{|} Chapter 3: THE World Ending Event {|}
} Part 1 {
The room they found themselves appearing inside, following the teleportation by way of the device they found inside the home of chancellor Rubrikt, was a strange one. The teleportation alone had been rather weird feeling, especially when compared to how teleportation magic worked in that when you used magic, it felt like you were taking flight as you went from one place to another while using said device caused them to feel like they had lost all senses for a quick moment before returning to normal.
The room they had appeared in had walls made of amethyst, the floor and ceiling too. Furthermore, the lines that separated the individual plate segments glowed with a strange blue-green light that had a heartbeat like pulse.
"So, is this the place? Rubrikt's hidden base" asked Darkness, a hand ready to draw her sword if needed.
"Yeah, we're here. The Fortress!"
With her eyes locked on the glowing, pulsing lines, Yunyun walks over to them and touches the lines with her fingers, gasping almost immediately with what the contact was telling her.
"Megumin, everyone, these lines. It's all PURE mana making up this flow!"
Hearing that makes Megumin and Cielo both move over to join Yunyun, each also touching a finger to the glowing ether lines along the room, finding the Yunyun's assessment was indeed correct. What was clearly flowing through this place was mana. Pure, unrefined mana.
Cielo turns and looks at Palastori, asking as she does-
"What's all this about. Why is there such pure mana flowing through this place?"
"Isn't it obvious. This place is where ALL the world's mana is being absorbed into after it leaves the place of birth, Empyria. Didn't I not say as much beforehand?"
The girls all look at each other, each of them remembering, in their own ways, that Palastori had something like that to them, though not in such detail as what he had just said. Palastori then walks over to one particular wall, waves his hand over a circular spot which reveals a door that opens into another room. He then looks back at the girls and says-
"Come, we don't have much time left. If my guess is correct, the remainder of the world's mana will be taken into this place within a few more hours."
Then, without waiting for them to respond, he steps into the next room, walking further and further inside it. The girls look at each other again then they follow after Palastori, passing through the door he had made appear and entering into a hallway so long that they couldn't even see the other end of it.
As they walked down the VERY long hall, Megumin decides to break the silence and ask the question she knew they were all wanting to ask.
"What is this place, really? Where did it come from and what is its purpose?"
Palastori doesn't answer right away, instead taking a few moments to let the silence linger in the air before he finally speaks up, having decided to go ahead and tell them all what he himself knew about this mysterious structure.
"To be honest, even I don't really know for sure. That's the truth that scares me a little here, the not knowing how this place came to be here on this world, in this timeline."
"Wait, you make it sound like it shouldn't be here, neither on our world or even in this timeline" said Cielo, earning a chuckle from Palastori.
"That's because it shouldn't be, on both counts. When I first found this place, I was surprised to find something like it here on this world, especially when all the signs indicated no past culture had possessed the ability to create it. At first, I had simply figured it had been created on another world, somewhere within the physical universe. However, it didn't take long for me to discover the truth."
"What was that truth, mister Palastori?" asked Yunyun.
"That truth... was that this place isn't from this timeline, nor from this reality either. Where we are now is what's called a Mana Fortress. A structure designed to absorb ALL mana present on a world, channel it, and use it to perform a very specific task. I guess one could say that this place is a kind of incubator."
"An incubator? What do you mean by that and what exactly was this place designed to do?" asked Darkness.
"I meant what I said. This place is an incubator, something intended to foster the creation of something far greater than itself. That's what it needs all that mana for, to help create this thing it was meant to create, to help it grow and become the great force it was destined to be."
"And what it is creating exactly?" asked Cielo.
"Hm, I wonder..."
Palastori didn't say anything more about it, making the others look at each other again before accepting he probably didn't have anything else to say on that subject, at least for the time being. That said, Megumin couldn't help but narrow her eyes at him, just a little bit.
'There's something you're not telling us, Palastori. Are you really an ally for us to rely on?'
Soon enough, the opposite of the hall they were in came into view. After a bit more walking, they finally reached the other end and with a wave of his hand, another door appears which they all walk into. And the room they found themselves entering was filled with some very important items.
"Ah, it can't be. That's..."
Darkness goes running forward, leaving the others behind, as she approaches the table at the center of the room; a table with some very important items laying upon it. Once she had reached the table, Darkness quickly takes the suit of armor into her hands, studying it carefully before looking back at the others and saying-
"This armor... It belongs to the king. And over here..."
She then places the armor back down before grabbing another set lying beside it.
"This belongs to prince Jatis. The clothing beneath them as well. Everything here belongs to the king and prince. But I don't understand. Why would these things be here? Shouldn't they still be with his majesty and the prince who are out fighting the good fight."
"Should they?"
replied Palastori as he comes walking up to join Darkness, running his fingers over the king's armor. He does this for a few moments before turning to give Darkness and the others his full attention.
"I suppose it's time to let you in on the big secret. First, I'm sure Satou Kazuma told you what he had been told by the Devil King... no, I should start saying the [Riiji] Yasaka about the war between the two sides."
"Kazuma said he had been told it was more of a cold war than an actual war. There were tensions between the two side, sure. But there has been no actual fighting that's really going on" said Yunyun.
"But that doesn't make any sense. If there aren't any actual battles happening anywhere, then where the hell have the king, prince Jatis, and the other forces who have been with them been all this time?" asked Darkness with an almost shout.
"They were removed from the board, as they say. I believe the king and prince may have had their memories sealed away, followed by them being sent to continue living their lives off in some far away and very remote village where no one who could recognize them would ever find them. As for the other soldiers? Some have been given the same treatment while others have died from fighting some fake enemy forces created for the sole purpose of maintaining an illusion that war was happening."
"But why? Was it the high council? Have they been trying to make a power grab, either for themselves or for Rubric's benefit?" asked Cielo.
"What high council? Everyone who was a part of that group have been dead for a while now."
"Wait, you can't be serious, Palastori. I mean, my father has had meetings with them..." shouted Darkness.
"My father has as well. How can they be dead when..." adds Cielo, earning a surprising laugh from Palastori.
"Have they now? Have they actually been meeting with them face to face or has it been done over those magic form projections they normally like to do when interacting with people."
Darkness and Cielo look at each other, then back at Palastori, giving him a shrug with Darkness saying-
"I think that's how they've handled all previous meetings. I mean, it's not like I've been present for all of them."
"Same goes for me too." agreed Cielo.
"Then one can't really know for certain now, can you. If they have only interacted by way of the magic form projection spell, then how can they be certain the person or persons they are talking with are, in fact, the real thing or if it's all nothing but fakes, set up to make what would otherwise be a very convincing lie more believable."
