The beast roared, a magnitude louder than it had ever been, shaking the very ground beneath its massive form as it howled in pain.
Black liquid poured heavily from the stump of the severed tentacle. It had been disintegrated, completely absorbed into a million light particles, radiating from Vera's hand, a broken blade. She stood at its end, exhausted, her body trembling with fatigue as the dense light began to take shape, slowly revealing its true form.
'True Light'
A multiphase magic spell, an anomaly in this world. It didn't draw from mana, it was forged from the light itself. A spell that stacked power by continuously absorbing everything in its surroundings, turning the environment into light particles that fueled its ever-growing energy. A double-edged sword, it was a force that consumed more and more as time passed. The longer it drew in, the more its true form revealed itself, an overwhelming power, an anomaly.
But it was not yet over, the stump started to regenerate. Like a flesh of meat, the tentacle grows, spurting black blood everywhere. A gut-churning display of flesh rapidly regenerating.
...
"Something wrong?" Shiina asked, noticing Cleo zoning out.
Shiina's eyes narrowed in concern, but Cleo was too lost in his thoughts to notice.
Silica's party was outside the capital, investigating reports of unusually strong monsters lurking nearby. In fact, they had just dispatched a chimera, something that should not be anywhere close to the capital, and yet there was one here.
"Ah... nothing," Cleo muttered, shaking his head slightly as if trying to shake off a nagging sense of dread. "I just have a bad feeling."
Silica, who had been scanning the surroundings with a heightened sense of alert, glanced at Cleo. "Yeah, we need to head back," she said, her voice tight. "I can't put my finger on it, but something feels... off. Something's bothering me."
"Understood," Cleo replied, though his unease hadn't faded.
Without another word, the party halted their investigation, exchanging quick looks of mutual understanding. They turned and made their way back to the capital, the urgency of their pace quickening.
...
"What was that?" Qaela, a female adventurer who had followed Vera, crouched behind the rubble of a destroyed house. Her breath caught in her throat as she processed the unbelievable sight she'd just witnessed. The massive, writhing tentacles, once wreaking havoc and destruction, suddenly popped like bubbles, disintegrating into nothingness. The power that had torn through the city like a storm had vanished in an instant.
The one behind it, her figure unsteady, the head maid.
Qaela didn't even know her name, only that she worked in the mansion as the head of the servants. She had always assumed Vera was just another servant, a figure behind the scenes, but now... that person defeated the enemy's leader, and now despite being heavily injured and exhausted, her figure stood tall, her broken blade glowing brightly in the night. It was like the calm in the storm, facing down a living catastrophe with unwavering resolve.
The radiant light enveloping Vera's blade seemed to pulse with life, the energy of it cutting through the darkness like a beacon. Qaela's heart raced. It was like witnessing a legend come to life, a warrior of old, a hero, standing against the very forces of chaos itself.
"So..." Qaela whispered, her voice thick with awe and respect. "Beautiful..."
...
Vera's chest heaved with each shallow breath, the pain of her exhaustion gnawing at the edges of her focus. Every inhale was like dragging herself through thick mud, the air stinging her lungs. The blade in her hand felt heavier than ever, its glow flickering as her grip tightened, but she could barely hold on. The radiant energy of 'True Light' was draining her to the core, and the beast before her, still healing, still writhing, demanded more.
More power.
'I can't stop now.'
Her vision blurred at the edges. Her legs felt like they were made of stone, barely holding her upright. She stumbled, catching herself just in time. Blood, like a fountain, spurted from her mouth. The taste was akin to rust, it's awful. She felt it draining her, slowly, the light pulling at her very essence.
The stump of the tentacle she had severed was already starting to regenerate, its dark flesh twisting and writhing, bleeding black liquid.
The beast roared again, its sound filled with fury, but underneath, there was something else, something primal, desperate.
...
'I need more power'
But she can't even move, like trees, her feet rooted to the ground unmoving, all she can do is move her arm.
Like a sharp, cold dagger, she realized her body was at the very edge of its limit, but there was no time to dwell on it. The beast before her was gathering its energy, a massive beam of black light coalescing in front of its gargantuan form. She could feel the weight of the spell building, the air growing heavy with its intensity.
The beast's power was rising, too fast, too strong. And its target was clear.
