Why are there so many undead here? Is it because nobody is doing soul cleansing in these parts, instead just cutting them down with normal weapons? I mean, light magic is quite rare, so I can understand that second part, but according to Senka there shouldn't be that many fatalities each year. Don't tell me they're being attracted to me or something...
"Sivalta!" I roar and a huge wave of light spreads out with me at the center, and moves through the hordes of undead that are blocking the way. They breathe out their souls and their bodies turn to dust, leaving only their equipment in piles. I don't want to waste any time on this rabble, and while I could just eat them... I'd rather not.
Kamii's smell is distinguishable even through the overwhelming stench of rot. Maybe it's just because I'm that focused on her, or maybe because it's the only really good-smelling thing inside this dungeon. In either case, it's like a beacon leading me through the darkness of the catacombs, which is lit up by Asoko using the Circumluceo spell - a light orb that surrounds the user, but can be shrunk to the size of a small ball at will.
Along the way I can see some zombies that have been slashed apart or completely squashed, which haven't been eliminated by my light spell. This leads me to believe that Kamii might have finally realized her potential and was fighting alongside Rolan's party. I would be smiling at her progress, if I didn't feel like she's in mortal danger right now.
But I do notice the zombies that have been cut into pieces despite wearing plate armor. While I know that fantasy and action films like to portray armor getting cut apart by swords as if they're actually made of paper, I also know that real armor - if it covers the body properly - basically completely nullifies bladed weapons. Considering the members of the party, Rolan is the only one who wields a sword. How did he do it?
Then again, I don't really care right now, and speed onwards. I'm sure there's a simple and magical explanation for this.
The journey takes us through tunnels and over deep chasms reminiscent of the underground kingdom, and while the construction techniques used aren't nearly on the same level, the overall feeling is similar. Then again, these are tombs, while the Dwarven Kingdom was made for the living. But the end result was the same: Hostile places where the living are no longer welcome.
Senka is keeping track of time somehow and tells me that we've been here for almost two hours. At the rate we're progressing, we should be catching up to them soon, since they had to fight their way through the undead and do their best to avoid traps. It seems my Sivalta was strong enough to clean out everything along our path. I did put my all into it, because I don't care for fighting right now. And as I lunge, jump and sprint through the dungeon, I avoid all the traps by being faster than they can activate.
Finally, we come upon a place that seems like there's going to be a boss fight to my trained eye. This is where Kamii's smell grows the thickest and there is no hint of it continuing beyond here. I'm now convinced that she isn't dead, but was simply teleported somewhere outside of Senka's reach. Anything else seems unlikely under these circumstances.
"Kamii is alive..." I take a breath of relief and signal for my passengers to get down from my back, as I transform into my academy appearance again. "... look for clues of a transportation circle. Basically anything that looks magical."
The boss room is a gigantic circular hall illuminated by countless lamp crystals, with the ceiling disappearing in the darkness above. It's basically a coliseum, with rows and rows of seats for spectators. On its far side is a massive portcullis, beyond which undoubtedly the other contestant would be coming from, if there was still life in this place. The ground is simple dirt, but unexpectedly clean - and not a hint of any magic circle can be seen. It's really large for being underground, but nowhere near as extensive as the halls of the dwarves.
Just when we all walk through the gateway, a heavy metal trap door closes behind us, and a ghostly whisper runs through the arena. The spectator seats fill with a greenish glow and murmurs rise to the roaring of an excited crowd, as the coliseum comes to life. I look over the spirits that have gathered and find that they all look like simple citizens hoping to see an enjoyable show. Why weren't they affected by my light spell from earlier? There are two explanations: It didn't reach this far, or they're high enough level to not be affected by it.
This is the place where Kamii, Rolan and his party were teleported away from, and the fact that the pre-bossfight cutscene is still happening means that they didn't defeat it. But if they didn't die, it means they might have been sent somewhere as a sort of punishment - for a reason I can't even begin to fathom, though. In either case, we'll have to try and replicate what happened to them, so that we can get to where they are.
