The atmosphere created by the arrival of the reinforcements was a bit strange. But the most unusual aspect was not just that. A female adventurer I had met before appeared, as if by some twist of fate or coincidence, at the most exquisite moment. "Erina...?" I mutter her name from my memories, and her fierce demeanor softens slightly, showing a hint of surprise.
"Harold..." Her voice fades as she looks at me with a somewhat pitiful gaze. "What, did you two have a falling out?" Luceria’s provocative tone throws a wrench into the already odd atmosphere. She looks at us — no, specifically at Erina — with a mocking expression, as if she knew about our relationship.
It was as though she was suggesting we had a bad relationship, which made no sense. Erina and I were just passing acquaintances; our reunion here was merely coincidental. Even if Luceria was referring to our previous random encounter, it still didn't make sense; she wasn't present in this world then.
It could have been a meaningless coincidence, but her words irked me as if she knew everything about us. Then I remembered that Luceria had been speaking as if she knew me, even though this was our first encounter.
With that thought, a possibly fanciful question arose: Had I met them before? Could it be that in my forgotten memories, I knew them too? These thoughts fleetingly crossed my mind.
But even a brief reflection revealed that it was an incredibly unlikely hypothesis. I had never lost my memory, recalling everything from before and after enrolling in the academy, even my early childhood — where I was born and raised.
The idea of having lost my memory seemed far-fetched and implausible. Unless some part of my memory was intentionally erased for some reason, there was absolutely no way such a thing could have happened. Zap! "?!" Once again, a fleeting current passes by, hinting at something about to surface in my memory. It feels like there's something... something about who I was... While I can't recall it precisely, there's a vague sense that some secret is lurking.
Something... seems about to surface - "Ugh!!" But any illusion is abruptly dispelled by Erina, who clenches her teeth in anger.
In such a critical situation, it was too arrogant of me to get lost in thought. "Judging by the look on your face, am I right? Does my partner have anything to say?" Back to reality, the heavy atmosphere of the facility weighs down on us, with only Luceria appearing at ease.
"Shut up! Don't bring that up!" Erina shouts fiercely, her red hair sharp as a lion's mane bristling in rage. Thump!! Her foot stomps the ground with such ferocity, ready to pounce on the ancient god with an aura of hostility radiating from her eyes.
Her swift movement is hard to follow with the naked eye... her sword lunges towards Luceria's heart, precisely targeting Marika's body. Honestly, I couldn’t take this fight seriously.
Boom! The reason was the uncertainty of Marika's survival. Our original goal was to prevent the resurrection of the ancient god, but since it was already too late, our new objective was to subdue Luceria. If Marika was still alive and her body remained unharmed, removing Luceria from her could save the princess of Nara and defeat the ancient god. This meant fighting Luceria without harming Marika herself.
But... "Ah...!" It was not an opponent to be taken lightly. Luceria catches Erina's blade with her bare hands, maintaining her leisurely smile. It was as if she was teaching us that to defeat her, we'd have to exert our utmost effort, perhaps even risking our lives. "Hehe, doesn't this development feel different from last time? No matter how hard you try, you can't even scratch me." Luceria shows off her extraordinary strength, typical of a divine being.
I find myself biting my tongue in frustration. Facing such a formidable challenge, it felt like our limited powers were insufficient against such a formidable enemy. "No..." Amidst these thoughts, Erina firmly counters Luceria's mocking words...
"Haah!" "Uh?!" As Erina unleashes her forceful energy, Luceria's expression contorts. Crack! A wave of uneasy tremors follows, with dust cascading from the ceiling...
"Wait, the building is...?!" The entire underground facility cleanly splits in half. A massive crack as if to destroy the place we were in. I'm awestruck by the sheer power of it.
"I've changed since last time; I've become stronger for Harold!" Erina shouts confidently, but her words are drowned out by the ominous sounds of the collapsing structure. "Tsk..."
Luceria, staggered by Erina's blow and nursing a wound on her chest, shows displeasure at this unexpected turn of events. How resilient she must be... The deep gash and the blood indicate significant damage, but considering she endured a blow strong enough to split the building, it seemed like a minor injury to her.
