"!"
I raised my body imdiately and stood up.
"Sir Nyrel?" Milleia stood up with a questioning gaze but I was too concentrated on looking around .
Where?!
[What happened?]
'Do you see sothing approaching us?!'
I asked Jarvis without choices.
[No…]
"Hey! Be on guard! The enemy is approaching!" I called out, making sure my voice carried to everyone.
In response to my warning, they all swiftly stood up, gripping their weapons tightly.
"There!" Elona exclaid, her voice filled with urgency. We all turned our gaze in the direction she indicated.
A dark, indistinct figure was hurtling toward us at an alarming speed.
Who could that be?
-Bam!
With a thunderous impact, the figure reached in an instant.
Shit!
"Reflect."
-Booom!
In an instant, a powerful feminine voice resonated, conjuring a massive mirror that materialized before and forcefully repelled the dark entity.
"You saved there, Mary," I acknowledged, offering her a grateful smile.
"W-Who is she?" Jayden stamred, bewildered by the sudden appearance of Mary.
"She is a friend of Sir Nyrel," Milleia answered, providing a brief explanation.
"Wow! She's stunning!"
"R-Right!"
"I think I'm in love."
I chose to ignore the cringe-worthy comnts from Jayden's companions, focusing my attention on the situation before .
Observing the figure more closely, I finally recognized that it was one of the corrupted beings associated with the Iris Project. Just like Pyres and Morino, once they died, they were transford into these abominations.
But that face... it looks so familiar...
"D-Dylan...?" I muttered, glancing at Miranda standing beside . Her previously composed expression had turned pale, and she stared at the figure with a mix of fear and recognition.
Dylan?
Isn't he one of her childhood friends?
The guy who irritated in the dungeon and had a crush on her?
So he died... and now they've corrupted him.
Dylan's face twitched chanically as he heard Miranda's voice. Oozing black substance covered his body, and his eyes lacked focus. His hands disappeared, replaced by dark, spiked appendages. He took a step forward—swiftly.
Fast!
Thanks to the enhanced perception of the Falkrona Bloodline, I could barely track his movents.
He was heading straight for Miranda.
Huh?
I stood dumbfounded as Miranda made no attempt to defend herself. Instead, she wore a nervous smile and walked toward Dylan.
"D-Dylan, it's Miranda. Don't you recognize ? Soone is controlling—"
What the hell is she doing?!
"Mary!"
I called out to Mary, and a mirror materialized behind Miranda. In an instant, she was pulled into it and reappeared behind through another mirror. Without sparing a glance for Miranda, I stepped into the mirror myself and swung my two short swords.
-Spuuuurt!
Dylan was caught off guard, but the repulsive black entity managed to block my blades. In a swift motion, I leaped back into the mirror, instantly reappearing in a different location.
It's too dangerous.
I mustn't co into direct contact with that dark creature.
"Dylan, what are you doing?" Miranda's pleading voice reached my ears, infuriating .
"He is dead!" I shouted with frustration.
Miranda's face paled at my words. "N-No... he's... he's alright..."
"M-Myra..." Elona attempted to rise, but the toll of our previous battle rendered her immobile.
"M-Mi-Mira-nda...!" A strained voice erged from Dylan, but it wasn't him. It was just the remnants of his fading consciousness.
"Y-Yes! It's Miranda!" Miranda's smile grew, her steps drawing her closer to him.
I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat as I watched Miranda approach with a desperate, trembling smile. Tears welled up in her tangerine eyes.
"R-Rah!" Dylan's head contorted unnaturally, and he lunged at Miranda.
"Hexagonal Barrier!" Milleia swiftly intervened, conjuring a shimring blue barrier in front of Miranda.
Booom!
Dylan's spiky hand shattered the barrier in an instant, but Milleia was quick on her feet, creating multiple layers behind it to reinforce the defense.
"Sir Nyrel!"
Understanding Milleia's intentions, I summoned a mirror behind the unstable Miranda and whisked her away, bringing her closer to our group.I think you should take a look at
Dylan's attention imdiately shifted toward Milleia and Miranda as he propelled himself off the ground.
"Mary, take Miranda away," I commanded, positioning myself in front of Milleia, who struggled to summon another barrier.
"Reflect!"
BOOOOOM!
Upon collision with my mirror, it shattered, propelling both Dylan and backward. I crashed onto the ground, groaning in pain as I fought to catch my breath.
My body was reaching its limits after enduring nurous battles.
I have to sever his head.
