Chapter 6

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the ancient stone corridors. Cracks ran along the dungeon walls like veins of a living beast, every vibration pulsing like the heartbeat of a hidden giant.

Before him stood the creature. The Abyssal Ogre.
Its body loomed two stories tall, muscles carved like obsidian stone. Its eyes blazed red like burning coals, tusks bared with every guttural roar. The air itself thickened with its presence—as though gravity had doubled, pressing down on Kenzou’s chest.

The divine spear in his hand trembled faintly, as if it too could feel the malevolent aura saturating the dungeon.

“So this is the true guardian of the second floor...” Kenzou muttered, narrowing his eyes. “Interesting. It’s been a while since I faced something this massive.”

The ogre raised its massive spiked mace—each spike as large as a human sword. A single swing could flatten an army.

With a roar that shattered the air, the beast charged. The ground quaked, stones crumbling, the crash of its movement like thunder striking the earth.

Kenzou moved.

The First Clash

With a single step, his body blurred to the side, leaving only an afterimage. The mace slammed into the ground where he’d just stood—
BOOOOM!
The impact obliterated the stone floor, fragments scattering like shrapnel. The shockwave alone hurled Kenzou several meters back.

But he was ready. His spear thrust forward. “Piercing Horizon!”

A golden streak of light erupted from the spear’s tip, cutting through the air like a radiant arrow. The ogre raised its arm to block—
KREEEEK!
Black blood sprayed as a searing line carved into its thick hide.

The Abyssal Ogre bellowed in rage, its roar collapsing dust from the ceiling.

“Too big,” Kenzou whispered, lowering his stance, eyes locked. “But not invincible.”

Counterattack

The ogre leapt. Yes—despite its mountain-like frame, it soared high into the air, its shadow swallowing the chamber whole. The spiked mace rose overhead, ready to crash down like a meteor.

Kenzou gripped his spear tightly. Golden aura flared, cloaking his entire body.

BOOOOOOOOM!!!
The dungeon convulsed under the impact. The shockwave rippled outward like the end of the world.

Kenzou had leapt away from the core of the strike, but the blast wind still flung him hard against the wall. Warm blood trickled from his lips, yet his eyes did not falter.

“Pure brute force… This is the true trial.”

He lunged again, spear spinning with insane velocity. “Spear Aura Burst!”

Golden sparks scattered like a storm of blades, flooding the chamber. The ogre raised its arms, trying to shield itself—but its massive body staggered back, flesh splitting, black muscle scorched.

And yet, it did not fall. It only grew more enraged.

Relentless Duel

The ogre roared, sweeping its mace sideways. Kenzou vaulted high, using the air as footholds, spinning his spear like a golden helix. He dove—
SLASHHHH!!!
The spear ripped across its shoulder, a geyser of black blood spraying.

But the ogre’s massive hand caught him!

Fingers as thick as pillars crushed around his body, bones threatening to snap under the pressure.

Kenzou growled, eyes blazing crimson. His spear surged with aura, burning into the ogre’s palm.

“DIMENSION… BREAKER!!”

The weapon vibrated, resonating unnaturally. The air around him cracked—thin violet fractures tearing open reality itself.

With a savage roar, Kenzou drove the spear into the ogre’s hand.
KRRRAAAAK!!!
Dimensional fissures swallowed half its arm, severing it clean.

The Abyssal Ogre screamed, staggering wildly. Black blood drenched the ground.

Kenzou landed heavily, nearly collapsing, but stood firm. His breath ragged, sweat mingling with blood.

“One more hit like that, and I’m done… But there’s no way I’ll let this beast live longer.”

The Climax

Now with only one arm, the ogre bellowed, eyes burning crimson. Dark aura gushed from its body, filling the dungeon. Shadows coiled around it—like the trapped souls of the damned, shrieking without sound.

Kenzou raised his spear, blood dripping from his arm. His body trembled, yet his spirit burned brighter.

He charged. One step. Two steps. Aura flared golden and violet, each stride cracking the floor beneath him.

The ogre lifted its mace one final time, unleashing its full might in a sweeping strike.

Kenzou leapt, every ounce of aura condensed into his spear tip. Blinding light burst forth, as though dawn itself erupted within the abyss.

“HEAVEN-SPLITTING THRUST!!!”

The spear pierced the ogre’s chest. Dimensional fractures spread outward, devouring the monster’s entire form.

Its final roar shook the dungeon—
And then its body shattered into shards of black light, vanishing into a collapsing void.

