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"â¦Ugh!"
Inglis lost her footing as her body tilted sharply.
It was Tiffanyâhaving returned to her human form after separating herself from Leoneâwho struck the critical blow. With precise timing, she pushed Rafinha aside and caught Inglis off guard, leaving her no room to recover.
âAs expected, youâre the biggest threat. Donât take it personally!â
Tiffanyâs kick landed squarely on Inglis. Though it wasnât a serious blow, thanks to the combined protection of her Ether Armor and dragon-ice armor, Tiffany likely wasnât aiming for damage. She knew what she was doing. Without stable footing, Inglisâ body was thrown backward.
ââ¦!â
Behind her loomed the Sarcophagus of Greyfriar.
Though it felt disrespectful to use a divine relic as a foothold, Inglis had no choice. Twisting mid-air, she extended her foot to brace herself against the Sarcophagusâ wall to regain her stanceâ
âProfessor Vilkin!â
âNow!â
Charlotte, who had reverted from her weaponized halberd form, shouted loudly.
"DOOOOOOO IIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTT!!!!â
Inglisâ eyes darted to Maxwellâs gaze, tracing it to First Professor Vilkin standing atop the faceless giantâs shoulder.
âAll right, all right, letâs open it up~!â
With a snap of his fingers, the stone wall Inglis had aimed to step on vanished entirely, leaving an open void in the interior of the Sarcophagus.
â â âAhâ¦!?â â â
Without anything to stabilize herself, Inglisâ body tumbled into the Sarcophagus of Greyfriar. Before she could recover or leap back out, the coffinâs entrance closed with a muted yet decisive thud, sealing her inside.
âGlis?! GLIIIISSSS!!!!â Rafinha screamed desperately.
âT-thatâs right⦠Once the entrance closes, it canât be opened from the inside, can it?â
Thatâs what Vilkin had boasted. Though, knowing Inglisâ power, she might just break her way out regardless⦠they couldnât simply stand by and hope for that.
âOpen it! Let Glis out! Professor Vilkin!â Rafinhaâs voice rang out as she ran toward the Sarcophagus, but Tiffany blocked her path with a fierce, unforgiving kick.
âAhâ¦!â
âWould you kindly stay silent? I donât have time for your nonsense right now,â Tiffany sneered, her voice dripping with mockery.
âNngh! Move! Iâm not talking to youâGlis needs me!â Rafinha shouted, refusing to back down.
At that very moment, cracks began spreading from the shattered rock where Inglis had planted her feet, reaching across the entire plaza where the Sarcophagus of Greyfriar was kept.
Seawater started rushing in from every direction, quickly rising to Rafinhaâs knees.
âHAHAHA!! THIS IS YOUR ENNNDDD!!!!â
The faceless giant struck the stone platform beneath the Sarcophagus of Greyfriar, shattering it completely. The platform crumbled, and the coffin began to tilt, gradually sinking into the ocean.
âPERISH IN THE DEPTHS OF THE SEAAAA!!!!!â Maxwellâs triumphant laughter echoed around them.
âNo way!? No, no, noâ¦! That canât happen! Hold on, Glis! Iâm coming to save you!â Without hesitation, Rafinha prepared to dive into the water, determined to follow Inglis into the depths.
âDonât!â It was Liselotte who stopped Rafinha. Just as Rafinha dove toward the water, Liselotte caught her, lifting her up with white wings.
âL-Liselotte!? Why are you stopping me? Glisâ¦! If we donât hurry, Glis will drown!â
âP-Please, stay calm! If you dive in unprepared, youâll be the oneââ
Even though Liselotteâs heart ached to hold Rafinha back as she cried, she couldnât let her follow Inglis. It felt terrible, as though she were doing something horribly wrong, but allowing Rafinha to jump in wouldnât lead to any good. It might even endanger her.
Inglis was someone who surpassed all of Liselotteâs understanding. For all they knew, she might return unharmed with a huge smile on her face. But if Rafinha chased her and was lost to the depths, there would be no joy in that reunion.
Meanwhile, the Sarcophagus of Greyfriar continued its descent, flipping and sinking ever deeper into the ocean. As it passed, a complex cluster of glowing patterns became visible alongside it.
Could that be the âLevitation Magic Formationâ that supported the foundation of this Highland?
Since the magic circle wasnât fading from view, it seemed this area would still retain its buoyancy. However, the Sarcophagus of Greyfriar sank quickly, plunging to an unfathomable depth with alarming speed.
The crystal-clear water revealed every detail of its descent, making the scene even more heart-wrenchingly vivid.
"NOOOOOâ¦!!! GLIS!! GLIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSS!!!!â
Crying out and thrashing wildly, Rafinha struggled, and Liselotte, hardening her heart, held her back. Leone, held by Liselotteâs other arm, remained unconscious.
âHaa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Patriotism! In the end, those who fight for the nation, for the people, will be the ones who prevail! That is the law of this world!â Maxwellâs voice rang out in triumph, his words full of fervor.
âGoodness⦠I couldnât disagree more, and youâre much too loud,â Tiffany muttered, her tone one of utter exasperation.
âHowever, even Elder Sister Eris is in there now⦠Itâs time for her to finally rest. Sheâll make for a worthy sacrifice," she said with a distant look, tinged with a faint sadness.
Though she said nothing, Charlotte was still standing nearby, her expression unchanging.
âDamn itâ¦!â How could they possibly overcome such powerful foes in this state? A sense of hopelessness began to fill Liselotteâs heart.
âWe advise surrender. If Professor Vilkinâs daughter cooperates quietly with us, we will cease further attacks,â Charlotte announced from her position on the shoulder of the faceless giant.
âWe accept your proposal,â responded Vilma. âHowever, I would like to ask that anyone who wishes to do so be allowed to accompany me.â
Liselotte could only hold her tongue, unable to object to Vilmaâs response.
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