"Then, this entire time..." said Yunyun.
"The kingdom has been under the SOLE control of one person. That person being Rubrikt himself. How long has this been going on for? I'd say it's likely been as long as he has been the royal chancellor of the kingdom. So, at least for a decade, I think. Now, we really must continue..."
"Before that, there's something that needs to be said" came Megumin suddenly, having decided it was time to voice her thoughts born from everything that had happened since meeting Palastori.
"And that would be?" said Palastori, giving Megumin his full attention as the slightest hint of a smile starting to form.
"I want you to tell us how you know all this? How long have you even known all this too? Everything you've said, it all seems to me like you know WAY more than you should here. Don't tell me you only just discovered these truths because that feels way too farfetched to be believable for me. If nothing else, you would have told Kazuma about this in the past if you really were our ally."
The others stare at Megumin for a few seconds before they realize that what she was saying was correct. There should be no way that Palastori would know all this and not tell Kazuma about it when they had interacted before, unless he had only just learned these truths before meeting with them.
"You really are an intelligent girl, even amongst the Crimson Demons. Bravo, little witch. You're right, I have known this all for quite a while already, before I even met with Satou Kazuma and Anna in that alternate timeline. Want to know why? It's because... I am Rubrikt. Palastori Rubrikt, to be exact. Nice to properly introduce myself to you all!"
With a snap of his fingers, Rubric's body is covered in the gel like substance, quickly turning him from his younger looking for to that of his older appearance. This makes the girls take on a battle stance.
"I knew it, I somehow knew it. You really were the enemy all along" shouts Megumin.
"And yet, you waited till now before saying anything. Probably wanted to gather evidence to properly prove the truth, am I right. Now that the truth is out there, we really should be moving on here."
"Like hell we're going to keep following you without reason" shouts Cielo.
"The only thing we'll let you do is take us to Kazuma" adds Yunyun.
"And if you try any funny business, we'll make you regret it" says Cielo, cracking her knuckles as she does so.
Rubrikt nods his head, showing he understood their warning before scratching his chin.
"I see, I see. We can't go having that now, can we."
Rubrikt then snaps his fingers again, making the bubble of energy form around the girls, which catches them off guard. They each try, in their own ways, to break out but quickly find their attempts meaningless.
"Don't bother. This little prison I've placed you all inside was designed to contain things that are far more powerful than you all. Well, maybe an Explosion could work but I doubt even you would be willing to risk using it in this situation, am I right. And, about Satou Kazuma... I lied!"
"You... lied?" said Darkness.
"Yes, I lied. Satou Kazuma isn't here. At least not yet. Currently, he is over at the remains of the Faea homeland, alongside that Lynn girl, her father, and that sad excuse of a goddess. He'll be coming here soon though, especially now that I have lured you all here to become my..."
"We're bait" said Yunyun, realization hitting them all.
"Correct. Sure, there was no need to do this as he would have come no matter what. However, I've always been a fan of the old way of doing things so I..."
Before he could finish, the entire structure shakes which is then followed by a low, groaning like sound. Rubrikt looks around the room, then back at the girls and says-
"It's almost time. This place will take to the sky and then, the awakening can finally begin. Or, perhaps I should say, the birth. Now, let me take you to see it. That which is about to become... the world's ending."
(back in the capital)
"Wiz, the time has come. Are you ready?"
"Yes, I think so. But I don't understand. Why will I need to use Teleport to send everyone living in the capital away, Vanir."
"Because Moi has seen it coming, an event that can't be stopped. An event that will see this entire place, perhaps even the entire world, come to an end."
} Part 2 {
The multitude of zombie like Faea illusions finally began to flicker as the mana in the air had finally reached its limits. Though they tried to continue with their mindless assault, it was ultimately in vain as they flickered even more till they finally faded from existence, never again to appear.
The gathered group stand still, breathing heavily as they wait to make certain that it was all over. After a few moments, they decided that it was finally over and they allow themselves a moment to rest. By that, it was meant that they all collapsed onto the ground.
Kazuma went down onto one knee, using Chunchunmaru to help steady himself so he wouldn't completely collapse onto the ground. Lynn also fell onto her knees, leaning forward like she was on all fours as she breathed heavily. Ruffian didn't fall but was bent forward, both hands resting on his knees. And as for Aqua, she just allowed herself to fall back onto her butt before laying down fully on the ground, huffing and puffing as she struggles to fill her lungs with air again.
"Is it (huff, puff) over yet? Please tell me (huff, huff) that it is!"
"Don't worry, blue-hair. I think we're in the clear."
"Dad's right. The mana in the air is almost gone now. There's not enough left to continue powering those illusions."
"Thank god!"
said Aqua, her relief evident in her tone. Lynn then turns her attention to Kazuma, wondering her he was doing as she hadn't failed to notice that during all that fighting, he hadn't been looking all too good. For one thing, he seemed to be moving a lot slower than he usually did.
"Kazuma..." she said, working on building her strength up enough to stand again as staying in her current position on the ground was a little embarrassing for her.
"I'm... I'm OK. We need to get going. What Pala... I mean, what Rubrikt said before, about inviting guest over to his base, didn't sit well with me. Maybe I'm just thinking about it too much, but I can't help but think that the others are in danger."
Kazuma then tries to stand, using Chunchunmaru to help with that. The moment he added more of his weight to the blade though, a strange sound comes from it followed by the blade cracking and shattering at several points. The sudden loss of the support causes Kazuma to fall forward and hit the ground hard.
"Kazuma?"
cries Lynn, going to move over to him only for her legs to stumble and she finds herself back on the ground, now fully laying down upon it. Luckily, Ruffian had recovered enough to reach Kazuma and help him out. After a second to recover, Lynn was finally able to get back onto her feet fully and move to join her father and friend.
Kazuma then takes the hilt and what little of the blade that was left, bringing them up to look closely before seeing the pieces of the parts that had broken off before saying-
"Well, shit. And here I was beginning to think this thing was indestructible. Wonder how Megumin's gonna react when she learns my sword broke."
"Don't worry about that right now, kid. How are you feeling?"
"... Honestly, not good. My health has been rather wonky here as of late and this fight didn't do me any favors to help make it any better."
"Don't worry, Kazuma. We'll have you feeling one hundred percent here in just a moment. Hey you, Axis cult priestess. Get off your butt and help Kazuma out here" ordered Lynn, looking at Aqua.
"Don't wanna. My whole body is aching something fierce right now. Let me have a little time to..."
"NOW!" screamed Lynn, making Aqua jump from the power in that command.
