Chapter 15: Annihilation

Content Warning: This Chapter contains intense and graphic descriptions of violence, including bloody and deadly parts of the story, which may be disturbing and terrifying to some readers. Please read at your own risk…

Back down the 1000 ft cave.

Akira savored the unexpected delicacy of goblin flesh and remarked, "I didn't anticipate the food to be this good."

Lumina, satiated and fatigued from their solitary camping expedition, mused, "The feeling of camping is wonderful. Even with just the two of us, nothing can surpass this sensation."

Surprised by the dwindling monster attacks, Akira commented, "I'm amazed we haven't been attacked yet. The monsters have strangely been calming down with their assaults."

Pondering the battlefield strewn with monster carcasses, Lumina proposed, "We've dispatched a considerable number of monsters today. It wouldn't be surprising if they are hesitant to charge at us."

With a curious expression, Akira asked Lumina, "Say, Lumina, assuming we make it back to the surface, would you attend school with me?"

Curious about the prospect of an academy, Lumina inquired, "School? I've never been to an academy like that. What do you do there, master?"

Akira reminisced, "Well, there's a lot—fighting, learning, some boring stuff. I'm sure you'd like to meet Risa too; she's a friend I met on the first day."

Intrigued, Lumina smiled and listened as Akira continued, "Do you think I could fit in with everyone? I'm a seraphic, after all, and I'm sure everyone knows what I am."

Akira contemplated for a moment, then began to plan how Lumina could make a graceful entrance at school. "Let's think about that later when we actually get out. We should make more progress."

As he rose, rapier in hand, Akira extinguished the fire and asked, "Ready to go, Lumina?" She nodded and transformed into her spirit form, concealing herself within Akira.

Noticing his outfit change, Akira marveled, "I've realized my outfit changes when you're in and out of me. Is that normal?"

Lumina explained, "Yes, it's a Seraphic outfit! Depending on my strength, the outfit might change. Right now, it's a basic classic red outfit, but it'll become fancier as I grow in strength."

"Alright, let's go!" Akira exclaimed as he sprinted towards the cave's opening, ready to face the unknown challenges ahead.

Meanwhile back in the cave in search for Akira...

After ten students and one professor were dispatched to explore the treacherous F-rank cave, despair settled among them as they began to lose hope in locating Akira. However, their despondency was interrupted when, mere minutes later, they stumbled upon a colossal hole that seemed to be the likely place where Akira had fallen.

One of the students, an S-rank fire mage, voiced the skepticism prevalent among them, saying, "There's no way some kid could survive that fall, right?"

Contemplating the situation, the professor pondered for a moment before reaching a tentative conclusion. "There's a chance he could have survived," the professor said, breaking the grim silence. "I'll report this back, and we can have the wind mages create a wind current for us to descend down."

With that, the professor left the cave, leaving the ten students behind, their thoughts filled with uncertainty as they awaited news of Akira's fate and the possibility of a daring rescue mission.

1 hour later...

"Professor Satoshi is taking a while," one of the S-rank water mages commented as he settled down next to the hole.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure materialized at the cave entrance. Though difficult to discern, the students assumed it was Professor Satoshi.

"Hey, Professor Satoshi is back!" the water mage exclaimed, rushing towards the dark figure. However, as he approached, he abruptly halted.

The others stopped behind the water mage, perplexed by his sudden pause.

"What's wrong?" the fire mage questioned, his gaze shifting towards the shadowy figure. It became evident that this mysterious presence wasn't Professor Satoshi. The figure exuded an eerie aura, instilling fear among the students. Despite their trepidation, they swiftly organized themselves, readying to confront the potential threat, and unleashed their formidable spells.

"IT'S NOT THE PROFESSOR! QUICK, CAST OUR S-RANK SPELLS AT IT!" the fire mage commanded, conjuring a massive flaming pillar beneath the shadowy figure. The entire class joined in, releasing a barrage of powerful spells. The ensuing spectacle filled the room with smoke, and when the haze dissipated, the shadowy figure had vanished.

"W-where did it go?!" one of the healers exclaimed, her eyes darting around in panic.

The runic knight at the forefront unsheathed his weapon, reassured that everything seemed to be in the clear.

"Let's head back an-" he began, but his words were abruptly cut short. A colossal fang pierced through his chest, and he spat out blood in a desperate attempt to cope. Despite his struggle to remove the fang, the shadowy monster flung him across the cave, and the runic knight succumbed to his injuries within a matter of seconds.

"ZACK! You bastard!" the water mage said in anger as he summoned a water blade out of his hand and rushed towards the figure, but before the mage could even swing his sword his hand was sliced clean off by the shadowy figure. It was moving so fast that no one could even react!

The water mage screamed in pain and soon after he was pierced through the heart and was killed and thrown into the giant hole.

"E-EVERYONE RUN!" the fire mage said as the shadowy figure appeared behind him and chomped his head off within a mere second as blood splattered everywhere on the ground, his headless body fell to the ground and blood spilled out.

Everyone was screaming and started to rush out of the cave but all of a sudden the entrance was blocked by an army of goblins ready to massacre the entire S rank class.

