Following the trail of blood on the floor, Yukina Himeragi and her companions dashed through the dim corridor, channeling a massive amount of Spiritual Energy beneath their feet.
Faster, faster.
Ignoring the drain on her body, Yukina Himeragi forced her weakened frame forward by manipulating Spiritual Energy, a method bordering on sheer violence. Under this brutal exertion, she suddenly pulled ahead of the other two.
"Whoosh!"
She yanked her spear from the chest of the Beastman that had leaped out to block them and casually tossed it aside. Blood splattered from the weapon onto the floor. Yukina Himeragi bent her knees slightly, preparing to push onward.
"Sayaka, what are you doing?"
A hand suddenly shot out from behind and grabbed Yukina Himeragi just as she was about to sprint forward. Recognizing who it was and fearing that charging ahead might endanger Sayaka Kirasaka, Yukina Himeragi stopped. She turned, her face full of worry, and demanded an explanation.
"Something's not right!"
Sayaka Kirasaka's brow furrowed as she looked around, deep in thought.
"How long have we been away from there?"
Earlier, during the infiltration with Cid, he had shown her the blueprints of the building. Though she had only glanced at them once and couldn't possibly remember every detail, she could confidently say that the distance they had covered chasing Gardos was enough to circle the entire building.
"About four minutes… huh?!"
Yukina Himeragi estimated the time instinctively and answered Sayaka Kirasaka. But as the words left her mouth, her expression froze.
Gardos had left less than two minutes before them. His body was critically injured from the successive attacks by Sayaka Kirasaka and Grendel, both arms severed. How far could he possibly have run in that state?
They had spent almost four minutes chasing a barely-living Beastman without even detecting its presence. Did that make sense?
It did not. But along the way, the Beastman that kept appearing had distracted them, and they were concerned that if they delayed too long, Cid might not hold out. That was why they hadn't noticed.
"Yukina!"
Hearing Sayaka Kirasaka, Yukina Himeragi immediately understood. She raised her silver spear, channeled Spiritual Energy into it, and slammed it into the ground. She intended to use Sekkarou's demon-breaking properties to tear through the barrier—or at least reveal a trace of its Magical Power.
"Boom!"
A deafening crash echoed as a crater erupted at the point of impact. The concrete here was visibly different from the rest of the corridor floor, but its edges glowed purple, quickly converging to reform the floor.
"It's a barrier, but… why?"
Confirming it was a barrier, Sayaka Kirasaka scanned the surroundings but saw no changes—no trace of Magical Power, nothing. She couldn't help voicing her confusion.
"Don't waste your energy. This barrier isn't something you can break so easily."
Suddenly, Asagi Aiba's calm voice came from behind them. The tone made Sayaka Kirasaka and Yukina Himeragi exchange a glance, and the atmosphere grew tense.
Her heart skipped a beat, causing Asagi Aiba, who had been crouched with her head down, to halt her investigation. She looked up in bewilderment, meeting the wary gazes of Yukina Himeragi and Sayaka Kirasaka.
Noticing the suspicion in their eyes, the weapons pointed at her, and their poised stances, she realized how easily her earlier words could be misinterpreted. She quickly explained.
"No, you've misunderstood me. This barrier is sophisticated. Unlike ordinary barriers, which channel Magical Power from the outside along magical runes, this one's source seems to shift constantly based on our positions. That prevents us from sensing the Magical Power flow, greatly increases the barrier's adaptability, and forms a closed loop from the inside out."
"Our positions?!"
Muttering, Sayaka Kirasaka suddenly looked at the corpses of the Beastmen on the ground. She bent down, dipped her finger in the blood, held it up, examined it, and nodded.
"She's right. All the life force in these Therianthropes' blood has been absorbed—by the barrier trapping us."
Hearing this, Yukina Himeragi's expression darkened. Barriers that formed from the inside out and showed no edges were the worst. Sekkarou's demon-breaking ability was useless here. Their options were brute force or dismantling it with superior magical skill.
