I braced my front legs, feeling my blade leg tremble slightly in the thick air saturated with Dark Mana surrounding us. The Dark Witch before me still stood tall, showing no signs of fatigue despite being hunted by both my dragon buddy and me. On the opposite side, the eye emitted a faint black glow, clearly trying to resist despite its depleted energy.
"Shiraori, I'll support you!"
Suzu's voice suddenly echoed in my mind, startling me.
"I'll use [Holy Magic]. Get ready to coordinate."
Holy Magic…?
I murmured, but quickly understood her intention. Suzu was a master of this field, and Holy Magic was the polar opposite of the overwhelming Dark Mana dominating this battle. If she could unleash a decisive blow, we just might be able to turn the tide.
"Let's begin, there's no time!" Suzu's voice rang out urgently.
All right.
I forgot—I have a guardian deity right here.
So what's there to be afraid of?
Let's go all in!
I activated [Soul Link], feeling the mana within my body begin to surge even though I hadn't done anything yet. A warm light flared, completely contrasting with the cold, dark atmosphere of this labyrinth.
I could feel my power amplify—each strand of spider silk seemed to glow with a faint shimmer.
So this is what using magic feels like…
How fascinating!
I was caught up in the thrill of this first-time sensation, but quickly refocused on what was ahead. I also activated [Focus] and targeted the Dark Witch to increase my damage.
"I'll help too," Meradis spoke up, and suddenly I felt my surroundings enveloped in a warm, soft current unlike anything before.
"Three seconds!" Seina reminded us.
Let's count down.
Three…
Two…
One…
"Eternal Flame!"
Huh??
Where did that name come from?
Suzu whispered it through our magic link, and I could feel a tremendous power gathering above my head. Not just pressure, but… heat, too!
Hot!
Too hot!
What the heck did Suzu summon!?
Curious, I looked up.
The sky above the labyrinth—usually shrouded in darkness—suddenly burst into radiance. From high above, a massive white-gold flame, like a miniature sun, slowly descended, aimed straight at the Dark Witch.
The heat distorted the air, chunks of stone fell from the labyrinth ceiling like shards of crystal, and the very ground melted from the searing intensity.
Nai wa.
This is insane!
The Dark Witch looked up, eyes glowing with danger.
"Holy magic… how troublesome." He muttered.
Huh?
Did he just say something?
He wore a mask, so I couldn't see his lips move, but thanks to my ultra-sensitive hearing, I was sure I'd just heard his voice.
So this guy can speak, huh…?
"Focus already!"
Ah—!
Seina bonked me on the head again.
Fine, I get it…
Tch, this stupid gloomy jerk got me scolded by Seina. And he's been hitting me really hard too, so now it's time for payback.
Burn him to ashes already!!!
Suddenly, I saw him gather mana in his palms, and a jet-black beam shot skyward, as if trying to swallow the holy fire whole.
Nai wa!
I thought Suzu's summon was ridiculous enough, but he could still fight back?!
This guy's seriously OP…
The white-gold light of Amaterasu and the dark mana beam clashed mid-air, triggering a massive explosion. Shockwaves rippled out, cracking the ground and violently shaking the surroundings.
I was blown back by the shockwave, barely managing to stay upright. But my body was now riddled with new wounds—mainly because both attacks were magical in nature, and my resistance to magic wasn't great.
Nai wa!
I thought Suzu's spell was already crazy, but he still had that much power left?
My dragon buddy didn't stay still either. He let out a furious roar, eyes glowing with rage. Opening his mouth, he gathered mana deep in his throat and unleashed a brilliant red-orange beam.
This beam, bearing the destructive power of both earth and fire, tore through space and surged toward the Dark Witch, joining the clash between holy fire and dark mana.
Nai wa!
Isn't that overkill?!
Ah—!
I need to get away from that magical crossfire…
The Dark Witch still showed no expression. But once again, he summoned mana—this time cloaking his entire body in darkness, like a black hole devouring everything nearby.
Ugh…
He's already wearing that outfit, and now I can't even see his shape properly anymore.
A series of magic circles appeared above his head, overlapping into multiple layers of defense, trying to stop the raging fire.
He's really stubborn, huh.
Just give up already!
But then—something unexpected happened.
The flame, previously tearing forward like a destructive force, suddenly stopped after breaking through dozens of magical circles.
