[37]

As of now, Iu had long realized, this girl before her was not the same as the one she had come to know. As such, there was absolutely no reason to see this person before her as standing at the same status--as equals.

Mar smiled, "I-"

However, without a word, her body suddenly shuddered as if a brief chill had taken control. Her figure tipped lightly--the weapon she held disappearing along with the armor she wore--almost falling over before coming to a forceful stop.

And with that, Maria raised her head.

Slightly sluggish, she took a moment to take in the area.

Iu's eyes narrowed, "You're back to your 'usual' self, are you?"

"Huh?" The princess was utterly puzzled.

Heck did this vampire empress say?

'Wait…' A certain realization dawned upon her as she looked at the small group staring upon her figure.

'Mar…'

'You took over my body once more didn't you…?'

[...]

Standing up, she sighed.

'Was it a forceful takeover or…?'

[If you pass out, I take the reigns till your return. It has and will always remain so. The only other currently known way for me to take over your body is if you were to allow me.]

Maria nodded. That seemed 'fair' to say the least, after all, it was her body no?

She glanced over at the stranded figures of Ashe and her brother, before turning a glare towards Iu.

"What happened here?" Her voice brimmed with slight anger.

The prior vampire queen smiled.

"I have no reason to kill any of you, I am nothing more than a messenger for his bidding—doing the handy work he had tasked upon Eliza isn't within my problems." She shook his head.

"I simply took your friends here to satiate my own curiosity...however, I finally achieved realization towards why he would want you, Maria Springfield, so readily dead. You are an absolute threat to his existence."

"Yet, I am also nothing more than a messenger…" The umbrella in her hand quivered as her voice drifted.

Maria wasn't stupid, directly skipping over everything, she asked, "What do you want?"

"Me versus you, no weapons, magic, nor skills within use---2 minutes of time. I want you and you alone to land a single attack upon me and I will let you all go freely."

Iu smiled lightly.

"However…"

"I will not go easy."

Maria raised a brow...she looked around the area. Arthur smiled awkwardly towards her while Ashe had closed her eyes, her consciousness seeming to delve within her.

'Mar...what did you do this time…?'

She felt the image of that girl smiling back.

[I made her remember somethings.]

Maria furrowed her brow, "And why should I follow your little game when we could just as easily run?"

"Oh?" Iu remained calm.

"You can try and run, but looking at your friends here, it doesn't seem as if you are in a position to run no?" She made a show of tilting her head.

What exactly did this person want? Who exactly was she? Where had she come from? Why was she here? Who was this 'master' of hers? Maria grimaced at the thought of having no clue to any of this questions while the other seemed to be able to read her as if an open book.

"I will await your first move." And thus, Iu simply stood there.

Maria frowned when she heard her words.

'It would seem we will need a strategy for once...Mar, do you have any helpful information on her?'

[For one, do not think. And for another, risk it all.]

Do not think? How could she not think?? Was there a human in the world who could hold their thoughts aback???

Maria fully doubted those words, but, she did not throw them away.

'I will try.' She simply stated.

.

.

She took her stance: Her left leg and fist placed aback and her right leg and fist paced forwards.

Her weight shifted.

Her speed exploded forth.

Her vision narrowed towards her strick. She punched forwards.

There was no surprise.

'Her movements are too wide…' Iu briefly thought.

Her figure directly dodged and likewise moved to the princess's side.

A chop from her left hand fell.

Maria's eyes widened briefly as she felt the force of the attack against her back.

Unsurprisingly, she began in a low fall.

"There!'

Her hands placed onto the ground, Maria propelled herself upwards, her left leg flew.

A breeze bellowed past Iu's face, she sidestepped the assault to see the girl's right leg coming at speed.

Her umbrella folded.

Clank

Maria felt as if she had impacted against something truly 'study'.

Grimacing slightly, her arms spun.

She forced her body into a jump as her figure broke away from Iu.

[You cannot beat her with speed nor strength.]

She landed silently upon the ground, her eyes locking with her opponent's.

'Say, do you think Mana Sensing could help me here?' A sudden thought rang within Maria.

[So you've lived that scene…] There was a sigh.

[You are getting closer, but still far.]

[Yes, it would be helpful, show me your control over it for the moment.]

Maria nodded.