"Welcome to the Grand Arena of Castra Legionis!" A reverberating male voice echoes through the arena and the crowd goes wild. It sounds like a trained ring announcer, about to call out the reigning champion with great fanfare, before introducing the challenger with encouraging words. I'm expecting some huge chained zombie beast to come from the other side, and I'm not disappointed.
The portcullis is pulled up and from behind it emerges an already half-zombified minotaur. It's at least twice as tall and three times as wide as Gram is, its thick, muscular arms around the circumference of two of me. It stomps its hooves and breathes loudly, swinging a huge metal club that looks like it could cave in an elephant's head with a single hit.
"Bull Demon Taurion shall be your opponent. It will test to see if you have what it takes to face the champion. Die a death worthy of applause, challenger!" The ghostly voice announces and the crowd cheers. So this is basically a noob-check? But considering this thing is still here, Rolan and his party failed to defeat it? Is that the condition to be teleported away? But it looks more like failing to defeat it would result in death.
The minotaur, apparently called a bull demon here, charges forward wildly, its every step shaking the ground we stand on. One of its eye sockets is empty and crawling with maggots, while the other stares at us with the milky-white gaze of a corpse. The rotting hide is spotty and some parts are tearing with every step. I don't know how anyone could think that a zombie could have the strength to defeat a healthy human being of the same height and build, but this is a pretty huge monster after all.
I turn my right hand into a small version of the head of a dragon, recreate the inner workings of its throat in the overly convenient hammer space that is the interior of my body, inside my arm, and shoot a large blast of plasma at the minotaur, melting its entire upper body away almost instantly. Its legs perform two more steps, as if unaware of having lost everything else from the waist up, before collapsing to the ground a few paces away from me.
The entire arena goes silent at this sight and I can feel Hestia's hot gaze filled with admiration on my back. Even the announcer seems to be speechless and for a moment time seems to have stopped. Then, without warning, the crowd begins to scream and shout in excitement, giving a standing ovation at my overwhelming display of power. For a second I'm taken aback. I thought this was a sort of death trap where unlucky adventurers are lured into and forced to fight against the stars of their own choosing. Cheering for one such adventurer seems really strange to me.
"That was an adequate performance, challenger, if a little messy." The voice speaks in a judgmental tone. Oi, who do you think you are, to be able to say that my show of incredible might was just an adequate performance? "Yet Taurion was just a measure of strength. Let us see how you fare-"
"I only want to know one thing." I interrupt him and once again, silence lays itself over the crowd for a moment. Then booing breaks out over my rudeness of not letting the announcer finish his sentence. But I don't care, as I gather air into my body and easily drown out the noise with my voice, enhanced by easily repairable vocal cords and a huge lung volume. "What happened to the group of adventurers that came earlier today?"
Once again, silence reigns supreme. Then the voice responds.
"You may use the wish you are granted when... IF you defeat the champion, to ask that question."
"Then bring out that champion you're so proud of. Let's see how he fares against me." I walk forward and exclaim into the arena. I don't have time for these games. But somehow the crowd begins to cheer for me.
"What a feisty challenger, the crowd is in love with you!" The voice speaks with an impressed tone. "But is your passion enough to claim the crown? We shall see..."
"Oi, you better stop!" Senka suddenly shouts and I turn to her. "I'm sure that's copyrighted..." What is?!
"Three cheers for the champion of the arena!" A ritualistic roar runs through the rows of spectators like waves, and it's clear that they're really excited for what's to come. For me, there's not going to be any difference whether it's going to be a zombie giant or some kind of ghostly warrior. I will blow them away with a single hit and be done with it. Oh wait, can't just blow them away, I need answers first. "Make way for Queen Aurelia!"
The portcullis on the other side opens and a lone figure comes through it confidently. As the name suggests, it's a woman, completely clad in a gold. Even her skin is a pristine golden, and if I had seen her stand still in a hallway of a palace, I would have thought she was a statue. But her most distinguishing feature is the fact that she seems to be a little smaller than Hestia, and has an almost flat chest, just one order above Kamii's size.
