Hundreds of dark skeletons, each clad in different styles of medieval armor and armed with a variety of weapons, closed in on Reisou and 2B from every direction, forming an unescapable circle.
Their glowing red eyes fixed on the duo with chilling intensity, like predators eyeing their trapped prey.
At first, the skeletons made no move to attack. They remained perfectly still, each one frozen in place as if awaiting a command.
The Fallen King, seated on his crumbling throne and facing Reisou and 2B, suddenly raised his right hand and uttered something in an arcane language.
"Bakram Vulgro Tata Mire Bohra!"
His ancient incantation echoed through the square, and in response, every skeleton let out a bizarre, guttural roar that would send chills down the spine of even an experienced Hunter.
Reisou didn't stand still waiting for death. He swiftly activated two abilities, determined to strike first before the horde could close in on him.
✫| Enhancement |✫
✫| Armament Haki |✫
With both techniques activated, Reisou spun his lance in a wide arc, taking down two skeletons at once. The force of the impact sent their bony bodies flying backward, crashing into others that were rushing in from behind.
One skeleton swung its sword, aiming to cleave Reisou's shoulder.
Instantly, he spun to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike. In one seamless motion, Reisou countered with a precise thrust, driving his lance straight through the skeleton's skull.
The impact shattered its brittle bones, scattering fragments in every direction.
Four more skeletons, each wielding a massive sword and shield, charged toward him with terrifying speed.
Reisou stayed calm and drove his lance into the ground, propelling himself into the air just as the skeletons charged. He twisted midair, dodging their powerful attack, before landing smoothly on his feet, poised and ready for the next strike.
A skeleton suddenly flew past him, and as he glanced to the side, Reisou saw 2B wielding her katana with her only functioning arm.
She was cutting through the group of skeletons surrounding her as if they were nothing more than paper.
Her swordsmanship was in full display as she moved with fluid grace, each strike and dodge seamless, almost like a dance.
With every swing of her katana, she cut down the skeletons that dared approach, her movements were precise and deadly.
"2B, let's focus on him," Reisou said, pointing toward the Fallen King. "If we keep wasting energy on these minions, we'll burn out before we reach him."
Based on his limited experience from playing a few RPG games, Reisou knew that they would only be safe once they took down the one summoning the skeletons.
In this case, the one responsible was obvious.
The Fallen King should be prioritized.
2B, understanding his reasoning, immediately acted. She sliced through the horde of undead, clearing a path while Reisou followed closely behind, protecting her back.
When 2B was nearly within reach of the platform, she suddenly leaped backward and embraced Reisou, throwing them both to the ground.
*BOOOM!
An enormous explosion erupted from where 2B had stepped, sending shockwaves through the air.
As the duo scrambled to their feet, they looked up to see the Fallen King grinning maliciously, red liquid dripping from his mouth.
The Fallen King's bizarre smile sent a chill down Reisou's spine, an unsettling feeling washing over him.
He forced the unease to the back of his mind and focused on the battle ahead. Defeating the Fallen King would be no simple task, but he was ready to give it his all.
Reisou exchanged a quick glance with 2B, and together they dashed forward again, meeting the oncoming wave of skeletons head-on.
From his throne, the Fallen King joined the battle, summoning enormous black spheres and sending them hurling toward them.
"2B, let's split up!" Reisou ordered, his eyes briefly shifting to her.
That's when he saw a small trickle of blood running down her forehead from the explosion earlier.
'Dammit! She got hurt again... I'm going to kill that bastard!' His thoughts burned with anger as he glanced at her injuries.
Even though he knew she was an android and the blood wasn't real, it still enraged him to see her hurt.
✢| Fury |✢
✢| Intimidation |✢
Now, using his two skills, Reisou charged toward the platform like a beast, his lance cutting through any skeletons that dared to stand in his way.
The skill Intimidation granted him a six-second window, freezing all the skeletons within a five-meter radius in place.
Logically, as dead beings, they shouldn't have been capable of fear, but somehow, it worked, halting their movements for just enough time to allow him to push forward.
Meanwhile, 2B sprinted toward the other side, slipping into the shadows as she moved.
Using her dark techniques, she quickly reached the base of the platform.
Then, with smooth, fluid motion, she began leaping upward, stepping on small shadowy clouds that appeared beneath her feet.
When Reisou finally reached the base of the platform, he gathered all his strength in his legs and launched himself into the air with a powerful leap.