Silence

The sounds of battle ceased. Only Kenzou remained, standing amidst shattered stone, his spear driven into the cracked floor. His breath came ragged, blood soaking his clothes.

Yet his eyes still blazed. He lifted his head, staring into the distance.

At the far end of the corridor, a massive stone door creaked open, faint light spilling through.

Kenzou exhaled slowly.

“One down… but somehow… I know this is only the beginning.”

Kenzou pulled his spear free from the fractured stone, the sound echoing like a blade leaving its sheath. His chest rose and fell sharply, each breath heavy, but his grip never loosened.

The dungeon had grown eerily silent. The air, once thick with the ogre’s miasma, now felt hollow, as if the creature’s death had ripped something vital from the chamber itself.

But the silence was not peace. It was the quiet before another storm.

The Dungeon Reacts

The stone door ahead opened fully, revealing a staircase that spiraled deeper into the abyss. Cold wind blew from the passage, carrying with it whispers—faint, like voices of the dead.

Kenzou narrowed his eyes.

“This isn’t just a dungeon… it’s a tomb.”

Every instinct screamed for him to rest. His body begged him to stop. But the divine spear pulsed faintly in his hands, urging him forward, its glow refusing to die down.

He smirked despite the blood on his lips.

“Fine. I’ll keep going. You won’t let me rest anyway, will you?”

He stepped forward.

Shadows Awaken

The staircase led to a cavernous hall, its ceiling lost in darkness. Dozens—no, hundreds—of statues lined the walls, warriors of stone carved in grotesque, twisted poses. Their eyes glowed faintly red as Kenzou entered, as though watching him.

The instant his boots touched the center of the chamber, the statues cracked. Stone shattered, revealing figures of shadow encased in armor of black mist.

Specters. Dungeon guardians.

Kenzou spun his spear, planting one foot firmly behind him. The first shade lunged, sword raised. He sidestepped and thrust—
SHHHNK!
The spear pierced through, golden aura ripping the shadow apart. It dissolved into dust, but ten more advanced.

Another charge. Another clash. The chamber exploded into a storm of steel and light.

His spear carved arcs of golden brilliance, every strike splitting through the darkness. But for every shade that fell, two more emerged from the broken statues.

Kenzou gritted his teeth, spinning midair, aura bursting outward in a shockwave that ripped a dozen apart. But the effort cost him dearly—his knees buckled as he landed, sweat pouring down his temple.

“Damn it… Endless?”

The shades encircled him, whispering in voices like rustling leaves. His vision blurred. His muscles screamed.

And then—he felt it.

The Spear’s Awakening

The divine spear in his hand burned hotter than ever. A voice rang faintly in his mind—not words, but intent. A promise of power… if he dared to claim it.

Kenzou clenched his jaw.

“You want me to push further, huh? Fine. Let’s see how far this road goes.”

He planted the spear into the ground. Aura surged violently, not gold this time—but a mix of gold and violet. Dimensional cracks spread beneath his feet, humming with unstable energy.

The shades recoiled, hissing.

Kenzou raised his weapon high. His voice thundered through the hall.
“DIMENSIONAL ANNIHILATION!”

The world split. A wave of fractured space burst outward in all directions. The shades screamed as they were ripped apart—not cut, not burned, but erased from existence.

The chamber shook. Statues crumbled. Silence returned.

Kenzou stood at the center, chest heaving, aura flickering like dying flames. The divine spear dimmed, as though exhausted too.

Aftermath

The path ahead revealed itself—a single corridor bathed in pale light. Kenzou staggered toward it, leaving behind the ruins of the hall. His body was heavy, every step dragging, but his will pushed him forward.

At the end of the corridor, another set of doors waited—engraved with runes older than the kingdom itself. He reached out, pressing his palm against them.

The runes flared. His vision swam. For a moment, he wasn’t in the dungeon anymore.

Instead, he stood in a void.

A Glimpse Beyond

A figure loomed in the distance—shrouded in mist, holding a blade of obsidian fire. Its voice reverberated in his skull.

“So… the wielder of the Heavenly Spear finally arrives.”

Kenzou’s eyes widened. His grip tightened.

“Who the hell are you?”

The figure chuckled, the sound hollow, echoing endlessly.

“I am the remnant of what your spear was forged to destroy. And if you continue down this path… you will face me.”

The vision shattered. Kenzou gasped, his palm still pressed against the door. The runes dimmed.

For the first time since he entered the dungeon, a chill ran down his spine—not from exhaustion, but from the weight of what was to come.

He lowered his spear slowly.

“So that’s it… This dungeon isn’t just a trial. It’s a warning.”

