Training Field:
Nami, with a serious face and a weary body, was training swordsmanship with all his strength. His strikes were crude and unpolished, but his resolve was steel-like. Every swing reflected relentless effort; sweat dripped from his forehead, yet he did not stop.
Atop one of the tall towers overlooking the field, Yagami sat silently, watching him from above. His gaze was fixed solely on Nami… deep and contemplative.
Suddenly, Satan's voice echoed in his mind:
— "My lord… your heart rate is increasing."
As if only then realizing it himself, Yagami quickly stood up and vanished with a snap of his fingers…
Floor 59 – Ariavan Gate
Yagami stood before the gate and placed his hand on it. A sudden shock surged through his arm, forcing him back. The palm of his hand was burned.
A screen appeared:
"You cannot enter this floor. Remaining time: 1 day and 20 hours."
At that moment, the guardian monsters inside the floor sensed Yagami's presence and rushed toward him in a group.
Calmly, Yagami said to Satan:
— "Take care of them."
Dark shadows swirled around Yagami as Satan emerged from within him. He knelt before Yagami and said:
— "As long as you live, I will give my life, my lord."
Then, with reverence, he raised his hand and declared in a powerful voice:
— "Forbidden Magic: Burning Crystals!"
With a strike to the ground, massive, radiant crimson crystal spears erupted upward, impaling every guardian monster in the blink of an eye.
Yagami paid no attention to the massacre behind him and continued trying to break the gate.
Breathing heavily, his hand burned, but his eyes were filled with rage and resolve.
He looked at the gate one last time, stepped back, and drew his sword.
Yagami swung at incredible speed—so fast that only the light of the blade was visible. The sword returned to its sheath, and suddenly—
BOOOOM!!
The massive gate shattered like glass.
Moments later, a huge system screen appeared across all guilds:
"Warning: Illegal entry detected.
Intruder: Unknown
Floor 59 monster enhancement activated.
New difficulty: 4x original danger."
In the guilds, players screamed in shock and fear.
And in the midst of it all, Yagami stood there—sword in hand, eyes fearless, ready to enter true hell…
The door shattered with a loud crash as Yagami stepped inside.
In the corner of the room, someone was sharpening a sword. His back was turned to Yagami, and a heavy silence filled the space.
Yagami walked forward arrogantly, stopped close to him, and said in a deep voice:
— "So you're the king of this floor, Ariavan? How disappointing… you're just a kid."
Ariavan paused, stopped sharpening his sword, and calmly sheathed it.
Yagami said in surprise:
— "You're not going to fight? Why did you sheath your sword?"
Ariavan slowly turned around…
When Yagami saw his face, he froze. His eyes widened, as if something inside him collapsed.
Black Clover Guild
Ten-year-old Masaro was smiling as he talked with a boy.
Masaro laughed and said:
— "Promise you'll never leave me alone?"
Riji laughed too and slapped his shoulder:
— "Even if you don't ask, I'll never leave you, idiot!"
Masaro got angry, jumped up, and chased after him:
— "Who are you calling an idiot, jerk! I'll kill you!"
Suddenly, everything went dark…
The scene changed. Masaro stood under the rain…
A bloody knife in his hand, and Riji's corpse at his feet.
The sound of rain mixed with his sobs:
— "Forgive me, my friend…"
A nightmare from the past that still wouldn't let him go…
Masaro jolted awake, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. His body trembled.
Kaoru and Saya rushed to his side.
Saya threw herself into Masaro's arms, crying and trembling:
— "I told you not to use your power, sir… If that man hadn't arrived, you'd be dead right now!"
Still half between dream and reality, Masaro asked softly:
— "Who saved us?"
Saya wiped her tears and said:
— "I didn't recognize him… but his magic level was extremely high. He's probably one of those S-rankers who gained a special skill by clearing the forbidden floor…"
Masaro asked:
— "You didn't see his face?"
Saya replied:
— "I did… white hair and—"
Suddenly, Masaro said firmly:
— "Enough… I know who you mean."
Saya looked surprised:
— "You know him?"
Masaro stared calmly at the ceiling and said:
— "Yeah… but I'm surprised you didn't recognize him."
Saya fell silent, lost in thought.
During the battle between Yagami and Tartarus, Saya had fainted due to the massive released energy, and in the second battle between Yagami and Kurojin, she was knocked unconscious by the shockwave of Yagami's blade attack toward Kurojin.
Masaro glanced around. Daigon, Yura, Shinkuro, and many others were still unconscious.
He smirked proudly and said:
— "Looks like I'm the first one awake."
He quickly opened his status screen to see how much his level had increased after defeating that cursed monster…
But the moment he saw it—
His eyes widened in shock.
— "What… what is this? What kind of monster was that?"
Status Screen:
Rank increased:
+S → +SS
Level: 221
XP: 480,000
HP: 2300
New Skill: Sword Summoning
New Item: Emperor's Dagger
Reward: Activated
Masaro jumped up happily and laughed:
— "Ohohoho! I finally became the strongest in S-rank! Now let's see what this reward is!"
Saya and Kaoru stared at the screen.
Status Screen:
Reward opening… Congratulations!
The sword Excalibur, one of the Ten Legendary Swords, has been granted to you.
A magnificent sword appeared—its hilt golden, adorned with emeralds, diamonds, and rubies; its blade shining like a mirror.
All three of them stared in awe, their reflections trembling on the blade…
Floor 59
Yagami was still standing before Ariavan and said impatiently:
— "If you're not going to do anything… then I will."
His hand moved toward his sword—but suddenly a fierce wind brushed past his face.
Yagami looked around in surprise; Ariavan was gone!
The sound of a sword being sheathed came from behind him. He turned—Ariavan was there, eyes serious and calm.
Yagami tried to turn, but suddenly felt intense pain in his side. He grabbed the spot… no wound, no blood.
— "What? What kind of magic is this? …Tch! Healing magic!"
The pain eased.
Yagami drew his sword, his eyes darkening with rage, and said:
— "I underestimated you… but from here on, you're finished."
Yagami assumed an attack stance and rushed at Ariavan at extreme speed—but when the attack ended, no one was there.
Yagami muttered in confusion:
— "What happened?"
Suddenly, pain surged through his arm again. Just like before—no wound, no blood, only pain.
Yagami groaned:
— "This magic only injures me from the inside. If its speed wasn't so high, I could deal with it… This is troublesome."
Ariavan began circling Yagami, his speed gradually increasing. After a moment, it reached an incomprehensible level. Every strike was silent, bloodless, yet wherever it hit, pain flared violently.
Yagami tried to react… but he couldn't. He was completely trapped.
Until—
In a dark, terrifying whisper, he muttered:
— "Inner Beast Awakening, 30%."
System Screen:
Warning! Warning!
An unknown individual has entered Room 59!
Black Clover Guild
Everyone stared at the screen in fear.
Masaro smiled and whispered a single word:
— "Yagami…"
Dark Palace – Final Floor
Ilyris rushed toward Hades.
Without turning around, Hades asked:
— "What happened?"
Ilyris, out of breath, replied:
— "My lord, an unknown individual has entered Room 59!"
Hades was silent for a moment, then said sternly:
— "Declare that floor forbidden."
Ilyris:
— "Yes, sir!"
But then—
A screen suddenly appeared:
Floor 59 King eliminated
Name: Ariavan | Rank: SSS
Defeated by: Unknown
Rank: Unknown
New Skill: Not transferred
New Item: Not transferred
Yagami calmly sheathed his sword.
He looked at the spot where Ariavan's body had vanished and said coldly:
— "What a waste… your power was useful."
(To be continued…)