Dungeon V Chapter 3 - Weakness

by Sebastian Ordonez

Part 1

In the three weeks since Roman had fled with Leo’s father’s armor, an unexpected friendship had blossomed between Leo and Ruby. 

Following the incident, Ruby had taken Leo to the tavern where she had been staying, which was a good ten minutes from the Level 0 dungeon complex and located close to the center of the city. They had rented out a second room for Leo adjacent to Ruby’s. It had taken three whole days of nothing but rest for Leo’s body to recover its strength and mana. While Leo slept through most of the first day, Ruby had met up with Ryker and Markl to collect her and Leo’s share of the reward from the B-Rank Dungeon Raid. Along with the money, she had brought news to Leo that Ryker’s sister Leah and the rest of their team would make full recoveries. She had also visited Leo’s grandfather’s house, situated just on the outskirts of the city, to collect Leo’s things and bring them back to the tavern. Since he had inherited the house, Leo had offered to use it as their base of operations, but its distance from the dungeon would become an issue if they were to continue raiding. As a result, they had decided that renting in a tavern closer to the dungeon, as Ruby had been doing, would suit their needs better. 

Leo’s share of the reward from the raid went towards paying for their collective rent, as well as taking care of other necessities while Leo was incapacitated. They had decided, however, to give Ruby’s share to the blacksmith, Thane, who had given Leo his new chestplate and greaves. Ruby had delivered the money on the second day of Leo’s incapacitation, and—after much insistence—Thane had agreed to take half of the money. 

On the third day after the incident, Ruby spent her time helping Leo to start walking again, beginning with stretching his legs and guiding him as he took careful, wobbling steps around the narrow tavern room. By the end of the day, he had regained the use of his legs. The next morning, he had awoken feeling capable enough to embark on another Raid, in spite of Ruby’s protests. 

Over the next three weeks, they frequented the B-Rank hallway, looking to join larger groups of raiders as soloists. The groups they joined usually consisted of eight to twelve members, which meant that payment from each raid was much less than they had received from Ryker. Typically, a group was led by an established team of at least five members, and they bolstered their ranks with soloists in need of work. Although Leo and Ruby had technically formed a team, their lack of members meant they were often considered little more than two soloists who came as a pair. They were very quickly faced with a problem:. There weren’t many teams willing to split profits evenly among all raiders as Ryker had done.; Mmost of the time, a majority of the profits went towards the teams leading the raids, and a smaller portion was divided between the soloists who tagged along. Each day, Leo and Ruby looked for the best offers they could find, but they always walked away somewhat disappointed. Moreover, a portion of their profits were inevitably spent on healing the various fresh scratches and bite wounds they suffered during the raids. Without his father’s armor to defend him, Leo quickly learned the price of combat in the Dungeon Raids. He was injured in almost every raid, and as a result, he and Ruby were forced to become much more cautious. Larger threats, like the Great Lycan he had fought with Roman, were typically taken care of by the teams leading the raids. 

With all these factors combined, Leo and Ruby made barely enough money to get by each day. Their profits were easily spent between their injuries, rent, and food. As a result, they couldn’t afford to buy new weapons or armor, nor could they begin saving for the journey that awaited them. They continued on like this for twenty days. 

Then on the twenty-first day, something finally changed. 

“Ruby, can we talk for a moment?” 

Ruby slowed her brisk pace to a stop and turned back around to face Leo. The glow of the Dungeon hallway’s magic blue-flame lanterns flickered across the dark stone floor and walls. Ruby’s light-colored, smooth hair fell gently down from her head and tumbled into her scarf, which was tightly wrapped around her neck. Her hair was swept to the side across her forehead so as not to cover her face, which—illuminated by the light—was fixed with an expression of what some might have considered to be mild annoyance. Leo, however, recognized it as something more. There was annoyance, yes; but there was also a touch of apprehension and nervousness. 

“Not this again,” she muttered. 

“As it stands, we’re not making any progress,” Leo said, trying to express his frustration. “We’ve been raiding for nearly three weeks and have nothing to show for it.” 

“That’s not true,” Ruby replied, lowering her scarf to speak clearly. “We’re getting stronger and more capable with every fight. It takes time to make progress, and just because it’s hard to see it doesn’t mean we’re wasting our time.” 

“Even so, we need something to change. We need to be fighting and getting stronger while also saving up funds.” 

“It’s too dangerous,” Ruby fretted. 

“We can do it,” Leo insisted. “Listen to me for one second, will you? We don’t have to join smaller raids like we’re doing now. Aren’t there bigger groups that get together? I hear people talking about it all the time in the B-Rank hall.”

“Yes,” Ruby admitted reluctantly. “I know of one team that leads a large party every other morning for an A-Rank.” 

“That’s perfect! We can stick to the back and fight smaller enemies and leave the big ones for the more capable fighters. Even with that many people, we’ll likely still make more than we do now.” 

“I don’t think we’re ready. If one of us dies or suffers a serious injury, we’ll be set back even further. Small cuts and scratches we can take, but if we end up having to go to the medical wing for anything larger, it’ll cost us dearly.”

“It’s a risk we have to take,” Leo insisted. “Besides, we also need to scout out new team members. Ideally, we should be looking for a strong brawler, since neither of our soul abilities lend themselves to close combat, and I’m… kind of weak in that regard. We should also keep an eye out for a capable long range fighter. The best of the best on this level are in the A-Rank hall, so if we want to have the best chance of success, that’s where we should look.” 

But Ruby wasn’t swayed by these words. She looked back at him with furled brows and parted lips. She seemed to be swaying on the edge of indecision. 

“Leo, please.”

“Ruby,” Leo returned her gaze calmly, “you’re the only reason I’m insisting on this. You’re the one who helped me get back on my feet, remember? You even gave me your only extra Revival Stone. Without you, I’d probably have accepted defeat that day. Now, I’m going to be the one to push us forward.” Ruby cast her gaze down to her feet. She bit her lip and grabbed her scarf with one hand, gripping it tightly. “We don’t need to focus on winning,” he continued. “Let them focus on winning; we’ll just focus on not getting hurt, and we’ll still get paid.” 

“Nothing I say will change your mind, will it?” Ruby asked, but she already knew the answer. 

“No, it won’t.”

Ruby sighed and released her grip on the scarf. Looking up at him, she relented. “Fine, let’s do it. But you’re not to take any unnecessary risks, got it?”

“I got it,” Leo smiled at her and nudged her with his elbow.

They continued at their leisure down the hallway. It was morning outside and the sun was still peeking over the horizon. The brightly-lit hall was fairly empty at this time. There was only a small trickle of dungeoneers on their way to begin early morning raids. A few market stall operators and street vendors rushed to and fro, preparing their wares. Leo and Ruby passed by their hurried preparations without a glance. 

They soon reached the end of the hall, where it opened into a large circular chamber lined with thick black pillars. The right and left ends of the room opened into two other hallways, but straight ahead, taking up the entire back wall, was an enormous swirling vortex of shimmering lime. The portal moved in an endless, self-consuming spiral. Close to the edge, the green mana swirled slowly and lethargically; the closer it got to the center, the faster it swirled, until it ceased altogether and vanished into the center.

