The cavern opened without warning.
One step. Tight, suffocating stone.
The next—
Space.
Vast, endless space.
A cathedral in the truest sense of the word.
Yuzuki and Menchi emerged onto a natural platform carved into the side of an abyss so deep the bottom couldn't be seen. The air here felt different, heavier, saturated with something ancient… something alive.
And at the center of it all—
It stood.
The tree.
A single, towering structure rooted in darkness, its trunk smooth and pale like polished bone. Its branches stretched outward in elegant arcs, and from them—
Hung the fruit.
The Abyssal Glass Fruit.
Floating almost weightlessly.
Translucent sphere glowing softly in the dark, veins of light flowing inside like living constellations. They pulsed. Slow, rhythmic, like a heartbeat.
The scent here was overwhelming.
Sweet.
Hypnotic.
Beautiful.
Menchi froze.
Her breath caught in her throat.
"…There it is…"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
Awe.
Reverence.
Obsession.
Every step she took forward was careful, almost sacred, as if approaching something divine.
"…It's real…"
Her eyes shimmered.
Years of searching.
Doubt.
Ridicule.
All of it dissolved in that moment.
"…It's actually real…"
She took another step.
Then another.
Completely captivated.
Then—
She glanced back.
"…Yuzuki, do you—"
Her words stopped.
Because what she expected—
Wasn't what she saw.
No awe.
No wonder.
No excitement.
Yuzuki stood still.
Eyes locked on the tree.
But his expression—
Was wrong.
Cold.
Sharp.
And beneath it—
Something darker.
His jaw was clenched.
His eyes—
Burning.
Not with fascination.
With anger.
Pure.
Unfiltered.
Rage.
Menchi's brows furrowed.
"…Yuzuki?"
No response.
He didn't even blink.
His gaze wasn't on the fruit.
It was past it.
Through it.
As if seeing something else entirely.
Something only he could see.
Menchi took a step toward him.
"…What's wrong—"
The cavern shifted.
A low sound rumbled through the abyss.
The air itself trembled.
Menchi's eyes snapped toward the tree.
"…No…"
The ground beneath them vibrated.
Stone cracked.
Dust fell into the void below.
And from the darkness beneath the roots—
Something moved.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
A massive shape began to rise.
At first—
It was just shadows.
Then—
Form.
A colossal body emerged from the abyss, scales glistening faintly under the bioluminescent glow. Its limbs were long, powerful, ending in claws that dug into the cavern walls as it climbed upward.
Its head—
Massive.
Armored.
Eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
Watching.
Judging.
The Cathedral Warden.
It let out a low, distorted growl—
Not loud.
But heavy.
Like the sound itself carried weight.
Menchi stepped back instinctively.
"…So it's real too…"
Her voice tightened.
Her excitement didn't disappear—
But it was tempered now.
Grounded.
Because this—
This was the reason no one came back.
The Warden's gaze shifted.
From the tree—
To them.
Yuzuki didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
If anything—
His expression sharpened further.
"…Of course there's the guard dog."
His voice was calm.
Menchi turned to him quickly.
"…Yuzuki, don't—"
"I'm not in the mood."
The interruption was quiet.
But final.
The Warden's eyes narrowed slightly.
Its massive form fully emerged now, anchoring itself to the cavern wall, towering over them.
It roared.
This time—
Loud.
Violent.
The sound shook the entire cavern.
Menchi braced herself.
"…We need to plan this—!"
"I said I'm not in the mood."
Yuzuki stepped forward.
His aura shifted.
Not explosive.
Not wild.
Condensed.
Tight.
Dangerous.
"I'll kill it quick."
The words weren't arrogance.
They were intent.
The Warden's roar deepened.
Its body coiled—
Muscles tightening—
Responding to the challenge.
Menchi grabbed Yuzuki's arm.
"Don't be stupid, this isn't something you just rush—!"
"Don't get involved."
She froze.
His voice hadn't risen.
Hadn't changed.
But something in it—
Made her pause.
