The slime queen looked down at us, her core-like eyes glowing with a hollow light. She stood before us, calm and unshaken. She did not need to move. She already knew we were nervous.
"Let me show you something interesting," the queen mocked.
She jolted forward in a flash of light. It was a skill I had seen hundreds of times before. One I had practiced myself. She appeared like a streak of lightning, vanishing and reappearing beside Adrian. Her entire arm shone yellow, charged with lightning.
Adrian barely reacted. He raised his shield just in time to block the strike.
The queen vanished again. Her form split in two. One copy rushed toward our guild. Teruki raised a barrier, blocking the blow. The other appeared beside Han. Shino threw a hook line of rope, wrapping it around Han's waist and pulling him back.
A thunderous crash followed. The lightning charge struck the water, exploding upward in bright arcs. Gerald swung his axe at the queen's copy. The blade hit true, turning the slime purple where it struck. The queen's body rippled and twisted like melting wax.
Adrian and his guild reacted in perfect sync, dodging the electrified water.
The queen returned to the center of the chamber, motionless once again.
She raised her arm into the air.
Maki fired an arrow. It sliced through her limb, tearing it off, but the queen regenerated instantly.
"Wow," the queen said, amused. "The Slime King's mana core."
"Basically anti-you weapons," Maki taunted.
"Is that all you've got?" Yuto laughed. "My concoction really is incredible, isn't it?"
"Even the slime queen is no match for us!" Maki shouted.
"Homing_Lightning_Javelins(Effect: Rain, Paralyses. Speed: Independent)," the queen declared.
The ceiling glowed bright yellow. Thousands of lightning javelins formed and began to fall like rain, each one crackling with her mana. As soon as one hit the water, another appeared to replace it. The ground trembled. The air reeked of ozone. Only a one-meter circle around the queen remained untouched. A calm eye in the storm.
"Earth_Pillar!" Viri yelled.
Stone rose from the flooded floor, lifting us above the glowing water. One of the gems on the queen's crown turned green.
"Twin_Barrier (Effect: Merge, Hush)!" Teruki shouted.
Two walls of light expanded around us, one for each guild. Slowly, the barriers merged into a single dome large enough to hold everyone.
The javelins slammed into the water, sending waves of yellow light across the chamber. They kept falling. Fast, slow, deliberate. They were watching us, waiting for a mistake. Each strike echoed like thunder against Teruki's barrier.
I glanced at her. Her eyes were strained, the glow of her mana flickering.
The Queen created a seat of stone for her to sit on.
"Your move," the queen taunted.
"You just had to say something," Han muttered.
"What's the plan, Reyna?" Viri asked.
"I… I don't know," Rei said. "I feel so useless without my magic."
"You're not useless," Han replied. "We might need you to counter any large-scale water magic she casts."
"That's true," Adrian said with a nod.
"Where's the white one?" Shino asked.
"Seraphina…" Adrian started. "She teleported away a while ago."
Not many people notice when she leaves, especially those who haven't spoken to her.
"Is she okay?" Yuto asked, glancing around.
"She'll be fine," Rei replied. "I'm sure the javelins don't cover the entire floor."
"Do you have any ideas?" I asked Adrian.
"Well, what do we know?" Adrian said. "The queen can not only edit our skills but also copy and alter them."
"She can also silent cast and split apart," Viri added.
"Which means she can add any modifier to her spells," Han said. "Though the mana drain still seems useful."
"It's like poison to her," Maki noted.
"Then we need to change how we play," Adrian says, his golden eyes sharp and steady.
"Calder and I will focus on attacking it. Once it's distracted, the magic should weaken."
"We can't let it cast fire or ice magic." Calder added.
"Then we need Yuto to keep producing the mana drain," Rei said.
"How much of the core do we have left?" Teruki asked.
"About a third," Yuto replied.
"We'll need Rei to generate heat for it like before," Yuto continued.
"Let's test something," Teruki said with a grin.
She nodded to Rei, who seemed to understand. A small flame sparked from Rei's fingertips. The queen watched without reaction. None of the gems on her crown turned red.
"She can't absorb magic from behind the barrier," Teruki said.
"Perfect," Adrian said with a faint smile. "We'll split into three groups. Seraphina's already on her own. Group two will be Calder, me, Tank, Iso and Eli."
"Why?" Viri asked.
"It doesn't make sense for Teruki to maintain two barriers when she's already struggling," Adrian said.
"I can hold the shield up for ages," Gerald said.
"If the queen attacks, Viri can create walls around them," Adrian continued. "Calder and I are the fastest besides Shino, so we'll take the front."
"Okay," Calder said with a nod.
"The other group will be Shino, Tenshi, Reyna, Yuto, Han, and Maki."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Shino protested. "I'm faster. I should be at the front."
"No," Adrian said calmly. "I want you on support."
Shino sighed.
"Tenshi will maintain a small barrier while Yuto and Reyna work on the mana drain," Adrian said. "Yuto needs to stay inside since precision like that requires focus. Maki will support with long-range fire."
"I'm not sure," Teruki said. "One of my barriers already shattered."
"The smaller you make it, the stronger it'll hold," Adrian replied. "Also, Han has the second highest mana. If you need extra, draw from him."
"Tenshi," Maki said suddenly, "can you enchant things?"
"Unfortunately, I'm only good at one enchantment," Tenshi said quietly.
"What enchant?"
"Flash."
"That's perfect," Maki said with a grin. "Since it already knows light magic, we can use Tenshi to blind the Slime Queen.
"I'm not sure," Rei said. "She's already going to be doing a lot."
