The party pressed deeper into the labyrinth, their footsteps echoing along the dark, jagged tunnels. Every shadow seemed to whisper danger, every twist in the path a new threat.
"Just a little further," Peter said, trying to sound confident despite the gnawing unease in his chest. "We've gotta be close to the exit."
But then—
A thunderous ROAR rattled the stone walls, followed by a searing gust of heat that made them all flinch.
From the cavern ahead, two enormous shapes emerged. Scales gleamed like molten gold and crackling sapphire under the flickering torchlight. Their wings stretched wide, brushing the cavern walls. One dragon radiated an intense, blazing heat; the other sparked with arcs of lightning dancing across its body.
"A Fire Dragon… and a Lightning Dragon?" Peter whispered, swallowing hard. "Oh man, they're huge."
Kumoko's many eyes gleamed as she pulled up her appraisal skill. "I'm scanning their stats now—whoa. Their attack power's off the charts! Watch out for their breath attacks and elemental resistances!"
Fran's golden eyes narrowed, her hand tightening around her greatsword. "High vitality. Strong armor. We need to hit them hard and fast."
"Don't get reckless," Morgan warned, her voice steady but commanding. "Stay close to me. I'll cover you with barriers."
"Fufufu… now this is exciting," Baobhan Sith purred, shadows coiling around her like living mist. "Let's show them what happens when they stand in our way."
Kurumi twirled her flintlock pistol, a wicked grin on her lips. "Two dragons, huh? Hehe… looks like it's our lucky day."
The dragons let out another deafening roar, flames and lightning crackling from their jaws.
"Scatter!" Peter shouted just as a torrent of fire surged toward them.
Kumoko leapt sideways, spinning webs midair to create a shield. Morgan raised her black demonic spear, erecting a shimmering barrier to block the flames. Fran charged forward, her sword glowing black as she activated her Armament Haki. Sparks danced around Kurumi as she opened multiple clock faces, aiming her guns at the lightning dragon's wings.
"Peter-kun! Distract the lightning one!" Kumoko yelled. "I'll bind the fire dragon's legs!"
"On it!" Peter web-zipped toward the lightning dragon, firing rapid webs at its face to block its vision. "Hey, Sparky! Over here!"
The lightning dragon snarled, bolts arcing toward him. Peter's spider-sense flared—he flipped, dodging narrowly as the electricity blasted a crater into the stone floor.
Meanwhile, Kumoko wove thick webs around the fire dragon's legs, slowing its movements. Fran dashed in, her blade flashing with a dark aura. "Black Crescent Slash!" she cried, cutting deep into the dragon's flank.
The fire dragon roared in fury, wings flaring wide. It tried to lift off—but Baobhan's shadows blood surged up, binding its wings in inky chains.
"Not so fast, darling," Baobhan said sweetly. "Stay grounded for us."
"Kurumi!" Morgan called. "Now!"
"Got it!" Kurumi's clock faces spun wildly, her eyes gleaming red. "Zafkiel—Yud Bet!"
A golden rifle formed in her hands. She fired—time itself slowing as the bullet pierced the lightning dragon's wing joint.
The dragon shrieked, staggering midair.
"Peter, finish it!" Kurumi yelled.
Peter fired a triple webline, slingshotting himself straight toward the dragon's exposed neck. "Spidey Special!" he quipped, landing a powerful kick that sent the creature crashing to the ground.
"Nice hit, Master!" Baobhan cheered, rushing to his side.
The fire dragon, enraged, unleashed a cone of fire at Kumoko and Baobhan.
"Inferno incoming!" Kumoko screamed.
Morgan stepped forward, her hands glowing. "Avalon's Shield!" A massive, shimmering ward formed, deflecting the flames away in a wave of light.
"Now, Fran!" Morgan commanded.
Fran leapt high, her sword blazing with haki and magic. "Final Moonlight Slash!"
