“Let her go!” I took a step forward.

“Oh? Sad you lost your sword? Then again, all you ever wanted is power, right?” The girl teased.

“You don’t understand anything!”

“I don’t have to! It’s always the same with your kind. You… daddy… all you ever wanted was power! I wonder what will happen when that power is unleashed on you.”

“I’m giving you one last chance…” I took another step forward.

“Not here.” She grinned. “This reunion is for the final trial! Oh, don’t worry though. I won’t leave you defenseless. Here take this trash!”

She threw out her hand and a blade appeared, landing on the ground and rolling to me. I went to charge her, but she disappeared, taking Alysia with her. Making a face, I reached down and grabbed the sword. I immediately recognized it. It was a broken, rusty thing. This was the ancient blade, the form that the dungeon took in the physical world. It left me feeling even more confused, as I thought she had been the ancient blade. Just what did this mean?

I took a step to head to the next trial, only to see five more clones of Alysia. They had appeared in the place of the little girl. They immediately started to surround me, acting much like the one from the previous trial. No, these girls were even more powerful. They might even be stronger than the original Alysia. I just had that feeling. On top of that, I wouldn’t be supported by Alysia herself.

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“It looks like I’m going to have to depend on you,” I spoke to the old sword in my hands.

There was no response from the sword. Whether it was a spirit sword or not, I didn’t know. It didn’t seem to be able to communicate with me if it was. Then again, I had a feeling my ability to communicate with Alysia had been an abnormality. It was probably because our souls had been wrapped around each other. It created some kind of connection between the pair of us that this dungeon couldn’t predict. That connection seemed to have been severed at this point.

I held up the blade as the girls attacked. As I fought, I felt helplessness and pain. I didn’t want to hurt Alysia. My only choice was to take on all of the pain to myself. After searing my soul in the fires earlier, I had barely managed to recover. I fought with all of my strength and will, but the damage grew. I took cut after cut. This ancient blade just wasn’t Alysia. I needed her. I wanted her beside me. I wanted her voice and the feel of her in my hand.

I executed Final Blow and gave out my strongest attack. I was able to obliterate two of them. I was relieved to see that it counted as a new attack.

{Last Chance has been activated.}

I would have fallen there, but I was saved by last chance. I started healing, desperately trying to restore my health as the remaining three Alysia attacked. I raced forward and attacked again. After some furious battle, I was finally able to destroy them. It took plunging us all into darkness, infecting them with Fear, and then using Mimic to trick them into attacking each other. By the time I reached the safe room, I was bloody from head to toe and barely standing.

I collapsed to the ground and passed out, unable to continue to the 9th trial.