Leo gazed long and hard into the portal’s swirling green depths as though if he looked hard enough, he would see what lay beyond. Despite the wall of stone that surely lay behind it, he knew that it connected Level 0 with an entirely different world. One step across and he would leave everything he’d ever known behind… 

Roman was somewhere beyond that portal. At this point, Leo believed it was unlikely he would ever find his armor again. To track down one lone adventurer across the worlds that lay beyond seemed an impossible task. The thought alone made him afraid that he’d never find his own parents, who were also somewhere beyond the depthless swirling green. 

But the time to cross was not now. The portal’s many enchantments would hold him back until he earned that right. 

 Normally, Leo and Ruby would have turned into the left hallway and gone off towards the B-Rank hallway, as they had done for the past three weeks. Now, however, they had a new destination. They walked along the right hand wall and its many towering pillars until they passed into the next hallway and left the portal’s faint humming behind. This hallway was not as brightly lit as the previous one. Only the quiet, flickering lanterns marked their path and passage. The ceiling above was dark as a night sky without stars. Leo felt a tension building up in him. The long walk towards the A-Rank hallway was giving his mind time to grow new feelings of unease. 

He had been trying unsuccessfully for the past couple of days to convince Ruby to accompany him on an A-Rank raid. Though Leo still felt it was vital for them to begin saving up funds, now that he had convinced Ruby to accept his proposition, he was having a hard time convincing himself. He still remembered Ryker’s expression of regret: Our team tried to take down an A-Rank alone, and it was a disaster. 

But we’re not gonna be alone, Leo reminded himself. 

He’d overheard conversations about the large A-Rank raids that gathered in the early morning. It seemed many who frequented the B-Rank hallway regularly joined the larger group to make extra money. Although Leo knew they’d probably be safe with the larger group, he couldn’t help but worry. What if we both die? Then we wouldn’t be able to keep up with rent and we’d probably get evicted just trying to recover. 

He tried to keep his doubts at bay with optimism. Everything will work out fine. We won’t take any risks, and we’ll be totally fine. We’ll walk home today with our pockets a good bit heavier. 

At last, they arrived at the A-Rank hallway. The opening was marked with an enormous archway in the hall to their right. The stone of the arch was carved with many intricate and detailed designs. Two large stone pillars reached up into the darkness above at either side of the archway. As they passed under it, Leo was once more struck with the majesty and scale of the entire complex. To even attempt to carve such enormous caverns out of the stone was incomprehensible to him. 

The A-Rank hallway stretched down into the distance, back towards the entrance to the Dungeon, before ending abruptly where the mountain ended. That dark wall was left a canvas of stone into which great patterns were carved, although at this distance, Leo could not make them out. Along the walls to his left and right, the A-Rank Gates—four on each wall—rose high up into the deep dark of the ceiling, their faint light revealing beams and pillars of black stone. As with the B and C Gates, along the doors of stone were carved labyrinthine designs, some digging in as deep grooves or pushing up out of the stone. They were accentuated with a deep blue glow. Taken altogether, the hall seemed to have been plucked out of a palace of gods many meters tall. Leo felt as though he and Ruby were unwelcome guests. Although he knew the A-Rank Gates were likely the same height as the others, he felt as though they loomed much higher up above him. 

Leo glanced around feeling somewhat intimidated until his eyes fell on a group of raiders down at the end of the hall. This group seemed to be fifteen to twenty strong, and there were no other dungeoneers in the hall besides them. Seeing them in the distance grounded him back in reality. I can’t back out now, he reminded himself. This is something we have to do sooner or later. And the sooner we get through this, the sooner we make it through that portal, and the sooner I get to see my parents. He set his shoulders back and lifted his chin up, taking step after confident step towards the group ahead. Ruby followed closely behind. 

The group at the end of the hall was gathered against the blank wall and awaiting the start of the raid. It was at once easy to distinguish between the soloists and those who came in groups. The leaders of the raid seemed to be a team of five members who only stood out because they wore hooded cloaks identical in all but color. A young man in a sweeping cloak of mottled gray stood in a commanding position on the bottom lip of the stone wall. His teammates stood around the rest of the group, observing them carefully. There were three raiders who stood together talking and laughing like longtime friends. Another two who seemed fairly young were conferring together; one wore a blue bandana around his forehead, and the other had a matching bandana hung loosely around his neck. Though a few of the others were chatting politely, it was clear that the rest had come alone. 

All of them wore different kinds of armor, and they wielded many different kinds of weapons hung on belts or backs. As Leo had noticed over the past three weeks, however, it was clear that none of the suits of armor compared to the armor he had lost. It was becoming increasingly clear to him that the armor his father had left for him was on a completely different scale. There were all kinds of weapons and armor in Level 0, and their variety never ceased to amaze him. Most of them, however, lacked enchantments, and for those that did not, the enchantments were so weak that they wouldn’t last more than a couple strong bites from a lycan. Leo’s armor had seemed nigh invincible, as though it could take any amount of damage and remain in perfect condition. Now, however, it was lost to the Dungeon, and his chances of locating it again were extremely slim. He was confident that he would never see a suit of armor like it as long as he remained on Level 0. 

Much the same could be said for Bladeburner. The flashy, fiery greatsword attracted attention in every raid Leo and Ruby fought in. It seemed incapable of receiving dents, nicks, scratches, or any other signs of wear. Every other sword or axe Leo encountered, no matter how well-crafted, received some level of wear or damage. After enough use, they always required more sharpening. But Bladeburner’s edge seemed to never blunt; it was always as sharp as when Leo had first received it. He knew now that it was likely the most valuable of all his possessions, including the large house of his late grandfather.  

As Leo looked over the raiders’ suits of armor, he and Ruby finally arrived at the end of the hall. Some soloists looked up as they approached, but most continued to chatter with indifference. A raider in a silvery white cloak, however, gestured for them to approach the one in the gray cloak, who seemed to be the team’s leader. 

“Welcome!” the man in the gray hood called, stepping down from the lip of stone. The shadows of his hood concealed his face so that only his mouth was visible. “Will you be joining us this morning?” 

“Yes,” Leo answered. “I should probably let you know that it’s our first time in the A-Rank hall.” 

“Oh, really?” For a moment, the man’s mouth seemed to flash into a delighted smile. “Don’t worry, you’ll be perfectly safe with us. My teammates and I can handle the more dangerous beasts, so your only role will be to keep the weaker ones distracted. Unless you want to help us, of course. The rates are pretty straightforward: my teammates and I will take fifty percent of whatever we make. The other fifty will get split between the rest who complete the raid.” 

“Th— That’s all?” Ruby stuttered in surprise from Leo’s side. 

“That’s all, I’m afraid,” the man in gray smiled apologetically. “If you’d like, there’s another team that runs larger raids some evenings, but I hear their rates are even worse than ours.” 

“No, that’s alright,” Leo waved his apology aside. “We’ll take the deal.” 

The man appeared satisfied. “Good. I’m Ascher, by the way,” he pulled his hood off his head, revealing his pale eyes and smooth face, “and I’m in charge of the team leading this raid. The ones in the cloaks are my companions.” From his look and the sound of his voice, Leo guessed that he was still in his early twenties. His wavy gray hair was all messed up from brushing up against the hood. The line of his jaw was straight and sharp, and his charming smile had a disarming quality. 

“I’m Leo,” Leo introduced himself, “and this is Ruby.” 

