Asmodeus snapped her fingers, and a pillar of hellfire exploded in front of Catria. When it dissipated, something remained floating directly before her eyes: a mystical scabbard glowing light blue.
Catria swallowed a gasp. Magical power flowed from within the object, a power that rivaled that of her Holy Knight Blade—a scabbard truly worthy of her sword.
“I present the Sacred Scabbard Arcadia, the holy treasure of a hero who once stood against me.”
“Sacred Scabbard Arcadia…”
“It possesses three unique magical powers. The first is the ability to automatically return to its owner’s hands: Auto-Return. The second is the ability to heal its wielder: Auto-Regen. The third ability nullifies all damage its wielder sustains for thirty seconds at a time: Invincibility. It is truly one of a kind.”
The treasure stole the entirety of Catria’s attention and focus. She wanted it. She really, really wanted it. Its powers undoubtedly astounded, but more than that, it was cool as hell. If she wore a relic like that on her back, nobody would doubt her status as a Holy Knight.
“No, wait! No, no, no!” Catria shook her head as hard as she could and tore her gaze away. That was way too close. This is a gift from a demon! From literal Hell! I can’t accept this!
“I don’t need it!” she declared.
“Is that so? Not to your liking? How deep your desires run, my knight.”
“Expecshovesire! (As I’d expect from Catria! Her shovel desire is strong!)”
Ugh! Catria hated that everyone just said whatever they wanted about her.
“Hrm, but I do not possess any treasures more valuable than… Wait, no. How about this?”
Asmodeus removed something from her own finger: a ring with an emerald-green gem lodged in it. Asmodeus whispered into the stone, and the ring seemingly vanished, only for the gem to reappear at the center of the scabbard. The scabbard glowed for a moment, but soon returned to its prior state.
“I modified the scabbard. I imagine this power will be more to your liking—”
“I said I don’t need it! It doesn’t matter what treasure you offer me, I refuse to accept your advances!” Catria cried.
“—the power of Shovel Resistance,” said Asmodeus.
Just like that, Catria changed her tune. “You have my gratitude, thank you very much!”
How could she forego an offer like that?
“I developed this power so that I might resist Miner Alan’s Wave Motion Shovel Blast,” said Asmodeus smugly. “It was my trump card.”
“You had something like that?” Alan muttered. If he had done battle with Asmodeus, things might’ve gone genuinely bad. For the first time in many years, Alan felt a cold sweat run down his nape.
“By pressing the gem in the ring, you can temporarily activate its ‘Anti-Shovel Power,’” Asmodeus explained to Catria. “Use it well.”
“Oh—oh goodness! Amazing! This is amazing, Asmodeus!” Overwhelmed with emotion, Catria clutched the scabbard and pressed the gem. A fire burned in her heart. The heat of the scabbard filled her with courage. That’s right, I’ll never bend the knee to the shovel!
Meanwhile, Lithisia smoothly made her way over to the knight. Red shovel in hand, half-visible shovels began to float in the air around her.
“Shovel!”
At the sound of her voice, the seven shovels flew straight for Catria. They would impale her.
However, the light blue aura generated from Catria’s scabbard deflected them all.
Lithisia’s face fell. “I couldn’t shovel Catria…”
On the other hand, Catria bounced around like a delighted little girl. “Alan! Try shooting your Wave Motion Shovel Blast at me! Hurry!”
Catria wore a smile more radiant than it had ever been since the start of their quest.
“Hrm, are you sure?” asked Alan.
“If you’re worried, try aiming directly at the scabbard.”
Alan nodded and did as instructed.
KA-CHOOOOOOOOM!
The stream of light blue energy collided with Catria’s scabbard—and was absorbed like sugar dissolving in water.
Catria’s eyes shone like the sun itself as she hugged her scabbard and rubbed her cheek on it. This is my scabbard. Mine! I won’t let anyone else have it!
Suddenly, the scabbard began to let out a mysterious warning sound, dinging like a bell.
“Ah, the Anti-Shovel Power has worn off,” said Asmodeus. “It must be recharged.”
“It has a limited number of uses?!”
“I said it was temporary, didn’t I? Given the class of Alan’s Wave Motion Shovel Blast, I’d say it can withstand two shots at most.”
