Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem

Black took the stage after Jones made his exit. He grabbed his sword and held it with both hands. He bent his legs and held it to the side. The wavy sword was flat in the air and the tip pointed backward. It was similar to the beginning of an unsheathing motion but not quite.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

He was setting up for a powerful slash.

Just like Jones, he closed his eyes for a moment to focus. After that moment, black martial energy covered his blade like a cocoon of tar flames. His martial energy was more abundant and clearer and color than Jones'.

It made Jones turn around as soon as he sensed it. The young grey-haired swordsman looked at the pirate's sword and then glanced at his face. He would have to train a lot harder after this.

Without caring about the others, Black moved.

Starting from the tips of his toes, to his ankles, to his knees, to his hips, to his waist, to his torso, to his shoulders, and through the entirety of his muscular arms, Black turned. He twisted his body to unleash as much torque and power as possible with one slash.

Like the sword was trying to escape the black martial energy that looked more like waves the longer they festered on the sword, the martial energy left a wide streak of darkness behind it as it cut through the air toward Zach's barrier.

The martial energy caught up and bounced back into the sword when the wavy blade reached its goal and slammed into the barrier. The martial energy hit the barrier like a wave.

But Black had already retracted his sword and gone for a thrust, the black martial energy trailing behind like inky brush strokes. Black was no expert calligraphist. But he was a powerful swordsman.

He put a crack on the barrier with his successive strikes and the power of his martial energy.

Black had a light grin of satisfaction on his smile as he took a breath before he was about to continue. However, as he looked at the barrier while taking that breath, the crack faded. His expression stiffened before falling, and he threw a sour glare in Zach's direction.

He wanted to beat the shit out of Zach. But to do that, he would have to break the barrier. He would have to attack like a madman just to keep up with the barrier's rate of recovery.

Black wasn't stupid enough to think the barrier was the only trick Zach had up his sleeve or that breaking it once would be enough. He wasn't going to waste his energy doing something pointless, not when there were five Trials left.

He didn't like it. Not one bit. But he hadn't come here to be acknowledged as the strongest by a bunch of landcrab strangers. He had come here because his father told him to and because he was going to perform in the Labyrinth of Syst.

It was unlikely that he would finish the twelve Trials. It was unlikely that any of them would. As far as people knew, it hadn't been done before.

Plenty of people had made it to the twelfth Trial.

No one had cleared it.

It was the same with all the Labyrinths.

No one had solved their mysteries, reached their ends, or finished them. They were five bottomless treasure chests in four corners of the Empire and in the center.

But plenty of people had turned their lives around or sown their first seeds of greatness by getting far in any of the Labyrinths. That was Black's goal. That was why he stepped aside and let Oria try.

It was a good thing he did. Oria wasn't going to wait any longer. She had charged up multiple of the balls for Lightning Missile. She gathered them in front of her. They slowly spun around each other before fusing into one large ball.

Zach's skin prickled from the static electricity in the air.

The next moment, Oria unleashed a torrent of lightning onto the barrier. Like repeated lightning strikes, bright light flashed around the Labyrinth and made the air shake with the rumbling noise.

The spell was explosive and ended after only a second or two, after which, Zach's barrier was charred but not broken.

"Tch." Oria clicked her tongue after staring at the barrier in disbelief. She crossed her arms and turned her head away, reluctantly admitting defeat.

Zach nodded. He looked at Derot, Tero, and Tera.

"I'm assuming you guys don't want to try?" He asked since neither of them had made a move.

"I'm good. Fighting isn't my strong suit," Derot answered with a gentle smile. If there was anyone he had to befriend from the Labyrinth entrants, it was Zach.

Tero and Tera just looked at Zach silently without answering. It was their silent acknowledgment that it wasn't worth the hassle.

Nessa and Violina already knew that Zach was strong, but even they were a little surprised at the hardness of his barriers. They had thought Zach's familiars would get him the spot as the strongest.

They were almost a little interested in trying to attack him themselves. But now wasn't the time.

[Strongest entrant confirmed. Nine survivors confirmed. Trial (7/12) complete. Determining next Trial. Trial (8/12) set. Preparing…]

Walls rose around the area, turning it into an arena. The walls grew up and out, creating rows of seats like they were intended for an audience.

Zach looked around.

The other entrants had disappeared from around him. After another sweep with his gaze, he found them outside the arena.

A hole appeared in the wall opposite him.

Zach was like a gladiator or a challenger in a gladiator arena. Zach scanned the arena again. There was nothing but that hole.

At least he still had his familiars with him.

At the same time as something rumbled inside the hole in the wall, two different messages appeared.

Zach got one message.

[Defeat the monster.]

The others got a different message.

[Watch the strongest entrant defeat the monster.] Find more chapters on empire