"Not a bad strike... a realm unreachable by humans... that power... could it be..." Could Luceria know the true nature of Erina's formidable strength? Her suspicious expression suggests she might know something...
"But it doesn’t matter, this time I’ll make sure to finish you." With a malevolent smile, the wound on her chest rapidly heals and vanishes. Astonishing healing and defensive capabilities... I felt sorry for Marika, but honestly, we needed to confront Luceria with all our might. "Hehe, isn’t this development different from before? No matter how hard you try, you can't harm me." Luceria gathers a chillingly dark magical energy at her fingertips. "Death Blade." A sinister blade, sharp as a razor, flies towards her.
"Khh! Ugh!" She struggles to defend herself against the weapon, clearly strained. "Emerald Shield!" A translucent green barrier materializes in front of her, easing her struggle.
"I'll support you! Assisting in battle is my specialty!" Arsia confidently supports Erina with beneficial magic. "Fast Speed! Magic Shield! High Tension Shot!" She enhances Erina’s abilities in speed, defense, and strength, playing a crucial supporting role.
Clang! Luceria's magic shatters like breaking glass, giving Erina a chance to launch another attack. "Oh...!" Successfully overpowering the god's magic, Erina, gripping her sword, charges forward. "Luceria!!" Her daunting momentum even impresses me, an ally. For the first time, Luceria, losing her composure, retaliates with various spells.
Whoosh! A fierce darkness bursts forth, threatening to engulf the world. This time, it's my turn to assist. "Light Ring Shot!" Although it’s not my most powerful magic, I must be cautious not to bring down the building, aiming for maximum efficiency in a small area.
Zap! Zap! The electrical heat of my magic meets her darkness, creating sparks and diminishing its scale. Aris then lightly swings her sword, dispersing the life-threatening black mist and clearing the path toward Luceria again.
"Haah!" With another forceful cry, "Tsk...!" Although Luceria catches Erina's blade, she appears to be struggling considerably. Perhaps being caught off guard before, Luceria now puts up a proper fight, resulting in a tense power struggle without a clear outcome. "Grant strength to my comrades, remove the sorrow directed towards them!" Even with Aris's support, we gradually begin to gain the upper hand. "Oo...!!" Frustrated by the turn of events, Luceria's face distorts, and then...
"Aaaah!!" She lets out a cry mixed with pain, releasing a powerful shockwave. "Oog!!" The pressure makes it hard to even stand in place. "Aaah?!" Erina, caught off guard by the attack, screams and is flung backward. "Khh!" In her already unstable state, she crashes against the wall with enough force to shake the building, showing a pained expression.
"Are you okay?!" Although Arsia calls out in concern, Erina stands up, indicating she's not out of the fight yet. But, visibly injured, she limps and uses her sword to support herself from collapsing. "Uh...!"
Seeing this, Arsia tries to attack again with her magic, but... Thump! It’s effortlessly deflected by Luceria, like swatting away a volleyball. "Huh... Erina, was it? Impressive, you're so different from before, almost like a different person..." Despite the struggle, Luceria regains her composure, shrugging her shoulders and smiling again.
Considering Erina's condition, it seems she won't be able to fight for a while. "But... even that power will be futile compared to what I will soon possess...!" Luceria proclaims confidently and with desire, then...
"...?!" She suddenly vanishes. "Disappeared...?" As I mutter in confusion, Luceria speaks in a tender voice from behind me. "?!" Surprised by her sudden appearance, I try to turn around, but...
Grip... She suddenly embraces me, tightening her hold to prevent my escape. "Harold?! Ugh...!" Erina senses my danger and moves hastily, forgetting her own injuries, and groans in pain from the abrupt movement. "Harold!!" "Wait! I’m going to..." Aris and Arsia try to help me somehow, but... "It's already too late." Luceria whispers serenely, as if declaring the end of a journey. "I shall receive the love of my partner and rule over all creation..." "My beloved..." Her voice is filled with longing, sometimes seeming deeply yearning. "Please, become my strength."
Whoosh! As soon as Luceria finishes speaking, my vision is engulfed in a void as dark as pitch.