Chapter 6: Pressure Rising — Something Bigger
They didn't slow down this time.
Not after what they had already seen.
Not after realizing that this world—this system—wasn't going to ease them in gently.
The deeper they moved, the heavier the atmosphere became.
At first, it was subtle. A slight pressure in the air. A faint resistance with each step, like walking through something invisible yet suffocating.
Then it grew.
The silence stretched longer between sounds. The wind faded until it no longer existed. Even the leaves above refused to move, as if something in this forest demanded stillness.
It wasn't natural.
It was controlled.
No one needed to say it anymore—this wasn't just exploration.
This was escalation.
The forest thickened.
Tree trunks twisted unnaturally, bark darkened like burned iron, and the canopy above fused together so tightly that light barely touched the ground. Shadows stretched too far, bending at angles that didn't match the terrain.
Even the earth beneath them felt wrong—dense, compact, like it had been crushed repeatedly under something massive.
Gojo walked ahead, hands in his pockets, but even he had stopped joking as much.
"…You feel that?"
Rias didn't answer immediately. Her gaze swept the surroundings, sharp and calculating.
"…Yeah."
Kurumi's smile softened—but only slightly.
"Ara~ something big is watching us~"
Artoria tightened her grip on her sword.
"…Not just watching."
A brief pause.
"…Waiting."
Haruto stopped.
Instantly, everyone else did too.
"…It's here."
Silence followed.
Deep.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Then—
Something moved.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Unbothered.
A massive shape stepped out from the darkness between the trees.
Four meters tall.
A body layered in armor that looked more like forged steel than flesh. Crimson eyes burned from within, intelligent—aware.
Each step pressed into the ground like the forest itself couldn't handle its weight.
Gojo let out a low whistle.
"…Yeah…"
A grin spread slowly.
"…that's not fodder."
The system activated instantly.
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ [ ANALYSIS ] ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ Target: Ironblood War Bear ║
║ UID: #DD-03200-ALPHA ║
║ ║
║ Level: 85 ║
║ Age: 3,200 Years ║
║ Rank: High Spirit Beast ║
║ ║
║ HP: 85,000 / 85,000 ║
║ ║
║ STR: 9,500 DEF: 11,000 ║
║ SPD: 3,200 INT: 1,200 ║
║ ║
║ Traits: ║
║ • Ironblood Armor (Damage Reduction 70%) ║
║ • Spatial Disruption (Partial) ║
║ ║
║ Weaknesses: ║
║ • Joint Gaps (Reduced Armor Protection) ║
║ • Internal Damage (Bypasses External Defense) ║
║ • Lightning-Type Attacks (High Effectiveness) ║
║ ║
║ Warning: Capable of bypassing defensive abilities║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
"…Oh that's clean," Gojo said.
Rias narrowed her eyes.
"Lightning-type attacks…"
Kurumi smiled slightly wider.
"Ara~ how convenient~"
Artoria stepped forward.
"Then we exploit it."
The bear roared.
The sound didn't echo.
It crushed outward.
The air trembled. The ground cracked.
Then—
It vanished.
"Fast!"
It reappeared above Gojo—
Claw descending—
Infinity activated.
The attack stopped.
"…Too slow—"
CRACK.
Gojo's expression shifted.
"…Wait."
Infinity flickered.
For a fraction of a second—
But enough.
Gojo vanished instantly, reappearing a distance away.
"…Okay…"
A grin returned.
"…now you're interesting."
Rias fired.
Explosion.
Smoke.
Unharmed.
Kurumi attacked.
Clones. Time distortion. Gunfire.
It adapted.
Artoria clashed.
Steel met claw.
Shockwaves spread.
Then—
It shifted targets.
Haruto.
"…Of course," Gojo muttered.
It lunged.
Too fast—
A blade stopped it.
Black.
Still.
Absolute.
Igris stood there.
The battlefield changed instantly.
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ [ SHADOW SUMMON ] ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ Name: Igris ║
║ Title: Shadow Marshal / Blood-Red Knight ║
║ Level: 180 ║
║ Rank: Marshal ║
║ STR: 15,000 DEF: 13,500 SPD: 11,000 ║
║ Traits: Shadow Body / Regeneration / Marshal Aura ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
"…Marshal?"
"Yeah," Gojo grinned, "that's broken."
Igris pushed forward.
The bear was forced back.
"Handle it," Haruto said.
Igris vanished.
CLANG.
The fight shifted instantly.
Igris dominated.
The armor cracked—
Then—
A new screen appeared.
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ [ GACHA PULL ] ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ ★★★★★ S-RANK ITEM OBTAINED ║
║ Item: Demon King's Longsword ║
║ Attack: +350 ║
║ Effect: Storm of White Flames ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
"…Mid-fight?"
The weapon appeared.
Lightning crackled.
Igris caught it.
Power surged.
Then—
Haruto spoke.
"…We're not alone."
The forest answered.
One.
Three.
Ten.
They emerged.
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ [ ALERT ] ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ Ironblood War Beasts Detected ║
║ Type: Pack Hunters ║
║ Level: 70–80 ║
║ Traits: Coordination / Target Sync ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
"…They hunt in packs," Artoria said.
They surrounded them.
Then—
They attacked.
Everything erupted at once.
Gojo warped space.
Rias blasted them back.
Kurumi's clones intercepted.
Artoria cut through them.
But more kept coming.
The Alpha roared.
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ [ PACK SYNERGY ] ║
║ STR +20% DEF +20% ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
"…That's annoying," Gojo said.
The Alpha surged forward—stronger.
Igris stepped in.
Lightning exploded.
The battlefield froze.
Even the pack hesitated.
Haruto spoke.
"…Don't drag it out."
Igris raised the blade.
Lightning gathered.
The sky split.
The pack howled.
Too late.
The strike fell.
A storm descended.
And everything—
Went silent.
To Be Continued… 😈