The sword’s edge began to lose its sharpness little by little, as Eleonora focused on reshaping it into what seemed to be a pickaxe.

However, the resulting tool had an irregular form, with uneven edges and sections that glowed more intensely than others, as if it were on the verge of breaking apart at any moment.

“This should do,” murmured Eleonora, her voice slightly breathless from the effort.

Leonar’s body trembled under the pressure of the unleashed power, and each swing of the pick emitted heat so intense that the rock melted almost instantly.

Every strike resonated like thunder in the improvised tunnel they had created, the heat causing the air around them to distort.

Eleonora was entirely focused on her task, ignoring even the growing burn in Leonar’s lungs.

It was then that a distant voice echoed.

“Hey! Listen!”

Eleonora ignored it. Her eyes, controlled through Leonar’s, glowed with a supernatural hue, fixed on the direction of the increasingly intense golden light. Despite the constant warnings and comments from that voice, Eleonora continued to disregard it entirely, knowing it wasn’t Leonar’s voice.

As the minutes passed, the rock beneath Eleonora’s feet began to vibrate, seemingly responding to the pickaxe’s power, until with one final blow, the ground shattered into countless pieces.

“Damn it…!”

Eleonora tried to react, but Leonar’s body plunged alongside the debris into an endless void. The scorching heat of a sea of lava drew closer and closer.

For the first time, Eleonora started to feel nervous.

Sure, they wouldn’t die from this, but...

How long would it take for Leonar’s body to regenerate if it was completely incinerated?

But worst of all...

There wasn’t a single drop of water nearby.

Had she overestimated herself?

Suddenly, a strong impact halted their fall. Eleonora found herself standing on an invisible surface, though for a moment she thought she was floating.

“Ugh!” groaned Eleonora, feeling the impact reverberate through her.

Still in control, Eleonora stood slowly, her movements clumsy and her breathing uneven.

What had just happened?

The ground began to reveal itself gradually, with a metallic yellow shine that seemed to pulse with life. The smooth, gleaming texture reflected bursts of light, and with each step Eleonora took, parts of the floor became visible while others vanished, as though the place was evaluating every move.

“What is this place…?” Eleonora murmured, visibly bewildered.

The strain on Leonar’s body was too much. Eleonora let out a long sigh and, with a fluid motion, returned control of the body to its host.

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Leonar felt as though his soul had returned from an abyss. His breathing was heavy, and sweat covered every inch of his skin.

He could barely stand as he took in the surroundings with wide, confused eyes.

“What? Where the hell are we…?” muttered Leonar, stumbling forward.

As he advanced, the floor continued appearing and disappearing beneath his feet, making it feel as though he were walking on an illusion—a sensation that only added to his confusion.

Then, a familiar message appeared before his eyes:

[Power release canceled.]

The initial relief was short-lived as a sharp pain shot through his entire body.

Leonar dropped to his knees, gasping for air.

He couldn’t understand why, but everything hurt!

“Eleonora... what the hell happened?” Leonar asked, his voice trembling as he tried to suppress the shaking in his body.

But Eleonora didn’t respond.

Confused, Leonar activated the ability in his eyes to analyze his surroundings. Before him, a brighter golden light marked what seemed to be the center of the platform.

Somehow, Eleonora had made it to this strange place, so now it was up to him to figure it out.

Without hesitation, Leonar moved toward the light, each step more painful than the last.

Suddenly, a warm yet sorrowful female voice resonated through the air.

“Congratulations... You’ve passed the final test... The leap of faith. You’ve proven yourself worthy of finding me.”

Leonar froze. A look of disbelief crossed his face, followed by a dry laugh.

“Don’t tell me... not again.”

His gaze fell on the center of the platform, where a golden sphere floated softly, radiating an almost divine glow.

Another girl trapped in a sphere?

This had to be a joke.

“What do you mean by leap of faith?” Leonar asked.

The sphere flickered slightly before responding.

“I mean what you did, though I didn’t expect someone to fall from above straight onto this hidden platform. But if that’s the will of the heavens, so be it.”

The girl’s voice was beautiful, but a hint of regret laced her words.

Leonar raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled.

“The will of the heavens? Could you be a little clearer?”

Leonar glanced around, searching for something to give him more context. That’s when he noticed a series of platforms further away, equipped with swinging blades—like a deadly obstacle course.

“And that... what the hell is that?” he pointed toward the platforms.

The voice replied quickly, almost dismissively.

“That no longer matters. What matters is that you’re here.”

Leonar let out a long sigh and crossed his arms.

“Alright, then tell me who you are.”

There was a moment of silence before the voice replied, with a touch of pride.

“I am Celestia, an angel sent by the Lord to fight the great calamity that looms ahead.”

The name etched itself into Leonar’s mind as he stared at her.

His expression shifted from confusion to resignation.

“Of course, another girl trapped in a sphere,” he muttered sarcastically.

Celestia didn’t seem to catch his tone. Instead, she responded enthusiastically.

“And now that you’ve found me, we can form a contract. I will lend you my power so you can fulfill your destiny and fight against the evil threatening this world.”

Leonar frowned.

“A contract? Uh-huh... and what obligations would that entail?”

Celestia seemed momentarily taken aback, as if she hadn’t expected that question.

“Well, not much. Your main obligation would be to fight against the evil seeking to destroy this world.”

Leonar fell silent, processing her words.

Something didn’t add up.

“Evil? Why do you call it that?” he asked, suspicion thick in his voice. “Someone else referred to this threat as ‘the darkness.’ Are we not talking about the same enemy?”

Celestia hesitated, her voice faltering for a few seconds.

“I... I only know that it’s a threat that must be stopped. It doesn’t matter what we call it.”

Leonar’s confusion deepened, but before he could press further, Celestia tried to cheer him up.

“I understand this is a lot to take in! But you’ve proven yourself worthy by overcoming all the trials to find me.”

“First of all, I didn’t overcome any trials,” Leonar clarified with a wry smile. “And second, if you really want me to accept, you’ll have to be clearer about what you’re offering and what I’m agreeing to.”

Celestia seemed confused but tried to maintain her composure.

“Finding me was trial enough. That proves you are the chosen one.”

Leonar let out a bitter laugh.

“It was pure luck. And let me guess: does this also mean you’ll stay in my head like Eleonora?”

Eleonora?

Who the hell was Eleonora?

Celestia hesitated again, but this time her voice took on a more solemn tone.

“My power will be yours, but yes, my essence will merge with yours.”