Blight Witch Haru: Minimum DPS to Defeat – 999,999

Haru brandished her staff at Irae flooding the infinite void with an endless supply of mindlessly enraged players. They poured out and collided with the swelling mass of the existing horde, clawing at each other for the chance to tear down the witch’s quickly disintegrating barrier. In front of Haru was her former surrogate, clumsily bashing at the shield with her staff. Though her surrogate didn’t seem to acknowledge her presence, the witch hesitated at the sight of her former avatar.

It felt strange for Haru to see her surrogate, even if possessed by the demon. While the witch’s Normal Attack was targeted, the beam would still hit anything that stood in its path. The surrogate would certainly be vaporized by the attack.

“Roo.” Haru called out to her former avatar.

Her voice, piercing the cacophony of shrieks, cries, and howls of the horde, caused the surrogate to jolt. The avatar looked up at the witch, slowly, arm raised in attack, frozen over her head.

Haru squinted, unsure if her former self would even recognize her. Through the mindless rage, the witch sensed a different emotion. Maybe it was realization. Or perhaps it was simple confusion. But for some reason, her calling out to the surrogate caused the avatar to cease entirely and lock gaze.

On some level, Haru hoped she’d return from her adventure successful, that her surrogate would be hailed as much of a savior as whom controlled her. For a moment, she considered simply stepping aside and leaving her surrogate unscathed. It wouldn’t take much.

But that seemed heartless. If Haru managed to beat Irae, would her surrogate be doomed to wander this infinite void forever, endlessly enraged and lost? If anyone was going to down her avatar, it made the most sense for it to be Haru.

The witch took a few steps to her left in order to perfectly line up her shot with Irae, and also make sure the surrogate was fully engulfed by the beam. With each step, the avatar continued to track Haru with her head. Though the surrogate’s eyes were bloodshot from rage, it became clear that the anger was mixed with confusion.

Haru brandished her staff and stared at Irae for a second. Then she looked to her surrogate. “Roo, did you have fun?” The blue orb of her staff began to glow, brighter than usual. Haru wanted to overcharge the attack, to be sure there was no chance the demon could resist the shot.

The surrogate blinked, then squared off with Haru and lowered her arm to bring the staff to her side.

Haru smiled. “Me too.” Her weapon’s light grew even brighter. “Normal Attack.”

A deep baritone pulse echoed throughout the endless void, emanating from the light within Haru’s staff. In a heartbeat, a screech silenced the unending chaos from the horde. From her weapon, a ray with a wide diameter burst forth, expanding from a single point on the blue orb of the witch’s staff.

The surrogate’s silhouette appeared within the beam’s shape for a split second, and then vanished.

The ray careened toward the demon before smashing into him, arms raised against the incoming light. At first, Irae recoiled, sent off balance. Then he stumbled back and lowered his shoulders, to lean against the beam. He dug his feet in and in lowering his arms, the stream of enraged players ceased emerging from the cloak that no longer was draped down from his shoulders but sagged onto the ground from his waist.

When the demon took a step forward, Haru felt a ripple, which caused the ray to waver, followed by a surge that sent her sliding back. Then an unnatural momentum pulsed through the beam, threatening to topple the witch. But she bumped into something that stopped her sliding and from falling over. She looked behind for a moment to find Oracle standing behind her.

“You know,” Oracle reached forward with her crook and brandished it toward Irae. “Usually, we get called down to heal broken hearts, offer a kind word to a demoralized soul.” A light formed at the tip of the sage’s staff. “You really made me work for it on this one, having to deal with a demon lord.” She smiled and chuckled.

“Thanks, Oracle.” Haru looked up at her, who was standing upright and much taller than the witch. Her beam ceased, leaving a massive gap in the horde, all the way straight to Irae.

The sage gently patted the witch on her arm. “Thank me when the deed is done.”

The sibyl looked to Opti, who was only a few steps away from the gap. “Alea iacta est. Judgement is at hand.”

Opti nodded to the sibyl and then looked at Haru for a moment with remorseful eyes before bursting into a sprint. As he dashed for the breach, he reached down and snatched up his shield laying on the ground. With his guard in hand, he dashed forward with blade brandished into the darkness.

