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

Luysia, without hesitation, drinks one of Strauss’s doping potions.
Despite the adverse effects, she needs all the power she can muster.

With rage, she tosses the empty vial to the ground and grits her teeth as the solution courses through her veins.

With the Silverdark halberd gripped tightly in her hands, she charges at the first Goliath, her body still aching from the previous blows.

The Goliath in front of her lets out a deep, chilling growl, its deformed and grotesque body seemingly animated by pure hatred. Its empty eye sockets lock onto her as she approaches, ready to crush her with a single strike.

“I’m your opponent!” Luysia shouts, trying to draw the creatures’ attention to herself.

The halberd swings in a wide arc, charged with all of Luysia’s strength, aiming for one of the fragile joints between the bones.

Her hands tremble slightly from exhaustion, but she knows she can’t stop now.

Her companions depend on her. If she can't keep the monsters at bay, there will be no escape for any of them.

The Goliath staggers slightly as the halberd blade lodges between its bones, breaking part of its structure, but the creature doesn’t stop. It quickly raises one of its skeletal limbs, slamming it down with brutal force toward the warrior.

*STOMP*

With a cry of effort, Luysia manages to roll away just in time. Dust and debris fly everywhere.

“Kanna, hurry up!” Luysia yells as she gets back on her feet, gripping her halberd with a nearly desperate strength.

Her eyes dart from one Goliath to another, trying to track their movements.
She must keep them busy, she must buy time.

Her [AURA OF PAIN] is useless against these monsters. They are immune to negative status effects. Right now, she can only rely on her strength and endurance.

 

A few meters behind her, Kanna kneels next to Welze, a worried expression on her face as she attempts to heal the girl.

Kanna’s hands glow with a golden light, but the necrotic poison from the Lich’s [Death Touch] is spreading rapidly through Welze’s body, burning the tissue like an invisible fire.
Welze’s breathing is weak and labored, her face pale, and sweat drips from her forehead.

“Hold on, Welze, please… Don’t give up!” Kanna murmurs, desperately trying to fight off the poison.

Welze barely opens her eyes, unable to speak.

The professor clenches her teeth, pouring more energy into the healing process. "I won’t let you die! Not here! Not like this!"

Her hands glow brighter as she continues to heal, but she can feel her powers waning. Each healing spell demands more energy than she has, and time seems to slip through her fingers like sand.

The Goliaths are regrouping. One of them turns, its empty gaze falling on Kanna and Welze, recognizing them as easy prey.
The giant raises one of its skeletal hands, ready to bring it down violently on them. But before it can strike, Luysia rushes forward with a fierce battle cry.

"I said I am your opponent!" the oathbreaker shouts, striking the creature’s arm with all her strength.

The blade of her halberd sinks deep into the bone, shattering it and causing the monster to stumble. The Goliath roars, its massive form swaying as it struggles to maintain balance.

Luysia leaps back, breathing heavily.

Her body is already exhausted, but she can’t stop now. She must keep fighting.

Another Goliath approaches, raising its foot to crush her, but with a swift side step, Luysia dodges the attack, her halberd swinging again to strike at the bony knees of the monster. The blade splinters part of the joint, but the Goliath shows no signs of halting its advance.

“They’re too close… far too close!” Kanna thinks frantically, casting a desperate glance toward Luysia, who is struggling to hold the creatures at bay.

While the healing ritual continues, Luysia finds herself surrounded by the three Goliaths. One of the monsters raises all four of its skeletal arms above its head and slams them down with brutal force.

With an immense effort, Luysia throws herself backward, knowing she cannot block such an attack.

*THUD*

The Goliath, still in motion, catches up to her, landing a vicious punch with one of its massive hands.
The blow strikes her full on, shattering several ribs and sending her flying through the air.

She crashes to the ground painfully, skidding across the debris.

Screaming in agony, Luysia, with the taste of blood in her mouth, staggers back to her feet, shaky and unsteady.

She wobbles, her legs on the verge of giving out.

Blood drips from her mouth as she spits.

Her internal organs are severely damaged. She won’t survive another hit like that.

