Ishida stood there, waiting for his next opponent to arrive. The countdown was almost at its end.
"Level 35 was easy... What's next?" he said, glaring at the screen as the numbers ticked down.
[2nd Opponent Has Been Deployed]
"2nd Opponent Deployed? But I don't see anyone around!" Ishida thought, glancing around to spot the opponent the system had recognized. Suddenly, he felt something—a familiar sensation. "I can sense it... and the presence feels so familiar... But where? Where have I sensed this before?"
His mind raced, trying to recall where he'd encountered this presence. Then it hit him.
"That mission..." Ishida remembered the forest mission he'd completed right after his final exam to join the Demon Slayer Corps. He recalled entering a small house in the forest and sensing a massive, overwhelming presence in one of the rooms. But by the time he reached it, the presence had vanished, leaving no trace. "It's the same presence... But why is it back? How is it here? The last opponent, Zarathis, was also from one of my missions. Just like this one, Zarathis didn't face me back then and disappeared suddenly. Does that mean the system is involved in this somehow?"
As Ishida pondered, he felt something beneath his feet. Acting on instinct, he leaped into the air just as a demon burst out of the ground, its body twisting and writhing like a mass of shadows. It lunged for Ishida's feet, but he was already in motion, using his speed to put distance between himself and the demon.
The demon straightened up, standing tall with a sly grin. "He told me you'd be strong, but I didn't expect you'd be this quick to dodge my attack just on instinct," the demon said, his voice dripping with amusement.
"Instinct? I sensed you coming from a mile away," Ishida shot back. "And who's this 'he' you're talking about?"
The demon chuckled. "So, you don't even know who 'he' is, and yet you're here, fighting demons? Pathetic. Actually, you're even more pathetic than I am if that's the case."
"Pathetic, huh? I guess that's why you ran away that day instead of facing me," Ishida said, his tone mocking.
"Ran away? Oh, boy, you're full of yourself," the demon sneered. "I didn't run. I made a deal with ****** ********. If I retreated that day, I'd get to fight a stronger version of you later. According to him, you were too weak back then to face someone like me. I only fight the strongest. Now that you've grown, he brought me here."
Ishida's expression shifted to one of confusion and surprise. 'It's happening again. Every time he's about to say the name, the voice cuts out. I can't hear it.'
[2nd Opponent, Name: Malakar (Level: 40)]
"Level 40? So, he's stronger than the last one, but the difference between our levels is still huge. Is it because I've leveled up way more than necessary for this floor?" Ishida thought to himself. "That's probably it. The requirement to enter the 7th floor was Level 32. If I were Level 32 right now, fighting Zarathis and this guy would've been a real challenge. But since I'm Level 60, it's more like a walk in the park. That's what I'm figuring, at least. Still, I can't underestimate any opponent just because of their level. Not at this point."
Malakar stood there, his grin widening as he watched Ishida's thoughts play out on his face. "Ready to dance, slayer?" he taunted, cracking his knuckles.
Ishida focused, his grip tightening on his weapon. "Bring it on, Malakar. Let's see if you can back up your words."