Vera
In the blink of an eye, the black beam shot forward with the force of a hurricane, a streak of darkness that seemed to warp the air around it. It was swift and precise, aimed directly at Vera. There was no time to dodge, no room for hesitation. She could feel the beast's malevolent intent, and could almost hear the seething rage behind the beam's power.
Her pulse hammered in her ears. Her body trembled, exhausted beyond measure, and yet,
"Second Blade!"
Vera's voice cracked the air, a roar of defiance, as her upper body moved on sheer instinct. Her arm swung through the air, the blade carving a wide arc. The air itself seemed to hum as the blade passed.
The beam met the edge of the invisible blade with a sound like glass shattering. There was no resistance, nothing at all, as Vera's slash cleaved through the black beam like a hot knife through butter. The beam unraveled its dark energy scattering into light particles, disintegrating in an instant.
The power of the Second Blade was far greater than the first. Far sharper. Far stronger. The invisible edge cut through the very fabric of the attack, slicing through space itself. The beam, a deadly spear of darkness, vanished completely, leaving only a lingering hum of shattered energy.
But Second Blade didn't stop.
The spell's second phase, Second Blade, surged with an overwhelming force, its invisible edge traveled far into the air before it finally dissipated. Tearing through the very atmosphere, a testament to the sheer magnitude of power that had been unleashed.
ROOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!
The beast let out a bone-rattling roar, its body convulsing in agony. A large section of its body, disintegrated, turning into a cloud of light particles, scattering into the air like dust in the wind. Its form trembled as if reality itself was struggling to hold it together.
Vera stumbled, almost falling to the ground, but she held it. Her breath ragged, her legs on the verge of giving out. The strain of using the 'Second Blade' was unbearable, and the price of such power was becoming clear.
Yet again, despite the heavy damage it had sustained, the beast started regenerating. Sucking up the surrounding mana, to fuel its regeneration.
How long will this continue?
Like a World Ending beast, until the surrounding mana dries up completely, it will regenerate no matter how much damage it receives.
But Vera doesn't have the luxury to wait till the surrounding mana is completely gone, her body's all giving up. The strain is just too much.
Once again a beam of dark light started forming, and the beast regenerated faster, evolving faster, growing faster. More tentacles grow larger than they ever were.
As if an act of defiance, spells of different natures shot up, striking the beast and exploding on impact, but they proved useless. The beast did not even budge. Its focus did not waver. Its tentacles shot into the sky, only aiming at one person. More and more beams of light formed, all aimed at one person. The only one who had posed a threat to it.
Vera
Its attack was unforgiving. It let it all out, to destroy the pest that had caused it so much pain.
"Third Bla..." Vera shouted, but even before she could finish activating the third phase of her attack, her body gave up. The arm that had been holding the broken blade disintegrated, together the spell broke turning into light particles. Just like her chance of winning, they were all gone.
It's the end.
There was nothing more she could do. She had lost all control over her body. She was falling.
She failed.
...
If I die, I die. That's all there is to it.
...
But being at the very edge of death, as if the world itself sympathized with the poor child, everything slowed down, as if it were telling her to stand once again and fight.
...
"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you." The Princess and the others sang, their voices unfamiliar, the melody a song I'd never heard before.
How long has it been?
I couldn't even remember. When have I ever celebrated anything? It's my birthday and I didn't even know.
"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you."
"Oi, It's Vera's day, at least wait for her, you pig, glutton" Cleo shouted as Shiina took a slice of the cake served on the table.
"You dog! Watch what comes out of your mouth, I'll burn that myself," Shiina retorted, equally annoyed
"Huh! You asking for a fight?" it started yet again, the never-ending banter between the two.
At first, I thought there was no way I could ever be friends with these people. I joined the party for the prestige, for the recognition, for the name. I never expected this, never thought I'd fit in.
And yet...
For the first time in my life, I was celebrating my birthday
Someone celebrated my birthday. Somebody remembered.
Strange.
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I wasn't sad. I didn't understand it. I had never known what it was like to be part of something like this. To feel… wanted. It was overwhelming, but...
It hurts in a way I couldn't explain.
I can't...
"You ok?" Princess asked, there was a hint of concern in her voice
"I haven't taken a bite yet, you can still have the first bite," Shiina added,
"See what you did?" Cleo
"Shut it, dog."