"I'll handle it."
Yuzuki didn't look at her.
Didn't need to.
"…Stay back."
For a second—
Menchi hesitated.
Her instincts screamed at her to stop him.
To argue.
To force him to think.
But then—
She saw it.
That look in his eyes.
Not recklessness.
Not ego.
Resolve.
Heavy.
Unyielding.
And something else beneath it—
Anger.
Deep.
Personal.
"…Tch."
She let go.
"…Don't die."
Yuzuki didn't respond.
He stepped forward—
Then vanished.
—
The Warden reacted instantly.
Its massive arm swung down—
A crushing strike aimed to erase him entirely—
BOOM.
The platform shattered.
Stone exploded outward.
Dust filled the air.
But—
Nothing.
Yuzuki wasn't there.
He reappeared mid-air—
Already moving—
His body twisted—
Foot planting against the cavern wall—
Then launching forward—
Fast.
Too fast for something his size to track cleanly.
He closed the distance in an instant—
His fist pulled back—
Aura condensed—
Then—
Impact.
The strike landed against the Warden's armored jaw.
A shockwave erupted.
The sound cracked through the cavern like thunder.
The Warden's head jerked slightly—
But—
Didn't move far.
Yuzuki's eyes narrowed mid-air.
'Hard.'
Too hard.
The Warden retaliated immediately.
Its tail whipped around—
Massive—
Fast—
Faster than its size should allow—
Yuzuki barely reacted—
He twisted mid-air—
But not fully—
The tail clipped him—
BOOM.
His body was launched across the cavern—
Crashing into the wall—
Stone cracked on impact—
Fragments falling into the abyss.
Yuzuki dropped to one knee.
A thin line of blood ran from his mouth.
"…Tch."
He wiped it with the back of his hand.
Then—
Smiled.
Not out of joy.
Not out of excitement.
But recognition.
'Good.'
The Warden roared again.
Louder.
Angrier.
It launched itself forward—
The entire cavern shaking under its movement—
Claws tearing through stone—
Yuzuki stood.
Aura tightening further.
His breathing steady.
Controlled.
'Stronger…'
His eyes sharpened.
'Faster…'
The Warden's claw came down—
Yuzuki moved.
Barely.
A shift.
A step.
The claw slammed where he stood—
The platform collapsing entirely—
Yuzuki was already gone—
Reappearing above—
His leg coming down—
Aura surging—
CRACK.
The kick landed against the Warden's skull—
A visible dent forming in its armor—
The beast staggered—
Just slightly—
But enough.
Yuzuki landed.
Sliding back across the stone.
His arm trembled faintly.
Not from fear.
From strain.
'Not enough.'
His gaze hardened.
'Still not enough.'
The Warden recovered instantly.
Its body coiled—
Then launched again—
Faster this time.
Angrier.
Yuzuki didn't retreat.
Didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward instead.
Aura flaring tighter.
'I need to get stronger.'
The thought wasn't desperate.
It was absolute.
'For her.'
His eyes sharpened.
'For him.'
The Warden's jaws opened—
A massive bite aimed to crush him entirely—
Yuzuki moved into it.
At the last second—
He dropped low—
Sliding beneath the attack—
His hand pressing against the ground—
And then—
A pulse.
A distortion.
The space around his hand warped—
Subtle—
Violent—
The ground cracked inward—
Pulling—
Dragging—
The Warden's massive body shifted—
Just slightly—
Off balance—
Yuzuki rose into it—
His fist already moving—
Aura compressed—
Focused—
Impact.
The blow landed directly into its torso—
The force rippling through its massive frame—
The Warden roared—
Staggering back—
Its claws digging into the cavern walls to stabilize itself.
Yuzuki exhaled slowly.
His arms trembled faintly.
His body already feeling the strain.
But his eyes—
Were clear.
Focused.
Burning.
This wasn't a fight.
This was—
Release.
And he wasn't stopping—
Until the thing in front of him stopped breathing.
---
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