•••

-Within The Sealing Cube-

"Shit," Caius said in a low voice as the vines around his and Delia's waist fell to the ground, no longer held by Kaya's magic.

That sealing magic was the last chance he had to get Delia out of the way of the danger that was coming and his stomach sank at having failed.

He wanted to blame that on her stubbornness but he knew the fault was still his. He shouldn't have brought her here at all. And that was not him saying he should have brought another one of the girls that were locked out of the cube but rather that he should not have brought any of them at all.

He should have just chosen Baler.

Baler's hatred for him might have prompted some in-fighting within their team but at least Caius wouldn't be gripped with this much worry. Even if Baler's uselessness would have sparked a whole different kind of worry.

Caius hadn't picked Delia for any more reason than the fact that he trusted her strength and he trusted her to watch his back. And to be honest, either Kaya, Eloise, or Aylin would have fit that requirement just as well.

He had decided on Delia not because of what he needed or what he knew was coming but because of what he felt the other girls needed. Specifically Eloise.

He knew Eloise's aversion to conflict and the fact that it would be difficult to avoid entirely so he wanted to have someone with her to guide her. That someone was undoubtedly Kaya, her best friend.

As he could only take one of them to be part of his team, Kaya and Eloise were out right then. To take Kaya was to rob Eloise of that guide she needed. And to take Eloise was to thrust her into more combat than she had ever known or hoped to be in. At least not at this point in her life.

Aylin was also a choice but Caius decided she was better off with Kaya and Eloise. He had meant it when he asked them to watch each other's backs while they had been outside the Forest before the start of the Tests.

That left Delia. He trusted her even if he still kept a big secret from her. And she was armed enough for the fight to come.

Or so he had thought.

He had been expecting the Demon Tyron.

Not Belron the Fiend.

Things were messed up and Delia—if her stubbornness was anything to go by—had yet to really comprehend the gravity of the situation.

"Ah," Belron said with satisfaction, "Alone once again."

The Fiend looked from one of the 'godlings' to the next and whatever crack had shown in its confidence earlier was gone now as it gestured towards the wall that blocked Kaya and the others from their sight.

"Don't worry too much about those outside this little slice of Hell of ours," Belron said, "They'll face challenges of their own soon enough. As well as every other godling lurking about.

I only wonder who'll fall first. Them…"

Belron let out a tongue—it was as black as its tailcoat—and it ran it across its lips, moving its hand from gesturing at the wall to then sweep at the trio of Caius, Delia, and Aurelius.

"… or you lot?"

Caius let out a sigh and Delia looked at him to see that he was looking at her. His purple eyes were deep and imploring.

"Please," he said very earnestly, "Please don't die."

With that, he took on a sword-fighting stance.

Caius glanced at Aurelius who had looked like he was in a trance.

"Aurelius," he snapped.

Aurelius blinked and looked at Caius who nodded at him.

"You—we—have work to do," he said.

Aurelius didn't acknowledge the words, he just took on a spell-casting stance as Fourth Circle Spell circles appeared against his knuckles as he prepared to battle.

"Delia, you'll be the first vanguard," Caius said, "Aurelius will need an opening."

"On it," Delia said.

"Aurelius," Caius called.

"I know what to do," Aurelius answered immediately and the look in his eyes was resolute to show he meant that.

But did he?

Footholds of light appeared and he was lifted off the ground.

At the same time, a lightning blue spell circle appeared at Delia's feet and her entire body was charged with electricity and she was gone from Caius's side. She moved so fast that even if he had made an effort to pay attention, he wouldn't have even been able to catch the streak of her movement.

She had opted to go all out with her spell-casting acumen right from the start.

When she reappeared a split second later, she was bringing her Warhammer down on Belron who remained in place, amused with her approach. He let the large head of her Warhammer get close to hitting him before he stepped aside.

Well, he didn't really 'step' at all.

At least not as far as Caius had seen. One minute Belron was in place to get bashed and the next, he was a foot away watching the hammer hit the ground.

But then, as though Delia had expected to miss, a spell circle flashed around her waist before turning into a little but forceful cyclone of wind that gripped and turned her around so she could swing her Warhammer at the enemy who was still within range to be hit.

Magic-assisted movement.

Belron looked surprised. Or maybe just mildly intrigued. But it didn't sidestep. Maybe it was too soon for it to move again after a recent dodge. Or maybe the Fiend just didn't feel the need to avoid it when it could just raise its arm and receive the strike. Which was exactly what it did.

*BAM!*

The hit was powerful. It created shockwaves that blew strong gusts of wind enough to smack Caius in the face and even forced him to squint his eyes even as he formed seals while keeping a grip on his sword.

Belron barely moved a foot and seemed unbothered by Delia's strike. And then an Arcane symbol flashed into appearance at the point where Delia's Warhammer hit the Fiend's arm, revealing that that strike itself had been the completion of a spell cast.

A Fourth Circle spell circle appeared above the Fiend's head and a powerful storm converged striking down with the force of its mighty gales and especially the electrical blast of Lightning streaking right through the conjured storm.

*KRAKA-BANG!!!*

As the spell struck, channeled through the head of her Warhammer into the Fiend's body, Delia pushed against it, performing two flips before hitting the ground on one knee, looking hardly exerted. Her eyes were just furrowed to see what she had been able to accomplish with her attack.

And that was… Nothing.

When the cloud cleared out around Belron, it was revealed to be spotless. Its tailcoat remained smart as always and the Fiend had placed a hand behind its back with the air, poise, and calm it had adopted when it first appeared.

It used its other hand to stroke its beard while looking at Delia whose face was awash with disappointment. But she shook the feeling off quickly enough.

'That was one attack,' she thought, 'I'll get him again.'

She was about to get back up and back to fighting when the Fiend recoiled with an arm held out and suddenly Caius was there, swinging his sword upward.

But there was something about him. His entire body was covered by a darkness and if one allowed themselves to make sense of it they'd see it wasn't just like some shroud around him but rather, the darkness was in the shape of a Beast.

Delia glanced at where Caius had stood before and there were two discarded vials.

Whatever had been inside those vials, Delia was inclined to think it was responsible for Caius's visage.

And she was right.

Caius had acquired as many of the traits of the Six-Star Magical Beast, Umbral Fox, as he could while he was still at the Fourth Circle. He let the power of the Beast course through him and flood him with its natural attunement with the element of Darkness.

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