“Even if I die! I will never let you go!”
The moment those words left his lips, Sonio, who had been at the end of his rope, erupted with one last surge of Magic Power to trigger a spell.
Before anyone could react, a bright red light bypassed the group and streaked toward the rear, directly striking Egrette, who was currently immobilized by the effects of magic backlash.
“Still not ready to give up?”
Bululu was the first to rush to Sonio’s side, her raised fist carrying immense force as she swung it toward his head.
“Wait… what!?”
However, just before her attack could connect, Bululu realized a startling fact. her fist stopped right in front of him. The resulting wind pressure blew back a large section of the forest behind him, causing trees to lean and Sonio’s face to distort from the airflow before returning to normal.
Despite this, Sonio sat there silently, showing no sign of fear.
Or rather, he was no longer capable of feeling fear.
‘Is he… dead?’
Before Bululu’s attack could land, Sonio had already reached the end of his life. Yet, judging by his state just moments ago, he should have been able to survive for at least a little while longer.
Furthermore, he had exhausted all of his Magic Power; he shouldn’t have been able to cast any magic at all…
‘Could it be that he converted his life force into Magic Power!?’
If that were the case, it would make sense. The Magic Power gained from burning one’s life force was substantial, so it was not surprising that he could cast such a spell.
Wait, what kind of magic did he just use!?
In that instant, a massive amount of Magic Power — far exceeding Sonio’s — erupted from behind them. A pure, blood-red hue filled every corner of their vision, and even the moon in the sky was obscured by the crimson glow.
“This is… Egrette?”
The group turned back toward Egrette’s direction. She stood with her head lowered, her entire body radiating an intense killing intent. Even Bululu and Kurimu instinctively wanted to retreat under the pressure. A stinging sensation, like countless needles pricking their skin, spread throughout their bodies.
“…That’s right… it has to be…”
Egrette murmured something under her breath. Her hand tightened its grip on her scythe, the weapon she had used for years, causing it to let out an overwhelmed *creak*.
“Lady Egrette, are you all right?”
Noticing that something was wrong, Bululu called out to her.
“I’m fine. Not only am I fine, I’m in excellent condition.”
Having said that, Egrette snapped her head up. Her crimson pupils were more vivid than before, looking as if they were literally glowing.
In a single moment, Bululu felt a powerful sense of crisis. With her Goblin blood, she immediately understood the signal; it was the instinctive reaction of the weak facing an absolute powerhouse — a warning of mortal danger.
“Calm down. You were just hit by Sonio’s final spell. It likely had a mind-altering effect.”
“Calm? I am very calm. I’m so calm that I’ve finally realized that as long as I kill you, everything will go back to the way it was.”
The moment she spoke, the scythe, shrouded in blood-red Magic Power, appeared before Bululu’s eyes. Bululu hadn’t even been able to track Egrette’s initial movement.
In that split second, time seemed to slow down a thousandfold. Bululu stared at the scythe blade that was just inches away from her eye. Her body’s instincts took over, causing her to react before she could even think. She tilted her head at an extreme angle to dodge the attack.
However, Egrette’s scythe was enveloped in crimson Magic Power that acted like a secondary blade surrounding the weapon. It dragged the air with it, leaving a gash across Bululu’s face.
In the next moment, the small wound expanded unnaturally. Blood sprayed from Bululu’s face… no, upon closer inspection, it looked as if the blood was being forcibly pulled out of her.
“Ugh!?”
Feeling the pain, Bululu quickly leaped backward to create distance. At the same time, she crouched and used her hand to plug the wound.
Fortunately, her level had already reached Level 81, and her self-healing ability, reaction speed, and defensive power were high enough. Otherwise, that expansion of the wound alone could have resulted in an amputation from the eyebrows down.
“Lady Kurimu, please help me restrain Lady Egrette!”
Realizing she could not face Egrette alone, Bululu quickly called for backup.
“I was going to do that even if you didn’t ask.”
Although Kurimu had been afraid at first, the feeling now made her eager to test herself.
Moreover, this was a request from a friend.
With a flick of her tail, Kurimu’s own Magic Power erupted to slightly counteract Egrette’s killing intent. She stepped forward, the power capable of utilizing the Distortion Law condensing in her claws.
She swung a claw, and just like the strike that had destroyed the Dungeon Instance boss, her attack tore through space. It bypassed the distance to appear directly on Egrette’s body.
Because the attack carried the attributes of space and the Distortion Law, it successfully broke through Egrette’s defenses, leaving deep gashes on her body.
However, as a member of the Blood Race, Egrette’s self-healing capabilities far exceeded theirs. In the blink of an eye, she was completely healed.
At that moment, Bululu seized the opportunity. She pulled a small knife from the holster on her leg beneath her skirt and threw it with all her might.
To Egrette, however, this knife was far too slow and weak. She swatted it away with a casual flick.
“A trivial trick…”
She was only halfway through her sentence when the blade and the hilt of the knife separated. A powder hidden within instantly surrounded her.
“A smokescreen… No, this is!?”
“It’s Sleeping Powder. Of course I prepared a backup plan for if the knife didn’t hit.”
The gray powder, which could force someone into a deep slumber, surrounded Egrette before she could react. She inevitably inhaled a small amount. The Sleeping Powder Bululu had commissioned the Maid Guard to prepare was potent enough that even a small amount could affect those at the Demon King Level.
“Now, Lady Kurimu!”
“Got it!”
Taking advantage of the brief window while Egrette was suppressed by the Sleeping Powder, Bululu and Kurimu rushed her simultaneously. Their prepared attacks were about to descend upon her.
“…It seems I’ve been underestimated.”
Suddenly, Egrette spoke. Immediately afterward, her scythe swung in a circular arc. It was so fast that it left a ring of red afterimages around her.
In contrast to that beauty was its devastating power. With just that one swing, a sharp blade of wind carrying immense Magic Power expanded rapidly. Bululu and Kurimu were struck before they even realized what happened, the force nearly cutting them in half at the waist.
Because of the erosion of the crimson Magic Power, their bodies felt as if their blood flow was being controlled, leaving them unable to move. Even their Magic Power circuits had stalled.
“It’s over.”
Egrette walked up to Bululu and slowly raised her scythe.
“As long as I kill you, then everything will…”