"Luminel! Watch out!"

Ardiana’s shout echoed through the underground.

Leonardo pushed off the wall and dropped low—into the very spot where a thick root slammed down with a crack.

Leonardo’s breathing turned ragged.

"Still no escape route?!"

Swinging her sword, Ardiana shook her head.

Originally, the underground passage beneath the clock tower was supposed to connect to five other routes.

But due to the collapse—

"Most of them are blocked!"

They could not find a way out of the underground plaza.

But an even greater problem was the roots, which did not allow them even a moment to look around.

Breathing heavily, Leonardo thought:

'I’ve seen many magic crystals, but...'

Not a single one had ever attacked people directly.

"Kh—!"

Leonardo groaned again—a sharp root slashed him once more.

At the same time, the severed plant fragments writhed and crawled toward the center of the underground space.

Toward that pulsing mass Ardiana had called a heart.

"I have an idea! Cover me!"

Ardiana shouted.

Her face made it clear—she had made a decision.

Leonardo nodded.

The moment he moved closer to her, new roots lunged toward them.

Leonardo released holy power and deployed a barrier.

Then, in a single sweep, he cut down most of the roots.

At that moment, Ardiana drove the dagger Bale had given her deep into the heart at the center.

"...Ugh!"

A burning heat pierced through her—she frowned.

The surface of the pulsing heart trembled—

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaak—!"

A piercing screech erupted from all directions.

Blood ran from Leonardo’s ear.

Ardiana’s eardrums were damaged as well, but she did not retreat.

"Keep... covering...!"

With her gaze, she indicated the roots that had begun writhing even more violently.

Leonardo tightened his grip on his sword.

He cut down the roots lunging at Ardiana again and again.

But—

"Your Highness!"

One thin root he failed to intercept pierced Ardiana’s left shoulder like a metal spike.

"Ah!"

A short cry escaped her lips.

But she clenched her teeth and did not loosen her grip.

'Just a little more!'

Thump—thump—

With every second, the heart’s pulse weakened.

If she was right—the source of all these roots was that heart.

Ardiana shouted desperately:

"Hold on, knight! Just a little more!"

"Your hands—!"

Only then did Ardiana lower her gaze to her hands.

Purple veins bulged along the backs of both of them.

"...Ha."

With each beat of the heart, her hands twitched as well.

The magical energy emanating from the heart was clearly seeping into her body.

"You can’t! Let go!"

Leonardo shouted, covering his nose and mouth with his left hand.

Ardiana shook her head.

"I can’t! Just a little more... just a bit more...!"

Glancing around, she saw that many of the severed roots were no longer regenerating and lay limp.

Even those Leonardo had just cut no longer moved.

Ardiana breathed heavily as she watched the magical energy spread across her skin.

'This... is it magical poison?'

She was resistant to most poisons.

But whether she could endure this—she did not know.

"Your Highness!"

Leonardo shouted again, fending off the last of the roots.

Instead of answering, Ardiana suddenly staggered.

"Ha... ngh..."

It was almost done.

But the strength in her hands was rapidly fading.

Despair surfaced on her face.

The heart—the vulnerable point of the magic crystal itself.

Which meant, if she failed—the alliance would fail.

And then Tesetan, trapped somewhere here, the innocent fighters, the little King of the Dead...

At the moment her hands were about to give out—

[Don’t let go!]

Something cold held her palms, as if stopping the burning heat.

Ardiana gasped sharply and opened her eyes.

Light.

It was light—but black, a dark light.

Red eyes flared, and a body cloaked in black scales like a mantle stirred.

"Hold on! Don’t let go!"

"A summoned spirit...?"

The small red eyed dragon slowly began taking on a human form.

Lucarion released an immense magical power and wrapped it around the dagger in her hands.

"Kiiiiiiiiieeek—!"

The scream grew even louder than before.

Lucarion’s face twisted, and Ardiana, drenched in blood, struggled to breathe.

Thump! Thump—

The final, strongest beat of the heart—and then...

silence.

"...It worked!"

The heart began to crumble from the edges.

"Your Highness!"

Leonardo rushed over.

From the other side, Basto and Bale appeared.

Dropping to her knees, Ardiana finally released her grip.

Clang—

The dagger fell to the ground.

The rumbling above vanished, and the purple magical energy filling the underground dissipated.

"What the hell was that?!"

Through Bale’s voice, Ardiana braced herself on her knees.

An unbearable pain ran through the torn skin of her hands and forearms.

Her vision was flooded with red.

"Your Highness, can you hear me?"

Leonardo hurriedly supported her.

She tried to answer, barely managing to open her mouth.

Slowly, she inhaled—

Grrrr—

At that moment, the far wall of the underground trembled again.

Everyone turned toward it.

"...Allerik?"

From cracks in the stone, clear water suddenly burst forth, flooding their feet.

From the breach in the wall, Allerik appeared.

"Allerik? Then..."

Bale sharply turned in that direction.

Ardiana, breathing heavily, stared ahead.

Beyond the collapsed wall stood four figures.

Allerik and Ribia. And—

"You..."

A faint smile appeared on Ardiana’s lips.

Tesetan stood there, holding Astie in his arms, looking at her.

Fortunately, both were unharmed.

But upon seeing Ardiana’s condition, Tesetan’s eyes widened.

Still holding the King of the Dead, he immediately rushed toward her.

Ardiana tried to stand, bracing herself against the ground.

But the moment her hand touched it—

another ominous vibration ran through.

She turned her head.

Light flared to the left.

Where the heart of the magic crystal had been.

Now something shone there like the sun.

"...Astie!"

But they had no time to comprehend what was happening.

From the very center of the light, a small rhombus shaped object shot out—like an arrow.

"The kid—!"

It flew in a straight line and struck directly into Tie’s chest—and disappeared inside.

Ardiana could not tear her gaze away from the unreal scene.

Space distorted.

Tesetan and Astie, who had been just ten steps away, suddenly seemed infinitely far.

"Tie!"

Basto rushed forward and grabbed Tesetan’s arm.

Nearby, Ribia and Allerik also reached out.

But—

"Uncle Basto! Bale!"

Tie lost her balance in Tesetan’s arms and rose into the air.

With his other hand, Tesetan instantly grabbed hers.

But space continued to stretch—

"Ah!"

And in the end, Tie slipped from his grasp.

Watching her being pulled into another space, Tesetan glanced at Ardiana.

Then—at Basto holding him.

"Tesetan...!"

He made the same choice.

He let go of Basto’s hand—and threw himself after Tie.

The moment they vanished, space snapped shut.

Silence fell over the darkened underground.

"...You."

Ribia broke it, drawing her sword sharply.

With a grim face, she approached Ardiana.

And—

"This is your doing, isn’t it? All of this—because of you!"

She pointed her blade at Lucarion standing beside Ardiana.

"What did you do to my lady?! I remember everything! Back then, it was ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) you too! On the plains of Elderin—you wiped us all out...!"