Gacha Summoner: Pulled into Another World

Chapter 9: The Abyss Beckons

**Chapter 9: The Abyss Beckons**

The path ahead unfolded with a surreal quality, as though reality itself was bending to accommodate their journey. The air, thick with residual magic, crackled with unseen forces. Yuuji and his companions pressed on, their steps cautious but resolute. Though they had overcome the Shadow Keeper’s trial, the weight of the encounter lingered.

Yuuji glanced at the Blade of Eterna, still humming with an almost sentient energy. It had saved him back there, grounding him in the face of his deepest fears. But the trial had shaken him—made him realize just how much he still didn’t understand about the world he’d been thrown into.

“We should be nearing the core of the dungeon,” the knight said, his voice steady but weary. “But we have no idea what’s waiting for us.”

The mage, always calculating, nodded. “The Shadow Keeper was only the guardian of a threshold. What lies ahead is likely more dangerous than anything we’ve faced so far. We need to stay alert.”

Yuuji knew she was right. Every step deeper into the labyrinth brought them closer to the unknown, and with each step, the stakes grew higher. But something else gnawed at him—the vision of his old life that the shadows had conjured up. Even now, it felt too real, as though his past had somehow followed him into this new world.

“Master,” the archer spoke softly, breaking Yuuji from his thoughts. She was watching him closely, her eyes filled with concern. “Are you alright?”

Yuuji forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah… I’m fine. Just thinking about what’s coming next.”

But he wasn’t fine, not really. The doubt was still there, lurking at the edges of his mind, whispering that maybe he wasn’t cut out for this. He was just a gamer—a nobody—who’d gotten lucky in a fantasy world. But as much as he wanted to dismiss those thoughts, they clung to him like a shadow that wouldn’t leave.

The corridor twisted and turned, eventually leading them to a vast open space. The walls of the dungeon stretched impossibly high, disappearing into a darkness that even the Blade of Eterna couldn’t pierce. At the center of the room was a massive stone dais, and upon it sat a throne—empty, but emanating a palpable sense of dread.

“This feels wrong,” the mage whispered. Her fingers twitched as she clutched her staff. “Something is here… watching us.”

Yuuji swallowed hard, his eyes drawn to the empty throne. It was unlike anything they had seen so far. Ornate carvings, lined with symbols he didn’t recognize, covered its surface, glowing faintly with an otherworldly light. But what stood out most was the air around it—thick with a malevolent force that pressed down on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

“Something’s not right,” Yuuji muttered, tightening his grip on the Blade of Eterna. “Be ready for anything.”

As if in response to his words, the ground beneath them began to tremble. A low rumble echoed through the chamber, followed by a sound that made Yuuji’s blood run cold—a deep, guttural growl that seemed to come from the shadows themselves.

From the darkness above, a figure descended—tall, cloaked in dark robes, and shrouded in an aura of pure malice. Its face was obscured, save for its glowing red eyes, which burned with hatred and hunger. It floated just above the throne, its presence overwhelming and suffocating.

The mage’s voice trembled as she spoke, barely above a whisper. “This… this is a Dark Revenant.”

Yuuji didn’t need an explanation. He could feel the sheer power radiating from the figure—an ancient, undying force that had been waiting for them. The Dark Revenant’s gaze fixed on Yuuji, and for a moment, it felt like the weight of the entire dungeon was bearing down on him alone.

“You… who wield the Blade of Eterna,” the Dark Revenant’s voice was like shattered glass, sharp and grating. “You are unworthy of its power. You will fall, as all who came before you.”

Yuuji’s heart pounded in his chest. He’d faced powerful enemies before, but this was different. The Revenant wasn’t just a monster—it was something far worse. Something that had once been alive, twisted into a creature of darkness.

The knight stepped forward, his sword raised. “We’ve faced trials far worse than this. We will not back down.”

The Dark Revenant’s eyes flickered toward the knight, almost dismissively. “You are nothing but shadows of heroes long forgotten. You will fade into the abyss.”

Without warning, the Revenant raised its hand, and the entire chamber was plunged into darkness. Yuuji felt a cold, suffocating grip wrap around him, pulling him into the void. He struggled, swinging the Blade of Eterna, but his movements were sluggish, like he was fighting through water.

The mage screamed, her voice distant, as if she were being pulled away. “It’s… it’s trying to drag us into the Abyss!”

Yuuji’s mind raced. He could feel the Revenant’s power pressing down on him, trying to crush him under its weight. The shadows around him grew darker, more oppressive, as though they were swallowing him whole.

But then, just as he felt himself slipping, the Blade of Eterna flared with a blinding light, cutting through the darkness. The warmth from the blade surged through Yuuji, banishing the cold and pushing back the shadows.

“No!” Yuuji shouted, finding his voice. “I won’t let you win!”

The light from the Blade of Eterna grew brighter, pulsing with a power Yuuji hadn’t felt before. It was as if the spirits of the past were with him again, lending him their strength. He could feel them—their courage, their determination—flowing through the blade and into him.

The Dark Revenant recoiled, hissing as the light burned its form. “Impossible… that power…!”

Yuuji gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand. “I don’t care who you are. I don’t care what you’ve done. We’re not afraid of you.”

The knight, the archer, and the mage rallied behind him, their own resolve bolstered by the Blade’s light. Together, they stood against the Revenant, refusing to give in to the darkness.

The Revenant let out a deafening screech, its form flickering as it lashed out with tendrils of shadow, but Yuuji was ready. He raised the Blade of Eterna, and with a single, powerful strike, he cut through the shadows, sending a shockwave of light through the chamber.

The Revenant screamed, its form unraveling as the light engulfed it. “No! This cannot be…!”

In a final burst of energy, the Dark Revenant disintegrated, its essence scattered into the void. The room fell silent, the oppressive darkness lifting at last.

Yuuji stood there, breathing heavily, the Blade of Eterna still glowing faintly in his hand. He had done it. They had all done it. The Dark Revenant was gone.

The mage was the first to break the silence, her voice shaky but filled with awe. “You did it, Master… You destroyed it.”

Yuuji shook his head, still trying to process what had just happened. “No… *we* did it. All of us.”

The knight sheathed his sword, giving Yuuji a rare smile. “This battle may be over, but we’re not done yet. The heart of the dungeon still lies ahead.”

Yuuji nodded, his determination renewed. The trial had been unlike anything they had faced before, but they had come out stronger. Whatever awaited them at the heart of the dungeon, they would face it together.

With the way forward now clear, they stepped off the dais and continued their journey, the light of the Blade of Eterna guiding them into the unknown once more.