Chapter 56 – Evil Star

“Kihihihihihihik. Such a sweet aroma.”

Yurasia and Silina stared at the grotesque ‘something’ before them.

Four arms. In those arms, it held a corpse—torn into four pieces. The floor was littered with pieces of flesh. Judging by the sight, it was clear that the creature in its hand was a dead Black Magician.

A gaping hole marred its abdomen. Viscous, slimy fluid oozed from the opening. Emerging from within was the face of a human fetus, its mouth opening and closing, revealing a writhing, tentacle-like tongue.

Looking up, one could see horns protruding from either side of its head. However, one horn was broken. Thick slime trickled down from the broken horn, drenching two of its four eyes.

The remaining two eyes were strange—yellow irises in pitch-black sclera. The pupils were slit like a reptile’s, with tongues flickering across their surface.

“Huh, hihik, hik, kek! I thought I’d hand you over to this one, but you look far more delicious than the princess.”

A chilling voice, like metal scraping, shook both Yurasia and Silina’s minds to their core.

The voice was that of a woman, distorted as if her vocal cords had been chewed, shredded, and crudely reattached, instilling a primal fear.

“And to think you’re a virgin… Kihik…hihihikihihihik! Four hundred years… It’s been four hundred years. Finally, finally, finally, finally, I can return.”

As its mouth opened wider, splitting into two, four, then eight directions, countless tongues wriggled instead of teeth. These tongues were stained with bits of unknown flesh.

And on the central tongue—

The image of a serpent devouring its own tail. The emblem of Sloth. The mark of Labyrinth, Commander of the Legion.

One glance told all that one needed to know.

“…A Demon.”

This wasn’t a Black Magician; it was a Demon.

And as soon as they realized it—

Snap.

The Demon’s head twisted at a right angle.

“Oh, Labyrinth, I will violate these two women, drain their virgin blood, tear their flesh, and devour their wombs, and then—”

“Your Highness!”

Yurasia’s urgent cry.

And at that moment.

“—I shall return to your embrace!!!”

Death came charging toward them.

There was no time to understand what was happening—no sense of direction, speed, or anything else. Even so, Yurasia raised her sword.

The blue aura around her sword, though weakened, still retained its killing intent, exploding outward. Bzzzzng—! The reverberating boom shook the labyrinth. Following it was a whirlwind of deadly magi particles that were lethal to humans.

This wasn’t just a simple mist or wind.

Each particle of magi was a blade, a needle—a catastrophic disaster that could easily snuff out a human life.

Facing the impending storm, Yurasia urgently threw herself over Silina, shielding her.

Even as she covered her, she swung her sword with her free hand, scattering her sword aura. In the world now suffused with inky darkness, the blue aura scattered faintly.

Despite the odds, Yurasia’s sword didn’t stop. Even with no escape route, she swung her sword relentlessly.

‘If it’s impossible, I just have to grit my teeth and push through. That’s how things work out.’

Yurasia had absolute faith in Eliaernes.

Even in a life-threatening situation, she trusted her master without hesitation.

And so, in the place where she couldn’t see an inch ahead, a faint sliver of opportunity appeared. However, the opening was too narrow for both of them to escape together. She widened her view to face the magi storm.

Silina couldn’t survive that storm.

But herself? The chances were slim, but not zero. So the answer was clear.

Just as she clenched her teeth, preparing to throw Silina—

“…Together.”

Silina, nestled within Yurasia’s arms, murmured softly. Gently releasing Yurasia’s protective embrace, she drew forth her mana. Like a sun rising in the night, Silina’s mana radiated brightly, enveloping her.

“Hup.”

Silina exhaled briefly and threw the axe in her right hand.

Thwack! The axe flew straight into the gap Yurasia had opened, tearing it wider. Following up, Yurasia’s blue sword aura slashed through, creating a broader space.

Both girls simultaneously leapt forward.

They dove through the narrow gap between death. Razor-sharp blades and needles sliced and stabbed at their skin, spilling blood and creating a mist of red.

But—

“Grr…huh…”

They were still alive.

They’d somehow survived.

However, there was no time to rest.

They’d merely brushed past death.