Her body screams for her to stop, but her will roars louder.

 

The dark elven metal armor she wears is beginning to give way.
Cracks and damage have formed across its surface, and it no longer provides adequate protection. A fissure widens along her side, causing blood to trickle down her leg.

From a pocket, she pulls out a healing potion. It's the last resort she has left.

She drinks it like water in the desert.

Her neck cracks as she feels the regenerative effect. Her muscles relax slightly, but she knows it won't be enough.
There are no miracles in this concoction—just a brief reprieve from the pain that continues to consume her.

She still feels it, pulsing, like a constant reminder.

 

In this moment of desperation, Eykad Kzordodror's words, the dwarf's words, return to her mind.

"Forgotten the bleeding of flesh, the trauma of spirit, and the cracks in steel. Where are these noble sacrifices in your dusty puppets?"

Pain—she’s used to it.
She has learned to love it after suffering the worst pain imaginable.

She has longed for it, desired it, fled from it, and tried to fight it.

Pain is not the enemy. Pain is not a friend.

Now, she realizes that pain is merely a means.
Pain is the tool to shape the will, to make it unbreakable. This is the dwarf's riddle.

The answer slowly begins to take form within her.
Her blue eyes, usually as cold as ice, now burn with newfound awareness.

The blonde warrior advances once more toward the nearest Goliath.
The creature, a nightmare of bones fused together, lifts a skeletal arm, ready to crush her.

Luysia grips her weapon tightly, her aching muscles tensing as she prepares for another strike, knowing that the impact will be devastating for her as well.

 

The Lich Ques is pleased with the chaos he has caused.

He can barely contain his distorted smile. He holds back laughter, confident that his Goliaths will finish off the three women.
But he isn’t fully satisfied just yet.

He knows he must end the battle quickly and seize the gems from Strauss’ team.
That would ensure victory for the Queen and give him leverage. He needs strong arguments to renegotiate their "collaboration."

“You’re the one who needs my power,” he mutters, thinking of the dark elf queen.
His face twists into an expression of hatred and disdain.

Deciding to underhandedly assist his precious reanimated ally, the zombie mage Ivanhold, he knows that losing is only possible if the other two somehow manage to kill Ivanhold. Unlikely, but better to make it impossible, he thinks.

Without further delay, he hurls a missile of dark magic directly at Xiaikai.

*BOOM*

The blast strikes the pink-haired woman, engulfing her in an aura of darkness.

Ques tries to spiritually sever her from Tersiflare, weakening the bond with her summon.
His objective is clear: to create a decisive opening, a moment of vulnerability to crush his enemies one by one.

“AAARRRGHH!”

The pink-haired woman screams in agony, torn apart by the dark energy trying to rip her control over her spirit.

Her eyes squint in pain, her face showing the sheer effort she’s putting into resisting.

Despite the blow, Xiaikai manages to maintain control of her spirit, but she knows time is running out. They must stop Ques before he inflicts even more damage. Anyway she can't handle it personally. Not with the mage she's currently facing. She can only hope that her other companions will manage it.

The lich continues to strike her, laughing as he moves from side to side, dodging any counterattacks from Tersiflare.

Xiaikai falters.

Her pink hair sways as she drops to one knee for a moment. “I must… hold on…” she whispers, but her focus slips for just a second.

Ivanhold takes advantage of the momentary weakness.

The zombie mage channels even more magic into his snowstorm, intensifying the icy blasts.

The entire battlefield is engulfed in a white hell of ice and snow. The cold seeps into every corner, and Tersiflare's fiery ribbons weaken under the freezing onslaught, slowly fading away.

Deedee and Tersiflare's movements grow increasingly sluggish, their bodies weighed down by the relentless ice.

Xiaikai feels the cold gripping her body and mind.

The snow is burying her. Her consciousness is fading, and Tersiflare, her most powerful summon, seems destined to vanish under the unstoppable force of Ivanhold.

The pink-haired girl is on the verge of collapse, her body trembling from the cold and exhaustion, yet she struggles to maintain the bond with her spirit. But she knows—they're about to be defeated.

