A boundless sea of sailing, burgundy red grass wrapped itself around the healthy soil as a lionized scarlet sun unleashed a radiant hue throughout the red-soaked field.
The sound of wind cutting through the thick-bundled grass was omniscient as one stepped into a small discreet encasement.
There was only one small shaven patch of land in this throng of red grass that had infested the landscape.
It formed a perfect circle and the rose-red grass strayed from it carefully.
Within it, was hardened dusty soil and a precious bitsy tea party.
"Bup. Bup Bup."
A pristine marble teacup rose, carried by a small and smooth-white hand, the tea cup drifted in the air for a moment before a light and short-willed voice carried itself through the soothing atmosphere.
"I now call for the 27th Manchrale Meeting."
Flowing red hair that looked scalded had spun itself down the shoulder of a young girl.
No older than 8.
She wore a Disbathory Crown of Black Steel that sat sullenly upon her small head. It possessed silver glints around its edges and didn't possess any aspect of royalty from my short gaze.
Her face was pure and unscarred as she looked around proudly and intrigued. Her head swayed from side to side in an extremely childish manner.
Her attire was most informal yet innocent.
An oversized royal gown flourishing with sleek-black fur had been patted down onto her shoulders and it met the ground where it trailed along.
She wore entirely black and the only other color on her was that from her natural body and ruby hair.
She bore an odd resemblance to a certain person.
And every single one of the -S- Rank Monsters on the white-round table knew exactly who it was.
Sitting calmly and humbly in their human forms, a group of 8 Beasts sat on pleasantly grey seats that cushioned them.
Of various hair colors, heights, and skin colors. They struggled to sit like normal humans and their beastly habits had stuck with them.
They listened to her words with interest and complacency, for the power or rather thing behind her was larger than all of them combined.
Unlike the figure that possessed ghostly silver rippled eyes that shone in even the darkest depths, the girl possessed natural brown eyes.
Clearing her throat depressingly unsubtly her immature voice riled the ears of those present.
But they put up with it.
Because she was doing well for a child of her age.
A human child at that.
"We've made some really good improvements lately... We should be able to become an official -S- Rank dungeon soon and as long as Salem comes back and finishes his mission in the next week, we can successfully upgrade thanks to the resources provided by Vuruntale and from then on, we can only go upwards!"
Her innocence gleamed as a wide smile broke out and crippled her professional and planning front.
The -S- Rank Monsters all let out loose smiles and sighed at their ruler who they were obedient to.
But they still adored the idea of being a part of an -S- Rank Dungeon.
It was common knowledge in the Monster-World that once a Dungeon reached the -S- Rank it could only be destroyed. Not downgraded from monster deprivation.
And they would be part of no ordinary -S- Rank Dungeon.
If things went well, this Dungeon would probably have the potential to become of the ancient
-Hollow- Rank.
"Ahem."
Their dreams and hopefully close-minded ideals were brought back to the small, black-wrapped girl.
"But with that, to our victory."
She rose her glass slowly and shakily, her crown tilted sideways on her head as her head lifted.
A small wave of cheer erupted across the table as the creatures joined her in her antics.
As the various forms and figures gulped down tea cups in long drawn-out gulps, nobody seemed to notice a black figure entering.
A sodden black mirage flashed before a Black Emperor warped into the tea party.
A striking crown of caliginous black struck his shifting head as his form remained constantly in change.
His robes remained royal and decrepit.
The resemblance between himself and the girl at the top of the table was clear as the Silent Sun.
But what was most noticeable now about this figure, was not his form.
His powers.
Or his mysterious spatial abilities.
But the pale bloodied corpse held in his arms.
Red had seeped through the Black Emperors' clothes from the sheer mess that had been unleashed from the back of a tall, albino man.
Long and drafty white hair slithered down a back that had been parted and given a grotesque look.
Every single thing about the man held in the Black Emperor's arms resembled death.
The dazed slit-like eyes, the thick lines, and coats of blood that had been engraved into the very skin of the Albanian man.
Everything resembled death.
The clattering and clunker of cups stopped instantly.
A cup or two shattered from the sheer force applied by the -S- Ranks in human form.
One of their own... had died?
Their eyes betrayed their calm and silent mouths.
"Salem has fallen."
A rusty voice emerged from the Black Emporer. His body stopped shifting for a small moment before he stood there, the sailing grass continued sailing.
The sunlight that was once warm and empowering; now only seemed shrewd and limpid.
The look on the small girl's face throbbed and worsened as an -S- Rank monster with a short brown hair covered her eyes with a thick hairy hand.
It was no sight for someone so young.
A bitter silence had descended into the tea party.
Everything had seemed so hopeful, so beautiful and shining.
Yet now all that remained was the threat of something that could destroy all they had worked for.
A human form beast with shoulder-length righteous blue hair that curled at the ends let out a deep voice unbefitting for its size and appearance.
"How did it happen."
His voice held seething rage as well as the patience from decades on decades of experience.
The Black Emperor wasted no words and gave out the simplest and most accurate answer.
"There were no signs or malfunctions in Selam's life crystal before he died."
Seeing a small trace of confusion on the little girl's half-covered face, the Black Emperor expanded slightly.
Something the other beasts found far out of character.
"Or in other words, he was killed extremely swiftly. That or in a singular attack."
The palpable blackness that was stored within the Black Emporer trembled slightly.
