Kazuki released the connection immediately, collapsing to his knees as exhaustion claimed him. The effort had drained him more completely than any previous use of his ability, leaving his limbs trembling and his vision swimming. But through the haze of fatigue, he saw Reina rushing to the edge of the platform, peering down at where Azazel had fallen.
"He's down," she reported, already gathering water for a finishing strike if necessary. "I can't tell if he's unconscious or..."
Valerius moved to her side, sword raised to strike downward if necessary. "We end this now. For Azure and justice."
Before either could deliver a final blow, however, the cavern trembled violently. Dust and small fragments of stone rained from the distant ceiling as a low rumbling filled the air. The knights fighting on the lower level faltered, looking around in confusion and alarm.
At the center of the disturbance stood a figure barely visible through the dust and falling debris—Azazel, his robes torn and bloody but his posture defiant. His remaining five rings glowed with blinding intensity as he channeled every ounce of his remaining power into one final, desperate spell. The magical sigils forming around him no longer resembled the precise, elegant constructs of his earlier transcriptions—these were crude, unstable, fueled more by raw emotion than disciplined spellcraft.
"If I cannot have Azure," his voice rang out, distorted by his mask and the magical energies surrounding him, "then none shall have it! Let the Veiled Ones feast on your souls!"
Regulus, who had stayed on the platform to check on Kazuki, shouted down to his knights, "Fall back! Everyone out now!"
The warning came too late. With a gesture of terrible finality, Azazel slammed his ring-bearing hands together. The unstable magical sigils collapsed inward, concentrating into a single point of blinding light before exploding outward in a wave of chaotic energy.
The effect was catastrophic. The ancient stone pillars supporting the cavern ceiling cracked and shattered under the magical onslaught. Massive sections of rock began breaking free, crashing down upon knights and cultists alike with indiscriminate destruction. The very foundation of the chamber seemed to liquefy momentarily before resolidifying in distorted configurations, creating a nightmarish landscape of twisted stone and collapsing passageways.
"We have to get out of here!" Reina cried, kneeling beside Kazuki and helping him to his feet. "The entire structure is coming down!"
Valerius had already begun organizing the retreat, directing knights to assist the wounded and the freed prisoners toward the exits. Regulus took Kazuki's other side, supporting him as they hurried toward the nearest passage that still appeared stable.
Behind them, a blinding flash of light erupted from where Azazel had stood, followed by a thunderous collapse of stone and earth that obscured whatever fate might have befallen the cultist. As they fled through the crumbling passages, none could say with certainty whether Azazel had perished in his final desperate act or somehow escaped the destruction he had unleashed.
The journey back through the collapsing tunnels was a nightmarish blur of dust, darkness, and desperate scrambling. Knights helped each other over fallen debris and through narrowing passages as the ancient underground structures failed catastrophically around them. The freed prisoners stumbled alongside their rescuers, their faces masks of terror and disbelieving hope.
Kazuki, still supported by Reina and occasionally Regulus when the knight-captain wasn't clearing paths or giving orders, fought to remain conscious despite his exhaustion and injuries. The Joker's revelations churned in his mind alongside the new understanding of his Original Spell's potential, but immediate survival took precedence over all other concerns.
After what seemed like hours but was likely only minutes, they emerged through a maintenance access point different from their original entry—a rusty grate that knights ahead of them had kicked open to reveal the blessed night air of Azure. One by one, the survivors dragged themselves into a deserted alleyway in what appeared to be the southeastern edge of the Old Quarter, coughing and gasping in the comparative freshness of the city's atmosphere.
Reina helped Kazuki sit against a wall, her face pale with exhaustion behind her partially removed mask. "Just breathe," she instructed gently. "We're safe now."
"The others?" Kazuki asked between ragged breaths.
"Most made it out," she replied, though her tone carried a note of sorrow. "We lost some knights in the collapse, and not all the prisoners were freed before everything came down." She shook her head. "We'll need to send recovery teams once the area stabilizes, but..."
"But those still trapped are likely already dead," Valerius finished grimly, approaching them with a pronounced limp. His armor was battered almost beyond recognition, his face streaked with blood and dust. "A failed mission. A cultist leader destroyed himself rather than face justice, and much of the evidence we sought lies buried beneath tons of rock."
