CHAPTER 6: FIRST DUNGEON (2) – THE PRICE OF EXPERIENCE

When I came back to myself, the first thing I felt was a sweet, almost intoxicating scent. Not the damp stone of the dungeon. No. A fragrance of flowers, warm, mixed with the sweat of a body too close.

Beneath my cheek, something soft, warm, alive. My head rested on someone’s lap.

I slowly opened my eyes. The bluish light of the dungeon pulsed above me. And there... her face.

— "Nii-san...!"

Hikari. Her eyes red, swollen with tears, her cheeks crimson. She leaned her body over me, so close her chest almost pressed against my face. Tears slid from her lashes to fall onto my skin, burning hot. One rolled all the way to my lips. I tasted the salty, intimate drop, as if I were sucking on a piece of her heart.

— "I thought... I thought you were going to die..."

Her voice trembled. Her hand stroked my cheek with feverish tenderness, her fingers tightening as if to make sure I was real. I tried to move, but my hand brushed against the bare skin of her thigh showing through her kimono. Warm. Fine. I stiffened instantly, blood rushing to my head.

Around us, silhouettes stood in a circle. Reina, stiff as a statue, arms crossed but eyes averted. Ayame, seated, one hand on my shoulder, eyes dark yet shining. Even Miyu... silent, which never happened.

A suspended moment.

And then, against all odds, Miyu opened her mouth.

— "... Thanks."

One word. Dry, strangled. But a word.

They all turned to her, surprised. She looked away, cheeks flushed, and immediately growled:

— "Don’t make such a big deal of it!"

I almost smiled. Damn. Even her...

I drew a long breath, my head still aching, and exhaled in a hoarse voice:

— "It’s fine... I’m fine."

I pushed myself up slightly, just enough to meet their eyes, one by one.

— "I did what I had to do. And I’ll do it again. I’ll do everything to protect you. All of you."

Silence fell. Their faces flushed, each in their own way: Reina turned away but her reddened ears betrayed her. Hikari covered her mouth, fresh tears flowing. Miyu bit her lip, unable to hold my gaze. And Ayame... Ayame stepped forward.

She gently placed her hands on my shoulders and pulled me against her. My head was crushed into her huge chest, her swollen breasts spilling out of her half-open kimono. I suffocated in that humid warmth, drowned in her jasmine scent. My heart exploded, my penis too.

— "Don’t ever do that again..." she whispered in my ear, her voice soft yet firm. "You don’t have the right to sacrifice yourself like that. Not you."

Her hot breath brushed my skin, her arms tightening around me as if to brand me. My body reacted instantly, violently. My pants strained under the pressure, painful, obvious.

— "A-Ayame-san..." I stammered, throat tight.

But she didn’t pull away. On the contrary. Her kimono slipped a little more, revealing a glimpse of pale lace. Her swollen breast pressed against my cheek. Her warmth, her scent, her body... it was too much.

I bit my lip, my breath ragged.

— "I didn’t have a choice..." I growled. "If I have to burn myself out to save you... I’ll do it."

Another silence. They all stared at me, blushing, frozen, torn between shame and a desire none dared admit.

Ayame leaned even closer, her lips brushing almost against my ear.

— "Then I’ll never let you go."

My head spun.

I didn’t know if it was from lack of mana or from Ayame’s heat around me, her breasts pressing me like cannonballs. My head spun.

Then, slowly, I placed my hands on her shoulders and pushed her back.

— "Kaito...?" she whispered, surprised.

I straightened, inhaled deeply. My gaze changed. Enough sighs, moans, looks that were killing me little by little. If we wanted to get out of this damn dungeon alive, I had to speak.

— "Sit down."

My voice cracked against the stone. Even Miyu raised an eyebrow, but she obeyed. They all sat down in a circle.

— "We need to talk. Now. About our blessings, about our skills. If we move forward without knowing, we’ll die in the first real fight."

A heavy silence fell. I went on, throat tight:

— "First... me. You saw it. My skill is called Genesis. It lets me create... anything. From nothing."

I swallowed, my fingers tightening on Aurelia’s golden shaft.