Ascher greeted them warmly as he shook each of their hands in turn. “Anyway, we’ve waited long enough,” he said. He stood back up on the lip of stone protruding from the back wall and addressed the others gathered before him. “We’re going to begin soon,” he said, projecting his voice and gathering their attention. “I believe we’ve all discussed the rates, correct? No one has any issues? In that case—”

“Asch,” one of the soloists called up to him. “Same deal as usual.” 

Leo and a few of the others in the group looked over to the young man who had interrupted. He was perhaps a few inches taller than Leo, and he glared up at Ascher sharply. He was clad head to toe in armor. His spaulders were a vibrant shade of green, and every metal plate on his body was outlined in small stripes of green runes. A thick white cloth and leather belt were tied around his waist, and through the belt hung a sheathed sword, the handle and pommel just visible at his side. 

Ascher met his gaze with an amused smile. “Why not take a gamble and make it six this time?” 

“Five,” the young soloist replied, straight-faced. “No more, no less.” 

“Fine, fine,” Ascher put his hands up in a gesture of defeat. “If that’s all, there’s one more thing I’d like to say. For the two of you,” he gestured to the two young men with matching blue bandanas, “and the two newcomers, since this is your first A-Rank raid, don’t feel pressured to fight anything you can’t handle. My team can take care of it. You can just focus on the smaller threats.” With a wave of his hand, the other four cloaked raiders began to lead the group towards the nearest Gate.

Leo and Ruby followed at the back. Leo watched as a tall man with dark skin in a flowing brown cloak put his palms on the Gate and pushed lightly. The stone doors began to creak open of their own accord, accompanied by the loud sound of stone scraping against itself. 

Leo glanced at Ruby beside him. Her eyes were fixed on her boots and she was fidgeting with her hands. He took one of her hands into his own and squeezed it. “Everything will work out fine,” he reminded her. She looked up at him and smiled gratefully. 

The group was now passing through a short hallway. The height and vastness of the hall caused their many footsteps to echo loudly. 

“First time in an A-Rank?” Ascher was suddenly beside them. “Are you sure you’re ready for what’ll come through that portal?” 

“Maybe we’re not,” Leo answered truthfully, “but we plan on following your advice leaving the larger threats to you and your team. By the way, what was that deal that guy was talking about? If— If you don’t mind my asking, that is?” 

“Oh, him?” The same amused sparkle from earlier entered Ascher’s striking eyes. “His name’s Kaio. He’s been joining me on these A-Rank raids for months now. He strikes a deal with us each time: if he can take down five magic beasts on the scale of a Great Lycan on his own, we double his pay. If he fails, we keep half his pay.” 

Leo’s eyes widened. “Five Great Lycans? Is that common for an A-Rank?” 

“I mean they’re not always lycans,” Ascher shot him a look halfway between pity and amusement. “But sure.” 

“How often does Kaio take home double?” 

“Depends on the day, but he usually succeeds. He’s an extremely capable fighter, maybe even one of the best in Level 0—besides the Champions, of course. I’m honestly shocked he hasn’t already joined up with a team and moved into the real Dungeon. He’s had a few offers, but I heard he turned them all down. And even though he remains here, he’s not aiming for the title of Champion. It’s strange, but it’s none of my business.” 

“Hey, uhh… just how tough are these raids?” 

Ascher smiled. “Tougher than you’d think. Don’t think because you’re getting comfortable with B-Ranks that your transition to A will be easy. Just be careful out there,” he added, and with a friendly wave, he walked on ahead of them.

Leo looked over to Ruby, expecting to see her face contorted in an expression of fear. Her eyes, however, were fixed straight ahead of her. She looked more determined than he had thought her capable of. 

“Everything will work out fine, right?” Ruby whispered to him. 

“Right,” Leo replied, trying to keep his fear under control. 

Their quiet procession continued onward. 

As in every other raid, the hall eventually opened into a large arena. Columns outside its perimeter held up the cavern’s ceiling. Seating areas were settled almost the entire way around the arena. Most noticeable of all, however, was the swirling blue depths of the portal directly across from them. 

The cloaked raiders, as well as the varying soloists, began their quick preparations. Swords and other weapons were drawn from sheathes. Only a few besides Ruby remained weaponless, confident enough to wield magic as their first line of defense. 

Leo reached out with his mana until he connected with that other space. His palms sputtered with black magic sparks which grew into a small vortex. His hand gripped the hilt of a sword, and the blade slowly took shape, until the black shifting vortex dissipated altogether. Bladeburner had emerged. After three weeks, the long and heavy blade felt more at home in his hands than ever. 

He looked over to see Kaio drawing a long, single-edged sword from its sheath until, with a quick shout from Ascher, they all turned their eyes towards the swirling blue of the portal. It began humming and vibrating irregularly, and then magic beasts began to pour into the arena. They were lycans, and there were many of them. These beasts, Leo and Ruby had plenty of practice dealing with. What made Leo’s heart catch in his throat was the three Great Lycans that stumbled, disoriented, into the arena. 

“Three…!?” Leo inhaled with sharp surprise. 

“What were you expecting?” a voice called out with irritation. Leo turned to see Kaio some distance to his left, glaring at him with sharp eyes. “This isn’t some low level B or C-Rank. This is the most challenging kind of battle against magic beasts you’ll face in Level 0. Pull yourself together or you’ll get torn apart!.” 

“Leave the Greats to them,” Ruby said into his right ear. “Let’s hang back and let the lesser lycans come to us.” 

“Right,” Leo muttered. He shook Kaio’s words out of his head and together with Ruby, they backed away from the Gate at a light jog. As they retreated, they passed Ascher and the other four cloaked raiders. Besides Ascher and his cloak of mottled gray, there was a young man with pale skin in a silvery white cloak. The tallest of the bunch was the dark skinned man in the brown cloak, who was cracking his knuckles eagerly, a wide grin on his face. Underneath the gold hood of the fourth man was an unpleasant scowl and a handful of long, jagged scars. The jet black cloak that covered the fifth man whirled around him as he whipped out an enormous black scythe. Leo stared at the weapon for a good while, in awe of its fine craftsmanship and sharp, eye-catching design. He noticed, however, that the crooked black blade of the scythe was chipped and scratched in more than a few places. 

That’s probably one of the better weapons I’ve seen, he thought, and yet it still doesn’t compare to Bladeburner, or else it would never have taken any damage. He found himself wondering not for the first time exactly where the greatsword in his hands had come from. 

Who had made it? Who had enchanted it? And how had it come to his father? Was it given to him or did he buy it? Or did he steal it, in the same way Roman had accused him of stealing the armor? These were just a few of the questions Leo hoped his quest would someday answer. 

The five cloaked raiders soon joined the battle, but Leo didn’t have time to waste paying any attention to them. He and Ruby were quickly assailed by ravenous lycans. Bladeburner sliced and slashed through their flesh hungrily, but Leo seemed to be making no dent on their numbers. There were many more lycans on this first wave than in many of the final waves of B-Rank Gates. Each wolfish face struck down by the sword seemed to be replaced by two more. Leo quickly realized that he and Ruby were being surrounded, and if they didn’t act fast, they would be overwhelmed by the lycans’ endless ranks. 

