The ballroom was, realistically, stunning.
Ceilings that had no right being that high arched overhead in vaulted stone, every rib and column carved with a precision that suggested whoever built this place had not been working quickly or cheaply.
The black marble floor—the same they'd crashed onto—ran the full length of the space without a single seam, polished enough that the green lamp light caught in it like shallow water.
Broad staircases curved up on either side toward a mezzanine that wrapped the entire upper level, its balustrade lined with stonework figures whose details were still sharp after however many centuries this place had been left like this.
It was the kind of room that had once expected to be filled with people. Important ones.
And then Reoloy's attention fell back to the sword coming toward him rather ferociously.
He ducked under the swing, letting the blade pass close enough that he swore it took some hair with it, and straightened up on the other side without breaking his stride.
The soldier golem reset its stance with only a hint of delay and came again.
He sidestepped, redirected its follow-through with a light push against the forearm, and put another two steps of distance between them before pointing his middle finger at its chest and materialising the claw through it.
"The core is still where I remember..." he muttered, jumping out of the way of five swords that came down, their owners taking a knee from the drop attack they performed. "...Good to see some things don't change."
The attack pattern was different. They were thirstier for blood, and their motions were less robotic and telegraphed.
Going through a sea of these things would prove impossible.
If they didn't have Lohan, that is.
The ki user landed atop a shark-alligator hybrid and instantly crushed its head, bare knuckles, no ceremony.
A staggered golem she'd jumped off of hadn't fully recovered when she was already turned back on it—a low drop under its guard, one sharp elbow into the joint of its weapon arm, and then she was behind it, using its own momentum to send it into the ground. She didn't watch it fall, stomping its chest in with a sickening squelch before moving on.
With a turn, she grabbed a large bat-like monster mid-flight, using it to catch some air time, then falling in the midst of dozens of golems, humanoid crawlers, and shark-alligators.
She rose quickly, attacking them before they could get to her.
Moving slightly more urgently than was normal for her, her ki flared a bit too much, drawing a wince as she reigned it in, but not before the force blew the enemies away.
Her motion signalled something was off. She seemed focused, but not on the fight itself. Like she was panicking about an unseen factor.
She scanned the scene even mid-combo—not looking at the enemies directly in front of her, but the wider space. The mezzanine. The staircases.
Finding whatever it was she was searching for, she crushed a sea spider guardian underfoot and leapt toward the higher ground, just narrowly avoiding being swamped.
Back with Reoloy, he stabbed through one of the airborne monsters almost grudgingly.
He didn't like that he was using the claw Regalia this much this early. Plus, the current situation painted a grim picture of what awaited them with Drumel if the ordinary foes were this amped up.
"Laurencia! Lohan!" The girls' necks snapped, the older of the two looking visibly worse for wear. "We're going through the red doors up top! Let them chase us!"
Lohan, being the closest, immediately kicked the doors open and ran through, followed by Laurencia, whose baton had shifted into a burning-blue, vibrating mace.
Reoloy cleared the stairs and then cleaved through both sets of steps, buying some time before going into the similarly ornate hallway on the other side of the doors.
For the first time, there were no green lights, and instead, the visibility was provided by unnaturally red candlelight.
It was his first time encountering it, so whether it was a trap or not, he was just as ignorant as everyone else.
"We fell too far," he said, trying to manage his pace and breathing as he caught up to the others. "Our target is about two floors higher."
It wasn't his intention, but the words actually made his companions feel like he still knew what he was doing and was in control of the situation. Beneficial or not, it calmed them down a bit.
"Those crawling ones are catching up," Laurencia said mid-sprint, surprisingly less affected by the strenuous activity than expected. "You wanted that. Why?"
Reoloy glanced back at the creatures skittering across the walls. Some had already gotten above them, looming overhead as they closed in from every direction.
"We can't get rid of all of them, but if we can get somewhere more advantageous, we might still be able to turn this around."
His gaze drifted to Lohan.
She bit her lip—hard enough to draw blood—at his words. It wasn't unusual for her to be off in her own head, but something was clearly weighing on her far more heavily than she felt comfortable sharing.
Reoloy's eyes narrowed. 'She looks... guilty?'
Stone, dust, and shattered debris from the ornaments blasted across the hall as something enormous tore straight through the right wall, its momentum carrying it several metres before it dug its limbs into the ground and skidded to a halt.
As the dust settled, the massive crawler from earlier came into view.
It let out a bellowing roar and immediately lunged at them.
A pillar of purple, flame-like mana erupted in front of the group just in time, its sudden appearance triggering the creature's instincts and forcing it to falter mid-charge, its momentum grinding to a stop.
Reoloy glared. "Go ahead and find the way up."
The hulking creature slowly raised its head. Chunks of rubble cascaded from its back as it appeared to study the pillar despite possessing no visible eyes.
