The initial panic was quickly suppressed by Yanaki's iron will. She could not die here. Yuna was waiting for her.
She forced herself to calm down, analyzing the situation while Elara's circle of light slowly faded.
Problem 1: Physical attacks are useless. Her F-rank dagger would probably pass through their ethereal bodies like air.
Problem 2: The defense is limited. Through their link, she could feel Elara tiring. Elara's sorrow could create a temporary sanctuary, but it wasn't infinite. She estimated she had two minutes at most before the light faded completely.
Problem 3: The enemy is irrational. They were the embodiment of hatred and would never give up.
So, what did she have left? Her intellect and the [Appraisal] skill.
"If I can't kill them, maybe I can... release them," she murmured. Elara's sorrow and the Wraiths' rage—they were all trapped emotions. There had to be a connection.
She focused intently, pouring a fraction of her spiritual energy into her [Appraisal] skill, staring hard at one of the Wraiths. The faint information panel appeared, and she tried to dig deeper.
[Shattered Wraith]
Level: 3
Description: ...They despise all living things and will attack anyone they see.
Analyzing deeper...
[Weakness]: Bound to an earthly object they clung to at the moment of death. Destroying the object may break their tie to this world, liberating the soul.
Just as she thought! They weren't simple monsters; they were tethered spirits.
But what were the objects, and where were they? She couldn't leave the circle of light to search.
"Elara," she sent her thoughts through the covenant, "Can you feel it? What is it that's keeping them here?"
Elara, though weakening, answered her call. The silent guide lifted her head. Her eyes didn't look at the Wraiths, but through them, at the surrounding rubble. She slowly raised her ethereal arm.
Through Yanaki's eyes, a new sight emerged. Two objects in the nearby rubble were emitting a dark red, hateful aura. One was a rusty silver locket, wedged between two broken bricks. The other was a worn wooden knight figurine, a child's toy, half-buried in the dust.
Those were the anchors holding them to this world.
The plan formed in a flash, a reckless gambit with only one chance.
"Elara, listen to me," Yanaki said quickly through their link. "On my signal, focus all your remaining light into one powerful flash to stun them. I just need one second."
Elara responded with a feeling of absolute trust.
Yanaki gripped her dagger, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked at the locket, the nearest target, then glanced at the wooden toy. The distance was too great.
She took a deep breath, suppressing all fear. "Now!"
Instantly, the protective circle around her contracted, then erupted in a brilliant but utterly silent corona of light. The two Wraiths, stunned by the pure, sorrowful light, shrieked and recoiled instinctively.
Just one second!
Yanaki burst out of the vanished circle of protection. Her 8 points in Agility were pushed to their limit. She dashed to the pile of bricks, her hand snatching the cold locket.
But one of the Wraiths recovered faster than she had anticipated. It let out a frenzied hiss and lunged at her back.
In that moment, Elara, though exhausted, swung her arm towards the Wraith. A wave of invisible energy, heavy with sorrow, washed over it. The Wraith took no damage, but its speed suddenly slowed, as if it were swimming through a swamp of despair.
Its attack grazed Yanaki's back, leaving a cold, burning trail.
[-20 HP]
Yanaki gritted her teeth against the pain. She had no time to use a stone. In a reckless decision, she threw her dagger at the wooden toy. A desperate throw.
At the same time, she used all her strength to smash the locket in her hand against a sharp edge of rock.
Crack!
The locket shattered into pieces.
The Wraith that had just missed her froze. It let out one last shriek, but this time, it was not one of rage, but of release. Its twisted body dissolved into thousands of blue motes of light that floated up and merged with the moonlight.
[You have "liberated" the [Shattered Wraith]. Received 50 EXP.]
But she had no time to celebrate.
The second Wraith was right in front of her. Her dagger throw had missed. The blade was stuck in the dirt, inches from the wooden toy.
She was now bare-handed, completely defenseless. The Wraith's ethereal, razor-sharp claws were just centimeters from her face.
Time seemed to stop.