He turned his back to the door. Not out of fear—but because he knew he couldn’t face what lay beyond in his current state.

The Exit

As if answering his resolve, a different passage opened to his left, glowing faintly. An exit.

Kenzou exhaled, finally allowing his weary body a moment’s reprieve.

“Tch… I’ll be back. Count on it.”

He walked toward the light.

When he emerged, the blinding radiance of the outside world stung his eyes. Fresh air filled his lungs for the first time in hours. He stumbled, then steadied himself.

In the distance, he saw her.

Alicia.

Her silver hair glistened under the sunlight, eyes wide as she ran toward him.

“Kenzou!”

He smirked faintly despite the blood on his face.

“Don’t worry. The dungeon’s guardian is gone. For now.”

She caught him as his knees buckled, holding him tightly. Her warmth was real, grounding him after the abyss he had walked through.

And as Kenzou looked back one last time, at the dungeon’s dark entrance looming behind him, he felt the weight of the unknown pressing on his shoulders.

The battle against the Abyssal Ogre had been only the beginning.

The descent ended in silence.

For hours, Yamamoto Kenzou had carved his way through the abyss, slaying ogres, corrupted beasts, and shadow-born horrors. Each floor had tested his resolve, each battle carving scars across his body and soul. But when the stairs opened into the fifth floor, the atmosphere shifted.

The dungeon no longer felt alive. It felt like a tomb.

A cavernous hall stretched before him, its ceiling lost to darkness. Pillars of black stone rose like broken teeth, glowing veins of molten lava crawling up their sides. Demonic runes pulsed across the walls, bleeding crimson light that painted everything in a hellish glow. At the far end stood a throne, carved from obsidian and bone, resting upon a dais of jagged rock.

And upon that throne… a giant sat waiting.

His presence was suffocating.

Five meters of obsidian flesh, lined with cracks that burned like rivers of magma. Two curved horns spiraled upward, forming a crown of fire. His eyes—pits of crimson flame—locked onto Kenzou the moment he entered. Massive wings, tattered but imposing, spread behind him, shadowing the throne like the gates of hell itself.

The Demonlord had awoken.

“...A human?” The voice that rolled across the chamber was deep, distorted, vibrating through stone and bone alike. It was less a voice and more a growl shaped into words. “No… not just human. I smell divinity in your veins. Tell me, little warrior—do you come to kneel, or to die?”

Kenzou tightened his grip on the Heavenly Spear. His bloodied cloak fluttered in the heated air, sweat already trickling down his temple from the suffocating aura that radiated off the monster. His body screamed from exhaustion, but his spirit burned brighter than ever.

“I came to slay the master of this abyss,” Kenzou said, his voice steady despite the weight pressing against his chest. “If you are he, then prepare yourself.”

The Demonlord laughed, a sound like collapsing mountains. “Bold. Very bold. But boldness is the first step to despair.”

The throne cracked beneath the giant’s weight as he rose, dragging with him a weapon that seemed forged from the abyss itself—a colossal blade, jagged and black, its edge burning with cursed flames. The ground trembled with each step as the Demonlord descended from his throne, his aura pressing down like a tidal wave.

And then, without warning, he moved.

One instant he was a dozen meters away. The next, his massive blade was already falling toward Kenzou, a meteor of obsidian and flame.

Kenzou’s eyes widened—then narrowed.

He moved.

Steel met abyss.

The Heavenly Spear screamed as it clashed with the Demonlord’s blade, sparks and black fire exploding outward. The shockwave blasted the stone beneath Kenzou’s feet, cracks spiderwebbing across the floor. His arms shook under the pressure, his aura flaring to reinforce his guard.

The Demonlord sneered, pressing down harder. “You dare resist me?”

Kenzou gritted his teeth, veins bulging in his arms. His spear flared with golden light, his aura swirling like a storm. “I don’t resist… I defy!”

With a roar, he pushed upward, breaking the lock. The Demonlord staggered back a step, not from weakness but from surprise.

Golden aura burned against crimson flame. Human will against demonic tyranny.

The battle for the abyss had begun.

The Demonlord’s laughter echoed like thunder, shaking the pillars around them. “Interesting. Very interesting! It has been centuries since a mortal has forced me to take even a single step back.”

Kenzou lowered into stance, spear angled forward, eyes locked on the towering figure. His aura surged around him like a golden storm, cutting through the heat of the abyss. Sweat rolled down his cheek, but his grip remained unshaken.

The Demonlord spread his wings, fire and shadow spilling outward like a tidal wave. “Then let us see how long your defiance lasts.”

He swung his blade.

