The brief advantage they had gained lasted only seconds.
In battles at this level, opportunities were fleeting. A single mistake could decide everything, and neither side could afford to hesitate.
The severed arm had barely finished crashing onto the battlefield when Allure retaliated.
The monstrous limb twitched violently across the shattered stone, blackened blood hissing wherever it touched. The corrupted liquid ate into the ground like acid, releasing smoke as it burned through the already fractured arena floor.
Then Allure moved.
Not backward.
Not in retreat.
Forward.
Her massive body twisted with unnatural speed. The remaining arms spread outward as she spun, transforming herself into a whirlwind of living blades.
Rio reacted immediately.
The Imperial Saber rose in her left hand while the Crimson Bloodmoon swept upward in her right.
CLANG!
The first impact exploded against her guard.
The force rattled her entire body.
A second strike arrived instantly.
Then a third.
Then a fourth.
Steel screamed as weapon met weapon.
Sparks erupted across the battlefield.
Rio blocked the first attack.
Deflected the second.
Caught the third.
But the fourth slipped through.
A sharp line of pain shot across her arm.
Then another.
Thin crimson cuts appeared along her skin.
They weren't deep.
They weren't fatal.
But they were proof that Allure was still becoming faster.
Still becoming stronger.
Rio's boots dug trenches through the stone as she was pushed backward. Cracks spread beneath her feet with every forced step.
"Tch..."
She managed to hold her ground.
Barely.
Then Allure suddenly stopped.
The spinning assault ended instantly.
Her body straightened.
Every mouth across her grotesque form opened.
One.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
Dozens.
Each mouth stretched impossibly wide, exposing rows of jagged teeth.
Then crimson-black energy began gathering inside them.
Rio's eyes narrowed.
The glow started small.
Tiny points of light.
Then they expanded.
Growing larger.
Denser.
More unstable.
Dozens of floating spheres formed around Allure's body.
Each one pulsed with enough power to level entire sections of the dungeon.
Ryota's expression changed immediately.
"...Rio!"
He raised the damaged flintlock musket.
The weapon groaned under the strain.
"DODGE!"
His finger pulled the trigger.
BANG!
Scalular Impact activated.
Energy surged through the barrel.
The weapon nearly shattered from the stress.
The bullet tore across the battlefield like a missile.
This time it didn't miss.
CRACK!
The shot struck Allure directly in the chest.
The impact was enormous.
Her body jerked backward.
Momentum vanished.
Then she was launched across the battlefield.
BOOM!
Her back slammed into the far wall with enough force to fracture the entire structure.
Stone exploded outward.
Massive cracks raced across the surface like lightning.
For a moment, the spheres surrounding her flickered.
Destabilized.
Then everything went wrong.
The energy collapsed.
And detonated.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
The explosion swallowed the chamber.
Crimson light consumed everything.
Fire erupted outward in every direction.
Shockwaves tore through the battlefield.
The floor shattered.
The walls groaned.
Entire sections of the dungeon began collapsing under the pressure.
Rio didn't retreat.
She moved through the chaos.
Her body darted across the crumbling terrain, using the destruction itself as cover.
Chunks of stone crashed around her.
Waves of heat rolled across the battlefield.
The blast still struck her.
Hard.
But not directly.
When the light finally faded, smoke filled the chamber.
Debris drifted through the air.
Silence settled over the battlefield.
Brief.
Heavy.
Then Rio's voice broke through it.
"...Nice shot."
Ryota let out a breath.
A tired grin appeared on his face.
"...Yeah."
The musket lowered slightly.
His hands trembled from exhaustion.
Not fear.
Strain.
"...You okay?"
Rio stepped beside him.
The crimson aura surrounding her body still burned brightly, but it wasn't as strong as before.
The glowing veins spreading across her skin had begun to dim.
The Bloodmoon Resonance was consuming energy faster than she could recover it.
"...Still standing."
She paused.
"...Barely."
For the first time, Ryota noticed it clearly.
The exhaustion.
The cost.
The timer.
They couldn't keep this up forever.
"We don't have much time."
Ryota nodded.
His gaze shifted toward the smoke where Allure had disappeared.
"Then we finish it fast."
After a moment, he glanced at her.
"...Why haven't you summoned Auram?"
Rio didn't answer immediately.
Her grip tightened around her swords.
"He's still recharging."
A short pause followed.
"And in this state, I can't use most of my skills properly."
Ryota nodded.
That made sense.
But Rio continued.
"Even if he wasn't..."
Her crimson eye narrowed.
"...I don't want to rely on him."
Ryota blinked.
"Huh?"
Rio stared into the smoke.
"If I start depending on power that isn't mine..."
Her voice grew quieter.
"...then I won't get stronger."
A breath escaped her lips.
"I don't want shortcuts."
Another pause.
"I want to earn it."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Ryota smiled.
"...Yeah."
He raised the musket again.
"...Sounds like you."
He pulled the trigger.
Click.
Nothing.
He frowned.
Pulled it again.
Click.
Still nothing.
Ryota looked down.
The weapon was finished.
Cracks covered the barrel.
The frame was splitting apart.
Repeatedly forcing Scalular Impact through a weapon never designed to contain that much power had finally destroyed it.