"No worries," Yuto said, smiling. "In my bag, I've got enough ingredients for mana potions. With me and Han watching, she'll never run out."
"I'll do it."
"Just don't overextend yourself." Rei said.
Viri placed a bridge of stone between the two pillars, allowing everyone to reposition. Gerald, Adrian, Iso and Calder crossed over to our side, while Rei and Teruki moved to the opposite pillar.
Gerald gave a short nod. Adrian pressed a button on his shield. The mechanism unfolded with a hiss. The shield extended to ten times its size.
THUD.
Cracks formed in the stone from the sheer weight.
Gerald stepped forward and lifted the massive shield with ease.
"Wow," Viri said, smiling. "That's incredible."
"I know," Adrian replied. "Han invented it."
Han grins, clearly thrilled to explain.
"It's all pressure-based. There is a hydraulic channels inside the frame. When it's inactive, the fluid's compressed, so the plates stay folded and light. But when it triggers it the pressure releases and drives the plates outward. Strong as reinforced steel, but with almost no drag when retracted. Isn't that beautiful?"
He laughs to himself, eyes bright. "It's like carrying a wall that weighs nothing until you need it."
Teruki glanced at Han and gave a tired smile.
"Stay focused, Han," Yuto sighs.
"I'm sorry, but out of everything so far, this one's my favorite," Han says, grinning.
"It's been useful," Adrian nods. "Anyway, let's focus."
"Hold my hand," Teruki smiled.
Han nodded and took her hand.
"Mana_Drain," Teruki whispered.
Gerald raised the extended shield above his head. The weight didn't faze him at all. The barrier began to disappear. It grew smaller and denser.
Yuto sat down beside his open bag, already mixing ingredients. Rei sparked a steady flame beside him to heat the brew.
Shino watched Adrian from across the pillars, her eyes distant, uncertain, and quietly worried.
The lightning struck the shield in rapid bursts, each impact echoing like thunder against metal. The sound repeated again and again, sharp and electric, but the shield held firm.
"Gerald, if you ever need to switch, I can hold the shield," Viri said with a small smile.
"I might take you up on that," he laughed. He braced against the strikes.
"Are you finally done?" the Queen's voice cut through the air. "I've been waiting in silence for ages."
"You know, Queen," Adrian said, his tone calm but sharp, "you may be mana incarnate. One of the Ten Suns, feared across this world … but we have something you never will."
The Queen tilted her head. Her eyes glowing faintly. "And what would that be? Foolishness? Fragility?"
Adrian smiled faintly. "No. Humanity."
The Queen laughed. "Humanity? You mean weakness. Short lives. Endless conflict. You destroy yourselves faster than I ever could."
"Maybe," Adrian replied. "But that's what makes us strong. We break, we bleed, and still, we move forward."
The Queen's smile faded. "I understand more than you think. I was human once."
"Then you should know what you lost," Adrian said coldly. "And why we'll never lose to something that's forgotten what it means to be alive."
Adrian drew his sword. I got a proper look at it. The blade gleamed a deep silver. Its edge catches the light like fire. Five small notches were carved into the hilt. Each marked with faint names. The guard and handle were gold and white. It's polished to a shine that almost felt sacred.
Calder pulled out a small dagger. The blade is narrow but sharp enough to glint even in the dim light.
"Ready, Adrian?" he asked.
"Of course," Adrian said, his eyes steady.
"Try not to die, I'd hate to be the one to tell your mom you didn't make it."
"Yeah, yeah," Adrian said. "Same to you."
They surged forward in unison. Swift and precise. Their movements blurred. Almost invisible beneath the flickering light of the storm. Only the faint ripple of their cloaks betrayed where they stood.
Bolts of lightning crashed around them. They dodged with sharp, trained efficiency. The air hissed. Sparks scattered across the water.
Calder reached the Queen first. His dagger flashed once. It sliced into her arm.
"No monster's dumb enough to hit itself!" he shouted.
He stepped clear as the wound turned purple. It spread like rot before sealing again.
Adrian closed in next. His silver sword cuts a clean arc toward her neck. The Queen twisted. Her arm extended unnaturally. A blade of lightning crackling from her hand.
"Dodge left!" Iso yelled.
Adrian reacted instantly. The ground beneath him split as a new javelin of light shot upward. He leapt. He spun through the air, and brought his sword down. He cleaved the Queen in half.
Silence.
Her body rippled.
Reforming.
The storm roared again. Lightning halted midair as the Queen lifted her hand. Her voice was calm. "Wave_(Effect: Shock)."
Water exploded outward.
Viri slammed her hand to the floor. "Stone_Barrier!"
"Calder!" Shino threw her hook. Calder stretched his left arm. The hook wrapped around his arm. It yanked him back into the barrier just as the wave crashed against it. The force shook the ground.
A dome of rock formed around us, shielding both guilds as the shockwave passed.
When the water receded, steam rose from the battlefield.
Adrian stepped forward through the mist, soaked but unharmed. His eyes burned gold.
Calder darted past him, leaping out of the barrier to continue the assault.
The Queen's focus shifted. She stretched out her arm, and a cage of stone rose from the earth around Adrian, sealing him in.
She splits in two. The copy snaps its fingers. Spikes of earth burst from the ground, slicing toward Calder. One grazes his side, tearing through his armor as he twists away just in time.
Adrian slashed through it, breaking free. The Queen dashed forward. Her movement is a blur of light. She slammed into him with the weight of a falling thunderclap. She hurled him backward into the flooded ground.
She raised her arm again.