A standard barrier is like an appliance plugged into a wall socket. She could trace the Magical Power flow, sever the "wire" with Sekkarou, and the barrier would collapse in seconds.
But this inward-expanding barrier couldn't be cut off. It was like it had a built-in battery: as long as the enemy kept sending Beastmen inside, their sacrificed life force would maintain it.
"Yukina, try again. I'll see if I can dismantle it from the inside."
Taking a deep breath, Sayaka Kirasaka regained her composure. Since they couldn't force the barrier with Sekkarou's properties, they would have to tackle it head-on, using knowledge and skill to tear it down.
"Hmm, Sayaka, I'll try to hold out a bit longer this time, so you…"
"Listen, I know I'm acting a little suspicious, but don't you think it's a bit rude to act like I'm not even here?"
Seeing that Yukina Himeragi and the others were completely ignoring her, intent on finding a solution on their own, Asagi Aiba's lips twitched slightly. Her crimson eyes flicked to Sayaka Kirasaka and the others, cold and unyielding.
"You mean… you can handle this?"
At first, Sayaka Kirasaka didn't quite catch her meaning, but she quickly realized what Asagi Aiba was implying and looked at her with a hint of surprise.
"Yeah, I can handle it, but it'll take some time."
Adjusting her glasses, Asagi Aiba nodded, confirming Sayaka Kirasaka's guess.
As she spoke, she had already begun the decryption. Her fingers lightly tapped the void, and one after another, illusory Magical Arts appeared. The surrounding structures flickered with bursts of light, and the glow of Magical Power began to emerge.
It's working!
Exchanging a glance with Yukina Himeragi, Sayaka Kirasaka was astonished. Asagi Aiba had analyzed the barrier's Magical Arts so quickly and had already started dismantling it.
"Roar…"
A horde of Beastmen appeared. Unlike the grunts that had blocked them earlier, these Beastmen were grotesquely swollen, their veins constantly bursting and rapidly healing. Madness burned in their eyes, and their mere presence weighed heavily on Sayaka Kirasaka. It was clear they had been sent by the barrier's creator to stop them.
If there had been only one, Sayaka Kirasaka could have taken it down easily on her own. But this large group—obviously thick-skinned and frenzied—left little margin for error in close combat. Yet…
"Tch, hurry up, Yukina. Let's go together."
Glancing back at Asagi Aiba, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. With no other choice, Sayaka Kirasaka swung her greatsword and signaled Yukina Himeragi to join the attack.
"Don't worry, this will be quick. Mogwai, have you contacted the outside yet? Once connected, pull up the data and help me dismantle this barrier."
After a brief reply, Asagi Aiba pressed a switch on her wristwatch. A projection of Magical Arts radiating blue light emerged, her Magical Power merging with the void as she began clashing with the barrier according to the projected formations.
"Young Lady, contact has been established. The Security Squad has already surrounded the area and is conducting a systematic sweep."
A mechanical voice came from the phone in Asagi Aiba's pocket, and a blue cat was projected from her watch, hovering before her.
"That's somewhat good news. Hurry over and help."
"Miss, there's also some bad news."
"Mogwai, why are you dragging your feet? What bad news could be more urgent than my current situation? Hurry and help!"
Urgency etched her face, and she practically shouted the last sentence.
"..."
The blue cat remained silent in response to Asagi Aiba's outburst.
"…Out of money again?"
Mogwai's silence seemed to trigger a realization in Asagi Aiba. Her attention was drawn to the projection. Though her hands didn't stop moving, her pace inevitably slowed.
"Yes, Miss."
"How is that possible? Didn't we transfer the money just the day before yesterday? Usually, it lasts a whole week, doesn't it?"
Her hands were moving ten percent slower than at the start, but Asagi Aiba seemed oblivious as she spoke in disbelief.
"Recently, the Mitsugoshi Company has been taking advantage of the situation. Prices for these kinds of items on the black market have risen sharply—some even nearly tenfold. You know the reason for the price hike, Miss."