— "The problem... is that it eats up all my mana. You saw it. Just once, and it nearly killed me. At our current level... I can only use it for small creations, I’ll have to practice."

I let silence settle. They all stared at me, serious. Even Miyu wasn’t smiling.

— "Your turn."

I pointed at Miyu. She straightened, her katana resting on her knees. Her lips finally curled into a grin.

— "My skill... Primordial Flame."

She lifted her katana. A red spark ran along the blade. The metal instantly ignited, swallowed by a crimson fire that licked the air, bending the dungeon’s natural light. The heat dampened our foreheads.

Miyu chuckled.

— "For now... I can only set my blade aflame. But I can feel it. Later... this fire will be able to consume everything. Dragons, even countries."

She closed her hand, and the flames died with a breath.

I nodded and turned to Reina.

She said nothing. She simply placed her hand on her staff. Her aura shifted. The temperature dropped brutally. My breath became visible in the air.

— "Absolute Zero." Her voice cut like a blade.

A film of ice spread over the ground at her feet, crawling up her ankles. The staff’s crystal pulsed, sending cold waves that froze everything within a meter. Then, with a simple flick of her hand, she shattered the frost into dust.

She lowered her eyes, her tone deeper:

— "For now... I can only freeze small areas. But I know this power will go far beyond. Not only things... but the very concept of time itself."

A chill ran down my spine. Even I was afraid.

I turned my head toward Hikari.

She jolted, clutching her staff against her chest.

— "M-me... my skill is called Dawn’s Song."

She inhaled, closed her eyes. Her staff lit up with golden light. A soft wave, almost musical, spread around us. I felt my muscles loosen, my chest swell with air, my burning nerves calm. Vitality. Purity.

She opened her crimson eyes.

— "It’s a healing and strengthening spell. But... I can only use it a few times a day. And if someone is too badly hurt... it doesn’t work yet. So... we have to be careful..."

Her voice trembled. I bit my lip. She wanted to appear strong, but she was just a young girl forced to bear too much.

Finally, I turned toward Ayame.

— "You."

All eyes shifted to her. Even I held my breath.

She calmly smoothed her kimono, fabric sliding over her hips. Then she placed a hand on her chest, closed her eyes, and spoke in a deep voice:

— "Sixth Veil."

She opened her lids. Her brown eyes gleamed with a supernatural light.

— "I feel the thread of unfolding things. Fragments of instinct... a divine sixth sense. When danger approaches, when a choice leads to death, I perceive it. Not always clearly. But enough to guide."

Her gaze pierced me. My heart leapt.

I planted my hands on my knees, leaned forward, and barked:

— "Then listen to me carefully. We know our strengths, our weaknesses. But one rule is clear: we follow Ayame."

Miyu opened her mouth to protest. I cut her off.

— "You especially." I pointed at her. "If she says fall back, you fall back. If she says jump, you jump. Understood?"

Silence. Miyu’s gaze locked with mine. Her smile vanished. Her lips tightened. Then, for the first time, she nodded without a word.

Reina agreed, cold. Hikari too, timidly.

I straightened, my voice heavy in the hall.

— "Good. Now that that’s clear... there’s one more matter."

I paused. They stared at me, attentive. But I shook my head.

— "No. Later."

I grabbed Aurelia and slung her over my shoulder.

— "For now... we move on."

Silence weighed. Then, one by one, they rose. The torch-heat still throbbed against Reina’s frost, Miyu’s flame-dust still hung in the air, and Ayame’s scent still clung to my throat.

The dungeon’s corridors stretched on, narrow, slimy, lit by that bluish glow that pulsed like veins through the stone. The air was heavy, saturated with damp and stench.

The first group ambushed us without warning. Three filthy goblins, drooling mouths, rusty daggers raised.

— "Mine!" roared Miyu.

Her katana blazed scarlet. She sliced the air laughing, and the first creature was cut in two. The flame devoured its flesh before it could scream. The smell of burnt meat filled my nose.

Reina, icy, raised her staff. A white breath burst out, freezing the floor beneath two goblins. Their legs locked in ice, they screamed, and she shattered them with a sharp gesture. The sound of splintering bones echoed.

