Published: January 22, 2026
We were effortlessly hunting down the demonic beasts, and just as the end began to come into sight, suddenly multiple beams of light streaked across the ground.
“What’s that?”
“—! Ms. Loretta! We’re going to fly up, so please stay still!”
Immediately seeing that the light was a massive magic circle, I called out to Ms. Loretta and used my supernatural ability to reverse the gravity acting on both of us, causing us to fall upward and lift off the ground.
“Whoa… It’s my first time feeling like I’m falling through the sky. So this is Orun-kun’s gravity manipulation,” she said brightly as we hovered a dozen meters above the ground.
“That’s right. Sorry for the sudden move.”
“No need to apologize. I think your judgment was right.”
As I apologized, Ms. Loretta looked down at the ground and approved my action.
Beneath us, the demonic beasts were swallowed by the ground and disappearing into the magic circle.
If we had stayed on the ground, we might have been swallowed too.
“I’m not sure what this is, but for now, I’ll teleport us to Ms. Lucy using Space Leap.”
“Understood. Please take care.”
After her reply, I channeled mana into the spell I had prepared and activated Space Leap.
“Lore! Orun! I’m glad you’re safe!”
As Ms. Lucy noticed us teleporting close by, she voiced her relief warmly.
The Jade Gale members stationed on the second defense line had already regrouped, so everyone’s safety was confirmed.
Half of the demonic horde had been hunted by us, and the other half swallowed by the sudden magic circle—effectively annihilated.
However, given the high possibility that cult members were behind all this, it was likely that the recent demonic swarm couldn’t harm the princess, so they probably had another move prepared.
We can’t be this optimistic and assume it’s over.
“Yeah, thanks to Orun-kun. But what is that magic circle? Orun-kun, do you know?”
After responding to Ms. Lucy, Ms. Loretta asked me about the magic circle.
“No, it’s a magic circle I’ve never seen before. But I’m sure it’s nothing good.”
As we spoke, something changed at the spot where the magic circle hovered.
Something resembling a skeletal human arm extended upward into the sky.
“What… is that?”
Ms. Lucy murmured with a trembling voice.
No wonder—the skeletal arm was disturbingly huge.
Stretching straight up, it looked to be at least ten meters long.
When the skeletal arm opened its hand at the top, it slammed its palm down onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, and the shockwave was felt through the earth.
Then the skeletal arm pressed down on the ground.
“Everyone, be on maximum alert! Lucy’s safety is the highest priority!”
Ms. Loretta shouted.
At the same time, a skull appeared near where the arm was growing.
And crawling out from the magic circle was a massive skeleton.
Nearly twenty meters long.
“Too big…”
One Jade Gale member muttered.
Standing on two legs, the massive skeleton was already intimidating from a distance due to its size.
At the spot corresponding to its left eye was a huge magic stone, glowing eerily.
Then, raising its enormous sword—also about ten meters long—it swung it down towards the ground.
Seeing that, the Jade Gale members immediately activated their magical tools, erecting a mana barrier enveloping all of us.
(It’s okay. There’s distance, so we won’t get hit by the sword directly. The shockwave will be strong, but with this barrier’s strength, we should be able to withstand it.)
Thinking that, I started considering our next move. Then suddenly, a certain vision flashed in my mind…
The skeleton slammed its sword into the ground, sending shockwaves radiating out.
From that center, countless sharp, pointed bones explosively shot out of the earth in all directions.
The area included the spot where we stood.
Lucy, inexperienced in combat, couldn’t react, and Ms. Loretta rushed between the flying bones and Lucy.
However, she couldn’t stop their momentum—the sharp bones pierced through Ms. Loretta and then through Lucy behind her.