Kumodesu

We were all on edge, waiting for its next move. But then, it suddenly vanished right before our eyes.

Where is it?

Where the hell is it?

I pushed my detection skill to its absolute limit, but I still couldn't sense a single trace... It had to still be somewhere close—yet why couldn't I find it?

Panic started to creep in, but then a hand grabbed mine, startling me. I turned and saw Charlot.

"You need to calm down. We won't be able to make it out without you."

Her voice was firm, yet gentle enough to ease the pressure building up in my chest.

Right.

If I lost my composure now, we'd truly be doomed.

I nodded and whispered a thank you. Charlot gently let go of my hand.

After taking a few deep breaths, I tried scanning again. Cerberus hadn't attacked yet, which likely meant it still needed time to fully absorb that power source from before.

Could we use this chance to escape?

No. That wouldn't work.

We weren't fast enough. Even Charlot, the fastest among us, would still need over ten minutes to return to the fifth floor under ideal conditions—and there was no way it wouldn't catch up by then.

What we needed to do now was find it and stop it from fully recovering.

Even if we couldn't inflict serious damage, it would still give us a sliver of hope to survive.

So I searched again.

Everyone was standing back to back, guarding all directions to prevent Cerberus from ambushing us.

If we couldn't pinpoint where it was hiding, we'd have to wait for it to attack and then catch its opening—but that was far too risky. And there was no guarantee it would give me an opening to exploit.

I needed to take the initiative. I looked up at the ceiling again...

Something kept telling me it would come from up there... but there was nothing unusual about it.

Why couldn't I sense it?!

I asked myself that over and over.

Was its stealth skill a form of environmental blending? True invisibility? Or maybe just some kind of optical illusion?

If it was an illusion... was what I was seeing right now even real?

I went through every type of stealth ability I knew.

Since every assassin had their own form of concealment, I'd seen quite a few. Each one had unique traits—and weaknesses that could be exploited.

But this time... I couldn't find a single clue.

Suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind—

A man I could never forget.

My old team captain back when I was still an assassin.

He was known as the "Phantom Assassin" because his stealth technique was so bizarre. Once he used it, no one could ever find him unless he chose to reveal himself.

That skill... what was it again?

Invisibility...? Optical camouflage...? Blending in with the surroundings...?

"A good assassin always finds a place to hide—no matter the environment. Even in the flattest, most open field, the surroundings are your greatest camouflage. Never forget that, Loyral."

Those were his words to me.

Right...

In a wide, open area like this, where could you possibly hide?

Underground!

A spark lit in my mind. I dropped down instantly and focused all my senses on the ground beneath us.

Nothing...

Nothing at all...

I couldn't detect any irregularities in the terrain structure.

Everyone gave me confused glances, but quickly returned to guarding their surroundings. Charlot, meanwhile, remained fully alert the entire time.

So not below us...

Then... could it be above?

Maybe even along the walls. But we were standing in the center of the room, quite far from any of the walls. If it attacked from there, it would need a few extra seconds, and that would ruin the element of surprise.

So the only option left—was directly above us.

I pushed my detection skill upward, expanding it toward the area directly overhead, the nearest region around us.

Nothing...

Still nothing...

Still—

There it is!!

I looked up without hesitation and fired eight chains toward the anomaly I had just sensed. The ceiling shattered, revealing Cerberus lurking within, staring down at me with pure hatred in its eyes.

"Found you!"

Charlot and the Vice Director reacted instantly, launching attacks at it—but Cerberus was still faster. It dodged with ease.

It seemed it still needed more time to fully absorb its power, so it disappeared again. But not long after, I sensed another anomaly in the surrounding terrain.

"Left wall, six o'clock!"

An explosion instantly erupted at that location, exposing Cerberus again. It roared furiously, but this time it didn't run. It charged straight at us, forcing everyone to scatter.

It was fast—too fast!

Even though I could locate it, its current speed far exceeded most of our reaction times.

One unlucky person didn't dodge in time and was pounced on. His right arm was torn clean off. He collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain, but still managed to cast a spell at the severed arm, destroying it before Cerberus could devour it.

Cerberus, having missed another meal, grew enraged and turned on the same man again.

But Charlot and the Vice Director intervened just in time, activating defensive barriers to block its path. When the three clashed, all of them were blasted backward—while Cerberus stood its ground, unmoved.

Seizing the moment while the three were still recovering, it picked another target—Muos.

