Winter leaped up and swiped at Baruka, but he blocked Winter's dagger with his own. "Looks like he's not going to be an easy opponent," Winter thought, summoning his other dagger as he skidded back on the ground. "I'll make you an offer. One that's in your favor," Baruka began, flipping his dagger with the blade down. "But, before I do, let me ask you one thing," he added, getting down off his horse. "What are you doing with the humans, when you're not one of them?" Baruka asks. "What are you talking about?" Winter asks, surprised and baffled by the question. "I suppose you aren't aware," he laughed briefly. "We hear voices in our heads all the time. Voices that tell us to kill humans, but we don't hear them in your presence," Baruka explained, tapping his head. "They hear voices that tell them to kill humans? Could it be something similar to the orders the System gives me?" He asks himself. "Maybe those voices don't apply to me, because the System has turned me into a 'Player'," Winter added to the thought. "We have no reason to fight each other. We don't want to suffer any unnecessary losses either," Baruka began. "All you have to do is hand over those humans behind you," he explained sinisterly. "Only then will I promise to spare your life. How about it? Do we have a deal?" Baruka asks. Offering a hand to shake in agreement. "I have some questions for you, too," Winter began. "Who are you guys?" He asks seriously. "Where are you from, and why do you wish to kill humans?" Winter added.
"We," Baruka began, just before he began to glitch out. He began his offer again, seemingly ignoring the question. "What's going on? Did he just ignore my question, or?" He thought. "Do you accept my offer?" Baruka asks, his army beginning to walk up to their boss. "Respectfully decline," he replied calmly. "Are you planning on fighting me and my men?" Baruka asks as a cold wind of mana rushes over Winter. "You're outnumbered. You think you'll be able to win all by yourself?" He added. "Outnumbered?" He asks. "Who? Me?" He added playfully, pointing with a hand on his chest. The army within his shadow began to form. Stella screamed in terror, "What are these things?!" Gon asks. "M-monsters are appearing out of nowhere!" Yon added. "Black knights and ice bears?!" Parklin asks, her draw dropped. "Could it be?! Is Winter behind this too?!" She thought. "What a petty gimmick," Baruka commented. "A gimmick? Are you sure about that?" Winter asks. The Shadow Army stood in front of their master. "I could probably win against all of you, by myself, but, why should I do that when I'm with my hood?" He asks just as his soldiers begin to charge the Hyakki forces, and they clash. "Fall back! We can't handle this battle!" Parklin ran with Stella dragging behind. "Calling my army a "petty gimmick" wasn't just big talk," Winter thought. "Regardless if I have more troops or not, I don't have enough mana to sustain them for very long," he added, staying back. "Even if they're immortal, my numbers will gradually decrease if they keep getting destroyed how they are right now," Winter thought, watching some of his soldiers getting destroyed. "They've leveled up, but... They for sure can't tackle the boss," he added in thought. Baruka walked through the army, destroying each soldier who got in his way. "I can tell that he's stronger than me, but not by much," Winter thought. "Even then he won't be easy to take down. Even with Ultima and Igris. My infantry wouldn't stand a chance against him," he added. "If I could just have... An even stronger shadow!" He thought, looking back to see Charles' body under the tree still. "What is your name, non-human?" He asks, a yard away from Winter. "Winter Legendary Greats," he replied, stepping forward. Winter stepped on Charles' sword. With both daggers in hand, Winter dashed forward, kicking the sword back towards Charles. The sword landed beside him, just as Winter leaped up and headed straight for Baruka. Winter swiped down with his dagger but missed Baruka because swift step back. The dagger was pushed to the ground by Baruka's foot. Winter returned his dagger to his inventory, and then his dagger returned to his hand, swinging up at Baruaka's face. Baruka blocked Winter's attack with his dagger. The Hyakki seemed uninterested, or bored of this battle. Winter brought his left dagger around, but that too was blocked with another dagger of Baruka's. Baruka brought his knee up to kick Winter in the side, launching him back several feet away. Winter flipped himself around in the air to stabilize himself, landing on his feet. "I can't remember the last time I felt excited about a fight," Baruka had a wide smile. Just as he was talking, a fireball fell from the sky, looking up, Baruka saw it coming down too quickly to escape in time. The large fireball landed right on top of him. "I bought myself some time," Winter sighed.
Charles started to get up, noticing how badly his head was aching. "That voice earlier, was that Winter's?" He asks himself aloud. "That piece of shit!" He cursed. Moving around under the tree, he noticed his sword beside him. "I'm going to kill him," Charles gritted his teeth. Grabbing the sword, he stood himself up. The fire from the mages continued to burn. "There's no way this was enough to kill you. Don't leave me waiting, Baruka," Winter stood just a yard away from the ball of fire. Baruka stepped out, "Is this all that your soldiers can do?!" He asks, dashing forward at Winter. He stood there, knowing something Baruka didn't. The Hyakki hesitated, confused. "Winter!" Parklin screamed trying to Warn him of the attack coming from behind. Charles leaped up and forward at Winter from behind. "DIE YOU BASTARD!" He screamed, bringing his sword back behind his shoulder. "Oh. Looks like I'm not the only one after your head," Baruka watched with sinister amusement. He closed the gap, but something was off. "So predictable. Igris," Winter commanded, with a smirk. Igris formed just behind Winter, and with his long sword, he plunged it through Charles' chest. Charles coughed up blood. His lungs punctured. "Winter... You son of a," He looked down at Winter. He turned his head, looking back at Charles. "I know... She is a bitch, huh?" Winter asks with a smirk. "You saw this coming. Didn't you-" Charles began- "From the beginning?" Charles asked. Winter watched Charles die on Igris' sword. "Dammit," he exhaled with his last breath. "Interesting!" Baruka laughed, "But this won't change your fate!" He added. Igris wrapped Winter in his cloak, getting Charles off his sword. "There's no use hiding!" Baruak leaped up and over to Igris. The Shadow Soldier swung his long sword toward the powerful Hyakki. Baruka spun in the air dodging the attack. But, behind Igris, Winter knelt to Charles' body and spoke to it. "Arise," he commanded.
~>System<{" The [Player] Has [Extracted a Shadow Successfully]!"}>It rang<~
The shadows consumed and condensed the bloody mana of the lifeless body. With a mighty roar, Charles lives once more. His axe, armor, and shield returned to their former glory. "You've grown," Winter had a smug look. Now subjugated, Charles knelt before him.
~>System<{" Choose a Name For The [Player]'s Soldier,"}>it displayed over Charles' head<~
"Hm... You're a tank, so from now on, your name will be Iron," he commented.
~>System<{" [Shadow Soldier: Iron]. [Level: 10]. [Rank: Infantry],"}>it rang, updating the new soldier's profile<~
"Don't get distracted now," Baruak warned. "You think you can stop me with just one soldier?" He asks, cutting through Igris. "Of course not," he replied casually. Iron roared, and a wave of mana and magic erupted from his throat.
~>System<{" [Shadow Soldier: Iron] Has Used [Skill: Taunt],"}>it rang<~
~>System<{" The [Dungeon Boss] Has Been [Provoked],"}>it rang again<~
"I see! Another amusing fellow has joined the fight!" Baruka's face twisted and deformed into a strange smile. "I'll strike you down first!" He added, attacking and rushing over to Iron, but he couldn't land a blow just yet, as Iron brought his shield up to block Baruka's attack. Iron attempted to attack back with his Battle Axe, but Baruka leaped up and over Iron. "You don't stand a chance against me with this slowpoke!" Baruka yelled with excitement. Igris leaps around Iron with Winter. "Oh yeah? Then how about three of them?" Winter asks in response. "Parklin... Is this usually how Mythics fight in dungeons?" Stella asks, staying close. "I wouldn't have passed the exam if that were the case," she replied, watching carnage and chaos unfold before her. "I've never seen or heard of anything like this before," she added. "Maybe we're all just dreaming right now," Yon had disbelief. Igris dashed towards Baruka, lunging forward with his sword first. Barley dodging, Baruka gritted his teeth, losing some of his luxurious cloak. Winter came from behind, stabbing Baruka with his daggers.
~>System<{" [Effects: Bleed And Paralysis] Has Been Activated,"}>it rang<~
"Even under these circumstances, he's managed to protect his vital points," Winter thought, getting annoyed. He leaped away as Baruka turned to face him. "How annoyingly persistent. You're all just trash," he roared as the effects began to fade.
~>System<{" The [Dungeon Boss]'s Resistance Was Too High. The [Effects] Were Canceled,"}>it rang<~
"This probably isn't the best time for you to be complaining," Winter replied, scoffing. "Take a look around," he added, smirking smugly. Gritting his teeth, Baruka looked around to see his army dead. "Are these the troops you were bragging about earlier? Is this all you got?" Winter asks mockingly. "You piece of! If I just get rid of you, your minions will all disappear too!" He dashed after Winter. In response, he threw his right dagger at him. "You're throwing your weapon away? What a foolish-" Baruka began, mockingly commenting on his decision. Winter reached out with his right hand and propelled his dagger even faster toward Baruka. "Is it accelerating?!" The Hyakki thought, bringing his dagger up to block the attack. Upon contact, Baruka's dagger began to fracture, he then pushed the dagger Winter threw up to redirect its momentum. While Baruka was busy, Iron came up from behind and picked Hyakki up. Together, the mages brought down an even bigger fireball on Iron and Baruka. In a fit of rage, the Hyakki broke free from Iron. "You bastards," he growled. "I'm gonna kill you all!" He screamed, stepping forward with a wave of powerful mana. Before he could even take another step, that same Hyakki was stabbed in the stomach. Baruka looked down to where he was stabbed. Winter was leaning forward, with his daggers in the Hyakki's stomach. "It's over. You lost," Winter looked up at him. "Who do you think I am?! I'm not done with you!" Baruka grabbed onto Winter's wrist. With Igris, Iron brought his battle axe up with the long sword. They slammed their weapons down as hard as they could, forcing the Hyakki into the frozen earth. "I said... You lost," he watched them raise their weapons.
~>System<{" The [Player] Has Defeated The [Dungeon Boss: Baruak of The Hyakki Tribe],"}>it rang to Winter, music to his ears<~
~>System<{" The [Player] Has Leveled up! [x2],"}>It rang again<~
Winter sighed heavily, relieved that it was over. "That was a close one," he sighed, starting to feel the peace after his victory. The peace didn't last long, as Iron aggressively pounded his battle axe into Baruka's lifeless body. "Hey! Hey!" Knock it off!" Winter yelled. Iron suddenly stopped, looking over to Winter confused. "He's still stupid, even as a shadow," he thought. "No more of that," Winter sternly shook his index finger. "Fuck... I can already tell he's going to be a pain in the ass," he grumbled, shaking his head in disapproval. Iron turned to Igris, confused. Igris only sighs and turns to leave. Iron turned to two other infantry Shadows. The two knights celebrated with him. "Alright! Are we ready to head back?" Winter asks his squad. "H-head back?" Gon asks. A portal began to open, and with a rush of mana and cold air, it blew some of the snow away and boulders came rolling out. "Yes, we can leave through that portal, now," Winter explained. "We can go home!" Yon celebrated with excitement. "Finally," Gon sighed in relief. The two girls excitedly rush over to the portal. "Now. What should I do with this guy?" Winter thought, looking down at the dead body of Baruka.