Aqua then gets herself up, moving over to Kazuma while grumbling to herself. Once there, she begins to use her healing powers on him but after a moment, she says-
"Something's wrong. I'm sending my power into him, but I can't feel it doing anything for him."
"You can't be serious. Please, try harder. Axis cult priestess" said Lynn.
"I'm already putting everything I can into this. And also, don't call me Axis cult priestess... and don't call my faith a cult either. My name is Aqua. Yes, that's right, THE goddess Aqua whom the Axis..."
"I don't give a crap. Just focus on the task at hand" shouts Lynn again.
Aqua gives Lynn a deathly stare while Ruffian says-
"It may not be Aqua's fault that her healing isn't working on Kazuma here. Remember, the mana in the air is all but gone now so her power is surely being impacted as a result of that."
Aqua wanted to argue with that, wanted to say that as a goddess, her powers wouldn't be weakened by such a trivial thing as a lack of mana in the air. However, seeing as her powers didn't appear to be working on Kazuma, she decides to stay quiet and go with that explanation as an excuse.
"I doubt Aqua's powers will work on me, even if there was plenty of mana in the air."
Having said that, Kazuma then goes from being held by Ruffian to sitting up. Aqua ends her healing as Lynn and Ruffian help Kazuma gets back onto his feet as he adds-
"What's currently wrong with me is something more than the usual healing methods can fix. In truth, even Eris wasn't able to do anything for me beyond giving me some additional energy to work with. No, I'm afraid the only thing that can possibly help me now is..."
Before he could finish, the entire area begins the shake and quake as a new earthquake starts up. A rather powerful one at that. So powerful was it that several columns come collapsing down off to the side, many cracks form, and the sound of crashing can be heard off in the not too far away distance.
The earthquake last for several minutes before it finally calms down enough to not cause any fear of being sent falling again if they were to move. That said, there was still a slight shake happening with the ground. Was it because there was still a minor earthquake happening or was it a sign that the building they were in was no longer stable?
Lynn then kneels down, placing her hands on the ground. After a moment, she says-
"I think I can hear it. The sounds of pain within the world. I'm not sure but... I think the world is... dying."
"Remember what Rubrikt said. The place that's steal the world's mana is also releasing a powerful kind of poison as payment. This poison will make it so that the world will never again be able to support mana and without mana, there can be no life" said Ruffian.
Kazuma wanted to refute that, wanted to say how his home world, Earth, was a place devoid of mana. He then recalled being told it wasn't because Earth was void of mana that people there couldn't use magic. Rather, it was because the world itself had taken the gift of mana away from people, fearing what the people of Earth would do with the power.
Well, it was either that or the gods that had done that. Either way, he then says-
"We'll deal with all this soon enough. We'll know where to find Rubrikt shortly, I'm sure. For now, we need to get back at Axel. Maybe I'm just being a worry wart here, but I can't help but think the others could be in trouble. Lynn, think you can..."
"Sorry Kazuma, but I can tell I don't have enough mana left to even teleport myself, let alone one person. Think you can do it?"
"I... maybe I could. But as I am right now, with how I'm feeling and such, I'm not sure if I want to risk trying to use any magic unless I really have too. That said, I do have an idea."
Kazuma then looks at Aqua and it takes her a moment to realize what he was thinking.
"Oh no. You are NOT going to use an undead skill on..."
A few moments later, Lynn's teleport finishes as they appear before the remains of the mansion, signs of some construction work being present. Aqua was currently crying after Kazuma used Drain Touch to send some of her energy over to Lynn. Not much, just enough to allow Lynn the ability to teleport them.
"What the hell happened to the mansion?" wondered Lynn, seeing its current state.
"One of Aqua's crazy followers, that's what!"
"Hey, don't go calling my followers crazy, you damn NEET. Sure, I admit what Cecily did was a little overboard, but I don't think..."
"Never mind that right now. Where are the others at?" asked Ruffian.
"They should be over at Axel, at the governor's mansion. We'll head there once I can go grab something from here."
Kazuma then moves away from them, heading onto the construction site and quickly disappearing down the flight of steps into the basement. As he's gone, the ground begins to shake again, though it luckily doesn't cause anything to come collapsing down on either them or on the entrance to the basement. After a moment, Kazuma returns with something strange in his hands.
"Kazuma, is that...?" asked Lynn, pointing to the lump of metal Kazuma was holding.
"Yeah, the remains of Kirin. With Chunchunmaru in the state its currently in and add the fact we're about to face off with someone powerful, I may need to do an upgrade here. I just hope it'll work."
Before the others could ask what he meant by that, another earthquake hits, this one being way stronger than the last. It was even stronger than the one which had hit Artashire before they had left. Knowing they could ask what Kazuma meant later, Ruffian instead asks-
"What do we do now?"
""Head back to Axel and make certain everyone is OK. Aqua, I want you to take a detour to the amphitheater, see if anyone is there and let them know the situation. After that, try to contact Eris as you head to the governor's mansion and let her know we really need her help here."
"Right!" Aqua does a salute before turning and heading off in the direction of the amphitheater.
"Ruff, as soon as we reach Axel, could you go check in at the guild. Make certain the others aren't there or that they didn't go do some quest to kill time while I was gone."
"You can count on me, kid."
"Lynn, you and me, and Chomusuke, will head to the mansion."
"Gotcha!"
With the plan set, they follow after Aqua, heading down the road that would take them to Axel.
} Part 3 {
By the time Kazuma and Lynn had reached the governor's mansion, the earthquake had begun again. While it wasn't anything all that serious, there was clearly something different about this one when compared to the others. That difference being was that it wasn't stopping.
As they entered the mansion, they found all the maids running around with frantic looks on their faces as they worked to secure all the most valuable, and breakable, items sitting out everywhere; seeking to make sure nothing ended up falling and breaking from the now seemingly unending quake.
One of the maids, the head maid to be exact, catches sight of Kazuma and Lynn, saying-
"Lord Kazuma, you're back. Does that mean..."
"Ahhhh, enough with the crazy shaking already. Will someone PLEASE make it end already?"
came Anna's voice from the living room. Kazuma and Lynn then go running into the living room, expecting to find the others in there with Anna. Instead, all they find was Anna herself, in her chibi form no less, clinging to the sofa for dear life. There was no sign of the others anywhere.
"Anna, what's going on? Why are you in your chibi form and where are the others at?"
asked Kazuma, making Anna realize he was there. She then jumps from her current spot beside the couch over onto Kazuma's leg, now hugging it tightly as she looks up at Kazuma's face with tear filled eyes.
"Big brother, big brother, please do something about all this shaking. It's really starting to freak me out here."