“Ruby!” he shouted behind him, to where Ruby was fighting at his back. “Do you remember when we got surrounded that one time?” 

“I’ve got it, get down!” 

Leo obeyed without hesitation. Relieved that his meaning had been understood, he turned to watch Ruby’s magic at work. 

Ruby had explained her soul ability to him during his three-day recovery, and he had had many opportunities since then to see it in action. Despite that, he still watched her in awestruck wonder. She put her arm up into the air above her, palm open and turned up towards the dark ceiling. As she did, bright white crystals began to appear around her, as if forming from the very air itself. Each crystal grew to about the size of a hand, and soon there were as many as one hundred in the air around them. Their sudden appearance had disturbed and confused the lycans, and their hesitation was fatal. The gleaming white crystals hovered there for a second longer before Ruby completed the spell and released them. In an instant, the crystals shot off in different directions, each one carefully aimed at a lycan’s heart. They wove through the air, twisting around each other without a single collision on their way to their targets. The crystals caught and bent the bright beams of the arena’s lights as they soared around them, casting a vibrant shower of rainbow light in all directions, further disorienting the lycans. It was an attack both beautiful and deadly, born from the power of Ruby’s soul. 

In another moment, the crystals hit their targets. They pierced the lycan’s chests with such speed that they bore holes straight through them, crushing their hearts and killing them in the process. The burst of reflected rainbow light vanished in an instant, replaced by a spray of deep red blood that splattered across the ground. 

Leo looked around them in amazement. Ruby had cleared the attacking lycans with a single spell. His awe turned quickly to concern as he felt her stumble beside him, falling off balance. He sent Bladeburner away in an instant, using both hands to catch her before she hit the floor. Her skin was cold as ice under his fingers, an unfortunate side effect of her ability. 

“I think you overdid it,” he said gently to her. 

“I lost control for a second and created more than I meant to,” she replied, burying deeper into her scarf for warmth. “I need to rest and recover my mana.”

Leo nodded before slowly setting her down on the ground. He looked around to verify their safety and took stock of the raid’s progress. There were no other lycans placing them in immediate danger, and no more of them were passing through the portal. The only ones that remained were engaged in battle with the other raiders. 

“Looks like we’re safe for now,” Leo told Ruby. “You should be able to rest for a minute before the next wave begins.” 

He was trying to reassure her, but he could feel his own fear resurfacing. Ruby had saved them, but it had nearly taken her out of the fight. They couldn’t rely on a spell like that to save them if they were surrounded again, and Leo knew that if it wasn’t for Ruby, they would have been ripped apart right then. 

Part 2

Aware that they would face no more threats this wave, Leo turned his attention to the other fights around them. It was then that he caught sight of Kaio’s green spaulders amidst the chaos. He was headed towards one of the Great Lycans, all three of which were still standing tall. The sharp, pale blade of his sword cut quickly through any lycan he came across, but he didn’t stop to pay attention to any of them. He was solely focused on one goal.  

The enormous beast was still unaware of him when he reached it. Its attention was split between two soloists—the pair with the blue bandanas—who were fleeing from it in different directions. Before Leo could blink, Kaio leaped over twenty feet in the air, leaving cracks in the gray stone where his feet had touched it last. With the beast’s neck now in reach, his sword sliced right through it with ease. 

Kaio didn’t stop to admire his own handiwork, however. The moment he touched down and regained his balance, he was on to the second Great Lycan. This one had seen him kill the first, and it wasn't about to let him get near its neck. It roared fiercely, bearing down on him with open jaws, but they simply snapped at nothing. Kaio was already under it, his sword slicing through the thick muscles of its legs. The beast howled in a blind frenzy and began stomping with all four legs, hoping to crush the thing that had caused it so much pain, but Kaio avoided the attack effortlessly. Once more, he leaped up into the air with the help of some unseen magic and landed on the creature’s back. Climbing up onto its head, he plunged his blade straight down into the beast’s skull and twisted it, killing the creature almost instantly. 

He works fast—! Leo thought with awe. 

That was two of the Great Lycans dead within seconds. Kaio turned towards the third and final one, and Leo fully believed he would have brought it down if Ascher and his team hadn’t reached it first. The man with the scythe, wrapped in a cloak of deep black, faced down the beast. Leo watched from a distance as he put his free hand out in front of him, palm down, and yelled something. A thick black smoke suddenly rose up around him, spreading out from where he had been standing. The cloud of smoke confused the beast, and before it even realized the danger, the black scythe carved a path straight through its neck. The black cloud dissipated as the third Great Lycan fell in a heap to the floor. Its severed head hit the stone with a thud, rolled over, and came to rest. 

Incredible, Leo reflected with awe. These A-Rank fighters are even stronger than Ryker and Markl were. They made killing those things look easy. 

At this point, the fighting had stopped. Raiders all across the arena were regrouping, recovering their bearings, and quickly treating bleeding injuries. 

“Anyone seriously injured can retreat,” Ascher called, walking among them. “My team and I can protect you. Can we verify that everyone’s still alive? No deaths?” 

Ruby sat up next to Leo, her breathing constant and steady. Her temperature had risen somewhat, but she still clung to her scarf. Ascher approached her and Leo, asking, “Is everything alright with you two? Is she okay?” 

“Yeah, she’s fine,” Leo answered him. “No injuries, she’s just a bit exhausted from mana use.” 

Ascher glanced around them at the corpses that littered the area. “Is this your handiwork?” he questioned, addressing Ruby. 

“Y-yes,” she muttered quietly. 

“Your magic must be quite impressive,” he smiled warmly, “but you should always keep in mind that your mana, like your body, has limits. If you exhaust them too soon in a fight, you’ll weigh yourself and your teammates down. For now, I’d suggest you retire to the back of the fight. Try to stay somewhere behind my team, and I can guarantee we won’t let a single enemy get past us.” 

“Thanks,” Ruby replied, her words muffled behind her scarf. 

“You should hurry,” Ascher said, turning to face the portal, which was now thrumming with greater intensity. 

Leo thanked him and helped Ruby to her feet as Ascher went to rejoin his team. Keeping the other raiders between them and the portal, they slowly made their way to the other side of the arena, where Ascher’s team had been fighting. As they did, the second wave began. What came through the portal this time, however, was not another pack of lycans. These creatures were larger, sharper, and darker. Their numbers were fewer, but they made up for this with their terrifying size and appearance. They were like oversized spiders, scrambling through the portal on eight, black, armored legs. Each one was about as long as a person was tall. Their spiny, hairy abdomens were covered in white markings that vaguely resembled human skulls. 

“Gloomweavers,” a raider nearby cursed under his breath.  

“Leo,” Ruby said to him, “these spiders aren’t fast, so they won’t be able to slip through to the back like the lycans could. Leave me here and join them in the fight. Even if one should slip past, I can hold them off with just a few small crystals.” 

“Are you sure?” Leo hesitated, not wanting to leave her alone. 

“I’ll be fine,” she reassured him. “Just remember, no unnecessary risks.” 

Leo nodded to her before running to the other dungeoneers, who were now engaging the gloomweavers. As he ran up on them, five more Great Lycans passed through the Gate. He felt his jaw drop, and for a moment, both fear and disbelief overwhelmed him. He was somewhat encouraged, however, by the sight of Kaio and Ascher’s team moving to intercept them. One Great Lycan was already missing its head before its body could finish crossing the portal. 

