The battlefield no longer looked like the frozen grave it had been only moments before.
The black ice that had once spread like a plague across stone and soil had melted into nothing, leaving behind wet earth and shattered cobblestones. The sky, once suffocated by choking smoke, now revealed faint silver stars blinking down. The oppressive chill of corruption was gone, replaced by the faint warmth of clean air.
Adventurers across the plaza stood in disbelief at what they were witnessing.
The monsters that had swarmed in endless waves earlier now lay slain, their bodies already dissolving into gray dust. A few still fought at the edges, but groups of adventurers were handling them without fear. For the first time that night, the guild's flag still waving at the central post looked as though it might endure.
And then the cheering began.
"We did it!"
"The city's safe!"
"Lady Shellia… she's incredible!"
A roar of relief spread among the survivors. Many raised their weapons into the air, shouting with tears in their eyes. Some collapsed to the ground, clutching their comrades, sobbing from exhaustion and joy. The nightmare was over—or at least, it seemed so to them.
Shellia lowered her staff slowly, her flame now a gentle ember. Sweat dampened her forehead, her breathing unsteady, but her gaze was steady as it turned toward the figure who stood quietly amidst the fading mist.
Sylas.
Unlike Yuki or Orielle, who often appeared in smaller, animal-like forms when they weren't using their powers, Sylas had never shifted. He stood tall in his human form, his black hair streaked with shimmering blue highlights catching the faint moonlight. His pale blue eyes were tranquil, though their depth still carried the faint echo of sorrow. His aura was neither warm like Orielle's flame nor soft like Yuki's divine glow. Instead, it was… crisp. Calm. Cool like untouched winter frost.
It drew Shellia's curiosity in an instant.
"Yuki, Orielle," she asked softly, her eyes still fixed on Sylas, "does he… not have an animal form? I mean—ever since I met him, Sylas has been like this. A man. Not a fox, not a hamster… but always human."
Sylas blinked at her question but didn't answer immediately. His lips curved faintly, as though he himself had wondered the same.
Yuki, however, spoke first. The little hamster spirit appeared on Shellia's shoulder, his fur white as snow, eyes glowing like blue sky. His voice carried through the bond.
[Spirits do have animal forms, yes. But the shape we take depends on how much mana we carry, and how deeply we are connected to this world. The stronger the spirit, the more likely we are to remain in a humanoid form. Sometimes, the animal side never manifests at all.]
Shellia tilted her head, her eyes softening as she looked at Yuki's tiny round body. "So you… your hamster form is because your power is weaker?"
The little white hamster puffed out his cheeks indignantly. [Weaker? Excuse you! My divine healing exceeds natural law itself!]
Orielle's fox form shimmered beside Shellia, tails flicking with amusement. Her golden eyes sparkled as she added to Yuki's explanation.
[What Yuki means, Lady Shellia, is that his mana—though uniquely powerful—flows differently than Sylas's or mine. Yuki's healing is beyond nature, yes, but his energy density is lower. That's why his animal form is dominant when he isn't focusing.]
The fox's lips curled into a sly grin. [Meanwhile, I balance between both forms, though my fox form takes less effort to maintain.]
Then, her gaze shifted toward Sylas, sharp and calculating. [But Sylas… he is different. His rank is above ours. Even bound now, his aura is stronger than mine and Yuki's combined. For someone like him, a humanoid form is natural, permanent. His essence is too dense, too structured, to revert into something smaller.]
Sylas finally spoke, his voice calm and low, carrying no pride—only truth. [She is correct. I no longer have an animal form. The corruption tried to twist me into many things, but… my essence was always bound to this form. A man, unchanged.]
Shellia blinked, her lips parting slightly. "…So, the higher the spirit's rank, the more likely they'll stay human?"
[Exactly,] Orielle said, her tails swishing lightly. [And there is more. The stronger the spirit, the deeper the corruption when it touches them. That's why…] She paused, her golden eyes narrowing slightly as her words turned heavy. [That's why Sylas's hatred toward you burned so fiercely when he was corrupted. Because his spirit was strong, the demon's influence twisted his emotions far more than it did with us.]
Yuki's tiny form drooped a little on Shellia's shoulder. [Orielle's right. The more powerful the spirit, the darker the corruption becomes. That's why Sylas was dangerous—not just because of strength, but because his feelings were magnified by the demon's poison. His anger, his grief, his despair… all sharpened into hatred.]
Shellia looked back at Sylas, her chest tightening. She remembered the red in his eyes, the way his corrupted ice clawed mercilessly at the battlefield, the silent fury that nearly consumed her. And now, looking at him—free, calm, his pale blue eyes clear—she realized how heavy that burden must have been.
Sylas lowered his gaze, almost as if reading her thoughts. [It is true. The hatred I felt for you… it was not mine alone. It was a shadow, a weight placed on me by the corruption. Yet even so, the echo of it remains. I cannot deny it fully.]
Shellia took a quiet step closer. "And yet, you chose to accept my name. You chose freedom. That means something, Sylas."
For a long moment, silence hung in the air between them. Only the distant cheers of adventurers celebrating their survival echoed across the plaza.
Then, Sylas inclined his head slightly, his pale eyes softening. [Perhaps it does.]
---
The Celebration
Around them, the adventurers had begun gathering, forming groups to tend to the wounded and clear debris. A few glanced toward Shellia and her spirits, awe etched into their faces. They whispered her name with reverence, pointing toward the place where the corrupted ice had once reigned but now bloomed with faint wildflowers, coaxed by Sylas's tranquil frost.
One adventurer raised his sword and shouted, "All hail Lady Shellia!"
Another added, "And her spirits!"
The cheer spread quickly. Voices rose in unison, filling the night with cries of gratitude. Many bowed their heads, while others clapped each other on the back, overwhelmed with relief.
Shellia, embarrassed, rubbed the back of her neck and smiled weakly. "I… didn't do this alone." She looked toward the small hamster perched on her shoulder, the proud fox shimmering beside her, and the tall man with pale eyes standing quietly at her side.
"You three made it possible."
Orielle's tails swished smugly. [Of course. You'd be lost without me.]
Yuki squeaked indignantly. [Without me, she'd be patching wounds with leaves!]
Sylas simply remained silent, but the faint smile that tugged at his lips was more than enough for Shellia to see the truth in his heart.
---
Reflection
As the night deepened and the city settled into a fragile calm, Shellia found herself seated on a broken stone wall at the edge of the square. Orielle rested beside her in fox form, Yuki curled like a tiny ball of fluff in her hands, and Sylas stood near the shadows, watchful as ever.
Her eyes lifted to the stars. "So the stronger my spirits are… the stronger their corruption could become if it happens again."
[Yes,] Orielle confirmed with a rare seriousness. [That is why binding Sylas was both a victory and a danger. You now command one of the highest-ranked spirits I've ever seen. If you fall, if you break… he could fall with you.]
Yuki stirred in her palms, his tiny golden eyes peeking up. [But that's also why it's worth it. Together, we're stronger. And together… we can resist corruption better than we ever could alone.]
Sylas turned his gaze toward her at last, his pale blue eyes steady. [The path ahead will not be easy, Shellia. My strength is yours, but so is my burden. If ever I falter, it will be your will that anchors me.]
Shellia closed her hands protectively around Yuki's small body, feeling Orielle's warmth at her side, and met Sylas's eyes with quiet determination.
"Then we'll anchor each other. Always."
For the first time since the battle, Sylas bowed his head deeply, not in defeat, but in respect.
And under the quiet stars, Shellia realized that her journey with her spirits was only beginning.
---