WHAT THE FUCK is going on now?
Seriously, what the heck is this capital doing? I watched as the old geezers frantically tried to hold back the tear while I stepped in to help for a bit. But, duh, it clearly wasn't working because that tear was cracking wider and spawning even more miasma. It was like trying to patch a dam with bubble gum—totally futile. They were already at their wits' end, and I felt like I had totally lost track of what I was supposed to be doing.
This whole mess started with a mask, right? So how the hell did it spiral into this grandiose fucking quest? I mean, come on!
I hovered over the horizon, using [Flight] to get a better view from a distance. Clutching the staff those geezers had handed me, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was a bit too angelic for my liking. They called it the Archangel's Staff, or something equally dramatic.
[Appraise]
Item: Archangel's Staff
Type: Magical Staff
Class: Legendary Artifact
Description: Forged in the heavens by the legendary Archangel Seraphiel, this staff was created as a beacon of divine power and light.
Why the hell do these geezers have this game-breaking item? It was supposed to be Angelica's trump card from Part 4 of [How to Live as the Black Swan of the Cursed Ducal Family]. Angelica was the final boss of that arc, a crazy mage from the magic tower who was completely obsessed with Marcus. She was so over-the-top that it was comical; her whole character arc was just a dumpster fire of jealousy when Adele swooped in and stole Marcus's heart. The poor girl was left seething in shame and anger.
But this staff? It was the reason she was such a pain in the ass. It maxed out all her light magic, gave her the holy element—something only those blessed by goddesses should have—and even amplified her base stats to insane levels. It could summon a high-ranking angel and let her access all elements without any drawbacks. Basically, it turned her into an unholy nightmare until Marcus tricked her into dropping it. Cruel move, dude.
And now this weapon was in my hands? What the actual fuck?
"Hurry up, Almodey! Is it ready yet?" Angelus's urgent voice snapped me back.
Almodey shot back, barely keeping it together, "I'm trying my hardest, okay? Maybe YOU could try chanting nonstop for hours!"
Meanwhile, Mechanus was struggling to keep his constructs moving against the constant swarm of dark spawns. "My mechanical army is beginning to fall back!" he grunted, eyes flashing as he poured more mana into the machines. Not that it was helping much.
"And my runes are just about ready to collapse!" Amorak growled as he reinforced the barrier runes around us, beads of sweat rolling down his beast-like face. Honestly, watching these guys get stretched this thin was almost... endearing. Almost.
I sighed, staring at the staff in my hand. I wasn't exactly a hero, but leaving these geezers flailing felt... wrong. And, sure, they were my only lead on where the mask was, so maybe a little support wouldn't hurt.
"Alright, let's throw these guys a bone," I muttered, activating [Mana Channeling] to share my mana with them. The moment it kicked in, their eyes lit up with the shock of extra power.
[Your mana is now being shared with the selected targets!]
"This is—!" Angelus looked at his hands, a spark of life returning to his exhausted expression.
"My power's at full capacity again!" Amorak growled in triumph, transforming into a beastly juggernaut, fur bristling with fresh energy.
Mechanus, looking positively gleeful, shouted, "Performance stabilizing at 101 percent—initiating full offense!" and sent his constructs charging with newfound force.
But hey, I wasn't done yet. Holding up the staff, I pulled in all the support spells the Akashic Records could offer. [Haste], [Bless], [Heroism], [Protection], [Overrun], [Draconic Boost]. Each one pulsed outward, stacking on my allies with enough buffs to make a gamer blush. Their bodies glowed with the raw, ridiculous power of over-buffed stats.
"What is this...?" Angelus murmured, flexing his hands as raw light coursed through him. His golden aura blazed like a mini-sun, bright enough to make even the miasma shrink back a bit.
The others had similar reactions—Amorak's muscles bulged as he surged into his bestial form, Mechanus's constructs whirred to life with renewed power, and even Almodey's magic circle was brimming with an energy he probably hadn't expected.
"Thanks, I guess," I muttered to myself, squinting down at the chaotic scene. No one would ever accuse me of being too helpful.
With the buffs active, my magic was still overflowing, so I went for the big guns. 'Widen Magic…' I channeled debuff spells, blanketing the capital with a massive, shimmering circle beneath the city. [Gravity Field], [Temporal Distortion], [Corruption Ward], [Cleansing Flames]—layer after layer of weakening spells that instantly pressed down on the dark spawns, restricting their movement and making them thrash and writhe in frustration.
The capital below morphed into a full-on battleground, with our side going ham thanks to my makeshift spell spam. Mechanus's constructs tore through the horde with their boosted strength, scattering dark spawns with each fist and kick. His smaller, airborne golems dropped scatter grenades, their holy fire cutting huge swathes through the miasma's minions. Colossus Prime, the colossal mechanical fortress, stomped through the thickest crowds, sending tremors that wiped out entire waves.
Near the barrier, Amorak bellowed, his beastly form even more ferocious as he tore through dark creatures with his claws, each swipe reinforced by holy power. Dark spawns that touched his aura instantly disintegrated, reduced to ash by the sanctified energy.
Angelus held his position at the barrier, chanting relentlessly to reinforce it, his golden staff casting beams of holy light that stitched the damaged glowstone wall as he repelled any breach attempts. The dark spawns had lost all coordination, scattering in the face of our relentless onslaught.
"Guys! I've finished it!" Almodey's triumphant shout cut through the chaos as the magic circle he'd been chanting over flared with energy. A massive beam shot straight toward the palace, slicing through the miasma's thickest clouds like they were made of air. A direct path had opened, leading straight into the heart of the capital.
"O blessed one—" Almodey began reverently.
"Do NOT start with that," I snapped. "My name is Josephine. Jo-se-phine."
Almodey looked scandalized, whispering, "I could never—besides, you're a maiden!"
"This fucking guy—" I cut myself off, watching as Amorak, probably sensing my reluctance, bounded up behind me.
Without a word, he planted a solid kick into my back, propelling me into the path like some kind of magic cannonball.
"Wha—HEY!" I yelled, the world blurring as I shot forward, sucked straight into the swirling path of light.
Amorak's voice echoed behind me, calm and regretful. "You can blame me later or even kill me if you want… but please, save this world. Correct our mistake."