The air buzzed, thick with the overflow of mana.

On one side of the room, Emmerich swung her axe with brutal force, sending streams of wind slicing through the air in every direction, their speed blinding.

On the opposite side, Artair weaved between the blasts with fluid grace, dodging most with ease, while the rest were incinerated by his flame-wreathed hands.

"Damn it... I have to find a way to get closer to her." Artair thought, his mind racing as he carefully inched forward, trying to close the distance between him and Emmerich.

"Don't even try!" Emmerich shouted, channeling even more mana into her weapon.

With swift steps, Artair advanced toward Emmerich, hurling a stream of crimson flames in her direction.

The woman responded with a barrage of air projectiles, completely destroying the flames and obstructing Artair's vision.

The professor quickly shielded his face with his arms, redirecting the flames to cover his forearms, absorbing the full force of Emmerich's relentless assault.

"Ugh... damn it..." Artair cursed silently, pushing forward despite the overwhelming force of Emmerich’s attacks. With every step, he edged closer to the woman, determined to close the distance.

"Just die already!" Emmerich screamed, swinging her axe even faster, her movements growing more chaotic by the second.

"In your dreams!" Artair shouted back, swiftly ducking low and charging toward her with all his strength.

Seeing this, Emmerich halted her wild swings for a moment and charged toward the professor, her axe raised high.

Emmerich swung her axe with deadly precision, amplifying the sharpness and speed of her strike using her air magic incantation.

Artair dodged the incoming blow, swiftly redirecting his flames to his hand. With a powerful motion, he thrust his fist into Emmerich's abdomen, flames erupting on impact.

"UGH!" Emmerich gasped as the crimson flames seared through her leather armour, burning her skin.

Artair swung his other hand, aiming straight for her face.

"Now!" He screamed in his mind, channeling all his energy into that second strike.

Suddenly, all feeling vanished from Artair’s hands, and blood splattered across his face.

His severed limbs flew in opposite directions, crimson flames trailing behind them as blood sprayed violently, painting the room in arcs of red. The flames, once under his control, now danced wildly across the walls and floor, consuming everything in their path.

"Ah... A-Ah..." Artair gasped, his breath ragged and shallow. His wide eyes locked onto the stumps where his hands once were, blood gushing from the raw wounds. The shock kept him frozen, his mind struggling to process the pain, the sight of his own mangled body.

Slowly, he raised his head, his gaze meeting Emmerich’s. A wicked grin spread across her face, her eyes alight with cruel satisfaction

Before Artair could react, a gust of wind slammed into him, sharp and unforgiving. He was lifted off his feet, the force of the impact wrenching the breath from his lungs as he was hurled across the room. His body crashed into the shelves with a sickening thud, books and debris raining down around him.

"How about that?!" Emmerich shouted, pointing her blood-streaked axe at the man lying broken on the ground.

Artair’s mind raced, struggling to process what had just happened. "What the hell... How did she hit me?!" His thoughts blurred with confusion and pain as he pressed his mana to the bleeding stumps, desperately trying to stop the flow of blood.

Artair's gaze drifted toward Colla, lying just a short distance away, a large pool of blood spreading beneath him.

"Damn it..." He thought, and despite the searing pain coursing through his body, he continued to transmute his mana into his wounds, trying to heal them as fast as possible.

"I have to do something..." Artair thought desperately, closing his eyes as he channeled more and more mana into his wounds.

Then suddenly, in the darkness that swallowed his vision, figure emerged, a towering silhouette with three pairs of arms.

"Artair..." The figure spoke softly, its voice gentle and undeniably feminine.

"...Reach for me..." She whispered, extending one of her hands toward him, her presence both eerie and strangely comforting.

"...You need me..." Her voice echoed in Artair's mind. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't open his eyes and his eyelids felt as though they were stitched shut.

The figure drew closer, extending all six of her arms toward him, like she was about to embrace him.

"...Accept me, Artair..." She whispered, her arms wrapping around him, enveloping him in a cold, yet strangely familiar warmth.

"N... no..." Artair thought, desperately trying to push the figure away, but his efforts were in vain.

The mysterious figure wrapped her arms tighter around him, as if she intended to strangle him with her grip. The pressure grew, and his breathing became labored.

