Spirit Grave Albion. Just like its name suggested, it was the burial place of ancient dragon Albion who ended up dying there after it was late to go to Reverse Side of the World when closure of Age of Gods happened.

After long period of time, Spirit Grave Albion slowly turned into a giant Labyrinth where many others unusual and magical creatures took a residence in.

Moreover, it was also a place where the Clock Tower, current headquarter of Mage's Association, was built atop on. Although, the Mage's Association only controlled some parts of it while the rest were inhabited by other strong magical creatures. Even so it still produced enough resources for the Association.

Its location couldn't be said as deep-concealed secret, but, only people recognized by the Association who were told of it. Most Magus from any families with at least a hundred years old history might know some of its many entrances, as it was a place where they could gather their magical ingredients and supply. It was not strange that prominent families such as the Edelfelt and Tohsaka knew the path leading to that giant Labyrinth.

After passing a series of hidden pathways and chanted a unique spell which acted as its pass, Rafi and Saki Rukino finally entered that Labyrinth, with the additional company of Luviagelita Edelfelt and Rin Tohsaka.

"Hmm, so this is that Labyrinth. It sure looks different."

"And what did you compare it to?" Luvia said as black lines appeared on her pretty face. She still felt sullen at him after being deceived by him and even more so after all those running.

"It's just it doesn't look as scary as I imagined." Rafi added while shrugging it off calmly.

"...why the heck we need to follow him actually? Can't we just run to the Association instead? It's your fault, you big-breasted dumbo!" Rin finally managed to say something after she could catch her breath. Unlike Luvia, she was pretty much tired after those running.

"Hm, I think it will be fun." Luvia replied with amused expression as she saw Rin was too tired. It was a good decision on her part when she grabbed Rin before, as she could finally see Rin's current weak appearance. It was exhilarating when she succeeded pulling a fast one over Rin...

"Besides, this place is a good place to settle some problems. It's perfectly hidden from public." Luvia added calmly. She lightly peered to the deep of the Labyrinth as some words were left unsaid.

"So do you have any plan to solve those Magus?" She asked as she turned her gaze at Rafi.

"Hm, I only need you to show me the path actually. You can step aside for now, ladies. Me and my partner will deal with them." Rafi said confidently as he looked coolly at the entrance, waiting those five people to show up.

It was not like he took them lightly. This was his first time to fight against other Participant, and he wanted to test his current limit. If he really got into a worse situation, well, there was Rukino who had the biggest chance to reverse the situation.

"There won't be a chance I lose." He muttered firmly.

...

Meanwhile, those five people arrived shortly after Rafi and the others entered the Labyrinth's entrance. They stood there, grinning viciously, while also slightly panted for breaths. It was unexpected for them that newbie was such a fast runner, as those people were the most troubling type.

"Damn. He's an agility type actually. We will use that battle formation. I swear he won't get an easy end."

"I can sense they have been stopped not far from us. It seems this is a dead cave. Let's get this done quick!"

After saying it, the boss underwent a strange transformation as he became bigger, brown fur quickly grew on him. Several suits of armor covered his chest, hips and a pair of glove materialized on his hand. Within a short moment, he already turned himself into a bearman warrior. While the rest of his subordinates turned into various beastman warriors; snake, ape, bull, and hawk - equipped fully in armors and weapon each.

With their transformation, not only their appearance changed but their magical energy also became denser, cluster of sinister fog seemed faintly discernible surrounding them.

The beast transformation allowed them to fight enemies higher leveled than them, surmounting their difference in rank. As most of them were around level 30, it increased their power at least by 2 lvl. The strongest, their boss, was equal in strength to most lvl. 34 Participant after his transformation.

"The guild skill sure never disappoints me. This powerful sensation is too awesome." The boss muttered to himself as he also thought quietly, 'Although this transformation may be an overkill along with using that thing, but it won't be wrong to be cautious.'

...

"Overconfident aren't you?" Rin snided, feeling irritated at his arrogant tone. Remembering her earlier embarassing moment, she grinded her teeth in frustration, thinking furiously, 'Now isn't the time for a show off! Just what the hell is this guy thinking? Hmph. This is why I hate those idiots who overestimate themselves. I won't help him even if he begs me later!'

"...they've arrived." Rafi stilled for a moment when he glanced at the entrance. His face was a shade darker from before as his expression turned heavy all of sudden.

'Change of plan.' He looked at Rukino, giving her a slight nod before he went alone to confront them.

With [Eternal Arms Mastership] as a passive skill, Rafi's senses for danger was greatly enhanced, possibly giving him enough time to counter incoming danger.

It was just now he sensed five dangerous aura were already coming for them within short distance, and that dangerous feeling increased exponentially all of sudden, giving him a heavy feeling on the upcoming fight. He took a deep breath as a lightsaber appeared on his hand. With a single stomp on the ground, he shot out, intending to confront them in the Labyrinth's entrance.

