Shockwaves of magical energy sounded from left and right as two figures with blue jets of magical energy flew, occasionally crashing into each other as they released sparks of mana into the environment. One was a man in a black coat holding a dark sword, and the other was a woman with white hair holding a weapon that looked like a futuristic black cyberblade.
"Darkside: Blade!" Thalamik swept an arc, discharging a wave of magical energy.
BOOM!
Smoke appeared but slowly cleared, revealing Suiko, who had managed to block the attack. Thalamik wondered how an attack that was strong enough to decimate an entire Demon Lord Envoy army wasn't enough to cause fatal damage to Suiko.
CRACK
Suddenly, cracks appeared on Suiko's arm. No, it was more like something else was cracking around her arm.
"A black ring?"
Around Suiko's body, there was noticeable magical energy forming like a black ring.
CRANG!!!
One of the black rings on Suiko's arm was destroyed.
"AA!" Thalamik called.
"Unknown energy is flowing inside those Black Rings. My guess is that it is the source of her power," AA explained. "My prediction is that those rings will be destroyed in exchange for preventing fatal damage."
"I see, so I can say those are like extra lives, huh? How many does she have left, anyway?"
"Five more rings," AA answered.
"All right, proceed with your part. Okay?"
"Aye-aye!"
Thalamik charged once more as he swung his sword at Suiko, who guarded against the attack with her cyberblade. A smirk appeared on Thalamik's face as he put up his Mana Field.
"Push!"
He began using the field to push Suiko. Her yellow eyes glowed before her hand released red magical energy.
"Enchain."
Thalamik remained silent before suddenly feeling his field slowly crumble and break completely.
"Heh. What the hell was that?" he said, flying backward from Suiko.
"That is the power I have inherited from the Black Rings."
"Heh. I can always cast Mana Field again."
Suiko only smiled upon hearing that. As Thalamik manifested his Mana Field, it suddenly crumbled once more.
"How was that?" Suiko said with conceit.
"I see. A restricting move, huh? But it's more like a skill seal than anything."
"It turns out those black rings can also be used offensively! Their properties are like those of mini-Alterities that mess up anything within the user's vicinity. I suspect that—" AA explained.
"She used those rings to seal my skill completely whenever I am near her. Her techniques never cease to amaze me," he continued AA's explanation.
"Thalamik."
Another voice called to him. It was the voice of Kourin, who appeared beside Suiko as Suiko halted her attack.
"There is no more hope for the other kinds. Throw away your pride and become one with us Demonfolk. The Great Demon King Ars has always been fond of you and wishes you to be his champion. Together, we can become his loyal subjects! Hail Ars!"
Thalamik looked down as if he had started thinking.
"Thalamik. You aren't seriously—" AA looked at him nervously.
"Maybe in another life. Until then, tell Ars to go fuck himself."
"Your mouth knows no honor," Kourin said before charging at him. Magical energy sparked from her body. Swinging a golden sword, Kourin struck Thalamik with her sword, only for it to be revealed as—
"An afterimage."
Appearing behind Kourin, Thalamik struck her back with his sword. The black sword thrust deep into Kourin's heart as blood spilled from her mouth.
"KUHH!!!" Kourin cried as she coughed up blood.
"I didn't think you would do this... Thalamik... Why?"
Thalamik remained silent.
"Live-streaming video capture device hacked. Black beacon device hacked," AA said, appearing as a pink orb.
"Did you really think I wouldn't see all of this coming? You came here to incriminate the Psyteliers. More than that, you came to pit me against Raymed, right?" Thalamik said confidently. "One thing you didn't account for was this: you can't outsmart me."
"SHOW ME YOUR TRUE FORM!"
Thalamik charged magical energy into his blade, cutting Kourin's body in half. Mirage-like glitches appeared around her split body. A figure in a jester outfit emerged from the mirage and said, "Darn you, Thalamik."
"Heh. Stupid Puck."
Suiko charged at Thalamik, but he countered with a punch to her temple.
"Wake up!"
Flinching from his attack, Suiko stepped back before caressing her head. Her eyes glowed yellow as she launched another black ring toward Thalamik.
Confident in his ability, Thalamik let the ring hit him.
TUNG~
The black ring hummed as it restrained Thalamik's body.
"What?"
Thalamik's eyes twitched before he realized that he was immobilized. His body couldn't move beyond the restrictive area that the ring had created. He could still wiggle around, but he just couldn't seem to move freely enough.
"AA! Analyze!"
Puck appeared before Thalamik and cast his magic spell. A javelin made of light energy was launched toward the immobilized Thalamik as he crash-landed in the lake below.
SPLASH!!!
"THALAMIK!" AA's pink orb, which was connected via a mana channel, was ultimately pulled toward Thalamik as he descended into the lake.
