Okinawa Dungeon—-Final Floor:
〈Do Not Let Them Leave.〉
With their leader in front, the dragon army marched toward Omariro and his party.
"I don't think I have a solution for this," Han announced. "Any ideas?"
"Fight?" Zaria suggested.
"We still have our sigils," Rika pointed out. "We should use them, right?"
"We've both got two charges, and Zaria's is still on," Han noted. "Can that do it?"
Raizen's dragons swooped down, landing on buildings beside the party.
"It'll have to," Zaria said.
Omariro watched as Raizen opened his mouth. "Down!"
The kids ducked as a bolt of lightning fired from the dragon's mouth. The other dragons opened their mouths, firing lightning blasts as well.
With a tap of his staff, Omariro and the kids teleported behind Raizen. Raizen quickly pivoted and swung his claw at Omariro, who blocked it with his staff.
BOOM.
"Sir!" Zaria called out.
"Child on shoulder," Omariro said, holding the dragon's hand back with his own. "Go!"
Raizen lifted his arm and tried to smash them, but Omariro shot it off with his bow.
〈Boss HP: 170% → 140%〉
Raizen regenerated his arm. "Flesh wound."
He turned to his army. "Handle the children. I'll cull their master."
The dragons bowed and flew into the air, while Raizen and Omariro began sizing each other up, neither giving an inch.
"You move well for your age," Raizen commended.
"Old, not slow," Omariro stated. "Age sharpens."
"But it does weaken," Raizen confirmed. "Though you are a foe that cannot be underestimated. Daughter!"
Raikoku touched her hand to her father's neck, and energy enveloped his body.
〈Boss HP: 140% → 225%〉
Raizen cracked his neck, standing tall. "Ahh. Good."
His sword crackled with lightning tall enough to dwarf buildings. "Let us finish this, Omariro Nyugawa."
"Jugen-Tōshi: Cursed Hex Armor."
Armor wrapped around Omariro's body, and his own blade came to hand. "It shall be done."
On the other side, Zaria, Han, and Rika watched as the dragon swarm closed in on them. Raikoku landed in front of them, eyes blazing. "Brethren! We Dragonsbane will protect our land!"
"Here comes the motivational speech," Zaria moaned.
"Slay the intruders!" she ordered.
A dragon flew and charged at Zaria, but Rika jumped in front of her, causing the attack to bounce off.
〈Deflection: *2* Charges Remaining.〉
"Look alive, Zaria!" Rika insisted. "Jumping in front of you was not on my to-do list!"
"My bad!"
Zaria whacked the dragon, causing it to fall back.
〈Enemy HP: 100% → 25%〉
"Hey, these guys are light!"
"You've got the Slayer buff!" Han told her. "Means you've got half their dad's strength!"
"Then back me up! I'm about to drop some thunder!"
Han and Rika slapped their foreheads.
More dragons lunged, swooping in. One by one, Zaria began stabbing them with her spear, the force sending them flying.
〈Enemy Defeated: +6〉
"The girl has a buff," Raikoku noted. "She'll be hard to deal with."
As Zaria impaled another dragon, Raikoku formed a double-bladed scepter, stabbing it into the ground.
〈Boss Instance Triggered: -50% DEF〉
Lightning emitted from it in waves, bringing Han and Zaria to their knees. Rika absorbed two lightning shocks.
〈Deflection: *0* Charges Remaining.〉
"She cleaned me out!" Rika gasped. "I can't defend you anymore!"
Raikoku pulled her weapon out of the ground, which caused a massive shockwave that launched the kids down the street.
"Han…" Zaria groaned. "How many charges you got?"
"Two," he replied. "How much time you got left?"
〈Slayer: *0:20* Remaining.〉
"Twenty seconds. Can we get her in that time?"
"Let's see."
Han pulled out his sigil, pointing it at Raikoku. She immediately froze to stone. "Now! Swing!"
Zaria did just that, swinging her spear in a wide arc before bashing Raikoku in the face.
〈Boss HP: 100% → 55%〉
"I know she felt that! A few more hits will do it!" Han stated.
"Then let's hit," Zaria said. "Killing time!"
She swung again, but Raikoku broke free, catching the spear in her hand before tossing Zaria into a nearby building.
"This dungeon's gifts cannot save you," Raikoku growled. "A kitten with no claws will not grow into a lion."
