Dungeon Danger: Plan? An Orc Leader is nothing to a Hojo! (2/4)

Lyon POV:

We waited near the sealed entrance to the large room in the centre. I double-checked the map, confirming that there really were no other exits.

'It's a floor boss, so it makes sense.'

The only way out of this dungeon was by beating the Floor Boss. If my suspicions were correct, we wouldn't need to advance any further once we got rid of this obstacle.

*Click*

The barrier vanished, and we bolted forward. The Orc Leader remained motionless, waiting near the end of the straight pathway. It stared up at the white wall with a blank expression, lost in a daze.

"Everyone, up!"

I ignored the Orc's condition, prioritizing the safety of the party members instead. Its strange behaviour could be another benefit of the dungeon system, giving us additional time to prepare for its onslaught. Regardless, the moment we were about to jump, its head spun towards us. My pupils dilated as I watched its mouth open.

"Play. Time."

We froze.

An ominous voice stilled the air. It shook Terra to the core, leaving Barrel mystified by the Orc's apparent ability to speak. Kana was unamused; her solemn expression remained the same.

"UP!!"

My voice snapped them back to reality, but the Orc had already moved. It sprinted toward us while we scaled the white walls. Barrel created footholds to elevate us higher until we reached the height he had marked beforehand.

At the same time, the Orc skidded to a halt in the centre of the spiral. It bent its head up at the white ceiling, spreading its lips into a wide grin. Its centre of gravity lowered, compressing its thick calve muscles that caused the ground to splinter beneath its feet.

"Okay, Terra! You can do this!"

Terra slapped her cheeks before arching her back. Her gentle blue eyes flashed, and she snapped forward, splaying the palms of her hands toward the Orc. An eruption of fire dowsed the surface below, scorching the surrounding white walls.

We all stared at her in unison.

'Heh. Nerves.'

She had cast aside all of that nervous energy and focused solely on the task at hand. Her transmuted Elemental Ki caused a smokescreen to form, blocking the Orc's vision and weakening its eyes.

Our fierce assault began when Terra's flames fizzled away. She dropped to her knees, exhausted after only attacking for a few minutes at most.

"Uhh...! G-Guys... I'm out of KP!"

'...'

Kana's eyebrows fell; her intense scowl forcing Terra to avoid her gaze. She fanned out her fingers, launching a barrage of flames at the Orc. They far exceeded Terra's, smashing into the area below and adding to the smokescreen.

"...How is it possible for a Skyblade to have such pitiful Ki Reserves?"

"Um...I tried to help..."

Terra stared at her two feet on the platform. She bit her lip, not knowing what other defence she could give for her premature exit from the battle.

"You suck."

"Don't be mean, Kana!"

I ignored the two of them bickering while Barrel restrained the Orc's movements. I sent out blasts of compressed water, battering the same spot in its chest, hoping to pierce its heart to end this battle faster.

"Lyon... Did that Orc really talk earlier?"

Sweat formed on Barrel's brow. He spoke in a low voice accompanied by a face that had become pale. His control over the earth turned sluggish, giving the Orc more room to manoeuvre with.

"I don't know. It could be an illusion caused by the dungeon itself to throw us off, just like before."

It was possible. As far as I knew, Orcs couldn't talk, so for an Orc to talk here could be another trait of the dungeon.

"...You're right. That's the only logical explanation."

'...'

I narrowed my eyes at his words but chose not to pursue it. Right now, I needed Barrel to focus on the task at hand. I watched the colour return to his face, and his sluggish movements vanished.

I held up my hand to stop the attacks once I checked its HP gauge. It had barely decreased at all, and once the smokescreen cleared, it was obvious to see why.

'Fire resistance.'

The Orc stood there with folded arms, unimpressed by our attempts to inflict damage. Its green eyes met mine, and it smirked. It stuck out its large hand, beckoning me to come down and fight; confident that I didn't pose a threat despite my growth.

"Lyon... I don't think that's a good idea..."