"Anna, it's alright. It's really not all that bad once you get used to it. Anyways, why are you in that form? Are you trying to avoid injury in case something comes a-falling down on you?"
asked Lynn, a hint of teasing in her voice. Anna scowls at Lynn before saying-
"No, I'm not in this form because of that... though now that you mention it, this form would have that advantage to it. Wonder why I never thought of that before. Forget that for now, when did you get back? And where are the others, big brother?"
Anna's question causes Kazuma and Lynn to both blink, then look at each other before back down at Chibi-Anna as Kazuma says-
"Anna, why would I know where the others are right now? When I left earlier, I did it with only Wolbach her with me. (Chomusuke, who was holding form to Kazuma's head, sends out a meow while raising a single paw up to show she was present) Shouldn't the others be here with you?"
"Why would they be here, big brother? When mister Palastori showed up early and told them you had been kidnapped by that Rubrikt guy, they... what's wrong?"
The moment Anna had mentioned the name Palastori, both Kazuma and Lynn had paled. It was Lynn who said-
"Anna, Palastori IS Rubrikt!"
"WHAT?"
"Lynn's right. After me and Wolbach here left..."
"Wolbach? Like Megumin's old master? Why are you calling Nia Wolbach now, big brother?"
"Because she IS Wolbach. Chomusuke... Nia, is the other form of Wolbach. The part of herself she split off long ago for some reason or another."
"Ohhhhh, I don't get it!"
Kazuma sighs as Lynn takes over, saying-
"I feel the same, but no matter. The point is that, according to Kazuma, Palastori appeared before him, reminded him of both mine and dad's absence in town. Kazuma teleported to Artashire, with that Aqua girl coming along for the ride. They found me and dad trapped inside crystals. Once we were freed, Palastori appeared and revealed he was really Rubrikt."
"To be more exact, Palastori is how Rubrikt looked in his youth. He then revealed he had also been playing the role of Lynn's grandfather and after an exposition dump on us, he took off while we found ourselves having to deal with some annoying illusions for a bit. Once that was over, we came back and you can get the rest. Now, where are the others?"
"Like I said before, mister Palastori showed up and said you had been kidnapped and they went with him to go save you from Rubrikt... from himself now, I guess. That was a while ago. At least an hour or so, I think."
"And you didn't go with them WHY?"
asked Lynn, making Anna do a simple shrug.
"The mana in the air is too low, would have made my ability to Morph difficult, if not impossible. Hell, the mana in the air has become so weak that it's affecting the mana inside my body, hence why I'm currently in the state I'm in. I didn't return to being my chibi form because I wanted to or because I wanted to safeguard myself from any injury do to all the shaking. I didn't do it at all. I just auto-turned into my chibi form, probably a default state for when I'm running low on mana. I'll need to ask Vanir about that when I next see him, seeing as he made this body for me and all."
"(growls while clenching his fist) That damn devil. It was bad enough he was absent during the whole Eris Festival incident. But to be absent now too..."
Before Kazuma could finish, one of the maids lets out a surprised gasp. This draws the attention to the everyone else within hearing range. The head maid looks at the one who had gasped, asking her what was wrong. Said maid then points to the window, which she was standing beside at the moment she had gasped, responds by saying that there were bright flashes of light happening all over Axel.
This makes Kazuma and Lynn run over to the window to see what was happening. Anna crawls up Kazuma's body to hang from his arm so she can also see what was happening outside.
Sure enough, there were many flashes of light happening all across Axel. If that wasn't enough, some of the flashes were happening close enough to allow the group to see what was happening after the lights had faded, making Lynn say-
"People? Tons of people are coming from out of the lights that keep appearing around the place. Is it some kind of teleportation that's being done? That can't be, not so many and not with the mana levels in the air being as low at they are now."
"Those people, the clothing some of them are wearing... they have to be from the capital!"
came the voice of lord Ignis, who had finally arrived in the living room to join them. Kazuma looks at Ignis and asks-
"Sir, are you sure? Those people are all from the capital."
"I can't say if they are ALL from the capital or not. What I can say is that at least some of them are from the kingdom's capital based on the clothing style and the fact I see a familiar face from around those parts."
"But why are people from around the capital suddenly appearing here in Axel?"
wondered Lynn aloud, with Anna quickly saying-
"Wait, didn't Vanir and miss Wiz move to the capital, big brother. Could everyone showing up here now be a sign that...'
Before Anna could finish, there came a knock at the front door. Everyone looks at each other before heading to the door. Kazuma is the one to open it and on the other side is...
"Mwa-hahaha, fear not, boy who's luck is both amazing and terrible at the same time. Moi has arrived in this dark hour to explain all to you and his perverted adopted sister and friend who gets off from smelling him whenever she can."
Hearing that makes Lynn blush while averting her gaze while Anna shouts out about being called a pervert in front of others. Wiz then pops her head into view and adds-
"Hello again, Kazuma. I'm here too, as you can see."
"Vanir... Wiz... will one of you tell me, tell US, just what the hell is going on right now?"
"But of course, for that is why Moi is here now. You see, the thing of it is..."
Before Vanir could continue, a powerful booming sound ripples across the air. One so strong that it causes all the windows on the governor's mansion to instantly shatter. Signs of this happening all across Axel could be seen occurring too. Ignis quickly excuses himself to go check on everyone inside the mansion as Vanir's jubilant tone shifts to one that was more serious.
And the earthquake starts to become more intense.
"So, the time has come. Far sooner than even I had expected it to."
"Vanir..."
"Give me a second. (Vanir then turns away, holding a hand out and snapping a finger which makes a screen appear in the air. On that screen appears an image of the royal capital, the ground cracking and glowing beneath it) Watch closely, my friends. It has finally begun!"
The ground beneath the royal capital seemed to heave and crack, sending all the buildings and hills collapsing downward. Pulsing beams of light then began to burst out of the through the cracks as the whole area, both the capital and the surrounding area, then seemed to sink into the earth.
And then, a moment later, everything came exploding outward as something new began to rise into the air. The structure was massive; made from a material unlike anything that had been seen in the world before. Towers of this structure were followed by the main body, round like but clearly oval in shape.
Coming from the center appeared these almost arm like extensions that reached out as the structure finally finished emerging from the earth, only to keep rising higher and higher into the sky till it finally came to a stop, hovering over the massive hole left in its wake.
The arm like extensions then begin to slowly spin around in a clockwise motion as a field of energy forms to appear around the place. As for the massive hole, another pulsing energy began to form as a funnel of mana then rises up, seemingly being sucked into the floating fortress.
