Vol. 2 Chapter 114: Dread

While Deedee is trapped in her desperate inner battle, the Lich Ques doesn’t remain idle. With a flick of his skeletal fingers, he commands a group of skeletons to attack the policewoman from behind.

The skeletons advance with heavy steps, but before they can strike her, a whirlwind of flames materializes around them.

The fire engulfs the fragile bones of the undead, turning them to ash in an instant. The flames expand like a purifying tornado, and in the midst of the blazing chaos, Tersiflare, the beautiful ethereal summon, emerges.

The figure of the spirit is adorned with ribbons of fire that float sinuously around her, like serpents made of flames.

Xiaikai, her summoner, descends from above, her pink hair fluttering, supported by one of these fiery ribbons that gently grasps her, allowing her to land without a scratch. Her grace and the power of her spirit come together in one fluid motion.

Watching Deedee, Xiaikai notices with concern the irrational behavior in the woman. Something about her is off.

She does not fight like an experienced huntress but like a desperate woman. Every swing of her sword is filled with pain, anger, and frustration, as if she’s being forced to fight against her will. Her movements, though deadly, lack strategic precision. They are becoming mechanical, impulsive actions.

She cannot allow Deedee to continue in this state. Xiaikai knows that without the right support, the woman will be defeated. Despite her violent fury, Deedee cannot face Ivanhold like this, especially as the air around them grows colder and colder.

With a decisive gesture, Xiaikai amplifies the intensity of the fire aura surrounding her companion. The flames quickly expand, enveloping Deedee in a protective mantle, making her almost untouchable. The flames not only shield her from the cold but also pour onto her blade, engulfing it in a fiery glow.

Now, every strike Deedee delivers against Ivanhold's ice barriers is charged with the power of the flames, making her attacks even more lethal.

Tersiflare, with her grace, advances alongside Deedee. Her fiery ribbons extend like blazing whips, striking in a series of fluid, perfectly coordinated movements. Each strike shatters one of the ice barriers Ivanhold erects to defend himself.

The barriers crumble under the unbearable heat of the flames, dissolving into clouds of steam that the mage struggles to resolidify due to the relentless combined assault of the two.

Despite being undead, Ivanhold seems to recognize the power of the enemy before him.

With unnatural calm, he uses the surrounding skeletons as shields, placing them in front of himself as he retreats to buy time and slow the relentless offensive from Deedee and Tersiflare. In doing so, he covers them with ice magic to reinforce their defenses.

Every skeleton that stands between them is either consumed by flames or cut down by Deedee’s blade, but their numbers seem endless.

Each step Ivanhold takes backward is calculated, as if he is preparing something more devastating.Behind his empty eyes, it seems like he’s waiting for the right moment to counterattack.

The green-haired woman persists in her assault, overwhelmed by a bloodthirsty frenzy. Her aquamarine eyes shed tears, every muscle in her body aches, and her heart breaks from the pain. In this forced contrast—having to kill the man she once loved—she is also consumed by the pleasure of the uninhibited hunt.

She hates herself, she hates Strauss Wagner, while both relishing and suffering in the act of killing her prey without bearing the responsibility for it.

A double betrayal—one against her Master and the other against Ivanhold. As the tattoo burns and the tears flow, Deedee can only wallow in her personal hell while her body does what it does best: hunt.

Kanna Merfal realizes this is the decisive moment.Her long black hair sways with the impacts caused by the spells from Ivanhold and Tersiflare.

Now that the mage is occupied, the Lich is no longer protected.If they don’t act now, they won’t have another chance. If left unchecked, the Lich could support Ivanhold, making Xiaikai and Deedee’s assault futile.

Every second counts. With determination, the cleric raises her mace and calls her companions to action.“Welze, Luysia! With me!” Her voice cuts through the air, an order that cannot be ignored.

Welze, still trembling and distracted by the battle between Ivanhold, Xiaikai, and Deedee, nods hesitantly. Her heart races, but she tries to focus.

“Y-yes…” she stammers, trying to ignore the fear creeping into her thoughts. The scale of the conflict she’s witnessing is far beyond her imagination. The excitement she once felt about being part of a grand adventure has slowly been overtaken by a sense of inadequacy when facing enemies of this caliber.

Luysia Camclair, on the other hand, doesn’t hesitate.

The blonde warrior responds with fierce determination. Her halberd spins through the air, cleaving skeletons that attempt to block her path. The clatter of shattered bones fills the air as she advances like an unstoppable whirlwind. The former paladin appears as a goddess of war, her armor gleaming as the bones of her enemies crumble beneath her blows.

Ques watches with amusement at what appears to him to be a futile attempt.Like an involuntary tic, he begins to clatter his exposed teeth, the prelude to a horrible laugh.The sound of the clattering seems synchronized with the movement of his skeletons.

A hissing whistle cuts through the air, followed by others, faster and more menacing.

Skeleton archers, controlled by the Lich, unleash a rain of rusted arrows from their hidden positions among the debris of the ruined temple.

The first arrows lodge into the ground around Kanna, mostly ineffective and dulled by the armor and the uneven terrain. Some snap upon impact with the stones or bounce harmlessly off Silverdark’s protective gear.

But then, one of the arrows pierces the air with more force, striking Kanna’s exposed arm. The pain is sharp, and the rush of blood makes her clench her teeth to keep from crying out.