Strange.
Strange.
Strange.
Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange. Strange.
I see.
Happiness can be this strange feeling too.
"Thank you!"
...
Memories of a distant past surged to the forefront of her mind, unbidden and sharp as if time itself was unraveling.
'I don't want to die...'
It was nothing more than a fleeting thought, swallowed by the silence, unheard by anyone, lost in the sound of chaos that was approaching.
Her heart pounded, her vision blurry with exhaustion. Her body, like a feather, slowly falls to the ground.
'Somebody...'
Time slowed. The world around her felt as if it were sinking into an endless moment, stretching as the beast's final strike drew nearer, each inch of its colossal attack inexorably moving toward her. Its massive limbs, already stained with its own black blood, surged forward with terrifying purpose.
An imminent destruction.
An unavoidable death.
'Save me.'
Her mind screamed for something. She who thought who was ready for anything, on the edge of imminent death, searched for some salvation. For someone to come for her.
Then...
"HEAD MAID!"
A voice cut through the silence, one filled with panic and desperation. Her hands stretched out, aiming for her, but it was already too late.
"Aegis Veil!"
"Hollowed Ground!"
The following words came not from Vera, or the other person, but from someone else entirely.
Through the haze of battle, a shimmer of light appeared. Two powerful barriers materialized in unison, one surrounding Vera in a dome of ethereal energy, and the other engulfing the area around her, sealing the space into an unyielding sanctuary.
The barriers flashed to life just in time to absorb the monstrous impact of the beast's attack. The force of the blow shook the very air, an explosion of power that shook the earth beneath Vera's feet. The air around her crackled with energy, the sound of grinding magic filling the air.
"VERA!"
"VERA!"
The Hero's party arrived, rushing toward the battle, their voices filled with desperation. Catching Vera as she stumbled to the ground.
But then...
Another figure appeared.
"Inferno Blaze!"
A fierce, primal roar split the air. The sky darkened, clouds swirling ominously as a massive burst of radiant blue flame descended from the heavens. The entire battlefield was lit in a ghostly, otherworldly glow. The fire cascaded down like an unstoppable torrent, searing the air with an intensity so overwhelming that even the very atmosphere shimmered with its heat.
The flames, unrelenting blue, clashed with the beast's giant, monstrous form. The heat was unlike anything anyone had ever felt. It burned brighter than the sun and collided with the beast's massive body.
ROOOAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!!
The beast let out a deafening roar, but the flames continued to consume its form. It attempted to regenerate, pulling in more mana to heal its wounds, but the flames refused to relent. The more the beast tried to heal, the more the fire ravages, relentlessly burning through its flesh, consuming its very essence.
"Evangeline! You're here!" Silica exclaimed, stunned by the sight of her friend.
"Looks like we arrived just in time." Evangeline's voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the hostility in her tone.
"Rise! Purgatory World!"
With a wave of her hand, dark light erupted from the ground, spiraling upwards to engulf the beast in a swirling cage of shadows.
The creature thrashed wildly, its tentacles tearing at the earth, trying to break free, but it was useless. The barrier was strong, too strong. The beast's regeneration, already hindered by the relentless flames, faltered under the weight of the magic. It had become weaker, trapped in the unyielding grip of the Purgatory World.
"Can you hear me?" Evangeline called out into the air as if speaking to the heavens themselves. "End the bastard."
...
Above, high in the sky, beyond the reach of the clouds, a lone figure appeared. A silhouette against the vast expanse, so far above that it seemed like a speck in the great void.
The air itself trembled.
No.
The world itself was shaking. Was it out of fear? Who could say? No one would answer. All that mattered was that it was happening.
Her silhouette a dark outline against the heavens, the figure stretched her hand toward the sky, as if to seize the very firmament itself.
"Dragon Nova."
A deep, commanding voice resonated from the figure, a voice that was so far removed from the bubbly, carefree nature she usually displayed. This was something far more powerful, something ancient.
For a fleeting moment, everything fell silent, as though the world itself had held its breath. It's stopped.
Not a sound. Not even the beast's roar of defiance could break the stillness.
The beast's once imposing form is consumed by the overwhelming might of destruction.
In its wake, only a giant hole remains.
A reminder...
In terms of pure raw power...
The single most destructive being in this world...
Sena Ksherkel...