*
No... That was undoubtedly the entrance to the castle, they wouldn't go to such an extent to hide the entrance otherwise. The continent sized, antimagic, magical girl killing, obelisk outside was a testament to it. It clearly took too much resources to build that obelish which was essentially the castle's last line of defence... But then again...
That girl was born from the antimagic. It was terrifying to see her title, she felt her soul leave when she saw 'resurrected demon god', but she didn't fail to notice that she was the Demon King's castle itself. The obelisk was connected to the castle and likely this space well. It's just... No matter how far she extended her radar and moved forward,, there was no end to the corridor in sight. She was travelling at full speed, but wasn't any change in her surroundings. No matter where she looked, she was only greeted with the oppressive air of the perfectly lined pillars and verdant green nature overflowing outside.
The blinding teal sky, the pale yellow tone of her skin stretches toward the sunlight, her body peeks out of the monotonous white wasteland behind her. Is the solution here? A few seconds later, she hears the sound of rustling and air tearing apart behind her. Ready for the worse, she turned around to check the source of the noise. Her breath quickens, it was her comrades. The heroes and Karell...
"... You probably found out with your radar earlier than us... But this place loops back. The ceiling and floor is indestructible. If you step into the grass, it also loops back but in another direction. It's like we're trapped on a miniature globe." (Karell)
"... The only way out of this is through the ground or ceiling, but you're saying that those were indestructible? " (Kaede)
" Yeah... " (Karell)
They had likely ran past the battle between De Lan and the last enemy. It was most likely because even that battle couldn't damage the surroundings, which had become a norm to our battles that we've come to accepted... So it was stranger for there to be no damage. In other words... It was spotless. The ground, the pillars, and their surroundings likely do not give off any signs of battle...
"... That's the conventional way of getting out, hiding the exit in plain sight physically. There must be another way that is only disclosed to those who are permitted to enter the castle, even simple saying a password out loud would be more secure than the usual infinite loop hallway. " (Kaede)
She had encountered it a few times already, mainly the one that resided in the labyrinth of memories. At that time, the loop was a curved beach shore, all she had to do was to walk straight and find a 'lock' made out of magic. Needless to say, she lock picked it. But if that was the case... Then her comrades here should have been more than capable of finding magic locks.
There is no key, there is no lock. The solution doesn't lie above or below nor in any direction... Then it must have something to do with the qualities of the individuals here.
"Looks like the corridor's exit doesn't lie anywhere physically. It's another line of defence that tests us magically. I can only think of that, it tests our magic quality and our magic signature... If we're demons it let's us through instantly and if we weren't... We get stuck here forever... " (Kaede)
The ridge of her nose wrinkled, her frustration bubbling into the surface of her skin. Her voice was raspy and exhausted, her mind bent to the absolute limit in search of a solution. She hated it. The Thought of being stuck here forever. As they speak, as they ponder on the issue... The frontline is being driven back. The human side has to cover more area since they are the ones surrounding from the outside, the demon's advance will only get faster and faster.
In the first place, where are the God magical girls...? Isn't this where they were suppose to say 'you have defiled my territory enough, cease living.'? The ArcMaidens, the other generals... Every factions reigning god magical girl is gone.
" Hmpf... There's no way they can keep me trapped forever. My skill isn't a radar skill, it simply leads me to whatever I want, an objective locator or navigator. " (Sease)
" Challenging me in a battle of space? Who do they think I am? If it comes down to it, I'll just 'feel' the exit and break a hole through the door! " (Karell)
" Indestructible...? That's assuming we obey the physical laws of this place. " (Ruby)
Were they trying to cheer her up? Or was this a simple display of their power? It didn't warm Kaede's heart or get any sort of reaction, after all, she still had some cards hidden in her sleeve. The journey here taught her that. There was always an option in any situation, a choice to make, a victory to grasp with her very own hands. Her palms stretched tightly as her fingers dug in to her skin, she consciously blinked a few times with a lowered gaze.
"Yosh, let's do it." (Kaede)
She looked up once more, ready to take action.
"Exit located... No, this entire place is linked to it. It would be strange but factual to say, we've been standing inside the door the entire time. This is the door that seperates the outside from the Demon Castle, and we're inside it. The room next up has a high concentration of magical particles, as high as a God magical girl's. " (Karell)
"... Is anyone able to open this door then? A way to reach the other side? " (Ruby)
She looked around to check, with only. 5 of us left it was easy to scan through everyone. Most of them nodded to deny it. Sease had the ability to search for what she wanted, but apparently not force her way through. Her subsequent skills must be combat related. Ruby... Must be purely a warrior. She was the one with the most armour. Well, with how little armour and skin combat dresses cover anyway.
Surprisingly, she hadn't seen many combat dresses that revealed whole lots of skin. She might have seen one of the commanders with an exposed navel or shoulder, but nothing too spicy. Ah, she found it, a solution. It was quite basic... But it'll have to do.
"Fu! Fuhahhahah?! Hahahahah!!! " (Kaede)
Dammit. God f*kin dammit. Now... Now of all times...