My lips curved into a thin smile. This outcome was actually better for me.

"All of you stay up here no matter what happens."

I jumped down against Terra and Barrel's wishes while the Orc clapped its hands at my decision. I had been trying to activate the Mark of a Pantheon once I reached Nagi, but it refused to respond...

Till now.

"Ghost."

Nostalgic red lines rushed into my vision, representing the optimal paths of attack. A second later, my intent snapped the Orc's head back. Every step I took forward doubled the number of blows it received within the same time frame.

"Grr... GrUAHHHHGH!!"

It forced its way through the barrage of Ki when I switched stances. The Orc threw its fist toward me, but everything moved in slow motion. I spun on the inside, landing right in front of its stomach.

"Offensive."

My fist sunk past the fatty flesh, imprinting itself on the muscles protecting its abdomen. The Orc curled over in pain as my foot connected against its falling jaw.

*Crack*

The bone inside shattered, and the force launched him head-first into the opposite wall. I looked down at my hands, dissatisfied with the horrible amount of imbalance still present in my body.

'I can't use any of the techniques besides the basic stances.'

It was a completely different experience to when I fought Jyn. During that fight, my Ki peaked around the upper Jikki Stage at times, but right now, I was barely on the doorstep to Uso. The Pantheon Style had also reverted to its sealed version.

"L-Lyon! Its HP! It just lost a huge chunk of it!"

Terra gave me the thumbs up while Barrel stared at me, impressed. Kana's face fell as she turned her head to the side. Her fists trembled before they loosened, flopping to her thighs without resistance. Pain so deep most would struggle to bear even a fraction of it, embedded itself within her eyes that looked through me; that looked at someone else.

I sidestepped, sliding past the Orc's lunge that came flying out of nowhere. The back of my fist cracked its jaw further, shooting it right back into the destroyed wall.

'Let's end this.'

A one-sided beatdown began. The Orc tried its absolute best to at least graze me, but the gap between us only widened as the battle continued. Blood splattered across the white surface, dying it a musty colour. Its thick arms flailed around in desperation, so I shattered them next.

'...'

After 10 minutes, its health approached the end. I dodged its frantic attempt to grab me with broken arms, and my fist sunk into the Orc Leader's face. It flew all the way back into one of the open pathways and laid still.

"Incredible..."

Barrel was the first one to jump down, followed by Terra, then Kana. He took a step forward, narrowing his eyes at the fallen body of the Orc Leader.

"!"

Barrel stretched out his hand in disbelief. I observed his pupils shake, but neither curiosity nor amazement seemed to be the source of his reaction. I was about to question why the dungeon hadn't reacted to the defeat of the floor boss when a loud explosion occurred.

[The Orc Leader is delighted.]

"!!"

Sweat drenched Barrel's face as a powerful Ki emerged from the smokescreen. I stared at the strange system message, paying little attention to the gusts of wind that blew past us. Terra and Kana focused on the open pathway while my eyes narrowed.

"That... is a red one!"

"A red one?"

"A Bloodborne Orc."

Terra expanded upon Barrel's brief description with a shaky voice. I glanced at the floating window above the blood-red Orc that seemed revitalized, almost as if that beating it took was necessary to reach this stage.

[Floor Boss: Orc Leader (Bloodborne Form)]

"Stay. Still."

Its red eyes flashed, freezing us in place and confirming that the ominous voice we had heard before indeed belonged to the Orc. Barrel frothed at the mouth; his gaze begging me not to look away. His limbs convulsed. Dark brown hair plastered against his wet forehead as Barrel tried his best to convey a message.

"N-ngot...B-Bloodbw..Orne... R-run..."

"Wha—"

The Orc's foot crashed into my chest, and the wall behind me exploded.

"Keuk!!"

Mouthfuls of blood splashed all over my clothes. I forced my head up, wheezing from the lack of oxygen reaching my lungs.