"That's going too far!" Senka says in despair, but I don't know what she means. Is it because her appearance is too gaudy?
"Queen Aurelia! Queen Aurelia! Queen Aurelia!" The crowd cheers in unison at her sight, even though she doesn't wave or even pay much attention to them. But really, she just looks like a normal human girl being covered in golden paint. Maybe she's a mage and will fling spells at me from afar? There's quite the big distance to cover after all. What I wonder the most about is the fact that she doesn't show any signs of decomposition, so does that mean she's actually alive?
I can't outright kill her, but pinning her down should do the trick. Then I can ask her all I want. I have to admit that she does look pretty cute, most specifically of the tsundere type, so I'm looking forward to her resisting me and giving me a reason to tickle it out of her... no wait, I don't have time for this. Who knows where they are? They could be on the Dark Continent or even the Demon Continent, and be surrounded by dangerous beasts or enemies.
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Sorry, but I'm not sorry; I'll be ending this in a single attack. I run forward and transform into a Vularen to cover the distance quickly, aiming to lunge at her and pushing her down. Not in the sexual sense...
"As expected of someone who would dare bark at the queen, you take on the form of a mongrel." She states haughtily and spreads her arms in a challenging gesture. Then her expression changes to a serious and displeased one. "Know your place!" She points at me and from the darkness above a shower of gold rains down on me. Wha-
My body is pierced by countless golden weapons that traveled too fast for me to absorb. I'm pinned to the ground by spears and swords, and Aurelia walks forward without a care in the world. The crowd cheers at its queen's might. Overcoming my initial surprise, as this body is pretty much impervious to physical attacks, I morph into a human shape and run forward once more while changing my arms into their true appearance. She's still far away, but I whip my tentacles at her.
"You would dare to extend your filthy appendages towards me, you vile creature?" The queen lifts a hand and an immaterial shield with a golden glow blocks my attack. Was that a sort of barrier magic? "If you wish to approach me so, it is only natural for you to lower your head into the dirt before my presence." A hammer comes down on my back and my knees buckle under the impact, causing me to fall to the ground face-first. If I was a normal human, that would have shattered my spine, and while it actually did so for this body, I can simply reform it. "Yes, that looks much more fitting for a lowly creature such as you." Once again, the spectators shout their support for her.
Rage begins to build inside me. She doesn't need her arms and legs to tell me where Kamii has been sent, right? I get up and glare at her.
"Spirit S-"
"Who allowed you to speak?" Aurelia asks rhetorically, her tone low and menacing. In the next instant a sword pierces me through my mouth.
"Ack-?!"
"Onee-sama!" Hestia screams behind me and spreads her wings. No, don't come, you can't handle this one!
"Ah, what a pitiful form for a Fata." The queen says with a disdainful expression.
"Don't you dare touch her!" I pull out the sword and scream, rushing forward to stop her.
"You were incredibly fortunate to be allowed to bask in my radiance from so close for so long. It is time for you to take your distance again." Aurelia points at me, upon which a boar spear pierces my chest and drags me through almost the entire arena, before I can finally form a hole with my body and let it pass through. "Now, for the corrupted Fata." She waves her hand at the girl almost absentmindedly, now that I'm not close to her anymore.
In the next instant a single spear comes down at Hestia and pierces her through the stomach, embedding itself in the ground behind her. Senka and Asoko who stood right beside her were completely unable to react and stare at the impaled girl in shock.
"HESTIAAA!!!" I roar and fully transform into a dragon. I don't care now, I will evaporate this golden girl! Gathering the plasma in my throat for a moment, I shoot it at her at full power, leaving no room to dodge. However, she doesn't even seem to feel bothered by it. Once again, the golden shield covers her and the plasma is redirected around its curvature, before hitting the ground and leaving behind a smoldering crater.
Using the smoke screen it creates to rush to Hestia's side, I rack my brain for a specific higher level light spell to heal her with. She's still breathing, albeit only barely, so every moment counts. Of course, Aurelia won't be giving us any time and attack relentlessly with those golden weapons. I turn to look at the queen, ready to cast a light shield, but she doesn't seem intent on doing anything while my back is turned to her.