Haru wanted to follow him, to protect him, but the firm grip on her shoulder by Oracle urged her to stay planted. Then the sibyl stood next to her and placed a steadying hand on Haru’s back.

Not long after Opti dashed out from the safety of the barrier that the horde stopped their assault and turned to chase down the legionnaire. The gap began to disperse as the countless enraged broke away to descend upon Opti.

“Ah, as predictable as the tide.” Oracle squinted and grinned. The small orb of light that accumulated at the tip of her staff shattered, and tiny arcs of golden light bombarded the invisible path that Opti beat, landing around him like falling stars. Each impact exploded with a wide radius, wiping away swathes of the horde mindlessly chasing down Opti. The starbursts crept along at his pace, forming a no-man’s land with each of the legionnaire’s footfalls.

Irae recovered from Haru’s strike and lowered his arms to find Opti charging straight for him. The demon licked his lips and smiled a jagged, gangly toothed grin. He flexed his arms and stood in wait for the legionnaire. But the sight of his uncountably many minions falling around Opti en masse caused his smirk to fade, and his preparatory lean to ease upright. His eyes widened and jaw slackened.

The sibyl cooed. “I’m glad I could be of more use than initially anticipated.” She pat Haru on the back and locked eyes with Irae.

The demon’s brow raised as he stared down the sibyl from afar, the fractured and battered barrier between them.

Haru thought he would do more, that he had a slew of unending attacks ready to bear down on Opti. But despite all the demon’s blustering, it seemed as if he was struck immobile by the situation.

And as Opti neared Irae, the horde’s otherwise limitless fury found its limit. The many outside the no-man’s land slowed, the legionnaire easily outpaced them. By the time he closed on the demon, the horde all but stopped, as if to watch what was happening. As they halted, so did Oracle’s stream of starbursts, the light at the end of her staff dissipating.

Opti wasted no time and leaped to slash at Irae’s face. The jump avoided a wide swipe, likely out of the legionnaire’s periphery. As the demon’s arm came across from the whiff, Opti stabbed him in the cheek and stumbled back, trying to steady himself on Irae’s arm before tumbling down to the invisible ground that the demon also stood upon.

Landing on his feet, Opti continued his assault, rushing under the demon’s elbow to jab him below the ribs.

The assault continued for a while, Irae taking many uncountered blows to the body and head.

Oracle piped up, still standing next to Haru. “He’s starting to tire.”

“It might not be enough.” The sibyl followed up.

Haru raised her staff again and aimed carefully. No matter how she adjusted, there was no way to attack without hitting Opti. “Just get out of the way.” Haru grumbled.

Stolen novel; please report.

Opti’s fatigue finally caught up to him, and Irae recovered fast enough to bear down on the legionnaire. Though Opti wasn’t tired enough to not react, he brought his shield up and was pinned by the demon’s double-handed strike.

“You did all this for nothing.” Irae growled, flames spouting from the corners of his mouth. “In the end you will still be nothing more than my plaything for all eternity.”

Haru didn’t hesitate and dashed, leaped into the air, and mounted her staff. She flew high at break-neck speeds. Then over the two, she was able to find an angle good enough to hit the demon without risking hitting Opti. Ripping the staff out from under her, she started to charge her weapon while hurtling back down toward the invisible ground. Her rapid descent followed the exact path the beam would take.

“How does it feel to be on the precipice of eternal suffering?” Irae growled, magmatic saliva dripped onto Opti’s shield with burning hisses. “I can barely contain my elation.”

“Go to hell.” Opti shouted, jabbing with his sword at the demon’s forearms to no avail.

“What say we both?” Irae cackled. The void around his feet began to break away, slowly revealing a portal of fire and brimstone, with a spiral staircase on the very outer rim.

“Were you going to leave lil’ ol’ me behind?” Haru shouted from above.

Irae looked up and gasped. He found Haru’s staff almost in his face, the witch descending straight at him, with weapon overcharged.

“Normal Attack.” Haru gritted her teeth.