However, before he could even approach them, a quick slash suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of his face. He barely managed to block it with his lightsaber, but the force behind that slash managed to send him back to the Labyrinth's wall...

Under his astonished gaze, at his previous place, a snakeman warrior suddenly appeared from there as if he just came out from that empty space.

"Your killing intent is too glaring. As expected of a newbie, can't hide even that little bit of killing intent." The snakeman was precisely that lanky man after his beast transformation.

*Hissing* sound could be heard as he stared at Rafi like how a predator seeing its prey. His naked desire was too apparent as the girls unconsciously shuddered when they saw the glints in that snakeman's eyes.

Although he managed to offset that slash, his internal organ was still slightly shaken, injured by its residual force. After he wiped trickle of blood from his mouth, he glanced at dimming light of his lightsaber before he looked gravely at the snakeman in front of him.

'It seems like a stealth... such a troublesome ability. Better to remove him first before the other four people appear.'

Just as Rafi prepared to use his lightning and rushed to quickly kill his current enemy, flurry of arrows quickly arrived in front of him. He managed to deflect them all, though he already missed his chance to strike that snakeman.

The snakeman smiled strangely as a strange disk appeared on his hand. He lightly said an unknown keyword and that disk suddenly flew out to float on midair which gently radiating blue light on surrounding area.

Suddenly, Rafi felt his body became heavier, his previous attacking stance was gone as his balance was broken. The girls were more unfortunate as they couldn't even stand up after that blue light reached them.

Shortly after, another four people appeared, sealing the path behind them. Without much talk, those four people also took out a strange disk each. Similar with that snakeman, those four people also spoke a keyword before their disks floated on the air, continuously radiating gentle light which covered the area of both sides. The only difference was that those five people didn't seem to be affected by that light, while Rafi and the girls fell heavier on the ground.

"Yo. Isn't this mister fast runner, look at your situation now. Don't bother to try to stand up, this is an area with twenty-fold gravity. Even a strong Participant will still be hindered within it, not to mention weakling like you. This is precisely a way to deal with people like your agility type.

You have choices of either being our 'friend' or being killed here, your choice. Of course we must thank you for finding us two more beautiful goods. We will surely 'appreciate' this sentiment fully."

Hearing that bearman's words, anger swelled inside his heart as Rafi felt ashamed for his own carelessness and arrogance. It seemed he still underestimated other Participants, while in fact he was not the only chosen one out there...

Even so, as he raised his head with difficulty to look at the girls behind him and at his five opponents in front of him, his desire to triumph over all obstacles burned even more brighter, igniting his fighting spirit.

As if answering to his desire, his eyes flashed and the three rings of light within his pupil shone with various colors.

"Hmm, what's with his eyes? Huh, damn. He's another user of ocular skill?! Quickly finish him off!" The boss still felt lucky that he decided to be cautious previously. Who knew that his team would find an enemy with ocular skill in this Dungeon world...

Although not all ocular powers were always strong, but most of them proved as a headache to other Participants. It was because those ocular skills possessed various strange abilities that might have a chance to overturn any battle situation. While the strongest ocular power could easily decide the life and death of anyone it gazed into, as well as rumored to be possessing the mythical ability of resurrection.

Based on his previous experience within all other Dungeon worlds and with other Participants, the boss could predict whether an enemy's ocular skill would be dangerous to him or not. Curently, seeing the enemy's ocular skill in front of him, a fearful chill crept on his spine as his back was unexpectedly wet from cold sweats.

Rather than risking a chance that it was actually weak ocular skill with a strong appearance only, he would rather kill that man to remove any possibility of retaliation. Although he felt sorry for that lanky subordinate of his, but that man also seemed to understand his boss' meaning.

Those five people quickly shortened their distance, rushing murderously at Rafi. Their spear, axe, hammer, sword and arrows were swung and shot viciously, intending to kill him on the spot with their first fatal strike.

As she was weaker level-wise than other Participants inside the Labyrinth currently, when Saki Rukino finally managed to raise her head after much difficulty, she saw those five people were rushing to kill Rafi who was barely able to stand.

'No!'

Looking at his back, she lightly bit her lips as she felt her current strength was still too weak. Under her fearful gaze, facing their killing strikes, Rafi seemed like a flickering candle fire which would die down just with only a slight touch.

Whether it be in her original world or in Real world, did all of people she cared for must be separated from her?! She felt unresigned!

With an unknown source of strength, she prayed, hoping for a miracle. Her prayer turned into a melodious song as her spirit, will and hope resounded through the Labyrinth. Through a hidden crack of space within a part of Labyrinth, Rukino's voice unknowingly reached into an ominous castle where a woman sat in melancholy surrounded only by deathly aura and silence...

