Not even sustaining wounds enough to endanger one's life.

Not even breaking a drop of sweat.

Everything had ended. Just like that... Yuuya claimed victory. He turned his back from the man who was in shambles and he approached Alice.

"Stand up." He said.

To the dumbfounded Alice, the Voyager told her the same thing for the second time. As if a gear had clicked inside her, the girl did as she was ordered to but midway through her feet gave out and she fell headfirst.

Yuuya grabbed her broken right arm with his hand but he suddenly tilted his head to the left. A flash of silver flew and he felt slight throb from his grazed cheek. After a few moments and there was the sound of clattering metal behind him.

"Hoo...? You did well to improve yourself." Yuuya curved his lips upwards.

"I... will... kill you..." Alice uttered while wheezing in anguish.

For the girl, Yuuya was the biggest obstacle to her dream. A nemesis even. That was probably why she never hesitated even for a moment to pull the sword beside her and throwing it at Yuuya. Usually this was the same act equal to betrayal. A heavy treason necessary to be punished heavily. However, the Voyager was more than delighted once he saw the burning will in his slave's eyes.

"...I don't get your intention... I... don't understand whether you are lying or not... but..."

Alice glared at Yuuya. A clear murderous intent which was capable of giving chills on his spine emerged as the cursed maiden muttered.

"If... If that is... your command... If that is... your 'desire'... I will..... kill you... I'm going to... kill... you…

The girl fell down in Yuuya's arms as her consciousness faded away. As quickly as he moved to catch her, the Voyager brought her and carried her like a knight would do for a princess. However, Yuuya felt nothing but joy about something else.

Leaning his head to Alice's, Yuuya sent a whisper which was too small to be called as audible. Yet it was also a whisper containing his deepest intention.

"Yes… Seek me. Become stronger and kill me, my lovely slave."

The Voyager chuckled but he heard a muffled sound from behind him saying "....Mon...ster..."

Promptly turning around, Yuuya raised his eyebrows upon noticing a new knight who was holding the limbless Brown. The very man, although panting with pale complexion, was still alive when ordinary humans would have died out of the shock for having their limbs severed like that. Behind them were an army made of fifty and more were surrounding Yuuya.

As he quickly counted the numbers, there seemed to be a hundred knights creating an ellipsis formation. Armed fully with armours, swords and pikes, they were showing intense hostile glares at Yuuya.

"Ah... now that I think about it, I doubt you came here unprepared. An army to eliminate more Voyagers... eh?" Yuuya said.

Because he was once left out to die alone, Yuuya could tell how far these people could be. He also noticed the bloodstains and rags which were leftovers of players' belonging on the way. Judging from the nature of the Dungeon as well as how monsters were set to be stronger the more players were in sight, that meant one thing.

"Subjugation Army. An interesting pretext for a mere act of killing." Yuuya snickered.

"Kill...! Him!! Don't let him live!!!" Brown roared.

The Voyager shook his head. As loud and echoing howls approached him like a stampede, Yuuya was thinking how humane could these AIs be. Even though they were just programs without any actual body, they still reacted on impulses like real humans would.

The Voyager wondered how much are they any different than him but he took notice of one thing. These NPCs were no different than him and them.

-Heheh... he he he he...!! It's the same thing again, Yuuya......! Isn't it amusing to see how similar they are?

Yuuya stepped to the side and dodged a thrust of pike. He stepped again to the other side and a slash of sword missed him by a wide margin. Without the chains of command properly working, even the best of knights became mere amateurs who could do nothing but to swing around their weapons as if they were sticks.

"So?"

-kill them. Kill them all. You did it once so you can kill them too.

"...that was just a fluke. And an accident even."

-But you are not who you were. Don't you remember it? That sensation...

Yuuya frowned slightly. He knew the Devil was a loudmouth but he never thought it was this bad. While leisurely dodging the hundreds of knights' uneven attacks, Yuuya who wasn't even bothered by Alice's weight sighed.

"...yeah. And so what?"

There was a laughter inside his head. The vile form of his wretched personality began to take shape as his adrenaline started to kick in. Yuuya huffed thinking how troublesome it was to remember while being bothered by this crisis but he could no longer afford to remain in one place.

Yuuya kicked the ground and flew high beyond the reach of the longest pikes held by the knights. As he held an unconscious maiden firmly, the Voyager twirled in the air before landing far behind the knights softly.

-What makes it a difference? Murdering one, two or three isn't any different than slaughtering a whole race.

"...So that's what you mean."

-that's right... Your hands are already stained in any case. And you… are me.

"...I guess so."

-then it's a simple thing for you to do.. you're no longer you. So kill them!!

The Devil laughed. The advocate of evil laughed and Yuuya listened to the very end. Yet his mind never swayed, his heart never surrendered to it and his conviction remained the same.

(Not yet. It's still not enough...)

