Labyrinth Expedition #4

Akiro squares his shoulders, his feet firmly planted in the ground, and his eyes focused on the battle he had instigated. A short glance proved fruitful as the eyes of his peers, whom he considered classmates, were all filled with distrust in him– a completely normal reaction considering how he became after a certain incident.

Before him was the class's alpha, the bully, a boy whom he had close ties with long ago, but that was all in the past now. The present was now, and his goal was to defeat his opponent.

"You think you're hot shit," Masashi scoffed, spitting on the ground and grinding his feet against it, "Once a loser, always a loser."

"That's where I disagree," Akiro shook his head, taking a dagger from his sleeve, "I believe in the concept of redemption."

"Cut the crap! [ Bull Rush ]!"

Akiro watched red mana swirl around the berserker, twisting and curving into the silhouette of a bull whose horns were his arms. His eyes were glowing red, glowing with mana and his hair was being blown by the wind produced by his skill.

"I'll kill you!"

"You can try." Akiro cooly answered, raising the dagger and assuming a defensive stance, "Don't panic, or flinch– I'm not that weak, broken boy that could only take punches."

Masashi took a crouched sprinting position with both his hands ready to grab anything and crush it without mercy. Akiro was alert and on his toes, ready for Masashi to attack.

Crrk!

"Graaghhh!" He yelled, his feet crushing the ground as he started his sprint, propelling himself forward with sheer leg strength."

"I'm an assassin… we win in one strike… a strike planted on the enemy's weakest point!" Arthur threw the dagger at Masashi's eyes. "Analyze every factor, scrutinize every detail, and formulate a winning strategy! with the least amount of effort, and maximum effectiveness!"

"He disappeared!" The bystanders gasp.

"I couldn't see it!"

"Tch!" The berserker clicked his tongue, using one of his arms to cover his eyes, making the bland, normal dagger bounce off his enchanted skin. Once he uncovered his view, Akiro had disappeared from view. "Where'd he go!? — behind!"

Sparing no delay, Masashi planted both his arms on the ground, making it crack, and channeling the mana to his right leg. "[ Horse Kick ]!"

The mana gathered into his right leg, coating and fortifying it– multiplying the lethality of the attack. Akiro watches the foot approach him, appearing slowly with his heightened senses honed from repetitive hours of hunting monsters. "Slow," He thought. Just as the kick seemingly connected, the stand-still image of Akiro faded like smoke, the attack just going through him.

"An afterimage!?" Masashi growled, jerking forward and using a handspring to flip forward to his feet.

"Above you!"

Masashi had no time to process who warned him, but he looked up to see Akiro grabbing the dagger he had deflected earlier. Akiro descended unnaturally fast, with gravity and skill working in tandem.

clang!

Masashi glared with a frown, his eyes met with cold eyes. He had used his arms to block, catching the blade in between his gauntlets. "Nice trick!" he spat sarcastically.

Akiro smirked at him for the nth time that day, "Release," he said, his form dissipating into black smoke, and the dagger fell from his hands.

"What!? A clone!?"

Shink!

Masashi gasped, feeling a sharp pain just in his abdomen making his breathing uneven. He was still processing the trickery from earlier, failing to grasp the grievous disadvantage he himself had put upon himself. "Damn assassin– guy–." He spat blood, Masashi's eyes looking down to see Akiro half-embedded in his shadow. "You– bastard!"

Akiro exited his shadow, leaving the dagger in Masashi's guts, "I won."

"Not— yet!" Masashi protested, grasping his bell to keep his blood in, "I can still fight!"

Akiro had turned his back on the wounded berserker. "Maybe, but Kaiser-sensei seems to think otherwise."

"What—"

"That's enough!" The knight in question interjected loudly, his sword pointed in between the two fighters. Sebastian Rushed over to Masahsi's side, his hand encompassed in healing magic while Arthur slowly walked to Ayama.

"I've done a substantial amount of research on everyone's classes, their strengths, and their shortcomings. The weakness of a berserker is a fundamental issue of their inhibitions being dampened– coercing them to make stupid, irrational choices– and their core muscles' defenses being temporarily weakened when magic is gathered in the limbs for attacking."

"Good job, you redeemed yourself."The blonde boy praised.

"I had a great friend encourage me," Akiro shook his head before drinking a small mana potion from his storage.

"Seems like all the times you spied on them throughout the trip to the kingdom paid off," Ayama shrugged, waking past the glares he was given also.

Akiro walked beside him, slowly drinking the potion, "Yeah, it seems that paying attention is worthwhile." he said, "Especially with my improved eyes.

Kaiser confided with Oliva, whispering in a hushed voice. "Did you see that?" he asked, both impressed and concerned.

"Yeah," Olivia nodded, "He was looking at the magic flow of Masahsi's body and struck him at his weakest. It's scarily impressive."

Akiro and Ayama slowly approach the teleportation circle, ahead of their classmates, patiently waiting for them while watching the other adventurers go first. The circle lit up once again, the magic circle working flawlessly and spectacularly once again.

Kaiser led the class to the circle, where Akiro and Ayama were waiting, "Now, anything can happen in the labyrinth so don't drop your guard!"

"Now everyone boards the circle! It's our turn now!"

Akiro and Ayama enter the perimeter of the circle, waiting for the others, with some being more reluctant than others– especially the girls. When they finally settled in, the man dressed in robes clapped to get their attention.

"Clap, clap– Everyone! You may experience discomfort in the teleportation. Keep your hands and feet in the circle and close to your bodies at all times. We don't want another accident."

