Mimi ran through the forest with Delarosa at her side, their pace steady behind Meira, who cut a clear path ahead. The air was thick with tension, every breath sharp with the weight of what they were leaving behind. Belamus hadn’t come with them—he was still out there, facing Lazalit alone. The thought gnawed at Mimi’s resolve, planting a deep, creeping unease in her chest. She trusted Delarosa’s strength, of course, she did. But the quiet certainty Belamus carried, that grounded, protective presence, was something only he could offer. And without it, her fear was harder to silence.
Just as that fear began to take root, Meira’s voice rang out. “Do you see that?” she called, pointing ahead through the trees.
Between the shifting trunks, a pale green shimmer began to take shape, a translucent wall of light, like liquid glass suspended in the air. They were almost there.
“That’s the boundary,” Meira explained, her tone sharp with urgency. “Beyond it, only the Blessed One and one person physically connected to them can pass. No exceptions.”
Mimi squinted at the wall. It looked impossibly thin, but the closer they came, the more imposing it felt. They were maybe fifty meters away now. With every step, a strange heaviness settled over her, an invisible pressure, thick with expectation. Her pulse quickened. Her hands trembled. She didn’t want to admit it aloud, but the truth sat plainly in her heart: she was terrified.
If only Belamus were here… But he wasn’t. He was holding the line so she could move forward. And that meant she had no choice. No one else could do this—not Meira, not Delarosa. The burden was hers alone.
Come on. You have to be brave. If you turn back now, those dwarves will die. All of them. Starved, abandoned… alone. You’re the only one who can change that.
They reached the edge of the barrier. Delarosa stepped forward first and pressed her palm against the glowing wall. It didn’t give way. She clicked her tongue softly and turned back to Mimi.
“Can’t get through alone,” she said in Goblin, voice calm but resolute. “All right. Let’s go, Mimi.”
Mimi nodded. There was no more room for hesitation. She reached out and took Delarosa’s hand. Their fingers locked together, warm, firm, and steady.
“Before you go, one last thing,” Meira said, her tone suddenly grave as she stepped closer. “Once you’re inside, stay close. If you stray too far from each other, Delarosa will be expelled from the inner sanctum.”
Mimi’s breath caught. So, splitting up wasn’t an option. That ruled out any plan to send Delarosa ahead to scout or guard the path while she followed behind. She quickly turned to Delarosa and relayed the warning in Goblin, making sure she understood.
Meira bowed deeply, her expression solemn. “May fortune be with you both.”
Without another word, Mimi and Delarosa stepped forward and passed through the wall.
There was no resistance, no jolt of magic or shimmer of energy. One moment, they were outside; the next, they had simply… crossed over. The barrier that had shimmered so ominously before offered no obstruction now.
“Woooow! We really got through! The wall’s just gone!” Delarosa exclaimed, spinning around to look behind her. “It was totally solid a minute ago!”
Her wide grin and lighthearted awe were oddly comforting. Mimi had been so tightly wound that even this small burst of joy, this reminder that someone beside her felt unafraid, helped ease the iron knot in her chest.
They pressed forward into the grove beyond, and then—
“Ah!” Mimi gasped aloud, stumbling to a halt.
Towering ahead of them was a tree. But not just any tree; this one was colossal. Its trunk alone was broader than a fortress wall, its branches rising like towers into the canopy. She hadn’t been able to see it at all from the other side of the barrier. It hadn’t simply been hidden; it had not even been there. The wall must have concealed more than just entry, distorting vision itself.
“That’s gotta be the Emperor Treant, right?” Delarosa asked, shielding her eyes as she looked up.
“I think so,” Mimi replied, still staring. “They said the cave is somewhere around the roots, so we head there first.”
“Got it!” Delarosa chirped, flashing a fang-toothed grin as she tightened her grip on Mimi’s hand, her voice brimming with confidence and zero trace of fear.
With their goal now unmistakably clear, they began walking toward the base of the ancient tree. The journey was surprisingly peaceful. The path was straightforward: no forks, no tricks, just a slow descent toward the massive trunk. More than that, the area was eerily quiet. There were no monsters, not even the distant howls or rustling of predators. The only living things they saw were small insects and birds, flitting through the branches or buzzing gently in the undergrowth.