"It has finally arisen, the final doom of this world. The Mana Fortress!"
Kazuma lets out a sigh before grumbling to himself-
"Well, at least we know WHERE Rubrikt's base of operations really is now."
} Part 4 {
"Holy... Just how big is that thing?"
shouts Lynn, seeing that it had emerged from a hole that was so big that it made the overall size of the capital seem small in comparison. Anna looks of in the distance then says-
"Big enough to where we can see it from here!"
Anna then points with her chibi hand off to the north, making everyone look in that direction as well. Sure enough, despite the fact they were hundreds of miles away from the capital, the visage of the Mana Fortress could indeed be seen floating in the air.
Sure, it was no bigger than a dot in the sky, but the point was still there.
Kazuma groans before looking at Vanir and saying-
"OK devil boy, time to fess up. You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?"
"But of course Moi knew. As the Devil of Foresight, there is nothing I wouldn't see coming."
"And yet, you allowed it to happen" says Lynn.
Vanir sighs as Wiz cuts in by saying-
"After Vanir-san discovered this was going to happen, he came up with a plan to save all the people in the capital. To that end..."
"You both relocated to the capital, found some way to tag EVERYONE who lives there so that when the time came, you could have Wiz use teleportation magic to save them all. Is that right?"
asked Anna, getting a nod from Wiz. Kazuma, not satisfied, asks-
"So you wanted to save everyone. Great for you and all, but I still need to ask WHY you just didn't use your powers as a Devil to stop this Mana Fortress from rising to begin with."
"Because there was nothing Moi could do to stop it. Believe me, my business partner, if I could have seen a future where stopping it from arising was possible, then I would have taken it. Unfortunately, there was nothing that was going to stop it from rising in the sky, nor is there anything that can stop what's going to happen. Not now anyways."
"And that means?"
"It means we've reached the end of the world!"
came the voice of Chris as a pillar of light suddenly pops into existence. A moment later, Chris comes hopping out of it to stand before a mostly surprised group. Only Kazuma and Vanir didn't seem surprised by her manner of arriving. Ignis then asks-
"Chris? How did you..."
"Later, lord Dustiness. We need to focus on the task at hand."
"Boss is right about that and on that topic, what did you mean by the end of the world?"
asked Kazuma as Chris goes walking past Kazuma and up to Vanir.
"I'll answer that in a moment, Kazuma. First, are you certain there was nothing YOU could do to stop this from happening, DEVIL?"
"Why is my inability to stop this so surprising to you, unreliable goddess. If you weren't even aware of the true severity of this problem until recently, then why would you assume I could have stopped it when it's clearly obvious that you can't do anything to stop it."
Chris glares at him, but then lets out a sigh while taking a moment to calm herself. She then asks-
"Couldn't you have at least told me, or Kazuma, about what was coming? Maybe I could have done something to..."
"There was not avoiding this, unfortunately. Like I said before, if there WAS a way to stop this, even if that meant me coming to you and telling your directly, I would have done it. Sadly, there is nothing that can be done. This world's fate was decided long ago, and we have no choice but to accept it."
"So you're saying we should just accept what is happening? Give up on everyone and everything."
shouts Chris. Vanir just gives her a somber look at Lynn looks at Kazuma and says-
"I really hate to do this to you, Kazuma, but is there any chance you may have an idea on how to deal with this mess."
"Yeah, big brother. You've always been good at coming up with weird ideas to save everyone."
"Weird ideas?"
said Kazuma, looking at chibi-Anna with an annoyed expression. Still, he takes on a thinking pose before finally saying-
"Actually, there was this thought I've had cooking in my brain for the last month."
Chris then moves away from Vanir to stand directly in front of Kazuma, saying-
"What is it? What is it?"
"Well, back when we were on Arbel, I learned about what happened to leave it in its current state. I was thinking if the sacred tree that makes mana for Arbel was dead, more or less, then why not simply replace it. Plant a new tree or something."
"Kazuma-san... Are you suggesting..."
Kazuma nods, then adds-
"If what Vanir just said is true, if this world was fated to die no matter what. Then why not SWITCH this world's Empyria with Arbel's counterpart. I know it's probably super complicated and all, but that's my idea."
"Hold on, big brother. What about all the life on this world? That doesn't help save everyone, you know."
"Which is why Er... Chris needs to have Eris TELEPORT EVERYONE, animals included, over to Arbel as well. We save a world, save all life, and get a crap ton of new space to let everyone live in."
Hearing all that makes Chris start thinking as Lynn asks-
"Question, how will doing all this impact people's ability to use magic? I know that's not important and all in this moment, but using magic, relying on magic, is something everyone is use too and would take years to get accustomed too. Perhaps even whole generations."
"Only until the mana of the sacred tree has been given enough time to fill this Arbel place with mana. Sure, it will likely take a few generations without divine intervention to help speed things up, but at least it will eventually happen."
says Wiz. Kazuma, meanwhile, asks Chris-
"Well, what do you think?"
It takes a moment for Chris to respond but when she does, it's with giving him a big smile.
"What would I do without you in my life, assistant-kun? While I'm sure I would have thought of that myself eventually, I doubt it would have happened in the here and now. This is going to be difficult, even for someone like me, but I will do it. I'll make sure everyone will be OK. Where's Aqua, by the way? I might need her to help me out with this one."
"Over at the amphitheater, probably drinking herself silly with all that's going on."
"Figures..." Chris then lets out a sigh, then says to herself "I could do this without her but having her help out will make things go faster in the short term."
Kazuma nods, then looks at Vanir and asks-
"Vanir, I need to know. Is that place where Rubrikt would have taken the others too?"
"Moi believes so. All that can be said is that you NEED to go there. What needs to happen next can only happen with you going there and doing what you need to do."
"What needs to happen?"
asked Lynn while Chris looks at Kazuma then at Vanir, finally understanding what was going on. She grits her teeth and clenches her fist as she says-
"I really hate to do this, asking a Devil of all creatures, but desperate times breed desperate measures. Will you go there with Kazuma? Will you help him?"
"But of course. Moi had planned to go there to help out all along."
"I'll go too. I'll need to be there as only myself and Vanir-san can fight using magic at the moment."
adds Wiz. Ignis rejoins the conversation, saying-
"I'll gather the help together and spread out across Axel, tell all the new arrivals about what's happening as I'm sure everyone is confused."
Ignis then breaks away from them, heading off to gather the servants. Anna hops off Kazuma, saying-
"I'll go help old man Dustiness too. As I currently am, I'm useless for anything else. Stay safe, big brother."
As Anna runs off, Kazuma looks at Lynn and says-
"What are you going to do, Lynn?"