He had no qualm in killing. Because the world he was in was merely a recreated reality, even if he killed the world along with its inhabitants the laws would never punish him for it. For those born in this place were mere programs. For there was nothing which dictated them as human beings when they were 'created' using science.

Even when Yuuya killed the attackers from the shadows, he wasn't moved by their death and to be honest... he felt as if he just squashed ants while walking.

You wouldn't realize they were there and even if you do realize, you shrugged it off as if it was normal.

Humans are scary, Yuuya thought with all honesty. While it was true that he hated Daedalus but he never thought his mind would adapt to his wretched desire this far. No... he was sure the reason lied in the past which had changed him.

I have no faith in humanity, therefore I shall destroy it.

I have no trust in words, therefore I shall crush them using the same words.

I have nothing but hatred at this world, therefore I shall end the world.

Yuuya watched as the army of knights rushed to him. Arms were brought up. Roars unified in one. Charging like a mad stampede they were. He who observed such humans then deemed them as nothing but programs instinctively.

Why? Because it was true.

Why? Because his mind recognized them as such.

Why? Because he felt nothing about these artificial souls without physical bodies.

Yuuya raised his head and a moment passed when a roar which froze anyone echoed. He heard it. They heard it.

It was the roar of a monster, and everyone except one paled upon witnessing a large shadow striding out from the darkness as if it was attracted by the scent of blood like a predator would.

The gargantuan body with thick barks acting as its skin and armors. The gigantic sized arms with a terribly wide range to reach for. A pair of dull shining orbs which glowed like dead souls trapped by vile curses in this inescapable Dungeon.

Yuuya let out a sound "Hoh. Looks like it has brought over companies." His eyes remained unperturbed and he wasn't even threatened by the roar which intimidated the whole army of knights.

However, as if lies became truth, Yuuya heard footsteps from various sources and they emerged.

People with armors and equipment showing individuality from the right, monsters and enraged Treants from the left, and an approaching Ruler of the Forest up ahead.

Yuuya heaved out a sigh as he realized he was caught in a crossfire. Now that many sides were ready for chaos, all hell would break loose in a moment's notice.

What do I do? He furrowed his brows as his mind submerged in deep thoughts. It was a given that the knights stopped attacking him but he was bothered by the crowds and the sheer amount of bloodshed which would target him should something went wrong.

The Devil was ecstatic about this turn of event, though. He was roaring Yuuya to surrender the control over the Avatar Body and he's completely eager in massacring the whole entities involved in this charade.

"......nah. I'll do it this time. It's a perfect moment to test out something."

Yuuya closed his eyes and focused. Then Alice who was in his arms glowed with dim green light before the sensation of her weight was reduced gradually. Nobody was calm enough to notice what Yuuya did but he levitated Alice and sent her behind him.

Now his arms were free from restrictions. With this he could do what he wanted, and he had the power to back up his intention. Yuuya raised his arms and extended to the sides.

"Obey me," he muttered. As his blood made a ripple within his body, he could feel heat rising from below his feet upwards.

"Obey me," he muttered again. His mind was clear and his desire reached the fingertips of his hands as the heat followed after.

"Obey me and take shapes."

Yuuya slowly opened his eyes and he felt a prickling pain from his hands. Crimson fluid dripped down from his hands and he felt light dizziness which would probably become stronger should he let out more blood from his body.

*DRIP* The third drop of crimson fluid stained the grasses and humid ground. Followed after many drops, a small crimson puddle started to emerge. When he felt the sole of his shoes wet due to the blood, Yuuya decided it was time.

Yuuya wrote an Ice Rune on his palms. It caused diamond dust to scatter and freezing sensation numbed his sense of touches. Yuuya waved his hands as he spewed a faint white misty breath amidst the scattered diamond dust.

Suddenly the puddle rippled. Suddenly the pool of crimson fluid trembled. And suddenly the blood moved as if flowing within a river following Yuuya's hands movement.

"The denizen of the land screeches. The fairy of the lake cries."

Yuuya moved his hands from one place to another. As if he was a conductor of an orchestra, his fingers danced and his eyes rolled from a corner to another corner repeatedly.

"The Heaven screams in anguish. The Hell sneers to vanquish."

The crimson fluid glimmered. The pool of blood slowly transformed as it abided the mage's orders. It shot out lines. It drew runic letters. It circled around and connected every dot to become a part of a system.

It overlapped. It crossed one another. The blood scattered and formed a shape nobody would notice due to their own stupidity.

However - a dying soul witnessed it.

".......no... it can't be..."

However - a fool noticed way too late.

"Stop fighting the monsters! Stop! Stop and kill that goddamn braaaaaaattt!!!!"

However - it was a fading noise within the chaotic ground full of rusty scent.

Yuuya exhaled. As he raised his head, he recalled what he always did whenever he left Alice before sending her out into the Labyrinth. It was just a stupid idea which crossed his mind. A test to fulfill a challenge unthinkable for anyone.

