Kai stumbled backward, his sword trembling in his hand. The Devourer's blows rained down on him like a storm, each one landing with precision and force. The ground shook beneath their feet as the Devourer's massive fists pounded the earth, sending Kai flying across the room.
Kai struggled to get back to his feet, his chest heaving with exhaustion. The Devourer's attacks were relentless, leaving him barely any time to react. Sweat dripped down his face, mixing with the blood from his wounds.
As Kai desperately tried to defend himself, his mind flashed back to the people who had betrayed and killed him: Sakura, Akira, and Kaito. A burning anger ignited within him, and he gritted his teeth.
The Devourer raised its massive fist to deliver the final blow, but Kai dodged it at the last second. He stumbled backward, gasping for breath. Just as the Devourer was about to attack again, Kai remembered a forbidden technique that he had heard of. It was a cheat code, one that would grant him immense power, but at a terrible cost of losing some of his life force.
With a deep breath, Kai focused his mind and entered the cheat code. The air around him seemed to distort, and a dark energy began to build up inside him. The Devourer, sensing the change in Kai, paused its attack.
Kai's body began to glow with an eerie, red light. His muscles bulged, and his sword seemed to vibrate with energy. The Devourer took a step back, its eyes fixed on Kai with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
Kai charged forward, his sword flashing in the dim light of the dungeon. The Devourer raised its fists to defend itself, but Kai's attack was relentless. The two clashed in a flurry of steel and claws, their movements lightning-fast.
And then, just as it seemed Kai was gaining the upper hand, everything went black.
Meanwhile, Lila and Shinji rushed to the guild, their hearts racing with worry. They navigated through the crowded party, where guild members were celebrating the recent success of an S-rank dungeon raid. The music was loud, and the atmosphere was festive, but Lila and Shinji were too anxious to join in.
They pushed their way through the crowd, searching for the guild master. Finally, they found him, surrounded by a group of adventurers. Lila grabbed his arm, her eyes wide with urgency.
"Guild Master, we need to talk to you!" she exclaimed.
The guild master turned to her, his eyes widening in concern as he took in their battered and bruised appearance. "Lila, Shinji, what happened to you?" he asked, his voice firm.
Just then, a tall, handsome adventurer approached the group. "Excuse me, Guild Master. I couldn't help but notice that something's wrong," he said, his eyes scanning the group.
The guild master turned to him. "This is Kieran, our S-rank adventurer and the strongest adventurer in the guild."
Lila's eyes widened in awe. "Kieran? I've heard of you."
Kieran nodded. "I'll take care of this. Please, continue."
The guild master turned back to Lila and Shinji, his expression stern. "You two were explicitly told not to enter that dungeon. What were you thinking, disobeying direct orders like that?" he scolded, his voice rising.
Lila looked down, feeling a mix of guilt and worry. "We're sorry, Guild Master. We didn't mean to disobey you."
The guild master's expression softened slightly, but his voice remained firm. "I'll deal with you two later. What's the situation with Kai?"
Lila took a deep breath. "The Devourer...it evolved into an S-rank monster. Kai's still inside, fighting it."
Kieran's eyes narrowed. "We need to gather all the A-rank and higher adventurers. We're going on an S-rank dungeon raid."
The partygoers began to stare, sensing the sudden tension. Kieran raised his voice, his aura bursting forth to command attention.
"Stop the music! We have an emergency situation. Everyone, listen up!"
The music died down, and the partygoers turned to Kieran, their faces filled with concern. The guild master nodded.
"Let's move, everyone! We have a life to save!"
With that, the group began to disperse, rushing to gather their gear and prepare for the urgent mission ahead. Lila and Shinji followed closely behind Kieran, their hearts still racing with worry for Kai's safety.
As they approached the dungeon, they heard a loud sound of battle. Kieran's expression turned grim.
"Move faster, we might not find him alive," he said, quickening his pace.
The group followed closely behind. When they arrived at the dungeon, they found the door already open, covered in mist. The guild master looked at Lila and Shinji sadly.
"The dungeon door can only be opened when the monster has been defeated or when there is no adventurer left inside...and I doubt that Kai can defeat an S-rank Devourer alone, even Kieran can't do that alone."
Just then, a shadow emerged from the mist. Kieran's eyes narrowed, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Who's there?" he called out, his voice firm.
The shadow stepped forward, revealing Kai holding the Devourer's head. He was covered in blood and wounds, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light.
As Kai emerged, Kieran's aura burst forth, a brilliant blue glow that illuminated the surrounding area. Kai, however, emitted a dark, ominous aura that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy.
The two auras clashed, creating a visible distortion in the air. The group watched in awe as the auras swirled and danced, each one trying to overpower the other.
Kieran's eyes widened in surprise. "Kai? How did you...?"
He trailed off, his gaze locked on Kai's. For a moment, the two simply stared at each other, their auras still clashing in a silent display of power.
Kai's aura began to falter, his body swaying precariously. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground, the Devourer's head slipping from his grasp.
Lila and Shinji rushed to his side, concern etched on their faces. "Kai! No, don't die on us!" Lila cried, tears streaming down her face.
Shinji's face was pale with worry. "We need to get him to the healer, now!"