Leo tore his eyes away from them and tried to focus on his immediate surroundings. Two gloomweavers were crawling towards him, chittering angrily. He reached out with magic and grabbed Bladeburner once more. The greatsword sliced through the first spider’s ugly head as it attempted to get close enough to bite him. As the attack landed, the second one passed briefly out of his sight. Fearing that it would attack him from behind, Leo turned quickly, swinging the greatsword once more. Bladeburner merely swung harmlessly around to his right, missing the spider entirely and leaving his left side vulnerable. The gloomweaver took advantage of the opportunity to jump towards him, sinking its fangs into his left arm. 

There was no armor there to protect him, merely a cheap leather guard which the spider’s fangs pierced like paper. Leo cried out from the pain and struggled fearfully to tear his arm free, but the grip of the spider’s mandibles was too strong. In desperation, he smashed the pommel of his greatsword into the spider’s many eyes, causing it to screech loudly in pain and release its grip. Wielding Bladeburner with just his right hand, he sliced the spider’s head open with a powerful stroke. 

Once he processed the spider’s death, the pain set in. His arm was on fire, leaving him gasping for breath. Leo fell to his knees, making a move to grip his upper forearm, but stopping before touching it, afraid the contact might amplify the pain. Damn it! he thought violently. Even if this bite isn’t lethal, those fangs were still full of toxins. At this rate, I won’t be able to use my left arm too well. 

The intense pain was beginning to subside, and it was replaced with a dull ache that made his head throb. His arm was beginning to tingle with numbness, and although he seemed to have lost some control, he was relieved to find he could still move it. His fingers still opened and closed when he told them to; his elbow still bent when commanded. He gripped Bladeburner tightly with both hands, trying to ignore the sick feeling that his left arm wasn’t his own. He glanced around wildly. I have to get somewhere safe—! 

More gloomweavers were closing in, and Leo felt his blood turn to ice. He was assailed by a feeling like a deep pit opening inside of him, growing like a sinkhole. He stumbled back a few steps, and panicked thoughts raced through his head. There’s no way I can fight all of them back on my own! The spiders’ cautious but constant advances kept forcing him to lose ground, pushing him further and further back. He kept Bladeburner out in front of him, and the unspoken threat was holding them back for now, but panic was starting to build inside of him. Where’s everyone else?! his mind was racing. Why’s there no one here to back me up? 

It was then that, with a sickening lurch of his stomach, Leo realized his fatal mistake. He was allowing the spiders to push him back towards the portal, and away from any reinforcements. What was I thinking rushing in alone? I’m not a strong, front-line fighter. I can’t be, especially not without that armor. I should’ve grouped up with the other raiders…! Idiot! 

There was a heavy thud behind him and the ground shook underneath him. A blood-curdling howl erupted from just behind him, and Leo was so frightened by the noise that he spun around on the spot, turning so quickly it caused him to trip and lose his balance. As he fell backwards towards the advancing spiders, his vision was obstructed by the jaws of a Great Lycan opening wider and wider, preparing to chew him up and swallow him. 

Leo hadn’t experienced death since the day Roman had stolen his armor, and in that moment, all the panic and fear and uncertainty from that moment came rushing back to him. A thought flashed through his mind like lightning—his bones cracking, limbs snapping apart as the beast’s enormous fangs chewed him up. A last desperate plea ripped through his consciousness: Dad, I don’t want to die! 

But the imposing jaws never reached him. A sword flashed behind the Great Lycan’s ears and cleaved its head from its shoulders with a burst of blood. In another instant, the long, single-edged blade was behind him, slicing through the spiders. Leo sat in stunned silence, the tension in his muscles holding for a moment longer before giving way to a deep, flooding relief. In a mere instant, his prayer had been answered. He turned to see the face of his savior.  

“Don’t bother thanking me,” Kaio glared down at him with a sour expression. “Your sword might be powerful, but you betray your own incompetence. Were you even paying attention to your surroundings? Did you even realize they were driving you away from everyone? Until you’re able to think clearly and fight without hesitation, you’re not ready to fight on the front lines. I’ve cleared you a path, so head towards the back and stay out of the way.” 

With that stinging rebuke, he was gone, and Leo was flooded with both profound gratitude and mind-numbing irritation. He quickly got up off the floor and stumbled away from the flashing portal as fast as he could go. Though it bothered him, he couldn’t deny that Kaio had spoken the truth. Even worse, he realized that he was in complete awe of Kaio’s skills. He was probably the strongest and most capable fighter Leo had ever seen up close, and his feats in this raid alone were extraordinary. He had killed yet another Great Lycan without a second thought and thrown himself into danger to save Leo without hesitation. His speed and impressive swordsmanship made for a deadly combination on the battlefield. 

A quick glance told Leo that no more of the Great Lycans remained standing, and he found himself wondering how many of them Kaio had succeeded in killing. 

Damn it, he thought bitterly. Kaio’s right, of course. I should’ve joined some of the other soloists, not gone off on my own. I can’t fight like I used to. I need to actually start worrying about not getting hurt, or else this recklessness is going to get me killed… again. 

The numbness in Leo’s upper arm was only the most recent in a series of raid-related injuries. Almost every raid for the past three weeks had resulted in some fresh scratch or gash. Ruby had avoided all but the most minor injuries, but Leo’s reckless disregard for his own safety had placed him in danger of losing his life more than once. As much as it irritated him, he owed Kaio his life. 

At this point, the second wave had come to an end. There was a quiet anticipation settling over the arena, as if they were all collectively catching their breaths. They all knew that the worst wave of the raid was yet to come. 

Leo met Ruby near the entrance to the hallway through which they had entered. She ran up to him when she saw him, clutching his arm with concern. “What happened?” her eyes lit up with concern, inspecting the bite wound. “What happened to not taking any risks?” 

“It’s just a bit numb,” Leo said, trying to pacify her. “It doesn’t hurt at all, I promise.” 

“That’s because it’s numb, Leo,” Ruby scolded him. “You’re still bleeding. Let me patch it up quickly so you don’t lose too much blood.” 

“You’re looking better,” Leo observed. 

“I can stand and walk just fine,” she told him, removing the leather guard and rolling up his sleeve. “This’ll hurt a bit.” Leo winced and tried not to cry out as she used a bottle to pour a clear liquid over the wound, causing a brief burning sensation. The scent of the liquid on his nose was like inhaling sharp, small knives. Returning the small bottle to her belt, Ruby wiped away the blood and excess solution before digging into the pouch at her hip. She removed a clean roll of white bandages and began wrapping them around the wound. “This’ll keep the wound clean until we can get outside. Then we’ll treat the wound with magic, okay?” 

“Thanks,” he smiled appreciatively at her. 

“Don’t get comfortable,” her eyes turned towards the portal. “There’s still one more fight to get through.” The portal shifted angrily, seeming to be alive. It convulsed erratically as though outraged by the beasts that lay slain before it. 

Leo and Ruby rejoined the other raiders in the center of the arena as the third wave of magic beasts arrived. This time, there were no more oversized spiders. Lycans poured through the portal in hordes, but they were not alone. With them were other wolf-like beasts similar to them, but smaller, more lithe and slender, and with darker pelts.

