Quest for Hikari - Episode 20: Vs Final Maris

Author's Commentary: A few days.... was an overexaggeration. ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ

[ ~ Chapter • Start ~ ]

( This entirety of the chapter will be at 3rd PoV )

Sill stood behind Rance, as her expression became that of fear. She immediately recognized that spell due to the fact that she had read something about it her younger years, way before she became a slave.

"Healing Nine?! That's a high ranked Divine Magic spell that supposedly rejuvenates the body so much it breaks it's limits while also draining the user's lifeforce! Master, what are we gonna do now?" Sill spoke, as Rance turned his head to glance at her with a grin.

"What else? Defeat her! And Sill, use Purify on her once I say so, that's a Healing Nine spellcaster's one true weakness." Rance said before he focused on Maris, who was screaming in pure anger.

{ Rance and Sill Plain }

{ Versus! }

{ Final Maris }

{ Duel 2! }

{ Fight! }

{ Cue BGM: Royal Chaser (Rance 01/02/03) }

"RaAaaAAAAaaAaAANNNCEEE!!!! I won't let you hurt Princess Lia!!!!!" Maris shouted, her conviction showing despite her berserking state, her entire focus was completely on him.

And then suddenly, she jumped to the air, ready to slam her spear at the apex of her jump, then diving back down with a swift motion.

Of course, Rance didn't want to get hit by something that might have enough force to break one of his swords, so he quickly leaped backwards, just as Maris's spear slammed to the ground where he once stood before her, making the ground break apart due to the impact it made, blasting Rance and Sill backwards.

And another thing, everything was completely serious here, as Rance and Sill immediately stood their ground as the berserk Maris immediately runs towards Rance without care on Sill and wildly swung her spear sideways, making Rance try to block her spear with his swords, yet he was pushed sideways away from Maris with.

The enraged attendant pushed Rance towards a nearby wall, breaking it apart before Rance injected magic to his swords to retaliate, even with the two broken ribs and damaged arm her had gained just recently.

"[Dual Enchant! Flame! Wind!]" Rance shouted, as both of his swords became engulfed by flames while wind swirled around , and due to that, his swords' striking and slashing abilities were increased significantly.

"Take this!"

Rance begun swinging his swords faster than Final Maris's spear, forcing her to go into a defensive while she was being wounded and injured, even though her injuries and wounds immediately heal afterwards.

"Twin Elemental Impact!" Rance shouted, slamming his swords down to the ground once Maris had lowered her guard enough, releasing the flames and wind up from the ground and blasting Final Maris twenty meters to the air.

Not wasting time and not even letting her recover yet, Rance manipulated the ground at his feet to launch him upwards while blasting himself with wind at the same time to further be launched upwards.

And then, he grabbed Maris and spun around a few times before throwing her back down the ground using a well-placed kick.

"Sill! Now!" He signalled to Sill while he fell down, who pointed her wand towards Maris.

"[Purification]!" She spoke her spell, as Maris's body glowed before releasing a dark miasma that blew Sill away and temporarily making her unable to help Rance for a while.

"GYAAAAHHH!!!!" Maris screamed in pain, before clenching her teeth and hands while standing up and looking down at her body that was very slowly returning to it's original color, and her glowing veins were starting to dim down. Her mind was also returning to normal.

If she could notice, one of her eyes was already back to normal.

'.... Healing Nine's effects are wearing out at a much faster rate than before!' Maris thought, before looking at the pink haired girl on the ground who used purification on her.

There was also one problem, she was unable to approach her as Rance begun to dash towards Maris with both of his swords already in slashing motion.

Although her powerup was beginning to be degraded and eventually lost, she still held tightly on her spear and began to parry Rance's rapid attacks and retaliate with quick, powerful thrusts.

While that happened, the [Ghost Buster Sword] was thrown off of Rance's hand, before his [Rance Sword MkIV] was suddenly thrusted to her head before cutting her forehead and metallic headband.

Before she could retaliate, a sudden surge of pain assailed her as she coughed out blood.

The pain felt so severe she was unable to move to the point where she immediately dropped to the ground silently screaming in pain.

{ BGM End }

At this point, Rance concluded that their battle was over as Sill had stood up, a little tired from the spell she had used earlier.

"Sill! Come over here and heal me already!" Rance commanded Sill while sheathing his sword and rubbing the part where his ribs were broken.

Once Sill was near them, she looked at Maris with pity, before pointing her wand to Rance.

