Headon's Test

---- Last Time ----

"O-Okay. S-so a-all I have to d-do is stab the Eel's tongue right?" asked Rachel.

"Hmph," I snorted, "We didn't tell Bam the answer so if you weren't paying enough attention to his fight, from the shadows, then that is your fault."

"Alright that's enough," said Headon, "Go on with your test Little Miss."

Nodding, Rachel started to walk towards the cage.

---- Present -- Yuri's POV ----

As Rachel moved towards the gate it opened, awaiting its challenger.

"Something's wrong,' I thought, scanning the cage, "Hey Evan, where's the Eel?"

"I don't know My Lady," said Evan, "I feel that it was here but it's gone now."

"Headon stop this test now!" I growled while glaring at the overgrown rabbit. "This test isn't the same as the one Bam took!"

"I have no idea what you mean Princess," replied the Guardian with a smirk, "I put the Eel in this test, but it appears that it ran away thinking it would lose like last time." Turning towards Rachel he said, "I guess all you need to do now is pop the ball Little Miss."

"Okay!" yelled Rachel as she starts running towards the ball, no longer worried about having to fight the Eel.

Pissed off, I was about to try and grill myself a rabbit dinner but the man held an arm out in front of me and said confidently, "You need not worry Princess Yuri. I will be sure to pay my respects to the little rat when I meet her higher up later, whether that is on the next Floor or Floor 100. She also seems to know about Bam so I think I can get information from her later."

I didn't like it but I stayed my hand and watched as Rachel stabbed the ball with the needle I gave her and she departed for the next Floor in a less dramatic, but similar, manner as Bam. Pushing the man's hand away I said, "I suppose I can't do anything about it now, but should I find her in my quest to get Black March I will make her give me answers about her and Bam's lives before the entering the Tower."

---- Caleb's POV ----

I smiled at Yuri's declaration, "I wouldn't expect any less from the famous Princess Yuri Zahard."

"You can just call me Yuri, I don't like using those titles unless I need to. Also, we still don't know your name Irregular," she said with a curious look.

"Ah, how rude of me," I smiled and slightly exaggerated bow, said, "My name is Caleb Knowles. You can just call me Caleb. If you had any knowledge of where I came from you might resort to calling me by one of my other titles."

"Other titles?" she asks, confused.

"Where I come from I am known as many things, the Mahesvara[1], The Destroyer, and Demon King," I explained, "These are the titles I earned through many hardships and battles but I chose to leave them behind and see what titles I can earn in this Tower."

"Demon King? The Destroyer? What did you do that earned you these names?" asked Evan, warily.

"The people of the world gave me these names because of the devastating power I showed in battle." He opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off, "As interesting as it would be to compare stories about all our previous battles," I say, looking around, "I believe it is time I take my test."

"That's right," said Headon, "Now boy, if you would tell me your wish I can prepare a suitable test for you."

"Hm, my wish..." I mutter under my breath before saying confidently, "I will explore and unravel the secrets of this Tower then, using those secrets, I will become the only one powerful enough to ignore all of its rules and restrictions."

Yuri looks at me curiously but before she can say anything Headon speaks up, "That is a very ambitious wish." He pauses then asks, "Why do you want to discover the Tower's secrets?"

"Why else would I come into the Tower?" I asked with a grin, "I came here for an adventure. If I don't discover anything interesting or dangerous than what kind of adventure am I on?"

All three of the people around me grinned at my statement, each of them most likely thinking about the different ways I could impact the Tower in the future.

"Alright then," Headon said. He then waved his staff and two, circular, glowing blue gates appeared before us. "I want you to pick either the left or the right portal. Each portal takes us to a different cage where I have prepared an adequate challenge according to your wish."

"Interesting," I said, "Is it safe to assume that one challenge will be more difficult than the other?"

"Yes, it will be. While both challenges suit your wish, one will give you an extra obstacle that you must overcome to beat it. Whether that obstacle means the challenge is bigger and stronger, or longer and more taxing, well that all depends on which portal you pick."

"I choose the right portal," I say after taking a moment to think.

"Very well boy. Go ahead and follow me. Oh, feel free to follow us and watch Yuri Zahard and Evan Edrok." Headon says as he walks through the portal as I follow after him.

---- On the other side of the portal ----

'I was not expecting this at all... Sure, I realized that Headon was probably upset with me for what I pulled with Rachel, but in all my calculations I did not expect him to bring me here to fight THIS!' I was staring up through the bars of the cage at what looked like a giant, mobile fortress. It was black, shiny, and long. It had three, long, legs on each side of its body. It had a huge head and mouth that held 16 red teeth, each tooth being about two-thirds of my height, along with two red pinchers that were as big as its head with milky white eyes above each pincher.

"Headon!" yelled Yuri to my right, "What the hell do you think you are doing bringing us here? Do you expect him to fight THIS?! Even Urek wouldn't have needed to fight this when he entered the Tower!"

"I do not see a problem, Princess Yuri," said Headon with a nasty grin, "I am merely putting him up against something that suits his wish.