"I do not attack the back of a challenger, as long as it is in a fair one on one." She notices my glare and states in a matter of fact tone. Clearly, she thinks she has the leeway to do so, and I'll make her eat dirt for it.
"Luce Puellam Hoc Gravissimum Vulnus Sanandum!" I shout the instant I pull the spear out of her body. It's a high level light spell that can pinpoint heal a wound of a certain size, but does nothing for an extensive one, such as what I sustained in the desert and what Asoko suffered in the battle against the dragon. "Take care of her, Asoko, Senka." I say and stand back up after verifying that the spell was effective.
I turn and walk towards Aurelia, who's waiting with her arms crossed, a slightly impatient expression on her face. Apparently there's not a hint of excitement in her actions, despite the fact that this is a battle taking place in an arena in front of a crowd looking for blood. She shows the confidence of someone undefeated in many battles and who never experienced a setback in life. I will be the one to deliver her first loss.
"Spirit Spears!" I shout and a whole array of lances appear around me.
"You may yet serve to entertain me." Aurelia says and all the weapons that had been used so far gather around her in the same fashion as my spell. This must be some sort of magic, but she's not chanting anything, so I have no idea how to look out for it. I'll stuff that mouth of yours with my tentacles. In fact, when I get them onto you, I'll fill every single one of your holes with them and make you scream for mercy!
The spirit spears shoot forward at the same time as the weapons do, and they meet in the middle, deflecting each other or disappearing in explosions of magic. Apparently these weapons are not simply made of gold, but are enchanted in one way or another. Neither of our projectiles even come close to the other, and I begin to run forward, while Aurelia leisurely walks towards me as if she's on a simple stroll through the park.
I know my limits and options with this body: Even though I can pull things into my body pretty quickly, the speed is quite limited. That's what Aurelia has over me with her weapons, which seem to appear out of nowhere and fly at her every whim. While they don't hurt me much, their destructive power is real. I could expand my body to its full size, but I know for a fact that it's nowhere near enough to fill out this arena. While it would allow me to take her attacks more easily, my options of retaliating would be reduced.
Applying the Chaos Warhead template to my back, I aim to do something about the speed advantage she has with her silent spells. My feet become bladed skates and I smoothen my body to become more streamlined. A wave of golden weapons comes down at me and I activate my booster by chanting the corresponding spell. Sliding across the ground at an incredible speed, I dodge sideways and circle around Aurelia.
Then I slam into the wall of the coliseum, because there's absolutely no way to make sharp turns with this. And I didn't consider how to brake at all since there was no need for it in midair! Damn, this isn't going to work indoors, even if it's one as big as this arena. Even though I did avoid the attack, I hurt myself more this way than it would have, if they had hit me.
"That was an interesting display." Aurelia states with a mocking sneer. "If you tried to amuse me, you succeeded."
"Just you wait..." I mutter while grinding my teeth. Switching templates to the Vularen once again, I lunge forward, knowing that it'll be a repeat of the first time I tried to close the distance this way. But the moment the weapons come down on me I immediately switch to my loli appearance, causing them to hit the ground around me without a single one even grazing me. Of course, it was more luck than anything else.
"Never has a mongrel such as you been so entertaining, but I grow tired of your attempts to step into my range. Know the difference of our status." Aurelia states with a musing smile, before spreading her arms once again. From above an unprecedented amount of weapons comes raining down, covering a large area inside the coliseum with gold. I create a shield made of the dragon carapace from my right arm just in time to block those aimed at me, but several still pierce through it and stop millimeters from my face. "Now, to put an end to this play."
All weapons in the surroundings rise back up into the air and aim at me. A myriad of blades and spikes, all looking to pierce and rend my body, gather around like an inverted hedgehog. I look around and find that there's simply no way out. The largest space between them is no bigger than a keyhole, and while I may be able to squeeze through it, I surely can't do it as quickly as they can travel and hit me.