The beam burst forth just as the orb of her staff was about to touch his forehead. It engulfed the demon, and he howled in pain. As his silhouette danced and writhed in the pure beam of light, Haru found herself suddenly suspended in place, the ray of her attack continued to burn Irae in perpetuity.

The longer the demon burned, the louder his cries grew, and the more deformed his silhouette became.

Finally, Haru’s attack finished and after floating for a moment, she found herself tumbling to the ground. Opti scrambled and threw himself onto his stomach, using his own body to blunt Haru’s impact, and she landed on his back before tumbling to the invisible ground of the void.

“Phew. Thanks.” Haru looked up from laying on her back to Opti.

But suddenly Opti, still on his stomach, lurched into motion. Latched on his foot, was a pair of tendrils. He yelped as the lashes singed his ankles.

Irae, now in his orb-like form—spikey lashes that swirled around a jagged magmatic stone core, was slowly descending into the portal of fire and brimstone and pulling Opti with him. The demon spoke words that were unintelligible, his baritone voice echoing throughout the void.

Haru rolled and scrambled to grab Opti’s shield arm. They both were being dragged into the portal by the spherical Irae.

“Let me go!” Opti called out.

“I won’t!” Haru shook her head.

The legionnaire looked down at Irae. The two of them were on the precipice of the portal.

“Please let me go. Trust me.” Opti gave her a stern nod.

Haru looked down into the swirling chaos inside the portal, then back to Opti before releasing her grip on him.

The legionnaire used his shield to flip himself on his back before dropping it. Then he leaned forward and gripped the tendril with his free hand. He shouted as the surface of the lash burned his flesh. Despite the pain, he pulled himself toward the core of the demon. As he drew closer, he winced, shielding his closer eye from the overwhelming heat.

With the top half of his body beyond the precipice of the portal, and only one leg out, he yanked himself forward into striking range of the core.

Irae released his tendril from Opti’s leg and spun his rings to dislodge the legionnaire.

But it was too late. The moment Opti was free, he yanked himself forward and thrust his sword into the magmatic core of the demon.

The moment the sword pierced Irae’s core, his spikey rings stopped spinning in an instant. The tendrils fell lip and tumbled away like cloth rags, burning up in the immense heat of the depths of the portal. The demon’s slow descent turned into a free fall.

And Opti was falling with him.

Just before his other leg entered the portal fully, Haru latched onto his foot. She was dangling legs-first into the portal, hanging off her floating staff. She tried to urge it to ascend, but an unnatural pull was keeping it in place.

“Climb, quickly!” Haru shouted at Opti.

The legionnaire let go of his sword, and it tumbled deeper into the portal, melting and turning into flecks of liquid metal, losing its form faster than it fell. Opti reached up and grabbed Haru by the forearm. She let go of his leg and he flipped around, then reached for the staff and slowly lifted himself out of the portal.

After Opti was back on the invisible ground of the void, Haru was able to slowly ascend with her staff. Opti knelt and reached to pull her out.

Just as her hand contacted his, a spikey lash darted out of the fiery depths and snatched Haru up by the leg.

“No.” Irae called out from the inferno. “I won’t let this slight go unpunished.”

Haru screamed.

“I curse you, Haru.” Irae’s voice boomed from the deep. “All of the sins of the world will fall upon your shoulders. You will fall prey to the worst vices imaginable. And then you will take his place. One day, you will belong to me.”

A deep pain surged throughout Haru’s body. Pain she’d never experienced before. Hurt that sparked rage. Then a deep void, knowing her avatar was gone, which beckoned envy that Opti still was part of the game. These feelings emanated from the demon’s spikes that burrowed deep in her ankle.

A ray of gold descended from overhead, Oracle fired starbursts into the portal. The sibyl reached down from next to Opti and grabbed onto Haru’s other arm.

“Steady now.” The sibyl called out. “And… pull.”

The two yanked at Haru while Oracle continued to fire beams of light into the portal. A deep rumble shook the void as the tendril around Haru’s ankle loosened its grip before slithering back into the depths from which it came. Now free, Opti and the sibyl had no trouble pulling Haru from the portal.

The moment the witch left, the portal snapped shut, like an eyelid closing. Once it was shuttered, the seam disappeared and there was no trace of it left.