"Isn't it obvious. I'm coming with you. Sure, I can't use any magic but that doesn't mean I'm defenseless here as I happen to be a pretty good kick boxer."
To prove her point, Lynn then does several kicks into the air, showing she did know her footwork.
"I don't like this. Letting you all go off like this, but something tells me I don't have a say-so here. All I can say is be careful. All of you. Anyways, I'll go get Aqua and..."
"Wait, boss. Before you go, I need something from you."
"What is it?"
"The Mason Gloves."
Kazuma then pulls Chunchunmaru out from its sheath, showing Chris that it had been broken.
"My weapon was damaged in the last fight and seeing as there's no time to repair it the normal way, I want to use the Mason Gloves to repair it, using a little something special I've been thinking of for a while now."
He then reveals the remains of Kirin, making Chris immediately understand what his intentions were. She then snaps her fingers, making the Mason Gloves appear which she then hands to Kazuma. Chris then leans in and kiss's Kazuma on the cheek, making Lynn and Wiz blush as she says-
"For luck!"
Chris then reopens the portal of light and quickly steps inside, it closes right after.
Once she was gone and Kazuma had begun work on repairing Chunchunmaru, Lynn asks-
"OK, we seem to have a game plan here but there's one little issue that seems to have been forgotten about."
"And what would be, last of her kind girl?" asked Vanir.
"... I really want to punch you, Vanir. No, I mean how are we suppose to get there to that place? Any chance you can teleport us there?"
"Sorry, but I'm afraid I don't have it set as a travel spot."
"Nor does my power allow me to go there directly, because of the strange energy that's coming from within."
said Wiz and Vanir respectively. A new voice then speaks up to answer the issue.
"Then I guess it's up to me."
Everyone looks at Chomusuke as Kazuma says-
"... How long have you had the ability to talk?"
"Every since I became whole. Now, watch closely everyone as I show you all what I can really do."
} Part 5 {
A few minutes before...
A hum was now filling the whole of the inside of the fortress as the pulsing lights that moved within the spaces in the wall started to become brighter and brighter, the hum also growing louder with each passing moment.
Rubrikt entered into a large room with a throne like seat positioned at the very center of said room. Behind him, the girls followed though not by choice as they were being suspended in the air, each one contained within a bubble of light that made most movement impossible.
"Where are we now?" asked Darkness, showing that despite their current status, they still at least had the ability to speak.
"The throne room of this Mana Fortress, or at least that's how I see this place. What matters is that it is from this room that one can access ALL that this place has to offer. As such, this is naturally where I can do all of my best work."
Just then, the very air within this place seems to shake from a pulse of power which is felt even by the girls, despite their current status of being imprisoned bubbles that were floating in the air. Even Rubrikt appeared surprised by this, if only for a moment, before a smile takes shape.
"So it's beginning already? Huh, and here I was thinking it would still take more time. Days, maybe even a week or two, before we would reach THIS point. No matter, it'll just make things more interesting for a conclusion."
The humming grows louder and the pulsing lights brighter.
"What are you talking about, Rubrikt. What's happening?" asked Cielo.
Another ripple effect passes through the room as Rubrikt turns away from them, walking towards the throne like seat. As he walks, he says-
"I could tell you, but how about I show you instead. It'll help explain what's happening far better than words alone ever could."
Rubrikt finally reaches the throne and takes a seat onto it. He then makes a motion with his hands, causing a screen to appear between him and the captured girls, a screen that showed the same image on both sides.
The image being shown was of the capital city of the Kingdom of Belzerg. What follows is a horrible image to behold, one that shows the ground beneath the streets and buildings of the capital cracking, releasing mana-like energy from beneath.
Though they couldn't feel it, they could tell that the ground was shaking and quaking, hard enough that the buildings were starting to crumble and collapse as the ground gave way, sending everything that could be seen falling into the earth.
And then came the Mana Fortress itself, rising from within the massive hole higher and higher, coming to float very high in the sky. The image being shown to them then shifts to the massive hole in the earth, one so large that it made the whole of the capital seem small in comparison.
The hole seemed to go down forever, with clear molten magma being visible deep within. A funnel of mana then begins to form, signs of this mana energy being siphoned into the fortress being evident. With this, the humming comes to an end' rather it returns to the original low hum that had been present when they had first arrived. The pulsing lights also return to normal.
"And thus, she has finally returned to the sky, where she belongs. This Mana Fortress has finally awakened once again."
"By Eris, what have you done?" said an astonished Darkness.
"And all those people... everyone in the capital... they're dead" adds Yunyun.
"Oh?" says Rubrikt, his hands already making some kind of motion. "I knew I had forgotten something."
"Oh, don't act like you care about innocent lives now, chancellor" shouts Cielo.
"Actually, I do care, believe it or not. Despite how I'm sure you all are seeing this whole affair; I can assure you that..." Rubrikt stops as something important is revealed to him. "Wow, this wasn't something I expected to have confirmed. No one actually died from what just happened."
"What?" x3
"It's true. I guess I should have seen this coming. That would explain why that Devil and his Lich friend, the one who has bad luck with running a shop, would relocate to the capital. That Devil must have foreseen everyone's fate here and decided to be the nice guy and save them. How unexpected."
"Wait, Vanir actually SAVED everyone in the capital? That doesn't sound like him" said Cielo.
"Actually, that does sound like him. Don't forget, he does have that rule about not killing humans, instead seeking to only make them feel negative emotions so he can consume those emotions. Hold on, if everyone who lived in the capital survived, then where are they now?" asked Darkness.
"Hm, let's see... oh, it appears they were teleported to Axel of all places."
"That's it, that's why Vanir and Wiz moved to the capital. It was because Vanir must have seen all this coming and decided to take action. I wonder why he didn't tell us about it though?" wondered Yunyun.
"We can ask him that ourselves once we see him again, after we get out of this little mess" said Darkness, earning a laugh from Rubrikt.
"And what makes you all think you'll be getting out of this one?"
"Because Kazuma will come for us" said Megumin, finally breaking her silence.
"You are probably correct about that. Making sure that he would come here is the reason I went to the trouble of capturing you all to begin with. Tell me though. Seeing as we ARE currently floating in the sky, something even I hadn't expected to happen till after he had arrived, how do you expect him to reach this place now?"
"Simple, because Kazuma is Kazuma. No matter what, he'll find a way up here, get us out of these prisons we're trapped in, and kick your butt" said Megumin, giving Rubrikt a smirk.
"And he won't be alone either as he has a few goddesses at his side to help him out" adds Cielo.
