Petria bit her lip so hard a drop of blood threatened to fall. Then, a horrifying smirk stretched across her face, the corners of her mouth pulling back as if to rip, reaching all the way to her ears.
Her body began to transform with a series of sickening cracks and crunches.
First, her neck stretched, elongating with an unnatural series of cracks. It wasnвЂTMt just getting longer; it was shooting upward, defying gravity itself.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
The remaining onlookers screamed in terror and fled. Even for Simon, it was a truly gruesome sight. вЂTMJust like that draconic monster I saw in the dungeon...!вЂTM
Her neck continued to ascend as if to pierce the heavens, pale blue scales sprouting across her skin.
"You think IвЂTMm just going to stand here and watch you—"
A brilliant light erupted from LetheвЂTMs right hand.
"—wait for you to finish transforming?!"
She aimed her index finger at Petria, and a concentrated beam of light shot forth, punching a clean hole through the creatureвЂTMs chest.
"P-Petria!" a villager cried.
"It went right through her heart!"
But it didnвЂTMt matter.
The transformation didnвЂTMt stop. The creature was no longer bound by the limits of a human body.
[Bow down.]
The voice was a physical weight, pressing down on them all. The endlessly elongating neck turned a deep azure as scales covered its entire form. With a sickening crack, its torso swelled in size. Its face stretched into a reptilian snout, a tuft of gray, hair-like fur sprouting from its head, and a maw of razor-sharp teeth opened wide. Two powerful arms burst from its sides, and a white mane erupted along its spine. The human body that had been Petria, pierced through the chest by Lethe, withered and twisted, becoming a long, whipping tail.
[I am Karisa.]
A long, serpentine body covered in blue scales. A red-eyed dragon now looked down upon the humans.
[An immortal being, of a different caliber than you specks of dust.]
вЂTMBow down.вЂTM
The blue dragon repeated its command. That alone was enough to make the deep freeze, which had subsided, rage with renewed intensity. A biting wind hammered against the villageвЂTMs protective barrier, which shattered in places, allowing the arctic cold to pour in.
"Everyone, get inside!" Simon roared. "The Dungeon Lord is no ordinary monster! ItвЂTMs dangerous out here—!"
"Evacuate? We wonвЂTMt be fooled again!" a man suddenly shouted, running out to stand before Karisa. It was the same middle-aged man from Eskyl who had been arguing with KulaвЂTMs lord. "Snow Woman! Is that you? You were alive after all!"
He was overcome with emotion at KarisaвЂTMs appearance. He turned to the other Eskyl villagers, his voice ringing with triumph.
"Look, everyone! The Snow Woman is here! What are you afraid of? This is her true form!"
"The Snow Woman?"
"A monster like that...?"
LetheвЂTMs face contorted in a deep frown.
"I just told you sheвЂTMs the Dungeon Lord! What is this nonsense?!"
"Lethe," Simon said, placing a hand on her arm to stop her.
The man was beyond reason, prostrated on the ground in worship.
"Great Snow Woman!"
The atmosphere curdled. The murmurs from the Eskyl residents grew louder, tinged with a dangerous fervor.
[ThatвЂTMs right,] KarisaвЂTMs voice boomed. [It is proper for lowly mortals to crawl on the ground.]
The dragon made no move to stop the manвЂTMs worship. Emboldened, he shot to his feet and faced the other villagers.
"Reconcile with the Kula bastards who drove us out? To hell with reconciliation! As long as the Snow Woman is on our side, we have nothing to fear, even with their Saintess! Come, stand with us!"
"HeвЂTMs right!"
"We canвЂTMt just let Kula get away with what they did!"
Several of the more aggressive Eskyl residents crossed the invisible line, siding with the monster. Immediately, voices of condemnation erupted from the Kula faction.
"How can you serve a monster while wearing a human face!"
"Come to your senses! ThatвЂTMs a monster!"