I hadn't paid much attention to him until now, but he was trembling so badly that he couldn't even stand.

Even though I had some personal grudges against him, losing a single person now would make things even harder. So I rushed over to assist.

Just then, Muos—after a long moment of paralyzing fear—suddenly reacted, almost as if something had jolted him awake. He attacked.

His strike didn't leave any visible wounds, but I could clearly see Cerberus hesitate for a brief moment, shaking its head as if disoriented.

Did he succeed?

No... that wasn't him.

It was the spirit's power.

Now that I think about it, Cerberus hadn't returned to the fifth floor after absorbing that power source. Maybe the spirits had done something to deter it.

Whatever it was, I grabbed Muos with a chain and pulled him to my side.

"What was that just now?" I asked him.

Still trembling, he didn't even realize it was me, and stammered that the spirit had told him to use its power—so he just followed instinct.

I thought for a moment, then asked directly, "What skill did the spirit give you?"

Muos hesitated, but I kept pressing until he finally answered.

"Soul magic."

So it was soul-based.

I frowned but continued, "What does the skill do?"

Another pause.

"Hurry. If you don't talk, you're not leaving this place alive!"

He caved under the pressure.

"It's a kind of magic that inflicts negative effects on the soul. Each level unlocks a different effect, and the higher it goes, the stronger those effects become. Right now, since my skill level is still low, I can only make it feel dizzy or give it a headache."

I see...

I silently assessed his words. It seemed he wasn't lying.

If that was true, then from now on, Muos would be the cornerstone of our escape plan.

"How many times can you use it?" I asked.

"It doesn't drain too much. One cast doesn't affect me much at this level. The skill is still weak, so the cost is low," Muos replied.

I immediately pulled him back to the others. On the way, Cerberus gave chase again, but I threw a bomb behind us. Muos also activated his skill again, managing to stall it for a few seconds—just enough for us to escape.

I reached Charlot and the Vice Director, quickly explaining everything. Charlot then gathered everyone and shouted one word:

"Run!"

If we kept fighting, we'd all die. No one questioned her command. Everyone had already lost all hope of defeating Cerberus.

We had only been running for a few seconds when the massive beast surged forward from behind.

Its jaws gaped wide, ready to swallow us whole—

Muos quickly used his skill again, buying us a precious moment. I took the chance and hurled a bomb straight into its mouth.

As we fled, I kept firing chains behind us, collapsing everything I could to create obstacles. But it was useless. The debris was instantly sucked away, and Cerberus kept advancing relentlessly.

Everyone took turns firing skills behind us—mostly just to destroy terrain and slow it down. At this point, only Muos's skill and my bombs could actually hinder it even a little.

Chains? It could snap those with a light touch—so I stopped using them altogether.

Vorsel kept casting shadow spheres over its two heads, but they broke apart after just a few seconds.

Still, combined with the other methods, they worked—just enough to stall it slightly.

But then...

I felt a crushing pressure surge from behind.

I turned—and froze.

Cerberus had built up momentum and was charging straight at us. It was already too close.

Muos panicked and activated his skill again. But then he screamed.

"That Cerberus only has one head!!"

My eyes widened.

Where was the other head?!

Since we were running, I couldn't scan as carefully as before. Just as I was about to try—

"AAAAAAAH!!"

A scream pierced the air from beside me!

The other Cerberus had emerged from the left wall, ambushing someone on the outer edge. Now, its spikes had fused with its body and could be launched and retracted at will.

In the blink of an eye, it had already fired four sharp spikes.

The Vice Director was the first to intercept. He successfully blocked two, but couldn't stop all of them.

The unlucky victim, too slow to react, was impaled by the remaining two spikes and dragged toward the beast.

I didn't have time to think. I instantly fired four chains at the body, managing to latch onto it. But I knew I couldn't hold it back for long—so I threw two bombs toward the same spot.

My aim was true.

The bombs exploded right on target, shredding the corpse into bloody chunks.

Cerberus... once again, missed its prey.

That was the fourth time in a row.

This time, it snapped.

With an enraged roar, it began firing all of its spikes at me.

The two Cerberus heads merged once more, and this time it charged at us with even greater speed. While chasing us down, it continued to unleash a storm of sharp spikes, never giving us a second to rest.

Its speed... hadn't slowed down one bit.

I barely dodged its spikes—but now they seemed to have a mind of their own...