The Orc Leader splayed its hand towards the white ceiling. Seconds later, an enormous axe fell from the sky, landing firmly in its grasp. It swung the axe down, shattering the earth into tiny fragments before sticking it inside like a pole.

The Orc walked between my frozen party members and peered down at me.

"You. Watch."

'Ugh...'

I tried to move my body, but it wouldn't listen. It smirked at me before turning back around. Once the Orc reached its previous position, its eyes locked with mine, and a large fist shot toward Terra's face.

The entire room shook.

An outline of two silhouettes formed within the dust clouds that soon dispersed. Kana's hand grabbed hold of the Orc's fist, locking it in place. Blood gushed out of her nose as her unfocused eyes stared ahead.

"Terra… Take Lyon and Barrel… Get out of here… This Orc… is nothing to a Hojo…"

Kana winced in pain, letting out laboured breaths in between her words.

"K-Kana…"

I watched Kana creak her head to the side. She peered down at Terra, unable to move due to the Orc Leader's earlier attack. Terra's tears pooled at the corner of her eyes, but Kana's gaze remained cold. It was so chilling that my body shivered from across the room.

"Useless as always."

"S-sorry…"

Terra bit her quivering lip and looked down, ashamed. Kana's annoyance shifted to the Orc Leader.

"Move."

"G-Gruagh??!"

Kana lifted its entire body up with one hand. The Orc Leader's surprise matched my own when its body blurred. Kana dashed it with such force the ground caved inward. It left behind a deep fissure as it shot into an open pathway.

The whole dungeon rocked from a loud bang, and Kana stepped forward.

Then vanished.

'!!'

A hazy shadow smashed into one of the spiral walls next to me. I observed the Orc's HP drop by at least a quarter when Kana walked out of the pathway, uninjured.

"GRUAAGHHH!!!"

The Orc's fist shattered the wall as Kana's unfocused eyes remained the same. The two flickered out of view. I lost track of their movements, only able to see them when they appeared in the centre of the dungeon; when Kana asserted her dominance.

'Kana…'

Hubert's words came to mind about her talent matching that of my Master's. I watched her spin in the air; her heel ricocheting the Orc's chin from one wall to the next. Her fist silenced its roars, dropping its health down at a rapid rate.

'…'

I observed her calm demeanour as she stood in the centre of the dungeon. That air around her… It was similar but different. My eyebrows dropped to the top of my eyes. It was different because I didn't understand why Kana was holding back all this time. Her actions almost put everyone at risk.

Even right now, Kana refused to draw her sheathed katana.

Her hand flashed, and the Orc's head face-planted deep into another wall. It had less than half of its HP left when it got back to its feet. The Orc let out a sigh, taking away all of its rage with it.

"Not. Strong."

A blast of Ki swept over the area, sealing Kana's movements. Blood splashed against the ground, forming a large puddle that soaked into her feet. Her cold eyes lost most of their light.

'This Orc…'

Sweat poured down her face, revealing that her own state of mind must have amplified the effect of the Orc Leader's mental attacks.

The Orc Leader peered down at her. It cracked its neck, turned its attention toward me, and smirked.

'It's capable of analyzing and exploiting our weak points.'

Even with this new information, I still couldn't lift a finger. A shadow soon covered Terra in darkness. Her trembling eyes swivelled up toward the Orc's wide grin. Its hand flashed, tearing through her light armour and ripping open her dress.

"Ghost."

My Ki shot towards the Orc Leader, but it simply raised its hand, swatting it away like a fly. My heart sank as I watched it lift Terra up by the neck. It walked towards the nearest wall and repeatedly smashed her head against it.

"...S-STOP!!"

Blood spewed out of my mouth. It stopped, and Terra's body crumpled to the ground in a pool of her own blood.

"I. Stop."

Its lips spread into a wide, devilish smile as it moved in front of Kana. It tried to slash open her clothes, but her foot moved back, exposing only one side of her body. The Orc didn't seem to care. It gripped her neck and strolled towards me.