The dynamic had fractured. It was now the pro-Karisa Eskyl faction against everyone else. Those who had sided with the dragon began to pressure their former neighbors, calling them traitors.
"Snow Woman!" the middle-aged man shouted, grinning from ear to ear. "Please, dispose of the Kula bastards, the traitors, and the blasphemous Saintess and her outsider friend!"
Karisa slithered closer, coiling her long body around him. The man spread his arms wide, drunk with the feeling of immense power. Simon and Lethe screamed a warning, but their voices were lost to his delusion.
"ItвЂTMs too late for all of you! The Snow Woman will—!"
A sickening crunch echoed through the air as blood sprayed from between KarisaвЂTMs jaws.
With the sound of crushed flesh and bone, a rain of gore poured from KarisaвЂTMs mouth.
"Gaaaaah!"
"Wh-Why...!"
The Eskyl defectors stumbled back in horror.
[A mere insect,] Karisa hissed, her eyes turning glacial. [Dares to give me an order.]
The ice dragon opened her maw, gathering a breath of pure, freezing energy.
вЂTMCloud.вЂTM
Simon instantly shot his arm out, a turquoise tether of smoke wrapping around the terrified villagers and yanking them back to safety.
вЂTMDivine Barrier.вЂTM
Lethe, without a momentвЂTMs hesitation, launched herself into the air just as the breath was unleashed.
A wave of absolute cold washed over the village. LetheвЂTMs shimmering barrier met the blast head-on, and the shards of ice that deflected off the divine shield rained down like deadly hail.
Karisa let out a booming laugh, slithering through the village. Her thick, long body demolished the frail buildings, leaving trails of rubble as if they were mere sandcastles.
"What do you think youвЂTMre doing?!" Simon yelled, running toward the beast. He had already asked KulaвЂTMs lord to get the people to safety. "They were the ones who served you!"
[They are all useless mortals now,] the blue dragonвЂTMs eyes flashed.
Just as the Mizenasi had used the dungeonвЂTMs anomaly and Karisa for their revenge, Karisa had merely been using them in turn. Decades ago, when the spatial distortion first occurred, she had been cast onto the continent along with the dungeon, extremely weakened. By chance, the Mizenasi mages, driven into the mountains by Kula, discovered the dungeon and willingly offered their servitude. They created the legend of the Snow Woman to hide the dungeonвЂTMs existence, providing Karisa with offerings of human flesh and monsters from beyond the mountains. Over time, KarisaвЂTMs power grew, and the deep freeze she commanded intensified. A few more years, and she might have reigned over the world at her full strength, but the intervention of outsiders had forced her hand.
[The timing has been moved up, but it matters not!] Karisa roared. [I am destined to rule this world! I will kill all of you who know my secret and forge my own world from this endless winter!]
Having blocked the breath, Lethe landed and shouted to Simon, "ThereвЂTMs no point talking to a beast that wonвЂTMt listen! LetвЂTMs just take it down—!"
Her words were cut short. KarisaвЂTMs tail erupted from a crack in the ground, lashing toward her like a whip.
вЂTMGolden Transmutation.вЂTM
In an instant, gilded buildings shot up from the earth, intercepting the blow. With a loud crack, the tail struck the golden wall and recoiled.
"Lethe! Are you okay?" Simon yelled, rushing to her side. He now held a single, ornate staff.
[ItвЂTMs been a while since IвЂTMve made an appearance! Kyahaha!]
Hearing HersevaвЂTMs cry, LetheвЂTMs eyes widened.
"...A talking staff?"
"IвЂTMll explain later!" Simon said. "Focus on the fight!"
He had been hesitant to use the Jet-Black-based power, but with everyone safely inside, it was worth the risk. He struck the ground with Herseva.
вЂTMGolden Transmutation.вЂTM
The very ground beneath them turned to gold and levitated. Simon readjusted his grip and swung with all his might, shattering the golden platform into a hail of fragments that rained down on Karisa.