The massive weapon cleaved through the air, releasing a shockwave of black fire that screamed across the chamber. The floor shattered, molten veins bursting outward as the attack carved a gouge in the earth.

Kenzou leapt aside, the blast searing his cloak as he spun mid-air. He landed in a crouch, spear raised, aura bursting outward. “Spear Aura Burst!”

Golden energy spiraled from his weapon, forming a cutting arc that ripped toward the Demonlord. The crescent of light tore through the darkness, illuminating the sanctum—only to crash against the Demonlord’s chest and fizzle into smoke.

“Pathetic.”

Var’Zhul swung again, his blade descending with the weight of a falling mountain. Kenzou met it head-on, Heavenly Spear clashing against abyssal steel. The impact sent shockwaves tearing through the chamber, pillars shattering into dust.

Kenzou slid backward, his boots carving trenches into the stone floor. His arms shook violently, the sheer force threatening to tear his muscles apart. Blood dripped from his lip, but his eyes never wavered.

The Demonlord smirked. “You are strong… for a human. But strength alone will not save you.”

Chains burst from the ground.

Shadow-forged links whipped around Kenzou’s legs and arms, binding him in place. He struggled, aura flaring, but the chains burned cold, searing his flesh as they tightened.

“Chains of the Abyss,” Var’Zhul rumbled. “Your defiance ends here.”

The Demonlord raised his blade high, its cursed flames roaring like a storm. “Die, insect.”

The blade fell.

Time slowed.

Kenzou’s vision filled with crimson fire, the smell of molten stone and burning flesh invading his senses. His heart hammered against his ribs, his body screaming in protest. For a fleeting moment, death felt inevitable.

But then—

No.

Images flashed in his mind: Alicia’s smile, the warmth of her hand against his, the promise he had made to her. The Guildmaster’s words echoing: “You have the eyes of a warrior who defies fate itself.”

“I won’t… fall here!”

His aura exploded.

Golden light burst from his body, shattering the abyssal chains with a thunderous crack. Flames of pure willpower spiraled around him, merging with the Heavenly Spear. His eyes blazed, not just with defiance, but with destiny.

The Demonlord’s blade descended—

And Kenzou roared.

“Piercing Horizon!!”

The spear shot forward, wrapped in radiant aura, colliding with the descending sword. The impact shook the sanctum, a blinding flash of gold clashing against crimson. Stone pillars disintegrated, lava surged upward in violent eruptions, the throne itself cracking under the force.

For the first time, the Demonlord staggered backward, his weapon thrown off-course. His eyes widened, flames flaring with fury.

“You… dare wound me?!”

Smoke rose from a fresh gouge across his chest, golden energy sizzling in the wound. The Demonlord touched the burn with one clawed hand, then looked at the blood on his palm—black, burning like tar.

Kenzou stood tall, chest heaving, aura blazing. “I told you. I don’t resist… I defy!”

Var’Zhul’s laughter no longer rumbled with amusement—it shook with rage. His voice cracked the air like thunder.
“You dare wound a lord of the abyss?!”

Black flames erupted from his body, swallowing the chamber in a storm of darkness. The sanctum itself trembled, demonic runes burning brighter as if feeding on his fury. The molten veins of lava flared crimson, rivers of fire surging across the floor.

Kenzou planted his spear into the ground to steady himself against the violent quake. The air was suffocating, thick with heat and malevolence, yet his golden aura flickered defiantly against the abyssal storm.

Var’Zhul spread his wings, rising higher, his colossal blade raised in both hands. The cursed steel glowed as abyssal flames consumed it, forming a towering pillar of fire. His voice boomed like a death knell:
“Hellrend Desolation Slash!”

The blade fell.

A tidal wave of black fire screamed downward, swallowing everything in its path. Stone disintegrated, lava vaporized, even the air seemed to tear apart under the force. It was not an attack—it was annihilation itself.

Kenzou’s eyes narrowed. His aura surged higher, golden flames wrapping tighter around the Heavenly Spear. His entire body screamed with pain, muscles tearing, blood dripping freely, but his spirit blazed brighter than ever.

If I fall here, Alicia’s waiting smile will vanish. The world outside will collapse under monsters like this. My promise… my path… everything ends.

He tightened his grip. His heartbeat thundered. His voice cut through the roar of the abyss.
“Then I’ll pierce even the end itself!”

Golden light erupted, sharper and brighter than ever before. His aura condensed into a single point at the tip of his spear, spiraling like a star collapsing into itself. The very air screamed under its intensity.

Kenzou roared:
“Heaven-Piercing Thrust!!”