Regulus, who had been conferring with his knights further up the alley, joined their small group. "Not a complete failure, Captain Valerius. We confirmed the Masked Ones' presence beneath the city, eliminated a significant number of their forces, and rescued seventeen citizens who would otherwise have suffered terrible fates." His scarred face was solemn but determined. "And we survived to continue the fight."
"Thanks in no small part to Dr. Mizushima's... unusual abilities," Valerius acknowledged reluctantly, giving Kazuki an appraising look that contained significantly less suspicion than before. "That was impressive work with Azazel."
Kazuki nodded weakly, unsure how to respond. The praise seemed genuine, if grudging—a significant shift from the captain's earlier hostility. But the Joker's revelations weighed heavily on him, raising questions about his very identity that he wasn't prepared to share.
Reina noticed his troubled expression. "What's wrong? Beyond the obvious, I mean."
"Just... processing everything," Kazuki replied evasively. "I've never used my ability like that before. It was... educational."
Regulus clasped his shoulder gently—the uninjured one. "Whatever insights you've gained, they may prove valuable in the battles to come. The Masked Ones have suffered a significant blow tonight, but I doubt this is the end of their threat to Azure."
"Sir!" A knight approached, snapping to attention. "The city watch has arrived, along with medical teams from the Royal Arcanum. They're setting up a treatment station at the end of the street."
"Excellent. See that the rescued civilians are attended to first," Regulus ordered. "And establish a perimeter around the collapsed area—I want no unauthorized personnel anywhere near those tunnels until we've had specialist teams assess the stability."
As the knight hurried off to relay these instructions, Regulus turned back to Kazuki and Reina. "You both need medical attention. Lady Reina, I believe your father will be most relieved to hear of your safety—a messenger has already been dispatched to the Archduke."
Reina nodded, then gestured to Kazuki. "He was struck directly by Azazel's magic. The wound requires examination by magical healers."
"I'll see he receives priority treatment," Regulus assured her. "After which, I believe the Archduke will want a full report from all of us." His expression grew somber. "The presence of such a powerful cult operating beneath our city raises troubling questions about our security measures and intelligence gathering."
Valerius shifted uncomfortably. "There is also the matter of the prisoners' testimony. If they can identify places where other captives were held or provide information about the cult's leadership structure..."
"All matters for tomorrow," Regulus interrupted firmly. "Tonight, we tend our wounds and thank the Light of Azuria that we live to fight another day."
As knights began helping the wounded toward the medical station, Kazuki found himself momentarily alone with Reina. She studied him with concern, her blue eyes reflecting the distant torchlight. "There's something you're not telling us," she said quietly. "Something happened to you when you were unconscious."
Kazuki hesitated, torn between trust and caution. The Joker's revelations were too disturbing, too potentially destabilizing to share fully—especially without understanding them himself. Yet he couldn't bring himself to lie to Reina outright.
"I had... a vision, or perhaps a memory," he admitted. "Something that might help explain how I came to be in Azure, though I don't fully understand it myself yet."
She seemed about to press for details when two knights approached to help them toward the medical station. "We can discuss it later," she said instead, her voice dropping to a whisper. "When we're truly alone."
As they were led away, Kazuki gazed back at the cloud of dust still rising from where sections of the Old Quarter had partially collapsed into the ancient chambers below. Something fundamental had changed tonight—not just in the battle against the Masked Ones, but within himself. The Joker's words echoed ominously in his mind:
"You're my masterpiece, Kazuki—essential for my future plans. I can't allow you to die, at least not yet."
Whatever those plans might be, whatever the truth about his identity and origin, one thing was becoming increasingly clear: the mysteries surrounding Project Bifrost and his arrival in Azure were far deeper and more disturbing than he had imagined. And somewhere within his fragmented memories lay answers that could prove dangerous to everyone in this world—including the woman now walking beside him, whose concern and trust he had come to value more than he cared to admit.
The first pale light of dawn was breaking over Azure's eastern districts as they reached the medical station. A new day beginning, but Kazuki couldn't shake the feeling that darkness—a darkness wearing his own face behind a smiling mask—was only just starting to rise.