Catria’s shoulders lowered under the weight of her sadness. It’s not infinite? …But at least it can be recharged.
“In that case, can you reup it or whatever?” she asked Asmodeus.
“That scabbard no longer belongs to me. It is your responsibility now, Scabbard Knight Catria.”
“Oh, that makes sense… So what exactly do I need to do?”
“In my case, I charged it by entering a Shovel Bath and withstanding the shovels for a time.”
“Wait.” Catria froze in place. She had a terrible feeling about all this.
“This goes without saying, but in order to charge the scabbard’s power, one needs to resist the shovel.”
“Wait.”
“Incidentally, if you ignore the scabbard’s warning, its ‘Shovel Tickle’ mode automatically activates and shovel tentacles emerge from the gem. Fear not, Anti-Shovel Power is the objective here, so the mode will automatically deactivate just before you bend the knee. That being said, I certainly don’t plan on ever experiencing that horror ever again.”
“Wait! You can have it back!” Catria attempted to shove the scabbard back toward Asmodeus with all of her might, but the sheathe stuck to her palms. “GAAAAAAAAH!”
“The scabbard automatically returns to its owner. Did I not say as much?”
“No, no! Please, nooooo!”
Ding, ding, ding. The warning signal grew ever faster.
Tears pricked Catria’s eyes. This scabbard truly was a gift from the devil. Was she destined to fall into Shovel Hell? Was this fate’s way of toying with her? No, she didn’t want that!
Scabbard in her arms, she sank to the floor in despair.
Lithisia drew close to the despairing knight. “Hee hee… The last few weeks have been rough, but it’s finally shoveling time, Catria!”
“No, don’t, please! Nooooooo!” Catria tried to crawl away, bawling like a small child. No, anything but that! Please! I beg of you!
Kathunk.
Alan lightly smacked Lithisia’s hands with his shovel. “Don’t try and shovel someone like that when they’re scared.”
“Eeek… I’m sowwwy!”
Unfortunately, the scabbard’s warning alarm wouldn’t stop ringing. Just as Catria was on the verge of pure despair, Alan got on his knees and looked her in the eyes, brushing her tears away. “It’s going to be okay, Catria. I’ll stop the scabbard.”
“Alan…!”
He had never looked more reliable to her.
Alan gripped his shovel and aimed it at the Sacred Scabbard Arcadia. “The only shovel to mine Catria will be my own! I won’t hand the right over to some weird scabbard.”
ZING! SWOOSH! SHOOF!
These were the sounds of Catria’s maidenly virtue getting dug up by a shovel.
“HUH?!”
WHAT IS WITH THIS GUY?!
Catria felt like her heart was about to explode out of her chest. He’d said it again! He said he was going to mine her—again! Where exactly was he planning to dig?! Catria’s body couldn’t help but react to his words, forcing her to visualize the event. Visualize herself as Alan dug his sturdy shovel deep inside her heart and body…
Ah, what a shovelful future… Wait.
“WHAT AM I THINKING?! THIS ISN’T WHAT I WANT!”
“Whoa!”
For the second time that day, Catria played the straight man to her own comedy act.
“HAH HAH HAH HAH!!!” That was too close. She had almost bent the knee, but she managed to pull herself back from the brink. She took multiple fortifying breaths and fell to her knees from exhaustion.
“Ah, the alarm is gone,” said Alan.
“The scabbard has been charged, then,” said Asmodeus. “Skillfully done.”
“Haaah…” As Catria’s sight faded, the last thing she saw were Alan and his shovel. What a reliable-looking shovel… But, but! “I will never…bend the knee…to the shovel!”
Kerthunk. Catria fell to the floor. Take that! I won! I stood against the shovel!
“Hee hee, spectacular!” Asmodeus cackled. “Keep pushing back just like that, Scabbard Knight.”
Catria did not yet realize she would have to recharge the scabbard’s Anti-Shovel Power every single day. But she was as yet free of that horrific truth, so she slept soundly.
As a single tear ran down her cheek, she quietly whispered in her sleep. “I won’t bend the knee… I won’t…”
Catria’s battle against the shovel had only just begun.