"I don't know what you hope to gain from doing all this but know you will fail in the end. So long as Kazuma's still out there, able to fight, he will come and all this will be stopped" says Yunyun.
Rubrikt smiles at them as he sits back on his throne.
"Oh, I do hope so. And for the record, what I want is knowledge. No more, no less. Anything beyond that is pointless, but you will understand soon enough. Now, let's sit back and watch. See just how he will make his way up here."
} Part 6 {
The golden portal opens within Eris's Throne, the goddess of fortune emerging a moment later with Aqua being dragged along behind her. Once they were both through, the portal closes as Aqua's confused crying fills the room.
Eris looks back at her superior and lets out a sigh as she says-
"What is wrong with you, Aqua. You've been making a scene since the moment I came for you. Hell, according to Lia, you've been making a scene since before I arrived to get you."
"What do you expect me to be doing? The world is ending and there's nothing that can be done. All I want to do is just sit back and welcome the end of the world in the only way I know how."
"And that would be drinking yourself into a stupor. Geez, can't you think of anything better than that you could be doing right now?"
"Why should I?"
"(sigh) And you call yourself a goddess. A high ranking and very important goddess at that!"
"...?"
"...?"
"... That's right, I am a Goddess! I don't have time to be sitting around, doing nothing but drink myself silly. I have work I need to be doing here."
"You really forgot you were a goddess... again?"
"No, I just... I just had a lot on my mind in the moment."
"Riiiiiight..."
"Anyways, why did you bring me back up here to Heaven for? While I appreciate you doing that for me, Eris. I think you really should be focused on everyone else down there in the mortal plane."
"That's the reason I brought you back up here, Aqua. In order to help everyone out down below, there's some serious work that needs to be done and while I COULD do it all myself, there is a little time-crunch to take into consideration. As such, I've decided to have you help me out to accelerate the process."
Aqua can't help but smirk as her face takes on a smug look.
"Well of course you'd need MY help, seeing as you are pretty helpless without your sempai having you back. Just tell me what needs to be done and I'll make sure it gets done. What is it we're doing here again?"
"Oh, nothing major. We're just going to switch Arbel's sacred land with my world's Empyria, then use divine teleportation to send everyone on my world over to live on Arbel. You know, simple and easy."
Hearing that makes the smug, overly confident look fade quickly from Aqua's face. There is then a few moments of silence as Eris awaits what she knew was going to happen next. It wasn't a long wait.
"WHAT? Eris, are you stupid? You are, aren't you. Did doing the nasty with that sad, pathetic NEET of a boy damage your brain or something? You're wanting to... you can't be... what is going on with you?"
"OK, first things first, Aqua. Don't be going around, insulting Kazuma now. What I did with him before didn't make me go stupid. If anything, I've never felt more alive than when I'm with him. Trust me, if you ever did what I did, with HIM, I have no doubt you'd start singing a different tune."
"That's a hard pass from me. Forget about that NEET for now. Tell me why you feel the need to do this for. No offense, Eris. The very notion of moving everyone from this planet to that dead lump of rock seems so... so... dumb."
Eris sighs before saying, her tone more serious-
"We don't have much of a choice there, Aqua. That Rubrikt guy has caused some serious damage to the planet, the kind of damage that can't be easily repaired. I know what I'm planning on doing is a little extreme here, but seeing as this idea came from Kazuma..."
"Wait, what did you just say? This idea came from Kazuma... no wonder I don't like it."
"Look Aqua, we can discuss all this in a committee later. For right now, we have work to do."
"Fine, but still... why Arbel? Have you forgotten, Eris. We were there recently and it wasn't exactly in any livable state. If we send people there, won't we be giving them a death sentence or something?"
"That's why we'll start by switching Arbel's dead Pure Land with my Empyria. The reason Arbel is in the state its in these days is because the Praegem killed its holy tree, thus the world isn't being filled with mana. In contrast, the holy tree of Empyria is still perfectly fine. The issue is all the mana its producing is being sucked into... someplace; that place also taking it upon itself to poison the world so even if its stopped, the flow of mana won't be able to return to the greater world."
"And to fix that issue would take even deity's like ourselves forever to correct. But the solution you're going with will take centuries too. You realize that, don't you."
"Yes, it COULD take centuries... without a little divine intervention from a pair of goddess's. With the two of use accelerating the process a little bit, what would take centuries will only need a decade or two at most to do. In any event, while the act of moving everything will be a hassle, the overall will be better for us than the alternative."
"I guess... still, to teleport ALL living things from one world to another is..."
"What's the issue, Aqua. Don't forget that Arbel is YOUR world, after all. I would think you'd be all for sending everyone to live on Arbel, the world where you would be seen as top dog while I would have to accept being second fiddle and..."
Eris stops as she sees Aqua having already started work on switching Pure Land and Empyria. Aqua then looks at Eris and says-
"What are you doing just standing around and doing nothing, Eris. We have a lot of work to do and not much time to do it in, right."
"I should have known that would motivate her. Anyways, Clover... Tsunami... time to get to work."
A moment later, the two angel assistants appear in the room, making their usual introductions.
"OK you two, I'm sure you remember the plan here."
"Yes, we need to collect all inanimate essentials, like food, books, and other heritage things and send them to the designated sites on Arbel."
said Tsunami while Clover adds-
"You also want us to mark all people and animals to be sent over so you and miss Aqua will have an easier time with that too."
"Correct. Make sure you also grab seeds for planting, building materials, and anything else you can think of the people will need. Once everyone has arrived on their new home, they'll become busy with either repair work or building up new homes, to say nothing of getting started on planting crops."
As Clover and Tsunami begin their work, Eris walks over to Aqua, joining her sempai with the first part of their job, switching the two holy lands. As they work, Aqua asks-
"So, I take it that guy playing the role of the Devil King is behind this?"
"You mean Rubrikt? Yeah, that would be him."
"What if he finds a way to follow everyone to Arbel. Won't he try to continue doing there whatever it is he's doing here."
"That will only happen if we allow him to go there to begin with. I'm not worried though as Kazuma is on his way to deal with him right now."
"... Do you think Kazuma will be OK taking this guy on without us being there by his side?"
"He'll be fine, I'm sure of it. Now, let's focus on getting this done quickly so we can go and join up with him and make sure Rubrikt gets what's coming to him."
} Part 7 {
From out of the sea of clouds in the sky emerged a dragon, letting out a triumphant roar.
"Man, this is awesome. I never knew you had the ability to do this, Wolbach. Turn yourself into some insanely powerful dragon. Does Megumin know about this?"
asked Kazuma, sounding excited at the idea of their little group having a dragon on their side.
