With that, Alan vanished.
Catria gripped her blade. Her pride and honor as a Holy Knight. Could she really do this without Alan?
“I undershovelstand, Sir Miner!” Meanwhile, Lithisia was getting pumped.
More importantly, would Catria really be able to work with this crazy princess to beat the Sky Queen?!
“Hm, he fled, eh? A wise barbarian. I’ll save him for last.”
Farshinal cackled, overcome with glee. She clearly felt she had already won. Truth be told, she possessed a daunting magical strength. She was at least on par with the true form of the Hydra the party had fought in the Lactia Republic. She might well be stronger. Even worse, Alan was gone.
Would Catria really be able to do battle with the Mage King?
“Great Hero Catria…” Lucy whispered from off to the side, her voice weak. The immense pressure rolling off of the Sky Queen had nearly robbed her of her will to fight.
In that case… Catria unsheathed her sword. “Don’t worry, Lucy.”
This wasn’t about whether she could win or not. It was about the person next to her, depending on her.
In that case, she had to do this. Just like Alan always had.
“YAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Catria gripped her Holy Knight Blade and yelled as loudly as she could. A light blue aura erupted from her body. One move. She’d pour all of her spiritual energy into one fatal strike and decimate the Mage King.
Farshinal laughed merrily. “Impressive spiritual power, to say the least. Let me start with cutting it down. Forbidden Spell, Mind Hurricane!”
The Mage King snapped her fingers and three magic-enhancing orbs whooshed into the throne room. All at once the nightmarish cries of a wraith filled the air, and it felt as though the fierce storm could blow away their very thoughts.
This was bad. Catria had to hold onto herself. “This can’t stop…me… YAAAAAAAAH!”
Compared to the princess’s Shovel Mind Control, this was nothing. Catria shook her head, ridding herself of the awful sounds echoing in her skull.
“Hm, you possess Spiritual Resistance, do you? How rare. But what about the angel?”
“Ah…AGHHH!!!”
Lucy fell to her knees. She might have Madness Resistance, but she couldn’t withstand this terrible onslaught. Catria had to save her, but how?!
“ALAN! SCOOP! ALAN!”
Someone started to yell; it was Lithisia.
The princess held out her shovel and chanted in simple repetition, but her earnest cry erased the devastating howl of the Mind Hurricane.
“Scoop! Alan! Scoop! Alan!”
Lithisia never raised her voice, but for some reason, the shrieks of the wraiths were driven completely from her party’s minds. Soon, her chants filled the room entirely. As they did, Farshinal’s floating orbs of magic changed shape, morphing into the form of shovels.
“Stop it! Scoop that song! No more! ALAN! Wait, what am I saying, shovel?!” Farshinal gripped her head as Lithisia continued to chant.
Incredible. The Mage King’s spiritual magic was receding back into her!
“Nooo! Scoop! Scoop the shoveling scooper dig dig AAAAHHHHH!!!!” wailed Lucy.
Oh, and Lucy was also being affected by Lithisia’s chanting.
“Your Highness! Stop singing! Lucy’s shovelizing!” cried Catria.
“But this is our chance, shovel! ALAN! SCOOP!”
“Your Highness?!”
Crap, crap, crap! Someone stop her before the whole world is enveloped in shovels! Catria thought desperately.
“SHOVELING SCOOOOOOP! OOOOOOOH! W-Wave Motion of Darkness, scooooop!” Farshinal fired dark energy from the tips of her fingers and the orbs in the throne room cracked like glass. Their remaining magical energy poured out onto the black floor and melted away.
Finally, Lithisia’s “Alan Wave” subsided.
“Haaah, haaah, haaah…” Lucy was drenched in sweat and tears.
Meanwhile, the Mage King had collapsed over her throne. “Grah… Who are you?! How could you reverse my magic?!”
“Ah, the orbs are gone, shovel…” sighed Lithisia. “That was such a perfect shovel chance…”
Catria was shaken to the bone. Princess Lithisia was horrifying.
“Haaah, haaah. Great Hero Catria, stay by my side. Get the shovels away from me!”
“Don’t worry, Lucy! I’m here. I’m here! You’re safe!”
“Y-you’re incredible, Great Hero Catria… You were able to withstand that awful, awful voice…”
Catria was rendered speechless. Wait, she’s right. Why didn’t the princess’s chant have an effect on me? No…it’s probably because I’m dealing with her all day every day, yeah, that’s gotta be it.
“A-anyway, the Mage King is weak now! This is our chance!”
Catria swung her Holy Knight Blade and advanced on the Mage King Farshinal. Catria channeled all the power in her body into her sword, into the idea she wanted to “Save the world.”
Holy light grew within and flowed out of her. She had to defeat this thing here and now. If she didn’t, the world would be destroyed…primarily by Princess Lithisia!