They grazed past me, then snapped back so fast I couldn't avoid them, and my left arm lost a huge chunk of flesh—my arm nearly tore right off. This time, I was the target, so the others weren't in immediate danger—but another problem stared us in the face...

The Cerberus was closing in, faster than before—and we couldn't go any faster.

There had to be something to stop it...

As I was pondering, a scream rang out. Someone got impaled by its spike and dragged backward.

The Vice Director quickly cast magic to shatter the corpse, but the spikes moved faster, pulling some flesh intact—and the Cerberus successfully fed on it.

Things couldn't get any worse... until they did.

After feeding, the Cerberus surged forward, closing in behind us.

Muos's soul-disrupting skill had almost no effect now. My bombs were useless. We had nothing left to stop it.

Another person got struck—but this time, realizing escape was impossible, they detonated themselves when the Cerberus dragged them away. The explosion wasn't huge, but it bought us a few precious seconds.

We ran until reaching a steep cliff, with only a narrow, unstable path. I figured if we destroyed the path, we'd win some time.

We crossed the cliff and shattered the path behind us. The Cerberus stumbled and fell—but caught hold of the edge.

Without hesitation, the Vice Director and I launched magic at the ceiling, triggering a cascade of rocks. Just as it placed a foot on the edge, boulders rained down, knocking it back into the abyss.

We kept running... but soon heard roars and debris behind us—closing in again.

It was coming back already.

That rockfall hardly slowed it—but it was unnerving how fast it returned.

Only five of us remained: me, Charlot, the Vice Director, Vorsel, and Muos.

If we kept fleeing like this, we'd all die.

Someone needed to stay behind and hold it off...

Me?

If my sacrifice meant Charlot survives, I'd do it. But I also want to live... there's someone waiting for me.

If I die—what happens to her?

I told her, "Wait for me."

I want to go back... to see her.

What should I do...?!

I'd never faced such a difficult decision.

As I hesitated, a voice barked: "Keep running!"

I heard Charlot's shout—but when I looked back, she was gone.

Charlot...?

She'd stopped.

Why? What was she doing?

I immediately halted and screamed, "Charlot...!"

Still, she didn't turn toward me.

I wanted to step forward and convince her—but I knew she wouldn't listen. I sighed helplessly, not knowing what to do. Then I stepped beside her.

"You're wasting your life standing here," she finally said. Her voice trembled, fragile, as if she might cry at any second. Maybe this was the most vulnerable moment I'd ever seen her in.

"At least... the others got away," I shrugged.

Charlot shook her head gently. I didn't understand.

I glanced back at the others.

The Vice Director met our gaze with firm resolve, nodded—and ran off. Vorsel hesitated, but seeing the Vice Director go, he followed. Muos... had already fled long ago; I couldn't see him anymore.

"So... this is it, then?"

I exhaled a long breath and muttered to myself: standing here meant we wouldn't come back from this.

"Why aren't you running?" Charlot suddenly asked.

"Because you stayed," I said.

"You... aren't afraid to die?" she asked, voice softer.

"I am afraid. Someone's waiting for me, so I really don't want to die," I confessed.

"Then... why...?" her voice faltered to nearly a whisper.

"Because you stayed."

I want to live—but I can't abandon my friends. Especially someone like Charlot, who's a true friend.

"You fool!"

I didn't catch what she said clearly, but it didn't matter anymore—because it was coming.

Before us stood a creature of horrifying power. We had no hope of defeating it—just slowing it down felt impossible.

Charlot drew her sword and dropped into stance. A brilliant emerald flame erupted around the blade—and she was enveloped in a shimmering aura, like broken glass sparkling in the air.

I realized it was a level-two version of her protective skill: instead of a translucent shield, the aura conformed to her body, granting stronger defense—but at a tremendous SP cost. I didn't know how long she could hold it.

Now, I had no reason to hold back either.

I activated Nightmare at full force, draining power from the Cerberus. Luckily, its rage from being repeatedly deprived of prey kept the skill effective.

A massive wave of energy flooded me.

It was almost too much—I could barely contain it. Strange voices roared and hissed in my head, clawing at my soul. But I had prepared defenses.

The Cerberus, drained too much, finally reacted. It let out a furious roar and charged at me like a living nightmare.

But waiting in its path was Charlot's sword.

Her blade, sharper than ever.

The Cerberus unleashed spikes at her—but my enhanced chains intercepted them. The Nightmare-powered chains were impressively sturdy.