"This kitty's got claws," Zaria spat back, holding her arm.
〈Slayer: *0:08* Remaining.〉
"Eight seconds? I need more!"
Han summoned his cube, using wires to restrain Raikoku, who easily snapped them. "Make it work! I'm busting out my last charge!"
Sure enough, Han froze Raikoku in place, and Zaria got to her feet.
〈Slayer: *0:03* Remaining.〉
"I can't reach her in three seconds!"
As she panicked, a thought came into her head. "Wait. I don't gotta reach her!"
She looked at her spear. "This baby does!"
"Yeah, your spear's nice, now throw it!"
Zaria smirked. "Throw? You must not know me."
She dropped her spear, and in mid-air, she kicked it as hard as she could, and it cleaved right through Raikoku's body.
"Defeated, by humans? This cannot be! I won't, I can't lose my home——!"
〈Boss HP: 55% → 0%〉
She crumbled to dust.
"We did it!" Rika cheered.
A thunderous roar sounded.
"The real fight's still going on!" Zaria pointed. "Mr. Nyugawa!"
Omariro and Raizen were clashing in the air, trading blows powerful enough to shatter the buildings nearby.
"The daughter is gone," Han realized. "Mr. Nyugawa! You can beat him now!"
Raizen looked over, giving Omariro the moment of opportunity.
"Jugen-Metsusha: Obliterate!"
Raizen disappeared.
〈Boss HP: 225% → 0%〉
"Yes!" Rika pumped her fist. "Nailed him!"
But then, the ground shook, and Raizen reappeared near where his daughter was slain. He touched the ground, a tear falling from his eye.
"Raikoku…my youngest…it was a mistake to send you into the battlefield…another child lost to the humans…"
Han looked and pointed between Omariro and Raizen. "How—-? Wait, why isn't he dead? We destroyed the link!"
"Foolish mortal," Raizen declared, holding the fading ashes of his daughter. "I would never use my child as such. She fought alongside me because of her loyalty, not her usefulness."
"Wait, what are you—-?"
"And she was the only thing holding my power back."
〈Temple City of the Dragonsbane Effect has been *disabled.* Binding Oaths has been *increased* to *Tier 3.*〉
〈Boss HP: 0% → 1,500%〉
〈Rule: Die.〉
An inhuman roar erupted from Raizen, so forceful that the kids covered their ears.
"We gotta run!" Rika screamed.
Raizen's blade came down hard, but Omariro stepped in front of it, repelling it with his sword.
"Trick," Omariro mused. "Cunning dragon."
"You'd better run with your students, old man," Raizen warned. "Thunder Reigns!"
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
As if on cue, lightning slammed down all around Omariro, who teleported out of the way and slashed Raizen in the face.
〈Boss HP: 1,500% → 400%〉
"Using more of your strength. Good."
〈Boss HP: 400% → 1,500%〉
"But with my full might unleashed, I can heal from anything you throw at me!"
"Jugen-Tōshi: Seijin Rangeki!"
A wave of golden blades fired at Raizen, striking him repeatedly as he deflected a few.
〈Boss HP: 1,500% → 200%〉
"Insufficient!"
〈Boss HP: 200% → 1,500%〉
From the sidelines, Zaria, Han, and Rika watched from behind a broken building.
"We need to help him!" Zaria insisted. "We aren't crap if we let our mentor take all the danger!"
"But he can handle it!" Rika reminded her. "We can't!"
"Yeah, we'll just be in the way!" Han agreed. "We just made things worse for him! Now the dragon's gone bat-shit crazy!"
"Well, we're gonna fix this," Zaria affirmed. "I'm going in."
"You can't!"
"Watch me!"
As they argued, they noticed a small faint light glowing from a nearby pile of rubble.
"Guys," Rika questioned. "What is that?"
"Dunno," Zaria said. "Let's see."
"But it could be dangerous—-!"
Zaria used her spear to knock away the rubble, with Han and Rika taking a look.
"You know, being reckless is going to get you killed one day," Han scoffed.
"One day doesn't mean today. So I think it's a fair trade."
Rika leaned down. "Hey, this is a trapdoor! And it has a moon crest on it! I've never seen this symbol before!"
Han leaned down. "Let me take a look."
His cube scanned the trapdoor. "Not a trap. Odd…I'm sensing immense power coming from inside."