"...Artair... you need my power..." The figure lifted his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze. Blood-red eyes stared into his, unwavering and intense.

"I..." Artair began, but the woman interrupted him.

"...We’ll kill her... Artair... kill her." She whispered, her voice both soothing and terrifying, her grip tightening as if she could crush his resistance entirely.

"Kill... her...?" Artair responded subconsciously, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"Yes... Let’s kill her... let’s kill them all..." He figure replied, her grip tightening even further, her many arms coiling around him like a serpent constricting its prey.

Artair’s breath grew ragged as the pressure mounted, the figure’s voice echoing in his mind, seducing him with promises of power and vengeance.

"Kill..." Artair mumbled, staring into the woman's blood-red eyes.

At that moment, he felt an overwhelming surge of mana flooding into his body, a force unlike anything he'd ever experienced.

"We'll kill everyone..." The figure whispered, releasing him from her suffocating embrace. Her form dissolved into a wave of energy, flowing seamlessly into him.

The power consumed him, raw and untamed.

Suddenly, small orbs of dark-red mana began to emerge from the open wounds on his arms, merging with his blood and slowly taking the shape of hands.

"Kill..." Artair mumbled to himself, getting off the ground and gritting his teeth as the blood-forged flames crawled up his arms, snaking across his shoulders until they seemed to stop at his neck.

Artair lifted his gaze toward Emmerich, blood dripping from his eyes as the flames crawled further up his neck.

"I... have to kill her..." He muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible. With trembling resolve, he extended one of his flame-forged hands toward Emmerich, the crimson glow intensifying as it reached for her.

"Well, isn’t that interesting..." Emmerich whispered, raising her axe in front of her, preparing for yet another charge at Artair.

But before she could strike, Artair appeared beneath her with blinding speed, driving his fist through the blade of her axe, shattering it completely.

"Kill!" The professor roared, his voice no longer the gentle, cheerful tone it once was, but now rough and filled with hatred, reverberating through the room.

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Artair drove his foot into Emmerich’s abdomen, sending her staggering backward. Without missing a beat, he unleashed several waves of flames from his hands, the crimson fire roaring toward her.

Emmerich braced herself, using the broken remnants of her weapon to deflect the flames. With a single swift motion, she knocked the fire aside, leaving only faint wisps of smoke in her wake.

"Is that all you can do?!" She mocked, a sneer curling across her lips as the blade of her weapon began to slowly regenerate, reforming piece by piece.

Without a word, Artair lunged forward, throwing a barrage of punches at Emmerich. The flames engulfing his fists flared wildly as he swung, each strike aimed to kill, but she deftly dodged every one of his attacks with ease.

"I’ll kill you!" He roared, swinging a fiery fist straight toward her face.

"You’re painfully predictable..." She mocked, her voice dripping with condescension as she caught his hand mere inches from her face. The flames flickered against her skin, but she showed no sign of fear, only a smug grin.

"Oh, is that so?" Artair chuckled darkly, his voice laced with menace as he lifted his other hand.

"Then watch this..." He growled, his voice twisted and distorted, no longer sounding entirely human. He raised a single finger into the air.

In an instant, the ground beneath them erupted in a violent explosion of crimson flames, swallowing more than half of the room in an inferno of destruction. The fire roared like a beast unleashed, its heat searing through the space as it consumed everything in its path.

"HAHA! Eat this!" He roared, his laughter echoing through the room, wild and unhinged.

Artair leaped out of the raging flames, a wicked grin spreading across his flame-wreathed face. His eyes gleamed with a sinister joy as he unleashed a barrage of fireballs into the inferno.

"Already dead?!" Artair bellowed, his voice cutting through the crackling roar of the flames as he scanned the chaotic blaze for any sign of movement. But there was no response, only the relentless hiss of burning debris.

"Good..." He muttered with a twisted grin, his eyes darting around the room. The madness in his gaze deepened as he searched for his next victim, his bloodlust was far from satisfied.

After a moment of scanning the room, his eyes locked onto a trail of blood leading into the next chamber. A wicked smile crept across his face as Artair began to follow the crimson path, eager for more destruction.

But suddenly, his advance was halted. A massive axe came crashing down in front of him, slamming into the ground with a force that rattled the floor.

