IDBIRR (Boss Fight) Chapter 16: The Voice that Reached Out.

A voice reached out to me.

It was the first voice to call out to me and it was certainly a loud one.

I can't forget about it, it was just a really surprising moment, It was such a very memorable day. It makes me chuckle just remembering it.The clouds started to cover the wide and blue horizon. A small downpour came to sully the bright smile of the sun.

I woke up under the shadow of a giant leaf that protected me from the thousands and thousands of small drops of water.

???: "Oh--! You're finally awake!"

I sat up and looked at sky from under the leaf's shade, the sky was sour, it cried and cried, longing for something that could tame it's sadness. It was a beautiful and cold atmosphere, one that compliments the calming ambience of a gloomy downpour.

It didn't look like it would let up soon and unfortunately, the grey clouds grew darker. It has started to rain.

Just ahead of me, Big Boss sat on his porch's steps, the shade of his house's roof hiding away his facial expression. The only two visible details on his face were his two gleaming silver irises, seemingly looking down on me.

For someone who wasn't even that far apart from our distance, he gave off an air of someone who sat far away.

Big Boss: "You were tryin' to kill that boss behind that room over there right? Walked right into it's Monstrous ambush, same as me, before I was this Labyrinth's top joe schmo."

It was a line from somewhere, a game I was very familiar with...it sounded so similar and even if you hear it from him, it sounded so genuine that you wouldn't even think he's playing tricks with me.

Indeed he wasn't, he was only truly concerned for my well-being.

What a strange guy.

I chuckle in thought, he truly decimated the perfect image of a wild and dangerous apex predator I pictured him out to be.

He was just...Big Boss. A big freaking humanoid dog with a weird and quirky personality.

Big Boss: "T'be honest with ya young lad, ya really ace wild entrances with how ya helplessly crawled over at my place 'ere, yea?"

He raises his hand, it's reach escaping his porch's shade and becoming dripped with the rain's heavy fall.

He was pointing at my Leaf umbrella.

Big Boss: "Hey, don'cha think it's pretty cute? The leaf umbrella I mean."

He asked me so nonchalantly, free from any hostility towards the trespasser who invaded his own privacy.

Big Boss: "Hehe, I saw it in a picture book of sorts. One of the cowardly adventurers dropped it out of panic."

He rests one of his elbow on his knee and placed his chin on top of that arm's palm, relaxing himself and revealing his face from the shade of his porch's roof.

A satisfied grin was platered on his face.

How many years has it been? How much time has it been since he ever smiled like that? How long did it take for him to have someone else's company again? Just from looking at how satisfied he was talking with me, all those questions flooded my thoughts. It was as clear as looking at clear water, the fact that---

That he sat in solitude.

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Big Boss: "Hm?!"

I dashed past his guards, halting his silly laughter, taking him by surprise and making him put his guard up.

He succesfully blocks my attack and glares at me seriously.

But that seriousness vanished in an instant, it was replaced with a sudden form of surprise.

I faced him with a smile that matched his.

|| Once I kick your ass, let's grab something to eat, Tood. ||

He chuckles as he parried my attack.

Big Boss: "Don't think I'll go easy on you then! I'll kill you if you let your guard down, no hard feelings?!"

I wish I could return the laugh of joy right now, but all I could do for now is to relay my message.

|| You bet! ||

I rose up a stone fist from below him and uppercutted his jaw. He grunts from the surprise attack and gets knocked up in the air.

His shadow intervenes between us by thrusting his claws. I dodged by a few inches away from it using a panel and launched myself towards two other panels I've created just recently in it's surroundings.

Ricochetting myself in a triangular direction, quickly going behind it's blindspot and then piercing through it's body using my pointed head.

The shadow quickly disperses and returns to it's rightful owner.

Big Boss immediately recovers his footing and spread his Halberd beside him, a shadow esque pair of arms appearing behind his shoulder, grabbing hold on to his halberd as well. His Halberd also emitting the same dark aura as before.

This doesn't look good-

With the support of three monstrous hands, he swung his weapon at me with blinding speeds.

Big Boss: [Catastrophic Decimation: Great Cleave of the Abyss]!

I somehow managed to dodge in time, it was a creepy foreboding thought of looking through death straight in it's eye. Without my knowing, the Administrator had pulled me away from the range of Big Boss's attack. She forcefully used a skill, creating a sort of metal that had pulled me away from death's clutches.

*Brrrrrrvvvvvvvvvvvuuuuuttt*

A bone chilling sound can be heard, it was like a bass boosted sound of some sort just drove by and decided to run over some kids in a picnic. A large gust of wind blew me away and a plenty amount debris came flying by. Some mobs who were caught in it's vicinity splattered like ketchup all over the place. The only thing I could hear was the strong gusts of wind and bodies being torn apart.

