By the time they reached the tenth floor, the pattern had become clear—each level presented enemies of increasing strength and cunning. They had faced skeletal warriors wielding ancient weapons, venomous spiders the size of ponies, and animated statues that reformed unless destroyed with specific elemental magic.

  The tenth floor was different. As they stepped through the portal, they found themselves in an enormous circular chamber with walls of polished obsidian. At its center lay what appeared to be a massive three-headed wolf, seemingly asleep atop a pile of gleaming bones.

  "Hold," Zen whispered, raising a hand in warning. "Something big is coming."

  Billy readied his weapons, eyes narrowing as he assessed their surroundings. "Like what, partner?"

  Before Zen could respond, the creature stirred. All three heads rose simultaneously, six glowing crimson eyes fixing upon the intruders with malevolent intelligence. The beast unfurled to its full height—easily the size of a small house—and unleashed a simultaneous roar from all three mouths that shook dust from the ceiling.

  "Oh," Billy said flatly. "Like that."

  Aoi removed his mask, his expression grim but composed. "Cerberus," he identified. "Guardian of the underworld in Greek mythology. Here, it seems to be guarding our path downward."

  "Any weaknesses?" Billy asked, already calculating angles of attack.

  "The mythology suggests its vulnerability is concentrated in its heads," Aoi replied. "If we kill one head, the entire beast should fall. But its defense is formidable."

  The monstrous canine pawed the ground, three sets of fangs bared as it prepared to charge.

  "I'll create an opening," Zen declared, stepping forward. His hands moved in a complex sequence, magical energy crackling around his fingertips. "Be ready to strike."

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  The spell he released wasn't flashy—no flames or lightning—but the air between him and Cerberus rippled with distortion. When the wave hit the beast, all three heads suddenly jerked as if struck, their movements becoming disjointed and uncoordinated.

  "Temporal disruption," Zen explained tersely. "Its perception of time is fragmented. Now!"

  Aoi needed no further prompting. He sprinted forward with inhuman speed, his body a blur as he closed the distance. One head snapped at him, but its timing was off—jaws closing on empty air as Aoi had already moved.

  With a powerful leap, he launched himself upward, kuris held in a reverse grip. The curved blade found its mark in the central head's skull, penetrating just behind the ear where the bone was thinnest. The beast howled in pain, all three heads thrashing wildly.

  "It's not deep enough!" Aoi called out, clinging to the hilt as Cerberus attempted to dislodge him.

  Without missing a beat, he reached behind his back and drew his sledgehammer with his free hand. The massive weapon should have been impossible to wield one-handed, but Aoi managed it with apparent ease. Raising it high, he brought it down on the kuris handle once, twice, three times, and finally a fourth devastating blow that drove the blade deep into the creature's brain.

  The central head gave one final, gurgling howl before going limp. Almost immediately, the other two heads followed suit, their eyes dimming as the massive body crashed to the stone floor with a sound like thunder. Crimson blood pooled beneath the fallen guardian, steaming slightly in the cool air of the chamber.

  Aoi extracted his kuris with a practiced twist, cleaning the blade methodically on a cloth produced from his pocket before resheathing it.

  "God damn," Billy whistled, approaching the fallen monster with cautious steps. "That was easier than I thought it'd be."

  "For him, maybe," Zen commented with a wry smile. "I noticed you keeping your distance."

  Billy shrugged, reloading his weapons with casual efficiency. "I know when to shoot and when to let the man with the knife handle business. Besides," he added with a grin, "I'm saving ammo for the real challenges."

  Aoi rejoined them, his expression betraying nothing of the exertion his feat must have required. "There will be plenty of opportunities ahead. This was merely the first guardian."

  As if summoned by his words, a new doorway materialized in the chamber's far wall, revealing a staircase descending deeper into the dungeon's depths.

  "Onward, then," Zen declared, leading the way toward their next challenge.