Her blade cleaved down, a shining arc of black and silver energy splitting the fire dragon's chest. With a final roar, it collapsed beside its lightning-breathing sibling.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Then—
"We… we did it," Peter panted, hands on his knees. "We actually beat two dragons…"
"I knew we could!" Kumoko cheered, bouncing excitedly. "We're unstoppable!"
Baobhan approached Peter, placing a delicate hand on his cheek. "You were splendid, my love."
Kurumi holstered her guns, smirking. "Not bad, spider-boy. You're tougher than you look."
Morgan surveyed the fallen dragons, then turned to them with a rare smile. "We've earned a safe passage forward."
Fran sheathed her sword, nodding solemnly. "Let's keep moving. This labyrinth isn't done with us yet."
Peter glanced back at the massive dragons, still stunned by their victory.
"…Okay, but next time, can we not fight two dragons at once?" he joked weakly.
Suddenly, the air warped.
The space in front of them twisted unnaturally, colors bending and light fracturing as if reality itself was being pulled apart.
"Careful… this one's dangerous," Morgan said sharply, stepping forward. Her staff crackled with energy, her cold eyes fixed on the distortion.
"W-Waah… this magic circle's way more complex than my little novice space spells!" Kumoko stammered, her legs twitching nervously. "Whoever's coming through this knows a lot. But why here? Why now?!"
The Living Sword, Bobon, hovered beside Fran, its voice unusually tense. "Teleportation magic… Fran, be careful. I sense a formidable presence."
Fran's blue eyes narrowed, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her sword. "I know, Shishou."
Peter's spider-sense flared like a blaring alarm, making his skin crawl. "Everyone, brace yourselves!"
With a final shudder, the magic circle snapped open.
A figure stepped through—clad entirely in jagged, black armor. Its form was tall, imposing, almost inhuman. Dark mist swirled around it, and its face was hidden behind a helmet with glowing red slits for eyes.
Peter instinctively tried to scan it, but the moment he focused—
"Wa… he's even stronger than Alaba or my mother!" Kumoko hissed, her many eyes twitching in alarm. She puffed herself up and called out, "H-Hey! What do you want from us?!"
The Black Knight turned slowly, heavy armor creaking. Then, in a guttural voice, he spoke:
"$$#$#$#."
It was the language of this world — completely incomprehensible to them.
"Huh?! A-I-U-E-O? G-good morning?!" Kumoko frantically tried switching between Japanese, English, even random syllables — but the knight only watched silently.
Kurumi giggled softly from the side, twirling one of her twin tails. "Kumoko-chan, did you forget to activate the translation function in the group chat settings?"
"EHHH?! We have that feature?!" Kumoko fumbled through the floating system menu, muttering, "Where… where… ah! Found it!"
With a blink, the translation activated. Kumoko beamed triumphantly. "Okay, mister! Now tell us — what do you want?"
The Black Knight tilted his head slightly, amused. "Oh… you can speak our language? Impressive." His voice was deep and rumbling. "I'm here for—"
Before he could finish, something fell with a soft clack to the ground.
Peter's eyes widened. "Is that… a smartphone?"
The Black Knight bent down, picking up the device. Suddenly, a girl's voice echoed from the phone — calm, soft, disturbingly beautiful.
Yet just hearing it sent a chill crawling down their spines. Some of the group instinctively shivered, feeling a nameless unease.
"Tch. Problematic person wants to talk to you," the Black Knight muttered, tossing the phone toward them. "Here… catch."
He turned without another word and vanished into the shadows.
Peter caught the phone, exchanging a wary glance with the others. Kumoko leaned in. "Uh… hello? Who's this?"
A faint giggle came through the speaker — delicate, sweet… and laced with something dark.
"Hm? You can talk? Well, well… I didn't plan this, but how amusing~" the voice said, her tone like silk wrapping around thorns. "I'm very curious, little spider… about you, and your strange little friends."
"Friends…?" Kumoko tilted her head nervously.
