Chapter 32: INTO THE SHADOW PHASE
"Whoa, that’s pretty fast for something this big," Raito muttered, tightening his grip on his dagger.
The scorpion’s tail rose high, the stinger glowing with violet venom. It whipped forward with a sharp crack! cutting through the air. Raito barely managed to leap aside, the tip of the stinger grazing his cheek.
He landed lightly, sliding back a few steps. "Tch. That would’ve gone through my skull if I was slower," he hissed.
The monster screeched and lunged again, its stinger darting toward him. This time, Raito didn’t dodge. His crimson eyes narrowed. "I’m going to have to cut that stinger off!"
As the tail came down, Raito raised his dagger high and swung with all his might. The two weapons collided—
CLANG!
A shockwave burst from the impact, dust scattering. But when Raito looked closer, his eyes widened in disbelief.
The stinger hadn’t broken. Not even a crack. His dagger—made from the claw of the Speedster Inferno Demon—had met its match.
"What? How...?" Raito’s voice trembled slightly. He took a step back, staring at the weapon in his hand. "This dagger can cut through enchanted steel... but this thing—its stinger didn’t even flinch?"
The scorpion raised its tail again, the metal-like surface of its armor gleaming faintly under the dungeon’s light.
Raito’s mind raced. "The claw I use for this dagger came from an A-rank demon beast. But this scorpion..." He glanced at its enormous body, the strength behind each movement. "No, this one isn’t a normal A-rank. It’s a boss variant—its defense must’ve evolved beyond normal limits."
The tail withdrew, curling high above its body like a coiled whip preparing for another strike.
Raito gritted his teeth and steadied himself. "So... it’s going to be like that, huh? Fine. Let’s see whose weapon breaks first."
The scorpion let out a screech that shook the walls—and then, it struck again.
"This thing’s annoying," Raito muttered, his eyes narrowing. "It’s huge—but it’s fast. Still... I’m faster."
The Giant Scorpion’s stinger lashed toward him again, slicing through the air with a venomous whip! Raito leaped sideways, dust scattering beneath his boots. The tail twisted, following him midair, forcing him to raise his dagger and parry the blow. Metal clashed against chitin, sparks flying as Raito pushed the stinger aside with a sharp twist of his wrist.
The scorpion screeched, swinging its tail again in a wide arc. Raito ducked, rolled, then sprang forward—closing the distance in a blur. "Got you!" he said, his dagger flashing toward one of its eyes.
But before the blade could pierce, one of the monster’s massive pincers shot upward. It clamped down toward Raito’s neck, its shadow swallowing him whole. His instincts screamed. He twisted his body and leaped backward just in time, the pincer slicing through the air where his head had been.
Raito landed a few meters away, panting lightly. "Tch... it’s actually smart," he said with a half-smile. "But I’m not losing. Not to something like you."
He straightened his stance, eyes fixed on the creature. "It’s an A-rank monster, huh? But that’s only by name. Most rank C hunters could kill it with a team, and B ranks wouldn’t even sweat. They only call it A-rank because of its size."
The scorpion screeched again, its stinger rising high.
Raito’s smile deepened. "But still... let’s see what kind of skill Greed will give me when I take you down." His eyes gleamed faintly as he whispered, "All that Greed sees must be devoured... to quench its hunger."
The monster’s tail darted forward again, aiming for his face. Raito tilted his head slightly, feeling the venomous air brush his cheek as he sidestepped smoothly. His lips curled into a grin. "Heh. This is getting fun."
As Raito dodged, the giant scorpion lunged again, its massive pincers clashing together with a sharp clang! aimed straight for his neck. He ducked under them just in time—the second time in a row—feeling the gust of air from the strike graze the top of his head. He twisted his wrist and parried one of the pincers with his dagger, the impact ringing through his arm.
Raito slid backward across the stone floor, boots scraping. "Persistent bastard," he muttered.
The monster reared back, raising its claws high—then its stinger twitched, aiming directly at him. Suddenly, from the tip, a stream of thick, black venom shot out with a hiss.
Raito’s eyes widened. "Venom?" He jumped to the side, rolling across the floor as the liquid splattered behind him. The moment it touched the ground, smoke rose from the stone. The floor hissed, bubbling and melting like hot wax.
"Whoa... good thing I dodged that," Raito said, his voice sharp with realization. He stared at the sizzling floor, a grim smile crossing his lips. "If that hit me, my face would’ve been gone."
He turned his eyes back toward the scorpion—just in time to see it pull its tail high again. The monster hissed, swinging the stinger downward with all its strength. The sharp, venom-coated tip came screaming through the air toward him.
This time, Raito knew he couldn’t dodge. It was too close, too fast. So he braced himself—
"Fine!" he shouted, raising his dagger. "Let’s see whose weapon’s tougher!"
The stinger crashed into his blade with a deafening clang! Sparks exploded as Raito was thrown backward, slamming into the dungeon wall. The impact rattled the stones, dust raining from above.
For a moment, everything was silent. Then Raito exhaled slowly, his body trembling slightly as he steadied himself against the wall. "Tch... damn... that thing hits like a hammer."
He pushed himself up, blood trickling from his lip. "Alright... if brute force won’t work..." His eyes began to darken, a faint ripple of shadow spreading beneath his feet. "Then I’ll use this."
"Now let’s see..." Raito muttered, breathing hard, his eyes locked on the massive creature. "I’m going to have to try. This thing’s fast—too fast—and it’s not giving me any space." He took a slow breath, gripping both daggers tight. "But what if it can’t tell my direction... what if it can’t see me at all?"
He raised his voice. "System voice—activate: Shadow Phase."