From the depths of the corridor, white eyes and a vast, mocking grin gleamed like pearls. Slowly, gigantic claws emerged from the darkness and traced the dungeon wall with a sinister caress.

  “This creature is extremely powerful—be careful!” Anpiel shouted, just as Mahaha lunged at the group with a deafening shriek, its gaze burning with rage and bloodlust.

  Everyone narrowly avoided the attack. The impact was so violent that it tore up the ground and shook the entire chamber.

  “It’s true—it’s incredibly strong,” Tania said.

  “But something has changed since last time,” Ana added.

  “Of course it has. We’re stronger now,” Epona continued.

  Tania, transformed into her manticore form, charged at full speed and severed the creature’s right arm. At the same time, Ana cleaved off its left hand with Gram. When the beast tried to strike with its massive, jagged teeth, Epona—now a white anthropomorphic mare—smashed its jaw, knocking it flat onto its back.

  “These girls are amazing! I shall worship them as my goddesses!” Loki cried theatrically, fake tears in his eyes.

  “Hey, Susanoo, are we really going to let them outshine us?” Menrva shouted with excitement.

  “Bakane! Ikkimashō, Menrva-san!” Susanoo answered, drawing his katana.

  Mahaha’s arms reattached to its body, and its shattered jaw regenerated. But the instant it rose again, Menrva and Susanoo split it open from shoulder to hip. Torrents of blood burst forth as the creature shrieked in agony.

  “They’re stronger than it—you can defeat it!” Anpiel shouted, cheering them on.

  Rodrigo stood frozen, watching the battle, unsure of what to do.

  The beast’s ichor regenerated instantly. Spinning its claws at terrifying speed, it caught Menrva and Susanoo and hurled them into the ground, carving two massive craters with the impact.

  “Its divine power is absurdly high,” Menrva said with difficulty. She had been torn clean in two by the blow, her ichor unable to regenerate.

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  Susanoo avoided the worst of it, but lost a leg in the impact.

  “Totemo… totemo tsuyoi,” he gasped.

  “It defeated Menrva and Susanoo in a single attack?” Rodrigo thought in shock.

  Tania, Ana, and Epona renewed their assault, but the beast began spinning like a top, claws extended. Energy surged from it, shredding everything around. All three goddesses were brutally cut by the attack.

  Tania’s body was torn into three pieces. She tried to rise, but failed. Ana and Epona suffered less visible damage, yet both were knocked unconscious.

  Furious, Rodrigo shouted, “Open—Fourth Chakra!”

  The tannin began to glow white. In an instant, he flew at Mahaha and struck it with a massive vortex that blew the creature apart.

  Anpiel rushed to administer ambrosia to the fallen while Rodrigo watched the scattered remains, searching for any sign of movement.

  When he sensed the fragments beginning to reassemble, Rodrigo raised his hand and shouted, “Esfera de Venus (Sphere of Venus)!”

  A colossal orb of sacred energy shot from his palm and struck the fragments, detonating in a blinding explosion of white light that incinerated and erased every trace of the creature.

  Rodrigo fell to his knees, panting. Mahaha was gone. The others stared at him in stunned disbelief.

  “That boy has completely surpassed me,” Menrva thought uneasily.

  “Rui! That was incredible!” Ana shouted and rushed to hug him with all her strength. Rodrigo felt his bones crack and begged her to stop.

  “Sorry, Rui—I didn’t realize,” she said sheepishly, letting go.

  “You’re a brute, raven-face,” Epona remarked, helping Rodrigo to his feet. “Congratulations.”

  Tania approached as well and gave him a thumbs-up.

  Susanoo smiled broadly. “I harboured the most profound conviction that Rodrigo-san would evolve into a most estimable adversary! My ardour for the contest is now most vigorously inflamed!”

  Suddenly, the ashes of the creature began to swirl, trying to reform into Mahaha.

  “No—it’s not finished yet!” Ana cried in alarm.

  Susanoo remembered Nanook’s words about the creature’s weakness to water.

  “Superlative work, Rodrigo-san. I believe the moment is upon me to grant this wretched beast its eternal repose,” he said, stepping forward.

  “What are you doing, Susanoo? It nearly killed you in one blow!” Menrva shouted.

  “Hai, Indubitably. Yet now, in its state of utter exhaustion, I may effect its destruction by exploiting its fundamental vulnerability,” he replied, plunging his katana into the ground.

  “Mizu no tsume (Water Claw)!”

  A colossal claw of water erupted from the floor and crushed the still-formless beast. A dull blue explosion followed, ending in a gentle rain.

  “Subete kanryō,” Susanoo said as he sheathed his katana. The spirit of Mahaha vanished.

  “They’ve all grown far stronger since the last time we fought. I’ll need to be careful,” Loki thought, watching Rodrigo with a calculating gaze.

  “Well… we should keep moving,” Menrva said, still shaken.

  Everyone nodded.

  They walked for several more hours through the vast passage until, at last, a massive door came into view. It was made of oak and bore a carving of a red circle crossed by a vertical line.

  “We’ve finally reached Dene territory,” Anpiel said excitedly.

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