"[Pain, pain, go away]!" Sill chanted, as Rance felt rejuvenated and his wounds and injuries have healed while he was being refreshed.

He then turned around, about to proceed with his intentions.

"Sill, treat her as well, she wouldn't be able to move for a while. I'm going to chase after Lia so that she wouldn't return to the castle." He spoke, just before Sill rubbed her cheek.

"Eh.... Master Rance.... I think I used all of my remaining mana to heal you...." Sill replied, sitting down on the ground and making Rance shrug his shoulders.

".... Wait...." Maris weakly called out, reaching for Rance, as when he turned around once again, he noticed Maris crying silently while weakly tilting her head upwards to look at his face which had a serious frown.

".... What is it now?" He asked.

"Lia.... she... she's so sweet when.... she was a... child...." Maris began to explain, as Rance and Sill concluded that Lia was a different person now. "Her Highness's heart.... is broken.... She had to fight her siblings over.... the succession since her birth...."

She went on a short explanation about Lia's past, about her pet being repeatedly tortured and eventually killed by her maid, and Lia doing the same to said maid.

Everything escalated after that event, and Rance was left frowning due to how unbelievable that should be.

".... I only have..... one request.... Lia..... please make her change.... her ways for good..... I couldn't.... do it by myself...." Maris spoke weakly, before her eyes eventually closed and she was now sleeping.

"Master, what do we do now?" Sill asked, looking at Rance.

Rance did not speak a word, and left Maris alone with an unconscious Kanami.... not before binding the ninja down again using the thick and sturdy vines he found along the way here just for the fun of it. He also didn't forget to take the [Ghost Buster Sword], even though it was slightly chipped from the recent battle.

They quickly moved forward, arriving in a cave that went on for a long distance where they pushed through the cold spring water that was beginning to submerge them until it almost reached their thighs.

They kept pushing, before a small point of light was on the end of the tunnel.

After they exited it, they squinted their eyes to adjust to the light that bathed them after a long time of pushing through the cave.

The moment they exited, somebody- Lia, was already waiting for them.

"Aww.... so Maris has been defeated, huh? " She said, in her unfazed, creepy smile as usual.

"She's quite troublesome, honestly." Rance replied, stoically looking at Lia while recalling his recent fight.

"You're incredibly tough, I'm quite surprised." She said, acting as if it wasn't her trouble at all.

"Geez.... fine, you win. I give up."

She's acting as if she lost a game of chess. And then, Lia got an idea.

"Say.... Why don't you join me? You're pretty interesting and much stronger than I thought. I began to realize at this point that it would be a complete waste for you to become my pet. Why don't you be like Maris and Kanami.... my personal subordinate?" Lia said, trying to convince Rance.

Yet he only bluntly stared at her, almost wanting to make a facepalm gesture.

"You'll have everything you wanted, I could make you become a general or a minister, you can have how many women you wanted!" Lia further tried to convince him.

'.... She's stupid. Only the most foolish can fall to her trap.' Rance thought, internally facepalming as he began to approach Lia.

Sill was very silent.

"So, have you decided yet?" Lia asked, as she became hopeful while her heart began beating hard.

To be honest, she began to be in love with Rance just recently... however....

*SLAP!!!*

Lia was slapped by Rance. Immediately.

[ ~ Chapter • End ~ ]

Extra Information:

Final Maris: The Maris Amaryllis that isn't holding back anymore while using the High Ranking Divine Magic, Healing Nine, a spell that rejuvenates her body so much that it becomes several times stronger, faster and also she becomes berserk in this state as an effect of her limits being temporarily broken.

Her attacks become wild, capable to making the air cut almost everything in her path. Plus, she's actually stronger than Rance at this state. However, she's still outmatched by Rance in terms of speed, technique, and there's also Sill who was effectively focusing on using Support and Divine Magic.

The problem is that her lifetime shortens the more she uses it, and pain begins to assault her body after the spell's effects are over as a side-effect.

Her weakness is purification magic, which disrupts the spell and cuts short the duration of Healing Nine, which usually lasts for around a minute or two.

Power Level: Low Ranked Dark Lord

Another Fact: Rance is actually unable to use any Divine Magic yet he can also use Death Magic and Biometal Magic. Even without Divine Magic, he is still capable of healing himself in an alternative manner. Such as converting mana into Life Force.

Commentary from the Author: People are getting blasted a lot this chapter.