As Jasmia and Tsukia continued along the path, they finally reached a massive dungeon door guarded by three towering demon knights. Sneaking past, they realized this was likely the entrance to the golden artifact's chamber. However, Tsukia knew she couldn't defeat three elite demon guardians alone.
They retreated behind a large boulder, praying that Lori and Nightshade would unexpectedly appear.
Tsukia leaned against a jagged boulder, her breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. The earlier victory against the Queen Bat had been absolute, but it had drained her core. Her skin was flushed a deep, unnatural red, and heat radiated off her in waves.
"I'm so hungry," Jasmia pouted, resting her head on Tsukia's shoulder. But as she felt the searing heat of Tsukia's skin, her hunger vanished, replaced by cold dread. "Kia? Your forehead... it's like a furnace."
Tsukia didn't answer. Her eyes were glazed, her body trembling as it struggled to process the massive mana output she had forced through her veins. Jasmia tried to weave a mental healing spell, but it flickered and died. Tsukia's "Disaster" potential was too volatile; it was rejecting the gentle magic.
"W... water," Tsukia whispered, her voice a dry rasp.
Jasmia reached for her pack, only to feel the empty air. The realization hit her like a physical blow—she had dropped it back at the Queen's carcass. Guilt swallowed her whole. She tucked her own jacket around Tsukia, bracing the girl's head against her thighs.
"Wait for me here," Jasmia whispered, her voice trembling. "I'll be back. I promise."
Jasmia sprinted through the dark, her heart hammering against her ribs. She reached the site of the slaughter, the massive Queen Bat looking like a mountain of leather and gore in the dim light. She grabbed her bag, but as she turned, two long shadows stretched across the floor.
"Look, a dead monster. Someone has been here," a familiar, low voice echoed.
Jasmia didn't hide. She threw herself at the figure, sobbing with a relief so intense it made her knees weak. It was Lori and Nightshade. Lori caught her in a fierce hug, but Nightshade didn't even offer a greeting. His eyes were wild, his posture tense like a coiled spring.
"Where is Tsukia?" Nightshade demanded, his hands gripping Jasmia's shoulders with a force that bruised.
"She overexerted herself... she has a fever! I left her by the final door!"
"Are you crazy?" Nightshade snapped, his voice cracking with a rare, raw anger. He didn't wait for an explanation. "Lead the way. Now."
They arrived just as a fresh wave of monsters began to close in on the hidden spot. Tsukia was standing, swaying on her feet, her sword drawn but her knuckles white with the effort of staying upright.
Nightshade didn't hesitate. He shifted in mid-air, a blur of black and scarlet that swept through the clearing. He caught Tsukia just as her knees gave out. Sensing the familiar, chilling scent of rain and steel, Tsukia finally let go, her head falling against his chest as she slipped into unconsciousness.
Lori erupted. A pillar of fire roared from his palms, incinerating the front line of attackers. But Jasmia stood frozen, watched her friends fight for her mistakes.
"Mia, don't let yourself get down," Lori shouted over the roar of the flames, his hand briefly steadying her jaw as he moved past. "Do what you can do."
Frustration, guilt, and a fierce love for her team boiled over inside Jasmia. She didn't want to be the one who was protected anymore. She wanted to be the one who made them invincible.
"GUYS, I WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN AGAIN!" she screamed.
A massive shockwave of shimmering golden energy erupted from Jasmia. Her hair began to float, and her eyes turned into twin pools of light.
The effect was instantaneous. Tsukia's wounds began to knit together in Nightshade's arms. Lori's flames turned from orange to a brilliant, searing blue-white. Nightshade felt his senses sharpen to a razor's edge, his movements becoming fluid and impossibly fast. She had awakened her Area-of-Effect Resonance—a buff that doubled their strength and provided constant, passive healing.
As the smaller monsters fell, Jasmia pointed toward the three Demon Knights at the door.
Nightshade looked at Jasmia, and for the first time, there was respect in his scarlet eyes. "Watch over my lady, Supporter," he commanded, gently transferring the unconscious Tsukia into Jasmia's arms.
"Yes!" Jasmia barked, her eyes fierce with determination.
She hauled Tsukia into a piggyback ride, her muscles straining but her spirit unyielding. She stayed exactly five paces behind the boys, maintaining the golden radius of her aura.
Lori and Nightshade stepped forward to face the knights. With Jasmia's buff active, they were no longer just fighters; they were gods of the dungeon. Every blow the knights landed healed in seconds. Every strike Lori dealt shattered armor like glass.
Jasmia smiled through her sweat. She was no longer just a spectator in their story. She was the light that kept them burning.