"I don't recall inviting them to my game," the voice continued, sounding delighted. "Hehe… interesting. Truly interesting. What should I do with bugs? Can you answer me, Miss Spider?"
Peter's sharp mind raced, fitting the pieces together. "Games… bugs… erase… You're the god of this world, aren't you?" His eyes hardened. "And from the way you're talking, you treat this world like it's just a toy. You're no good person."
"Bingo~" the voice chimed, lightly clapping. "Oh, clever one! At first, I was just watching my dear little spider here for some amusement, but now things have changed… Allow me to properly introduce myself: I'm D, the World's Worst Evil God. Pleased to meet you, oh intruders of my playground."
Kurumi's crimson eyes gleamed. She tapped her personal device, sending a silent signal. "So, now you know we're not part of this game of yours. What will you do? Just know… we're not going to die quietly. Fufufu."
Far away, her message was received — and a force began to stir.
D let out a dark, honeyed laugh. "Oh, you're right… What should I do? Maybe I'll take you all, except Miss Spider, for experiments… And my colle—"
Suddenly, a golden light flared from Kurumi's phone — a surge of radiant, divine energy blasting through the connection, slamming into D's presence with unstoppable force.
"W-What the—?! What is this power?!" D's voice cracked with shock, her playful tone shattered. "I… I can't move! Impossible!"
Morgan's breath hitched. Even she, the mighty Fairy Queen, felt her heart tremble. "Wh… Who… is this?"
Fran smiled softly, a glint of pride in her golden eyes. "Yes… this is his power." She raised Bobon reverently. "He is… my Emperor."
"E-Emperor…?!" D's voice snarled, twisting with frustration. "Show yourself! Who dares interfere—?!"
But before she could finish, the communication line snapped, the phone's screen shattering into black.
Silence fell.
Peter slowly exhaled, tension easing slightly. "Looks like… help is on the way."
Kurumi smirked. "Heh. I told you — I always keep a few aces up my sleeve."
Suddenly, Kurumi's phone vibrated in her hand. She looked down — an incoming call.
With a soft beep, she answered.
[Satria: Hello, my dear~ Don't worry, I'll handle this. You and everyone else can go back to your adventure — enjoy your holiday! Oh yeah… how about a date in Prague after you finished this mission? I hear it's the perfect romantic spot for us, sweetheart~ And hey… did Fran want to come too? The more, the merrier!]
Everyone froze, staring wide-eyed at the phone.
"…Is he perhaps…" Morgan murmured, glancing at Kurumi and Fran, her sharp eyes narrowing in question.
"Yup," Kurumi said casually, twirling a lock of hair. "That's my hubby."
Fran nodded brightly, eyes sparkling. "And yes! I'd love to go together with Kurumi-san, my lord~!"
Kumoko's legs twitched. "W-Wait… don't tell me… He's the group admin? This… ridiculous, hyperactive playboy? I didn't expect he was that powerful!" She shuddered. "He just drove away an Evil Goddess with pure aura! What is he, a cheat character?!"
Kurumi's sweet smile sharpened into something darker. "Ara-ara~ someone has a silver tongue, huh?" she purred into the phone. "But before you get too smug, darling… tell me: what exactly are you doing to my precious little neko? And I heard from our family group that you've caused… oh, so many little mischiefs on the other side. Care to explain that too, hmm?"
There was a long pause.
[Satria: …The number you have dialed is currently on another call. Please try again later.]
"…Hahaha, that's Big Bro Satria for you," Peter chuckled nervously, scratching his cheek.
Baobhan Sith crossed her arms, tapping her fingers against her elbow. "Still… is it just me, or has he gotten even stronger?" she muttered, trying (and failing) to ignore the uneasy chill she felt. "Master, you'd better train harder! I've got a feeling we're going to face something really dangerous ahead. We can't afford to relax too much."
Kurumi let out an exaggerated sigh, pouting. "…That man-child of mine. Fufufu… what should I do when I see him next? Any ideas, Fran-chan?"