Steadying her breath, Yurasia forced her wavering body to grip her sword again.

“Kihihihihihi!”

The nameless Demon, seeing her, let out a sinister laugh and began to approach slowly.

The corpses it was holding had long since been discarded.

In its hands were vicious saws, resembling a beast’s fangs.

Snick, snick, snick.

The two saws ground against each other. One saw scraped the broken horn on its left. The other slowly rose.

Countless thoughts raced through Yurasia’s mind as she swiftly scanned the Demon and her surroundings.

This place had a low ceiling and narrow walls.

There was barely any room to evade. If another magi storm swept through, there’d be no second chance.

They needed to get past this Demon to reach a wider area.

But if they didn’t confront it, everyone behind them would surely die.

While fending off the Demon’s attacks, they needed to reach the labyrinth’s core to have a chance of survival.

She made her decision and looked into Silina’s eyes. Her platinum-colored eyes showed resolve.

“I’ll… follow your plan.”

“Please, follow me.”

“…Okay.”

Their brief exchange conveyed everything.

Two were better than one. Having someone to fight beside her was far better than someone to protect.

With trembling hands, Yurasia gripped her sword, and Silina, although weary, clutched her axe. They may have felt fear, but they did not despair.

Their blue eyes gazed straight ahead. The Demon’s strange inverted pupils curled into a grin. A menacing smile crept onto Yurasia’s face.

At a glance, she looked as if she was playing around.

And indeed, to the Demon, this battle may have seemed like a mere game.

But for Yurasia and Silina, each moment teetered on the edge of life and death.

Snick-snack—

The saw descended vertically toward the ground.

The power emanating from the raised saw assured that nothing could withstand it.

They had to avoid it, no matter what.

Silina felt it too. Without a word, they each dove to the sides.

“Kihiiaaaak!!”

The Demon lunged at Yurasia with the saw.

In its wake, a tsunami of magi surged. From the ground, dozens of tentacles shot up, blocking Silina’s path, while a dark green liquid dripped from the ceiling.

It was clear they must avoid all contact with these things.

Drawing mana from her dantian, Yurasia scattered her sword aura. Not only for herself, but to clear a path for Silina as well.

Her sword aura exploded in the magi-infested storm. Dozens of tentacles were sliced off, and the remnants of her aura vaporized the green liquid.

Silina’s path opened. She quickly turned, seeing Yurasia swinging her sword, coughing up blood.

She was projecting her aura at speeds beyond her level, holding back the magi storm with a shield of sword energy.

She needed to pull her out of there.

The distance was five steps.

Silina pushed through her fear, controlling her breath as she rushed forward.

One step.

A droplet from the ceiling hit her shoulder. Ssshh! Smoke rose as the liquid ate through her flesh, burning down to the bone.

Two steps.

Overwhelmed by agony, she failed to notice the tentacle rising from below. It pierced her ankle and shredded the skin of her calf, climbing up her thigh.

Three steps.

The tentacle reached her waist and attempted to burrow into her navel. She clenched her remaining hand around it, tearing off the appendage that threatened her abdomen.

The final step.

Silina’s arm wrapped around Yurasia’s waist. Feeling her, Yurasia halted her sword swing and, in turn, grasped Silina’s shoulder.

Together, the two girls, as if on cue, hurled themselves past the Demon.

Simultaneously—

Booooom―! Like a bolt of lightning, the ground they had just stood on evaporated.

“Kihihihahak! So swift!”

The Demon’s voice dripped with confidence.

As Yurasia rose to her feet, she heard the grating voice ringing in her ears. Silina, on the other hand, could not stand.

“Ah, huh… ngh, huff…”

Silina writhed in unbearable agony. The source was the viscous liquid that had burned through her shoulder.

Not only was it acidic, but it was also heavily infused with magi, turning her insides to ruin.

Leaving Silina here was not an option.

Yet, carrying her would only slow them down, and Yurasia didn’t have the strength to bear her weight.

“Ugh…”

Yurasia, grimacing in pain, took a stance in front of the fallen Silina.

“Kihihihik… hik, hik!”

The Demon strode through a puddle of blood, closing the distance between them.

