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“…I can’t let you enter!”

The sound of a waterdrop filled the night. Daphne’s magic ran through Marianne’s Holy Magic like cracks in the ice. Daphne tried to push Marianne away with an even heavier outpouring of mana, glowing brightly as if about to explode.

“I’m sorry, Marianne….”

The ball of mana exploded, sending Marianne still clutching her Holy Spear, flying like a pile of straw before a typhoon. Then Daphne raised her hand, and chains of magic shot out from her feet, twisting and turning to capture Marianne.

“I’m not sure Elroy is doing well either, and I don’t want him to leave.”

Marianne created magical footholds in the air dodging the chains before landing back on the ground. Daphne bit her lip hard and brought her hand down. The chains began to rain down on Marianne’s head like rain.

“Still, I… I trust him more than that, and I don’t want him endangered because of me!”

Marianne swung her Holy Spear to block the incoming chains. Parrying dozens of them was akin to taking on dozens of people, but Marianne had plenty of experience dealing with more. Parrying, blocking, dodging. Daphne’s chains were closing in on Marianne from all sides with the tenacity of hunting dogs.

“So please stop, Marianne. If I let you go, I will forever regret it.”

Marianne could feel the immense pressure of magic surrounding her. Daphne hadn’t tried to use lethal magic. But the power of a Sixth Circle wizard was not something that could be easily penetrated.

“…Even if he leaves me. Even if I can’t stand alongside him.”

“I will protect him with my life.”

Daphne’s will was steadfast. Marianne let out a small sigh wishing she could see her easygoing demeanor now.

Will. Something Marianne had never had in her life. It was beginning to blossom in Marianne, but it was small and insignificant compared to what Daphne exuded, like a tiny ember in the shining sun.

But Marianne would fight.

Marianne raised the spear again. She was used to fighting to the bitter end.

“Really, you’re just as stubborn as him.”

Daphne’s eyes wavered a little as she said that. Stubborn. Someone who stubbornly enforces their will.

“…In that case, I’ll use a bit more force.”

Daphne shrugged off her thoughts, and the chains flew at Marianne. She stepped forward, her Holy Magic wrapped around her Holy Spear. She swung her spear forward.

The chain broke where she cut.

Daphne began to pour in other magic to stop the advancing Marianne, but she slowly learned to dodge them.

“Unless you’re willing to use lethal magic, you’ll have a hard time stopping me.”

Daphne shook her head. Marianne was getting closer and closer. Daphne’s magic was getting stronger, too. But none of it could kill Marianne.

“If I wanted to, I could subdue you, bruised and battered, but I have no intention of hurting you. Back off, Marianne. I don’t want to do that.”

It was the difference between winning and losing this battle. Marianne thrust her Holy Spear forward. Daphne’s magic scattered. A wall of fire and ice closed in on Marianne. Fire pierced, and ice shattered. The hem of Marianne’s robe scorched with magical flames.

“So please… stand down.”

There wasn’t much distance left. Daphne unleashed most of the non-lethal magic she could muster, but Marianne kept moving forward, unperturbed. Though sharp icicles scraped her arms, her hair was scorched by minor burns from the blazing fire, and she moved one step at a time.

Daphne looked into Marianne’s eyes, but Marianne didn’t focus on that. A small click was heard as the compass needle moved.

Marianne swung her spear. Daphne watched as her magic shattered, and she channeled more. The lethality of the magic was crossing the line she had set for herself. One word from Daphne could be a fireball, a spear of ice, or a pillar of stone. Marianne would be blown away. And Elroy will not be disturbed.

All it took was one word.

The spell broke. The mana Daphne had gathered exploded as it never took its form. With a shield in front of her, Daphne looked at Marianne, who stood on the other side. Marianne didn’t look too badly injured, but she was a mess. Daphne sighed heavily, wondering what to do with the helpless young woman.

“If we go in, is there any way we can find Elroy?”

Marianne wordlessly reached into her bosom and pulled out her compass. Even now, the needle was pointing into the fog.

“…Who would’ve thought.”

Daphne muttered to herself as she sat on the snow, gathering on the ground. Winter. The night was cold, only three days before the new year.

“If I’d known, I would’ve gotten that instead. I was blinded by the possibility of learning magic.”

Daphne laughed self-deprecatingly. A small flame rose from her outstretched hand and died.