For the first time since she acquired the art, or more so awoken, she tried to initiate it. And the first step to that was remembering; remembering what she felt when her mana forcefully tore away from the world, remembering what it was like to feel a hint of the reaper's blade, and to see the gleam of death's scythe, even if just the bit, once more.

Naturally, her mana answered to her will. Enveloping outward from her center, it spanned forwards--now invisible to the naked eye.

Yet...

Iu smiled.

Arthur tilted his head slightly. There was a change to the mana over the area, but, that was all he could glean.

[Oh?] Ain chuckled.

...as invisible as it was, it could be felt by those of either sufficient power, skill, or a natural inclination towards the changes of mana.

Being attached to Maria's soul, Mar could naturally sense the fluctuations of her mana as well as what they brought.

[Hmm…] Her voice rang.

[Based on my own experience: 5 meters and it can last 50 seconds, 10 meters and it would be halved to 25 seconds, 25 meters and I'm left with 5 seconds, 35 meters and it becomes a single second.]

'That's…'

That was to say, this whole 'Mana Sense' art she had just acquired would be an absolute draw on her mana. It didn't seem likely to be versatile. Before having it, she had only ever used the energy of her soul for three things; Light Heal, Light Barrier, and the Mana Blades in which she birthed into the world.

Light heal, although being the one that needed the least amount of mana to activate, was also the one that used her mana the most seeing as she practically used it to heal all injuries sustained and to keep herself from simply passing out.

Light barrier took a definition of mana depending on how she chose to use the spell, yet, she didn't use it all too much...at least she thought? Though, it still took a toll on her mana.

"Hmm..."

Then there was the case of the Mana Blades. These ones were strange...she could tell...whenever she summoned this blades, her mana did, in fact, drain in response. However, she also felt that whenever she unsummoned them, the mana she had lost was always returned just the same. It felt odd to say the least, losing a bit of something, then regaining it just moments later.

[You understand right?]

'Yes.' She nodded.

Unlike her Radiant Blade and her Radiant Armor, the Mana Blades were not entirely made from the world's mana but more likely a mix of her's as well. When she unsummoned them, it was basically the world itself refurbishing the mana she had lost. After all, there was no way to just recall mana at an off chance.

All in all, she came to a single conclusion.

'Mana Sensing takes too much of my mana.'

It was basically a reward earned by herself, but locked away for the future. Why in the heck had that voice taught her such a skill if the chances for using it, no, if the mana needed to more effectively use it was null?

[Mana Sensing is best used; coating no more than a meter from you, in extremely short intervals, unless absolutely needed.] Mar's voice suddenly echoed into her mind, slightly disrupting her thoughts.

'Huh?'

Maria pondered those words for a moment, her brain racing.

It did make slight sense? She presumed. After all, she remembered only needing it for the briefest of a moment in order to befall the needles that drove after her.

'Mhmm.' She finally fully agreed with that notion.

Her mana drew back in recedence.

'1 meter.'

She forced it as such.

[Strike forwards with a meter.]

She charged forwards, blitzing straightly.

Iu awaited patiently.

First was the punch.

Within her mind, although not slow, she could somewhat at least see a blur of the folded umbrella moving to stop her right fist.

Crunch

She grimaced slightly.

It truly felt as if she had impounded against an impregnable wall.

She took a single small step aback…

He left leg flew within a moment.

Once more, she saw the blurred figure of Iu simply crouch down and evade.

She smiled, however.

Her right leg raising and dropping down.

Clank

Blocked, an overhead block.

The next instance.

Maria felt an overpowering force pound against her abdomen.

She flew backwards as if a ragdoll.

Tumbling against the ground and skidding back.

Her eyes opened briefly.

Her figure hurriedly rolled away.

A loud sound as if a boulder had been dropped down rang into her ears.

Maria jumped to her feet, her vision momentarily shaken, she still managed to strike out.

However...

Even as a blur, she saw the figure of Iu move.

Maria brought back her hand within a moment and guarded against her face.

Bang

Her bones produced a pronounced creak as she flew back.

Bang

Slamming into the walls of the space, blood forcefully spurted from Maria's lips.

Time seemed to trickle for a moment before she began a descent.

Her body lightly fell back down, her feet clinking against the ground, a low imprint of her figure having been made against the background.

Her breathing raised, her arms had grown weaker and her steps stagnated to force her body to stand.

She stomped her foot, forcefully balancing herself.

Her hazy eyes glared ahead.