"I do! I do!" came an eager voice — Bobon, the living sword, practically shaking with excitement. "Let me give that bastard some lessons for corrupting my adorable Fran!"
Fran giggled softly, shaking her head. "No, no… I don't hold a grudge. Actually, I'm grateful. Thanks to him, I've become who I am now." She smiled gently at Kurumi. "You should be kinder to him, Kurumi-san."
Kurumi puffed out her cheeks, crossing her arms. "Mou! You and the others are way too soft on him. Fine, fine… I'll let it slide. But he better thank you properly next time!"
The group shared a laugh — tension eased, hearts lightened — even though, deep down, they all knew: this was just the calm before the storm.
•
With Satria's reassuring message still echoing in their minds, the group pushed forward through the labyrinth's darkened halls.
Everywhere they walked, the signs of devastation lingered: arachnids, snakes, wyverns—even some humanoids—all lay scattered, fainted or dead, overwhelmed by the sheer pressure of the aura released earlier by the Group Chat's leaders.
"Yuhuu~! Free EXP buffet! Thanks, Group Leader! Itadakimasu!" Kumoko cheered, zipping over to finish off a few still-twitching beasts. With practiced ease, she began devouring them, boosting her level with every bite.
Baobhan Sith cringed, watching in morbid fascination. "You seriously eat everything, huh? But raw? Ugh… what does that even taste like?"
Kumoko paused mid-chomp, one leg raised. "Depends! Some taste like sushi—yum~! Others taste like rotten shoe leather dipped in acid. But hey, it's eat or be eaten in here. No gourmet options."
Then, she suddenly froze. "Oh! Level-up time!"
A radiant light burst from her body as her form began to morph. The transformation enveloped her entirely—until at last, a new form emerged: a sleek, snow-white creature with elegant scythe-like limbs.
"I present to you… Zana Horowa!" she declared dramatically, striking a ridiculous pose. "What do you think? Cool, right? Stylish, deadly—ten outta ten!"
"Whoa!! It's like the Vokemon games in my world!" Peter's eyes sparkled. "Where monsters evolve into cooler forms and get stronger! You're amazing, Kumoko!"
"Hehehe~ thank you, Peter-kun!" Kumoko beamed. "Only one evolution left before my Final Form! And then—ULTIMATE POWER!!"
She struck another pose, this one even weirder.
Morgan chuckled softly, arms crossed. "Fufufu… you truly attract strange companions, Master."
Kurumi smirked. "Tell me about it. I didn't expect my life to turn into a monster-hunting RPG party. But I kinda like it."
With a swirl of black mist, she sealed a fallen creature's corpse inside the Book of the Grim Reaper, one of her Emissary of the Underworld skills.
But then—
The ground shook.
A low tremor rumbled beneath their feet. The air thickened. A foul pressure bled into the corridor ahead.
The smell of darkness. Something was coming.
Kumoko froze. Her legs clicked backward instinctively, eyes locked upward in dread.
And then—
He emerged.
A dragon—no, not the Araba she once knew. This one was warped. Enraged.
The Chaotic Dragon Araba.
He erupted from the shadows with a roar that shredded the air. His body had mutated—jagged scales, pulsating veins of black magic, spiked wings crackling with corrupted energy.
Kumoko's thoughts spiraled. "He's different. Way, WAY different than before…!"
Fran stepped forward, her blade shimmering. "Get ready. This thing… this isn't the same dragon we faced before. I can feel it—something's wrong with him.
Araba's mouth glowed—a molten light rising in his throat like volcanic fury. The very air warped around him as raw chaos radiated outward in a storm of madness.
Kumoko dashed forward, eyes blazing. A dark magic circle spun beneath her feet as she skittered into position.
"Take this—Dark Spear!" She hurled a lance of condensed shadow toward the Chaotic Dragon.
