The moment the system announcement faded—
The air changed.
Not heavier.
Not sharper.
But unstable.
Like the dungeon itself didn't know how to contain what had just been born.
At the center of the chamber, the Blood Release Werewolf stood fully formed.
Its body twitched in uneven pulses, as though every part of it was operating on a different rhythm. Crimson veins bulged and crawled beneath semi-translucent flesh, glowing faintly before dimming again, like something alive was trying to escape from inside. Blood didn't drip from it—
It formed.
Constantly.
Thin streams slid down its limbs, only to reverse direction and crawl back upward, reabsorbed into its body in a grotesque cycle.
Its chest expanded.
Collapsed.
Expanded again—
Each breath wet. Ragged. Wrong.
Ryota stared.
His shoulders rose and fell slowly, breath still uneven from the previous clash. His fingers tightened unconsciously around the hilt of his dull blade, knuckles paling.
"…Wait."
The word came out quieter than he intended.
A step back.
"…What's going on?"
His eyes flicked to Rio for half a second, then back to the creature.
"…Didn't we kill it?"
Rio didn't answer immediately.
She didn't move either.
Her gaze remained locked on the boss, unblinking, calculating—already adapting.
"…We did."
Her voice was steady.
Certain.
No doubt.
A pause followed.
Just long enough for the werewolf's claws to slowly drag against the stone floor, carving shallow grooves as it shifted its weight.
Then—
"…But when a boss dies in a berserk state…"
Rio's grip on her saber tightened slightly.
"…there's a ten percent chance it comes back like this."
The werewolf's head tilted—
Too far.
A sharp, unnatural angle.
Its neck cracked as it adjusted, red eyes locking onto them with a clarity that hadn't been there before.
Rio continued.
"Attack power—massively increased."
The creature stepped forward.
The stone beneath its foot collapsed.
"Speed—beyond its original cap."
Another step.
Faster.
Heavier.
"Defense…"
A small exhale left her lips.
"…almost completely gone."
Ryota swallowed.
"…That sounds broken."
"It is."
Rio's eyes narrowed slightly, something colder settling into her gaze—something older than this fight.
"…It's called Hell's Final Gift."
The werewolf's muscles tightened.
Not like before.
Not with tension—
But with instability.
Like it was constantly on the verge of tearing itself apart.
Rio's voice lowered.
"…A last joke from the system."
Her stance shifted.
Weight forward.
Ready.
"Like a devil leaning over your shoulder…"
The creature's claws dug deeper into the ground.
"…and whispering—"
Her grip steadied.
"—'Thought you won.'"
A brief silence.
Then—
Ryota spoke again, quieter this time.
"…Has this happened before?"
Rio didn't look at him.
"…Yeah."
The answer came without hesitation.
Flat.
"Unprepared parties…"
The werewolf's body dipped—
"…got wiped."
A flicker of memory crossed her eyes—
Gone just as quickly.
"…Over and over."
Her voice dropped just slightly.
"…In my previous life."
The werewolf vanished.
No warning.
No buildup.
Just—
Gone.
"—!"
Rio's instincts screamed.
"Right—!"
Too late.
It was already there.
Ryota's body moved before his mind caught up.
His sword came up—
Clash—
The impact hit like a collapsing wall.
A deep, crushing force surged through his arms, threatening to tear his grip apart.
[Scalular Impact — Activated]
The force didn't disappear.
It shifted.
Dragged sideways.
The stone beside him exploded outward as the redirected impact detonated against the floor.
Ryota's boots skidded violently across the ground, carving long scrape marks as he forced himself to stay upright.
"…It's heavier—!" he shouted.
"Because it's not holding anything back!" Rio snapped.
She was already moving.
The flintlock musket swung forward in one fluid motion—
Her finger pulled the trigger.
[SKILL: Flintlock Shot]
The gunshot roared through the chamber.
The bullet struck center mass.
A direct hit.
The werewolf's torso twisted slightly—
Not from damage—
But from interruption.