Death approached.

Inescapable, ineluctable death.

With hands growing numb, Yurasia grasped her sword tightly. The tip of her sword wavered. Her breath remained unsteady. Her teeth chattered as her jaw trembled.

What can I do in my current state?

‘Even if you’re facing an enemy you can never defeat, as long as your limbs are intact, it’s enough.’

Both hands were gripping her sword. Both feet stood firmly on the ground. Her two eyes were fixed on the Demon, and though her breath was faint and strained, it continued.

With that, she could swing her sword.

And so—

‘I can cut through anything.’

She could cut.

She tightened her breath, widened her hazy eyes, and gathered every last bit of mana from within.

One foot forward. One foot back. She loosened her shoulders, steadied her arms, and gripped her sword with weight.

The tip of her sword pointed to her target.

“Kihihik, hik… beautiful. So beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Just so beautiful. What will your womb taste like? Will it restore my power? What will your screams sound like? Your moans? The scent of your blood? Your tender flesh? Will it make me laugh with joy?”

The Demon raised one saw.

One, lightly lifted saw. The magi that flowed to it was as vast as the heavens.

A height so towering it was impossible to look up to.

A level beyond reach.

Yet that towering wall—

That saw—

Sliced the air before Yurasia.

‘Hmm, Yurasia is incredibly talented, so it’s rare she encounters an opponent she feels is an insurmountable wall. But if she ever does…’

And then, her trembling ceased.

‘Well. There’s nothing to do but try.’

Her wide eyes locked onto her target. Her steadied body moved with purpose. Brilliant light erupted from what had seemed a frail frame on the verge of collapse.

She raised her sword.

In that moment, her sword aura solidified, sharpened—its killing intent transformed.

Her sword, now wrapped in a fierce aura.

‘If I can’t break through, I’ll cut through it. I’ll make it to the other side.’

No, now her sword was cloaked in fierce energy.

She swung.

Sssh—

“Kihik?”

A single, piercing sound.

And then, thud—clatter.

Two distinct sounds of something falling.

Through her blurred vision, she looked forward.

There, an arm lay on the ground.

From the severed edge, a discolored liquid dripped, oozing.

And the sword that had swung—

Yurasia’s sword had broken.

“…My arm, kik… kihik? Was it cut off?”

She had aimed for the Demon’s neck, but failed to sever it.

In that instant, the Demon’s instincts took over, diverting Yurasia’s sword path. Her sword broke, leaving the neck unscathed.

“Heek… Hik, keek. Kuk. Krrrrk…grrk.”

The Demon, scratching its scalp with clawed fingers, abruptly stopped laughing, its movements frozen.

“Impudent girl.”

A chilling curse.

The remaining three saws swung toward her simultaneously.

“Hngh!”

Gritting her teeth, Yurasia swung her broken sword.

Clang―!

The shattered sword, releasing a burst of sword aura, ripped through the magi-infused blades. In doing so, her skin tore, muscles ripped, and bones twisted.

Her fingers all snapped. Her forearm shattered.

The second saw closed in immediately.

And then—

A flash.

From the necklace around her neck, a radiant shield flared to life, deflecting the saw’s trajectory just slightly. She didn’t know what triggered it, but she couldn’t waste the opportunity.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, she swung her broken arm, brandishing the halved sword once more.

Snick―! The second saw was deflected. Her vision turned red as blood poured from her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Her vision swirled. Consciousness faded. Vertigo overcame her.

And then, the third saw came rushing in.

‘But if you still encounter an opponent you can’t beat… at that point…’

She could no longer move. She could no longer swing her sword. She couldn’t evade the attack.

She couldn’t win.

This was the end.

‘I’ll tell you what to do. I’ll help you.’

In her final moments, Yurasia recalled the mischievous smile, the teasing words, the sharp voice, and that beautiful color as she muttered softly.

“…Help me…”

At that very instant—

Rustle.

In the desolate labyrinth, spring arrived.

Her vision was filled with an unforgettable shade of pink.

Within that shade, delicate petals scattered in the air.

Then—

“Yes.”

Boom―――!

A single cherry blossom cleaved through the storm of magi.