Bloodhounds, Leo thought. Their jaws might not have the same grip strength, but they’re smaller and faster than lycans. We’ll have to watch out for them. His shaky confidence, however, was not anticipating what would appear from the portal next. 

Leo was half-expecting an increase in the quantity of Great Lycans. Once before, on a B-Rank raid, he had seen a giant beast appear in the form of a great winged bat, but for whatever reason, most of the larger beasts they fought seemed to solely consist of Great Lycans. Wherever the beasts were coming from, there seemed to be an endless supply of them. This time, however, only one beast appeared. 

First, a head not unlike a Great Lycan appeared, snarling and drooling, red eyes burning with rage, and Leo thought his guess was right. He faltered then as he realized that something wasn’t right. It was different somehow. Then another head emerged, and then yet another. The beast was similar to a Great Lycan, but instead of a rich reddish-brown, this creature’s pelt was a grim charcoal black. Great Lycans were large, but this beast was larger still, each of its three monstrous heads large enough to swallow a person whole. Its claws were sharp and angled, and spikes of bone protruded down the spines of each neck. 

“What is that thing?” Leo yelled aloud. 

“It’s a Cerberus! A Great Lycan with three heads!” yelled a raider next to him. A blue bandana was tied tightly around his forehead, its long ends trailing down behind him. He looked no older than Leo, and his hands, holding his sword in a tight grip, were shaking badly. He didn’t tear his eyes away from the giant beast as he spoke. “None of our swords can cut that thing. If the guys leading this raid can’t take it down… then we’re all gonna die!” The young raider was not the only worried one among them. Slowly, many of them began taking careful steps backwards, as though they were afraid any sudden movement might attract the beast’s attention. Despite their unspoken prayers, it fixed its eyes on them almost immediately. 

Three sets of red eyes flared with murderous rage, and then the beast was upon them, reaching them in three quick bounds. One claw rose high up into the air, and it hung there, claws flexing and stretching, before crashing down onto them. The raider with the blue bandana around his neck wasn’t fast enough to avoid the attack. In one devastating motion, the Great Lycan crushed the young raider into the stone floor. Scattered cries and horrified screams rose from the dungeoneers as the body was flattened against the stone, blood splattering across the arena floor around where he had stood just a moment before. His teammate, with the striking blue fabric tied around his forehead, screamed in terror and grief next to Leo, who noticed with some small relief that the light of a Revival Stone seemed to emanate from beneath the giant lycan’s claw. Then, the smaller lycans and bloodhounds were upon them. 

The battlefield descended into chaos. Any remaining semblance of level-headedness quickly dissipated; instead, an unfathomable fear of death gripped them tightly by their necks. Their attacks were frenzied and unsteady, and their panicked minds were all focused on one goal: to get as far away from the three-headed monstrosity as soon as possible. 

Leo cut down two bloodhounds with swift strokes of his greatsword. One of Ruby’s crystals flew past his ear and smashed through a lycan jumping towards them. Once they were clear, they rushed to put distance between them and the giant beast, running as fast as they could to the other side of the arena. For those few seconds Leo had his back turned to the beast, his heart pounded like dull thunder, threatening to burst from his chest. It felt heavy and leaden, and he knew that he’d never before felt such fear. Out of some morbid curiosity and a desire to keep the thing threatening him within his line of sight, Leo risked one glimpse behind him. First, he saw a raider running towards him. He saw the blue bandana tied around a head of short, dark hair, and then he saw the eyes just underneath it, bursting out of their sockets, widening with horror. There was a desperate, unspoken plea that leaped out from them. Then a shadow fell over them, and the jaws of the beast caught the young raider in one, sickening crunch. 

“DON’T LOOK BACK!” Leo yelled at Ruby. She didn’t need to be told. 

There were a few lycans ahead of them, blocking their path of escape. Ruby shot crystal bullets through two of them, but Leo knew she didn’t have enough mana left to protect them. He stopped in place and waited for the lycans to come to him. One leaped desperately towards him, and he sidestepped it easily, bringing Bladeburner down through its neck. As the next one was almost upon him, he turned Bladeburner around in his hands and swung it back, raking through the beast’s eyes as it passed. He disposed of it while it was still sputtering with pain and outrage. 

In the brief respite that followed, Leo took a moment to catch his breath. Where the hell are our strong fighters?! Leo thought, glancing around wildly. Why aren’t they dealing with this threat? The fighting was continuing all around them, and it was hard to make out each of their allies, but he quickly identified Ascher’s team by their distinctive colored cloaks. It was clear, however, that they weren’t going to be of much help. The five of them were fighting back to back, completely surrounded. They seemed to have the attention of most of the weaker enemies in the arena. The black-cloaked raider was swinging his deadly scythe to devastating effect, but the others all wielded swords. Not one of them wereas making use of any magic. Do they seriously have no one on their team equipped to deal with multiple enemies at once?!  

Leo’s attention was ripped away by a young woman’s scream. He glanced towards its source and saw her sprawled on the ground behind him, desperately trying to claw her way towards them. One of her legs was torn and bloodied, as though one of the beasts had clamped its jaws onto it and thrashed her around. She was stranded alone in the middle of the arena, unable to walk. Even worse, her screams had caught the attention of the Cerberus. As it loomed over her, her screams intensified. She was about to die and she knew it. 

I’m sorry, I can’t help you! Leo thought. I can’t even protect myself, and I don’t want to die! Not again. 

But if you do nothing, more people are going to die! another voice in his head argued. He knew firsthand the fear and pain of death, and the difficult recovery that faced anyone who experienced it. He was afraid of going through it again, but he felt another intense desire overriding it. 

“Ruby, help me in any way you can, just don’t overdo it!” he shouted, turning to face the giant beast. 

“Wait, Leo!” she protested. “You can’t—!” 

“With Bladeburner’s enchantment, I might be one of the only ones here who can hurt that thing,” he reminded her. “I’ve got to try, or else we’re next! We won’t be able to outrun it forever!” Leo didn't wait for a response. His legs were already moving him closer to the beast. I’ll use the same strategy Roman did: cut off its front legs and get it to fall forward, then slice through its necks while it’s down. He bolted to the lycan’s right leg, brandishing his greatsword. With all his weight and might behind it, he swung the blade fiercely into the leg, but it wasn’t enough to slice through. Bladeburner only sunk a few inches into the muscle of the beast’s leg, but he had been expecting as much. A normal sword won’t be of any use against a monster like this. 

Despite the shallowness of the wound, however, the lycan still felt pain. It roared defiantly, now completely distracted from the injured woman. It tried to leap to safety, far from the reach of Leo’s blade, but quickly found that it could no longer move. Ruby had reached the monster’s left leg without it even noticing. Now, pressing a palm against its fur, she let her crystals loose on the beast’s flesh. Before long, three of the beast’s legs and most of its lower body were trapped in a thick layer of crystals. Ruby slumped up against the leg, unable to keep steady anymore. “Leo!” she called. “This won’t hold forever!” 

Her message was clear. I’ll have to slice through this leg quickly before it can break free, Leo thought, focusing his mind despite his mounting panic. He fueled the greatsword with a stream of his mana, activating its enchantment. Burn! He willed the sword to heat up, and the blade quickly rose in temperature. It ignited with a bright flash, bathing the wound with deep red flames. Brighter! The beast roared and the flames danced as Bladeburner, fueled with newfound power, slid deeper into the leg. Then it hit bone, and all progress stopped. 