But Araba moved—faster than expected. With an effortless sweep of his wing, he sidestepped the projectile and retaliated with a beam of seething darkness from his maw.
KRAAAK-BOOM!
"Not today!" Fran leapt high into the air, her blade crackling with power. With a cry, she slashed down. "Sky Piercer!" Her dark-lightning slash collided with the dragon's breath, slicing the energy beam in two and redirecting it harmlessly aside. She followed up with a counterattack aimed at his chest.
But the Chaotic Dragon was already preparing. With a sharp snarl, he conjured a barrier of blackened crystal—deflecting her strike.
"Tch—he's casting defensive magic? And quickly too?" Bobon narrowed his eyes, clearly impressed. "This dragon isn't just powerful… he's clever. And with magic resistance that high, this won't be easy."
Before anyone could respond, Araba lunged—his massive jaws aimed to crush anyone in reach.
"Rho Aias!" Peter leapt in front of Baobhan Sith, his arm glowing crimson as a radiant, seven-layered pink flower shield unfolded in front of them.
The dragon's fangs slammed into the barrier and skidded off with a shriek of magical friction.
"You okay?" Peter turned to her, breathing heavily.
Baobhan smiled sweetly, blood gathering on her fingertips. "Yup~ Now it's my turn. Blood Nail!"
From above, massive crimson spikes formed from coagulated blood rained down—piercing into Araba's scales with brutal force.
"GRRRAAAAHHHH!!"
The dragon roared in pain, staggering back. He slammed the earth with his claws, creating shockwaves as he tore the nails from his body and hurled them aside. But even as they clattered away, his wounds began to regenerate, black flesh writhing back together.
"He can regenerate?" Peter grimaced. "And he's pissed off now. Great."
Suddenly, threads shimmered in the air.
Snap! A net of shimmering silk slammed shut around Araba's form.
"Gotcha!" Kumoko grinned, perched on a boulder with mischief in her eyes. "That was my Taratect Web—extra sticky and ultra tough! He's not going anywhere! Go, go, go! Finish him while I've got him wrapped up!"
Morgan turned to Kurumi, eyes aglow. "Can I?"
Kurumi gave a confident nod, loading her pistol. "Let's do it together. I've got something new to test, anyway…"
Morgan stepped forward, her presence now that of a knight from legend.
With the battlefield smoldering around her, she raised her blade and whispered:
"No more kings.
No more gods.
No more dragons."
Her sword pulsed—gathering cursed energy.
Kurumi, meanwhile, whispered a single word as her flintlock shimmered.
"Reverse Zafkiel." The gears of fate turned. "Negative-Kaf."
A new bullet loaded—one infused with a curse and virulent toxin so potent, it corrupted living cells and soul on contact.
The two women moved in unison.
Morgan's blade cleaved through the air, trailing flames of black fire—cursed to sever fate itself.
Kurumi fired—the bullet piercing straight through the dragon's barrier and into his flesh.
The two attacks struck together.
Araba shrieked in agony, his body writhing under the weight of cursed flame and cellular rot. The web crackled around him, struggling to contain the chaotic energy unleashed.
The ground shook.
The air screamed.
The dragon... roared.
But the party held their ground.
Smoke still curled from the crater where Chaotic Dragon Araba had fallen, his body twitching in the shattered remains of Kumoko's web.
"Is he... dead?" Peter asked cautiously, squinting through the dust.
Kumoko scurried closer, eyes narrowing. "No way he went down that easy. I grinded like crazy to face this bastard!" She jabbed one of her claws into the dragon's side. "Hey, c'mon dude! Don't tell me all that dramatic power-up was just for a cheap death scene!"
Her compound eyes widened suddenly.
"Wait a sec... His HP, MP, and SP... they're still there! He's not dead!"
A low, unnatural growl began to build. The air around Araba shimmered—not from heat, but from something far worse.
Resentment.
Malice.
Corruption.
