Vrwhooo!

Gruger the minotaur roared as it shot out a column of fire from its mouth. Syèl and Shokō nimbly dodged to either side of the pillar and continued their charge. Gruger, enraged by their audacity, dashed toward them and swung its ax in a horizontal arc, aiming to cleave both fighters in half.

'Shit!' Syèl cursed as he realized the minotaur was much faster than it had previously shown. The halben didn't even have enough time to cast a spell and was forced to block the strike with his sword.

Boom!

Syèl grimaced as he was sent hurtling across the field. The Mage righted himself and stabbed the blood sword into the ground. The friction of sword against earth slowed his flight until he finally fell to the ground. The halben winced and clutched his stomach. It felt like he had just taken a bulldozer to his abdomen.

Syèl struggled to his feet, and Gruger's eyes gleamed as it identified the straggler. Its ax glowed as it leaped into the air and then brought down its ax on the weak Mage, aided by gravity.

Syèl sensed the danger before he saw it. He tried to beat a swift retreat, but his legs buckled under him and he fell. The halben looked up to see the metal sheen grow increasingly larger till it took up most of his vision.

Clang!

The ax of death halted inches away from Syèl's face, blocked by Shokō's blade. The swordswoman issued a sigh of relief when she saw the clash. She'd barely made it in time. She looked at the stunned Mage and angrily ordered, "Move!"

Shokō had been forced to stretch to make it on time. As a result, she had not been able to position her sword correctly. At the moment, she did not have much leverage to push back the ax as its force was applied mostly near the tip of her sword. This, in turn, forced her to exert far more energy than she would typically need to block the ax, depleting her stamina in the process.

"Sorry," Syèl apologized and forced himself to at least roll away, features contorted in a mask of fury and pain.

"Damn it," Shokō cursed as her blade snapped in half, crumbling under pressure from the ax. Despite the setback, she did not lose her concentration. In Live No Evil, there were a few seconds before a weapon or armor damaged beyond repair disintegrated, and she used them well.

Boom!

A shockwave erupted as Gruger's ax slammed into the ground, blasting Syèl even further back. However, the second Gruger's weapon hit the earth, Shokō dashed forward. She braved the danger and jumped onto its ax.

Gruger's eyes widened in shock as it stared at the swordswoman, wondering what her intent was.

Schhk!

Its question was quickly answered as Shokō shoved the entirety of her broken sword through its right eye.

Roaar!

Gruger clutched its right eye as it reared its head in pain and instinctively slapped Shokō off the ax.

Shokō flew across the field for several dozen meters, but then she twisted in the air and landed in a crouch. The swordswoman clutched her broken ribs with her left hand and wiped away the blood leaking out from her mouth with her right.

While the beast was still distracted by its pain, Shokō checked her inventory. She only had a single elixir left which would fully restore her mana and health. The potion was one of the most expensive items on the current market as only expert alchemists could craft them. It had set her back 2000 Syros.

Shokō pulled out the elixir and then walked over to Syèl, who was still struggling to get on his feet. "Here, drink this." She helped him drink the potion, smiling as color returned to his cheeks.

Syèl's eyes went wide as he watched all his injuries heal, both his HP and MP fully restored. "Why?" he asked, confused by her actions.

"As much as I hate to admit, I cannot defeat him on my own," Shokō grudgingly admitted as she sat down beside him, cross-legged. "I need you to buy me five minutes. Then I will end this," she said, then took in a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Five minutes?" Syèl joked as he sprung to his feet with burning rage in his eyes. "This won't take a second."

"I admire your confidence," Shokō praised, "but be careful nonetheless."

"I got you. You've saved me twice in one night. Taking down one mutated cow as payback is nothing." Electricity sparked around Syèl's hand as he stepped forward, eyes on the beast.

Gruger glared at the approaching Mage through its good eye with stark hatred. "Roaar!" It suddenly let out a rage-fueled roar, and its skin turned red. Its muscle mass almost doubled, boosting its Strength and Speed as it fell into a frenzied state.

Gruger spotted Shokō seated behind the halben, and its rage took over its reasoning. It ignored Syèl who was right in front of him and charged at the defenseless Shokō, intent on ending her life in the most painful way possible.

"[Spike Dome]!"

A two-meter-wide blue mandala appeared beneath Shokō, out of which an ice dome shot out and encased the swordswoman within. Cold, meter-long spikes grew out of the dome, threatening any being that dared to approach.

"Your opponent is me!" Syèl shouted at Gruger as he shot three fireballs around the minotaur, which it ignored as it edged closer to Shokō. "Got you!"

Boom!

Fireballs suddenly exploded from Syèl's hands, blasting the minotaur from all sides. Although it managed to stop the beast for a brief moment, Gruger soon burst out of the flames, its good eye still transfixed on Shokō.

