando amazed
"Is his aura weapon really that destructive?"
Kaede nodding, agreeing
"Yes, it must be Shirou. The monster couldn't have done that."
Noxy thinking, astonished
"How fast does he recover his aura power? We used full strength in our fight, yet he still has moves that he never showed against me…
Noxy determined, serious
"Anyway… everyone, move fast. We need to reach the rest of the students quickly."
Explosion Aftermath
Smoke filled the air.
Shirou thinking, focused
"I know this explosion didn't hurt the monster much, but maybe it's enough to escape."
Many of the monster's tentacles were cut, and its face was slightly damaged. It began regenerating, but it took a lot of time because Shirou's lightning still affected it, delivering powerful shocks.
Shirou ran toward the direction where the other students had gone.
SHIROU - after listening to their conversation
"From what I heard, the safe place is inside a cave, and I saw them going in that direction."
After Reaching the Students
Noxy checking the group, relieved
"So, everyone's okay?"
No one replied; they were exhausted.
Fernando serious, nodding
"They're not in a state to talk yet."
Noxy curious, asking Fernando
"By the way… what kind of monster did you face?"
Suddenly, someone interrupted.
Emma panicking, shouting
"Shru… Shru! What happened to my sister?"
Kaede calm, reassuring
"She just got a little hurt during the fight. Don't worry, her wounds are healing now."
Emma lay Shru down carefully and sat beside her.
Kaede smiling faintly, glancing at Jessica
"By the way, Jessica… you look much better now."
Jessica calm, nodding
"Yes. I consumed a lot of healing pills before coming to the RIFT, so my recovery is faster for a while. And as aura users, we heal faster than normal humans, even from serious injuries, after some rest."
Noxy turning to Fernando, asking again
"So… Fernando, what kind of monster was it?"
Fernando nervous, recalling the encounter
"It was a very dangerous monster. Much stronger than the tentacle monster we were fighting earlier. Perhaps an A-grade monster. It had red crystals all around it and immediately killed four of our companions."
Noxy's face turned pale; he felt responsible.
Noxy thinking, panicked
"Shit… I had no idea things would get this bad. Did they know all along? Was their plan always to kill everyone here? No… they only wanted Shirou to expelled from the academy. So why did things get this bad? Did I make a mistake?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out.
Shirou yelling, relieved
"So you're all here?"
Kaede rushing to him, eyes full of concern
"Shirou! You're here! Are you okay? Nothing happened to you, right?"
Jessica looking at SHIROU, relief softening her expression
"From the looks of it, he seems completely fine. Good… it's a relief nothing happened to him."
Then suddenly, Jessica's thoughts race inside her mind, her eyes flickering with confusion as she looks away for a moment.
Jessica in her mind thinking to herself
"But why… why am I worrying about him? Jessica, what's wrong with you? Get a hold of yourself."
Shirou smirking, teasing slightly
"Hey, don't rush so close And yes, I'm fine. By the way… look like something doesn't seem right with you all."
Kaede serious, explaining
"Yes… this is what happened with us."
Kaede told Shirou everything that had happened while he was away.
Shirou shocked, tense
"So you're saying that inside this Rune, there was an A-grade monster and a Lich… whose grade you don't even know, but you estimate A-grade or even higher?"
Shirou thinking, stunned
"What a joke… so far we've survived by some miracle. We couldn't even defeat a B-grade monster properly, and now we're talking about A-grade… imagining that is like a nightmare."
Chapter 10 end