I then launched my knife, aiming for the one vulnerable spot I'd observed—the base of its neck.

Sensing the threat, the Cerberus abandoned grappling with Charlot and twisted back, attempting to swat my knife away with its tail.

Charlot rushed forward, targeting that same vulnerable neck.

Assailed from two directions, the Cerberus split into two heads, each running separate ways.

Charlot didn't hesitate. With a swift strike, she slashed one Cerberus, drawing a narrow cut. Blood began to flow—not lethal, but a real wound.

That wounded Cerberus snarled and retreated—but Charlot's speed and precision kept it staggered. The strikes weren't fatal, but she'd taken control of the engagement.

The other Cerberus lunged to support its ally, but I swapped positions and blocked its path.

I wasn't confident enough to fight head-on—so I used my chains to distract it and buy time for Charlot's assault.

Then—sharp spikes flew again. They were a major threat: not only fast, but synchronized too.

Charlot stayed engaged on the other side, so I focused on defense. I recoiled my chains around myself and sidestepped each spike. The coiled chains shielded my back where I couldn't block in time.

But while I was busy, the second Cerberus rushed to aid its partner.

I couldn't defend both fronts, so I ran after it, even though the spikes kept raining around me.

Earlier, Charlot had the advantage. But now, they were nearly even—Charlot's strikes had grown predictable, allowing the beasts to dodge and counterattack.

Still, her level-two shield held firm—she hadn't been seriously wounded yet.

But then the second Cerberus struck—from behind—and slammed its tail into Charlot, knocking her forward. The first Cerberus launched a volley of spikes at her midair.

In that instant, I swapped beside her, then immediately swapped us out of danger.

"Sorry... it's hard to hold them off alone..." I helped her stand.

"It's fine," she replied softly. "Our goal was to keep it occupied. We did."

As we steadied ourselves, the Cerberuses recombined.

When they'd previously split, we'd just held our ground. Now—reassembled—they'd be far stronger.

The merged Cerberus charged again—and Charlot blocked it... but this time, she didn't have the upper hand.

Her shield was nearly depleted.

My Nightmare power was also fading.

I needed more—but I'd hit my limit. If I forced Nightmare again, I might lose control entirely.

Damn it... time was running out.

I grit my teeth and activated Nightmare one more time.

But this time, the energy draw was weaker—its rage had subsided too much, so I couldn't siphon much power.

I drained it to my tolerance threshold, then stopped.

The drained Cerberus faltered. Charlot seized the moment, pushing it back and stepping away.

"Don't use it anymore!" she shouted solemnly.

I knew—but I felt I needed to.

"If I lose control... you have to stop me. I don't want to come back... looking like a monster."

I attempted a wry grin—but Charlot's steady, serious gaze erased any spirit of humor.

"I know," she intoned, staring ahead.

Then her eyes widened.

I followed her gaze—and... couldn't find the Cerberus.

Where is it?!

I yanked out my tracking skill—but before I could pinpoint its location, a sudden strike came from my left—heading straight at me. I couldn't react in time.

Then Charlot appeared, blocking the blow for me.

But the force sent her flying—and I swapped into her place, absorbing half the impact as we crashed through the wall, smashing through a large section.

Damn it—my back again!

How many times have my bones been shattered from behind now?

But this time... there was no Vice Director to heal me.

I propped up Charlot leaning against me and forced myself to stand... pain flaring up everywhere.

Desperate, I used my stone-shaping skill to temporarily mend my fractured bones. It wasn't perfect, but it reduced the pain and allowed me to move—enough to buy time.

Charlot... her level-two shield shattered. The impact had battered her from within.

I wanted to heal her, but a new wave of terror swept over me. I scooped her into my arms and instantly swapped us away.

A blaring crash echoed where we'd landed, sending destruction rippling out.

Cold sweat drenched me; death felt closer than ever.

"Are you okay?" I asked urgently.

Charlot struggled to stand. Every time she tried, blood trickled from her mouth in fresh spurts—her body slowly failing from lost blood.

I treated her external wounds, but there were no skills left in me to heal her internal damage.

"Hold on... I'll use stone to temporarily replace your damaged parts," I whispered.

Charlot gave a weak nod.

It was near impossible—but I had no choice.

What made it worse... the Cerberus hadn't stopped attacking. I didn't have a moment to properly heal her.

I had to keep swapping positions, and I failed multiple times— enduring aftershocks from the enemy strikes, while Charlot got worse and worse...