SSS Unknown: Dark Knight's Legacy

Using Eclipse's abilities, Unknown and Alice, who was still panting from exhaustion, arrived at a dead-end cave mirrored the one they had previously used as shelter. The air was thick with the tension of what was to come.

"Is it here?" Alice asked, her voice quiet but strained as she surveyed the surroundings, her senses stretched to their limit.

"Yeah, can you sense it?" Unknown replied, his voice steady but with a hint of urgency.

Alice nodded, even in her weakened state, she could feel the ominous presence lurking beneath the stone floor, a tremor of energy that sent chills down her spine.

"Alright, step back," Unknown commanded, his expression hardening as he prepared for what lay ahead.

"What are you going to do?" Alice asked, her brows furrowing in concern as she instinctively moved away.

Unknown didn't answer her directly. Instead, he slowly sheathed his sword, his fingers brushing the hilt with practiced ease. He stood still for a moment, drawing in a breath as a deep, crimson magic aura began to wrap around the sword. The energy radiated outward, a dark, pulsing glow that seemed to crackle with unbridled power. The air itself seemed to quiver in response, as if the very fabric of reality was bending to the force he was about to unleash.

Alice watched, her eyes widening in realization. She knew better than to ask more questions now. She had seen his power before, but the intensity of this magic made her spine stiffen. With a final glance at her, Unknown's gaze sharpened.

[Calamity Slash]

In one swift, brutal motion, Unknown swung the sword down with tremendous force. The air vibrated violently, and a massive shockwave exploded outward from the blade. The sword's magic cleaved through the stone, leaving deep gashes in the cavern floor, and a violent tremor ran through the earth beneath them.

Alice flinched as the attack crashed into whatever was hidden below, a deafening roar echoing from the depths. The technique was nothing like the precise, controlled strikes of most skilled swordsmen—it was raw, primal, and devastating. It was as though Unknown wielded the very force of destruction itself.

"What kind of technique is that?" Alice gasped, her voice filled with awe and fear. She had never seen something so wild and unrefined. It wasn't the elegant, controlled form of swordplay she was used to—it was more like the swing of a club, brutal and unforgiving.

The ground trembled, and a new roar, much louder and more furious, rang out. The Earth Dragon, disturbed from its slumber, erupted from the rubble. It was furious, its massive form taking shape in the dim light of the cave. Its scales were cracked and glowing with molten veins, its eyes burning with wrath. It locked onto Alice, its primal instinct sensing her as the first target.

"Don't just stand there, it's coming!" Unknown shouted, his voice low and commanding, as he immediately dropped into a battle stance. His eyes never left the creature, knowing that the fight was far from over.

Alice, still struggling to regain her full strength, drew her sword and took her position. Though weak and fatigued, her resolve had not wavered. She would not be a bystander.

The Earth Dragon, with a deafening roar, fired a massive heat beam from its open maw. The attack was swift and brutal, a deadly stream of searing heat aimed directly at Alice.

Her heart pounded in her chest as the beam came at her with blinding speed. For a brief, terrifying moment, time seemed to stretch, but Alice's instincts kicked in. With a burst of strength, she leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the scorching beam. The heat brushed past her, singing the air, but she landed nimbly, rolling on the ground to regain her stance.

She breathed heavily, sweat dripping down her face. The heat of the blast still lingered in her skin, but she had survived. She could fight.

"That was too close," Alice muttered, her grip tightening around her sword. 

"Where is he?!" Alice shouted in desperation, searching for Unknown, her breath ragged as she struggled to land a single blow on the Earth Dragon. Its relentless attacks were too much for her, the intensity of the battle overwhelming her weakened state.

The Earth Dragon spun like a massive drill, its body swirling with unearthly force. As it did, it released a torrent of searing heat, a stream of molten fire surrounding its gargantuan form, and launched burning rocks in all directions. 

Alice dodged and weaved, but the pain from her injuries was still agonizing. Every move felt like it drained more of her strength, making it difficult to avoid the dragon's fiery onslaught.

Her movements were stiff, and her breaths came in labored gasps. She clenched her teeth, trying to ignore the agony in her side. I can't keep running... I have to hit it.

[Binding Cross]

She slashed at the airborne debris with rapid cross-slashes, each strike carefully timed to keep her at least a step ahead of the dragon's attacks. She felt the pressure mounting, the distance between her and the Earth Dragon narrowing.

Channeling her remaining energy, she focused on the tip of her sword, and beams of bright light began to radiate from it, swirling around her blade. The power in her hands surged, and with a determined shout, she thrust her sword forward.

[Sword of Light]

A flash of radiant energy pierced the air, striking the Earth Dragon. The blast exploded against its rocky hide, but to her dismay, it only grazed its non-vital areas. 

The beast roared in pain, but it wasn't enough to stop its rampage. The creature's body began to glow a bright red, its veins of molten fire growing more intense, signaling that it was entering a berserk state.

A massive fireball began to form in its cavernous maw.

[Infernal Blast]

The dragon's roar resonated through the cave as it prepared to unleash its deadly attack. Alice felt a wave of panic rise in her chest. She couldn't take that head-on, not in her current state.

Clenching her teeth against the pain, she drove her sword into the ground with desperate force, summoning a wall of shimmering light to block the incoming inferno.

