Chapter 7: Mars
"Let's go," Klaus said, taking the lead.
Before entering the dungeon, I applied my cursed energy into the ground as a precaution. This way, I could sense any traps ahead by feeling the vibrations returned to me, almost like echolocation.
After a few minutes of walking, I called out to Klaus, "Oi, Klaus, stay alert. There's a trap in front of you."
He quickly retracted his foot, avoiding the trap.
"But how did you know? Is it because of your reinforcement magic?" he asked curiously.
"That's a secret," I replied with a mischievous smile, leaving him slightly annoyed.
Suddenly, I paused and said, "Hmm?"
"What's wrong, Zon-san?" Mimosa asked, concerned.
"There are two guys up ahead, and one of them is being attacked," I informed the group.
"What? We have to save them!" Klaus exclaimed, rushing ahead.
As we reached the scene, we witnessed Asta getting attacked by a plant-based trap while Noelle ran around in confusion. It was quite a comical sight.
Yuno swiftly threw a barrage of wind blades, rescuing Asta from the trap.
"It's been a long time, Asta," I greeted him.
"Oh," Asta replied, momentarily confused. "Zon and Yuno! What are you doing here?"
"We should be asking you the same question," Klaus interjected.
"We're here to explore the dungeon," Asta explained to Klaus.
"Just the two of you?" I inquired.
"No, we had another member, but he ran off somewhere," Noelle explained, her frustration evident.
"Now, now, calm down, Noelle-san," Mimosa intervened.
"What? You know her, Mimosa?" Klaus asked.
"Oh, yes, Klaus-san. We're cousins," Mimosa revealed.
"Cousins?" Klaus responded in surprise.
"Yes, Klaus-san," Mimosa confirmed.
Suddenly, Asta turned to Yuno and said, "Yuno, I will definitely repay my debt to you."
Yuno simply replied, "We'll see."
"Enough chitchat, it's time to move," Klaus declared.
"Okay," Yuno and Mimosa agreed in unison.
We continued on our journey, with me leading the way.
"Klaus, you shouldn't underestimate Asta," Yuno advised.
"What? What do you mean?" Klaus asked, puzzled.
"I have discovered the dungeon's center," I revealed to the team.
"Really?" Klaus inquired.
"Hmm," I confirmed.
"Then lead the way," Klaus commanded.
After some time of walking, we finally arrived at the dungeon's center. The sight was awe-inspiring.
"Wow, it's so huge," Mimosa remarked, captivated by the grandeur.
"Don't get distracted! Our priority is to retrieve the treasure," Klaus reminded us, snapping us back to focus.
Suddenly, a barrage of crystals came hurtling towards Mimosa.
Swiftly unsheathing my sword, I imbued it with cursed energy and sliced the crystals into pieces.
"What?!" Every team member was shocked.
Mimosa, still on the ground, thanked me in a stunned voice, "Th-Thank you, Zon-san."
"No problem," I replied nonchalantly.
"It's about time you show yourself, you sneaky bastard," I declared, addressing Mars.
From within the river emerged a young man with an average height, slim figure, pale skin, and well-defined muscles. He created multiple clones of himself and sent them charging towards us. In less than five seconds, I swiftly beheaded each clone.
Yuno tried to intervene, but I stopped him, saying, "Don't interrupt me, Yuno. He is my enemy."
"You don't think that's enough to stop me," I confidently stated to Mars.
Mars materialized a massive sword made of crystals and swung it towards me. I dodged the blade, swiftly moving in front of him, and...
*Squeek*
As I cut Mars's arm, a pool of blood gushed out.
Suddenly, a loud voice shouted, "Zon! What are you doing?!" It was Klaus.
"Don't disturb me. This guy tried to kill us, and you don't want me to kill him?" I replied, my voice raised.
"But—"
"Shut up," I interrupted him.
In a split second, a blast occurred. Thanks to the cursed energy surrounding my body, I managed to protect myself.
Mars appeared in a heavily armored titan form, his arm healed and wreathed in flames.
"What?! How can he use both crystal magic and fire magic? Don't tell me—"
"He has a dual affinity," I interrupted, finishing Klaus's thought.
"It's about time I finish this," I declared.
Now was the right time to use it. I raised my sword, imbuing a significant amount of cursed energy, and uttered quietly, "Cursed Decapitation."
Suddenly, a colossal blade of cursed energy shot forth from my sword, causing a massive explosion.
After the dust settled, Mars's armor was destroyed, and he lay on the ground with a gaping slash from his neck to his waist.
"You... you killed him!" Klaus exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Don't worry, I planned to kill him, but I changed my mind," I reassured him.
"So he's not dead, right?" Klaus asked, seeking confirmation.
"Hmm," I replied, leaving the situation ambiguous.
As another group arrived at the dungeon center, Asta asked them, "What are you guys doing here?"
To be continued...
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone