“Karla…”
In a place that wasn’t a Dungeon, where only a tilted moon and a stone floor were visible, the one waiting for me was Karla, clad in a brand-new, pure white dress, a crescent moon-like smile on her lips.
So she’s the one who interfered with the spirit’s space…
“The Innermost Sanctum?”
Wasn’t the Dungeon’s Innermost Sanctum on the lowest floor? Camille-san said there was an Altar in a wide open space. The Dungeons I and Elena-san delved into before also had Altars on their lowest floors, and from there, I was called into the space where the spirits reside.
As the question involuntarily slipped from my lips, Karla’s black hair swayed faintly, as if laughing.
“That’s right, Aria. This is the Dungeon’s ‘Innermost Sanctum.’ Indeed, no one should have been able to reach it. Because the true Innermost Sanctum was ‘above’ the Evil Race’s fortress.”
“…What do you mean?”
Karla, saying, “It’s just a guess, you know?” shared her thoughts.
First, the lowest floor Camille-san saw wasn’t the Innermost Sanctum but merely a ‘waiting room,’ and the Altar wasn’t real either, just a teleportation device.
“And, to have your true ‘desire’ granted, you had to come to this place.”
The Dungeon’s spirits grant Divine Protection (Gift) in the form of ‘desires.’ However, what the first Evil Lord who reached this Innermost Sanctum wanted was a ‘wish.’
To grant such an ambiguous ‘wish,’ which was his ‘desire,’ this Dungeon transformed into one for granting ‘wishes.’ Perhaps, even if they couldn’t reach the Innermost Sanctum, as long as it aligned with the first Evil Lord’s ‘desire’ for the ‘survival of the Evil Race,’ it granted the ‘wishes’ of those who reached the lowest floor.
To have a ‘desire’ granted, not a ‘wish,’ like the first Evil Lord, one would have to reach this place on their own.
The reason Karla called the lowest floor a ‘waiting room’ is because, originally, only the Evil Lord who arrived would proceed to the Innermost Sanctum, while their subordinates would be left behind.
That’s because, Karla said, a ‘qualification’ is needed to enter the Innermost Sanctum.
“How did you get in here?”
“It’s strange to say ‘enter’ when we’re outside, isn’t it? The qualification is, perhaps, the power of will… I wonder? But I have no desires or wishes for the spirits to grant, so when I tried to destroy the Altar, I got sent here.”
“…”
…What a ridiculous person. In a way, that’s just like Karla.
“Do you really have no ‘desires’?”
When I asked that, Karla’s purple eyes, shadowed with dark circles, reflected me staring straight at her.
“I don’t.”
She dismissed the spirit’s reward with the same casualness as declining a second cup of tea.
“When I came here, I heard the spirit’s voice. ‘I shall grant your desired wish…’ it said. But I don’t need any more Divine Protection (Gift), and I don’t desire to heal my body and become weaker. More importantly, Aria, don’t you find this interesting?”
“What is?”
As usual, the topic of conversation with Karla changes rapidly. But even to my curt reply, Karla spread her arms joyfully and twirled around on the stone floor.
“Cold as ever, just like you. The Evil Race, trying to manage the Dungeon to reach its Innermost Sanctum, ended up messing it up so badly that the ‘Innermost Sanctum’ was created in a place like this, where no one can reach, you know? Fufu.”
It’s true that the Evil Race’s fortress had doors leading outside, but there were no stairs leading to the rooftop anywhere. The space is probably distorted so that it can’t be reached by normal means.
The reason Karla calls this place the ‘Innermost Sanctum’ rather than ‘outside’ is because it was filled with an incredibly dense, pure Magical Element. Since it’s brimming with spiritual power, you could even call it divine, but at this concentration, those unaccustomed to magical power would likely feel a nauseating, drunken sensation.
Is it because it’s directly connected to the spirit’s space? Indeed, in a place like this, Karla could probably interfere with the space if she forced her way with her magical power.
The current Karla possesses that much ‘power.’
“Aria, you still haven’t changed?”
As if she had heard my inner thoughts, Karla suddenly threw those words at me.
Karla had changed. In stark contrast to her physical frailty, she was filled with an ominous power, having finally stepped into the realm of ‘Rank 5,’ a place only the strong can reach.