“I’m not going in there; I’m desperately searching for a way to interfere with the magic inside the fog from the outside. It needs more time, but what can I do? I’ve got two ignorant people going in to deal with a Disaster.”

Daphne said grumpily. Marianne held still, meeting her violet eyes and listening to Daphne’s story.

“It’s not just Elroy I’m worried about, Marianne. You’re one of us, a comrade-in-arms, a member of the party, and while Elroy may indeed be able to face the Disaster alone, you can’t.”

Marianne’s golden eyes did not waver.

“I am not afraid of death.”

Marianne said in a faint voice, looking at Daphne.

“Even if I were to die in the fog, drained of my mana, it would only be one more person. It wouldn’t make much difference to the greater scheme of things.”

The amount of mana Marianne possessed was not a great deal in itself; her strength was purely due to her body, her skill with the spear, and the quality of the mana she could use.

“Elroy told me, why give up when there’s a chance to save people.”

Marianne straightened her bent knees and took a step toward the fog.

“…Be careful because if you’re wrong, I don’t want to think about what happens to Elroy.”

“In that case, Daphne, I’ll ask you to watch my back.”

With that, Marianne walked away. Daphne watched Marianne walk away, frowning. Daphne drew up the last of her mana and sent it to Marianne. It was the first spell she’d used on Elroy, the one she was most confident in, a protective spell.

“Please bring him back safely.”

Daphne smiled bitterly at Marianne, who blinked in wonder at the protective magic on her body. Spending all of her mana to ensure it would last at least two or three days, Daphne dropped her arm, now completely limp.

“If you two emerge unharmed, I’ll start nagging you.”

“…I see.”

Marianne clenched and unclenched her fist a few times, then looked at the fog. Unlike the cave, which seemed to be openly inviting her to enter, the fog was merely writhing in place, as if it didn’t care whether she did or not. Marianne lifted the compass she held in her left hand. The compass was pointing straight ahead of her.

When the needle twitched again, Marianne took a step. The fog, feigning indifference, showed its true colors as a new prey appeared. Marianne’s hand touched it, and it swallowed her whole in an instant. Only the ashes of her magically burned clothing remained where Marianne had disappeared.

***

“Georg is over there, seasick.”

I looked at Daphne, wondering how often I’d heard her say that. The conversations I had with the people in my visions were changing, but the first thing they said to me was always the same. It’s emphasizing that I’m trapped in a loop. To ensure they didn’t feel like NPCs in a game, the Mist always made their conversations with me different.

“He’s doing it because of how much he ate for breakfast.”

“I warned him that he shouldn’t eat so much, but he still did it.”

At my nonchalant response, Daphne laughed. The sea breeze didn’t blow much this time.

I’m used to it. Now I could feel it swaying even when I was standing on land. I don’t know how much time has passed since we departed. I looked at Marianne, who was walking around the deck. This damn Disaster had shown me so many different ways to kill Marianne. Head cut off, throat pierced, chest caved in.

“We’re getting closer.”

Marianne’s voice sounded wary. How long would I go through this cycle? How long was the Mist going to keep showing me this? Was it until I gave up and let the Kraken kill me? Or–

“I better get ready.”

Until I’m numb to the deaths of my comrades and those I’ll be fighting alongside?

My hand trembled as I gripped the Holy Sword. Until I became increasingly numb to the deaths of others, until I denied myself, denied my resolve, and became a machine that protected the majority at the expense of those around me?

If not that.

I looked behind me. The churning sea. I could faintly see the tip of Bactin’s.

Until I, like Arjen, deny my ideals and accept the Kraken to land in the city.

I shook my head. It couldn’t last forever. Even the Mist will lose enough magic to show me this vision one day. An illusion of this magnitude would probably require a steady stream of magic.

Only by believing that would I be able to stay in it unbroken.

I stared at the end of the channel, getting closer and closer. The waves roared again, and I could hear the demons scratching their throats. Null blended in with the shoals and washed up. As I stared at those saccharine waves, I heard the gunnery officer and the captain shout.

“Load the guns!”

The cannons were loaded and fired. Daphne and Georg exchanged a startled look at the stinging sensation from the Disaster. I clenched my right hand tightly, trying to keep my grip on the Holy Sword from slipping.

And once again, the battle in the illusion began.