"That heartless Mitsugoshi Company—how are they still in business?"
Asagi Aiba complained indignantly, her movements slowing further, while the projected blue cat merely watched in silence, reminding her in its usual mechanical tone.
"Well, so what's your plan now, Miss? Once the hole widens, the amount needed to fill it will double."
"Even if you say that, Mogwai… never mind. Let's get out of here first. You come over and help me immediately."
"Yes, Young Lady."
As if waking from a dream, Asagi Aiba realized she was trapped inside the barrier. Escaping was the top priority, so she quickly ordered Mogwai to pull up the data.
This time, Mogwai didn't interrupt and immediately began using its AI computational power to assist her in troubleshooting.
With Mogwai's help, Asagi Aiba's pace accelerated noticeably, and the walls around her flickered more rapidly.
"Found it."
Under the impact of Asagi Aiba's Magical Arts, a black pattern appeared on the wall.
The moment it materialized, her eyes lit up. Magical Power coalesced into a projectile in her hand, ready to obliterate the barrier's core Magical Art directly.
A crimson-black chain appeared out of thin air. The spiked weight at its tip shot toward the unsuspecting Asagi Aiba at blinding speed, reaching her almost instantly.
"Whoosh!"
At the last moment, a golden wheel flew in from the opposite side, moving faster than the chain. Its immense Magical Power shattered the chain.
A massive shockwave erupted at the collision point. Asagi Aiba, being the closest and facing it directly, was sent flying.
But before being knocked back, the Magic Projectile in her hand had already been released, hurtling toward the barrier's core Magical Art.
"Hey, Asagi Aiba, are you okay?"
After killing the last Beastman, Yukina Himeragi rushed forward, pulling Asagi Aiba to her feet while holding her silver spear as a shield.
"Who are you?"
With the core destroyed, the barrier collapsed. The surrounding scenery shifted, and Sayaka Kirasaka realized they had somehow arrived in an underground chamber.
The massive space was filled with enormous machinery and giant Magic Circles pulsing with immense Magical Power. In the center of one circle floated a black crystal, while Gardos muttered incantations… and the golden wheel, having destroyed the crimson-black chain, followed the chain's path to strike its master: a priest clad in bizarre robes.
"That was quite a terrifying strike."
Surprisingly, the priest seemed to give up resisting. He simply stared wide-eyed at the incoming attack, showing no intention to block or dodge.
A miraculous sight unfolded: the golden wheel passed straight through him as if he didn't exist.
"Hmm… is that all?"
Watching the golden wheel complete its circle, the blonde cat-person Therianthrope clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction and reached out to catch it.
Internal conflict… or a third-party force?
Holding her massive sword in a defensive stance, facing the two of them, Sayaka Kirasaka kept alert while demanding answers.
"So it's you again, Zeta-san?"
Ignoring Sayaka Kirasaka, the priest addressed Zeta, who stood high above, in a tone that suggested no surprise.
"If I had a choice, I wouldn't waste so much time on you either. I don't have that much time, Petos."
Leaping down, Zeta's eyes—already cold—now radiated a bone-chilling intent to kill. Magical Power surged through her body.
"Actually, I think we could talk, Zeta-san. There's no need to be at each other's throats. The world has grown, and so has the pie. Our Cult of Diablos could cooperate with your Shadow Garden to jointly oppose the forces of the other two worlds—just as we've been cooperating quite well for over a year.
Though I'm not certain of the exact cooperation between Shadow Garden and the Cult of Diablos, I'm confident that at least part of our public ventures are collaborative."
As if Zeta's murderous intent didn't exist, Petos smiled calmly while speaking at an even pace.
"Ha, that's all well and good, but… Petos, there's one thing you don't seem to know. Let me remind you: the massacre of the entire Golden Leopard Clan seven years ago…"
Aiming the golden wheel at Petos, Zeta laughed.