Blood spurts from the wound, and despite the sharp pain, the cleric manages to stay calm. She quickly places her hands over the wound.

[HEAL]

The pain subsides slightly as the magic envelops her arm, sealing the injury.

[BLESSED ARMOR]

A faint glow spreads from her palms, surrounding her armor to increase her defense. She feels her magical power weakening, but there's no time to dwell on it—the battle is too intense.

She keeps an eye on her companions' HP and the enemy movements on the battlefield, skillfully juggling the multitasking.

The cleric swiftly casts more [HEAL] and [BLESSED ARMOR] spells in quick succession to protect her companions during the assault. She feels her MP draining rapidly as she tries to keep Luysia and Welze alive. But they can’t stop now.

Not far away, Luysia picks up a shield from a skeleton she had previously felled. She lifts it to protect herself as arrows thud into it one after another, the rusted metal groaning against the hard surface.

The shield, already fragile and compromised, begins to give way under the relentless assault.

“We can’t stay exposed!” Luysia shouts, throwing away the shattered shield, now useless as protection.

Welze, terrified, crouches on the ground as arrows continue to rain down around her. One of them grazes her cheek, cutting the skin. She touches her face with a trembling hand as blood starts to trickle down.

“W-what do we do?!” Welze cries, her voice filled with fear.

Another arrow strikes Luysia’s side, piercing through her armor. The warrior staggers but refuses to give up.

She grits her teeth and rolls forward, dodging another barrage of arrows.

Luysia quickly reaches the blue-haired mage and, with a swift movement, grabs her by the arm, pulling her to safety behind a stone pillar just before more arrows can strike them.

“T-thank you…” the woman whispers, embarrassed.Luysia shakes her head. She doesn’t need thanks, and they can’t relax yet—they’re not out of danger.

Kanna joins them, ignoring the pain in her arm. They have to act. They can’t allow the skeletons to keep targeting them from a distance.

"Welze!" Kanna calls, increasingly taking on the role of leader in Strauss's absence. "Use your magic! Focus on the archers!" she orders, pointing at the enemies.

Welze nods and regains her determination, thanks to the guidance of the experienced woman.With trembling hands, she raises her staff and begins casting her spells repeatedly.

[RAY OF FIRE]

Jets of fire burst from the magical circles generated by her staff, illuminating the battlefield with blazing tongues of flame.

The blasts strike one archer after another, instantly reducing them to ashes. Like comets, they fly through the air, hitting the skeleton archers one by one, which explode into fragile pieces, their bones consumed by the flames.

The successive explosions also take out nearby enemies, decimating dozens of skeletons.

“Great job,” Luysia compliments her.

Watching the enemies get wiped out one by one gives Welze a newfound surge of confidence, but the air is still thick with threats. The skeletons aren’t their only concern—Ques is still laughing from his vantage point, orchestrating the entire battle.

"Hahahaha!" The grotesque and unnatural laughter of the Lich Ques echoes through the ruined temple, bouncing off the crumbled walls and reverberating like a menacing thunder.

"Do you think that separated from my puppet, I am an opponent within your reach? Fools, do you truly believe I am defenseless? You have no idea of my power."The undead tightens his fists, the bones of his skeletal hands cracking, then raises his arms high.

"Until now, I have merely toyed with you miserable creatures."

In an instant, a dark magic circle appears around Ques, its edges pulsing with malevolent energy.

The darkness that emanates from it is thick, tangible, as if it’s devouring the very light from the world. Everything darkens, as if the light is being sucked away, the temple growing gloomy, and even the crackling flames of Tersiflare dim in the face of this tide of shadow.

[DREAD]

The spell unleashes like a wave, spreading in every direction with unstoppable force.

Luysia, Kanna, and Welze are struck full-on by this surge of primordial terror. Their knees buckle under the pressure.

Kanna's heart tightens as though a dark claw is crushing her chest. Her strength leaves her, and fear creeps into her veins, paralyzing her.

Welze visibly trembles, her eyes wide as she clutches her staff as if it's the only thing keeping her anchored to reality. "I-I can’t... move... P-please..." she stammers, her voice broken by terror. She pleads in despair. Her deepest nightmares materialize in her mind, threatening to crush her.

"No... no... NO!" Luysia screams, struggling against the paralysis that forces her to the ground. Her halberd falls from her hands, clattering on the stone floor. Sweat drips from her forehead as she desperately tries to regain control of her body, but it’s useless. Ques’s spell is too strong.

Kanna, though gripped by terror, clenches her teeth.

Every fiber of her being wants to give in to the fear that paralyzes her, but she can’t allow it. Not now. Not with the lives of her companions at stake. Her hands tremble, but with immense effort, she lifts her Silverdark mace. The cold metal gives her an odd sense of comfort.

"I... can’t... give up!" she screams, cold sweat dripping down her face. She has already failed to bring her friend Deedee back to her senses; she can’t disappoint Strauss any further.

The skeletons, responding to the Lich's command, advance menacingly, their rusted blades ready to tear into the flesh of the paralyzed women. They move hungrily, an unstoppable horde preparing to feast on the lives of their prey.

Ques watches with a wicked grin on his skeletal face. "It ends here," he says with a chilling laugh, savoring the moment.

The undead raise their blades into the air, ready to strike.