The moment her saber shattered—
Rio didn't hesitate.
Her right hand released the broken hilt before it even hit the ground.
Her left arm screamed in protest, blood trailing down from the earlier impact, but she ignored it completely. Pain was secondary.
Survival came first.
The werewolf lunged.
Too fast.
Too close.
Rio reacted instantly—her body twisting as her hand shot to her back, fingers locking around the grip of her flintlock—
She pulled—
And instead of firing—
She blocked.
Clang—!
The musket's reinforced barrel met the descending claw just in time.
The impact rattled through her entire body, far heavier than before. The wood creaked. The metal groaned.
Her boots slid across the stone.
"…Tch—!"
Too strong.
The boss didn't recoil.
Didn't stagger.
It pressed forward—relentless—its claws dragging against the musket, sparks scraping out as force ground against force.
Rio pivoted, using the length of the weapon to redirect instead of resist, barely shifting the attack off its original path.
Another strike came immediately—
She twisted again—
Blocked.
Redirected.
Barely holding.
Her breathing grew sharper.
More uneven.
Her left arm trembled.
Then—
The werewolf inhaled.
Deep.
Too deep.
Rio's eyes widened.
"…No—"
[BOSS SKILL: BLOOD HOWL]
"—!"
The howl detonated at point-blank range.
There was no space to react.
No time to counter.
The shockwave slammed into Rio's body like a collapsing wall—
And sent her flying.
Her back hit the chamber wall with a violent crash.
Stone shattered outward.
Her body dropped hard to the ground, rolling once before coming to a stop.
Silence—
Then—
A faint system flicker appeared at the edge of her vision.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Rio
Level: 2
HP: 714 / 4200 (17%)
MP: 152 / 3800 (4%)
Status:Bleeding (Ongoing HP Loss)
Her breathing hitched.
Each inhale shallow.
Her vision blurred at the edges—but her focus didn't break.
Not yet.
Across the chamber—
The werewolf turned toward her.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Its body pulsed violently, blood streaming upward across its limbs as it began gathering energy again.
It crouched.
Charging.
Preparing to finish it.
Rio tried to move—
Her body didn't respond fast enough.
"…Damn it…"
Then—
A blur.
"GET AWAY FROM HER—!"
Ryota.
He came from the side—
No hesitation.
No restraint.
He slammed into the werewolf with everything he had.
[Scalular Impact — Maximum Output]
The collision exploded with force.
The boss was driven backward—
Hard—
Its body smashing into the far wall with enough impact to crack the stone behind it.
Ryota didn't let go.
He drove forward—
Forcing it deeper into the wall—
Grinding stone against flesh—
Until the momentum finally stopped.
He staggered back slightly, breathing rough.
A system flickered beside him—
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Ryota
Level: 2
HP: 452 / 4520 (10%)
MP: 271 / 4520 (6%)
"…Hah…"
He exhaled sharply.
"…Still alive…"
Behind him—
The werewolf moved.
Still standing.
Still functioning.
Its body twisted unnaturally as it tore itself free from the cracked wall.
Then—
It inhaled.
Again.
Deeper than before.
The air warped violently.
Rio's eyes widened.
"…Ryota—!"
Her voice cut through the chamber—
Sharp.
Urgent.
"GET OUT—!"
He turned—
Too late to fully understand—
But not too late to react.
The werewolf's chest expanded—
Its entire body compressing inward as energy gathered into a single point—
[BOSS SKILL: TRUE BLOOD HOWL — POINT BLANK]
Rio moved.
She forced her body up—
Ignoring the pain.
Ignoring the blood.
Ignoring the screaming protest of her muscles.
She ran.
Straight toward it.
Toward them.
"Rio—?!"
She didn't answer.
She closed the distance in an instant—
Her musket already raised—
The barrel aimed—
Not at its body—
Not at its chest—
But—
Its mouth.
At the exact point where the energy was condensing.
She stepped in—
And drove the barrel inside.
"I had enough of your howling"
"—Fire."
[SKILL: Flintlock Shot]
The trigger pulled.
The gunshot erupted—
But this time—
It didn't echo outward.
It detonated inside.
The werewolf's body jerked violently, the compressed energy destabilizing instantly—
[SKILL: Chronos Eye — Activated]
Time warped.