[Pathetic!] Karisa roared, and the golden shards froze mid-air, clattering uselessly to the ground. [Mortals! You are destined to perish, so why do you struggle against your fate? I shall end—!]
Something slammed into KarisaвЂTMs head with a thunderous boom. Simon looked up to see a pure white trajectory arcing across the sky.
"Bullshit," Lethe muttered, her index and middle fingers pressed together, palm facing the sky. She had just summoned a meteor. "DonвЂTMt underestimate a Saintess, you bastards."
Stunned by the powerful blow, Karisa crashed heavily into the village. The meteor continued its arc, flying far into the distance before slamming into the side of another mountain. A brilliant light erupted from the impact point, as bright as a second sunrise, and Simon had to shield his eyes.
[What...!] Karisa groaned, struggling to rise. [Why does a mere mortal possess the power of an immortal!]
Lethe lowered her fingers. Another, smaller comet fell from the sky, slamming Karisa back into the ground. The impact obliterated more of the village than the dragon had.
"Seems like your ears are clogged, so IвЂTMll say it again." The symbol of a star burned brighter than ever in LetheвЂTMs pupils. "DonвЂTMt get cocky, reptile."
Watching her, Simon let out a hollow laugh. вЂTMI knew Lethe would be an incredible Saintess, but this is on another level...вЂTM
[Kid,] Herseva whispered in his mind. [IвЂTMm scared of that woman.]
Just then, massive pillars of ice erupted from all over the village. Simon and Lethe froze. Trapped inside them were the fleeing villagers.
[IвЂTMve encased them in ice, shielded by my mana,] Karisa announced, raising her massive body once more. Amazingly, she was getting up even after taking two direct meteor hits. [If you use that technique on the village again, these innocent mortals will be caught in the crossfire. WonвЂTMt they?]
Lethe bit her lip. As the Star Saintess, her power was immense in both destructive force and range, but that was precisely the problem. It wasnвЂTMt suited for a fight where she had to avoid harming allies or civilians. If that was the case—
"Lethe! I have a plan!" Simon called out. "When I give the signal, run over and grab my hand, no matter what!"
"...What are you plotting?" she asked, her eyebrows knitting together.
Simon just grinned.
"YouвЂTMll see!"
KarisaвЂTMs icy breath surged toward them. Simon and Lethe simultaneously kicked off the ground, scattering in opposite directions. Simon ran at full speed, tapping the nearby empty buildings with Herseva as he passed.
вЂTMGolden Transmutation.вЂTM
He slammed the staff into the ground, and the gilded buildings launched into the air, flying toward Karisa.
[Such pathetic tricks!]
Karisa created a powerful gust of wind just by moving her long body, blowing the debris away. While she was distracted, Simon closed the distance between them. The dragon planted her tail on the ground and swept it like a massive broom, splitting the surrounding buildings in two. Simon leaped into the air to avoid the attack.
[Farewell!] Karisa hissed, lunging forward as if sheвЂTMd been waiting for this exact moment. She swallowed the airborne Simon in a single bite and slammed her head into the ground.
"Simon!!" Lethe screamed in horror. A sickening crunching sound echoed from KarisaвЂTMs maw.
—вЂTMKeeeeeeeeeeek!вЂTM But the dragon suddenly jerked her head up, shaking it in agony. Blood streamed from between her teeth and gums.
"You really shouldnвЂTMt just swallow things whole," a voice said.
Simon was climbing out of the dragonвЂTMs mouth. The blood-soaked blade of Overlord retracted back into his subspace. He slid down KarisaвЂTMs long neck, leveling Herseva at the beast. вЂTMThird Authority!вЂTM
Golden sand erupted, swirling around Simon and Karisa. Simon extended his free hand.
"Now, Lethe!"
Lethe launched herself toward him with all her might.
[DAAAAAAAAMN YOOOOOOU!] the blue dragon roared.
