"I. Will. Not. Yield!"
Before the shot could truly fire, Renji violently jerked his head to the left. The bullet hissed past his ear, embedding itself harmlessly into the damp earth.
"You truly believe that killing me today will somehow let you destroy the world?"
He didn't rely on any vanishing power. His raw speed became monstrous, a terrifying blur that left no trace. In the next instant, he materialized directly behind Hoshino and delivered a brutal punch square to the spine.
The force sent the A-Rank Hunter flying across the cavern, but Hoshino executed a perfect, skillful roll, landing lightly on his feet.
Wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, Hoshino's gaze sharpened.
"Hmm, impressive, Renji."
He quickly raised his pistol and fired a shot straight toward Renji's chest.
Renji's aura instantly erupted, covering his body like churning flames, and his eyes blazed with an inner green fire. He met the incoming projectile, blocking the bullet with the hardened back of his fist.
Hoshino's lips curled into a chilling smile as he multiplied the attack, preparing to unload the clip.
"Heh, not bad, but I will make damn sure you join your mother."
He unleashed dozens of rounds, sprinting along the walls of the dungeon as he fired.
Every bullet burned to ash mere inches from Renji. Overwhelmed by raw fury, Renji sprinted forward with terrifying speed.
"I will make you pay for killing my mother!"
"Bone Grasp!"
From the sheer, cold stone of the walls, massive hands of bone surged out, gripping Hoshino in a crushing embrace.
"How could you do it!" Renji roared, leaping high into the air. He slammed a devastating blow onto Hoshino's cheek, yet the Hunter only smiled wider through the impact.
Renji's hands became a dizzying blur, delivering countless, furious punches.
Hoshino didn't drop. Blood streamed freely from his face and mouth, but he endured the endless assault.
Then, with a sudden surge of power, the Bone Grasp instantly froze solid. Smiling coldly, Hoshino caught one of Renji's blows, used the momentum to drive his own forearm hard into Renji's forehead, and shattered the ice holding him captive.
"You actually forced me to my limit," he muttered, slowly pulling off his combat gloves.
"You are a monster, far beyond what I expected, Renji. But today, the monster in you will be utterly destroyed." He began to walk forward, his pace slow and deliberate.
"You know, something big is coming. Soon, the world will be devoured by the shadows of demons and ancient Sages. Entities from countless dimensions will appear, all focused on one thing: taking down the Monarch King."
Hoshino settled his palm onto the ground.
"Ice: Glacial Impalement!"
The entire ground instantly glazed over with ice, and wickedly sharp, pointed spikes of pure frost erupted from the floor, aimed directly at the spot where Renji stood.
Renji swiftly dodged and leaped, but the treacherous ice kept chasing him. One spire screeched across his shoulder, drawing a shallow line of blood. Before he could regain his footing and land, Hoshino closed the distance, delivering a triple combination: two clean hits to the face and one brutal strike to the chest.
Renji immediately vomited a mouthful of blood, and crimson began to seep from the cuts on his face.
"My standard punch is seventy-five percent pure physical power. But if I layer my potential energy onto it... you won't survive. And that is exactly what I intend!" He laughed maniacally, channeling all of his remaining energy into his hand, and summoned a flurry of powerful, concentrated punches that ripped across Renji's body.
Renji collapsed, his body trembling, bleeding, and aching from the overwhelming force.
"Your mother was a kind, truly nice person. But I killed her! She deserved to die, so I made sure it happened!" Hoshino's cruel, victorious smile echoed through the confined dungeon.
Renji's fist clenched weakly, all hope draining from him. Even the System was silent.
'Kerry! Kerry!'
He heard his name called, a voice that sounded unmistakably like his mother. Through the blurring pain, he could dimly see her, standing right there.
'Wake up. I want you to grow strong someday. Stand and keep fighting.'
"Mom," he whispered, watching her form begin to fade.
'Be strong.'
Then she was gone.
"Hey, loser, are you even listening to me? I'm telling you how she died."
Renji slowly closed his eyes, then snapped them open. He felt the vast, dark expanse of his mana swirling around him. He clenched his fist, using sheer willpower to force himself back to his feet.
"You like to talk a lot. That's why I'm finishing this now!" Renji said, a brave, genuine smile cracking through the blood on his face as he wiped it away.
"Haha, such a pathetic scrap of hope."
Whoosh!
Renji's speed was now invisible. Only the violent rush of displaced wind could be heard.
"Huh! Where is this damn rat!" Hoshino cursed, his eyes frantically spinning, unable to locate his opponent.
Renji's hands became a storm of motion, a dozen phantom limbs delivering a relentless barrage of punches across Hoshino's chest.
The A-Rank Hunter had no chance to move or defend. He choked out blood, the sound of cracking ribs audible beneath the assault.
Hoshino tried to summon his elemental powers, but Renji vanished again and, in a flash, drew his Obsidian Greatsword.
The massive blade pierced Hoshino, appearing through the front of his stomach. Renji drove it home. Even as he was being run through, Hoshino kept his strange, weak smile.
"I underestimated you, didn't I?" he said, his voice barely a rasp.
He grasped the sword with both hands and painfully pulled it free from his own body. He stood weakly, facing Renji.
"Hehehe, your mother would be proud of her boy." He smiled, blood bubbling on his lips.
"Remember this, Renji: You will die. The demons are going to find the Monarch Lord, which is you. The Abyss Lord is said to awaken only when the one who claims the Monarch's throne awakens. Ha! You are certainly going to die!"
Hoshino erupted in a final, hacking laugh before he collapsed to the ground, dead.
System Interface
[Opponent Defeated: Darius (Ryo Hoshino)]
[Reward: +1 Strength]
[Status Effect: Vitality Fully Restored]
[New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Cloak (Active: Briefly become undetectable, consuming high Mana.)]
[New Skill Unlocked: Abyssal Retaliation (Passive: Upon receiving lethal damage, your next attack deals damage equal to 150\% of the damage received.)]
"Mom! I promised I would be strong, and I will fulfill it, absolutely," he muttered, clenching his fist. He gritted his teeth, failing to stop the tears that finally broke free.
"I took revenge for your death."
Moments later, the familiar energy pulse returned, this time stronger and vibrating with a deafening resonance.
"I have to save the world, because everyone needs me now. But first, the Boss must be eliminated."
He stood and walked toward the final, deeper chamber of the dungeon.
When he arrived, the walls and floor were eerily decorated with countless glittering Magic Crystals.