The tension in Orario remained palpable. Rumors of escalating dangers in the Dungeon were spreading like wildfire. Maki, however, had no intention of waiting for answers to come to her. Armed with the strange shard she and Scathach had recovered, she resolved to uncover its secrets.
But she wasn't prepared for how quickly those secrets would draw new threats.
The Guild's hall was bustling when Maki and Scathach arrived to report their findings. Eina rushed to greet them, her usual composed demeanour replaced by urgency.
"Something's happening on the surface," Eina said. "A group of cloaked figures has been seen near Babel Tower. They're... not normal."
"Cloaked figures?" Maki asked, her brow furrowing. "More weirdos trying to mess with the Dungeon?"
"It's possible," Eina replied. "They've been seen wielding strange weapons that don't resemble anything forged in Orario. The Loki Familia is already investigating."
Scathach's expression darkened. "Artifacts tied to singularities. This is no coincidence."
Before Maki could respond, the ground trembled violently, sending a wave of panic through the hall. A deafening roar echoed from the direction of Babel Tower, and Eina's eyes widened in fear.
"That's coming from the Dungeon entrance!" she exclaimed.
Maki and Scathach exchanged a glance before sprinting toward the source of the disturbance.
The scene at Babel Tower was chaos. Adventurers were locked in battle with monstrous creatures that seemed to ooze from the shadows. Their forms were grotesque, with glowing veins of purple light crisscrossing their bodies. Among them stood the cloaked figures, directing the monsters with eerie precision.
Maki gritted her teeth as she took in the scene. "These guys don't waste time, do they?"
Scathach's spear materialized in her hand. "We'll deal with them quickly. Focus on the cloaked ones—they're the puppeteers."
Maki nodded, her spear at the ready. She charged into the fray, her movements fluid and precise. Her spear tore through the monsters with ease, the power of her shard amplifying each strike. Scathach moved beside her, a blur of deadly efficiency as she struck down their enemies.
It didn't take long for the cloaked figures to notice them. One of them stepped forward, wielding a weapon that glowed with the same unnatural light as the shard. His voice was low and distorted as he addressed them.
"You shouldn't meddle in matters beyond your comprehension," he said. "The singularities are inevitable."
Maki snorted. "Yeah, well, so is me kicking your ass."
The figure didn't respond. Instead, he raised his weapon, and the surrounding shadows seemed to come alive. Tendrils of darkness shot toward Maki, but she dodged deftly, countering with a powerful strike that forced the figure to retreat.
As the battle raged on, one of the cloaked figures targeted Scathach, summoning flames that spiralled through the air like a serpent. Scathach met the attack head-on, her spear cutting through the fire with precision.
"Impressive," the figure said, his voice tinged with amusement. "But let's see how long you can keep up."
Scathach's lips curved into a faint smile. "You'll regret testing me."
The two engaged in a fierce duel, their weapons clashing with a sound that echoed through the battlefield. Scathach's movements were elegant yet ruthless, each strike aimed to dismantle her opponent's defences. The figure, however, wielded his flames with a mastery that suggested he wasn't an ordinary foe.
Maki, meanwhile, focused on the remaining cloaked figures. She dodged a flurry of shadowy projectiles, retaliating with a series of rapid spear strikes. The power of her shard coursed through her weapon, allowing her to cut through the enemy's defences with ease.
"You think you're special because of that shard?" one of the figures sneered. "You're just another pawn."
Maki's eyes narrowed. "Keep talking. Let's see how that works out for you."
She lunged forward, her spear glowing with energy. The figure tried to dodge, but Maki's speed was unmatched. Her attack struck true, shattering his weapon and sending him sprawling to the ground.
With the cloaked figures weakened, the tide of battle began to turn. The adventurers rallied, pushing back the remaining monsters with renewed determination. Scathach delivered a final, devastating blow to her opponent, sending him collapsing in a heap of blackened robes.
As the battlefield quieted, Maki approached Scathach, her expression a mix of triumph and frustration. "These guys are tougher than the usual Dungeon trash."
"They're not just Dungeon dwellers," Scathach said, her gaze fixed on the remnants of their enemies. "They're connected to the singularities. Their weapons and powers are proof of that."
Before Maki could respond, the ground beneath them trembled once more. From the shadows emerged a massive creature, its form shifting and writhing as though it couldn't settle on a single shape. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and its roar sent a shiver down Maki's spine.
"Of course there's a boss fight," she muttered, readying her spear.
The creature towered over them, its massive limbs sweeping through the battlefield with devastating force. Maki and Scathach moved in unison, their attacks coordinated and precise. But the creature's regenerative abilities made it a formidable opponent, its wounds closing almost as quickly as they were inflicted.
Maki gritted her teeth. "This thing's tougher than it looks."
"Focus on the core," Scathach said, her eyes narrowing. "The glow in its chest—that's its weakness."
Maki nodded, her determination renewed. She dodged a massive swing from the creature's arm, using the momentum to propel herself toward its chest. Her spear struck the glowing core, and the creature let out a deafening roar of pain.
Scathach followed up with a powerful attack, her spear piercing the core with unerring precision. The creature thrashed violently before collapsing, its body dissolving into a pool of shadow.
As the dust settled, a fragment of the creature's core remained, pulsing with the same purple light as the shard Maki had collected earlier. Scathach picked it up, her expression grim.
"This is no ordinary Dungeon spawn," she said. "Someone—or something—is using the singularities to manipulate the Dungeon."
Maki frowned. "What does that mean for Orario? For us?"
Scathach's gaze met hers, a flicker of concern in her crimson eyes. "It means the singularities are spreading, and the stakes are higher than we thought."
Maki tightened her grip on her spear, her resolve unwavering. "Then we'd better get stronger. Whatever's coming, we'll face it head-on."