A roar. Behind them, a hobgoblin appeared, massive, studded club in hand. Its yellow eyes blazed with hate.

— "Take him!"

I leapt, Aurelia thrust forward. The divine steel cut the air, but the ogre knocked it aside with a brutal swing. The impact drove me back three steps, arms numb.

Ayame was already there. Her scythe swept in an arc, a giant shadow across the corridor. The blade grazed the monster’s skin, leaving a bloody streak.

— "Kaito, behind you!"

Her voice cracked, and I spun instantly. A goblin trying to flank me was impaled on my lance. I felt its ribs crack, its black blood spraying my cheek.

A scream tore the air.

Hikari.

A goblin had lunged at her back and slashed her with its filthy blade. Her shoulder burst open, blood gushing in a bright jet. Her kimono stained instantly, soaked, clinging to her skin.

— "HIKARI!!!"

I tried to rush, but too slow.

She, trembling, mouth twisted in pain, drew a dagger from her kimono. Her eyes widened, drowning in tears.

The goblin sneered, his dagger still wet with her blood, his yellow fangs reaching for her throat.

Then she struck.

A raw howl ripped from her throat, terror and rage mixed. Her dagger plunged into the monster’s belly. Once. Twice. Three times.

— "Haaah! HAAAAAH!"

Each stab more violent than the last, desperate. The goblin tried to retreat, but she clung on, dagger buried in its flesh. She cried, her face splattered with black blood, sobs mingling with screams.

— "DIE!! DIE!! DIE!!"

She stabbed again, again, until the body went slack. Until its growls ceased. Until nothing was left but a limp carcass, riddled with holes, dripping thick blood.

Silence dropped like a stone. She froze, fingers tight on the hilt, breath ragged. Her shoulders shook with sobs, her tears mixing with blood staining her face.

Then, as if her legs gave way, she collapsed to her knees, dagger still lodged in the corpse. Her whole body trembled.

— "I-I... I..."

Her voice broke. She looked down at her hands, covered in blood, and shook them as if to tear them off.

— "... I killed it..."

Her sobs redoubled. Then, in a desperate surge, she clutched her staff with a bloodied hand. A golden light burst out, wrapping her shaking body. The wound on her shoulder slowly closed, flesh knitting with a wet, sick sound.

She gasped, eyes drowned in tears, but remained standing. Scarlet red, covered in blood and golden glow.

— "I... I can keep going!" she cried, voice hoarse, almost hysterical.

Her frail figure, staff clutched, blood dripping from her dagger... she was no longer the sweet, innocent Hikari. She was a child who had just stepped into horror.

And damn... it chilled me more than any monster.

As I braced to charge the hobgoblin again, it roared and brought its club down. I raised my lance, barely parrying. The shock rattled my whole body, my teeth clacked from the force.

Miyu screamed, her flaming katana tracing a red arc. She slashed the monster’s leg, flesh bursting, black blood gushing like a fountain.

— "HAHAHAHA! DIE!"

Reina lifted her staff at the same time.

— "Freeze."

Frost exploded on the open wound. The hobgoblin’s leg froze from the inside. An inhuman howl rang, and Ayame struck.

Her scythe sliced diagonally. The monster’s head rolled to the ground, a black geyser splattering the walls.

Silence. Just our ragged breathing and blood dripping from the walls.

No time to breathe. The second group came almost instantly. Four goblins, two hobgoblins.

— "Formation!"

We struck together. My lance pierced a goblin’s throat, hot blood spurting on my hands. Miyu laughed as she carved, her flames devouring all. Reina blocked an entire corridor with falling ice. Ayame whirled, her scythe mowing heads as if she read the score ahead of us.

A hobgoblin hurled me back with a swing. My ribs screamed, blood filled my mouth. I choked, doubled over... then a golden wave passed through me. Hikari, panting, hands tight on her staff, face dripping with sweat.

— "H-hold on!" she cried.

My pain vanished. I rose, furious, and drove Aurelia into the monster’s chest. Its flesh burst, divine light consuming it from within.

A final howl, then silence.

— "[Level 6 reached.]"

