“Looks delicious,” she muttered, sticking out her tongue. “Smells like rotten eggs. Definitely not edible.”
“Really?” Mimi asked, picking up another and bringing it cautiously to her nose. But to her surprise… nothing.
“I don’t smell anything,” she said, puzzled. “Maybe it only stinks to certain species?”
“Could be. Dwarves don’t eat fruit, right? Maybe your nose just doesn’t pick it up,” Delarosa said with a shrug, still fanning the air in front of her nose as if trying to wave away the memory of the stench.
“I can’t smell anything… but it’s so pretty,” Mimi murmured, turning the rainbow-colored fruit over in her hands. “It feels like a waste to just leave it. Maybe I’ll take it with me.”
“What? No way! You should totally toss that thing!” Delarosa objected instantly, waving her arms in protest. “That stuff reeks like death!”
Mimi had already pocketed it with a little smile, unfazed by the warning. Whether it had value or not, something about it felt worth keeping.
They pressed on.
As they ventured deeper into the glowing, flower-filled cavern, the enemies grew stronger. And it wasn’t just a feeling; their size, speed, and resilience all increased, step by step. The once-small, doll-like enemies were now being replaced by larger forms, their movements sharper, their attacks faster.
“They’re definitely getting bigger,” Mimi said, eyes narrowing at the latest one on the path ahead. “You think we’re still okay?”
“They’ve gotten a bit tougher,” Delarosa replied casually, conjuring a flicker of flame in her palm without even breaking stride, “but it’s still nothing I can’t handle.”
There was no trace of worry in her voice, just calm confidence. Watching her, Mimi felt a deep swell of admiration. Ever since they’d entered the cave, she’d seen firsthand just how fast Delarosa could cast, how cleanly her magic struck, how precisely she controlled her power. At first, Mimi had harbored quiet doubts: Could Delarosa really handle this alone? Wasn’t she being overconfident? But now she knew better. And she felt guilty for ever having questioned it.
That trust would be tested again sooner than expected.
Delarosa suddenly slowed, eyes narrowing at a figure emerging ahead. “Hmph. This one’s new…”
Standing in the center of the path was a creature shaped like a horse: tall, sleek, and eerily still. Like every enemy they’d faced so far, it was pure white, faceless, and completely silent. Its body was the size of a real stallion, far larger than the humanoid and canine constructs they’d encountered earlier.
Mimi braced herself. If size really does equal strength in this place, then this thing’s a problem.
Still, it was alone. The others had attacked in groups, and that made a difference. A single strong foe was better than a swarm of weak ones.
“Fast Fireball!” Delarosa shouted, snapping her arm forward as the incantation left her lips. A burst of fire launched through the air and slammed directly into the creature’s head.
It didn’t fall.
The blast staggered it, singeing its sleek white surface, but not destroying it. Instead, it reared up on its hind legs, front hooves slicing through the air like giant hammers. If it had been a real horse, Mimi thought, it might have cried out in anger. But the beast had no mouth, no sound, just raw, silent fury.
In the end, though, the white horse was fast, but Delarosa was stronger.
No sooner had they caught their breath than the next threat emerged from the shadows: a towering white bear, just as faceless and silent as the rest of the cave’s inhabitants. It stood nearly twice their height, its massive frame shifting with unsettling stillness. It wasn’t some wild beast driven by instinct. No, this one understood magic.
Before either of them could react, a brilliant spear of light took form in the air: Shining Lance. The bear hurled it without hesitation, a blinding projectile tearing through the gloom, aimed straight at them.
Delarosa didn’t flinch. In that split second, she measured everything: the magical power density, trajectory, and destructive force. She knew her barrier wouldn’t hold, not this time. And dodging might save her, but Mimi stood too close. There was no time to warn her, no time to pull her away.
So, she didn’t defend.
She attacked.
“Dragon Flame!” she shouted, her voice sharp with power.
The air split open. A roaring blaze burst forth, coiling into the form of a great dragon made of flame. Its incandescent wings unfurled, its jaws opened wide, and with a thunderous rush, it engulfed the bear’s lance mid-flight. Light shattered into sparks as fire consumed magic, and the dragon didn’t stop there. It surged forward, smashing into the white beast and obliterating it in an instant.
Silence fell.
Mimi stood rooted to the spot, eyes wide with wonder. That had been no ordinary spell; it was devastating, majestic, alive. Her heart pounded in her chest. “Th-That was… incredible,” she whispered.
Delarosa let out a slow breath, shaking soot from her fingertips. “Heh. You okay?” she asked with a casual grin, as if she hadn’t just conjured a dragon from thin air.
Mimi nodded, still stunned. No dwarven weapon she’d ever seen, no matter how refined or intricate, could have done what Delarosa had just accomplished. Magic, real magic, was something else entirely.
“I used it without thinking…” Delarosa muttered under her breath. “That spell drains way too much magic power. I’ve been trying to avoid using it unless absolutely necessary.”
She regretted it immediately. If her magical power ran dry, she’d be out of the fight completely—that was the hard rule. No more spells, no backup. Which was exactly why she’d been conserving it. There was still a good chance they’d run into something really dangerous up ahead, and if she wasn’t ready for that, it could mean total defeat.