I could have chosen any class, but I chose the most perverse one

Xiaikai struggles desperately to maintain control.
Her summon is losing ground against the fury of the storm, but her determination is just as fierce.

Her own life is at stake, and she knows how precious it is.
She will win, return to the real world, and achieve her ambitions. She cannot fail.

"BURN!"

The woman slams her staff violently against the ground, releasing all of her magical power, and in response, Tersiflare’s fiery ribbons reignite, glowing with even greater intensity.

The spirit literally bursts into flames, becoming pure fire. It spreads fluidly like an inferno, attempting to cut through the blizzard.

The two forces collide, creating an explosion of steam that fills the air, but the storm does not relent. The ice regenerates, the snow continues to fall, relentless.

Deedee, now at the brink of exhaustion, feels the cold wrapping around her body. Every breath is agony, the cold air burning her lungs, but her mind is fixed on one goal: Ivanhold. Even as her body gives in, the will of her Master drives her forward.

Her bow-sword glows, enveloped by Tersiflare’s fire—one last hope against the ice.

The blizzard intensifies further, the wind lashes everything in its path, ice accumulates on the remnants of the temple, and everything seems lost under the power of the zombie mage.

 

Kanna feels her heart grow heavy as she catches glimpses of the battle between Ivanhold, Deedee, and Xiaikai from the corner of her eye.

The power Ivanhold is displaying is terrifying.
She knows how strong he was in life, but now, enhanced by Queen Azherie and free of any inhibitions, he has become an even more dreadful monster.

"Ivanhold..." she murmurs to herself, the regret in her voice unmistakable.
Perhaps it’s a blessing that Guli isn’t here right now. Their companion wouldn’t be able to bear the sight of what is happening.

Despite everything, she cannot allow herself to be distracted.

Her friend Deedee is fighting not only the mage but also her own inner demons. Kanna wishes she could help her, but she can’t afford to lose focus—the Lich is still tracking them, ready to strike his revenge at any moment.

Ques hovers in the air, his eyes gleaming with malevolence as he studies the situation.

With a sneering smile, he raises his skeletal hands, and dark energy begins to flow between his fingers. His gaze shifts from side to side.

Despite the cleric’s seal, there are still many skeletons left, not to mention those that have fallen and can be recycled.

“To crush large insects, you need something even larger," he remarks with malicious intent.

The lich waves his hands, performing a dark necromantic spell.

The bones of the fallen skeletons begin to tremble, vibrating as if possessed by an infernal will. The shattered and scattered remains start to move, sliding across the ground, drawing closer to one another. A disturbing sound of bones cracking and reassembling fills the air, a sinister prelude to what is about to happen.

Even the standing skeletons are not spared from this horrific pull. The dark energy emanating from the Lich drags them forcefully toward the unholy amalgamation forming in the center.

The bones and skeletons grotesquely merge, creating columns of skeletal limbs and ribs that interlock with one another. Skeletal hands join together, forming gigantic limbs that bend with a horrid creaking.

Skulls pile up, stacking one atop the other, until they fuse into bizarre shapes, becoming the base for what will be a deformed head. Empty eyes and gaping mouths, frozen in silent screams, multiply across the surface, creating a monstrous and chaotic face.

“Rise, Goliaths! Serve your Master! Crush those insects!”

Three horrific skulls respond to the roar, three monstrous creatures answering the call of their master.

*GROWL!*

Each Goliath has four arms, all formed from a chaotic mass of bones, with giant clawed hands that move menacingly. These hands are made of dozens of fused fingers, too long, too thin, like dead branches reaching out to grab anything living.

Ribs jut out like spikes, while the abdomen—a mass of fused bones—writhes and pulses, emitting an eerie glow.

The creatures, standing over five meters tall, rise with slow, heavy movements, and each step they take makes the ground tremble, leaving deep imprints made of crushed bones. Dark energy protrudes from their bodies, a remnant of the necromantic spell that birthed them, as death itself clings to their very essence.

*GROWL!*

Ques laughs sadistically, watching his abominations come to life.

The Goliaths, now fully formed, turn toward the warriors with a sudden jerk, their empty eyes glowing with a ghostly light as they lock onto Kanna, Welze, and Luysia.

Their mouths, made of dozens of fused skulls, slowly open, emitting a chilling moan. Then, they begin to move.

Their towering figures, deformed and terrifying, advance with heavy steps, causing the ground to tremble beneath them.

"W-what are th-those...?" stammers Welze, her eyes wide with terror.
She frantically recalls all the books she's read, searching for something that matches what she's seeing. "They’re not normal undead!"

"No, they’re much more than that!" Kanna retorts, sweat dripping down her face as she grips her mace tightly. "Use the healing potions Strauss gave you!" she orders, realizing they’ll need to face these monsters in the best condition possible if they hope to survive.

The three women quickly drink their restorative vials, trying to bring their HP back to a safe level. Kanna and Welze also down mana recovery potions. It’s not enough to fully restore their energy, but it will have to do.

Luysia doesn’t hesitate, attacking with her weapon, striking at the bones that form the legs of the monster near her, but her Silverdark blade bounces off without leaving a scratch. "Weapons are useless!" the warrior growls, leaping backward to avoid one of the Goliath’s massive arms.

Welze tries to help by launching bursts of fire at the gigantic creatures, but each spell only slows the Goliaths momentarily, unable to destroy them completely. "I can’t stop them!" she yells in desperation.

As they fight, the Lich continues to move, floating from one side of the battlefield to the other, casting dark energy spells at the three women. Every necrotic bolt is a deadly threat.

