Chapter 10: Knight

—Fifteenth Floor – Group 1

Yukio fires several ice spears into a headless knight's chest, killing it. The knight's body falls onto another's corpse. He looks around and Karren also takes one down, with the help of a summoned Dire Wolf. She returns his gaze, panting.

He turns his gaze to Tokino, seated on a mountain of corpses impaled similarly to the ones Yukio defeated, reading a book. She flips the book's page in her hand, then looks up, into Yukio's eyes, indifferently. She closes the book and says, with a smile, "Oh? You both finally finished your bouts. Well, then, let's go."

Yuko clenches his fist as he watches Tokino playfully leap from the top of the corpse mountain. She's powerful. More powerful than her rank suggests. He looks at Karren with a contemptuous scowl. As for her, I needn't be concerned.

They're both too powerful, thinks Karren, following behind Yukio and Tokino. I'm six ranks above her but she's so much more powerful than I am. And then there's Yukio. That glare he shot just now... He doesn't even consider me a rival.

She shakes her head. No, I can't allow myself to doubt my strength. I made it into this Academy. Nothing thrown my way will stop me—especially not someone more powerful than me. If we defeat the boss, I'll have access to Professor Azrael's secret lessons and become more powerful. I must become more powerful.

—Fifteenth Floor – Group 2

"Hell yeah!!"

"H-hey, Brooke... Do you think we're even needed here?"

"It's fine if she fights all the monsters. That gives her a chance to blow off steam and we can preserve power." Brooke looks back at the trail of bodies behind them. "Still, for her to do this much damage and not be tired is nothing short of astounding."

—Seventeenth Floor – Group 5

"Hiyah!"

"Gah!!"

"Great, that's another one down," says Chloe striking trolls down with her massive greatsword. "None of these monsters can stand up to me. Hahaha!"

"Hey, Blondie—"

"Gyaah!" yells a troll behind Chloe.

"Watch your back."

Chloe grits her teeth as she glares at Cessair removing his dagger from the troll's back.

"Those are some serious glares," says Rose, placing her hand on Chloe's shoulder.

"I'm surprised you can't glare at him. Don't you feel that?"

Rose watches Cessair walk deeper into the dungeon. "It's hard to ignore."

"It reminds me of Professor Azrael."

"The similarity is uncanny."

—Outside The Dungeon of Creation

"Well, well, well. It seems the groups will reach the boss' room soon." Azrael looks behind him. "Are you only going to watch, or will you finally reveal yourself?"

"It's no surprise you beat Professor Elizabeth." A student with long, forest-green hair, wearing the Magus Academy's compulsory uniform, walks out from behind a tree.

"Aerial Sky? What business does a Class B student have here during my class?"

"Your class?" she asks looking side to side. "I only see you, Professor. Ah," she exclaims, placing her hand over her mouth, "are you perhaps dealing in some shady business?"

Azrael pressures her with his nether energy. She spews blood and drops to her knees. "I tire from the games children wish to play when I ask a serious question."

"Children?" she asks, smirking, "Are you not younger than I—"

"Nether Art: Speech - Silence." Aerial's mouth involuntarily shuts. As she tries to open her mouth, Azrael says, "Bow down, insolent mortal." Chills run down her body and she bows her head, unable to look Azrael in the eyes. She keeps her head down and sweat rolls down her cheek. "Are you here on Elizabeth's command?" She doesn't move her body at first and only when Azrael commands, "Answer me," she nods her head viciously. Azrael walks to her and takes a knee. He grabs her by her hair and lifts her head. Azrael glares at her; however, she keeps her eyes shut tight. "Look at me." Arial slowly opens her eyes and stares into Azrael's lifeless, rose quartz eyes. "Tell Elizabeth this, 'If you wish to make an enemy of me, I will show you why you should fear the Go—'." Azrael pauses for a second as he stares into Arial's emerald eyes. He sighs, then continues, "No, just tell Elizabeth this will be her only chance to back off. If not—"

He lets go of her hair and she regains control over her body. She jumps back instantly like a rabbit afraid but keeps her head to the ground. If I speak, I'm dead. If I disobey his orders, I'm dead. This is the person you told me to spy on, Professor Elizabeth? He's a demon. He's not someone you can best. If I make it out of this alive—

As Azrael gets onto his feet, a powerful presence appears within the dungeon. Azrael jerks his head back, concerned. "This is..." He grits his teeth and shoots Arial a dismissive glare. She wastes no time making herself scarce. He turns to the dungeon and walks to it. "I pray I make it in time," he says, entering the dungeon.

