Chapter 69 - "I won't Stop Now"

Ishida focused, his grip tightening on his weapon. "Bring it on, Malakar. Let's see if you can back up your words."

Malakar sneered loudly before once again, just like it's appearance, disappeared under the concrete floor, like it was completely intangible to the floor and suddenly, trees started to appear throughout the floor.

The floor's air thickened with malice as Malakar's laughter oozed from the walls, the concrete floor undulating like black water. Ishida's grip tightened on his sword, His Sense prickled——tracking the demon's presence as it slithered through stone and timber of the floor.

Crack.

A splintered pine erupted to Ishida's right. Malakar's arm—twisted into a spear of jagged wood—lunged for his throat. Ishida pivoted, "Moon Breathing Tenth Form: Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo Leaves" He said, as the form already in motion. His blade carved three overlapping crescents, each strike deeper than the last. The first shattered the wooden spear; the second sheared through the tree's trunk; the third found flesh.

Malakar hissed, retreating into the splintered remains, but not before a gash split his shadowy forearm. Black blood sizzled against the floor. "Clever," the demon growled, his voice ricocheting off the ceiling. "But you'll need more than parlor tricks."

The ground beneath Ishida's boots softened. He leaped backward as stone spikes erupted in his wake—only to feel the cold kiss of iron at his back. A rusted support beam warped, Malakar's torso surging from its metal like a serpent. Claws raked downward.

"Moon Breathing, Fourth Form: Crescent Moon." He whispered .

Ishida's blade became a storm. Layered slashes—a vortex of silver—met the demon mid-lunge. Metal screamed as the beam splintered, but Malakar dissolved into the debris, his mocking chuckle echoing through the rubble. "Too slow, slayer!"

A tremor in the air—behind him. Ishida spun, but too late. Malakar's fist, fused with a chunk of shattered concrete, hammered into his ribs. The impact rattled bones, knocking him skidding across the arena. Blood bloomed hot in his mouth.

HP: 1360/1400

"Pathetic," Malakar sneered, emerging fully from a nearby wall, his body a grotesque patchwork of stone and shadow. "All that power, and you still fight like a cornered rat."

Ishida wiped his lip, eyes narrowing. The demon's weakness flickered in his mind—"tangible only when striking" . He let his stance loosen, baiting.

Malakar took the lure. With a roar, he surged forward, the floor itself rising like a tidal wave of concrete. Fists of stone, claws of iron—a dozen attacks converging at once.

"Moon Breathing, Fourteenth Form: Catastrophe, Tenman Crescent Moon."

Ishida's sword became a maelstrom. A whirlpool of slashes devoured the onslaught, shredding stone to dust. The force sucked Malakar inward, his shadowy form flickering into solidity. For a heartbeat, he was trapped—exposed.

"Now."

"Moon Breathing, Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half Moon."

The air itself seemed to fracture. Six crescent slashes—each glowing like a shard of the moon—arc'd through the demon's body. The first severed his left arm; the second and third crossed at his chest; the fourth split his jaw mid-snarl; the fifth and sixth carved his legs to smoke.

Malakar collapsed, his form crumbling like ash. "Im…possible…" he gurgled, clawing at the gashes that refused to heal. "He said…you were…weak…"

Ishida stood over him, sword poised. "Tell your master," he said coldly, "to stop sending messengers."

The demon's final snarl dissolved into nothingness. The floor fell silent, and in no time, the floor went back to it's norm and everything was back at their place and no tree or stone left , a completely flat floor remained only.

[3rd Opponent Defeated] [EXP Gained: 50,000]

[HP : 1350/1400]

[Fatigue : 25/100]

"Although, it was a short fight, it wasn't completely an simple fight at all. Though, I hope the next fight will not be this simple." Ishida muttered.

[Next Opponent Will be deployed In : 30 Seconds]

[The Player Will be transported to the fight location in : 25 seconds]

"Fight location !? What does that mean ? Aren't every fight is going to take place in the 7th floor ?!" He questioned but to no avail, as the both countdown continued on without any response to his questions, as he had no option but to wait for the countdown to end and the whatever it's supposed to mean by "transporting" to take place.

"I have already defeated 2 out of the 7 demons... 5 left, no matter what the new location or the next Opponent is , I won't stop now."