"Was that too weak?" Syèl pondered out loud as he caught up to the beast. "Eat this!" Ice spikes jutted out of the ground and stabbed through the beast's legs. The impediment, coupled with its forward momentum, caused Gruger to stumble and then fall forward, where Syèl patiently waited.

"I warned you, didn't I?" Syèl mocked as he stabbed the beast's left eye with his blade. Syèl did not relent. He sliced its exposed stomach and then unleashed a barrage of fireballs at the injury.

Syèl felt a lot of joy as he punished the heavily injured minotaur, but that fun did not last long. The moment its health dropped below seventy percent, ki exploded from its body as it roared with so much force that the generated wind blasted Syèl away.

Gruger got dropped to all fours and cried out in pain, anguish, and rage as its body morphed into that of a wild bull with the ax at the end of its tail. Its horns grew even longer and sharper as it bent its head and charged at Syèl, having lost all reason.

"You've already lost," Syèl taunted, but heeded Shokō's warning to be careful. He erected his strongest ice shield five meters ahead of himself to test the bull's strength.

Shatter!

Syèl's eyes twitched as the bull broke through the ice like a rock through glass. He quickly rolled out of its path and stabbed the beast's side. Unfortunately, his sword shattered on impact and his heart jumped to his throat as the beast's charging trajectory barely missed Shokō's dome.

"Over here!" Syèl shot a fireball at the bull to pull its attention, then ran as far away from Shokō as possible.

Gruger, having lost all semblance of reason, spun around and chased after the voice. So began a game of cat and mouse. Syèl would taunt the raging bull, causing it to attack the source of the sound. He would then dodge the predictable attack, and the beast would smash into a building. Rinse and repeat.

Syèl made sure not to lead Gruger too far into the village to prevent it from crushing the petrified villagers. He wasn't sure, but there might still be a way to save them. After a few minutes of the cat and mouse game, a light suddenly shot to the sky from the field.

Syèl smiled and led the blind beast back to the field where he saw Shokō standing with a weird aura around her. In her right hand, she grasped a red-bladed sword, which had a pattern made of zigzags engraved on it. The guard resembled a claw, which clutched her hand protectively.

Shokō spotted the incoming Syèl and crouched low. She leaned forward with her left leg stretched out behind her and held the sword horizontally over her head, sharp edge pointed to the sky. She whispered as Syèl ran past her with the bull close behind, "Shokō True Style..." A second Shokō materialized beside her, sword raised in the same fashion. "[Endless Mirage]."

Roiling blue ki burst around the sword as she charged at the beast and swung skywards in an underhand arc. Clang! The sword clashed against the beast's horns, and the impact knocked them away from each other. This was where the real power of the [Endless Mirage] skill lay.

Once the duo were both rendered defenseless, Shokō's doppelganger rushed forward and unleashed a skill of her own which heavily damaged the beast. While she regained her stance, the original Shokō recovered and launched her own series of attacks. The two Shokōs seamlessly blended and alternated their attacks, carving up the minotaur until it eventually dropped to the ground in a pool of blood.

The fallen monster reverted to its original form and whispered as the last bit of life escaped its body, "T-thank you." It burst into shards of light that ascended to the heavens.

Syèl looked at the system prompt with furrowed brows. This was beginning to look like it would be troublesome. He obtained the beast's ax, which he decided to sell at the next town. The stone, on the other hand, was apparently a quest item so he could not tamper with it.

Syèl walked over to Shokō and admired her doppelganger, which had begun to fade away. "That's a unique skill. What's it called?"

"Why should I tell you?" Shokō replied with a snort. "I don't even know your name yet." She looked at him with question in her eyes as she sheathed her sword.

"It's Syèl," the Mage happily introduced himself. "Does this mean you're going to start calling me by my name?"

They realized they were following the same questline, so they backtracked and headed to meet Fodam.

"No way," Shokō refused with a smirk. "I would not sully my tongue with such."

Syèl let out a defeated chuckle. 'I figured as much.'

"...but you're not so bad, elf," Shokō admitted. "I almost needed your assistance."

"Wait, what?!" Syèl angrily protested and blocked her path. He had not noticed it before, but she was quite tall for a girl. She was only an inch or two shorter than he was.

"Pfft..." Shokō clamped her hand over her mouth, but her shaking shoulders betrayed her laughter. "How rude. I do not sound like that. To be honest, if you had not distracted me, I would have taken out those cockatrices and the minotaur myself. Granted, it would have taken me longer, but I would have done it nonetheless."

"Heh? Big claims. What's your level?" Syèl asked with a mocking tone as he walked backward.

"I'm afraid I'm stuck at level 84. I thought the cockatrice would give me a level at least, but no dice. I did gain a level from Gruger though, so I guess it was not a total bust. You?"

"My level, eh?" Syèl turned red with embarrassment. Her level was so much higher than his that it wasn't even funny. It did explain how she had enough ki to dole out such massive moves over and over.