It felt… protected.
Eventually, they reached the roots. From up close, the scale of the Emperor Treant was overwhelming. Its base alone could have housed a village. The bark was weathered and ancient, patterned like cracked stone, each groove deeper than a sword’s blade. But there was no sign of a cave—at least, not at first glance.
“There, maybe?” Delarosa pointed toward a wide, dark opening nestled between two massive roots.
Mimi stepped closer, eyes narrowing. “Yeah… I think that’s it.”
Together, they made their way toward the shadowed entrance.
The cave stretched out before them, winding into the earth like a stone throat. Yet it wasn’t completely dark. Strange particles of light drifted lazily through the air, soft, shimmering motes that hovered like fireflies. They cast a gentle, ambient glow that lit the way ahead, making it bright enough to walk without needing a spell.
“All right, let’s go!” Delarosa said brightly, tightening her grip on Mimi’s hand before bounding ahead, her energy undimmed by the shadows.
They stepped inside together, the soft crunch of boots on stone echoing faintly in the silence. For a while, the cave offered nothing but winding paths and the quiet flicker of floating lights. No traps, no monsters, just the rhythmic pace of their footsteps and the low hum of unseen magic in the air.
Several minutes in, Delarosa came to an abrupt stop.
“Wh-What are those…?” she muttered, voice laced with confusion.
Mimi stepped up beside her and froze.
Up ahead, emerging from the cave floor like rising mist, were pale figures. Humanoid in shape but utterly featureless, they stood about sixty centimeters tall. They had heads, arms, legs… but no eyes, no mouths, no faces at all. Ten of them in total, all made from a flawless, chalk-white material that shimmered like porcelain in the cave’s light.
Neither Mimi nor Delarosa could tell if they were hostile, but the tension in the air was unmistakable. And when the dolls began to rush toward them, Delarosa didn’t hesitate.
“Fireball!” she shouted, launching a burning sphere of flame at the closest one.
It soared cleanly, but missed. The white dolls were quick. Far quicker than expected. They scattered, skimming along the floor with uncanny speed, dodging blast after blast. Then they retaliated, and dozens of glimmering arrows of light formed in the air and shot forward in volleys.
They weren’t just fast; they were casting magic.
Mimi recognized the spell instantly. Light Arrows? Nearly identical to the ones Belamus often used, though less powerful. Still, they could hurt.
“Shield up!” she called, throwing a barrier between them.
The arrows struck, but her defense held; barely a scratch got through.
Delarosa didn’t give them a second chance. “Fast Fireball!”
This time, the magic shot forward with blistering speed, almost too fast to track. The white creatures didn’t react quickly enough. One after another, they were struck head-on. The moment the flames hit, their fragile bodies shattered into light and dust.
Their defenses crumbled at a touch. They vanished with a single hit.
Within seconds, it was over. All ten lay extinguished, the cave falling quiet once more.
Delarosa lowered her arms, a puff of steam rising from her fingertips. “Weird little things, huh?” she said, brushing her palms together and glancing around in case there were more.
“Y-Yeah,” Mimi replied softly, her voice strained. She couldn’t hide the slump in her shoulders, nor the way her gaze fell to the floor. Not once during the fight had she moved. Not one spell cast, not one step forward. She’d just… frozen.
So what if I learned magic, she thought bitterly. If I can’t even lift a finger when it counts, what’s the point?
When the battle had started, Mimi had just stood there, hands clenched, heart pounding, completely paralyzed as Delarosa fought alone. The spells she’d practiced, the confidence she thought she’d built… none of it had surfaced when it truly mattered. All she could do was watch, helpless and ashamed.
Next time… I won’t just stand there!
The thought burned in her chest, fierce and determined. One of Mimi’s rarest, most radiant qualities was how quickly she could pick herself back up. Even now, with her confidence shaken, she didn’t let the weight of failure crush her. She took a breath, steadied her nerves, and made a silent vow.
Next time, I’ll fight too. I’ll use my magic properly. I won’t freeze up again.
She straightened her posture, renewed purpose in her step, and followed Delarosa deeper into the cave. This time, she was ready for whatever came next.