"Igul."
The solitude of the golden Sun disk burned brightly, illuminating the cave.
A surge of unique energy pulsed through my body, making take a deep breath.
Nella looked curiously at as we entered the opening within the cave.
A fiery light made squint my eyes as I glanced around.
And then I looked down.
Within the gloomy, sticky deep pit, among hundreds of Drath, a lone figure stood.
A terrifying, monstrous creature with the appearance of a giant insect.
It had a grotesque, armored body with a glossy, dark purple exoskeleton.
Its sharp legs and multiple clawed limbs extended nacingly from its sides, each tipped with pointed, blade-like appendages.
Its head, crowned with curved horns, bore an aggressive, almost predatory expression, with fierce.
The creature's large, segnted abdon extended downward,
A tail swung threateningly behind it, a tail so wide it could be mistaken for a scorpion's.
Queen of Drath.
"You sure we can take her on alone?" asked Nella, a doubtful look on her face.
"We won't know if we don't try," I replied, gazing back at the sundisk.
"Hey!" But before we could move, a voice called out from behind. "What are you guys doing alone?"
I turned back, and so did Nella.
Imdiately, my mood soured as I looked at them—or, more specifically, at a boy with light green hair.
"Where are the rest of your class?" asked a second-year student with him.
"We will kill it alone," I replied nonchalantly, turning back.
"Hey, even we can't do that," he replied, irritation and mockery filling his voice, "that's not sothing you can ki—"
"Fuck off," I cut in, "we don't have ti."
But as I turned, I felt a hand grabbing my shoulder.
Turning back, I looked at Ivan staring at .
"Haven't you beco quite cocky," he said, glaring at as I turned to face him. "You think you can do—"
My hand moved, a punch landed straight at his jaw, a cracking sound echoing within the cave.
He fell down, unconscious.
I looked down at his disfigured face.
"Hey! What are you doin—"
Ignoring the other boy, I raised my leg to crush Ivan's head into a pulp.
"Don't do it," I halted as I heard Nella's voice, "there are caras here, and his mother won't let you go if you kill him."
I retracted my leg; she was right.
Even though I knew I could easily get away from his mother with my mother's help.
I didn't want to be indebted to her.
Not anymore.
"Take him away, senior," she said with a smile, looking at the other boy.
He nodded, a fearful look on his face as he glanced at .
His fear was understandable, because Ivan was still one of the top second-year students and still lost without a fight.
"Nella."
"What."
"Hit ."
She abruptly turned her head toward , a small smile on her face. "I had my doubts, but you truly are one."
"Hit this, you average-looking woman," I rebuked, making the sun disk hover in front of .
"Why?"
"Just do it," I replied, turning around. "And I'm not watching, so don't hold back, or else I might die."
I closed my eyes, focusing on the sundisk alone.
My senses heightened as I felt her move.
The sundisk worked like an extra limb and eye, giving a rough outline of my surroundings.
The air trembled violently behind , filled with mana and chi.
A cluster of white started to cover her body, turning into a large exoskeleton up to upto ribs, making her hover in the air.
'...Wish I had that.'
I grumbled, feeling envious of her ability to conquer that power.
She curled up her fingers, throwing her hand back, the exoskeleton precisely following her movent.
I braced myself for the impact as she threw a punch at the sundisk.
BOOM!!!
A thunderous sound echoed, filling the entire cave, my eyes snapping open.
The sundisk behind shone brightly with golden light.
The Drath Queen turned her head to look at , while the other Drath howled.
"Knowing your stamina, you'll try to end the fight as quickly as possible, right?" Nella asked, dispersing her exoskeleton.
"Yeah," I nodded, ignoring her jab.
"I'll have your back."
"Sure."
I replied, gazing down as all the Drath around her started to rush towards us like starving beasts.
Without a second thought, I took a step forward, falling into the pit.
The sundisk moved, hovering, now placed right below .
Ti seed to slow as I watched the events unfolding.
I landed.
The sundisk touched the ground.
A crack erged beneath , filling the ground with a golden hue.
BOOM!!!
The shockwave of force generated by the impact scattered the ground and the rest of the Drath who weren't directly in its range.
All the Drath around turned into a pool of blood, spreading from underneath .
Taking my katana out, I gripped its hilt tightly while the Queen's face turned down at .