For a brief moment, it hesitated.
Then its maw spread apart.
Rows upon rows of teeth writhed within its impossibly deep throat.
"...That doesn't sound smart," Lohan spoke for the first time.
"It isn't," Reoloy agreed, adjusting his sleeves. "Once you go up two floors, there should be a narrow hallway that opens into a massive court. I'll catch up after killing this thing."
He watched as the smaller versions rallied around the beast, hissing and practically vibrating with the urge to throw themselves at them.
"...And some of its friends."
Laurencia cleared her throat, drawing their gazes.
"If you can hold them off," she started, pointing her relic at them. "I can use this once it charges up to wipe them out."
The reincarnator glanced at the weapon. Then at her. Then at the swarm.
The mace didn't look impressive at all.
He doubted it would do anything significant—especially not against enhanced monsters created by Luvarne.
"You'd be better off using the blast staff," he muttered, then raised a hand when he saw her expression change. "Don't. These halls are strong, but the explosion would likely bury us too."
He pulled out Gaiskas's mirror and scowled.
"We can try your strategy once I get to the rendezvous point."
The pillar of mana intensified as he shot them a look that left no room for argument.
The two peeled off immediately, sprinting ahead and vanishing into the faintly lit depths of the corridor.
"It's my turn now, is it?"
A twisted cackle echoed through the air as the visage of ancient evil manifested, looking far more corporeal than before.
Had Reoloy not known better, he would have mistaken it for a genuine physical body.
Atop its head rested an elaborate jester's cap, its long, curved points granting it the appearance of a mocking sovereign rather than a fool. Yet it was no mere hat. The structure appeared rigid, almost horn-like, its violet surface etched with intricate carvings and ending in sharp golden tips where bells should have hung.
Beneath that mockery of a crown lay its true face: a haunting, blackened visage adorned with elegant gold filigree.
A diamond-shaped crest sat prominently upon its forehead, while its unnaturally sharp chin gave the countenance an almost predatory appearance.
From the hollow recesses of its eyes shone two luminous violet lights, their eerie glow conveying a power that felt heavy, malicious, and utterly steeped in corruption.
Dark feathers spilled from around its neck and draped across its armoured shoulders like a mantle of shadows, standing in stark contrast to its finely tailored purple attire. The upper garment extended nearly to its feet, its tattered edges swaying softly despite the still air, lending the figure an unsettling blend of regal elegance and ominous decay. A black belt studded with golden orbs cinched the garment at the waist, securing it over otherwise simple lower attire.
Its black boots, trimmed with gold and curled into wicked points, further reinforced the theatrical spectacle. Matching gloves concealed its hands, hanging loose around the wrists and forearms while fitting snugly over the fingers and palms, lending them an oddly exaggerated appearance.
Yet despite the extravagant attire and jester-like motifs, there was nothing remotely comical about the being.
Hovering effortlessly, it carried itself with the casual arrogance of one who regarded all existence as a stage built solely for its benefit—a vast playpen populated by materials that had yet to realise their purpose.
Rather than leaking its mana haphazardly like before, Gaiskas remained almost unnoticeable—save for the unnatural quality its presence still seemed to exude.
"Enough," Reoloy said, expertly masking his intrigue at the sight. "We're keeping it light. Surely a great being like yourself doesn't need to go overboard just to kill these guys?"
After realising how dire their situation was, the teen had given Gaiskas express permission to siphon whatever mana it could from the surroundings.
The laikern had clearly levelled up, regaining a significant portion of its full capabilities, but it was far from whole, which was odd if Luvarne was truly back in action.
'My head hurts...'
Spreading its arms open, Gaiskas called back its fire-like mana, wrapping it around itself like a coat. The moment the crawlers saw it, they surged forward, mistaking it for an opening.
Gaiskas's new face was entirely unexpressive, but somehow Reoloy could still recognise the current emotion underneath—it was irritated.
"Fools," it muttered, bending a finger toward them while its arms remained spread. "Experience what true magic is like."
Instantly, the humanoid bodies began swelling mid-run. Sores bloomed across their flesh, then burst in ugly eruptions of blood and pus.
Only the larger crawler remained, snapping its head around in confusion, searching for the source.
"Right... I'm around that point now," Gaiskas muttered dryly. "Things like this can't see or feel me anymore."
"Was that the attribution of decay?" Reoloy asked, stepping over the mess of remains.
"Close. It's more like a pretend version."
Reoloy didn't understand, but he nodded anyway.
Now that he couldn't read the laikern's expressions as clearly through its unmoving face, he wanted to keep their conversations brief.
A tiny smile tugged at his mouth.
'Let's get past this first.'
Gaiskas folded its arms, turning just enough for Reoloy to catch the glow coming from its left eye.