—Inside The Dungeon of Creation: Nineteenth Floor – Group 2

"Y-You're kidding, right? Hey Brooke, what was that thing?"

"I... don't know," she says, panting. She looks down at Scarlett's beaten body lying unconscious. "I do know that it let us live, though."

—Nineteenth Floor – Group 5

"Chloe! Hey, Chloe! Wake up!"

"I...it's useless, Rose," says Cessair, spewing blood. "I smell... the scent of... death. Someone in this dungeon... will die."

—Nineteenth Floor – Group 6

"Thank you, Liam. If not for your barrier, we would have been obliterated."

"What was that thing?"

"I don't know. And I shudder to even think about facing that monster again."

—Eighteenth Floor – Group 8

"A-Arthur...? T-this is bad... right?"

What's with this monster's presence? Arthur's hands shake as a knight three times his size, with white wings, wrapped in a golden aura, sprouts from its back, and a greatsword as big as the knight sits tightly clenched in its hands, stares down at Arthur's group with a piercing gaze. Is this the boss? Why is it on the eighteenth floor?

Arthur takes a deep breath to calm himself. "That's a powerful aura you have there," he says, forcing a smile.

The knight stares directly into Arthur's eyes. "You," it says in an echoing voice, "smell like the God of Death."

He can speak? And the hostility in his voice... Is he at at odds with Azrael?

"The God of Death?" asks Tyson. "I don't know who that is but if you're the boss of this dungeon, we just need to defeat you to receive Professor Azrael's reward!"

"Azrael?" it asks, shocked. "Azrael," it repeats, monotonously, looking down at the ground. It raises its glare at Arthur's group and screams, "Azrael! I WILL KILL AZRAEL!" The knight spreads his wings and his mana flares as he screams.

"Kill Azrael? Is he talking about Professor Azrael?" asks Calliope, readying herself to cast a spell.

"I don't know," answers Tyson, "But we can't let this thing leave here."

"That's easier said than done," says Arthur, grabbing his deck of cards. He shuffles the deck and draws the top card, "The Joker?"

"What are you predicting our future?" jokes Tyson, nervous.

"That's not what these cards are for!" The spirit of the Jester materialises behind Arthur and sprints to the knight. The knight swings his sword and slices the jester through its stomach. It stares the group down, ignoring the Jester but the spirit's lower half rejoins the top half and it attacks the knight from behind with daggers. The knight spins around, trying to block the Jester's attack but its attack phases through the knight's sword and the spirit successfully stabs the entity. After stabbing the knight, the Jester disappears and Arthur smiles. "With this, your attacks won't—"

The knight infuriated, throws his sword to the sky, catching it by the grip like a pilum. He tightens his hold around the grip and throws the sword like a spear with all his strength. It zooms past Arthur's face like a thunderbolt, crashing into the wall behind them and slicing his cheek.

T-This is bad. The knight roars and charges at the group. "Scatter!" yells Arthur. They narrowly escape as he runs past them, through the marble wall.

"Do you think it took itself out with that charge?" asks Tyson.

"No! It's still moving!" yells Calliope.

"Not for much longer," says Arthur, drawing the Jack from his deck of cards. The card turns white as snow and morphs into a silver broadsword. "Attack it while it's down."

Arthur and Tyson run to the fallen knight. He picks himself up and turns around but is struck down his chest with Arthur's attack. Tyson follows with a punch to his abdomen, sending the knight flying through the wall, into another room.

"Sound Magic: Vanishing Step." Arthur falls but does not make a sound as his feet touch the ground. He looks back at Calliope and smiles. "With this, the knight won't hear you coming," she says.

