The Ember Hydra roared—its four heads spraying gouts of molten fire in every direction. The air thickened with heat and death. Each head had a glowing eye at its center, and each eye seemed to watch individually.
Kaito's blade trembled in his grip—not from fear, but from the system reacting to the raw infernal energy in the room.
> Warning: Boss-Class Entity Detected
HP: 12,000
Resistances: Fire, Fear
Weakness: Coordinated Assault, Shadow Damage
Passive: Burning Blood (Deals AoE fire damage on injury)
"Malik, draw the left two heads!" Serah barked, already weaving crimson sigils in the air. "Kaito and I will go for the core."
"On it," Malik shouted, launching into a blazing sprint, leaving scorch marks on the stone beneath him.
Two of the Hydra's heads twisted to follow him, flames spewing. Malik ducked, leapt, rolled—his fists like twin comets as he struck the beast's legs.
Serah's chains lashed forward, anchoring onto the stone pillars surrounding the room. With a twist, she launched herself into the air—right toward the third Hydra head.
"Kaito! Go low!"
Kaito dropped into a slide beneath a sweeping claw, fire licking his coat as he passed. He raised the Hellbrand Blade, which now pulsed with shadowfire.
> New Skill Fusion: Hellbrand + Instinct = Shadowflame Edge
Bonus: Ignores 30% fire resistance
+Bleed Effect Added
He leapt, blade glowing, and stabbed into the eye of the fourth Hydra head.
The creature screamed—a sound like a furnace exploding.
> Critical Hit!
Damage Dealt: 1,432
Status Effect: Bleed (stacking)
The boss reared up, fire gushing from its wounds.
"Fall back!" Serah yelled.
But Kaito didn't.
Instead, he channeled the system's energy—pushing deeper, letting the Devil's mark on his soul flare.
The blade in his hand cracked… and then evolved again.
> Weapon Evolution Triggered: Hellbrand → Dreadfang Blade
Element: Shadowflame
Effect: Damage scales with anger. +10% for every kill in last 10 minutes.
Kaito grinned.
"I don't fall back."
With a roar of his own, he drove the blade through the hydra's neck—then through its heart-eye, piercing the core.
A final scream.
A quake.
Then silence.
The Ember Hydra collapsed in a rain of sparks and smoke.
> BOSS DEFEATED
EXP Gained: 2,000
Squad Level Up!
Loot Unlocked: Infernal Core (Rare), Ember Hide, Dreadflame Shard
Title Earned: Flamebreaker
Kaito dropped to one knee, breathing heavily as the Dreadfang Blade cooled in his grip.
Serah walked up behind him, panting. "You're reckless. I like it."
Malik just laughed. "Now that's how you clear a dungeon."
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Back in the Spire, Renji watched the notification flash on his interface.
> [Flamebreaker Title Earned – Contractor: Kaito Yukimura]
He stared at the name. Eyes narrowed.
"So it was you."
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