Nai wa!?
Did he actually stop it?!
What now…?!
Wait, it's not just blocked—I can see dark spots infiltrating the holy flame, like it's trying to absorb it.
Nai wa!
Can it really do that?!
What if… what if he actually succeeds?!
"Calm down, don't underestimate the flame like that."
Suzu's voice suddenly brought me back to my senses. I'd been panicking and forgotten she was still here.
"Do you have another plan?!" I asked, desperate.
"Like I said, that flame's no ordinary fire. But… yeah, it's getting a bit tricky, so I'll pour in more energy. It's going to drain your mana quickly though, so hang in there."
Of course!
Take as much as you need.
We just need to win.
I want out of here already!
With that signal, Suzu began amplifying the magic even further. A huge amount of MP drained away, making my head spin a bit, but I stayed focused on what was happening ahead.
The flame reignited, burning hotter than ever—its size expanding, and the dark spots that had tried to invade it were instantly turned to ash.
Nice!
Keep going!
Crush him!
The Dark Witch still didn't flinch. He kept casting magic like before. But he must've underestimated the enhanced Amaterasu, because after a few seconds of resistance, the sacred flame broke through everything and finally reached him.
He was immediately engulfed in the fire and let out agonized screams. No matter what he did, the flames would not die out. On the other side, the dragon was also in bad shape, as the dark mana invaded his body and began tearing him apart.
Among the three of us, I was probably the most intact. I hadn't been hit too hard by the dark mana, and most attacks hadn't been aimed directly at me.
Just then, from afar, the eye began to act as well.
No…!
I cried out, sensing a massive surge of mana gathering from it. The eye let out a piercing screech, and the space around it began to warp.
What now…?
It's the eye's turn to pull out a final move?!
Please, just let me breathe for a second!
The labyrinth walls began to crack, stones falling like a rain of shadow. A deafening roar echoed, and I felt the entire dungeon tremble violently.
This thing… it wants to destroy everything?!
I screamed internally, but it was too late. The ground beneath me shattered, and a torrent of dark mana surged out from the eye, engulfing everything within hundreds of meters.
I instantly activated [Invincible Shield] and used [Flash] repeatedly to avoid being dragged into the mana vortex while trying to approach the eye. But every time I managed to get a little closer, the energy wave would blast me back again.
"Stop being so stubborn!" Seina shouted. "Focus on surviving first! Don't try to approach the eye anymore—it's too dangerous right now!"
Give up…?
I can't accept that!
Not after coming this far!
Right then, Suzu reminded me, "Don't worry. Did you forget you still have one more protective gear left?"
I froze for a moment, then my eyes lit up.
How could I forget?
I spent a lots skill point for unlocking that—there's no way I wouldn't use it. Even if I'm not sure it works exactly as described, if Suzu says it'll help, I'll believe her.
Let's go!
I asked Suzu to use [Holy Magic] again, to imbue the "Holy" attribute into the creatures I had summoned earlier.
Huh… there are still eight of them left…?
Eh, whatever.
I looked around.
The Dark Witch, the dragon, and I were all pushed back by the wild energy from the eye, but none of us retreated. All three of us knew—if we didn't destroy the eye right now, we'd all be obliterated. There was no turning back.
And I… I had no intention of letting it end like this.
The eye had always been my target—I couldn't allow it to be destroyed just yet.
All or nothing.
Gritting my teeth, I activated [Intimidation] with every ounce of strength I had left, aiming straight at the frenzied eye. A torrent of power surged from deep within me, swirling like it would tear the space apart.
At the same time, I saw it—the dragon roaring, focusing power into his throat, while the Dark Witch raised his arms, summoning one final spell, darkness swirling around him like a breathing storm.
Space collapsed inward.
The air froze.
All sound vanished.
Time, for a brief moment, seemed strangled still.
Damn it… I'm not dying here!
I screamed in my mind, lunging forward.
Each step felt like dragging iron, but my will burned like fire.
Three forces.
Three wills.
A single collision point.
All met at the center.
And then—
A blinding white light exploded outward, consuming everything. The roar of wind, the bursting earth, the screeches of rage… all swallowed in that cosmic detonation.
I could feel nothing anymore.
No sights.
No sounds.
No sensations.
Only a vast, endless white…
And then—
I saw nothing at all.