"You. Important. Her?"

The Orc shoved her face into mine. Kana's hazy eyes looked into mine. She bit her lip before a bright smile formed on her face.

"Ru—"

She vanished. Her head crashed into the wall beside me, splintering the surrounding earth. My pupils shook as I watched her arms go limp, but my body refused to listen to me.

"I said, STOP!!"

The Orc raised its hands, and Kana's body flopped to the ground. Its red eyes curved upwards. Lips spreading wide enough to reveal grimy teeth. Thick folds of flesh pushed its cheeks toward the white ceiling as my face contorted with anger.

"I. Stop."

It moved away from Kana and flickered in front of Barrel, who was barely conscious. The Orc cocked its head to the side, and Barrel wet himself from the fear of being in its presence.

"Him. I. Kill."

"NO!"

Panic flooded my mind while the Orc looked directly into my eyes. It poked Barrel with a large finger as its lips spread out. The elation grew along with the seconds that ticked by. The Orc tilted its head back, showcasing all of its teeth in a sadistic grin.

"Because. Of. Hero. You. Suffer."

It purposefully held back its power as it beat Barrel like a drum. His blood dyed the white ground a dark shade of red, and just when I thought it was over, the Orc would blow on its fist before battering Barrel from wall to wall.

"Enough...!!"

It had ignored my constant cries to stop, but this time, it listened. The Orc looked at Barrel's stiff body with disinterested eyes and booted it to the side. He smashed into a wall before laying limp on the ground.

The Orc shifted its body, performing a side chest pose as it admired the bloody mess it had caused. It walked over towards me, emphasizing each step.

'I'm sorry, Master... I'm sorry Nia for bringing shame to the Pantheon name...'

My head slumped forward as the Orc's shadow covered my body. I felt my consciousness begin to fade well before it got anywhere close to me.

'Mum, Dad, Tobias, Jasmine, Marina, Lissandra, Len, Ness, Brunaulf, Fii, Outer Astril, everyone... I'm sorry for letting you down...'

Darkness enveloped my vision. The world around me disappeared. I heard a slight snicker, and then…

Silence.

***

"Dad, show me one more time, please."

"Hmm. Alright! It's getting late, so watch closely this time. This... Really will be the last time, my son."

I noticed his hands tremble while ruffling my hair. His voice was coated in a sadness so obvious; I wondered how I had failed to notice it back then. It was only much later on when I kneeled in front of their graves; I sometimes pondered over whether or not he knew.

He knew that he was going to die soon.

We made our way back into the lake, wading through the water till it reached up to my chest. My father looked at me, and I nodded to show that I was ready. We both took a deep breath and dived into the depths of the lake.

Once the light above us was barely visible, we stopped our descent. I watched my father perform the movements of the Sea Dance: it was what he called our legacy.

He alternated between a serene calmness and an abrupt forcefulness, yet harmony was still maintained. The movements linked together in a constant change of rhythm until it reached the ending sequence.

"!"

Before he could perform the last part, he phased into the depths of the ocean. A soft voice drifted into my ears as I searched everywhere for my father.

"It's your turn now."

I closed my eyes, calmed my mind, and opened them again. My body moved, retracing my father's movements. This was something I had practised every day in my youth for 8 years. It had been drilled into me, burned into the very fibre of my muscles, and it showed.

Flawless.

That was the only description I could give my current form. I directed the surrounding currents, causing the water to bubble in response. Waves circled me, inviting a variety of fish to join the whirlpool that was being created.

And then, I approached the final sequence.

'Don't hesitate.'

My body continued moving. My father's image overlapped with mine. I felt the serene calmness grow deeper while the abrupt forcefulness grew harsher. They merged into one, resulting in the whirlpool imploding.

The water returned to its tranquil state, leaving torrents of waves wrapped around me like an aura. My eyes flashed open as I remembered the name of the ending sequence. My lips parted and a small but powerful voice came out.

"Overflow."