"I left that one alive," it said. "I'm sure you have some kind of use for it."
Reoloy grinned. "You're learning."
"That's not a good thing..."
The reincarnator cleaved through the giant humanoid before it could so much as twitch, staring down at it blankly as he walked past.
"If you could have done that from the start, why didn't you?"
Gaiskas floated after him, only a few paces behind.
"Because," Reoloy turned, walking backwards. "This Regalia is very specific about what costs more and what doesn't."
He pointed at the traces of Gaiskas's mana still hanging in the atmosphere.
"Cutting mana is easy. I could probably do it all day, but physical objects, especially ones with incredible hardness or defence—"
"Are more taxing on the wielder."
"Exactly." Reoloy snapped his fingers. "It hurts more that clean, smooth cuts like that are the default, and they tire me out like hell. It's a good relic, I'm just not able to handle it to its fullest, yet."
Gaiskas froze, staring down at him.
"Should you be telling me this?"
The teen's brow rose. "Because you might turn on me later when your power's restored?"
"Yes."
Reoloy laughed—not the exaggerated mockery he sometimes used, nor a derisive cackle, not even his usual edge of manic hysteria—just a light, genuine laugh that slipped out before he could stop it.
Gaiskas watched and raised his guard, already aware of the games the boy usually played.
'Would you look at that...' Reoloy mused, wiping a tear. "Have you been studying me?"
He received no response, not that he expected any.
"Too late, my friend," he said, as if patting Gaiskas on the back. "Too late."
The laikern's eyes narrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Reoloy's gaze turned to the direction they came from, ignoring the question.
"Isn't it strange?" he placed a hand on his chin and tapped his foot. "The crawlers weren't even the most mobile, and they caught up easily, yet none of the others have arrived, even with us just hanging around."
Gaiskas turned, realising he was right.
"Maybe the stairs you broke stopped them in their tracks."
Reoloy ignored the blatant disinterest in its tone.
"And the flying ones?"
The blue-black-haired boy racked his brain, not willing to believe life would reward him an easy opening like that.
Suddenly, his tapping foot snapped onto the floor, and he pivoted into a sprint.
"I messed up!"
---
Lohan's breath came out ragged.
Blood streaked across her forehead, and Laurencia's arm hung at an unnatural angle—broken when she'd been forced to use her mace prematurely to save her life.
She swallowed hard, flashes of Cube's main halls flickering through her mind.
White walls and featureless rooms where they pumped her with elixir after elixir just to see how much she could take. How far she could go.
Her eyes drifted shut amid the cacophony of noise.
"Do you understand your condition?"
A seven-year-old Lohan stood looking at the floor, a torn stuffed animal hanging from her hand.
"...Yes," she answered, her brown hair hanging over her eyes.
"The treatments are progressing nicely. Just a few more years and you'll be cured."
Lohan winced as she felt the hand on her shoulder.
"You keep being good, okay?"
As the people in white coats walked out, she stared at the tubes stuck into her arms. She didn't recognise the liquid, nor did she know where it came from; she just knew it hurt. It felt like razors cutting through her blood vessels and ripping into her organs.
And then there was the burn in her core...
She hated that pain the most.
She had also noticed the hairs on her arms changing colour about a month ago—only because her eyesight had suddenly become clearer too.
That morning, while looking in the mirror, she saw that the hair just beyond the roots on her head had begun to turn as well. It made her feel like she was losing who she was.
Lohan's hollow eyes turned to the other person still in the room.
An oddball that stood out even in a place like this.
A ball of blue light pulsed in his hands, one of the fluctuations seemingly growing beyond his expectations as he fell over, vomiting a dark, murky blood.
"Why do you do that?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. The boy's green eyes landed on her while he was still dry heaving on the floor. "You're just like me."
He was expressionless, but his head tilted to signify his confusion.
"The more you use your powers, the closer to death you get."
"Ah," Reoloy said simply. "That's unfortunate."
He stood, patting himself off as if there were dust on his clothes while entirely ignoring his bloody mouth.
"Well, you see..."
Lohan's eyes snapped open.
'I can't just up and die,' she thought, forcing herself to her feet and staring down the mass of monsters. 'Both of us...'
Her ki flickered weakly around her frame, her breathing remaining entirely measured despite her lungs feeling like they were pooling with blood.
'Need to make it.'
The entire hallway was filled with an electric-blue ki, the temperature rising significantly.
Lohan winced.
The burn in her core she hadn't felt for years resurfaced, and with it came cascades of power she had never tapped into.
"I didn't learn it properly," she muttered. "And I'm sure I'll mess it up, but..."
A flash of light enveloped her body, whipping her hair upward and sending tremors through the ruins, the air itself thrown into a sudden frenzy.
"I'm not dying!"