The Voice snapped. My veins throbbed, my muscles hardened, and I saw the same gleam in the girls’ eyes.

But it wasn’t over.

The corridor widened into a circular hall. There, ten massive figures waited. Hobgoblins, not filthy goblins: two meters of muscle, leather hides for armor, studded clubs shaking the ground with each step.

Miyu grinned, already eager to charge.

— "Only ten? Easy."

— "Shut up." My voice cracked. I raised my hand. "If you rush, we all die."

Silence. Even she froze, a little surprised. We pressed against the damp wall.

I gripped my lance, breath short.

— "We make a strategy."

Reina spoke first, her cold voice slicing like ice.

— "They’re slow but tough. If I freeze the floor, their steps will falter. They won’t dodge."

Miyu smirked, feral.

— "Then I torch them alive."

Hikari, trembling, wiped another bloodstain from her kimono. Her tear-red eyes lifted to me.

— "I can... strengthen you. With Dawn’s Song. Vitality, endurance. But more than once..."

Her fragile voice trembled, but she held.

Ayame placed a hand on her invisible scythe, her brown eyes piercing the dark.

— "If you listen to me, not a blow will land. We won’t even need Hikari." she said, stroking Hikari’s hair, the most fragile of us, still unable to adapt to this world.

I nodded.

— "Perfect. Reina locks. Miyu burns. Hikari supports if needed. Ayame guides. Me... I strike where it hurts."

I swept my eyes over them.

— "This time, no recklessness. Got it?"

They nodded. Even Miyu, this time, didn’t joke.

We all took position, and then the battle erupted.

Reina slammed her staff on the ground. A freezing wave spread, covering the tiles in frost. The hobgoblins roared as their massive legs slipped, scrambling for footing.

— "Now!" ordered Ayame.

Miyu leapt, her katana blazing with Primordial Flame. She sliced the first throat. Fire devoured its flesh from the inside, its head bursting in a spray of flame and black blood.

Another raised its club, aiming at Miyu.

— "Right!" shouted Ayame.

I lunged, Aurelia piercing its flank. The shock jolted my arms, its hot blood splattering my face. I yanked my lance free, its body crashing down.

Three more charged. Reina raised her staff, frost rising like a wave, locking their legs. They struggled, snarled, but remained frozen in ice.

Miyu shrieked with laughter and hacked them apart, flames erupting with every strike. Their bodies split like dry wood, consumed until only smoking carcasses remained.

A hobgoblin appeared behind Reina, club raised.

— "Watch out!" cried Hikari.

My heart leapt, my muscles burned—not with pain, with power. My whole body vibrated with energy. I dashed, faster than ever, and impaled the creature before its weapon crushed Reina.

Its howl strangled in my throat. I tore Aurelia from its chest in a black geyser.

— "Well done..." Reina breathed, icy but panting.

Ayame’s scythe sliced the air. A perfect trajectory, guided by instinct. The blade severed two throats at once, their heads rolling on the frozen floor.

The last roared, yellow eyes burning with rage. It charged, ready to sweep the whole corridor with its club.

— "All together!"

We struck at the same time.

My lance Aurelia pierced its torso. Miyu’s flaming katana sank into its neck. Reina’s frost spread over its legs, bursting its flesh apart.

The hobgoblin’s body literally exploded into smoking pieces.

Silence fell.

We stood, panting, surrounded by broken corpses, stone splattered with black blood, the air thick with ash and frost.

And then, the World’s Voice rang in our heads:

— [Level 7 reached.]

A shiver ran down my spine. My muscles pulsed, my breathing steadied faster than before. I felt like my body was learning on its own.

I looked at my sisters. Even they seemed... different. Sharper. More aware.

— "Do you feel it?" I whispered. "We’re getting stronger. Not just in power. In instinct. We’re adapting..."

Miyu nodded, for once without provocation. Reina tightened her grip on her staff with gravity. Hikari, still covered in dried blood, managed a fragile smile. Ayame watched us in silence, but her eyes said everything: she already knew this was the beginning of a dangerous spiral.

I gripped Aurelia, my breath still short.

— "Good. Because we have only one possibility: to keep moving forward..."