“I thought you would reach greater heights in this battle, but was my foresight too optimistic? Or perhaps, Aria… have you become a little soft?”
The aura I felt from Karla gradually transformed into Intimidation, her overflowing magical power reached saturation, and her wavy black hair began to spread out—
“…Perhaps I should just kill you here?”
Finally, her immense magical power, no longer containable, raged forth along with Killing Intent.
“—Iron Rose (Ability)—!”
“—Soul Thorn—!”
Simultaneously, we unleashed our powers. My Pink Hair turned a burnt, iron-gray color, and black thorns entwined around Karla’s pale skin.
【Aria (Alicia)】【Race: Human♀】【Rank 4】
【MP: 338/340】【HP: 267/270】
【Overall Combat Power: 1497 (During Special Physical Enhancement: 2797)】
【Battle Art: Iron Rose /Limit 338 Seconds】
My skirt twirling, I drew a Throwing knife without even showing the drawing motion. At the same time, I leaped forward and swung down my Slashing Type Pendulum at Karla.
Karla erupted magical power from her entire body as if in an explosion, using the recoil to leap back while blowing away the knife with her magic.
“—Air Bullet—”
The moment Karla’s lips chanted the spell, dozens of wind-colored Magical Element particles appeared around me.
Bullets of wind, capable of dispatching even Rank 2 Monsters in a single blow, rained down from all directions, leaving me no room to escape.
“—Magic Shield (Shield)—”
Dodging the wind bullets with acrobatic rotations, I parried those I couldn’t avoid by momentarily deploying my Magic Shield (Shield), then used the recoil to surge forward and kick at Karla with the Blade on my heel.
Karla once again erupted magical power, evading into the air as if dancing. I immediately drew back both arms and, prioritizing speed over power, threw multiple hidden weapons from my Shadow Storage.
“—Air Curtain—”
The speed-focused Throwing was deflected by the arrow-deflecting spell.
“—Light (spell)—!”
At that moment, I flashed a max-intensity Light (spell) at Karla, who was suspended in mid-air, causing her Shadow to flicker faintly. In that instant, I too leaped into the air and swung down my Rope Weight Type Pendulum as if to pierce through her wind defense.
CLANG!!
“…[Rock Skin]…”
The blow from the rope weight was deflected by the [Rock Skin] armor Karla used. From behind that Karla, an ice spear materialized as if lying in wait for me as I leaped forward.
“—Ice Lance—”
“A-lé (Faster)!”
Exceeding human limits, I dashed through the gaps between dozens of Ice Lances, and the moment I swung my Black Knife at Karla’s throat, her entire body was covered in ‘black thorns,’ transforming her into a figure like a sinister Monster.
【Karla Lester】【Race: Human♀】【Rank 5】
【MP: ∞/590】【HP: 45/52】
【Overall Combat Power: 1711 (Special Combat Power: 4906)】
KIIING!!
“Aha♪”
Karla’s blackened arm deflected the Blade of my knife, and her black fist, swung at high speed, struck my defending gauntlet, sending my entire body flying.
Sent flying, I acrobatically touched my hand to the floor and landed in a roll, just as Karla’s follow-up kick shattered the stone floor.
Having barely dodged, Karla and I, amidst the slowly scattering fragments within our Thought Acceleration, simultaneously pointed our fingertips at each other.
” “—[Pain]—” “
The same magic, unleashed simultaneously. But I, who received Karla’s [Pain], was assaulted by a ‘pain’ that could be called the agony of death, and in that instant, Karla kicked me away.
ZUSAAA!
“Kuh…”
“Gah… Is that all?”
To me, fallen on the ground, Karla, undoing her thorns and blood dripping from her mouth, aimed the flames in her palm.
But, extinguishing the flames in an instant, Karla, without even wiping the blood from her lips that stained her white dress, simply turned on her heel.
“That was fun, Aria. Try to be a little better next time we meet, okay?”
“…”
With an innocent, childlike smile, Karla said that and disappeared with Teleport as if nothing had happened.
“…So this is Karla’s ‘pain’…”
If she’s always living in that agony, I felt that Karla’s hatred for the world must be something greater than death itself.
Lying on my back, I reached my hand towards the stars. …So far away. So that’s Rank 5 Karla. And to think she only used Level 3 or lower magic; it seems she went quite easy on me.