"Yes, your level," Shokō teased with a knowing grin. "Don't tell me you're ashamed?"

"Wha— Who? Ashamed? Me? What? Of course not," Syèl spluttered.

"Ho-ho? Did you just realize your weakness? I bet you were having many easy fights before you met me." A smirk curled up the side of Shokō's mouth.

"Hey! To be fair, I did start much later than the rest of you, and I'm already at level 63. You're the one who's abnormal for already reaching the eighties. Do you have a life at all?"

Shokō's brows locked together as rage flitted in her eyes. "I'm going to take that as a poor joke."

"Some—"

"We're here," Shokō interjected, and Syèl turned around, his brow instantly furrowing. The annoying geezer was still sprawled across the road. Shokō frowned. "I can't get over how irksome that is."

"I know right?" Syèl agreed. "I thought he was dead—"

"Why don't you tell the lady how you screamed like a little girl," Fodam interrupted as he sat up and observed the duo.

"You did what?" Shokō chuckled.

"There was no screaming!" Syèl strongly protested and sent a death glare at the mayor. "I just reacted to an unsettling situation like any other person would."

Shokō's lips parted to form a teasing grin. "Uh-huh."

It seemed Fodam still held a grudge over Syèl's rudeness the last time around as he continued much to Syèl's chagrin, "His shrill was akin to a banshee's. Never heard anything like it."

"Enough! Old man, we've cleared out your town as promised. Fork over the key." Syèl's temper had run thin. He held out a hand to the tiny old man.

Fodam shook his head. "I'm afraid I cannot do that yet."

A dangerous light flashed in Syèl's eyes as he questioned, "What?!"

"My townspeople still need your help," Fodam replied.

"Hey, old man. I almost died back there. Either you hand the key over or I gut you he— Ouch!" Syèl yelled in pain as Shokō punched the back of his head.

"Let me do the talking. Barbarians should do as they are told and simply fight," Shokō admonished the Mage, then walked past him and stood between Fodam and him.

"Huh?!" Syèl protested.

"Shh." Shokō placed a finger on his lips and winked. 'Trust me.'

Despite being clearly dissatisfied, Syèl backed off and watched the conversation.

"Hoho. If it isn't Shokō-chan," Fodam greeted with a hearty laugh. "I did not think you would make it back after choosing to go alone."

"I had help," Shokō admitted with a warm smile as she took out the strange object she had also obtained from the minotaur. "Your village's predicament is no accident; we believe someone may be responsible for it. What can you tell me about this stone?"

Fodam's face went white with shock and fear as he took the stone with shaking hands. "No... no, it can't be. That's impossible! They're supposed to be legends."

"What's wrong? Tell us what you can, and we will assist in any way we can." A secret smile played across Shokō's face, but she managed to keep it hidden behind a mask of concern.

"This is a class S forbidden item," Fodam stated. "It is extremely rare and can only be used by the Mages of a destroyed guild. To think it would show up here again." Fodam's expression fell to the pits of hell, eyes glazed over like he had abandoned all hope of living.

"Get on with it, old man," Syèl cajoled, but a glare from Shokō caused him to retreat.

"We have already defeated one of their minions. Do you have an idea of why they would attack this town?" Shokō asked, placing a hand on Fodam's shoulder to reassure him.

"The only thing that would bring them here is the destruction of Alure's Crypt," Fodam revealed.

"If we know what they are after, we can stop them. What else can you tell us about this guild?" Shokō's tone was light and carried a sense of warmth in it. Fodam found himself hoping again just by listening to her.

"They were called 'Nigh Mortem.' They were a group of elves and humans obsessed with life after death. Their forbidden research took them far beyond the treacherous reaches of necromancy to the point that they began to insert soul gems such as this one into living things and twisting them to their will. Once they achieved this, it is said Alure, goddess of death, ordered their destruction for the sake of peace. No one has heard from them since."

"Alure? Isn't that the name of the crypt you said you have the key to?" Shokō questioned. "Why is a crypt named after her?"

"Because she, like many of her brothers and sisters, perished under the hands of the Destroyer. After The Calamity, crypts were built in their name around the continent and in several hidden locations around the world. It is said a great deal of power is left to those lucky enough to find them."

Shokō turned to Syèl, who had been listening patiently. "I've been to one of those crypts. It was where I obtained the doppelganger ability." This revelation piqued the halben's interest, but this was neither the place nor the time to look further into it.

Shokō returned her attention to Fodam. "The only way to undo the curse on your village is to find the one who laid the curse and force them to undo it. However, I will need the key to Alure's Crypt. Since we know where they are headed, it would be best to have access should the need arise."

Fodam scratched his chin in thought and then sighed. "I suppose I could do as much, considering how much you are risking yourselves. To be clear, your mission, should you choose to accept, is to identify and neutralize the threat to the town."

Shokō and Syèl did not hesitate."Accept."