Dragon Chomusuke couldn't help but grin at his praise before saying-
"Mama has seen me in this form before, but has never connected it with my cat morph. As for my ability to turn into this state? This isn't something I've been able to do since the beginning, but rather a power I created in my younger years, thanks to having the Reiki within me. So papa, did I do good?"
"Good? You've done GREAT. You're the apple of any father's eye."
Hearing that makes Chomusuke become all giddy. Positioned behind Kazuma and holding onto him was Lynn, who cocks her head in confusion as she asks-
"Kazuma, what's all this about Chomusuke calling you papa and who is she talking about when she says mama?"
"Huh... oh, that. Well, it's a long story but in a nutshell, Chomusuke is one form that the powerful mage Wolbach can take on; this form being another, I guess. As for the whole papa and mama thing, that's simple because I am her father. Well, her father's reincarnation while her mama's current self is Megumin."
"WHAT? That doesn't... I need to hear this, all the details, pronto."
"Understandable. Now, where to begin..."
"Begin later, save it for later, you two. We're almost there."
came Wiz, sitting behind Lynn. She pulls one hand off Lynn's side to point at the growing visage of the fortress floating in the not so far off distance.
"The Mana Fortress! Hey Vanir, what can that foresight of yours tell us about what we can expect to face once we're inside?"
asked Kazuma. Vanir, who was sitting behind Wiz, says in response-
"Unfortunately, Moi can't say as for some reason or another, my powers can't seem to pierce the veil that is that thing before us. This may be due to its origins coming from another reality. No matter as we have to first get in there which is troublesome enough."
"What do you..."
Before Lynn could finish asking her question, the answer became obvious as a shield of energy came to life, surrounding the whole thing. This makes Kazuma sigh before saying-
"Great, just what we need. Another obstacle, like having the whole thing being miles above the ground wasn't enough of a trial. Wolbach, think you can blast a hole through that barrier so we can get inside?"
"Hm, let's find out, papa."
was her response before she does a charge up, unleashing a blast of pure energy from within which goes sailing fast and hard, colliding with the barrier which begins to fight back. While her attack would have destroyed most barriers with just a single hit, it failed to force an opening for them to use.
However...
"It may not have opened a way for us to pass through, but it clear had an impact. Maybe if Chomusuke can do a few more of those in rapid succession and hit the same spot each time, it will..."
"Sorry Lynn, but no can do there. In hindsight, perhaps me doing that wasn't a good idea, given the lack of mana present in the air at the moment. In fact, my own reserves are starting to run low now because of that little stunt so we either find another way inside here quickly or we may all be taking the fall once I'm forced back into my black cat form."
"Now you tell us. Vanir... Wiz... and ideas here?"
asked Kazuma. Wiz and Vanir both think about it, with Wiz finally suggesting-
"Well, I suppose I could try unleashing an Explosion against that barrier. With Vanir providing me with the energy for the spell, I could..."
"That won't be necessary as our way of getting inside should be coming here within a few moments."
"... And that would be what exactly?"
Instead of Vanir answer the question, the answer instead comes from the sudden beams of light that come cutting through the air from out of nowhere. Three beams of light hitting the barrier, causing it to warp and sink inward from their onslaught.
"What is that? What's happening" shouts Lynn.
Kazuma follows the path of the light beams in the direction they were coming from, then smiles as he realizes what it meant.
"The Divine Beast... Vah Ruta, Vah Naboris, and Vah Rudania. They're helping us breach the barrier."
It had to be Eyeball, possibly detecting their need here and using the power of the Divine Beast to help out with this little matter. There was just one little problem though. While the power of the three Divine Beast was indeed having a significant impact on the barrier, it still wasn't enough to force an opening to form.
"It's not enough. More power is needed. Damn, if only I knew how to use Light of Saber" said Lynn before looking back at Wiz and asking "Wiz, do you..."
"I'm sorry, but Light of Saber was a spell a have yet to learn. Not because I can't but because I mostly focused my skill points on Ice based magic, Lich skills, and Explosion magic for the sake of an experiment I did after becoming a Lich. Wait, I still have plenty of skill points available to use so I can learn Light of Saber right..."
Before Wiz could finish, a fourth beam of light suddenly comes slicing through the air, joining the other three beams in striking the barrier, causing it to warp even more violently. Everyone looks on, seeing the source of the fourth beam coming into view. Kazuma can't help but smile as he says-
"So I finally found you, Vah Medoh. Have you been flying around the world this whole time? Makes sense, seeing as you are a bird and all. Still, what's making you act independent like you are. I'm pretty sure Eyeball hasn't connected with you yet."
"Probably programed to act should it detect the other three taking action against a singular target" suggested Vanir. He then points to the point on the barrier where the four beams were impacting and adds "Look, the way has been opened. We should hurry and make use of it before it can close."
Indeed, the barrier had finally been breached, a hole that appeared to be just big enough for Chomusuke to fit through had been open.
"OK everyone, hold on tight. I'm going in fast!" said Chomusuke, already adjusting her angle as she shoots toward the opening.
The next few moments were tense as they flew closer and closer. The four beams finally cease striking the barrier, which then begins to quickly close. Chomusuke has to close her wings inward in order to make it in but just barely manages to make it before the hole could fully close.
"We're in. Over there, girl. I think we can land there" said Kazuma, pointing to what appeared to be a landing platform.
A few moments later, Chomusuke lands on the platform and allows everyone to get off her back before her body begins to glow and she returns to her small cat like form who quickly lays on the ground.
"Oh great. That used up all my stored power. Now I know how mama feels after she's used an Explosion spell. I can't move at all."
"You did good girl!" says Kazuma as he walks over to Chomusuke, kneeling down and petting her head before picking her up and placing her on his shoulder to rest. "We'll be sure to give you an tasty reward once this is all over."
"Kazuma-san, over here. I think we can get in by going through that opening" shouted Wiz, pointing at an opening that wasn't to far off; an opening that led into the massive structure.
"Vanir, can you see what awaits us inside there?" asked Lynn.
Vanir looks at the fortress for a moment before finally saying-
"Moi cannot. It seems that even being here, standing on this place like we are, doesn't help my powers out any. It's rather concerning, finding a place where even my power can't be used."
"I doesn't matter" said Kazuma, walking past them a few steps to take the lead. "I have no doubt we'll find the others in there, alongside Rubrikt and whatever it is that's eating up all the world's mana. It's time, time to end this all once and for all!"
With that, Kazuma leads Lynn, Wiz, and Vanir into the Mana Fortress and into destiny.
{|} to be continued... {|}