But this is what I've been waiting for. These must be all the weapons in her arsenal, so if I get them out of the way, she'll be completely defenseless - aside from that shield. Even then, I'll be able to take my sweet time to peel that one off of her just like another layer of clothing. I explosively expand my body and basically impale myself on the encirclement of animated weapons, taking them all inside my body. Within almost an instant, they vanish into the convenient other dimension that is a Crawling Chaos' amorphous shape.
"Wha-" For the first time, Aurelia shows surprise, and her countenance wavers. I pull my body back together and rush forward, while she takes a step back with a hint of fear. But she notices it herself and her face fills with anger. "... to make me back away, you will pay with your life!" Five swords appear around her, but it's obvious that she doesn't have any more than those at her disposal.
One flies towards me and I deflect it by pulling one of her own swords from inside my body. When she sees it, her anger grows and she immediately fires the other four simultaneously. Twisting my body while jumping forward, I spin through an opening between them, just like the dragon did against my spirit spears. One of them grazes my shoulder, but it doesn't have enough of an impact to slow me down.
"Y-You mongrel!" Aurelia yells, her golden eyes wide open as I approach within arm's length. Apparently she forgot about erecting her shield due to exasperation, but remembered it now, as she lifts her hand and tries to do so at the last moment. But it's already too late, as I grab her wrist with one hand and punch her solar plexus with a fist hardened by the dragon's carapace. As I thought, her body may actually be made of gold. However, my punch had enough force for her feet to leave the ground and to knock all the air out of her lungs. She gasps for air in pained breaths and begins to collapse forward. The crowd goes completely silent at the sight of their champion and queen sustaining a hit like that.
I don't give her any rest, though, as I pull her up by the wrist and sink my knee, hardened in the same way as my fist earlier, into her abdomen - once again with enough force to knock her off her feet. She coughs violently and I let go of her, causing her to collapse to the ground. Holding her torso, she is unable to take a single breath and her face is filled with tears and saliva running from her gasping mouth. There's not a hint of her previously haughty self left, the facade crumbling from pain and humiliation. But this isn't enough. I squat down and pull her head up by her golden hair, forcing her to look into my eyes.
"I don't know what you are, but if you were ever a human, you kneeling in the dirt before me is the natural order of things." I keep my voice low and neutral, as if speaking to a lower creature, and undo the transformation of my face, making sure that none of the others can see it. Aurelia's eyes fill with absolute terror at the sight and for a moment she forgets her physical pain completely. My face cracks open to reveal the mouth I shouldn't have in this form. "The only reason you aren't dead yet is because I need something from you. Do you understand what I mean?"
The golden girl nods frantically, even as her breathing has stopped completely. Still, I'm impressed to detect a hint of defiance in her eyes, even under such circumstances. I expected that all humans who see my face literally lose their minds from fear or outright shut down their brains in self-preservation. Then again, I'm sure she's not fully human. I change my face back into my academy one, let go of her hair and stand up.
"Now, as for my question from before: What happened to the adventurers that came by earlier?" I ask without changing my tone.
"T-They fought against the Mercury Demon and killed it. But in its death throes it used its space magic and transported them away."
"... do you know where to?" I don't like the way this sounds. At my question she flinches, and I basically know how she'll answer.
"I do not kn-"
I spin around and my right arm changes into the dragon's head, shooting a concentrated plasma beam into the rows of ghostly spectators. An explosion rocks the underground arena and Aurelia looks on in fear. Once again, Kamii eludes me by a little, and once again I have little to no information to work with in my quest to get her back.
Alright, I had enough.
"Senka, do you know the way back?" I call out to the stitched girl. She nods in response, seemingly understanding what I want to do. "Then lead them back outside. I'm going to... make an official complaint to those responsible for this situation." Pulling Aurelia inside me for later consumption, I expel the weapons inside my body right after into a large pile, just to be sure that she won't try to use them while inside me.
Then I change into a Vularen once again and rush off as fast as I can - faster than I could with passengers on my back. My destination? You still need to ask? The Royal Academy of course.