Haru regained her footing and looked around. There was no sign of the horde. All there was to prove any kind of conflict happened was the battered shards of her barrier. The void was quiet, still. Opti and the sibyl helped Haru get herself upright. She brushed herself off and looked around with a satisfied sigh.

“Is that it? Did we do it?” Haru blinked, nervous.

The sibyl nodded quietly.

Oracle laughed and pat her on the back.

Opti was silent but solemnly nodded along with the sibyl.

Haru placed her hands on her hips, satisfied, with a sigh of relief. While they would need to figure out how to get out of here, that was probably going to be the easy part. She took stock of what was overhead, which was nothing, and gauged how hard it would be to climb up there to see if there were some kind of break to get back into the game world.

Then there was the issue of Opti. They of course could hang out any time, he could have a nice apartment in Fairbank, and she could come visit him in between going to do encounters. He and Vernal could share Royal Choco Biscuits, but Haru would need to figure out how to make sure one or the other didn’t hog too many of them. Maybe there could be some sort of rule for how many each would get from the pack.

“Haru.” Opti called out.

His voice broke her train of thought, and she hummed. “Yes?” She blinked.

“It’s time for me to go.” Opti spoke flatly.

Haru looked around. “Oh, yeah I’ll figure out how to get us out—”

Opti shook his head, then looked at the sibyl for a moment. “I have to go.”

Haru tilted her head. “Where do you have to be? I can get us to anywhere in the game in no time.”

Overhead, a soft, warm golden light slowly ignited. It washed away the void along with the remnants of her barrier. Haru found herself standing with the other three on a cliffside, overlooking the City of Gold to the west, and the ocean crashing upon the shores to the east. Of the twelve gates, two of them had ignited, one red, and the other green.

The sibyl walked over to stand beside Opti.

Oracle stood beside Haru.

“It’s time for me to leave this place. To move on.” Opti motioned toward the city. “I can’t stay here forever.”

Haru stumbled over herself trying to find the right words, the correct questions to ask. This seemed so sudden. “W—well, when will you be back?” She looked to Oracle, then to the sibyl, still unable to make sense of why this was happening.

Opti chuckled and grinned for a moment but returned to his somber mood quickly. “I’m not sure I’m coming back, kiddo. My business here is done.”

The golden light overhead again radiated, engulfing everything. As the four once stood in an endless void against Irae, now they stood in an endless ocean of golden rays. Gone was the city, the ocean, the cliffside.

As the golden rays washed over them, realization of what was happening fell upon Haru. She felt tears forming on the edges of her eyes. She sniffed and looked down at her shoes.

“Besides, don’t you have an encounter to keep going?” Opti tilted his head with a smile.

“I think I’m out of the game for good. If it’s even still going.” Haru cleared her throat.

“It’ll go for a long while.” Opti continued to grin. “And you tell them that if you don’t get put back in, they’re going to answer to me.”

Haru closed her eyes and let slip a giggle, then nodded. “Will I ever see you again?”

“Goodbyes aren’t forever.” The sibyl’s soothing voice called out.

Haru rushed over to Opti and wrapped her arms around him. “Then goodbye for now.”

Opti hugged her and then pat her on the head. “Goodbye for now.”

Haru stepped back from them as the sibyl and Opti were engulfed in a small green orb.

Oracle marched over to and around the sphere. “It’s not every day you meet a sibyl.”

“I’m surprised.” The sibyl looked upwards. “I would have thought someone of your station would have encountered more of us. I’m more shocked we’ve never met before.”

Oracle cackled and raised her crook. “I’m more of a hands-on kind of gal.”

“Do you know the way?” The sibyl continued to look upwards.

“I’ve been through there once or twice.” Oracle’s mildly sarcastic tone echoed out as she ascended along with the sphere with the two inside.

The three passed through fluffy gold-hewn clouds as they continued to climb, before disappearing into the light.

Haru waved goodbye as they ascended, and continued to do so even after she stopped being able to see them, sobbing the whole time. She wasn’t alone for long as the golden rays around her engulfed her vision and suddenly all was dark.

“Roo?” She heard a mild sniffing in her right ear. “Are you awake?” It was Vernal.