ᴠᴇɪʟ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀʙʏʀɪɴᴛʜ [] ᴄᴏᴛᴇ x ᴅᴀɴᴍᴀᴄʜɪ []

[] Prologue :- In To The Unknown []

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"Kreeee, Kreeee!" A high-pitched and unpleasant screech echoed through the labyrinth as green, humanoid creatures about 140 cm in height lunged forward at a certain boy.

These creatures were goblins, some of the ugliest and most repulsive beings one could encounter.

Surrounded by four of these creatures, the boy was clearly not pleased with his predicament-in fact, he was quite the opposite.

I mean, Who wouldn't be?

One goblin, positioned behind the boy, seized the opportunity to leap at him. However, the boy remained calm, as he always did, and delivered a sharp kick right to the goblin's face, which was smeared with its own saliva.

'Truly gross,' were the only words that crossed the indifferent boy's mind.

"Kreeee-" The force behind the kick was sufficient to eliminate the creature instantly. It was, after all, the weakest of the dungeon's inhabitants, though the boy was unaware of this.

'Oh, so they aren't that strong, huh?' thought the boy as he quickly dispatched the remaining three goblins.

Within moments, the creatures dissipated into dark smoke, leaving behind four crystal-like stones.

"What are these?" For the first time, the boy spoke out loud. His voice was bland yet carried a certain mature tone.

If one were to observe the boy closely, they would note that he appeared to be around fifteen years old, standing at an impressive 5'8", which was quite good for his age. Underneath his neatly worn blazer and shirt, he had a slim yet well-built physique.

The boy's chestnut hair, styled in curtain bangs, suited him remarkably well, despite how it might look on others. His smooth facial features and sharp jawline gave him a striking appearance. Despite his usual indifference, his golden-brown eyes held a certain charm.

That's right, he is Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, who has found himself in quite a strange situation.

The chestnut-haired boy knelt down to pick up the stones, when suddenly...

BAM!

In the distance, a flash of white hair and ruby-red eyes, wide with fear, caught his attention.

Was that a rabbit?

No, it was a boy-a boy with snowy white hair and ruby-red eyes, morphed in terror. He crashed into a wall, but the impact didn't stop him. He immediately scrambled back to his feet, running desperately.

But what was driving this boy to such desperation?

A glance behind him revealed the answer.

'What in the world is that thing?' was the only thought that crossed Kiyotaka's mind.

The chestnut-haired boy's usual composure wavered slightly as he watched the massive creature pursuing the white-haired boy-a bull-headed man-beast, the Minotaur. The beast was taller than Kiyotaka, its menacing presence undeniable.

"Grrrrrrrhhh!" The Minotaur's hoof crashed down, barely missing the fleeing boy by inches.

With calculated steps, Kiyotaka began to follow behind them, remaining unseen. The Minotaur, undeterred, launched another attack, its hoof slamming down again.

"Waaaaaahhhh!" The white-haired boy, terrified out of his wits, cried out as he rolled on the ground, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow once more.

Eventually, the boy's back slammed into a wall, leaving him with nowhere to run. He had sprinted through hall after hall, only to find himself trapped in a wide, square-shaped room.

His teeth chattered, and tears welled up in his red eyes as he began to lose hope.

'Should I help him out? I might get some information from him about this place... about where I am. These green humanoid creatures, and now this ox-beast-these things can't possibly exist in real life,' thought Kiyotaka Ayanokōji. He picked up the knife the boy had dropped earlier, resolving to jump in and aid the boy.

But just as Kiyotaka was about to act, a bright line sliced across the creature's torso.

"Arggggg?!" The Minotaur screeched in pain, as confused as the white-haired boy, who stared in disbelief, his teary eyes widening.

The line didn't stop there. It traveled through the thick pectoral muscles, across the raised leg, up the thigh, to the shoulders, and finally out through the Minotaur's neck.

Now, a silver light shone through...

And in that moment, the monster that the white-haired boy couldn't even scratch was cut into slabs of... meat.

"Ghaaaa! Arghhhhhhh!!!!" The Minotaur's dying roar of surprise and agony echoed through the chamber.

The beast's body fell apart along the dissection incisions, like the seams of an overstuffed doll bursting all at once. Its dark red innards sprayed out like a fountain, covering the white-haired boy completely.

"Are you... okay?" A monotonous voice asked the blood-covered boy, who jolted his head up to see his savior.

It wasn't Kiyotaka who saved him, but a young girl.

Her thin body was adorned with light blue clothing, and even in armor, she radiated a feminine beauty. Despite her petite frame, she stood tall. Her chest, tightly bound by a breastplate engraved with a silver emblem, accentuated her figure. The same emblem graced her wrists and the blood-soaked saber she held.

She pointed the glistening blade downward, the blood dripping harmlessly to the floor. Her blonde hair, flowing down to her waist, shone so brightly it seemed as if it were made of pure gold.

Atop a body any woman would envy was the face of a sweet, young girl.

'That was close,' Kiyotaka thought, almost jumping in but deciding against it when he sensed another presence.

"Show yourself," the girl demanded, jolting her head toward the direction where Kiyotaka was hiding, her saber still ready.

Receiving no response, she cautiously approached the spot, searching around, but found no one.

Kiyotaka had already shifted his position, holding his breath to remain unseen.

Finding no one, the girl turned back toward the white-haired boy, whose once-white hair wasn't so white anymore.

The boy looked at her with wide eyes, his blushing red face camouflaged by the blood covering him.

"Umm... you sure you're okay?" the blonde-haired girl asked again, tilting her head in concern-a gesture the boy found undeniably cute.

'He is definitely not okay,' thought Kiyotaka as he peeked out from behind the wall, observing the love-struck boy.

"Okay!" was the only word the flustered white-haired boy managed to utter before he bolted away, splashing blood everywhere as he ran.

Soon after, the girl also began following the path the boy had taken.

"Why does my seemingly peaceful life have to be ruined?" Kiyotaka sighed as he emerged from his hiding spot, lamenting his situation.

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         ᴠᴇɪʟ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀʙʏʀɪɴᴛʜ

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A/N

This is the prologue of my COTE x DanMachi crossover. I'm not entirely sure how it turned out, as I've been feeling a bit dissatisfied with my writing skills lately.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! If you did make sure to give this a vote.

Have a great day.

Bye~