The blur, she saw, a singular blur that seemed to speed towards her. It's shadow flying forwards.

[Stretch your mana thinly and narrowly before your very front! 25 meters!]

Maria followed the instructions of Mar in a haste.

The world opened before her as her soul seemed to flow above the limestone like grounds.

Naturally, she came into contact with the visage of the attack.

[Now!]

She was weak.

It was a blur to her current self.

But this was good enough!

Maria's two arms latched out!

Her eyes dilated.

She forced her hands into a grip!

The air exploded.

Her arms instantly ripped as the skin gave way to blood.

Her entire world shook, her body lightly forced backwards into a skid against her wall and her teeth gritted to stop the momentum of the weapon before her.

Finally, quivering, it seemed to 'allow' itself into a rest.

Maria's eyes calmed before her, her fingers ripped, she took the moment to make sense of her situation.

...she had caught the blackened 'weapon' within her hands.

Her lips dripped with blood.

"What the heck, this is…" She couldn't help a low chuckle of weakness.

The pointed tip of the umbrella stared at her neck in thirst.

Yes, it was nothing more than the umbrella the vampires held with her at times.

A hollow laugh escaped her lips.

"Goddammit." She cursed.

Her body felt weak and shallow. As if rust had built up upon it.

[You are wasting your mana, recede it when not in use.] A gentle voice soothed her.

Maria forced herself to take a moment and do as she was told.

Her breathing had noticeably increased, sweat trickled from her forehead and she couldn't help but relax her muscles a bit.

At that moment…

The umbrella held in her hands quivered and forcefully tore itself away.

Its tip pointed right back and flew from where it came.

It was blindingly fast, even faster than the previous attack she had stopped.

Bang

Yet,

Iu caught it in her right hand in effortlessness as the wind churned.

She smiled towards the girl.

'How the heck did it fly back towards her?'

This was the first time she saw another with the same ability to recall their weapon as herself.

[It is either an Artifact that holds a skill allowing that or a Soul Artifact like my Crimson Blade <Dante> that is bond to the will of the owner's soul.] Mar answered back, her voice calming.

"So...you're saying…" Maria spoke through roughened breaths.

"My <Radiant Blade> and <Radiant Armor> can be considered Soul Artifacts as well?" She tilted her head.

[Indeed.]

A low laugh escaped her lips.

"Well, won't be helping me here."

'I can't win with speed nor power...'

[Your reaction time is null before her and your movements are too wild and wide--none of which can be truly fixed within the span of this small scuffle.]

'Then the only way to win is a distraction.'

[You learn fast.]

'Use what you have. Learn what you don't.'

[Bingo.] Maria could imagine a light smile from that voice.

Her fist clenched.

'Tell me...what did you make her remember?'

[...]

[Empty your head first.]

'Empty my head?'

[Her mind reading does not fully fall under the category of a 'skill'.]

'Eh?'

Iu watched a bit amusedly as the girl shifted lightly from the distance she stood.

She couldn't read her current thoughts to say the least, after all, the range of that ability of hers was not anywhere near 'infinity'. It could be extended with mana, but, why waste that upon a fight such as this?

She smiled.

There was no single way the princess over there held a chance of even so much as touching her much less landing an attack.

She watched interestingly as the feet of the girl seemed to stagger slightly as she fully stood upward.

'Let's begin the last phase.' they both held this thought.

The girl didn't run towards her this time, she simply stepped forwards one step at a time. Her arms lowly hanging about.

"Oh?"

However,

At that time, Maria broke out into a run.

Her speed increasing with each step she took, her eyes having glazed into glares.

'You're telling me all this was because she lost top you before!?!' She was truly pissed.

Her fist hurled forwards with her body.

Yet, even now, she was still too slow.

Iu sidestepped that simple attack.

Maria stopped her momentum and arched her right foot.

Bang

Only the blackened umbrella met her attack.

Her left fist flew.

"Ugh…"

It was lightly caught within Iu's grasp.

Bang

The ground creaked as Maria found herself looking up at the vampire.

Sparks of earth lightly flew from the ground below her head.

She gritted her teeth.

Her hand reached to propel herself up as her body spun into an upwards kick.

"All this just for losing to me so badly!?!?" Her lips managed to say, blood spluttering with.

Iu's body quivered for a splitting moment.

The mana she used to coat her surroundings wavered.

However, her movements still rang true.