"...It broke."
Rio sighed softly.
"...Figures."
Ryota lowered the ruined musket.
"...Guess I'm back to basics."
Rio didn't answer.
Because something had caught her attention.
The smoke was clearing.
And Allure was still standing.
The boss looked terrible.
Armor hung from her body in shattered pieces.
Burn marks covered her form.
One arm was gone entirely.
Cracks spread across her armor like a broken shell.
Yet she remained alive.
But that wasn't what caught Rio's attention.
Her HP bar.
It was falling.
Slowly.
Steadily.
Without them attacking.
Ryota noticed it too.
"...Wait."
Rio's mind immediately began connecting pieces.
Patterns.
Behavior.
Damage output.
Energy expenditure.
The transformation.
Everything clicked.
"...She's burning herself out."
Ryota frowned.
"What?"
"That form."
Rio stared at Allure.
"...It's unstable."
The realization sharpened.
"She's forcing herself to maintain it."
Understanding appeared in Ryota's eyes.
"...So if we just wait—"
"No."
Rio immediately cut him off.
"She'll kill us long before that happens."
The answer came instantly.
But then another thought formed.
A dangerous one.
A calculated one.
A plan.
The crimson glow in her eye intensified.
"...But we can use it."
Ryota turned toward her.
"What are you thinking?"
Rio stepped forward.
Both swords rose into ready positions.
A faint smile touched her lips.
"...I'll show you."
The smoke had not fully disappeared when she began moving.
"Ryota."
"...Yeah?"
"Be my second sword."
He stared.
"...Second what?"
Rio didn't explain.
She didn't need to.
Because Allure had already emerged from the smoke.
Furious.
The monstrous boss tore through the haze, mouths snapping and armor cracking with every movement.
"...YOU!"
She lunged.
Rio met her head-on.
CLANG!
Crimson Bloodmoon collided with the incoming attack.
The impact shattered more of the battlefield beneath them.
This time, however—
Rio wasn't alone.
CLASH!
Ryota appeared beside her.
Iron Steve rose to intercept an attack aimed directly at Rio's blind spot.
Understanding flashed between them instantly.
No discussion.
No coordination needed.
The rhythm formed naturally.
Rio attacked.
Ryota covered.
Ryota advanced.
Rio created openings.
Together, they forced Allure backward.
Then it happened.
An opening.
Rio dodged left.
"Now!"
Ryota moved.
Iron Steve swung with everything he had.
CRACK!
One of Allure's remaining arms shattered at the joint.
The severed limb crashed onto the battlefield.
Allure froze.
For a fraction of a second.
Then rage exploded.
"...YOU DARE!"
Every remaining arm surged toward Ryota.
Too many.
Too fast.
He raised Iron Steve.
CLANG!
The impact struck.
Then another.
Then another.
His arms shook violently.
His stance collapsed.
And then—
SNAP.
Iron Steve broke.
The sword split apart.
Ryota's eyes widened.
"...No."
For a moment, the battlefield disappeared.
That sword.
The first weapon Rio had ever given him.
The blade that had carried him through countless battles.
Gone.
"...Damn it!"
But there wasn't time to mourn.
His fist clenched.
Scalular Impact surged into his arm.
"MOVE!"
BOOM!
His punch connected.
Allure was launched into the wall once again.
Stone exploded outward.
The chamber shook violently.
Rio was already moving.
The Imperial Saber thrust forward.
STAB!
One arm was pinned to the wall.
Another strike.
A second arm.
Then the broken halves of Iron Steve flew past her.
Driven by Ryota's throw.
They embedded themselves into the wall.
Pinning two more arms.
Now only two remained.
Allure roared.
The final limbs lunged toward Rio.
Trying to crush her.
Trying to drag her down.
Rio jumped.
The grasp missed.
And then she descended.
Both hands gripping Crimson Bloodmoon.
The Mythic blade crashed downward.
BOOOOOOM!
The sword pierced through the final two arms and nailed them to the ground.
Allure froze.
Every limb restrained.
Every avenue of escape sealed.
The monstrous transformation flickered.
Cracked.
Began collapsing.
Rio landed softly before her.
The crimson aura surrounding her body faded.
Bloodmoon Resonance had reached its limit.
Her body trembled.
But her hand remained steady.
Because she held something small.
Simple.
A single bullet.
The same bullet Ryota had fired earlier.
Recovered.
Prepared.
Allure's mouths opened.
Desperation replaced confidence.
Energy gathered for one final self-destructive attack.
"...I'LL TAKE YOU WITH ME!"
Rio raised her arm.
No weapon.
Only the bullet.
She pulled back.
Then threw it.
The projectile struck Allure's face.
A tiny scratch.
Nothing more.
For a split second—
Nothing happened.
Then Rio's crimson eye ignited.
[Unique Skill: Chronos Eye]
Time bent.
Not around Rio.
Around Allure.
The unstable energy inside her accelerated.
Violently.
Unnaturally.
The overload happened instantly.
Allure's eyes widened.
"...Wha—"
She never finished.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The explosion consumed everything.
Light.
Sound.
Space.
The entire battlefield vanished beneath a sea of destruction.
And at the center of it all—
Rio stood motionless.
Watching.
As the end finally arrived.