The room's ground, wall and up to it's ceiling that were in his path got cleaved in. So much power focused in one blow. A declaration theresay, acted out within his manner, playing games were now out of the question.

The multiple shadow esque hands vanished right after his blow had missed it's target.

Big Boss reels his head to face me and smirks devilishly, inclining within eye contact that he was having the greatest high he have ever felt before.

Sticking to my panels, I leaped towards him. He took this by surprise and swung his halberd, once I was near his range of attack, I levelled his footing upwards by creating a thick floating platform below him.

I instantly entered the platform and changed my direction of trajectory below him to attack from below. He quickly understands my plan of attack and jumps up with his halber infront of his chest.

I spewed out from the platform and struck his halberd instead. It was a quick reaction that I did not expect from him. Dusts surrounds our vision, but in spite of that handicap, he grasps his surroundings perfectly with just one look and then retaliates for a decisive counter attack.

Shadow Wolves: *bark*!

As we were midair, some of the surviving shadow wolves appeared from the cloaks of dusts around us and pinned me down the platform.

Big Boss: [Crimson Skyfall: Thorns]!

As he was falling from above me, shadow esque hands that turned into numerous sharp edges from behind him all pointed down towards me. What's worse, all of them were coated with that dangerous and ominous dark crimson aura.

I'm going to die!

Just as I was about to get riddled with holes all over my body. A large skeleton monster appeared out of nowhere and caught Big Boss by surprise.

A punch straight to his jaw had knocked him away.

Big Boss: "-!?"

What the-!?

Giant Skeleton Soldier: "Gruoooaaaahhh!!!"

The skeleton roars after it sent Big Boss a few block away. The way he rolls and and hits the ground a few times as he bounced from the impact was pretty devastating. But as he was well experienced with surprise attacks, he quickly recovered while midair and caught his landing, clawing at the floor so that he would stop the momentum from pushing him back further.

I- I forgot about the mobs that inhabit each room!

Big Boss: "GROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A blood curdling roar was returned. Big Boss, ignited with flames of fury, became mad from the sudden disturbance in our death battle.

I killed all the shadow wolves that pinned me down and quickly stood up, clenching my fists in annoyance.

Giant Skeleton Soldier: "Grooooooooaaaaaarrrr!!!!"

How dare you.....!

Big Boss: "Y-.....YOU DARE!!!!!!!!!!!"

We both charge at the same skeleton at the same time, preparing our attacks.

I had forgotten that the undead do not feel any pain or emotion whatsoever, so it wouldn't be a surprise if it randomly attacks someone even far stronger than them.

But none of that matters right now---

I had coated my fist with my toughest strengthening level and never held back.

Big Boss: "You lowly- UNWORTHY---! BOTTOMFEEDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

*BLAAAM*!!!!!

Big Boss decimated the Skeleton's body with his halberd and I destroyed it's head completely into smithereens.

But then, without pause, our brawl continues.

I zigzag around Big Boss, going through his blind spots and then puncturing his body with spikes that I send out from my body as I quickly traveled around his surrounding.

*Grasp*!

His shadow's hand suddenly appears and grabs me. It was the return of his Shadow doppelganger!

It threw me above it's head, allowing Big Boss to leap from his position and bicycle kicking me through a wall.

Guha!

Before I could even recover, Big Boss and his buddy appeared side by side in front of me and punched me, literally through the wall this time. The walls crumble down as I got my ass handed to me.

I fell on the floor of the next room. My back against the ground. I looked up, only to be met by a never ending spiral of stairs. Above it, past against it's endless amount of torture, the beautiful moonlight had spotlighted me.

Big Boss: "Tch-"

I never really thought about it much, but this world actually has two means instead of one, right by each other. One that looks entirely bigger than earth's moon and the other even smaller than the earth's moon.

I sat up and watched as Big Boss and his Shadow stepped into the beautiful light of the two moons, appearing from the hole in the wall that we've caused.

Big Boss: "It's really impressive, to think that you would even protect yourself from that kind of blow just now."

I readily took my stance as they approached me. One circling towards my left, the other to my right.

Big Boss: "I reckon you would put your hands in between you and our blows just then--- but to think-- you wouldn't block it at all."

He spins his halberd in his hand as he continues to circle around.

Big Boss: "But even with that, pushing aside the thought that you would even allow yourself to get hit, it looks like you haven't suffered much damage from it either....why is that?"

He's coming-!