“JUSTICE…STREAM!!!”
Catria released her Justice Stream at full power.
“A BARBARIAN LIKE YOU COULD NEVER BEAT MEEEEEEEE!”
Farshinal heaved herself up from her throne in a rage and threw both her hands toward Catria, firing a counterwave of dark energy. The two beams collided head-on, shaking the very atmosphere of the throne room.
“Nrgh…aaaah!”
Inch by inch, Catria was pushed back. The Mage King was indeed strong.
Who was it again that had the nerve to say this’d be easy? Alan! Curse you! Should I just yell “shove, shove, shovel!” and get this over with?
But a voice came to Catria in her moment of weakness.
“Catria! Let me help you with my Holy Lanse!”
Lucy placed her hand on Catria’s where she held her sword. The white energy of Catria’s light grew somehow purer, larger. Bright and strong enough to combat Farshinal!
“An angel?! An angel dares to try and stop me?!” Farshinal’s dark energy grew as if in spite and rage.
Just as their collision of power appeared to draw equal, Lithisia dove in and offered up her red shovel in service to the cause.
“ALAN! ALAN!”
The once destroyed magic orbs regained their form. They circled up from the floor, making “scoop, scoop” sounds as their magical power rebooted.
“What?! That’s impossible! You’re reusing my magical power?!”
“Your mistake was not absorbing their remnant energies when you left them lying about on the floor.” Lithisia grinned devilishly. “Digging up buried magical power and reusing it…that’s the miner way!”
“Stop it! Stop at once! Don’t denigrate my magic with your shovel!”
Once again, chants of “ALAN” rang out in every corner of the vast room.
This is bad! This is real bad! I have to stop her! I’m the only one who can! And I made a vow! I promised myself I’d never lose to Alan or Princess Lithisia!
✦ ✦ ✦
I’m going to save this world (from the corruption of the shovel)!
✦ ✦ ✦
“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!”
The moment Catria recalled her vow, her Justice Stream billowed. Holy energy rushed like a torrent, completely enveloping the Mage King’s dark energy. It was enough to blow away not only the Mage King Farshinal but the entire throne itself.
“Aaaaaaaaarrrghh!”
As soon as Farshinal passed out on the floor, the orbs vanished.
Lithisia dropped her shoulders in disappointment. “Aw, Catria… Next time don’t rush like that.”
Catria couldn’t reply. She rested her sword on the ground, breathing heavily. Somehow, she managed to gather enough strength to turn toward the princess. “Your Highness…”
“Whavel is it?”
“I will never…lose to…the shovel…” Having said her piece, Catria collapsed to the floor, exhausted.
Lithisia knelt and lovingly cradled her friend’s body.
“Catria…my dear friend…that desire of yours to pierce the laws of this world…” She smiled. “Is already oh-so-shoveltastic.”
“You’re…wrong…”
“So stubborn, shovel.”
Catria lost consciousness. This was how she took her first step toward becoming a real Holy Knight.
✦ ✦ ✦
A few minutes later, Catria woke to find her wounds treated. Alan had returned, along with Alice.
“How was it, Catria?” Alan asked as he helped her up. “A cinch, right?”
“Hmph. Mostly because of Princess Lithisia.”
The battle hadn’t been a “cinch,” but neither had it been some hard-fought victory. It was something far more horrific. For now, Catria was happy Princess Lithisia was her ally…but was she really? No matter how many times Catria went over it in her head, the princess seemed a hundred times more terrible and sublime than the Mage King.
“Alice, what’s the deal with Farshinal?” asked Alan.
“Uugh… I’m not some undead handywoman, you know.” Nevertheless, Alice placed her hand on Farshinal’s head and pressed her fingers as if she were playing the piano.
Under Alice’s touch, the Mage King drooled and twitched.
“Well, I’ve placed her under my control. We’re lucky she’s completely drained of magical power.”
“I want to ask her about the whereabouts of the Golden Orb, and any memories she might have of Pazuzu.”
“Hrm, wait…wait… Is this it?”
“Ah, aaahhh…Pazuzu…the orb…Pazu…” Farshinal’s eyes shot open. “Initiate Protection Program.”
Farshinal’s body glowed red with deadly astral energy.
Alice rapidly backpedaled. “Eeek! It’s a trap! Everyone get back!”
“DIG!”
Alan immediately pierced Farshinal’s body with his shovel, and just as he did, the red glow vanished. He had buried the trap.
While this horror nearly befell them, Lithisia and Catria were munching on shookies (Lithisia’s special cookies) without a care in the world.
Alice’s mouth hung wide open.
“It looks like we’ve stumbled upon something important, Alice. Please continue.”
Alan seemed totally at ease. Alice sighed deeply. In the time I’ve been away, they’ve gotten even weirder.