[Mirror of Light]

The heat of the fireball bore down on her barrier, and she could feel the pressure, the heat pushing against her defenses. I can't... hold it... much longer! Her arms were trembling from the strain, sweat pouring down her face as she struggled to maintain the shield.

The Earth Dragon, still in its frenzy, charged forward, its massive form barreling through the cave. 

It collided with her light barrier with a sickening impact, and the shield cracked under the pressure.

No...!

Clang!

The sound of her mirror shattering rang in her ears, and the force of the dragon's charge sent Alice flying backward. She hit the ground hard, her body slamming into the stone with enough force to knock the breath from her lungs.

She groaned, struggling to rise, her vision blurred. But then, in the midst of her disorientation, she heard the rumble of the dragon's movements slow, its body still.

It had overheated.

The Earth Dragon's fiery assault had subsided, its flames no longer flowing from its mouth. But that didn't mean it was out of the fight.

[Meteor Strike]

A deafening shockwave reverberated through the air as a massive force struck the Earth Dragon's skull with terrifying power. The ground trembled beneath Alice, and she saw the dragon's massive head crumple under the devastating blow.

It was over. The dragon's skull shattered like a fragile stone, flesh, and bone collapsing into a mangled heap.

[Penta Slash]

But Unknown wasn't done. Before Alice could process what had just happened, she saw him—his figure a blur of motion. His blade slashed through the air five times in rapid succession, each strikes a precise and lethal cut.

The Earth Dragon's body was torn apart, pieces of it shredded in mere seconds. The beast's enormous form fell to the ground with a final, crushing thud, lifeless before it even hit the ground.

Blood and flesh splattered across the cave, staining the air with a thick, metallic scent. Alice stood, still catching her breath, her body trembling from the exertion. The Earth Dragon's enormous carcass lay in pieces around them, its once-mighty form now reduced to a grotesque mess.

Despite the carnage surrounding them, Unknown remained as impassive as ever. His expression was cold, his movements precise, as he reached out a hand to help her up from the ground. Alice took it, grateful but still trying to make sense of everything that had just happened.

'So cool!' she thought, still in awe of his swift, lethal precision.

But then another thought crossed her mind. If he could do that, why didn't he help me earlier?

Her eyes met his as he helped her stand, his blood-streaked figure showing no sign of exhaustion.

He took a small cloth from his pack and began to gently wipe the blood and debris from her face. It was a surprising act of tenderness, considering how the battle had unfolded.

"Good job, Alice. You saved me some effort," he said casually, his voice as calm as ever.

Alice blinked, her brows furrowing in confusion. "...Hey, why didn't you help me earlier?"

Unknown, without missing a beat, brushed off the blood from his own body with a nonchalant gesture. His tone didn't change as he spoke.

"To let you understand how I feel."

Alice froze at his words. His words were simple, but they carried a weight she wasn't sure she could fully grasp. She studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly, the understanding sinking in.

It wasn't just about the fight. She realized that he had been showing her something deeper—something she hadn't truly thought about until now.

He doesn't have any allies, she thought. And yet, he has to face these monsters alone, every time.

Her chest tightened as she looked at him, his face as unreadable as ever. There was so much she still didn't know about him, so much hidden beneath that stoic exterior. She realized that he wasn't just a fighter—he was a lonely survivor.

Realizing that fact, Alice's hearth sank. She had tasted the brutality of this dungeon, she also had felt what it was to fight alone.

A sense of guilt washed over her as Alice sympathized with what Unknown had gone through.

"Hey, Leonore, let's make up," she said, trying to ease the tension.

He tilted his head, genuinely puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry for trying to capture you when we first met," Alice admitted, her voice softening as she reflected on their first encounter.

Unknown's reaction wasn't what she expected. Upon hearing her apology, he frowned, clearly annoyed, but didn't say a word in response.

Alice braced herself for a reprimand, for him to lecture her on the wrongs of her actions, but he did nothing of the sort. 

Instead, he moved toward the Earth Dragon's carcass, dispassionately going about his work, dissecting it and retrieving the oil bag and mana core with practiced ease.

Alice stood there, a little stunned, as he completed the task with the same efficiency and focus that he applied to everything else. Without a second glance, he casually continued walking, as though her apology meant nothing.

Her heart sank for a moment. But then, realizing that he wasn't the type to dwell on things, Alice hurried to catch up, putting aside the awkwardness between them.

"So, what's next?" she asked, eager to move on from the moment.

Unknown glanced at her, his tone completely indifferent. "Of course, we keep hunting."

His words were blunt, and Alice couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Huh? I'm not going to be bait again!" she protested, crossing her arms in defiance.

"I didn't say anything," he responded, his voice flat and unbothered.

"But earlier, you turned me into bait!" Alice insisted, clearly irked by the memory of how he'd used her in their fight with the Earth Dragon.

Unknown didn't deny it. Instead, he merely shrugged, his silence speaking volumes. He wasn't going to argue, not now, not with her.

Without another word, he continued on his path, his focus entirely forward.

"Hey, wait for me!" Alice called out, hurrying to catch up once again.

She knew she wasn't going to change his mind, but at least this time, she wouldn't be left behind.