Perhaps it might be correct to say it was a fool's errand. Perhaps it was correct for the Devil to laugh at him when he did it with utmost diligence.

However.......

"Here, let thou be aroused from thy slumber."

-

-

-

-

In some place far away from the battlefield, scarlet light emerged from the gaps between a tree's roots.. It caused a Rusca to jolt but when it saw nothing happened, it approached as if it was guided by divine providence.

The beast approached the shining red light. It went near and nearer to the light, and once its eyes peeked into the light… There was a Rune shining with bloodred light before it multiplied like a plague. Corrupting the land in a terrifying speed.

-

-

-

-

Voyagers too far away from a battlefield were trudging through the confusing layout of the Dungeon when they heard a cracking sound. Similar to a rock being hammered with chisel and hammer, it was a sound foreign in the depth of a forest without any cave. They turned… yet they saw nothing which caused them to proceed without caring.

Although-

There were several scarlet lights protruding from the ground. And they did not notice a red Hex appeared from the place they were on.

-

-

-

-

An army fought. Voyagers fought. Monsters fought.

Without recognizing allies or enemies they were engaged in battles. Without identifying who they must kill and who they must protect. As they fought, shedding blood and murdering lives like fools......

Countless red Hexes written with Runic Letters appeared from below their feet.

-

-

-

-

"2889...... 2915...... 2972...... 3000."

Yuuya opened his eyes slowly. He perceived the world where no one resumed to fight. He saw a world where everyone gazed around clueless. After he activated the 3000 Blood Hexes permanently rooted below the Labyrinth's ground for the past month, he was convinced that he accomplished his arduous task successfully.

To be honest, he was about to faint as he tried to connect all the Trinity together. He must stay vigilant when conjuring Hexes, he had to refer to his memories about Runic letters strongly and he must not cause a mistake else monsters would attack him. There were too much possible hindrances everything would be for naught had Yuuya not checked on them every time he left the hideout and every night. After all, he had to use his own blood to mix in with other blood from his fallen foes in order to create a massive Ancient AOE Magic once crafted by a nameless Archmage in the distant past of Daedalus.

With this, the second phase was done, he thought.

"Kill him! Kill him noooooooowwww!!!!" A fool yelled from below.

Yuuya gazed at the bandit whose complexion as pale as drowned corpse. Though it was a sight to behold, it was also an inevitable response for Brown was probably the only one who realized Yuuya's intention.

However... no one else realized it.

However... nobody else had noticed it.

However... ignorance was both a bliss as well as a sin.

Yuuya curved his lips upwards. As he raised his right hand and extended it forward, he rotated his wrist. His smile went even deeper and deeper while his eyes showed malice which froze the disabled Knight Captain. Then...

"Rise. Rise and Grant Mine Enemy with Crimson Death. O Unyielding Soul of Steel, Form Spears of Judgment to Destroy Those Who Invades Our Homeland. He Who Protects This Land..... Let Thy Legend Emerges Once Again."

In the next moment - words flowed out to become an Aria as the Bloodstained Demon snapped his fingers to activate the trump card he referred from a historical event from his world.

"[Tepes' Stakes.]"

A red world was born.

A red hell was born.

A red death was given.

A pair of eyes perceived dark red lances emerging from a Hex. A vile beast watched its brethren pierced through by a crimson weapon wrapped by Runes which jumped out from the ground. A knight witnessed infinite lances bringing his comrades above as his body bent over. Showing how his fate followed after them.

There was no mercy. There was no exception. The land was leveled, the trees were torn apart, the monsters were caught up, the knights were slaughtered, and the Voyagers were all pierced by stakes which were prepared long, long before they entered the Labyrinth.

No armors could defend them. No defensive wards could stop the stakes imbued with the combined power of Trinity. And nobody was exempted. Everything but the Greatest Coward and his slave.

Through undying efforts. Through maddening amount of virtue put for this moment. Through the desire to put aside any semblance of common sense and morals. Challenging time, wits and strength while ignoring any strain which burdened one's mind greatly to the point of breaking point. Through the cruelty once achieved by a Hero who was known as both the Impaling Prince as well as Draculea...

The Forbidden Labyrinth of the Treant - at that moment... was utterly destroyed and altered into a Forest of Crimson Stakes. A forest which was littered with dead bodies hung by magical weapons made from solidified blood interconnected through the miracle known as Magic.

A/N: Ah, my deepest apology. I've been in a vacation while waiting for college to start. I can't help but to rest with a smile when I realised I'm going to be a university student in Arts faculty, which is one of many dreams I struggle for. To be honest, I never thought I can actually have my wish be granted.

Also, feedbacks are appreciated. I really like it when I read comments which point out odd parts since without mistakes or negative comments, I can't improve my writing further.