"How troublesome. It's great that he was cocky enough to take that lousy attack," Puck said as he conjured a magical portal like he always did. He pointed, and Suiko entered the portal just as he commanded.
But then...
SLASH!!!!!!
SPURTTTT!!!
Blood spurted from Puck's torso as a blade slashed diagonally across his body. A massive sword had landed the hit, carried by a figure—a black knight who hadn't been present for quite some time.
"You're Thalamik's summon!"
Just as Puck started to cast another magical javelin, a wraith-like hand pulled his hand away from Black the Undead Knight. Looking downward, Puck saw Visha the Lich holding him back.
"One after the other! Fiend Kaiser is so problematic to face huh!?"
Recognizing the trouble he was in, Puck changed plans, abruptly moving inside the portal without even considering fighting back.
The wraith hand was still in contact with him, but then the portal Puck had opened closed itself, cutting off the wraith hand Visha had cast. With that, Visha and Black launched themselves into the lake to help their Master.
***
Meanwhile, in the Spirit Region.
"I will be taking Furfur's Demonic Core with me," Raymed said as he put the core inside Blastur.
"Very well. I trust you will be destroying them."
"Well, not necessarily destroying them. Our protocol is just sealing them. That would be enough," Raymed explained.
Alayars seemed confused by his remark as she swept her kimono.
"I never seem to be able to comprehend why everyone has never bothered destroying this Demonic Core right away."
"Well, it is dangerous. But it is also powerful. I feel that, with enough research, we can opt to use its power for good. Better yet, to fight The Demon King Ars."
"Nevertheless, that does not answer my question. Why must power that dangerous be studied, and why has no one ever bothered to destroy it?"
Raymed stood silently as he drank tea prepared by Alayars' retainers.
Why did no one ever want to destroy the Demonic Cores?
Even Morgwyn, who hated Ars with all her soul, had never even had the slightest idea of destroying them. Was it perhaps because the power that could be harnessed through these Demonic Cores was like nothing else? Raymed remembered the first time he had actually used the Demonic Cores to his advantage. It was when he fought against Belial in the Bermuda Triangle.
Now that he remembered that feeling, it was as if the core itself had boundless energy. As if it contained limitless magical energy that could be utilized for anything mana-related.
"It could solve so many problems," Raymed said, reassuring Alayars.
"That's the thing. You are basing it on an IF. The merits and demerits of holding something like that never seem to be 'good' from the way I see things."
Raymed sipped the tea once more, remaining silent.
"We Spirits are made of pure magical energy. Demonic Cores contain corrupted magical energy. Having one as our power source would literally be like poisoning ourselves. Worse, it would be like modifying our own genomes if we were humans."
Raymed said, "By that, do you mean your very existence would be lost the moment you harnessed the Demonic Core's power?"
"Precisely. It would be replaced with something else entirely in a short time. There's no term for it yet, as it has never happened before. But I call it Alterization—a condition in which foreign mana invades to the point that the host loses their own autonomy. Worse, their own identity and ego."
"In that sense, would that mean it affects even the soul?"
"I know not what you mean by the term 'soul.' But if what you mean by that is your heart or consciousness, then yes," Alayars explained to Raymed as she sipped her tea.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
A pink orb appeared in front of Raymed.
"Sir Raymed, we have found the last known location of the Psyteliers," AA said. "Until just recently, Thalamik was fighting Suiko and Puck at Lake Malawi in the Demi-Human region. They managed to disrupt whatever it was they were doing there by destroying a beacon-like device. But he didn't manage to capture them."
What? He isn't with Oberon?
Raymed asked himself as he remembered what had happened. The circumstances that had brought him to the United Front were so weird, as if everything had been orchestrated. Was it really Puck's plan all along to separate him from Kourin? But why?
He shook his head, confused about what he should do.
Raymed thought for a few seconds before saying, "Perhaps it is best to seek guidance once more. Queen Morgwynevere should know what I can do to solve all of this."
He rose, bowing to Alayars.
"Duty calls?" she asked softly.
"Yes. I will go now."
"All right."
As Raymed was about to exit her chambers, Alayars spoke once more.
"Wait before you go!"
He turned to look behind him, seeing Alayars standing quite close.
"I owe you one, Great Hero. If there comes a time when you need my help, I will come and aid you."
With hope in his heart, Raymed went to Aurelius to meet the one person who could help him plan to save everything once more.
And yet.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"My decision is final. Grand Saint Veuz, Demi-Human King Borreas, Spirit Origin Alayars, and Fey King Oberon have all been secretly undermining my efforts to defeat The Demon King. As such, I will no longer consider them allies, but rather obstacles to my current goal of winning this everlasting war," Queen Morgwynevere said, sitting on her throne.
For the first time, Raymed went silent, not having expected any of this to happen. Was the situation that bad? Was it all hopeless now?