His body convulsed as tendrils of black fog slithered from the cracks in the dungeon floor, converging into his heart. The stagnant hatred of slain monsters, fallen adventurers, broken dreams—all of it flowed into him like a river of poison. His twisted scales darkened further, now blotched with red sigils and pulsing blisters of chaos.
With a horrifying groan, Araba stood. But he was no longer a dragon.
He had become something else.
A nightmare made flesh.
Two hollow, glowing eyes flickered open in his mutated face. His voice—once silent—now echoed like a dozen angry souls speaking in unison.
"You who crawl and kill and laugh… you defile this world with your living."
The dungeon itself seemed to groan under the weight of his hatred. The air turned acidic, thick with despair.
"I consumed their anger. Their screams. Their broken faith. The despair of all who died in this wretched pit... I am their vengeance!"
He spread his wings—no longer leathery, but jagged and malformed, dripping with shadow.
"I have shed my final weakness. No more beast. No more pride. I am Hatred Incarnate. I will consume this world… and everything in it."
Even the bravest among the group felt the chill. Fran gripped her sword tighter. Peter instinctively stepped in front of Baobhan again. Kumoko lowered her stance.
Kurumi's smile had vanished.
"...Okay, now he's serious," she muttered, loading another cursed bullet into Zafkiel.
Chaotic Araba's roar shattered what remained of the dungeon's ceiling, shaking the very earth beneath them. He was no longer dragon—no longer beast. What stood before the party was a mountain of malice, a twisted monument of suffering and hatred.
His form seethed with living shadows, hollow mouths screaming silently from his scales. Araba had transcended death… but not into godhood. Into something far worse.
Kumoko clicked her mandibles in frustration. "Tch! My poison's useless now! This guy's not even alive anymore!"
"Then we hit him with something that burns beyond life," Morgan growled, her grip tightening around her blade.
Peter stepped forward, his expression hard. "Then I'll give him the justice of heroes… forged from infinite blades."
His feet moved in rhythm, his soul resonating with a power buried deep within his origin. The world began to bend—steel creaked in the air as crimson light pulsed beneath his feet.
"I am the bone of my sword…"
The domain of Unlimited Blade Works ignited into being around him. Endless swords protruded from scorched ground, stretching to the horizon under a burning sky.
A weapon materialized before him—golden, divine, impossible.
Peter stared at it with reverence. "Arturia… Lend me your light."
Morgan's eyes widened. "That sword…"
Fran stepped beside him, her hand over her heart as her own magic surged. A second radiance joined the first—one born of the Golden Emperor's divine will.
"Absolution," she whispered.
Her armor gleamed with a silver brilliance laced with golden fire. Her blade—imbued by her master's divinity—sang with holy judgment.
Chaotic Araba sensed the light and screamed. He lunged with earth-splitting force, the void trailing behind his motion.
"NOW!" Fran shouted. "Strike together!"
Peter raised the borrowed Excalibur, light radiating like a second sun. Fran's blade shone in harmony, and Morgan lifted her cursed sword, its corruption purged for a single instant by their unified resolve.
"EX—"
"IMPERIAL SEVERANCE!"
"—CALIBUR!!"
Three lights became one. A trinity of power—hope, divinity, and vengeance—sliced through the air like judgment itself.
The beam tore through the dungeon, through Araba, through the darkness.
His roar turned to silence.
His body began to unravel, not into blood or ash—but into streams of cursed memories, screaming souls released at last.
The malformed colossus that had once been the great predator of the dungeon… disintegrated.
Gone.
A final gust of wind carried away the last trace of his hate.
Silence fell.
Peter fell to his knees, breathing hard. The swords of Unlimited Blade Works faded behind him.
Fran sheathed her sword slowly. "It's done."
Morgan looked up at the ceiling, where the light from above was finally breaking through.
Kurumi gave a low whistle. "Guess we won't need a resurrection spell after all."
Kumoko clicked in awe. "Now that was an anime finale. Let's get out of this place and celebrate our victory!"
To be continued...