Her right fist downwards…

Her left hand moved her weapon...

However…

'Wha-.' Iu.

Within the darkness, a crimson Sword flew. Mar struck the sign of mind reading that had propped.

'My mind is only meant for me.'

Iu's mana crumbled before the blade.

Crack

The vampire's figure shook once.

Yet...

That was enough.

Maria flicked her foot, the kick not connecting with the umbrella that strived to block its path.

The footwear detached and flew with that last attack, curving and spiraling towards Iu's chin.

Yet…

It froze within the air without a second's notice.

At that sight, Maria grinned, almost cheekily.

"Checkmate."

The area rolled into silence, the two remaining stilled before themselves

"Using your skill,"

"You lose." She ended.

Iu's fist stopped before her swollen face.

The vampress's emotionless eyes stared into hers.

"You will not last long once his plan unfolds if you do not find your own path." Her words rang.

"En." Maria managed a weakened nod.

'Why is she telling me this?' Was her true thoughts, however.

As if in compliance, Iu nodded herself and simply strod backwards. Maria watching her actions as she could finally stand.

"Well, I have a boss to go hunt down."

"I bid you all farewell." Iu's umbrella flapped open as a light smile placed onto her lips.

She raised her right hand into the air.

"Exit."

And with that, she simply vanished.

Maria was slightly dumbfounded.

She couldn't help but collapse onto the floor in exhaustion. Her breathing roughed and hazy as she stared upon the ceiling above her.

"Maria! Maria!" She heard the voice of her brother.

"What!?!" She didn't even move to turn and face him even as she saw his feet appear by her side.

"Are you okay?" He looked down at her face, questioning amidst his expresioon.

She rolled her eyes.

"No I'm not okay goddammit!!!"

She sighed.

"Go wake those sleeping sloths up, I'll rest for a bit." She managed a chuckle.

Arthur gave a grinning thumbs up before scurrying along.

She smiled, even as her body painged in every place imaginable.

'Oh light that guides me, heal the wounds of this mortal body.'

A cove of light continuously enveloped her body as Maria activated <Light Heal> in continuation. Her gripped hands slowly melding as the bleeding skin upon began to heal at a noticeable pace.

"Ugh." She grimaced slightly.

Her heart rate seemed to slow down considerably as she forced herself up onto a sitting stance.

She grinned.

She had lightly cheated if she had to say the least. Then again, there was no rule saying 'one cannot use their other self'.

'Thank you Mar.'

[I am you, our connection having grown a bit after learning and experiencing one of the things I hold--I can at the very least unsheath my weapon with our domain.]

'Mhmm.'

Her other self had brutally and straightly expelled Iu's reach to her mind.

*

"Wake up!" Arthur forcefully kicked the 'sleeping beauty' with a slight trace of annoyance.

"Hmm...give me five more minutes~" Shell yawned lightly, rolling over to a new side as she continued her sleep.

"Five more minutes…?" The boy was speechless for once.

"Mhmm." He nodded to himself.

Was he going to give her five more minutes of sleep?

Hell's No.

A minuscule ball of scorching flames appeared over his index finger, no bigger than a small marble.

"Here." He simply chucked it as if flicking away an annoyance.

It landed

.

.

.

"AHHHHH!!!!"

Shell Chrome pounced upwards into a stance.

Her almost invisible weapon gleaming and ready to slit the throat of which idiot woke her up.

Her sapphire eyes instantly glared onto Arthur's figure.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!?! DON'T YOU KNOW NEVER TO TOUCH A LADY AND HER SLEEP!?!"

Arthur simply rolled his eyes, "Hurry up, it's time to actually go."

"Huh?" Shell finally took a moment to calm down as she took in the situation.

"Ehhhhh!?! You guys beat the boss by yourself!?! You didn't die!?!" She was spooked shocked.

"Goddammit! Do you want us to die then???" Arthur asked, exhaustion overtaking his body.

"..."

"..."

"N...ooo...I would never…"

"..."

The boy turned around and strived to go awaken Ais.

"...you're already awake?" He was quite a bit surprised to see the personal guard already standing to dust herself.

"Mhmm, I was only kicked lightly after all." She nodded, expressionlessly, as she sheathed her blade.

"Lightly huh?"

.

.

.

The two stared at each other.

"You're not willing to follow or allow us to follow you?" She raised a brow.