"Heh!?" Artair spun around, startled by the raging flames beside him. Out of the fire, Emmerich emerged, appearing completely unscathed.

"You... you are really starting to irritate me." She began, stepping closer to him, her presence radiating a menacing calm.

But before she could close the distance, Artair was already right in front of her, his gaze fierce and unwavering.

"You were supposed to die..." He declared, extending his hand toward her, flames flickering ominously around his fingers as he prepared to unleash his fury.

"I could say the same a few times already." Emmerich remarked, stepping closer.

Suddenly, Artair lunged to strike Emmerich directly in the head, but she deftly evaded his attack. With a powerful shove, she sent him crashing into the adjacent wall.

"UGH!" He grunted, hitting the ground hard as the impact rattled his bones.

Emmerich dashed toward her axe, hurling it straight at Artair with lethal precision.

He narrowly avoided the attack by leaping to the side, the axe whistling past him. Seizing the moment, he charged toward the woman, determination fueling his every move.

Emmerich sprang into action as well, skillfully dodging one of Artair's strikes by darting past him, her focus shifting to reclaiming her axe.

With a fierce determination, she swung her weapon, unleashing a powerful wave of wind toward her opponent, the air crackling with energy as it surged forward.

"I will kill you!" Artair shouted maniacally, deftly dodging her strike and immediately rushing toward the woman, swinging his fist. Determination sparkled in his eyes, and flames danced around his hands.

Suddenly, Emmerich pulled out a shimmering malachite crystal from one of her pockets, holding it toward the man.

Artair stopped, staring at the crystal in the woman's hand.

“R... Rosmerta...” He stammered as the flames slowly began to dissipate from his face, and his bloodshot eyes filled with tears.

“Exactly...” The woman laughed, charging at the man, her hand glowing with an emerald light.

With his senses finally returning, Artair attempted to dodge her attack. But the moment he made a move, a searing pain ripped through his chest, as if his very soul had been pierced. He staggered back, gasping for breath, the fiery remnants of his earlier fury dimming under the weight of her power.

Suddenly, a hypnotic, feminine voice once again echoed in Artair’s mind.

“Artair... let’s kill her...” He heard, and then felt the weight of a body pressing down on him.

“No... leave me alone...” Artair stammered, clutching his head in a desperate attempt to block out the voice.

“Why...? Accept me, Artair...” The voice continued, and at that moment, he felt a constricting grip around his neck.

“Get out... get out of my head!” He shouted, fury igniting within him as the flames surged wildly, consuming the upper part of his body.

The heat was excruciating, yet it fueled his rage, pushing him closer to the edge of madness. The pain felt like a twisted blessing, sharpening his focus amid the chaos.

Seizing the moment, Emmerich lunged toward Artair and, using the power of the crystal, forcefully slammed him into the ground.

Chunks of wood splintered, and flames erupted from the point of impact, filling the room with chaos. Artair lay unconscious in the center of a large crater, surrounded by smoldering debris and curling smoke.

“Crazy… You're so pathetic.” Emmerich said, putting the stone back into her pocket and stepping away from the man.

“W…wait…” Artair sputtered, trying to push himself up from the ground.

“No.” Emmerich turned around, laughing right in the man's face.

“Let’s kill her…” The voice continued to echo in Artair’s mind, pushing him to the brink of madness.

“Leave me alone... get away!” The man shouted, gripping his head tightly.

“Oh, right…” Emmerich began, climbing over the crumbling walls toward the library's exit.

“…Havoc sends her regards.” She said, laughter bubbling from her lips as she dashed outside.

The moment she stepped out of the library, the very foundation began to tremble and shatter, the chaos unleashed in her wake.

“What… n-no…” Artair stammered, struggling to rise from the ground.

The entire ceiling began to collapse, revealing countless additional floors and rooms, all teetering on the brink of destruction.

“You heard her? Now you need me…” The voice persisted, and once again, Artair felt the weight of her presence bearing down on him.

“No! Get off me!” He shouted, hitting his head in frustration, desperate to shake off the oppressive sensation.

Darkness began to creep into the man's mind, the voice growing louder and more insistent.

"Accept me already..." The voice became increasingly impatient, pressing against his thoughts like an unrelenting tide.