Leo’s eyes widened in surprise. He tried to push the sword further, but by now the flames had gone out. There had never been anything before that Bladeburner could not cut. Now, not even the increased strength of its enchantment could pierce the beast’s bone. 

The crystal shell holding the beast’s other legs in place was beginning to crack. The Cerberus’s heads were grunting and panting as they strained to break free. Leo’s thoughts returned to the broken woman, whose screams had stopped. He noticed with relief that two other raiders had taken advantage of the opportunity he and Ruby had created to rescue the poor woman, and they were leading her to safety under the protection of other fighters. It seemed some of their initial panic was fading. Now, they were working together to prevent their injured allies from coming to any more harm, all while retreating further towards the entrance hallway. 

Leo and Ruby, however, were far from safety. The cracks progressed through the crystal shell, and Ruby was still on her knees by the lycan’s other leg, struggling to get to her feet. Leo triggered the enchantment once more and fresh flames sprang to life along the greatsword’s length. The muscles in his arms were on fire as he put every ounce of strength he had into the slice. The sword slid another inch deeper, finally beginning to pierce the bone, but it wasn’t enough. Leo cursed, and the thought raced through his mind that both he and Ruby would die before help reached them. At that same instant, however, another sword entered the leg where Bladeburner had begun its slice. Bladeburner’s force and the other sword’s sudden impact proved strong enough to shatter the bone. In one motion, both swords reached the end of the leg and traced two arcs through the air, finally ripping the foreleg in half. The figure wielding the other sword then raced towards the other leg. He picked Ruby up in his arms and carried her out from under the beast just as the crystal shell that was holding it in place crumbled. Without all four legs to steady itself, the Cerberus toppled over unsteadily, hitting the floor with a heavy thud. 

Leo had to turn quickly and leap away to avoid getting crushed. He tumbled onto the floor, but within seconds regained his footing and made to get away from the beast. Kaio rejoined him a moment later, his sword now sheathed and hanging from his belt, Ruby hanging limply from his arms. He had saved Leo’s life for the second time. 

“Pretty brave of you two to try that,” he commented offhandedly. “Not bad. Ascher and the others are helping keep the little guys off everyone else. I told them I’d handle everything over here.” Nothing in Kaio’s expression or tone of voice betrayed even a hint of fear or uneasiness. He seemed altogether unconcerned with the turn of events. 

“You can take that thing down?” Leo asked, impressed despite his irritation. 

“I think I could,” Kaio answered, “although with your help, it’d go a lot easier. Can you still fight?” He gestured down to Leo’s bandaged arm. 

“Yeah, I can fight,” Leo assured him, trying to ignore the dull aching. “But I don’t know that I’d be much help.” 

“That sword of yours isn’t anything normal,” Kaio told him. “It’s stronger than you think, if you would just wield it properly. Not even my katana can match up to it.” 

“Just take it then. I’ll let you borrow it if it’ll help.” 

“No, you’ve had it for longer and you know how to use it. If I were to use it, I’d have trouble adjusting to its weight, and I can’t afford to make any mistakes.”

They reached the group of raiders, who were fighting off the remaining lycans and bloodhounds at the entrance to the arena. Two raiders, a man and woman with jet black hair, came up to them. “Here,” Kaio said, handing Ruby over to them. “Take care of her and make sure no harm comes to her. She’s not injured, she just overused her mana and blacked out.” At this point, Ruby was unconscious, so the two raiders worked together to carry her over to the other injured party members. 

Kaio and Leo turned their attention back to the Cerberus. Despite its struggling, it was steadily getting accustomed to standing with three feet. It took a few cautious steps forwards, swaying precariously from side to side. 

“We need to kill it while it’s still disoriented,” Kaio advised. “I’ll distract it, and you’ll need to sever all three of the thing’s necks. My katana isn’t strong enough for something that large, but your greatsword just might be.” 

“Wait, but I couldn’t even cut through the lycan’s leg,” Leo protested. 

“Don’t worry,” Kaio reassured him, “the skin of the neck is weaker. You shouldn’t have any problems.” 

“Alright fine, let’s do it then,” Leo replied quickly, but Kaio didn’t stick around to hear him. He was already after the lycan, charging it straight down. Leo fanned out to the side, hoping he’d be less noticeable. Kaio’s direct approach quickly drew the attention of all three fuming heads. The Cerberus clawed its way after him, tripping over itself in its desperation for revenge. Leo approached it from its right side, the same side it was missing a leg. Because of this unnatural imbalance and the resulting limp, the right head was lower to the ground than the others, making it an obvious choice for Leo’s first target. 

It took all of his strength to keep up with the beast, but its limping slowed it down. Though his legs burned and screamed for relief, he could keep up. The instant the beast stumbled, Leo leaped up, brandishing Bladeburner high over his head. Flames engulfed the pale steel, and the sword arched down onto the magic beast’s neck, slicing right through the flesh. The pelt was harder and tougher than the neck of a regular Great Lycan, but Bladeburner still managed to cut all the way through. The right head uttered a final cry before falling limply to the floor. The other two heads yelped from the pain and turned on Leo, but Kaio wouldn’t let the beast turn its attention away from him. He leapt up to the head nearest him and sliced down through its cheek with his katana, leaving a deep and painful gash. That head then turned in his direction, snapping at the air as it missed him once more, and as both heads struggled to move in opposite directions, the entire beast stumbled on its remaining legs. Kaio had already moved on towards the monster’s hind legs, giving it fresh cuts to worry about. Leo, retreating briefly, spun the greatsword in his hands, readjusting his grip. This time aiming for the lycan’s left head, he slashed across the exposed neck, reigniting Bladeburner’s flames once more. The left head toppled to the ground with a bloody thump. 

That made four times that Leo had called upon Bladeburner’s flames. While trying to cut off the beast’s leg, he had done his best to ignore the sapping of his strength; this time, however, it was impossible to ignore the fatigue that suddenly washed over him. He stumbled for a moment before placing Bladeburner’s tip on the ground to balance himself. His eyelids threatened to fall; he knew immediately that he had used too much mana, and that his body would soon rebel against his mind’s desire to stay awake. But just as he thought his fatigue would win, Kaio was there, pulling him to safety a short distance away from the lycan.

“Great work,” he commented gruffly. “You’re lucky lycans are beasts of low intelligence, or they wouldn’t fall over so often. Can you stand?” 

“No, I don’t think so,” Leo admitted. “My body’s threatening to give up on me.” 

“You’ve used too much mana,” Kaio observed. “You’re using your own to fuel the blade’s fire, right? That’s how the enchantment works?” 

Before Leo could respond, however, Kaio snapped his head back around to the now single-headed Great Lycan struggling to its feet, his sharp eyes narrowing. The beast’s neck seemed to shift. The two stumps of the severed heads were melding with the head in the center. The last remaining neck grew thicker, the fur darker, until there was no remaining evidence of the monster ever having three heads. Now, it simply looked like an enlarged Great Lycan with black fur. 

“It’s using magic to reinforce its remaining neck,” Kaio observed, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “It’s trying to adapt to the danger it’s facing. I don’t think you’ll be able to cut through it anymore, especially not in your condition.” 