The other Drath who survived the initial attack rushed toward as well.
I ignored them completely while I rushed over the uneven ground toward the Queen.
The Drath leaped at , but a barrage of arrows clad with mana yanked them away before they could even touch .
The Queen opened her petal-like mouth, a beam of violent red generating in front.
And that made smile.
A bright red light bathed my surroundings as the beam bore down on .
Without stopping, I willed the sundisk to move, and it did, hovering in front of , absorbing the entirety of the beam like a sponge.
The disk flipped upside down, spinning, burning with golden light as a beam of golden light disintegrated every Drath in my path.
The ground crumbled as the Queen rushed toward as well.
My legs turned into those of an angel as I jumped, sailing high into the air, baiting myself.
And it worked.
Another beam of red appeared in her mouth as I descended.
The sundisk appeared in front of as the beam steadily approached, getting absorbed again.
It flipped upside down as I twisted my body.
I drew my katana, touching the sundisk as the golden beam shrunk into the shape of the katana, rushing toward the Queen.
But the sure-hit attack missed her as ten or so elite Drath howled, jumping within the line of fire, their bodies cut cleanly in half.
The golden blade dispersed before reaching the Queen, while I landed on the ground.
'Tch, she won't do that again.'
My eyes remained on the Queen.
I clicked my tongue in annoyance as the Queen grabbed boulders around her, throwing them at .
I rushed toward her again, weaving through the barrage of boulders that threatened to crush , ripping apart.
"Nella!" I roared as another batch of Drath rushed, trying to block my path.
Ten arrows rushed past my body, plunging deep within them, killing them instantly.
My eyes remained on the Queen.
She had now placed all her limbs on the ground, like all the other Drath.
Bending my body, I touched the dead Drath around , engraving them with purple markings.
Extending my hand, I made them hover around before throwing them one by one at the Queen.
She used her sharp claw to tear them apart as the distance between us nearly diminished.
I leaped from the ground, evading her claw, spinning my body to gain montum as I slashed my katana at her face.
She used her limbs as shields to defend herself.
A booming sound echoed as my katana lodged deeply within her exoskeleton, crushing half of her limbs.
She staggered back while I used the sundisk as a platform to throw myself above her head.
I spun my body upside down, gaining enough montum to slash again overhead.
She brought her limbs back to stop the attack.
She let out a shrill cry, crashing to the ground, shattering it below.
Using the sundisk as a platform again, I moved back away from her.
She tried to get up again.
'Co on, do it, do it.'
I thought while watching her.
She spun her head, looking around until her gaze landed on .
And I couldn't help but smile again as her petal-like mouth opened.
A beam of violent red generated in front of her while I brought the sundisk in front of .
My surroundings turned bright red as the beam rushed toward .
But before it could reach, the sundisk absorbed everything again.
I grinned widely as the sundisk flipped upside down.
A burning beam of golden light erupted, searing toward the Queen.
BOOM!!!
A thunderous roar echoed as the beam bathed the Queen in a golden hue.
Before everything around us quieted down.
I stretched my body as whatever remained of the Queen fell to the ground, dust and dirt rising.
A silence lingered between and the Drath around .
Before, with a collective howl, they all prowled toward .
Their mother, their Queen, died in front of them, so even though they knew I could kill them, they still rushed to avenge her.
"Nella, break the ceiling!" I yelled, looking back at her while running away from the army of Drath.
"How?" she yelled back.
"Use the sa attack from before with Bow!" I roared back, twisting my body to evade a group of Drath.
"Urgh, fine, but don't look here!" she yelled.
"I won't!" I replied, assuring her as I ran in the opposite direction, into the army of Drath.
I didn't have much stamina left, so I could only evade instead of kill.
BOOM!!
Another sound filled the entire cave, rain rushing inside along with dirt and debris.
"Huff..."
Drawing in a deep breath, I tore the clothes covering my back.
My shoulder blades twisted, adjusting themselves as feathery wings started to erge behind .
I flexed my legs as I jumped high, flapping my wings to gain montum.
Flapping them again, I rushed straight to the ceiling.
Just as I reached parallel to Nella, I stretched before retracting my hand.
The purple mark on her waist shone as her body was attracted toward .
She yelped in surprise as my hand wrapped around her waist and my wings flapped again.
And...
Before long, we were back at the surface.
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