At that exact moment, the bodies of the three beings were consumed by the sand and vanished with a flash of light.
"...Ugh."
Lethe opened her eyes to a profound silence, feeling the soft crunch of fine grains against her legs. вЂTMSand?вЂTM
In front of her stood Simon, his black robe fluttering in an unseen wind. He turned to face her.
"How is it?"
Their surroundings had completely changed. They were no longer on a frozen mountain, but in a vast, dark desert under a starless sky.
Lethe staggered to her feet.
"Wh-What is this?"
"IвЂTMve trapped the three of us in another dungeon," Simon explained.
True to his word, Karisa was on the other side of the sand-swept expanse, shaking her massive head and looking around in confusion.
[How dare a lowly being...!]
"Well then," Simon said, clapping his hands once. "Let the counterattack begin."
A low rumble shook the ground as countless golden structures began to rise from the desolate sands.
—вЂTMGya gya gya gya gya gya!вЂTM From within them, the cityвЂTMs inhabitants—mummies—began to emerge one by one.
вЂTMHerseva! Can you summon the Ancient Undead from the other dungeon here for a moment?вЂTM Simon thought.
[Of course I can!] Herseva replied. [But theyвЂTMre in a different dungeon, dimensionally very far away. ItвЂTMll consume a lot of my power to bring them all here.]
If HersevaвЂTMs power was drained, the dungeonвЂTMs duration would shorten. The number he summoned was critical. But he didnвЂTMt need all four.
вЂTMSince Lethe is here, one will be enough.вЂTM
[Who should it be?]
Simon smiled. вЂTMPier, please.вЂTM
The words had barely formed in his mind when a chilling cold swept through the desert, the sand giving way to desolate gray tiles and walls. Herseva had recreated вЂTMPierвЂTMs RuinsвЂTM. On the altar that appeared in its center stood a tall, cloaked skeleton, laughing.
[Mwahaha, boy! To call upon me in the midst of such a busy schedule!]
"Sorry, Pier. HowвЂTMs the dungeon crawling going?"
[Smoothly enough! But we can discuss that later.]
Simon approached and took PierвЂTMs hand. With a sharp crack, PierвЂTMs body disassembled into hundreds of pieces, attaching themselves to SimonвЂTMs body as a suit of Bone Armor. PierвЂTMs skull settled over his head like a helmet, the cloak billowed from his shoulders, and the massive Greatsword of Ruin materialized in his right hand.
[I donвЂTMt know what youвЂTMre plotting, but!] Karisa roared, unleashing a torrent of icy breath. [Disappear!]
The world turned blue as the breath of death surged toward him. Simon lowered his stance, angling the greatsword. вЂTMThis whole space—вЂTM
He planted his feet, his shoulders and arms following the motion. Finally, his waist twisted, and the white greatsword swung, tearing through the air. вЂTM—IвЂTMll slice it apart!вЂTM
The pure white sword strike cleaved the icy breath in two. Lethe watched from a distance as fragments of frozen energy rained down upon the golden city.
вЂTM...So this is the power of a Dark Alliance Legion Commander, said to be a match for a Saintess.вЂTM
It was her first time seeing SimonвЂTMs вЂTMPionвЂTM transformation. She bit her lip slightly. With a snap of her fingers, a large divine subspace tore open in the air. A massive white creature emerged, catching Lethe and soaring into the sky.
"What the," Simon muttered, his eyes wide. "Ran! When did you get so big?"
LetheвЂTMs primary summon, the white dragon Ran, roared with his master on his head.
"I wonвЂTMt fall behind you!" Lethe yelled down, a grin spreading across her face.
"ThatвЂTMs what I was hoping for," Simon replied.
As Lethe reached for the sky, the stars themselves seemed to brighten. As Simon lowered his arm to the ground, his army of undead mummies let out a collective, guttural roar.
[You...!] Karisa hissed, stumbling back. [Are you truly mortals!!]

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