The hidden passage narrowed as they advanced, forcing them into single file. Hiro led with his shield raised, followed by Mei clutching her staff nervously, then Yukari with ice crystals orbiting her hands, and finally Zororo watching their rear through his Shadow Sense.
The oppressive darkness seemed alive, pressing against them like a physical weight. Zororo's villain system resonated with the concentrated shadow energy, actually strengthening his abilities in this environment.
[ENVIRONMENTAL BONUS ACTIVATED]
[SHADOW-RICH ENVIRONMENT DETECTED]
[ALL SHADOW ABILITIES +25% EFFECTIVENESS]
[MP REGENERATION +50%]
They emerged into a massive circular chamber. The ceiling soared fifteen meters high, supported by obsidian pillars carved with ancient runes that pulsed with faint purple light. In the center of the chamber stood a stone altar, and behind it, seated on a throne of crystallized darkness, was the Shadow Knight.
It was humanoid but massive nearly three meters tall with armor made entirely of condensed shadow that shifted and flowed like liquid darkness. Red eyes glowed within its helmet, and a greatsword taller than Zororo rested across its lap. The weapon radiated malevolent energy.
[BOSS MONSTER: SHADOW KNIGHT]
[LEVEL: 20]
[HP: 8000/8000]
[ABILITIES: SHADOW BLADE MASTERY, DARK AURA, VOID SLASH, SHADOW REGENERATION]
[WEAKNESS: SUSTAINED HIGH DAMAGE, LIGHT ELEMENT ATTACKS]
"That's way beyond C-Rank," Hiro whispered, his voice trembling. "We should retreat. Now."
"Agreed," Mei said, already backing toward the exit. "This isn't what we trained for."
Yukari's expression was torn between tactical wisdom and the desire to claim a rare victory. "Zororo, honest assessment. Can we win?"
Zororo studied the Shadow Knight through his enhanced perception. Level twenty meant it was only two levels above him, and his intensive training had given him combat experience far beyond his actual level. More importantly, his shadow abilities would be highly effective in this environment.
But this wasn't just about him. Hiro and Mei couldn't contribute much against an enemy this powerful, and even Yukari would struggle. It would essentially be a one-on-one fight with three people he needed to protect.
"I can handle it," Zororo said quietly. "But you three need to stay back. Way back. This fight will be dangerous."
"You can't seriously be suggesting we let you solo a level twenty boss," Yukari said incredulously. "That's suicide."
"Not with my abilities in this environment. Trust me." Zororo met her ice-blue eyes. "Besides, we need the experience and rewards. This is too good an opportunity to pass up."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[OPTIONAL MISSION AVAILABLE: DEFEAT THE SHADOW KNIGHT]
[DIFFICULTY: HIGH]
[REWARD: 800 VP, +3 TO ALL STATS, LEGENDARY SHADOW WEAPON]
[BONUS OBJECTIVE: WIN WITHOUT TAKING CRITICAL DAMAGE]
[BONUS REWARD: UNIQUE SKILL - SHADOW MONARCH'S PRESENCE]
The rewards were too valuable to ignore, especially with the duel approaching. Zororo needed every advantage he could get.
Before Yukari could argue further, the Shadow Knight moved. Its red eyes flared brighter, sensing their presence. It rose from its throne with liquid grace, greatsword lifting effortlessly despite its massive size.
"Too late to debate," Zororo said. "Get behind the pillars and stay there. Mei, be ready to heal if needed, but don't engage."
The Shadow Knight roared a sound like tearing metal and distant thunder. It charged forward with shocking speed for something so large, closing the distance in seconds.
Zororo activated Shadow Step, teleporting sideways as the greatsword slammed into the ground where he'd been standing. The impact cracked stone and sent shockwaves through the chamber. If that had connected, it would have bisected him instantly.
"Move!" Yukari shouted, herding Mei and Hiro behind the pillars. She wanted to help but recognized that interfering might distract Zororo more than assist him.
Zororo manifested Shadow Blade in both hands dual swords this time, optimized for speed and mobility against a larger opponent. He darted in while the Shadow Knight's weapon was stuck in the ground, slashing at its armored leg.
His blades cut through shadow-armor, drawing dark mist that served as the creature's blood. But the wound sealed almost immediately.