That was all Rio needed.
[SKILL: Chronos Eye — Activated]
The moment the shot connected—
The world shifted.
The werewolf's movement slowed.
Not naturally.
Not smoothly.
But forcibly.
As if time itself had been dragged through resistance and stretched thin around it.
Its limbs moved—
But too slowly.
Too late.
For two seconds—
It was no longer equal.
"Now!"
Ryota didn't hesitate.
He moved.
His body surged forward, Enhanced Reaction taking over completely.
One step.
Two.
Three—
He entered its range and struck.
A tight, controlled slash across its side.
The blade didn't cut deep—
But it connected.
That was enough.
[Scalular Impact — Redirect]
The force transferred through the contact point—
Not outward—
But into the creature.
The werewolf's own mass worked against it.
Its body jerked violently sideways.
Rio fired again.
Another shot—
Another activation—
[Chronos Eye — Deceleration]
Two seconds.
Again.
Ryota capitalized instantly.
A step in—
A slash—
A pivot—
Then—
A punch.
His fist drove forward into the creature's torso.
[Scalular Impact — Amplify]
The impact detonated.
The werewolf was launched backward, crashing through a broken pillar as stone fragments scattered across the chamber.
Ryota landed lightly, breathing controlled.
"…Okay…"
A small exhale.
"…That worked."
"For now," Rio replied immediately.
No relief.
No pause.
"Don't let it stabilize."
They pressed forward.
Not recklessly.
Not blindly.
But with precision.
Gunshot.
Time distortion.
Strike.
Impact.
Withdraw.
Repeat.
The rhythm formed naturally.
Rio created the openings.
Ryota exploited them.
The werewolf retaliated with violent, unstable attacks—claws tearing through air, shockwaves cracking the ground—but every movement was just slightly off.
Because Rio forced it to be.
They weren't overpowering it.
They were controlling it.
For a while—
It worked.
Then—
A mistake.
Small.
Subtle.
Deadly.
Ryota stepped in—
Half a step too deep.
The werewolf's body jerked mid-stagger—
Faster than before—
Its arm twisted unnaturally—
And grabbed him.
"…!"
No window.
No contact.
No activation.
It threw him.
Hard.
His body slammed into the far wall with a thunderous crash.
Stone shattered.
Dust exploded outward.
The impact knocked the air from his lungs.
"Ryota!"
Rio's focus broke—
For a fraction of a second.
That was enough.
The werewolf vanished—
Then reappeared behind her.
Claw descending.
Fast.
Too fast.
Rio turned—
Barely.
Her saber rose—
Clang—
The impact screamed through her arm.
Pain exploded through her left side.
The strike wasn't clean—
But it landed.
"…Tch—!"
She slid backward, boots grinding against the stone.
The werewolf didn't stop.
Didn't hesitate.
It attacked again.
And again.
And again.
No rhythm.
No pattern.
Just relentless, overwhelming pressure.
Rio blocked.
Deflected.
Redirected.
Her saber moved with precision, each motion exact—
But her footing shifted.
Her breathing tightened.
Her left arm lagged.
Another strike—
Clang—
Another—
Clang—
Faster—
Clang—
Heavier—
Clang—
Her grip weakened—
Just slightly.
The werewolf's claws came down again—
Harder.
Stronger.
Unstable.
Her saber met it—
For the last time.
Crack—
A sharp, splintering sound echoed through the chamber.
Rio's eyes widened—
Just a fraction.
A thin fracture split down the blade—
Then spread.
Then—
Shattered.
Steel broke apart in her hands.
Fragments scattered across the stone floor.
The impact carried through her guard—
Slamming into her—
Throwing her backward across the ground.
Her broken weapon clattered beside her.
The werewolf stepped forward.
Slow.
Unstable.
Unstoppable.
Its crimson body pulsed violently, red eyes locked onto her with overwhelming killing intent.
And for the first time since the fight began—
Rio had nothing left in her hand to stop it.