Everyone's eyes are shocked, some looking at Itachi, some at me. The first to speak is Kaori.
"W-What are you doing, Kurumi?"
"My mission was to kill you all. I wanted to start with Itachi first. That's all."
The others are still looking at Itachi.
"So it really was true."
"Can I know what the truth is?"
"They sent me here to monitor you. In case the killer showed up. I originally suspected Itachi. You were the last person I wanted it to be, Kurumi!"
Kaori looks angry. Ren speaks, still looking at Itachi.
"They sent me to monitor too. Everything you said applies to me as well."
He looks at me and appears angry. Sakura and Souta speak simultaneously.
"I was sent to monitor too."
Are they all here to monitor? Wasn't it supposed to be just two people?
I quickly step back. Everyone is surprised that all of them are monitors.
"May I know your levels, dear monitors?"
Kaori answers first.
"SS."
Then Ren answers.
"SS."
Then Souta.
"S."
"You don't need to know my level."
Kaori interrupts.
"Kurumi, I'll tell you this because you're a kid. Normally, I would attack immediately. Please surrender. I don't want to hurt a child."
Ren nods in agreement and supports her.
"What makes you think you can hurt me?"
They look surprised.
"Aren't you an A Level?"
"Where did you get that from?"
"They said so before taking the mission."
"My power is 8,705,600. I think SSS level requires 8,710,000. I'm the highest SS level."
Kaori stands worried. She knows she's the strongest in the group and that even if they all try to defeat me, they aren't on my level.
"Anyway, try not to die immediately."
I quickly rush forward and kick Ren in the stomach. Ren flies towards Souta and they move quite far. Kaori grabs my arm and throws me to the far wall.
The numbers advantage could be a problem; better to deal with the weaker two first.
"Felesciella, come!"
A long, ornate spear appears in my hand. Its tip is so sharp that fire bursts wherever it touches.
I quickly move toward Kaori and throw the spear at her head. Then I immediately target Sakura behind Kaori. Just as I'm about to kick her head strongly, Ren and Souta stop me. I quickly push myself back.
"Interesting. I didn't expect you to resist this much."
It will be much harder than I thought.
Souta quickly closes his left hand's pinky and ring fingers and holds his right hand's index and middle fingers.
"Bird's Nest Hard Style."
He runs fast toward me. I don't respond. He forms a tiny cage in his hand and throws it at me. My vision blacks out for three or four seconds. When I see again, I'm a bird inside a cage.
Kaori calls Souta.
"Is this enough?"
"Ye—"
"Poor thing. Did you think this could stop me? Seal Break!"
The cage explodes from all sides. I return to my normal form. I quickly form a sword in my hand and cut Souta's torso. I lightly and suddenly touch Souta's stomach.
"Fly."
Souta flies and hits the wall. One down. Next is Sakura.
Feeling sudden danger behind me, I quickly turn around. Ren attacks me from behind and swings his sword. I push upward with the blunt part of my sword and expose Ren. Kaori attacks from behind, so I turn my head slightly back. I grab Ren's head, jump, and get behind him. I kick Ren's back. Kaori manages to keep balance for both herself and Ren. I quickly jump far back. As my foot hits the ground, an explosion occurs where I stand.
Ren and Kaori throw me against the wall with their swords. Then they also throw their swords at my hands. I'm pinned to the wall by my hands.
Sakura appears between them looking at me. Magical particles emerge around her.
"Seal of the Ice God."
Ice starts coming out of the swords.
"W-What's happening?"
"Goodbye, weakling."
(From now on you will see from Sakura's perspective.)
The ice covers Kurumi's entire body. Kaori speaks.
"Will this be enough?"
"Of course. This is my seal. Ice will consume all her power and become mine. Also, this seal's power comes from the Ice God."
"You're really strong, Sakura."
"I wouldn't have made this seal without you all. This is our success. It's sad that Itachi died, but we won because we're not alone."
"Alone…"
"What was that sound?" I say.
The seal I made stopped progressing. How? It should have kept going. A voice comes from Kurumi's place. But it's not her voice. Thicker, more terrifying.
"Let's leave them alone… Let's leave them alone… Throw them into the pit of despair, my Blood Cutter."
My voice shakes. I barely open my mouth and speak.
"H-How are you alive? THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE."
There shouldn't be a way for her to live inside my seal. The ice starts cracking. Kurumi shouts.
"IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE LIKE YOU TO KILL ME."
The swords in Kurumi's hands disappear. Kurumi rapidly breaks the ice covering her hands. Blood flows from her eyes due to the seal's effect. Blood also flows because of the lost swords.
"CRUFIEL STIELLA."
A sword appears in Kurumi's hand. But this sword looks like blood. The sword is thin and long.
"IF I DIE TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU, I WOULD BE DISRESPECTING MYSELF."
Kurumi's hair turns black. Her eyes become pitch black. Blood flows more from her ears and eyes.
"Crufiel Stiella draws power from blood. The more blood it takes, the stronger my magic grows. In fact, my magic was so strong when I first used it that it split my mind in two. And I transferred that to the sword. My bones become completely flexible and unbreakable, indestructible."
Ren barely manages to speak. I'm still trembling from fear.
"Are you from Foisiliea?"
"Exactly."
"What is Foisiliea, Ren?"
"It's an organization-like group that turns humans into beast-like creatures and makes monsters intelligent like humans. No one knows who founded it or where. Humans turned into monsters are called Kuriviel. They're ranked from 1 to 20. I've never met them before. They have forms like Kurumi. From levels 1 to 5. But no one has surpassed the third form (that is, no one has reached the fourth form). Among them, two or three want to get along with humans. Kurumi, what's your rank? Is it okay if we know?"
"I'm number eighteen."
Kurumi suddenly appears among us. Before we can even look at her, she slashes my body twenty-seven times with her sword. I quickly return to my old place. I collapse, and my vision blacks out.
(You will continue to see from Kurumi's perspective.)
"My Blood Cutter, calm down a bit more. We will kill them all."
"W-What did you just do?"
"I'm just doing my job. Also, YOU DON'T NEED TO QUESTION ME, YOU PATHETIC HUMAN!"
Ren runs at me. He prepares to swing his sword. Just as I'm about to grab the sword, I bend and slip behind him and stab the sword into my body. I can only push the sword a little further; it stays there.
"It won't come out?!?"
"What did you expect? To cut me in half? You?"
I cut Ren along his body with my sword. Blood comes out of Ren's mouth as he falls to the ground. Kaori is completely frozen, unable to move from fear. I go in front of Kaori. I grab her throat and lift her up.
"Goodbye… fore—"
The dungeon boss room's door opens. A giant dragon steps out. It speaks.
"I guess I arrived just in time."