Two fluorescent silver eyes opened slowly, a wave of ripples stretching outwards.
Looking around, the Black Emperor let his gaze settle on the red-haired princess for commands.
The beast with shoulder-length azure hair put his hand on Salem, the Yeti, peacefully.
Within a subtle moment, a flourishing tidal storm of bright blue and storming yellow engulfed the corpse of Salem.
It was the flames of a Phoenix.
As the flames slowly shrunk and lost their vigor, the corpse of Salem was turned into no more than a spirit in the wind.
The Beasts held a slow minute of silence before planning their next moves.
Salem was the 2nd weakest of the 10 but he should've been able to outnumber any Adventurer party with his pack and easily take on any half-competent -S- Rank Adventurer.
Tensions grew as moods started to grip at each other.
An order was declared by the girl at the end of the table.
"Salem will not die for nothing. One of you should punish the people who killed him. Now." Her voice had become eerily flat and her eyes had paled.
She was breaking, in a way.
Arguments and beliefs soon clashed as the monsters fought for the spot of vengeance.
"It can't be you. You're even weaker than Salem."
"So why should it be you? You would take weeks to reach them anyways."
"Stop baffling. It has to be me."
"You specialize in growth and farming. It just has to be me-."
A cold wind split the sound from each of the beast's mouths.
A beast with ice-white hair and no apparent gender spoke flatly.
"I will be the one to kill the bastards."
They were one of the stronger beasts on the table.
Arrogant and cold-hearted.
But their words were questioned by the young girl at the hem of the table.
"Kill?"
All the beasts jerked their heads solemnly.
"I said punish. Not kill. Just give them a warning."
Her face shifted uncomfortably.
"Because... killing is bad. And you aren't monsters. Not to me."
The majority of the beasts backed out of the discussion.
Fearful of crippling the girl's innocence due to their incapability to hold back their anger and rage.
They took their seats with unsubtle grunts and whines.
And now only one beast. Figure and creature remained standing.
Toned with an unnatural black and shifting spikes.
Omniscient silver-rattling eyes that seemed to be taking in a little at a time.
The Black Emperor stood still.
The strongest and most dangerous beast in the dungeon.
But also the most rational and experienced beast.
He was perfect for a task that needed control and power.
He was to scare off the Adventurers in the dungeon and then return swiftly for the Dungeon's upgrade.
Nodding slyly and accepting his commission, the hawthorn-crowned figure took 3 strides forward before a strange spatial ability warped him leaving behind a corrosive fissure of rupturing black plasma.
Soon the tea party dispersed.
And time passed until night fell.
Oddly enough, this was the only place in the dungeon where the night could fall.
The beasts went their own ways within the dungeon until there was only the beast with short-brown hair and hairy arms left.
His thick eyebrows furrowed as he waited for a certain figure.
A soundless slit formed before him.
His shoulders tensed as his eyes darted across the land.
Slowly widening and showing a corrupted slice in the air, a black figure stepped out before him.
Only the Black Emperor and himself remained in the shaven red grass parting.
"What did you do with them?"
Two murky golden-brown eyes trailed in the darkness that had set.
The voice rumbled and frolicked in the night. Briefly alarming the Black Emperor.
The Black Emperor eyed Gazil, the Behemoth, suspiciously before giving a brief answer. His steel-wrenching voice caused Gazil's ears to perk and strain.
"I passed on a warning. They possessed one capable warrior, the others were children. They will most likely fall by themselves."
The Behemoth in human form nodded.
His beige arms were crossed as a hand lay as a stage for his chin.
He swallowed slowly before making quite the audacious claim.
"Take me to them."
The Black Emperor briefly tilted his shifting head before two eyes of magnificent silver ripples released themselves from umbra-tied bounds.
Meeting eyes, the Behemoth kept his will high.
It was common knowledge that the Black Emperor specialized in Spatial Magic.
"Humans are meek but feisty. Calm but wild. They need a warning that will last. A warning that will roar and pummel."
Brazil's fingernails scratched and bore into his veins as his voice rose to discomforting heights.
His anger shimmered in the crispy night.
The Black Emperor let his thoughts flow as he looked at where the young girl had previously sat.
Considering the consequences and attributes of allowing such a thing he nodded slowly.
He was somewhat certain that the children were of no threat, but if the red-clothed one were to show any higher feats of strength then the chance of another of the once 10 now 9 beasts falling was definitely plausible.
Although he had given a forceful warning that was sure to last, he still pondered heavily.
They couldn't afford to make sacrifices at this point in the upgrade process.
His answer was all the behemoth needed to hear as his mouth formed a vicious and ridiculing grin in the gleam of the night.
"Beware of the red one."
The Behemoth, who was probably more towards the middle in the strength ranks of the beasts let his muscles invigorate him as he prepared to be sent for the act of justice.
A metallic and cruel voice creaked through a dimensional slit as the behemoth found himself transporting through a pitch-black plane.
"Kill them all."
A solemn slit of huge stature forced itself open in the sky.
A deafening sound fixed itself into the ears of the Behemoth.
A thick brown blur speeded down like a morbid anvil.
POOF.
A huge spiked snow cloud of white expanded as a colossal mammoth-like creature landed in the snow like a free-faller.
It was covered in bone structures and possessed grizzly, dusk fur.
Its eyes were gold to the point of having no shine, shift or shimmer.
And it was ready to hunt.
Ready to hunt in the eternal white.