 

Meanwhile, Kanna has managed to stabilize Welze. She wipes the sweat from her forehead with a shaky hand.

The mage lies on the ground, her breathing shallow, her face pale and marked by the necrotic poison.
Though the poisoning has been stopped, Welze is out of the fight. Kanna gently strokes her forehead, deciding to let her rest there.

The professor herself is nearing the end of her strength.
With a sigh, she stands up and looks toward Luysia, who is battling the Goliaths alone.

Luysia is gravely wounded.

Her breath comes in ragged gasps, and blood drips from her wounds, but she doesn’t stop.

She’s fighting with every ounce of strength she has left, desperately trying to keep the three enormous Goliaths at bay.

Her arms tremble under the strain of blocking their blows, and each movement sends sharp pains through her body.

"Is she alive?!" Luysia asks, her voice strained, referring to Welze, while she blocks another devastating strike from one of the Goliaths.
Splinters of Silverdark and droplets of blood fly with each impact.

"Yes, but she can't move for now..." Kanna replies, her face tense with fatigue and worry.

She watches her blonde companion continue to fight with desperate strength, despite the severe injuries she's sustained.

"Kanna... we can't win... like this... we need... something to turn the tide," Luysia says, breathless, her bloodied hands gripping the halberd with desperation.

Kanna's eyes drift toward Ivanhold, observing the battle where Xiaikai and Deedee are clearly struggling. The snowstorm summoned by Ivanhold is choking out any attempts they make to fight back. She knows she must act quickly.

"Do you know... any other spells?" Luysia asks, her expression desperate.

Kanna shakes her head. "I can't use [Seal of Unholy] again. It can only be used once a day... and I don’t have enough MP left to activate it anyway."

Luysia spits blood, not even having the time to feel frustrated.

In truth, there is something, thinks the professor.
Kanna clenches her fists, frustrated by her own helplessness.

“There’s a spell... but it would require divine intervention. If only I could invoke Chand...”
Her words sound hollow, almost like a lament. But it’s not a true lament.

She had renounced the goddess knowingly, to follow the man she loves.
Still, there are undeniable advantages for a paladin or cleric who serves a deity, and now she feels stripped of resources.
Kanna knows Luysia can understand what she’s saying.

Luysia looks at her intensely, as if Kanna is missing something obvious. The ex-paladin is, in a way, in the same situation as the cleric.

“If the gods forsake us, we turn to demons. And we are bound to our demon.” The blonde speaks firmly.

Luysia’s words hit Kanna like a revelation.
She realizes she still has a source of power to draw from.

The woman nods.

She focuses and contacts Strauss telepathically.

{Strauss... I have a spell... It could turn the tide,} she communicates urgently.

{I’m listening.} Strauss’s voice resonates in her mind, calm but filled with expectation.

{It’s a powerful spell, decisive and final, but it requires a massive amount of MP, which I don’t have. Normally, Chand would grant me the power to cast it if I prayed…}

Strauss Wagner doesn’t hesitate. He pulls out some elixirs to restore his magic points from his bag, while still watching the battle on the sphere-screen.

{I am the only one you owe loyalty and worship to,} he replies confidently.
{I will be your source of MP, Kanna. I’ll keep transferring Magic Points to you through the [Transfer MP] ability. Don’t worry about anything else. Just focus on casting the spell.}

Strauss will act as a surrogate deity for his women.
The man smiles, thinking of yet another sacrilege and another blasphemy he’s committing against the Righteous Gods.

Despite his arrogance, Kanna's heart races, and she can’t help but feel fulfilled by the support of her Master.
For a moment, she wonders if it’s love or just the effect of the contract.

As she feels the magical flow coming from Strauss, Kanna becomes filled with new energy.

So dark, yet so warm. It’s a warmth that permeates her, a power growing within her, transmitted directly from her Master.

The woman closes her eyes and focuses on the flow.

The power begins to surge, hot and overwhelming, making her feel invincible, almost divine.

With a nod to Luysia, Kanna begins preparing her spell, ready to bring this battle to an end.

 

Now, she has the power to do it.