"Bullshit!" she yelled, "Not only will this thing be difficult to beat down, it isn't even killable! How is he supposed to defeat it?!"

"Whether or not the beast is killable is not my problem Princess. I only give the tests according to their desires, so if anyone is at fault, it would be the boy," said Headon, still grinning like a jackass.

'Giant Stag Beetle. Fuck... Think, what do I remember about them? Well, they have tough armored shells and they DON'T FUCKING DIE!' I let out a soft groan that wasn't heard by anyone, 'I didn't want to fight something this strong right off the bat, maybe I should have toned down my wish for Headon?' I sighed before saying, "It's alright Yuri, it's my fault for not expecting the rabbit to do something."

Yuri looks at me as if I've grown a second head while Headon gives me a curious look before asking, "Are you not aware of how strong this monster is?"

"Oh, I know how strong it is. The Stag Beetle or Leech Palawan that inhabit the Floor of Death while living in the dead body of the Guardian Enryu killed," I say calmly, "Oh! They're also immortal if I remember right, which is probably the extra obstacle you mentioned."

"Are you not scared?!" yells Yuri with Headon looking like he was about to ask the same thing.

"Why would I be scared?" I asked, "I haven't even fought it yet so how do I know I can't kill it?" They watch as I walk to the open hole in the gate before pausing. I close my eyes and use my body's previous owner's knowledge to gaze into my soul where I see multiple spheres which I assumed were my new soul-bound companions. Ignoring everything else I focus on the bubble-like sphere that holds to silver and blue pistols which I recognized as my signature Silver Horn 'Tridents'.

"Did he chicken out?" I hear Headon ask before Yuri scoffs and says, "He's probably making a plan so shut up and watch." They go quiet as I will my twin pistols into existence in my hands.

"Well, that's different." "Evan, did you see him open an arms inventory?" Come Headon and Yuri's voices respectively.

"I did not My Lady... the weapons just appeared in his hands," replied Evan.

"Interesting," I hear Headon say as I walk through the open hole to meet my opponent.

----

Raising my pistols towards the still oblivious beetle I pulled the triggers simultaneously testing the waters with two 'Invisible Bullets'. The bullets speed off towards the beetle before hitting its shell and making two barely noticeable dents while also alerting the monster to my presence. 'Well, at least I confirmed that I can use others' spells here and not just my spells, which is something I forgot to check with God about,' I thought as I jumped in between the beetle's pinchers and onto its back before immediately getting thrown off.

'This is getting annoying,' I thought as I run around dodging the beetle's pinchers and legs, 'I can't even break through its shell without a decently strong attack and even after that it regenerates quickly.' I had been pelting one spot on the beetle's armor with medium strength magic attacks for a while and but it kept on regenerating. Still not wanting to resort to my surefire method of 'Mist Dispersion'[2] I aim at the beetle and switched to a stronger attack. 'Muspelheim[3],' I think while pulling the trigger. Immediately two large magic circles form both under and above the beetle forming vapor clouds and incasing the monster in a high energy electromagnetic field raining lightning onto it.

Unbeknownst to me, while I was watching the beetle writhe in pain and hoping it wouldn't regenerate, the three onlookers were discussing the power behind the lightning field.

"If I didn't know better I would think he was a direct descendent of Khun Eduan," stated Headon, "That lightning is impressively powerful."

"Indeed," said Evan, "It's not often you see someone capable of that level of lightning while not being from the Khun family."

"That just makes him all the more interesting!" yelled Yuri excitedly, "This is what an Irregular should be capable of. I can't wait to see how much more power he has!"

Back to the now charred and shriveled beetle, I turn to the onlookers and yell, "Do you think it's dead?!" Sadly before I could hear an answer from any of them I had to dodge a half-formed pincher before it skewered me. "Godamn it! This is ridiculous, I hoped to by hitting it with fucking plasma and lightning that the thing wouldn't be able to regenerate but apparently I was wrong." I sighed, I guess I'm just gonna have to use that spell. Dashing away from the beetle with 'Accel' I spun around and aimed at the beetle one last time and when it opened its mouth I shot. 'Mist Dispersion,' I thought as I pulled the trigger and watched as the beetle transformed into a blueish-white fog and dispersed into the air.

"Oh?!" "What?!" "THE HELL?!" I heard from Headon, Evan, and Yuri respectively.

I walked back over to them while Yuri beat the others to the punch, "What was that?! The beetle just disappeared? How? Was it those weapons you use?"

"Do you just go around telling everyone about what and how your techniques and powers work Yuri?" I asked.

"Well, no bu-" she started.

"Then I don't think I should be telling you my secrets yet either," I said, "After all, we just met." Turning to Headon I said, "I think it is time for me to go on ahead."

"Yes, it is," he replied with a hand on his chin, "The only problem lies in where I should send you."

"What do you mean?" Evan, Yuri, and I asked.

"Well," he started, "I don't think it is a good idea for three Irregulars to all be together on Evankhell's Floor. She would not take kindly to any disruptions you could cause."

"Is that so?" I asked.

"It is," he replied, "Therefore I will be sending you straight to the 3rd Floor."