"We're all going to die!!" cried the female healer as the monsters slowly started to surround them.

As they tried to run back into the cave one of the healers was far behind and one of the goblins threw a knife at her leg and she fell down.

"Monica!" yelled the other fire mage but as he tried to turn back the shadowy figure grabbed him in a mere second and pushed him down to the ground crushing his back and eventually put a hole through his back.

Monica was being dragged away deeper in the cave with many goblins and was long gone, she tried to escape but her leg was injured.

All that was left was 5 students, a fire, water, wind, earth and lightning mage.

"THUNDER BOLT!" yelled the female lightning mage, as a giant bolt of lightning came down the cave, but the damage was so little that nothing seemed to work, soon after one of the goblins threw a rope at her and caught her in it and they pulled her down deep into the giant hole and she screamed as she fell.

"You want to kill us! THEN COME AND GET IT!!!" The earth mage yelled as he rushed towards the enemies creating a giant earth shield and ran through the mob, but the shadowy figure reacted with insane speed and crushed the shield in a mere instant.

"W-what?!" the earth mage said in shock as the shadowy figure threw the earth mage across the hoard of goblins landing in the middle of them.

"P-PLEASE STOP!" the earth mage cried as he was mercilessly ripped apart limb from limb, blood splattered everywhere by the goblins and at this point 3 students were left, all hope was lost.

The 3 cried as they didn't want to do anything else and accepted their deaths, soon after the male fire mage and 2 other female mages were toyed with before being brutally killed, the monsters and the shadowy figure finished up their slaughter and left without a trace.

10 minutes later, professor Satoshi arrived but a little to late at that.

"Hey everyone sorry for the-" but professor Satoshi witnessed something horrifying.

He dropped the basket of food and ran towards the female wind, her clothing was basically torn and she had been played with by the monsters.

Everyone around him was dead, not even a single person was alive and professor Satoshi threw up on the ground and fled before he could end up with them.

Back down in the cave.

"Did you hear that, Lumina?" Akira asked, his attention drawn by distant screams and commotion from above.

"Yeah, I did. I wonder if it's people looking for you," Lumina speculated.

The duo continued their journey for hours until the faint sound of something being dragged across the floor reached them. Akira swiftly pulled out his rapier, assuming a battle stance, while Lumina manifested outside of him, preparing to cast a powerful light spell.

"It's coming," Lumina warned.

"Holy light illuminate the path!" Lumina exclaimed, creating a tiny ball of light to reveal a dark path. They discovered a female being dragged across the floor, prompting Akira to run towards the goblin responsible.

"Master! Try a magic sword spell!" Lumina suggested.

"RIGHT!" Akira agreed, infusing mana into his rapier without incantation.

"Take this! SHOCK WAVE!" Akira shouted, leaping into the air and swinging his rapier to unleash a surge of lightning energy, swiftly dispatching the goblin.

After landing, Akira caught his breath while Lumina approached the injured girl, placing her hand on the girl's stomach.

"What are you doing, Lumina?" Akira inquired.

"I'm trying to transfer her healing incantation to me so I can use healing magic on her," Lumina explained as a green aura enveloped her hand.

"You can do that?" Akira questioned.

"Yeah, it's hard to explain, but put it this way. I'm learning the magic spell by transferring the knowledge from her brain to mine? If that made sense..." Lumina attempted to clarify.

"I don't get it, but... I think I can tell what you're doing anyway. But who is she? And why was she being dragged by the goblin?" Akira wondered.

"What's this badge?" Lumina noticed a shiny golden badge on the girl, took it off, and handed it to Akira.

"W-wait a second, this is an S-rank mage from Arcania! Does that mean we're not far from the exit?" Akira exclaimed with widened eyes.

"We've been walking for hours. I didn't realize it, but we made a lot of progress! Let's carry her back and get out!" Lumina suggested with a bright smile.

"I'll carry her though; you have to lead the way!" Lumina added as she lifted the unconscious girl.

"Alright, let's go!" Akira said, walking in front of Lumina and leading the way, hopeful for their imminent escape.

25 minutes later...

Akira emerged from the cave, greeted by the light of the exit. "Finally! We're out, Lumina!" he exclaimed with a cheerful tone, only to be confronted by a gruesome scene behind him.

"W-what the hell happened here?" Akira gasped, his face contorted with fear and disgust as he surveyed the scattered bodies and body parts on the floor.

"Was this... all because they went to find me?" Akira pondered with guilt etched on his face, sinking to the ground.

Lumina gently laid the injured girl against the wall and approached Akira to offer comfort.

"It's not your fault, master. These are S-rank students in an F-rank dungeon. I think something strong is in this dungeon that slaughtered them. There's no way S-rank mages can die to F-rank monsters like that," Lumina explained, her gaze fixed on one of the female students who had suffered greatly.

Akira, still in shock, stood up and closed the eyes of one of the fallen girls, a somber gesture of respect.

"L-let's go, Lumina. I can't bear to see this anymore," Akira said, his voice heavy with sorrow at the sight of the slaughtered students.

To Be Continued...