"Hmm, this sound..." An intrigued expression slowly appeared on her previously melancholic face, as she finally gained a new interest after she secluded herself within that castle.

While on Rukino's surrounding, glittering specks of light gathered around her as her [Diva] skill was activated. She went all out as she used all her mana while also withstood the increased gavity, all for that single burst of power.

When his Empyrean Eye activated, Rafi could feel the burden of twenty-fold gravity lessened on him, allowing him to move even under its pressure. Although it was still hard to move freely, but the pressure of his five incoming opponents didn't give him enough time to think further.

'I won't lose. Not again. Since the world gave me a chance, then I won't give up on it. I will triumph over all obstacles on my path!'

He felt a rush of power surged strongly within him as the shackles of gravity lessened even further. His hand turned black with red lines under the curse of [Knight of Owner], his mind was clear as he could see the trajectory of his enemies' weapons. Within that split second before their weapons hacked him to death, innumerable arcs of white lightning flickered madly around him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

...

Clank! Clank!

Both Claire and that lance-wielding knight from Yggdmillenia family distanced themselves after fighting several rounds.

She still looked relaxed as though it didn't even faze her. While her opponent seemed out of breath after mostly unable to cope with her speed and overwhelming strength.

Although he could use his innumerable red-hot stakes to corner her, but he was not even able to graze her clothes in the slightest within their previous bout. Continuing their fight would be meaningless as he could feel that she was not even serious all these time. It was better for him and Yggdmillenia family if they could somehow settle this dispute through a talk.

"...you, are you really human?" Even so his words betrayed him as he couldn't hide his astonishment upon seeing the valiant girl in front of him.

It would be understandable if she was a Servant, though he couldn't feel the existence of Spirit Origin which should exist within each Servant. Yet the conclusion he ended up to was more absurd, as how could a human of the present era was so strong... Someone with strength like her was usually found in legends and fairy tales, before the dawn of modern era after all.

"I am clearly a human. We both know who isn't a human among us, Lancer of Black." Claire rolled her eyes after hearing his astonishment. Her sword was still invisible as she lightly slashed at red-hot stakes which suddenly appeared behind her.

Hearing the way she addressed him, his face became more dignified as he looked deeply at her, as if intending to see through the mysterious veil surrounding her. Before they even needed to deal with ants that the Mage's Association sent out, it looked like Yggdmillenia family needed to deal with a freakish human like her...

If she came for the same purpose as the Association's, then he didn't mind going all out in fighting her even after knowing their strength's disparity. It concerned his own dream, as a warrior, he would be convinced of his loss after he went all out even if it ended in his defeat.

However, it also looked like she didn't intent to cause more injuries on him even with her being clearly stronger than him. Within their previous fight, she mostly only defended and evaded his strike, rarely she attempted to attack him.

'Is there any misunderstanding...?' He thought quietly before he asked, "What do you want to do, intruder? I don't think we have inconvenienced you before, so why?"

"I just want to be a Master of Black. Who knows whether you will give me a spot if I don't show you a bit of my ability. Do you dare to bet?" Claire spoke with an easygoing laugh as she looked far ahead at the castle in front of her. Her question seemed to have a special meaning as she smiled mysteriously at the end.

Her gaze seemed to pass through their walls and defense mechanisms as it descended straight to the seven Yggdmillenia's magus who were gathering inside their meeting room.

"..." Their meeting room was in a deathly silence as they unanimously looked at the head of Yggdmillenia family, an 80-year old man with surprisingly youthful appearance, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillenia.

Some looked at him in worry, while others looked interested at the new development. If they could gain that girl's strength in their war with the Mage's Association, their burden would be greatly lessened. However, with such great strength, it meant that they also have limited options in case she decided to overturn them...

That was why Claire spoke about that bet, it was whether those magus of Yggdmillenia dared to accept her 'help' or not.

Well, even if they didn't dare to accept her condition, she wouldn't be bothered about it. Either she could force them or she could also choose other influence, the Mage's Association.

"...we will accept it. Lancer, please invite her to the castle." Darnic spoke after a long period of silence.

"Is that fine, grandfather? She is too dangerous..." A young girl in her early twenties spoke in worry to Darnic.

"It will be fine, Fiore. Her strength is greatly beneficial for us. It will be counter-productive if she decides to join the Association instead." Darnic said with serious look as his eyes swept among other Magus inside the room.

'Besides, Lancer still hasn't used that Noble Phantasm. I don't believe I can't control that girl with it. At that time, she will be my greatest weapon instead..."

Hearing Darnic's words, they felt into pondering silence before nodding, agreeing with his words.

"Then whose position will be given to her from among us?" A fat man spoke cautiously as he looked at other magus in the room.

His words as if triggered something when the atmosphere inside the meeting room became tense suddenly.