Kanna is forced to neutralize one attack after another, desperately trying to protect herself and her companions.

The Lich, who had been waiting to enjoy the spectacle of his enemies struggling, has now changed tactics. He is like a serpent, ready to exploit any hesitation or weakness.

As they fight the Goliaths, Kanna feels the crushing pressure of the Lich’s attacks. The giant creatures close in more and more, forcing her into reckless evasive maneuvers. Every moment feels like an imminent threat of death.

"We have to stop these monsters!" Luysia shouts, slashing furiously at the air, trying in vain to break through the creatures’ defenses.

One of the Goliaths suddenly leaps forward with surprising speed for its size, its deformed, clawed hands crashing down toward Kanna. She manages to dodge at the last second, but the impact shakes the ground, sending shards of stone flying everywhere.

Kanna gets back to her feet, her heart pounding in her chest. But she doesn't have much time to react, as the Goliath is already coming at her again, one of its massive hands swinging down to grab her.

Kanna raises her mace and strikes, trying to fend off the creature, but her blow is ineffective against the bones, as hard as steel. Quickly, she retreats, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and the towering skeleton.

"Attack the joints!" Luysia shouts as she charges at the second Goliath.

Her halberd comes down with force, aiming at the places where the bones connect. With a screeching sound, the blade digs into the joint of one of the monsters, breaking a few bones, but the creature doesn't stop.

With a brutal movement, one of its clawed hands strikes Luysia, sending her flying several meters away. The warrior hits the ground hard, her breath knocked out from the impact.

"Luysia!" Kanna yells, trying to reach her, but she's immediately blocked by the third Goliath, standing before her like a living wall.

The creature raises its arms and slams them down with force, but Kanna manages to roll out of the way just in time. The impact shatters the ground where she was a moment before, leaving a deep crack.

Welze desperately tries to help the professor.
She points her staff at the Goliath towering over Kanna.

[RAY OF FIRE]

The ray shoots out from the magic circle, striking the enemy directly, but the monster seems to barely notice the heat. The flames lick its bones but don’t do enough damage to stop the creature’s relentless advance.

"It's not strong enough..." Welze murmurs in terror, as the Goliath slowly turns toward her. Its hollow eyes stare at her with hatred, and the creature prepares to strike.

Before it can, however, Ques appears in front of her, floating like a silent shadow.

 

The Lich has identified the weakest prey. A perverse smile spreads across his hideous skull.

The blue-haired mage is paralyzed by fear, too slow to react. Before she can cast a spell or even scream, the Lich's skeletal hand grabs her by the throat with a merciless grip.

Welze's eyes widen, unable to breathe as the Lich's cold, dead fingers tighten around her neck.

The air leaves her lungs, and she feels an icy chill seeping into her skin.

Necrosis spreads through Welze's body.
The Lich's touch isn't just painful—it's lethal. The flesh around his hand begins to blacken and rot as the necrotic poison invades her system. Welze screams, her throat and chest tearing with agony. Her strength leaves her as the poison rapidly spreads.

Kanna, seeing her friend in mortal danger, rushes forward.
"No!" she cries out desperately, sprinting toward them.

"You should be grateful, little mage," Ques whispers with a sadistic grin, "I'm shortening your suffering."

Welze, feeling life slipping away, tries to raise her staff to cast a spell, but it falls from her hand, her strength gone.

The necrotic poison is killing her swiftly. "N-not like this…" she murmurs, her lips pale and her voice choked, as she feels her life force fading.

"Welze!" Kanna screams, watching her teammate choke and struggle to break free from the Lich's deadly grip.

With all her strength, the cleric swings her mace at Ques, but the Lich anticipates her attack.

In a swift motion, he flings Welze aside like a discarded object, her body nearly lifeless, and shields himself with a bone barrier that deflects Kanna's strike.

Then, with a sinister laugh, he fades into the shadows, leaving only the echo of his cold chuckle behind.

Kanna doesn’t have time to think about the Lich. Her heart pounding, she rushes toward Welze, praying that it’s not too late.

The [DEATH TOUCH] has already taken its toll: Welze’s body is nearly rigid, her breathing faint, and her heart beats only weakly.

"No, no, no..." Kanna murmurs, kneeling beside Welze.
Her blood runs cold as she frantically tries to use her healing magic to counter the deadly poison.

[PURIFY]

Kanna's hands glow with light, but she knows it won't be enough. The touch of a Lich is death, and the necrosis poisoning Welze is too powerful to be halted by a simple [PURIFY].

The cleric keeps casting [PURIFY] and [HEAL], desperately trying to keep the mage alive.

“K-Kanna…” Welze whispers in a faint voice, her glassy eyes slowly closing. “I-I’m... sorry...”

Kanna fights back tears, knowing that if she doesn’t act quickly, Welze will die in her arms. "I won’t leave you, Welze. Stay with me!" she yells, pouring all her strength into the magic, trying to slow the poison.

Luysia, panting and with every part of her body screaming in pain, struggles to get back on her feet.

They thought they had a chance, but the situation has worsened drastically.

Her eyes fix on the three Goliaths, feeling the crushing weight of the situation, but she knows she has to do something to buy Kanna the time she needs. She cannot let Welze die before their eyes.

The ominous sound of the monsters' bones clattering as they approach pounds in her ears, but there is only one thought driving her: she has to draw their attention and hold them back, no matter the cost.

She grips her halberd tightly, ignoring the blood dripping from her wounded side, and readies herself for the next strike, knowing it’s a losing battle, but with no other choice.