"Enough. I'll stop pretending now."
Ein retrieved the Behemoth's Black Blade from Revis's ashes. As she gripped the hilt, Lefiya and Ais felt a surge of violent, black mana pouring from Ein into the weapon.
Under the weight of that immense energy, the pitch-black greatsword—which rivaled Ein's own height—began to crumble and reshape. It shed its bulk, refining itself into something smaller and far more lethal. After Ein gave it a few experimental swings to test the weight, the weapon transformed into a slender, needle-like longsword resembling a rapier.
Despite its delicate appearance, the blade's sharpness felt absolute, vibrating with a terrifying reservoir of energy. Black particles drifted from the edge, emitting a glow the color of pure shadow. None of the adventurers present had ever seen such a weapon, yet its malevolence was obvious. It felt more harrowing than any legendary or cursed blade known to the world.
As Ein lowered herself into a starting stance, a murderous intent flooded the hall, clinging to their skin like a physical weight. This oppressive aura far exceeded the limits of any ordinary adventurer. It was a primal malice that spoke directly to the survival instincts of everyone in the room, making them shudder in sheer terror.
The Behemoth—the great black beast and one of the Three Great Quests.
This cursed black blade had been forged from the remains of that "Strongest Monster," a creature that had tormented the world and slaughtered heroes since ancient times. Now, it was held by a being who had consumed her last remaining companion to become the true "Strongest Monster" of this era.
────── The members of the Loki Familia could not move.
Their intuition—the seasoned instincts of elite adventurers who led the front lines of the Dungeon—screamed a single warning: The first one to move dies.
These were first-tier adventurers, the elite of the world, standing at the pinnacle of power, surpassed only by the rule-breaking Level 8 heroes. Yet, simply standing in the presence of this dense, blighted mana made them feel as though they were already at death's door.
The air grew thick and heavy. Under the crushing pressure of Ein's killing intent, sweat poured from the brows of Finn and the others. This was the presence of absolute death—a level of power that floor bosses, black monsters, and even spirit clones could not hope to match. This overwhelming dominance nearly shattered the courage of even the most veteran warriors.
The second-tier adventurers, like Raul and Aki, fared even worse. Their faces turned from pale to the color of ash.
Ein's transformation after consuming Revis's magic stone was staggering. The black mana overflowing from her body draped over her limbs like a dark gown. Her mere presence made skin crawl and hearts tighten. Pulses raced, cold sweat flowed, and knees began to tremble.
(...This is terrifying.)
Finn, the "Hero," forced himself to admit this truth. Deep beneath his calculated resolve lay pure, unadulterated dread. He had never felt such awe toward a single entity. He still remembered the stories of the Behemoth and the Leviathan from the Three Great Quests fifteen years ago. Finn had been too weak to face them directly back then, but the horror of those legends had reached him clearly.
At that time, the alliance between the Zeus Familia and the Hera Familia had succeeded in exterminating those monsters, but many of their leaders—the legendary predecessors—had perished. Among them were those who had reached heights even greater than Finn's current level.
──── And he felt that exact same level of threat now.
He sensed a gap in power so vast that he doubted they could win even if everyone in the room fought her together. This was despair. Finn was the smartest and most composed person present, and that was exactly why he recognized the reality of their situation. The thick "Aura of Death" was a direct reflection of the power disparity. Even as they stood there, the flowing energy threatened to crush them.
But they had to fight to survive.
Without a word, the leaders readied their weapons. It was a hauntingly beautiful sight: the elite of the Loki Familia facing the line of absolute death without flinching. Finn stepped forward with his spear, while wind gathered around Ais. Bete charged his silver boots with magic, Tiona raised her fists, and Tione gripped her daggers in a reverse hold. Every warrior lowered their center of gravity, ready to spring.
『──────』
In response to their resolve, Ein—radiating a presence that froze the blood—simply moved her hand as if caressing the air.
With that single, effortless gesture, the Loki Familia was shattered.
────...
"────── What?"
Lefiya and the other second-tier members watched in a daze. They saw Ais, Finn, Bete, Tiona, and Tione thrown back by a flash of black wind. Finn, Ais, and Bete slammed into the walls. The Hiryute sisters rolled across the ground, and the twin leaders of Telskyura were sent tumbling toward the far edge of the room.
"────── What... happened?"
Lefiya stammered. Her mind couldn't process the events. It was a strike delivered with a speed the naked eye couldn't track—infinitely fast. Even though they had managed to brace themselves at the last moment, not even the Level 6 adventurers could evade it. They were tossed aside like feathers.
Monster.
The word itself felt inadequate to describe this absolute violence. She was a being that treated first-tier adventurers—those at the top of the world's hierarchy—like helpless infants. She was a monster that had surpassed the very definition of the word.
That horizontal sweep of the black blade, saturated with dark mana and a corruption that defiled the world, possessed destructive force far beyond the previous "bombardments." It had harvested the veteran warriors in the blink of an eye.