With the staff unable to accomplish the task, I could only rely on Trinity Nihil. However, how am I supposed to get close enough to him to deliver a fatal blow?
Narrowing my eyes, I forced myself to stand, murmuring, "AP Conversion."
[2572]
[2569]
Mary comprehended my plan and shattered all the mirrors surrounding her, creating sharp shards that she hurled at Dylan. However, to our dismay, the shards effortlessly passed through his body, as if piercing through water, nullifying her attack.
Now!
Summoning a mirror, I materialized behind Dylan, brandishing Trinity Nihil and aiming for his neck. But at the last mont, a spike jutted out from his back.
"Argh!" I blocked the spike with my blade, but the force propelled through the air, hurtling hundreds of ters within a split second.
BOOOOM!
"AGH!" I coughed up blood and collapsed to my knees. "Ah... ah... ah... damn it..."
[He is approaching.]
I lifted my gaze and saw Dylan charging straight at .
Fuck!
Frantically surveying my surroundings, my eyes widened as I spotted the portal leading to the 48th floor.
Thankfully, Mary arrived and positioned herself in front of , but...
It was dangerous.
"Mary, move."
"No."
"It's dangerous!" I warned, urgency lacing my voice but she was still heeding to my words and prepared herself to parry the attack.
"N-Nyr?" With no other options, I instinctively grabbed hold of Mary by her waist and leaped into the portal. My vision blurred as we erged on the 48th floor.
Hopefully, he won't follow us--
"!" I swiftly rolled on the ground, narrowly evading the corruptive spike.
Mary appeared once again in front of , but she dissipated into her own dinsion with a radiant light, as I had depleted most of my mana.
I let out a relieved sigh before channeling Ruah around Trinity Nihil.
As Dylan's spiky arm reached out for once more, I deftly sidestepped and swung my sword with all my might. Trinity Nihil sliced through the dark substance effortlessly, severing his arm.
"RAHAHHHA!" Dylan roared in agony, stumbling backward.
-Whooosh!
Suddenly, an arrow soared through the air at high speed, piercing Dylan's stomach. I glanced behind him and saw Miranda, bow at the ready. She fired another arrow, conjuring a gust of wind that gently propelled backward, creating a safe distance between and Dylan.
Sliding back along the ground, I watched as Miranda landed gracefully before .
"Kill him," I instructed her. I had no doubts that she possessed the capability to do so.
"No. There must be another way--"
"Stop that!" I snapped, unable to bear the sound of her hopes any longer. "Can't you see that he's dead?!" I pointed at Dylan's bloated body, where no blood even spurted after I severed his hand or after he was struck by Miranda's arrow.
"N-No... I'm sure that if--"
"There's no way he can be--" My words caught in my throat as I reached out, gripping her arm to make her face .
"..."
Miranda t my gaze with her tangerine eyes brimming with tears.
You haven't changed, Miranda.
Always shedding more tears for others than for herself.
"!" Positioning myself protectively in front of Miranda, I brought down my sword, parrying the blackish substance. But his other spike struck my blade once again, sending hurtling through the air, with Miranda sheltered securely behind .
"Ugh!" Both of us rolled on the ground, and I ended up taking the brunt of the impact, shielding Miranda.
"A-Are you okay--"
-Bam!
I slamd my right hand onto the ground near Miranda's head, as we lay on the ground. "Listen, Miranda." I removed my mask.
"!" Miranda's eyes widened as she saw my black hair fading to gray and my red eyes returning to their amber hue.
"Your friend is dead. How long will you continue to cry? I'm not asking you to stop crying, but not right now. This isn't the right mont. I may not be able to defeat him, but you can."
"E-Edward--"
"You've lost one of your closest friends, but you still have many others who care about you, Miranda. Elona, Aurora, Lea, Carla, Theo, your younger brothers, your father."
As she listened to my words, Miranda covered her eyes with her arm, tears streaming down her face.
"Aunt Olivia wouldn't want to see you crying like this, Myra." Out of habit, I gently patted her hair and slumped down beside her.
Miranda sniffed and slowly stood up. Retrieving her bow, she gathered an imnse amount of mana. Her hair radiated a dark green glow, elongating as if moved by an unseen wind. "Aeolus," she muttered, and a subli arrow materialized on the bowstring.
The ground beneath rumbled from the sheer pressure of Miranda's awakening. "I-I'm sorry!" She closed her teary eyes and released the bowstring.
-BOOOOOOM!
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