"No. I will reach Erza faster if I move as one." He spoke bluntly, shaking his head lightly as his blackened hair wavered about.

"We defeated the boss practically on our own." She reminded him.

"If I wasn't caught in a surprised screech, I could defeat it without any help."

There was a bit of silence.

Maria's looked him within the eyes, "You're too arrogant."

He smiled.

Turning around, he stepped towards the magic circle that shined lusterly behind him. Having placed it there with a wave of his hand and the sigils of blades upon his right hand had now disappeared.

"Maybe."

His voice lingered thoughtfully.

She sighed, "Where is she?"

"The second floor."

"Huh? Wasn't it supposed to be the third floor?" She tilted her head.

"Yes, however, something happened."

Maria squinted her eyes, "What happened?"

Gushin seemed to grin slightly, "She chanced upon The Fire Temple."

"The fire temple?" Maria asked. Were there temples for flames now??

"Hmm...the simplest way to see it would be as if a mini-dungeon within a dungeon. However, the Temple of Fire or Flame Hall isn't simply a 'mini dungeon'. It is one of the 6 elemental temples within the entirety of the dungeon. Even more so, you can't simply 'enter' the hall. For one, you must find it, finding something that can jump between the cracks in space and change locations at whim is quite hard you see...and for two, you'll see when you get there." Gushin Mao explained as clearly as he could.

Maria nodded, "Thank you."

Atleast with this, they held a goal for the location they were in a bid to reach.

"Mhmm." He stepped within the magic circle.

In an instant, he was enveloped in a low cove of light as his figure vanished.

There was a sigh.

Maria turned to see Shell walking towards her.

"Don't mind him," She smiled, a bit awkwardly, "He could be considered 'anti-social' in a way, you know what I mean? Right?"

Maria nodded.

"Mhmm," The dungeon guide crossed her arms.

"Anyway, I'm just here to give last bits of advice and stuff before I go on my way."

"?" The princess was slightly confused.

"You're not coming with us??" She asked.

"Not one bit." Shell shook her head.

"That's enough excitement for me for a while. I think...amma go see my master for a bit and maybe take that Hell's Training she always talked about." She shivered lightly.

"Just thinking about facing 'The Stone Wall' again makes me quite nervous." She chuckled.

"So you're leaving...I want my money back then," Maria extended her hand.

"..."

"I'm kidding."

"Oh thank god." Shell sighed in relief.

"Anyway, when you want to move as a group: All members stretch out there right hand to a location and speak either 'Exit' or 'Next Floor'. Well...you don't have to speak it but eh." She shrugged.

"Ah...exiting the Tower Raid only will still cost you all of your emblems and can also only be used when the boss has ceased to stop breathing. Thus, it's always better to participate unlike a certain someone."

Maria shrugged.

"And with that, I'll be going now." Shell stretched her hand forward.

A white magic circle appeared before her.

"Chao." She smiled and walked within.

***

"Hahahahaha!!!!!" A great bellow of crazed laughter echoed from the lips of the prince as he looked at the world before him.

"This floor was practically built for me!!" He spread out his hand as his head arched to laugh.

The entire landscape screamed FIRE. From the reddish brown land of mountainous regions to the floating masses of colossal rocky islands that spilled an intense wave of lava from the ground and fell to god knows where. This area was unlike the previous land of forestry, this was a magma wonderland!

As far as the eye could see was nothing more than a rocky land highlighted by flames continuously spewing from...well...everywhere in honesty. Flames here, flames there, not a place without a glimmer of flames. Even the mountains were spewing flames. Highlighted by the dark of the night, everything seemed design to bring out the highest quality of the fire element.

"In here, my fire magic will definitely be boosted!!" Arthur's blood boiled in excitement.

However, at that moment, Ashe simply walked forwards and kicked him.

He tumbled forwards and couldn't help a frown as he glared back at her.

"Move, my time is still limited as we speak." Ashe glared as well, after all, two could play that game.

[...] Ain sighed.

Maria and Ais simply took a step forwards, disregarding the antics of the two with a shrug.

A full blaze of fire instantly shot up from the ground before her, its flames reaching high into the sky and glowing the night sky in a glaze of an orange hue.

"..."

The two turned around as smooth as butter.

"We should go this way instead."

[Wise choice.] Mar nodded.

'Yes, it simply struck me as just not right to be blown apart by flames.'