Episode 421: Anger
Ethan, having returned from Orpheus to the IDR, stood before the massive stone tablet installed within the facility.
Clark, who was beside him, wore a worried expression.
“Ethan, is it alright for you not to be near the Dungeon?”
Ethan chuckled.
“Certainly, as a researcher, it might be better to observe the changes in the Dungeon. But it’s dangerous, you know. I’ll wait here.”
Clark, like Ethan, looked up at the stone tablet before them. Of the six jewels at the top, five were shattered.
The only one remaining was a clear, large diamond. The jewel representing the 【White King】.
Clark swallowed hard and looked at Ethan beside him.
“Do you really think they can defeat the 【White King】? Is it a monster beyond human comprehension?”
“Indeed.”
Ethan narrowed his eyes, gazing at the upper part of the stone tablet.
“Long ago, there were people who wielded powerful magic. They are believed to have been stronger than even the top Seekers of today, but even they feared the Six Kings. Unable to defeat them, they decided to seal the 【Kings】 deep underground. It is said that this was the beginning of the Dungeons.”
“So, it’s a place to seal Monsters?”
“It’s not entirely clear. There were just some excavated stone tablets that could be interpreted that way. Whether it was created by the people of ancient times, or whether they utilized an existing Dungeon… we can’t know with the information we have now.”
Ethan sighed softly.
“In any case. The 【White King】 caused them the most damage. The sacrifices to seal the White King exceeded hundreds of thousands, and it seems to have triggered the collapse of civilization. If we are to believe what is written on the stone tablet, that is.”
Ethan shifted his gaze from the stone tablet and looked at Clark.
“Defeating the 【White King】 is close to impossible.”
◇◇◇
“Ugh… kuh.”
Rui cauterized his severed leg with flames. The wound inflicted by the Sword of Light was spreading throughout his body. He had to stop it with magic.
When Rui glanced over, Akito was also burning his right shoulder with Thunder Magic.
His face was contorted in pain, and he was groaning.
Rui endured the intense pain and reached out as he crawled. He grasped the hilt of a Katana. The Scorching Blade was broken, but the other 【Clarent】 was intact.
However, he could no longer fight.
No attack would work on that thing.
The angel was looking up at the sky, holding two swords. What was it looking at?
“No! Don’t come!”
Akito shouted loudly. What? Thinking this, he looked up again and saw a small dot heading towards them. At first, he didn’t know what it was, but it gradually became clearer.
A black shadow gliding with its wings spread wide. It was Yuma. Yuma was heading towards them.
He must have repelled the attacking angel and come to help them. But—Rui made a face as if he had bitten into a bitter bug.
Even Yuma couldn’t win. Not against this Monster!
Yuma landed in front of the 【White King】. He sheathed his large wings and glared at the angel before him.
Immense Magical Power and bloodlust leaked from Yuma’s body. He was completely ready to fight.
Rui, enduring the pain, turned his body towards Yuma.
“No… Yuma. It’s too strong… Even you can’t win!”
It was a desperate plea, but it didn’t reach Yuma. Having witnessed the surrounding devastation, Yuma seethed with anger and lowered his stance, ready to fight.
◇◇◇
Yuma, who had landed on the lowest level of the white space, looked around and was at a loss for words.
The Israeli Seekers were lying on the ground, completely still. Many had their heads cut off, and all were dead.
Yuma moved his gaze. There, Akito was lying on the ground, having lost his right hand.
About ten meters away, Rui was also there. Both his legs were gone. Both were still alive, but severely injured. Yuma stepped forward to heal their wounds.
But an angel stood before Yuma.
“This guy is…”
An angel emitting an unusual “Mana”. Yuma intuitively understood. This angel was the 【White King】.
The master nesting in Orpheus. And the last remaining Unique Monster 【King】.
The final and greatest enemy was before him.
“You did this, didn’t you? To everyone… to Akito and Rui!”
The blood rushed to Yuma’s head. He exhaled steam from his mouth and lowered his stance, glaring at his opponent. He had no choice but to defeat this thing with all his might.
Entering a battle stance, Yuma only stared at the angel before him.
He thought he heard Rui shouting something in the distance. But it didn’t reach Yuma’s ears. Right now, beating this angel was the priority!
“Bloodstained Ore (Bloody Ore)!!”
Red veins flowed through his black body. White steam rose from his body, and his heart rate skyrocketed. Yuma kicked off the ground and charged at the angel.
The opponent didn’t move an inch. Holding two swords in both hands, it turned its face towards him.
–Stop acting so nonchalant!
Yuma pulled back his right fist, assuming a Seiken Zuki (Straight Punch) stance. He closed the distance with the angel. At this range, it would definitely hit.
Just as he stepped forward with his left foot and was about to thrust his fist—Akito, who was beyond the angel, shouted loudly.
“No! Attacks don’t work on that thing!!”
Without understanding what Akito meant, Yuma unleashed his Seiken Zuki (Straight Punch).