[SHADOW REGENERATION ACTIVE]
[DAMAGE REDUCED BY 40%]
"Regeneration. Of course," Zororo muttered. He'd need to deal massive sustained damage or find the core.
The Shadow Knight wrenched its sword free and swung horizontally in a wide arc. Zororo ducked under it, feeling the displaced air ruffle his hair. He countered by activating Villain's Authority, focusing his will on the boss monster.
"Freeze!"
Dark energy erupted from Zororo, slamming into the Shadow Knight. The creature's movements slowed slightly not paralyzed, but its reaction speed decreased noticeably.
[VILLAIN'S AUTHORITY PARTIALLY EFFECTIVE]
[TARGET LEVEL TOO CLOSE FOR FULL EFFECT]
[ENEMY MOVEMENT SPEED -15%]
It was enough. Zororo pressed his advantage, using Shadow Step repeatedly to attack from multiple angles. Each teleport cost MP, but his enhanced regeneration in this environment kept him topped off. He targeted joints and weak points, searching for the core that animated the Shadow Knight.
The boss adapted quickly, switching to defensive techniques. It generated a field of shadow spikes around itself, forcing Zororo to maintain distance. Then it raised its sword high and brought it down with devastating force.
"VOID SLASH!"
A wave of pure darkness erupted from the blade, tearing through the air toward Zororo. He activated his most powerful defensive ability.
"Shadow Domain!"
Reality warped around Zororo as his personal dimension manifested a sphere of absolute darkness where he controlled everything. The Void Slash entered his domain and slowed dramatically, giving him time to sidestep before the attack dissipated.
Inside Shadow Domain, Zororo's abilities amplified tremendously. He created five Shadow Clones simultaneously, surrounding the Shadow Knight. All six versions of himself attacked in perfect coordination, overwhelming the boss's defenses.
The Shadow Knight roared in fury and released Dark Aura an explosion of shadow energy that destroyed all the clones instantly and forced Zororo to teleport out of range. His Shadow Domain collapsed from the interference.
[MP: 800/1500]
[SHADOW KNIGHT HP: 5200/8000]
He was making progress, but the fight was draining his resources. Zororo needed to find the core or this would become a war of attrition he couldn't win.
From behind the pillars, Yukari watched with growing amazement. She'd known Zororo was hiding his true strength, but this was beyond anything she'd imagined. He moved like a master assassin, fought with techniques that suggested years of training, and commanded shadow abilities at least A-Rank level despite claiming to be B-Rank.
Who was Zororo Kurogami really?
The Shadow Knight changed tactics. Instead of aggressive offense, it began teleporting around the chamber using its own shadow manipulation mirroring Zororo's style. The boss was learning, adapting to its opponent's techniques.
Dangerous. Very dangerous.
Zororo's mind raced through options. He needed a decisive strike, something that would bypass regeneration and destroy the core in one attack. His eyes fell on the altar in the center of the chamber, and his Shadow Sense detected something interesting the throne behind it was actually a massive concentration of shadow energy feeding the Shadow Knight.
That was the true core. Destroy that, and the boss would fall.
But reaching it meant getting past the Shadow Knight's guard, and the creature now stood protectively in front of its power source.
Zororo made a risky decision. He created three Shadow Clones and sent them charging directly at the Shadow Knight obvious decoys meant to be destroyed. While the boss obliterated the clones, Zororo used Shadow Step to teleport not toward the enemy, but beneath it.
He emerged from the floor's shadow directly under the throne and drove both Shadow Blades into the crystallized darkness with all his strength.
The effect was immediate and catastrophic. The throne cracked like breaking glass, shadow energy erupting outward in a violent explosion. The Shadow Knight howled in agony as its body began disintegrating, armor fragmenting into wisps of darkness.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" the boss roared, its voice distorting. "YOU... ARE... VILLAIN..."
The creature's red eyes flickered, and for a moment, Zororo felt a strange connection recognition between two beings of darkness. Then the Shadow Knight collapsed into dispersing shadows.