Slowed.
Forced into resistance.
The boss's movement dragged—
Its release delayed—
Its attack interrupted at the most critical moment.
Rio's eyes sharpened.
"…Move."
She twisted—
And kicked.
Her foot slammed into its chest—
Full force.
Everything she had left.
The impact connected—
But—
"…What—?!"
It didn't move.
Not enough.
Not nearly enough.
Even slowed—
Even destabilized—
It endured.
Then—
A second force entered.
From below.
"MOVE—!"
Ryota.
His fist drove upward—
[Scalular Impact — Amplify]
The punch connected cleanly.
This time—
The force exploded.
The werewolf's body launched upward—
Crashing into the ceiling of the chamber.
Stone cracked.
Then broke.
A massive section collapsed—
Chunks of rock tearing free as gravity took hold.
The boss fell with it—
Downward—
Toward the ground—
Toward destruction.
Rio raised her musket again.
Her hands shook.
The weapon creaked—
At its limit.
"One more…"
She aimed—
Not at the boss—
But above it.
At the falling rock.
She fired.
[SKILL: Flintlock Shot — Final Round]
The bullet struck the fractured ceiling mass—
Shattering its structure further—
Increasing the collapse—
Accelerating the fall—
The musket cracked.
A deep fracture ran along its barrel.
Then—
It broke.
Splintering in her hands.
But Rio didn't care.
Her eyes were already locked onto the final moment.
[SKILL: Chronos Eye — Final Activation]
Time bent—
Not slowing—
But accelerating.
The falling mass surged downward—
Faster—
Heavier—
Unavoidable—
The werewolf looked up—
Too late—
The stone came crashing down—
And crushed it.
A deafening impact shook the entire chamber.
The ground cracked beneath the force.
Dust exploded outward—
Then—
Silence.
Heavy.
Complete.
The red glow faded.
Slowly.
The pressure disappeared.
The movement stopped.
And this time—
It didn't come back.
The dust took its time settling.
Fragments of stone lay scattered across the chamber, the broken remains of the ceiling forming a jagged crater at the center. The faint green glow of the dungeon slowly returned, washing over the battlefield like nothing had ever happened.
But the silence—
It wasn't peaceful.
It was earned.
Rio stood there for a moment longer, her breathing uneven, her body swaying slightly as the last traces of adrenaline faded.
Then—
Her legs gave out.
She dropped to the ground, landing softly on her side, one leg folding beneath her while the other rested slightly forward. Her broken musket slipped from her grasp, clattering weakly against the stone.
"…It's over…"
The words came out barely above a whisper.
Across from her—
Ryota was still standing.
Barely.
His body wavered, shoulders rising and falling as if each breath took effort to drag in.
"…Yeah…"
He took a step forward.
Unsteady.
"…We… actually…"
Another step—
Then his knees buckled.
Rio's eyes widened slightly.
"—Ryota."
She pushed herself up just enough—
And caught him before he hit the ground.
His weight fell against her, heavier than she expected, his body leaning fully into hers. Instinctively, she adjusted, letting him rest against her shoulder while one arm supported his back.
For a moment—
Neither of them spoke.
Only the quiet sound of their breathing filled the space.
Rio looked down at him.
His eyes were half-lidded, unfocused, exhaustion written plainly across his face.
"…You done well."
Her voice was soft.
Different from before.
Lighter.
A faint smile formed on her lips—small, but real.
Not forced.
Not sharp.
Just… there.
Ryota blinked slowly, as if processing the words through layers of fatigue.
"…Heh…"
A weak breath of a laugh escaped him.
"…Guess… I didn't mess up…"
His head shifted slightly—
Then settled more comfortably against her shoulder.
"…Just a bit… tired…"
His voice trailed off.
Rio didn't respond right away.
She simply adjusted her hold slightly, making sure he didn't slip.
"…Yeah," she murmured quietly. "You can rest."
His breathing slowed.
Evened out.
Within moments—
He was asleep.
Rio remained still, supporting him without complaint.
The faint glow of the dungeon reflected softly in her eyes as she stared ahead, the tension in her body finally easing.
For now—
Just for a moment—
She allowed herself to sit there.
Quietly.
With him.