"Another– what?!" Akiro and Ayama looked at each other.

The man smiled, putting his hands on a necklace he had, "Excellent, now prepare for transport!"

Clap!

Like for the other adventurers, the circle shone and a wall of light rose to keep the heroes in and everything out. It was only for a moment, but to Akiro's eyes, light fractured into pieces and a picture of a destination appeared in the distance– with them being thrown at it at incredible speed.

"Gah!-- what was that?" He thought, holding his temples for the slight headache. The destination he noticed before felt like it has been brought closer to them, making it incredibly discombobulating.

"You good?" Ayama inquires, patting Akiro's back.

"Nausea," Akiro stammered, "I'm alright, so don't worry."

"Welcome!" A man welcomed them loudly. "Welcome to the goblin plains!" he said, "You're currently in the [ Entrance Ruin ]!"

Akiro looked at the man speaking, taking note of his attire, which was the same as the man who held the necklace from outside the labyrinth. The man was right in calling the place they had arrived, a ruin. Oddly, it bore some resemblance to the Mayan and Aztec temple ruins from the internet— almost uncannily. The walls were cracked and old, the wind corrosion visible onto the stone, etching into it with age. The gaps in between bricks were filled with flora and vines, making the whole room feel ancient— apart from the sparse amount of adventurers talking in groups or selling equipment.

Kaiser approached the man to start a friendly conversation and ask a few questions, while the group exited the circle and wandered around the room, talking to themselves or feeling the walls. However, Akiro and Ayama were by the entrance market, eyeing the goods for sale while Akiro had been listening to his mentor's conversation.

"Anything interesting?" Ayama asked, both about the conversation he was eavesdropping on and the items being marketed by the entrepreneurs.

Akiro shook his head, "Just a few warnings about the stupid amount of goblins that gather into hordes. According to the guide, they're the strongest monsters that reside on the first floor— the tutorial floor— he said." he summed up.

"Damn," Ayama thought, "Isn't that dangerous? Goblins love to gather in groups, don't they? When they do, although they're weak, the sheer numbers pose a great threat."

"That's exactly what the man was warning," Akiro confirmed his statement, "He's advising that we cross the plains as fast as possible because not only goblins are here."

"Oh? There's more?" Ayama complained.

Akiro shared his sentiment. "Rogue Adventurers have started to terrorize the goblin plains, their numbers almost rivaling the largest recorded hordes."

"You have to be— fuck," Ayama grumbled, ruffling his hair, "Human nature is garbage…"

"You got that right."

Akio nodded before noticing a small leather-bound journal for sale on one of the merchant stalls. Under his eyes, it projected very interesting and valuable information so he approached a middle-aged man's stall, which was by far the most visited.

"Excuse me, how much for this journal?" Akiro asked politely to the man, who looked at him and the book.

"I don't sell journals, why is that even there?" he asked, confused, looking at his merchandise, which was backpack kits of tools, rations, and potions, "Take it, worthless junk will ruin my reputation," he said, shooing Arthur away rudely.

Akiro raised an eyebrow at the man, before shrugging it off, happy for the freebie, "Sure."

Ayama looked at the journal in Arthur's hand with a questioning look, especially at the worn and beaten leather journal in his hands. "Where'd you get that?"

Akiro smirked at him, "By that stall over there, for free no less." he snickered mischievously, "He doesn't know the true value of this journal."

Ayama smirked back, "You devious little shit– what did you get?" he asked excitedly.

"According to appraisal– this is a First-Generation Explorer's Journal," Akiro said in a hushed tone, fearing the other adventurers might hear and covet the item. "It's from the Explorer expedition a few years back, according to the information brokers that we spoke to when we got our stuff– the information on this book, which contains everything you need on all of the explored floors, makes it worth its weight in Mithril," he explained.

"Damn–" Ayama gasped before holding his mouth shut, "What's in it?"

"Information. All the information we could ever ask for– this is a treasure."

While the two boys were excitedly discussing the information revealed just on the first page, Kaiser whistled, gathering everyone's attention for a briefing.

The two boys turned and pretended to listen, as they already knew what he was going to say, and proceeded to talk quietly instead.

"So where are we going first?" Ayama asked, gently nudging Akiro's elbow with his elbow.

"We're going to Waterfall Island, it's the best spot according to the book." Akiro answered.

"I like that idea– clean water, fresh fish, easily defendable— it's perfect."

"Alright, After Kaiser-sensei finishes his speech, we'll head north."

"Alright!" Kaiser huffed, taking a breath, "We'll meet at the neighboring temple on the other side of this floor!" He said, "Ten days! You have ten days! before we leave you behind for the second floor, so don't be late!"

"Yes! Sensei!"

The chief knight smiled at the enthusiasm. "It would be a waste of time to keep you here any longer, go! and good luck!"

Without anything else, the class of otherworldly heroes smiled at their teacher and at each other, before rushing out of the temple, and down the incredibly long flight of stairs.

Kaiser, Olivia, and Sebastian walked slowly to the edge of the entrance, looking down at the students dispersing in their own groups, enjoying the air and greenery of the tutorial floor.

"Like instinct, the class gathered into their cliques, their bonds being stronger than before. it may have been a new world, but the students found solace in sticking together with their friends, maturing and growing ever stronger." Sebastian said, watching the most reckless bunch of pubescent adults he had ever seen. "I am so proud to watch and be alive, to teach and lead these wonderful young people."

with interlocked hands, Olivia and kaiser smiled at the man and the children below the temple. "We are too, and they haven't stopped growing just yet."