“Then what are we going to do?” Leo demanded, panic building in him as the beast before them struggled to its feet. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” Leo noticed once more that even now, Kaio didn’t display an ounce of worry or concern. “Hold onto this for a moment, and don’t drop or damage it,” Kaio ordered. Since he couldn’t stand on his own, Leo stayed seated on the spot and took Kaio’s sword without hesitation.

“What are you going to do?” 

“I’m going to end this raid,” Kaio grit his teeth, rising up to his full height.

Without your sword—? 

Kaio took off sprinting, moving towards the beast at an unnatural speed, faster than any human seemed capable of. It took him no more than a few seconds to reach the Cerberus, which was too slow to keep up with him. It turned its snarling head to follow his path. It raised its hackles, flattened its ears, and bared its gleaming white fangs—but Kaio was already gone. He had leaped, in the same way as earlier, almost twenty-five feet into the air, way above the Cerberus’s head. He turned quickly in the air, armor gleaming as it reflected the arena lights. His right hand balled into a fist, pulled back, and released a punch that rocketed straight down on the lycan’s head. 

The strike was devastating. The lycan pitched forward swiftly as its last head crashed down into the floor with a thunderous boom. The beast’s head was flattened against the stone, and the pressure that continued to push down on it shattered its skull. With a fountain of blood, the lycan’s head exploded into a fleshy mess. The impact of Kaio’s punch had so much force, Leo felt a strong wind blowing past him, suddenly displaced by the energy released by the impact. The dust settled and the wind died. Leo sat in awed silence for a moment before realizing how deathly silent the arena was. He turned his head around to see that Ascher and all the other raiders had defeated the last of the magic beasts. Some wore looks of shock or awe; others observed with a kind of quiet reverence. Ascher seemed unmoved, as though he had seen this many times before. Then, someone broke the silence with a clap, and they erupted in a wave of applause and cheering. Leo turned back to see Kaio walking calmly towards him, massaging the knuckles of his right hand. 

In that instant, Leo realized it was finally over. The tension that had held his muscles and limbs locked tight suddenly broke and released him. Relief washed through him and he seemed to sink deep into the floor. He was flooded with a dull sense of happiness, the stress and pressure lifting like a foggy veil replaced only by fatigue and the sore numbness in his arm. Bladeburner was engulfed in a black haze as he sent it away. When the blackness faded, the only thing he held in his hands was Kaio’s sheathed katana. 

In a few short steps, Kaio reached him, took the sword back from him, and slid it into his belt. Then he took Leo by the arm and helped him to his feet. As Leo muttered his thanks, Kaio draped one of Leo’s arms over his shoulders and helped him back towards the others. 

“That was incredible,” Leo told him as they stumbled along. 

“Don’t mention it,” Kaio responded simply, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead. “I said some harsh words to you earlier, but you’ve proven to be stronger than I gave you credit for, although it’s clear you don’t know much about wielding a sword. Your magic is strong, though. That sword’s enchantment is extremely potent, and yet you used it four times and still haven’t lost consciousness. With time and proper training, I think you’ll be an adventurer to watch out for.” 

“I’m not so sure about that,” Leo said with a sardonic smile. 

“Don’t count yourself out before you’ve even tried. I really do think you have the makings of a strong adventurer. But don’t let that get to your head. It’s important to always be aware of your own weaknesses and shortcomings. Your lack of experience, for example. You plan on entering the Dungeon, yes? You and that girl from earlier?” 

“That’s right.” 

“Although there are magic beasts in the Dungeon, the biggest threats to you will come from other adventurers. It’s easy to kill a giant mutt that can’t think straight half the time; but fighting another person, especially one who’s smart and capable of thinking on their feet, that’s when you need to be able to do the same. You have to get stronger,” he added, his voice getting softer and sounding distant, “for the sake of those you care about.” 

“Right, thanks. I’ll keep that in mind,” Leo said quietly. 

The others had turned most of their attention away by now. Many were engrossed in other conversations or simply waiting around, taking a moment to catch their breath and rest. Ruby was sitting down against the wall just inside of the lip of the arched hallway. She was awake now, but her eyelids seemed to droop heavily with exhaustion. 

“Leo?” she perked up, lifting her head from against the wall. “Thank goodness you’re okay,” she said as Kaio set him down next to her. 

“What about you, are you okay?” Leo asked with concern. 

“I think I blacked out for a minute there, but I should be fine. I just need a moment to rest. Hey, Leo,” she frowned, her brows furled, “whatever happened to ‘no unnecessary risks?’ You promised, remember? You’re lucky Kaio was there to bail us out, because otherwise we would’ve both died.” 

“I’m sorry,” Leo hung his head. “I wasn’t really thinking too much.” 

“Clearly,” she muttered. 

“Well, I’m glad you two are alright, but I better get going,” Kaio told them. Behind him, the rest of the raiders were walking together out of the arena and back towards the A-Rank hallway. 

“What about cleanup?” Leo asked, glancing around the arena littered with corpses. “There’s gotta be a lot of good stuff we can harvest from these things. Their fangs, for starters. Some of the bones off the big ones might fetch a good price too, no?” 

“Of course, but everyone’s exhausted right now,” Kaio answered, “and there are a lot more carcasses here than in a simple B or C-Rank raid. You’re free to rest for an hour or two, and then you should grab something to eat. Once you’ve recovered a bit, then meet us here after noon, and we can harvest the fangs and other parts. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he added politely, and turned to leave them, following the others out towards the hallway.  

Leo stood slowly, pushing himself up from the wall. The exhaustion of having used Bladeburner’s flames four times threatened to reconnect him with the floor, but his feet held steady. The fog in his mind wasn’t as heavy as the time he had died, but it was still enough to make him want to fall asleep standing. Despite that, he managed to stay awake. He helped Ruby to her feet, but his eyes were watching Kaio as he left them behind. Cogs turned in his head as he came to a sudden decision. 

“Hey Ruby? That guy seems nice, right?”

“Kaio?” she looked down the hall towards him. “What about him?” 

“I want him on our team,” he told her. “According to Ascher, he’s not yet on a team, and he’s got the strength that we’re really lacking right now. He’s smart, quick-witted, good with a sword, and his magic’s strong too.” 

“Didn’t Ascher also say he turned down other offers?” Ruby looked at him dubiously. “What makes you think he’d say yes to us?” 

“I don’t know if he’ll accept, but it’s got to be worth a try, right?” 

“Well… I don’t know,” she muttered slowly. 

“Come on,” he urged her. “What have we got to lose?” 

“I guess… If you think we should, then it’s worth a shot.” 

Leo offered her a grateful smile. 

They walked quickly down the hall, trying to catch up with him. By the time Ruby and Leo reached the Gate, the other raiders had already dispersed. Only Kaio was ahead of them, slowly walking down the few short steps up to the wide-open Gate. 

“Kaio, wait,” Leo called down to him. The young man slowly turned to face him, a mask over his features. Kaio’s angular eyes stared back at him calmly, waiting for him to continue. Only the slightest hint of mild curiosity shone in his eyes. 

“What is it?” he asked tonelessly.

Leo’s confidence wavered for a moment, but nonetheless, he stretched out a hand to Kaio in a gesture of invitation. 

“I’d like… for you to join our team.”