"No... get away from me!" He shouted, clutching his head in a desperate attempt to drown it out.

As Artair fought against the encroaching darkness, a sudden rumble shook the ground beneath him. The crumbling sanctuary groaned like a wounded beast, its walls threatening to collapse around him. Just as despair threatened to swallow him whole, a brilliant flash of light pierced the shadows.

“Artair! Are you alive?!” A familiar female voice rang out from the upper levels of the library.

Struggling to lift his head, Artair searched for the source of the sound, his vision blurred by pain and tears.

At that moment, he spotted her: a red-haired woman standing near the collapsing structure, just a few steps from the exit.

“L...Linn...” Artair managed to gasp, tears streaming down his cheeks, a mix of relief and desperation flooding his heart.

Her presence felt like a beacon of hope amidst the chaos, repelling the voices from his head.

“Stay with me, Artair! I’m coming!” Linn shouted, her voice filled with determination as she rushed toward him, navigating the falling debris with agility and grace.

The woman landed beside him, slipping her arm under his and slowly lifting him up.

“Linn... what are you doing here...” Artair began, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“Astram sent me to find you. He said, knowing you two, you’d get yourselves into some kind of trouble.” She glanced around at the crumbling sanctuary, a hint of worry etched on her face. “And it looks like he was right.”

“C...Colla... Where is Colla?!” Artair shouted, panic evident in his voice.

“He’s already on the surface.” She reassured him.

“Luckily, you distracted that woman long enough for me to get him out." She said, extending her hand forward, creating a small portal on the floor, its shimmering surface reflecting the chaos around them

“Thank you...” Artair stammered, his voice thick with gratitude.

“You’re unusually meek today.” Linn teased, her smile brightening the dire situation as she widened the portal.

Together, they stepped through the shimmering gateway, and in an instant, they were outside. The sun dipped slowly below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the landscape, while in the distance, patches of forest burned fiercely, smoke rising like dark clouds into the twilight sky.

Beside them lay an unconscious Colla, bandages tightly wrapped around the wounds on his chest and arm. Linn gently lowered Artair to the ground before settling down beside him.

"So, what happened?" She asked, concern etched on her face as she studied his odd demeanor.

"Nothing... important." He replied, though the quiet whispers still echoed in his mind, refusing to fade away.

Linn’s brow furrowed, sensing that something deeper was troubling him. “That doesn't look like 'nothing important''.” She remarked, pointing at the fires engulfing the forest.

Artair nodded slowly, but the weight of his thoughts lingered, casting a shadow over his response.

"How... did you even know we were here?" The professor asked, trying to shift the topic away from the chaos that had just unfolded.

"I ran into this strange green-haired woman while I was searching for you. She told me you’d be here." Linn replied, her gaze drifting toward the burning forest in the distance.

A faint smile tugged at Artair's lips, a small relief washing over him. "So she's alive..."

Linn looked at him, puzzled. "Did you know her?"

"You could say she’s the reason we ended up in this mess." Artair replied, glancing back at the smoldering ruins of the sanctuary.

"Let me guess—were you saving another damsel in distress?" Linn teased, rising to her feet with a playful grin.

"Something like that." Artair chuckled, pushing himself up as well. "It seems to be my specialty these days."

Linn shook her head, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Just promise me you won’t make a habit of it. We’ve had enough drama as of lately."

"I agree... let’s head back home." The man said, moving closer to Colla and gently picking him up.

"Are you already feeling better?" She asked, her voice laced with concern as she created another portal on the floor.

"Not fully, but I can manage enough to help him." The professor replied, positioning himself beside Linn, determination evident in his posture.

Then, they both stepped into the portal, feeling a rush of energy as it enveloped them. In an instant, they were safely transported back to Naso, the familiar surroundings bringing a sense of relief.

The vibrant colors of the landscape greeted them, the scent of blooming flowers filling the air. Artair took a deep breath, the weight of their recent ordeal slowly lifting.

"You have to tell me everything that happened in detail," Linn insisted, walking toward the university.

"Tomorrow. For now, I'm exhausted." Artair replied, trailing behind her.

As they made their way through the familiar paths of Naso, the weight of their experiences hung heavily in the air. The sun dipped lower, casting a warm glow over the campus, but Artair felt an uneasy chill deep within.