The Behemoth's Black Blade was the ultimate weapon for slaying heroes, crafted by a brilliant, cursed blacksmith from the remains of the Behemoth. Its power wasn't limited to inflicting lethal poison; it was a specialized weapon that, in exchange for the user's mental energy, could unleash the "Death Winds" that the Behemoth once roared in ancient times. Revis, a pure warrior, couldn't use this power to its full potential. But Ein, a "Magic Swordsman," had no such limitation.
With the raging black mana flowing through it, the weapon launched flying slashes that carried immense physical destruction. The speed and power were incomparable to anything they had faced minutes before.
"Don't screw with me──!!"
"[Devour them── Fergus]!!"
Bete, who had softened the blow with his [Flos Virt] skill, and Bache, who possessed a high resistance to toxins, lunged forward with a roar.
『Two Level 6s, huh... Hardly worth mentioning.』
Bete's kick and Bache's full-power fist closed in on Ein. With total coldness and a blank expression, Ein calmly lowered her black sword.
A violent shockwave erupted.
A massive boom echoed. Neither Bete's strike nor Bache's fist ever reached her. The sheer pressure of the black sword alone blew them away. With a single movement, as if swiping away an insect, Bete and Bache were sent flying, powerless.
"「───!!」"
With an additional light kick from Ein, the two slammed into the wall. The impact rattled their internal organs, forcing them to vomit blood as they collapsed in agony.
As if to follow up, Ein unleashed blades of black wind. Just as the shards were about to finish them, Ais cut in.
『Pathatic.』
"──────!?"
Ais's brilliant silver strike—a flash of wind capable of slicing through Adamantite—was swallowed by the black "Death Winds." The gale, which sought to tear Ais apart mercilessly, knocked her back and sent her crashing into the stone.
"Ais-san?!"
Lefiya's cry was cut short. The "Yaksha" was moving. It was a rapid slaughter that Lefiya couldn't even react to. With a mere wave of her hand, everyone was tossed around like toys.
Not just Lefiya, but even the second-tier adventurers of Orario—warriors of genuine power—were swept away like trash. Armor shattered, weapons broke, and blood sprayed in this one-sided crushing. It was excessive violence and terrifying, dark power.
Raul, Aki, Narvi, Cruz, Stark, Sharon, Olba, Lloyd, Claire, Angie, Lisa, Kallos, Remilia... all the prestigious second-tier adventurers of Orario were wiped out without landing a single scratch.
It was a scene of despair reminiscent of the return of the Three Great Quest monsters. The strength of the red-haired woman who had previously rampaged paled in comparison to the pressure now radiating from this entity.
Ais, lying with a broken body after taking the "Death Wind," noticed that all "hesitation" had vanished from Ein's movements. She was "molting." Her heart was transforming entirely into that of a monster. This creature, reborn after devouring Revis's stone, was undoubtedly the strongest foe the Loki Familia had faced since its founding.
But why was no one dead despite taking a hit from such a monster?
It was because────.
"[Dia Fratel]"
"[Ria Phoenix]"
Glowing flames filled the great hall. Heat radiated through the room, turning the chamber into a garden of raging hellfire. The air, once stained black by Ein's mana, was purified by the holy fire and regained its clarity.
The "Death Winds" Ein had launched to finish off the adventurers were incinerated. Her black gales vanished before the Phoenix Fire Raiment, which chanted a hymn of holy purity.
"Hey now, isn't your opponent me?"
『Cra... nel────!!』
A white-haired youth, Al Cranel, stood as a shield to protect Finn and the others. Upon seeing him, Ein made a sound of pure irritation. The aura and spirit of a hero overflowed from the young man. His power was immense; his heroic presence created a pressure that could rival the combined strength of the strongest first-tier adventurers in Orario.
『(...The air feels solid.)』
This was the true weight of a Hero. Al, who was relatively tall for a human but not massive compared to the giant adventurers, radiated a presence that made him seem like a titan. Even Ein, now the strongest monster, couldn't help but catch her breath.
Yet, the white-haired youth stood before the beast with a bold smile. The Phoenix Hero, bearing wings of glowing fire, drew his two swords while shielding his comrades.
Dual-wielding: the Cursed Crimson Blade and the Legendary Black Sword. Both were mythic-class weapons that far surpassed first-tier equipment. Using a one-handed sword and a greatsword together—this was Al's style of "fighting with everything," the same style he had used against Ottar.
Even though Ein possessed potential beyond Level 8 and had grown stronger after devouring the stone, Al radiated an aura that made her feel the pressure.
In response to that aura, the glowing flames roared.
Ein's blighted winds collided with Al's radiant fire. The flames exploded, swallowing the black wind blades to reveal the monster lurking behind them. Ein's monster-like eyes met the crimson eyes that burned like fire.