"Could it be another sigil?" Zaria suggested.
"It's possible. But is that a gamble you're willing to take?"
"For Mr. Nyugawa? No question."
Rika took a deep breath. "Yeah. He's saved us. The least we can do is help as best we can."
Han sighed. "Yeah, you're right."
Raizen noticed them, his attention instantly shifting. "Away from that!"
His blade came at them fast, but Omariro blocked it with his bow, landing close to them. "Hurry! Go!"
"Sir!" Zaria called out. "Are you gonna be okay—?"
Omariro fired another arrow, as Raizen shrugged it off. "Concern not needed! Prove your worth! Venture inside!"
They all nodded. "Yes sir!"
The last thing they saw was Raizen's claw coming for Omariro.
???——
〈Visitors? It's been eons since I've had visitors!〉
Han, Rika, and Zaria landed in a small corridor, which was coated with glowing moonlight crests.
"Did one of you just say something?" Rika asked.
"Nope," Zaria shrugged.
"Not that I know of," Han remarked.
"Okay, so either this place is haunted or I'm losing my mind."
〈You three are with the Legendary Kaitansha! Wow! That's…amazing!〉
"There it is again!"
"Okay, that's creepy," Zaria admitted. "Hello? Ghost? Who are you?"
〈Come closer…you'll find out.〉
The three shared a look before walking down the dimly lit corridor. Rika shivered.
"I don't like this."
"Ghosts are statistically highly unlikely to exist in real life," Han clarified. "I'm sure this isn't some creepy ghost."
"We live in a world where sentient magical DUNGEONS exist and hunters who use hex powers jump in and explore them."
"Well, I said unlikely, not impossible!"
Zaria held up her hand. "Guys, I think I see something."
In the distance at the end of the corridor, a floating moon crest slowly twirled in the air. Zaria began creeping toward it.
"Please don't be cursed," she thought.
Han followed behind, while Rika clung to Han's back.
〈Closer, now…〉
They finally reached the crest, hesitating before it. Zaria looked between Han and Rika. "So, any of you wanna do the honors?"
Rika immediately shook her head and Han made a refusal gesture. "Ugh. Softies."
Zaria touched the crest, and a bright white light enveloped her and the others before an explosion of light collapsed the corridor, launching them into the walls.
"AHHH!"
With rubble covering her body, Zaria could faintly glimpse a pale female figure standing where the crest was, flexing her arms and twirling in her white dress. She had a red bracelet on her left arm.
"Finally! Feels so good to be free, hehe!"
"The…ghost…is…real…?" Zaria coughed.
The girl turned around. "Hello there! You're the human beings that freed me, aren't you?"
Han pushed a slab off him. "Forget who we are, who are YOU?"
Soft light lit up her skin. "Rei Hayama. That's what's called a name, I think?"
"Yeah…?"
Rei tiptoed over to them, carefully analyzing each teen before extending her arm.
"♪Take me to see the strongest man! ♪"
"You know about Mr. Nyugawa?" Rika asked.
Rei nodded. "Big fan!"
Zaria raised a hand. "Wow, me too!"
Han pulled her and Rika aside, keeping his voice to a whisper.
"I don't think she's some lost girl," Han realized. "She's the one behind the Oaths!"
Rika and Zaria gasped. "WHAT?"
Han pointed to her bracelet. "Same color scheme as Raizen. Whatever she is, she's not a normal girl."
"Then maybe she can help!" Zaria proposed.
"Are we sure we can trust her?" Rika wondered, skeptical. "We did JUST meet her!"
"Whatchu guys talking about?"
They all jumped as Rei poked her head into the circle. After a few hushed whispers, Zaria turned to Rei.
"Excuse me, Rei, right?"
Rei twirled. "That's me!"
"Whoever you are, we kinda need you. Our mentor, the guy you're tryna see, he's fighting the dungeon boss right now."
Rei giggled. "I know! I'm connected to him!"
She held up her arm.
"Well, Mr. Nyugawa needs your help," Zaria continued. "That dragon's nasty stuff. Will you slide with us?"
Rei tapped her chin, briefly considering.
"Okay! I hate being locked up."
The three paused.
"Well, that was easy," Rika commented.
Zaria formed her spear. "Then let's go. We've got a battle to join."
And with a flash of white light, they were gone.
——