[SHADOW KNIGHT DEFEATED]
[+2500 EXP]
[LEVEL UP! 18 → 19]
[MISSION COMPLETE]
[REWARDS: +800 VP, +3 TO ALL STATS]
[LEGENDARY ITEM ACQUIRED: SHADOW MONARCH'S BLADE]
[BONUS OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: NO CRITICAL DAMAGE TAKEN]
[UNIQUE SKILL UNLOCKED: SHADOW MONARCH'S PRESENCE]
Warmth flooded through Zororo as he leveled up and his stats increased. The throne's remains condensed into a magnificent weapon a katana made of crystallized shadow that pulsed with dark power. When Zororo grasped it, the blade bonded with him instantly.
[SHADOW MONARCH'S BLADE]
[LEGENDARY WEAPON]
[ATTACK POWER: 250]
[SPECIAL ABILITY: INCREASES ALL SHADOW ABILITIES BY 35%]
[SPECIAL ABILITY: CAN ABSORB DEFEATED ENEMIES TO GROW STRONGER]
[GROWTH TYPE: EVOLVING WEAPON]
This was incredible. A legendary weapon that could grow with him, enhancing his abilities significantly.
The new skill notification appeared.
[SHADOW MONARCH'S PRESENCE - LEVEL 1]
[DESCRIPTION: MARKS YOU AS A RULER OF SHADOWS. LESSER SHADOW CREATURES WILL NOT ATTACK YOU AUTOMATICALLY. CAN COMMAND WEAK SHADOW MONSTERS. INTIMIDATION EFFECT INCREASED DRAMATICALLY.]
Zororo stored the blade in his Shadow Storage and turned to find his teammates staring at him in shock.
Hiro's mouth hung open. "You... you just soloed a level twenty boss like it was nothing."
Mei looked terrified and awed simultaneously. "I've never seen anyone fight like that. It was like watching a professional hunter."
Yukari walked toward him slowly, her ice-blue eyes analyzing him with new intensity. "B-Rank system, you said. That was A-Rank technique execution at minimum. Possibly S-Rank in this environment."
Zororo met her gaze calmly. "My system is evolving rapidly. I told you it was complicated."
"Complicated," Yukari repeated flatly. She stopped in front of him, close enough that he could see the mix of emotions in her eyes confusion, suspicion, but also something else. Admiration? Trust? "Zororo, I won't ask you to reveal your secrets. Everyone has things they need to hide. But I need to know one thing are you dangerous to this team? To me?"
The question hung in the air. Behind her, Mei and Hiro waited tensely for his answer.
Zororo considered his response carefully. He was a villain system user, which theoretically made him dangerous to everyone. But looking at these three people who'd trusted him enough to enter a hidden boss room especially Yukari, who'd taken a chance on their fake relationship he realized something important.
His villain path didn't have to mean betraying everyone. It meant choosing who deserved his loyalty and protecting them absolutely.
"I'm not dangerous to you," Zororo said quietly. "Any of you. That's a promise."
Yukari studied him for several long seconds, then nodded. "I believe you. Though I suspect when we get out of here, we need to have a very long conversation about what your system actually is."
"Fair enough."
They collected the loot from the chamber multiple shadow cores, rare crafting materials, and a skill book that Mei claimed happily. The total value would probably exceed a hundred thousand yen when sold.
As they made their way back to the main dungeon path, Zororo checked his updated stats.
[LEVEL: 19]
[TOTAL VP: 1010]
[STRENGTH: 43]
[AGILITY: 50]
[INTELLIGENCE: 56]
[INFAMY: 60]
His power had grown significantly. With five days remaining until the duel, he was beginning to believe he could actually survive against Kazuki.
They cleared the remaining two levels of Shadow Grotto easily the standard monsters posed no threat after defeating a level twenty boss. When Team Seven emerged from the dungeon rift exactly three hours and forty minutes after entering, they carried enough loot to rank among the most successful teams.
Instructor Hayato's eyes widened when he saw their collection. "This is... exceptional work, Team Seven. You even found a hidden boss room?"
"We got lucky," Yukari said smoothly. "The dungeon led us to some excellent opportunities."
As they boarded the bus back to school, Zororo felt Yukari's gaze on him. They needed to talk, and he suspected that conversation would be complicated.
But for now, he allowed himself to feel satisfied. He was getting stronger, his team was successful, and his chances against Kazuki improved with every victory.
The villain's path was dangerous, but Zororo was beginning to master it.
[END OF CHAPTER 12]