There was no room for thought. They had to clash with everything. Blade against blade, sword against sword; they carved through the wind and scattered the fire in a collision that shook the foundation of the room, collapsed the walls, and shattered the floor.
It was a terrifying exchange of power against power—the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Every time their weapons met, the earth trembled and the world seemed to scream.
"────"
『...!!』
Words were no longer needed. The techniques they unleashed were devoid of any waste. No tricks, no maneuvers—only pure, polished combat. A dance of death between the "Hero" and the "Monster." Amidst a storm of terrifying slashes, they crossed paths.
Ein's gaze, filled with overt murderous intent, met Al's. The sounds of black and white thunder played an unbelievable roar, and waves of glowing fire filled the void. It was a battle from the age of myths.
On one side, the King of Plagues, unleashing Death Winds and armed with armor of hideous flesh; on the other, the Hero, shining with crimson fire and silver-blue thunder. Both stood in a realm beyond nature—a true battle between monsters. No one could move, as if enchanted by the lethal beauty of the fight.
Threads of black lightning and holy Phoenix fire danced. Ein's black blade crushed everything in its path. Strength, endurance, mana, even agility—Ein now surpassed Al in every category. It was a storm of death that meant certain doom if a single strike landed. Yet, Al pierced through that storm and lunged toward Ein's chest.
"Cranel!!"
Ein parried even that attack, and her blighted blade shot out to pierce Al with power exceeding Ottar and agility surpassing Allen. A flash of the Yaksha that allowed no room for reaction.
───── However, there was a "Pinnacle."
He remained unharmed. With skill and maneuverability that could only be described as a divine work, Al struck Ein's attack from the side at the perfect moment, parrying it off course. Ein's attack missed its mark, and as her balance wavered, Al seized the opening for a counterattack. A kick aimed at Ein's face snapped her head back.
In the blink of an eye, Al's body dived low, only to reappear above Ein's head a moment later. It was a surge that left sound itself behind. Before Ein could react, Al slammed his heel down onto the crown of her head.
A massive boom followed, as if a meteor had struck. The impact cratered the floor and sent Ein crashing into the distance.
『────!!』
Ein's cry wasn't a clear sound, but she didn't stop. She rose immediately and charged again. She tried to flank Al and unleash her black Death Winds, but without even turning, Al countered her blade with the glowing fire surrounding his body.
Al spun and parried Ein's strike with his sword, then kicked her hard, using her own momentum against her. Ein flew through the air but regained her balance before landing. As soon as she touched the ground, she shrouded herself in black winds, but Al's holy fire [Ria Phoenix] swallowed the gales whole.
『(...Right now, am I being outclassed?)』
Strength, endurance, mana, agility; Ein surpassed Al by at least one full level in every stat. Yet, it was Al who was pressing the attack. Al wasn't just blocking her violent strikes; he was redirecting them. Al's expression remained calm, while anxiety began to show on Ein's face behind her mask.
Al closed the distance, and Ein swung her blighted blade. Al's black sword met Ein's.
"Weak."
『Gwah?!』
The rapid-fire attack magic that Al had mastered—and Ein had not. White lightning exploded at point-blank range while their swords were locked. Ein was sent flying after being caught in the close-quarters blast. She quickly recovered and dispelled the flames of the explosion with her winds, but Al was no longer where he had been.
『(In everything, I surpass Cranel now, so why─────)』
"It's been years since I've faced an opponent who went so easy on me."
『──────── What?』
She couldn't process his words. It was impossible. She was giving her all and────.
Ein's thoughts stopped. Suddenly, her vision blurred violently. The magic stone embedded in her chest throbbed with power. The curse's infiltration into her body accelerated.
At the same time, a memory flashed through her mind. It was from a year ago, when she first met Al. The moment he saved her, and the feelings that had sprouted in her heart back then.
Admiration.
Yes, that was the first feeling of its kind for Ein. The emotions she had carried since that incident were entirely grief and rage, making this feeling truly special. It was the human emotion sleeping in the depths of her heart—one she thought she had lost when she became a monster.
The monster, bound by the chains of admiration, finally realized it. Admiration; the one feeling the monster had forgotten.
The monster was drawn to Al. She admired the hero who had saved her. The monster wanted to stand by the hero's side.
Monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster, monster───────
───── Ein wanted to reach Al's back.
In that moment, the world changed.
Darkness erupted from Ein's body, and blighted winds roared from her blade. Both merged, and her body began to transform. Flesh tore, blood sprayed, and bones shattered. Mana overflowed—the vessel could no longer contain it—and it blew as a violent black gale.
Ein's body no longer held its original form. Her appearance began to resemble the black dragons of legend. The mana radiating from her body shrouded her entity, transforming her into a humanoid dragon form.
Ein roared. The mana she released now easily eclipsed Al's. And now, she realized she could kill Cranel—she could kill Al.
『... I won't let anyone escape!! I won't let anyone live!! Cranel, die with me, Hero──────!!』
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