“Here?”
At the first location was a cleansing device used to remove miasma from meat so it could be safely eaten.
The Chaos Soul was growing out of it—or rather, from a black crystal jammed into the device’s miasma containment center.
I used a Holy Sword to slice the goo off the crystal, and I put the crystal in my Storage before the goo could reconnect.
With that target lost, the Chaos Soul returned to the main body.
I set a mana-charged Holy Stone to cleanse the location and headed for the next.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Tia!”
I heard Roro cry over Clairaudience.
Roro was now supporting Tia against the force of the Chaos Soul.
“I’ll help!”
Roro’s hands joined Tia’s on the staff.
The hamsters were clearly terrified but trying to support her feet.
“Thanks, Roro. And you girls.”
Tia was faking that cheer and shoving back against the goop.
Didn’t seem like she had long.
I’d better move faster.
✦ ✦ ✦
At the second and third locations were both cleansing devices in the water cleansing the tower.
These had the same black crystals in them, so I popped those into Storage.
I saw some mouse demons on the way, so downed them with “Spellblade Shot.”
One of them dropped a black crystal when it died, so safe to assume this was all part of Zomamurgormi’s scheme.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Tia! Hang in there, Tia!”
“Sorry, Roro. I passed out a second.”
Oh, shit.
Maybe I should leave this crystal collection till after I rescued them—no, I can’t, if anyone died, Tia and Roro would carry that burden the rest of their lives.
“Tia, anything I could do to help? I’ll do whatever it takes!”
“Well—no, I’ve got this. Trust the Great Sorceress!”
Tia pulled a magic potion out and bit the top off, with a dazzling smile.
✦ ✦ ✦
I had to trust her.
Mapping the fastest route, I used “Flashrunning” to reach the fourth and fifth locations.
At these were also black crystals in cleansing devices.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Tia, you can’t! You’ll die!”
“Don’t worry, Roro. This is nothing,” Tia insisted, but the Chaos Soul had her on her knees.
Roro had her arms around her back, both hands on the staff.
The purple light around the staff was spreading to Roro herself.
“The staff chose you?” Tia bit her lip. “I’m sorry, Roro.”
“Tia?”
“You’ll really do anything?”
“Yes! Anything it takes to protect you and the fortress city!”
Roro didn’t hesitate, and Tia looked at her like she was a dazzling light.
✦ ✦ ✦
I handled the sixth location quickly, but the seventh cleansing device didn’t have a black crystal in it.
The seventh Chaos Soul was enveloping a dump, and it wasn’t immediately obvious where the root was.
I searched my map for the crystal.
✦ ✦ ✦
“You may no longer be able to live as an ordinary human.”
“I don’t care. If that lets me save everyone…”
“Even if you can’t have a happy home with Satou?”
“……Even if I can’t have a happy home with Satou.”
Roro did hesitate there but made up her mind.
“Fine. Then repeat after me.”
With a surge of mana, Tia forced back the Chaos Soul, placing her hands over Roro’s on the staff.
“I, Roro, kin to Arcatia the Avowed, do hereby solemnly swear…”
“I, Roro, kin to Arcatia the Avowed, do hereby solemnly swear…” Roro dutifully repeated Tia’s words.
✦ ✦ ✦
There!
There were several crystals buried in the trash.
✦ ✦ ✦
✦ ✦ ✦
I considered just putting all the trash in Storage, but the goo mingled with it got in the way, and I couldn’t just pop it in.
“Damn it!”
Frustrations had me swearing.
Don’t panic, Satou. Keep calm!
“Right!”
I put my hand on the heap of trash and a silver ingot in my free hand, casting a spell.
“Plating!”
The trash turned silver.
The goo let out a scream and pulled away.
That long shot sure paid off.
With the goop gone, there was nothing to stop me from gathering the crystals and trash in one fell swoop.
✦ ✦ ✦
“As controller of the Purple Moon Core…”
“As controller of the Purple Moon Core…”
A pale purple light surrounded both Tia and Roro.
✦ ✦ ✦
I headed to the Sorceress’s Tower with “Flashrunning.”
The Chaos Soul had lost the surface miasma source and was gathering at the tower.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I inherit the Great Sorceress’s title.”
“I inherit the Great Sorceress’s title.”
The purple glow flowed from Tia’s chest to Roro’s.
✦ ✦ ✦
A flash of purple lit up the tip of the tower.
The Chaos Soul pulled away in fear.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I hereby declare—”
“I hereby declare—”
Tia lost her glow, and Roro’s glow grew ever brighter.
Purple lightning crackled, the discharge traveling down Roro’s long hair.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I will protect this land from all who threaten it, until my own life runs out.”
“I will protect this land from all who threaten it, until my own life runs out.”
✦ ✦ ✦
The glow on the tower grew brighter still.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I am the Great Sorceress Roro, controller of the Purple Moon Core.”
“I am the Great Sorceress Roro, controller of the Purple Moon Core.”
✦ ✦ ✦
The purple light left the tower, rising toward heaven.
The Chaos Soul stretched upward, as if giving chase.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Here and now, I take a new vow!”
“Here and now, I take a new vow!”
✦ ✦ ✦
The purple light burst.
The particles rained down on the Chaos Soul, surrounding it like a soap bubble, and carrying it higher still.
“Satou! We’re tossing it up, the rest is yours!” Tia shouted. Then she looked at Roro. “Do it, Roro.”
“Okay, Tia!”
Roro yanked the staff upward, and the bubble around the Chaos Soul was flung way up into the air above the fortress city.
“Checkmate.”
I picked some intermediate spells from my list—Implosion, Fire Storm, and Thunder Storm. That combo slammed home, leaving not a speck behind.