“That’s a Cherub!!”
Yuma glanced at Akiyama’s stiff face and returned his gaze to the sky.
Approaching them was an angel with four wings. It wore something like a crown on its head and held a Sword of Light in its right hand. Clad in white robes, it looked human enough.
However, its face was featureless, like a blank mannequin.
And as it drew closer, Yuma’s eyes widened at the angel’s size.
It was at least three meters tall.
“Huge!”
As Yuma readied his Pickel, the Cherub thrust out its sword and charged.
Like a storm—three Cherubim attacked Yuma, thrusting their Swords of Light. Yuma leaped back to evade, but the swords pierced the earth, collapsing the ground.
Akiyama, who had retreated to a slightly distant location, gasped as the Cherubim landed.
“Mitaka-san! Cherubim are quite high-ranking angels. Please don’t let your guard down!”
Yuma, having distanced himself from the angels, replied, “Yeah,” then grinned.
–So, he’s not telling me to run anymore.
That meant Akiyama believed in him.
He wondered if they could avoid it now that he was in his Black Armor form, but Akiyama, Kitazawa, and Oura didn’t seem to think so.
Yuma gripped his Pickel tightly, putting strength into his entire body.
In an instant, he transformed into a Black Monster, kicking off the ground and heading towards the Cherubim.
–No matter what kind of monster it is, I’ll defeat it instantly!
He couldn’t put Akiyama and the others, who believed in him, in danger. With that thought, Yuma further increased the speed of his steps.
“Bloodstained Ore (Bloody Ore)!!”
Red veins coursed through his body. His movements accelerated even further, creating afterimages as he approached the Cherubim.
The three angels couldn’t react, merely swinging their swords to keep him at bay. Yuma slipped past the Swords of Light and slammed his flame-lit Pickel into the Cherub’s abdomen.
One exploded, its upper and lower body separating. It disappeared as particles of light, but Yuma didn’t stop.
He pulled the Pickel sideways, closing in on another.
The Cherub deployed a powerful Barrier of Light, but it was no obstacle for Yuma.
He channeled Lightning Magical Power into the head of the Pickel and swung it down towards the Barrier of Light.
In an instant—the impact spread around them. A crackling sound, as if tearing through the atmosphere, echoed, and finally, the barrier shattered into tiny pieces.
The Pickel plunged into the Cherub’s torso, mercilessly pouring in Lightning Magical Power.
The Cherub, directly hit by the Lightning Strike, convulsed, and after a while, stopped moving. In a few seconds, its body disintegrated, dissolving into the air as particles.
Yuma spun the Pickel and rested it on his shoulder.
The last Cherub stood frozen, staring down at Yuma.
They glared at each other, the air thick with tension. The Cherub moved first. It thrust the sword it held in its right hand, trying to stab Yuma. Yuma easily dodged the tip and pulled back his Pickel.
“It’s over!”
Yuma’s swung Pickel crushed the Cherub’s chest. The large angel’s body swayed, and it knelt to the ground.
Light leaked from the angel’s chest, and its form gradually crumbled.
Yuma sighed in relief and looked around.
“Are these all the Monsters?”
As he was on guard to see if there were any other Monsters, five white shadows approached from above.
“There are still that many?”
Thinking it was a pain, Yuma stuck his Pickel into the ground and focused on his left hand. He released the power of the Jewel on the back of his hand.
His left hand was dyed Metal Red, forming the head of a Dragon.
He had released the power of the Ancient Dragon. He gathered sparks in the mouth, converging them.
Yuma pointed his left hand at the sky.
“Go!!”
Five Fireballs were launched from the Dragon’s head.
The Fireballs headed straight for the angels, exploding one after another. Only three were directly hit, but the remaining two were caught in the explosions and fell while burning.
The angels writhed in agony on the ground. He thought about finishing them off, but the powerful flames had already incinerated the angels.
They disappeared as faint light in the end.
“It seems like there are no more angels.”
Yuma deactivated Metallization and looked around the area where the angels had died. He found only one Magic Gem, sparkling.
“It’s small, but it’s a diamond… Still, they hardly ever drop in this Dungeon.”
Yuma grumbled, but since his purpose wasn’t to collect Magic Gems, he thought, “Oh well,” and swallowed the Jewel.
After that, he joined up with Akiyama and the others and headed towards the exit of the floor. A Hole was gaping between the small hills.
Akiyama said, “Let’s go,” and quickly descended.
Kitazawa and Oura followed. Yuma also stepped into the Hole, but stopped abruptly, shifting his gaze to his left hand.
–I copied the White Lord and the Cherubim, but… I probably can’t use Resurrection Magic with these guys.
Yuma stared at the large Hole leading to the next floor. He needed to copy stronger, higher-ranking Monsters.
Yuma followed Akiyama and the others, descending into the dark Hole.
◇◇◇
Red Dungeon, Two Hundred and Twelfth Floor—
“This is probably the lowest floor.”
Tennoji wiped away sweat as he surveyed his surroundings. The lowest floor that the exploration party had reached was different from any floor they had seen before. Crimson stone pillars lined up one after another, and rugged land stretched out endlessly.
The temperature probably exceeded 40°C.
As the exploration party continued to walk across the scorching land, they found a giant Monster Den.
In that place, surrounded by steep Cliffs, a Monster covered in red carapace was enthroned. It was of extraordinary size.
It had a long torso, and its head was like a Dragon’s.
There was also a face at the end of its tail, making it unclear which was the head. Rui, peering down from the Cliff, gasped and then opened his mouth.
“That’s… the Lord of the Labyrinth.”