He lunged.

The spear shot upward, golden light bursting forth like a newborn sun. It clashed with the abyssal wave, colliding in a cataclysm of light and darkness. The sanctum shook violently, the ceiling crumbling, rivers of lava surging like oceans.

The clash was blinding. Gold and crimson warred, exploding in shockwaves that shattered stone and ripped apart the ground. For a moment, the entire dungeon seemed to cease existing—only two forces remained, locked in defiance.

Kenzou screamed, every vein in his body alight with pain. The Heavenly Spear trembled in his hands, its divine glow cracking under the strain. But his will forced it forward, inch by inch, piercing through the abyssal firestorm.

The Demonlord’s eyes widened. His blade cracked. His flames faltered. “Impossible—!”

Kenzou’s roar split the air.
“Fall, Var’Zhul!!”

The golden spear burst through the wave of destruction, piercing directly into the Demonlord’s chest.

The impact detonated.

A blinding explosion of light and fire consumed the sanctum. Lava erupted skyward, the throne shattered into rubble, demonic runes burning out in a chain of collapsing sparks. The ground split apart, the chamber crumbling under the force of their clash.

Var’Zhul roared, his voice echoing with fury and disbelief. Black blood gushed from his wound, sizzling against the spear’s light. “No… this cannot be… a mortal cannot…!”

His body convulsed as cracks of golden light tore through him, splitting apart his obsidian flesh. With one final scream, his massive form exploded, a storm of abyssal fire dissolving into smoke and ash.

The dungeon fell silent.

Kenzou stood amidst the ruins, his body battered, his cloak in tatters, blood dripping from a dozen wounds. His hands shook around the Heavenly Spear, its golden glow flickering faintly. He fell to one knee, gasping for breath.

And then, silence gave way to a whisper.

A remnant of the Demonlord’s voice, carried on the fading abyssal flames:
“The abyss… does not end with me… Greater lords slumber… and they… will come…”

The voice faded, and with it, the oppressive aura dissolved.

Kenzou closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. He tightened his grip on the Heavenly Spear, raising it upright to plant it into the cracked stone before him. His voice was hoarse, but steady:
“Then let them come. I will cut them down, one by one.”

The sanctum collapsed into silence. The Demonlord had fallen. The abyss had been defied.

But far above, in the world beyond the dungeon, storm clouds gathered.

The golden glow of the Heavenly Spear dimmed, leaving only the crackle of molten stone and the stench of burnt air. The sanctum collapsed behind him as Kenzou staggered forward, every muscle screaming, every wound burning. The Demonlord was gone—yet his words lingered like poison.

Greater lords slumber…

Kenzou clenched his jaw, forcing his battered body to keep moving. The path upward revealed itself as the demonic runes on the walls crumbled to dust, unveiling a staircase carved from pale stone. It was not an escape—it was a victory march.

Step by step, he ascended.

The oppressive darkness thinned. The air grew lighter, fresher. After what felt like an eternity, blinding light pierced his vision. Kenzou squinted against it, his eyes stinging as he pushed through the final archway—

And stepped out into the world above.

The evening sun bathed the forest in gold. The dungeon’s towering gate loomed behind him, cracked and fading, its once-menacing aura now broken. Birds circled in the sky, their calls carrying a freedom that contrasted the suffocating abyss he had just survived.

A shout broke the silence.

“Kenzou!!”

Alicia.

She sprinted across the clearing, her eyes wide with relief and fear. Behind her, members of the Guild stood frozen, staring in awe at the battered warrior emerging from hell itself. Even the Guildmaster, usually unshakable, let his stern expression soften.

Kenzou managed a faint smile, though blood dripped from his lips. “I… kept my promise.”

Alicia reached him, tears welling in her eyes. She caught him just as his knees buckled, her arms wrapping around him as if she could shield him from the world itself. His blood stained her dress, but she didn’t care.

“You idiot…” she whispered, her voice trembling. “You almost died…”

Kenzou chuckled weakly, his head resting against her shoulder. “Almost… doesn’t count.”

The Guildmaster stepped forward, his deep voice carrying authority but also respect. “You slew the master of the abyss. Yamamoto Kenzou… today, you have carved your name into history.”

The surrounding guild members erupted into cheers and shouts, though many were still too stunned to speak. The dungeon that had swallowed countless warriors… had finally been conquered.

Kenzou closed his eyes, exhaustion finally claiming him. But even as darkness pulled him into unconsciousness, his grip on the Heavenly Spear never loosened.

The abyss had been defied.

And the world outside would never be the same.