I’ve gotten soft. I suppose I can’t deny it if someone said that.
For the sake of my ‘vow’ with Elena, for the sake of my ‘promise’ with Karla, I had to seek “strength,” even if it meant whittling away my body and soul. But I prioritized returning to Elena’s side, protecting Camille’s life, and above all, ‘living.’ As a result, I still hadn’t obtained the power I sought.
That became the difference between me and Karla, who had even overcome death.
Am I going to win against her… That’s tough. I can’t win as I am now. But—
“I remember our “promise”… Karla.”
I tightly clenched the hand I had stretched towards the sky.
『—It seems to be over—』
“…Yeah.”
As I sat up, the spirit’s presence appeared again and spoke to me.
“…Was that Karla’s “wish”?”
『—Indeed. There was interference, but the reason you were sent before that person was because that person desired you—』
I understood from its first words. Karla, who had neither wishes nor desires, by sending me, whom she desired enough to interfere with the spirit’s domain, had probably made that a substitute for a “wish.”
I wanted to tell it not to drag me into this, but even if it seemed somewhat reasonable, I guess a spirit is still a spirit…
『—Child of man. I have indeed caused you trouble. As recompense for that, I shall grant not your “wish” for reaching this place, but your “desire”—』
“I have no “desire” for you to grant.”
A desire, huh… Elena wished for “healing” and lost her fire attribute as the price. Karla gained “power” at the cost of her lifespan. What did the first Evil Lord pay as the price for desiring the survival of his race?
There’s nothing I desire. I don’t intend to become strong through Divine Protection either. But I remembered that my ultimate desire, unlike Karla who wished for death, was to ‘live as myself.’
The way I am now wasn’t good enough.
Karla… I’ll become strong while remaining “me.”
For Karla’s sake, I… just now, a “desire” different from becoming strong has formed within me.
“…Is it alright if I make a desire on her behalf?”
＊＊＊
“Aria!”
After stowing the item I received into my Shadow Storage, I was sent flying by the spirit again, and this time, I was greeted in a hall-like place with an Altar by Camille-san, who had a relieved look on his face.
“Aria, where have you been!?”
“Just another whim of the spirit. Don’t worry about it.”
“…Is that so?”
Perhaps some of my Killing Intent from the battle with Karla was still leaking out, as a slightly recoiling Camille-san muttered, seemingly unconvinced.
So this is the lowest floor… Looking around, like Camille-san, they must have heard the Evil Lord’s voice. It seemed they had stopped fighting, but I could see Dowhill and Charleschan keeping each other in check with a dangerous atmosphere.
Certainly, since their subordinates had been killed, they probably couldn’t accept this outcome. Moreover, it was an inconclusive ending because Karla, who was none of them, had reached the goal.
But this battle wasn’t all for nothing. Precisely because they fought for their comrades, risking their lives, it resulted in the Evil Lord’s life being extended, and Camille-san, the Evil Lord’s son, also grew as a person.
In the end, it led to the continuation of the Evil Race. And—
“Aria, that person lent us their strength. …You know them, right?”
“…Yeah.”
Several figures were approaching us. Jesha, Kadri, Izel, Nero…
“Master Serejyura…”
“You were alive and well, Taciturn Disciple (Aria).”
Not just Nero, but Master came too. Even though her body isn’t really fit for fighting…
Nero came to fight alongside me. And Master understood me and protected Camille-san and the others.
『Graa…』
“Don’t be sulky.”
When Nero, who had moved away immediately after we’d finally met, grumbled discontentedly, Master gave a wry smile, her face showing lingering fatigue.
The moment my heart relaxed for an instant—
『GRAAAH!!』
“Kk!”
The moment Nero barked, countless needle-like blades rained down on us, and Nero and I deflected them with my knife and his tentacles, as if to shield Master.
But—
“Kuh!”
“Master!”
A single needle pierced Master’s shoulder, and she sank to her knees with an expression of agony, perhaps from poison. And then—
“…Aria.”
Camille-san, who had been distracted by us, was stabbed from behind by “someone” with a blade like a broken sword, piercing through his abdomen.
Who is the sudden attacker? Is Camille-san safe?
Next time, the final Dungeon battle.