"... Kaori, what's wrong?" (Karell)
Ah... They're leaking out, I can't hold it in, my tears. Why am I such a sore loser... Well, even so. I must smile through this pain. These guys would save humanity. They'll follow the plan and abandon me without fail, my turn simply came earlier than theirs... Well, making it this far was still impressive though. I pushed further than the ArcMaidens, at least I can say that. I really... Really really really really really wanted to fight the Demon King. If anything, he would have the answer or solution to my issues with the ego shenanigans.
It feels wrong, completely wrong to live and breath in this body. It hurts all the time, the air is suffocating, I can never find what I want, I can't go back home because I don't even remember my actual home. I hate this, I completely hate this situation, and this world. It's an absolute burden to live, is this why so many magical girls die? Myuu, Paridia and Gerald, are they at somewhere else waiting for Kaori? Sorry, I can't even return her soul to you, it's stuck with me now...
It seemed that everyone turned away out of respect, well, except for Karell. She ignored the disgusting tears that dripped down my face as she came for a close embrace. This late into the game? Seriously? Why... Why am I only breaking now? This was always a possibility. I will be left behind... Because-
"Have you calmed down?" (Karell)
"Ughhh, I can... I can force the door open for you as long as you punch a hole through it. You can't maintain the hole right? The physical laws of space will repair it no matter what... So I'll do it. I'll keep it open.
As a result... I'll be left behind... I really want to fight the damn Demon King. I want to kill him so badly and rip his head off his neck.... But I'll have to leave it to you. Let me touch his decapitated head later... " (Kaede)
" Got it, open it up. " (Karell)
Of course she could refuse it here... But Kaori loved humanity, and through experiencing this new life through Kaori's body... She came to love human life as well.
" First skill, [Hollow calamity]. " (Kaede)
" First skill, [Heaven breacher]." (Karell)
She hated to have something else in common now, but she decided to send them off with a smile. Karell literally punched a hole into space as promised, while Kaede clawed it open to force the hole into becoming larger. This was a new sensation, she hadn't used her first skill to pull apart the gradients of space before. Unlike any other substance, the corrective force of space... The equilibrium of space recovers from her magic very fast.
It took all she had to prevent it from rapidly converging together to block the hole... And that even if everyone stepped through the hole and reached the Demon King's throne room, as soon as she closed the hole everyone would get ejected out as 'they don't belong in that space'. Reality has recorded their location here, on this side of the hole... If she even lapses in concentration once... She would quickly lose this extreme tug of war with a physical law.
Everyone had finished stepping through, the heroes took guard to secure the portal as Karell turned around after entering. Kaede had done a beautiful job of prying open the hole until it was as wide as a door. She stretched out her hand. Everyone... They abandoned the people that left before without much hesitation, but now... Karell was offering her hand.
"... No! You don't have much time, don't you? You have to quickly beat him, so we can save all the others we left behind." (Kaede)
She couldn't honour the dead before when one of the commanders died... But she could honour the living. It might have been the first time she witnessed the death of an ally, other than Myuu and Paridia... But she was not sure if she was even Kaori or Kaede then. Things are too convoluted for her, she wished it would all go away. That she would go back to her original body and live a peaceful life... But she was here now, it was time to do her part.
The hand soon vanished out of her sight. She felt her body being lifted out of the ground as the colour of her surroundings rapidly changed. When her vision settled down, she was on the other side with a sore neck.
"... Oi, don't tell me this little of a challenge is enough to scare you? Don't cower away, fight the Demon King with us while maintaining the portal." (Karell)
"I can't... Even move properly... It's taking all I have... It's like pushing against the sea's tides everytime it comes up... I'm at my limit..." (Kaede)
"... Build a wall. Bust through that limit. This isn't a request or a suggestion, but an order. " (Karell)
"..." (Kaede)
She began observing her surroundings. It was a dark hallway with dark crimson tiles that layed over the foundation and black bricks that reinforce the walls. There were gargoyles up with luminescent white orbs floating in their open mouths. They arrived in the centra of a long corridor with a large blue carpet that seemed to lead the way with the arrows intricately embroidered into it's surface.
She could constantly feel the tugging force of the universe, constantly threatening to push her over at any moment. In any case, now that she could observe the situation... She could judge it and use it as an emergency escape. She wades across the carpet with these heavy footsteps, vaguely taking in the situation as she consciously pushes against the universe.
What the hell... Since all of space is connected, it really feels like the entire universe is pushing down on me, no matter how much I shift the gradients... The universe is infinitely expanding to constantly overcome the gradients I present. It's rapidly draining my well. We don't have much time.
Spotting the end of the corridor, they ran towards it with all their might. A black veil of light covers the entrance, which they intruded without hesitation. The throne was made of roughly the same materials as the outside corridor. There was the same armoured figure that they've seen countless times fighting the warlord at the border. It was the very same figure that they challenged, only that this is the 'original'.
He's at least 1 grade above his clones, the minimum level of strength he has is S grade, and that's being optimistic. Observing once more, the metal of his armour seems to curved around his muscles a lot, it seemed unnatural, as if it was apart of his body. Next to him and standing in the barren throne room was another demon. An S grade Demonic Heavenly King... There was still one more...
Then the one that De Lan was fighting... It must have been a divine knight from the kingdom of Blumford.
"Only in these conditions can our limiters be released, specifically when fighting the Demon King. [Ruby hero constitution], final wave augmentations." (Ruby)