"That's a neat ability, Calliope," says Tyson. "We can—"

"Tyson, watch out!" she yells but her warning is too late. The knight appears behind Tyson and punches him into the ground. He continues punching Tyson deeper into the ground rapidly. Arthur spins around and runs to the knight but he zaps like a flash of light and appears behind Arthur. "Arthur! Dodge!" The knight raises his hands to the sky and a sword of light appears within them. He strikes down and cuts through the ground. "Arthur!"

"Stop shouting like that," says Amanda, with Arthur hung over one shoulder and Tyson on the ground next to her.

"A-Amanda? Did you—"

"No time for small talk." The knight disappears and instantly reappears before Amanda, slashing at her. She dodges his attack with relative ease. He releases a barrage of slashes but none of his attacks can touch her. "Is this all you can muster, angel?"

The knight pauses for a second. "You... are not human, are you?"

Amanda smiles. She jumps back and throws Tyson's unconscious body to the side. As for Arthur, she throws him up and punches him in the gut as he falls.

"Arthur!"

"Shut up, Calliope. This is the only way to wake this idiot up."

As Amanda said, Arthur gets onto his feet. His body sways as he struggles to stay up. "Why'd... you have to... punch me though?" he asks.

"If you're going to hold back, at least put up a good fight."

"I have... many questions I'd like... answered... after this..."

"Same here." Amanda runs to the knight. He zaps to Arthur. "Arthur! Behind you!"

The knight attempts the same attack on Arthur but Arthur leaps to the side, avoiding the strike. He turns to the knight, who stares him down. "The God of Death," says the knight, "is close."

Azrael? Is Azrael coming down?

"I cannot waste time on weaklings." The knight drops his sword and it disperses into light particles. "Light Magic," a golden aura covers the knight's body, "God Speed."

"Arth—"

Before Calliope can warn Arthur, the knight appears before her in a flash of light and punches her in the gut, sending her through the wall into the room he was sent earlier. The knight disappears and reappears faster than he has before. This time Amanda does not react fast enough and he slices through her with a new light sword, like he did with the Jester. "Amanda!" yells Arthur, unable to follow the knight's attack. As Amanda's body falls, the knight zaps to Arthur and strikes down. This isn't good. If I don't use my full strength now, I won't survive. "I'm sorry, Azrael," he whispers.

"What's there to be sorry about, Arthur?" The knight strikes with all his might but the sword turns into ash before it touches Arthur. "You did good." The knight looks at a presence suddenly appearing behind him and sees Azrael carrying Calliope's body, placing it next to Amanda's severed body. He walks to retrieve Tyson's but the knight wastes no time attacking Azrael.

"Sit down," he commands. The knight's body plunges into the ground like an anchor into the ocean. Azrael ignores the knight's reckless charge and retrieves Tyson's body, placing it next to Calliope's and Amanda's. He looks at Amanda's severed body and grinds his teeth. His glare swings to the knight, who, shakily, gets onto his feet. On wobbly legs, he raises his head and finds himself face-to-face with Azrael. Azrael grabs him by his helmet and shoves his head into the ground. "I said, sit down."

Azrael steps on his head and grinds his foot over the helmet. "Nether Art: Flame - Burn." The knight's helmet starts melting. After a few seconds pass, the knight, golden-haired, blue-eyed and pale-skinned, stares into Azrael's eyes. Azrael grinds his shoe over the knight's face. "You've given my students a good beating. But that ends here, angel."

"Y-you are... Azrael..."

"Took you long enough."

"G...God of Death... You..." The knight uses his right hand and slaps Azrael, sending him flying. "You are dead!" He jumps up and charges Azrael.

"Dead?" asks Azrael, picking himself up and dusting himself off. A smile cracks his expressionless face. "Am I supposed to fear death?"

"Azrael!"

"That's Lord Azrael to you, angel." Azrael dodges the knight's straightforward attack and commands, "Die." The knight turns to Azrael with ire but is overcome with lifelessness as he falls to the ground, dead. "I am the Primordial God of Death. If you want to fight me, you'd need to send angels more powerful than this, Azazel."