He landed at the top with a solid thud.
Now, he and 2B stood side by side on the platform, facing the towering figure seated on the throne. The Fallen King loomed before them, his immense form easily rivaling the height of a two-story building.
His right hand remained raised, summoning five strange black spheres. The eerie orbs pulsed with raw energy, poised to be unleashed upon them at any moment.
The bloody grin on his face remained, stretching wider, making the sight even more unnerving.
"Mathra Burgru Vidir Benkar!" the Fallen King roared, his voice deep and menacing.
Reisou didn't bother with whatever the Fallen King was saying. He was pissed and just wanted this over with as fast as possible.
The moment he moved, the two spheres shot at him like speeding bullets.
They were so fast that Reisou couldn't fully dodge them. One of the dark orbs grazed his right arm, sending a burning sensation through the flesh and a sharp, searing pain coursing through his body.
The other three orbs hurtled toward 2B with the same blinding speed. However, she evaded each one with flawless precision.
Before they could catch their breath, the Fallen King raised his hand once more. Five new dark orbs materialized in the air, each one larger and more menacing than the last.
At the same time, the skeletal warriors below began to stir. One by one, they scaled the walls of the platform, their red eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.
"2B, I'll distract the boss. You focus on using your powers to strike him," Reisou said, trying to ignore the burning pain in his left arm.
He was confident that 2B's abilities would make it easier to land a clean hit on the Fallen King.
Unfortunately, without any long-range weapons or abilities, he wouldn't be able to assist with the attack.
'I really need some ranged and area damage skills... fighting up close isn't always the best option,' he thought, annoyed by how limited his current abilities were.
Pushing his frustration aside, Reisou charged toward the Fallen King once more, using his lance to take down a few skeletal warriors that had managed to climb the platform and block his path.
In a flash, three orbs shot toward him with terrifying speed, their dark energy distorting the air around them.
"This again?!"
Reisou leaped, narrowly dodging one orb, but even with all his useful abilities active, avoiding the other two wasn't easy.
He threw himself between a group of skeletons, and just as two more orbs landed nearby and exploded, Reisou snatched a shield from one of them and used it to protect himself.
*BOOOM!
The impact sent him flying back several meters, but with sheer determination, Reisou quickly regained his footing and rushed forward again, raising his lance high.
Meanwhile, 2B, using a shadow technique to conceal herself, remained unnoticed by both the Fallen King and the skeletons for a brief moment.
✫| Sum Fdah |✫
In the blink of an eye, 2B closed the distance, reaching the throne.
With the aid of another shadow technique, she soared upward and delivered a powerful slice to the distracted Fallen King.
Her katana sliced through his wide neck as if it were paper, but to her surprise, the grin on the Fallen King's face only grew more unsettling.
Reisou noticed the unsettling change and instantly leaped toward 2B, sensing that something terrible was about to unfold.
At that very moment, the Fallen King's mouth twisted open in a disturbingly unnatural way, revealing sharp, bloodied teeth that were even more menacing than a shark's.
Dark energy began to gather in his mouth, shooting forward like a beam, aimed directly at 2B.
Fortunately, Reisou arrived just in time, throwing himself and 2B to the ground, narrowly avoiding the blast.
*BOOOOOOM!
One of the castle towers took the impact, almost vanishing from sight.
Reisou and 2B stood up, their eyes fixed on the Fallen King with awe.
"We can't get hit by it, or we're dead," Reisou said, his voice filled with fear. But for some reason, alongside the fear, the rising danger made his heart race with a strange sensation.
Excitement? He couldn't tell, but still, it wasn't that bad.
2B stood by his side and nodded, sensing that the Fallen King was even more troublesome than the Engels she had fought in her own world.
"2B, I have a theory," Reisou said, glancing at the throne. "I don't think he can leave it. If we can get behind it, we might have a better shot at attacking him."
The white-haired android understood his point and nodded her head, silently agreeing with his plan.
Without another word, they split up, each putting distance between the other.
The Fallen King, now silent, summoned a fresh wave of dark orbs that hurtled toward them with relentless speed.
They managed to dodge the orbs, having grown somewhat familiar with their impact pattern.
After dodging a few orbs, Reisou quickly checked his status. His energy was below half, and as he glanced at his level, he saw a surprising number of unspent attribute points ready for allocation.
His eyes widened in surprise, and a grin crept across his face, unintentionally mirroring the eerie smile of the Fallen King.
"Now, this is getting interesting."