I turn around just in time, His shadow lunging towards me with it's claws ready to bare it's sharp edges to me. I ready myself to dodge his shadow, letting myself lose my attention to the real deal just behind me.

Big Boss' shadow sent out a flurry of wild scratches, clawing at every direction I could possibly escape from. I try my best to step aside and dodge every single one of them, but in an attempt to try, some of them managed to ignore my defenses and deal me a plenty amount of damage.

Hm-?!

All of a sudden, the shadow bends over and swept it's feet across mine. As if it were dancing, it's battle style just changed abruptly, surprising me enough to lag my reaction behind.

It's as if it suddenly decided to breakdance!

Using it's body's flexibility and long reach, it spun around, legs spinning like a dangerous tornado that would rip you apart.

I try dodging every single attack, it's battle dance becoming more and more rapidly precise and beastly. Once I finally decided to counter attack my perpetrator, it was already too late.

Another shadow looms over me from above, making me look up. It was Big Boss, with his halberd in both hands, ready to plunge me as he falls with his large weight.

Crap---

There was definitely no time to react and dodge his attack. I was too preoccupied with his shadow that I forgot about the main person himself.

Administrator!!!

[[Affirmative, commencing all defensive abilities.]]

*Thang*!!!

A barrier, capable of defending against Big Boss's attack with all of his strength and weight behind it was was erected to protect me. It was a definite shock to both of us, being me the defended, and Big Boss the attacker.

Sparks flew and gusts of wind blew away at the miniscule of greenery that was around us.

Big Boss gets off and regains his stance. He squats down from his distance away from me and raised his free hand above his hand, scoping at me from his safe place and observes my behavior.

Big Boss: "Woah-ho-ho-ho! Laddie, what do we got 'ere eh?"

Hm? What does he mean by that?

I wait for his continuation, but what awaited me next was a terrifying sight to behold.

I couldn't believe my eyes at all as a canine like snout sprouts out from his left shoulder.

Big Boss: "Lad, don't tell me- ya also have someone workin' with ya?"

The canine like snout grows into a snarling and angry looking wolf's head, barking and growling with pure hatred in it's eyes.

Big Boss lets out an escaped chuckle, as soon as he noticed his laugh he covers his mouth to immediately hide away his excitement.

Big Boss: "I must apologize. In truth-"

Everything becomes silent, as if everything and anything at the moment, recognizes that a Ruler must not be interrupted from his words, or it would be a sin punished by 'death' in order to repent.

Big Boss: "---I haven't even excelled half a portion of what I can truly muster when I go all out."

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-Somewhere-

???: "An unusual activity has occurred just recently, your majesty."

A female voice speaks out, her figure overshadowed by the darkness of the room.

???: "I am aware of that. I give you my permission if you wish to investigate. It's not as if a lowly position like mine can do much to control you anyways. Although-"

A voice of a young man replies, he too is hidden among the darkness of the room.

Standing beside a window, the young man's shape was revealed to be as youthful as his voice permeates his appearance, but to the third person's point of view he seems to have yet to experience the hardships of the outside world.

As he leans beside the window, he ponders while viewing the scenic beauty of the glittering night lights of his kingdom.

???: "Do not jest your majesty, as a king, it is of no reason to pay my respect to you as a normal citizen of your country, but a duty I must heed as your retainer. Your position is no different than equal to that of the Emperor's."

Without halt, the female voice becomes tense, annoyed even. There was power hidden behind her every word, overwhelming the young King's own words.

But without batting an eye, nor turning his head-- with his soothing and pleasant to hear voice, he continues what he was about to say.

???: "Do be careful out there, Joane."

The woman, whose name the King withdraws from his breath, stood tall.

Joane: "Your thoughts of worry are wasted on me, Your Majesty. The only thing that I can consider my equal in both strength, wisdom, and power is that wretched golem who proclaims to be an absolute divinity--- Granite.

No other being, unfit to pose a threat to me, can stand in my way."

The young maiden excuses herself as the door to his majesty's throne opens to see her dismissed.

Before the door closes on her, a short glimpse between the gap of doors closing-- The King turns her way, Golden irises staring right through her soul.

???: "I will wait for you---"

*Shut*

The doors to the royal throne closes. The young woman, Joane, walks forward with the words of the king still in her mind.

"Wait for someone?", She asks herself.

Joane: "Earlier, he mentioned somebody's name..."

Joane decides to stop under the moonlight's luminosity, staring far out into the open world from one of the castle windows.

Outside, right before her eyes, fate has something in store for her to meet.

Joane: "It's a big world out there...I wonder if I can find that someone..."

She resumes to her duty and prepares to depart--- to "The Death Howl" Labyrinth.