Chapter 67 The Top of the Tower (Illustration)
Chapter 67 The Top of the Tower
Chu, chu…
Reika’s mind suddenly snapped back into focus, as if reality had shuddered for a moment.
“Ah—wait! You’re real! And you kissed me!” she exclaimed, flustered, pulling her head back from Iryoku.
He looked down at her with soft eyes and a teasing smirk. “What? Don’t tell me you fell for some pretty boy while I wasn’t around.”
That daring grin of his made her face flush with embarrassment.
Reika pouted, flustered and defensive. “Who said you could just kiss me like that?!”
But he only pulled her closer. She found herself resting against his chest, his arms gently wrapping around her, one hand slowly rubbing her back.
Everything slowed. Her heartbeat began to settle.
“You know… back at home, I have a fiancé,” Reika said, a tinge of sadness in her voice. “The day we were transported to this world… I was supposed to meet him.”
Iryoku kissed her neck and chuckled. “I don’t care. Once we go back, I’ll go personally and break the engagement. And if they don’t like it, I’ll just steal you away.”
Reika’s face stayed down, resting on Iryoku’s body. Her cheeks were tinged with red.
“Everything will be okay,” he whispered.
“Now, first, we need to find Yumi and get out of here,” Iryoku said, finally stepping back from her.
Reika’s eyes widened. “Wait—did Yumi and Sensei really find you?”
“Only Yumi,” Iryoku replied. “But we have a lead on where Alessandra might be.”
“Do you know what the hell is going on in this place?” he asked, his expression turning serious.
A bit of the weight lifted from Reika’s shoulders. Her voice was steadier now. “I'm not entirely sure, but I think this might all be part of some massive spell. I could feel my magic being slowly drained by something in the tower.”
She turned toward the door. “Let’s try opening it.”
Iryoku nodded and stepped forward, placing his hand on the door. There was still magic pulsing through it—a faint hum of arcane energy.
Then, suddenly, the magic vanished—completely gone.
They stepped back.
“What? The magic is being deactivated,” Reika said.
The room shattered again, and it felt as though multiple realities were collapsing into each other. Walls flickered and twisted, merging and overlapping. For a brief, terrifying moment, it was as if dozens of rooms were stacked into one chaotic space.
Instinctively, Iryoku pulled Reika into his arms, holding her tightly.
Then, just as quickly, everything stabilized. They were back in the same room—but now it was filled with destruction. Debris littered the floor. Broken magical devices sparked weakly. Burned, mangled aberrations lay motionless across the ground, and scattered among them were robes and tunics—remnants of the other mages.
In one corner of the room, two figures stood—small, alert.
A short, voluptuous girl raised a bow, already drawing an arrow aimed directly at them. Then she froze.
“Are you really aiming to harm your husband, little Yumi?” Iryoku said with a smirk.
Yumi quickly lowered her bow and arrow.
“Iryoku! Reika!” she cried out.
With tears in her eyes, she ran forward and leapt into their arms.
"Thank god you're okay—uhuuh..." she sobbed, burying her face into them.
Reika clutched her back, her own tears flowing. “Yumi…”
Iryoku smiled softly and ruffled Yumi’s hair. Then his gaze shifted behind her—to the boy standing quietly.
“I see you’ve stood strong, Halim,” Iryoku said with a nod. “Looks like you really held your own—like a man.”
Halim approached slowly, his eyes wary. He glanced at Iryoku—his gaze flaring with anger for a brief moment before settling into a calm neutrality. He looked at the unfamiliar girl still leaning close to Iryoku, then at Yumi—both standing near him, held in Iryoku’s arms. His expression remained serious as he gave a small, silent nod.
Reika looked at the young magician boy, then up at Iryoku, her expression questioning.
“Oh—right,” Iryoku said with a grin. “This here is Halim—the boy genius magician.”
Halim blinked, his face serious. “I’ve told you—I’m an adult.”
Then Iryoku gestured to Reika with a playful smirk. “And this beauty is Reika—genius magician, noble lady, and absolute ojou-sama hottie.”
Yumi puffed out her cheeks and gave Iryoku a mildly jealous pout. Reika flushed, flustered, and shot him a sideways glare—though both were still clinging to Iryoku’s arms.
He chuckled to himself, clearly enjoying their reactions.
“Alright,” Iryoku said, stepping forward. “Let’s get out of this place.”
Then, without another word, they opened the large door… and stepped out of the room, expecting to descend the tower—only to realize they were no longer in the same place at all.
They found themselves in a wide, open area at the top of the tower. The stone floor stretched out in all directions, forming a large circular platform. As they stepped outside, the air grew colder, and clouds drifted below them—so thick they couldn’t even see the ground. A metallic railing surrounded the edges of the platform like a cage on the sky.
“This is… the top of the tower?” Yumi said, eyes wide. “When did we get here?”
Reika looked around in disbelief. “I’ve spent so much time in this tower, but… I’ve never been up here before.”
Thud.
A heavy sound echoed behind them. They turned toward the room they’d just exited—now there was something above it. A raised platform, and on it stood an elf woman. Tall, regal, and striking—with long, flowing blue hair. In her hand, she held something limp.
“The Tower Master,” Reika and Halim said in unison.
Iryoku stepped forward, daggers already drawn, his expression hard. He glared at her with fury.
“Are you the one behind all of this?” he growled. “What’s your objective, old hag?”
Lunara raised the limp body in her hand—a naked elven girl, unconscious or dead. Transparent fluids dripped from the girl’s body. Lunara casually wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Mmm.”
“This one’s not good enough either,” Lunara said coldly. She tossed the body aside like garbage.
An aberration monster slithered from the shadows and began devouring the girl without hesitation.
Everyone stared, frozen in horror.
Then Lunara slowly turned to them, her eyes chilling and empty.
“You…” Her finger pointed directly at Reika.
“Reika, dear… you’re perfect. There’s something about your body—your potential—yes, that’s what I need. You’re not like the others. You’re a different breed of creature altogether. The magic drain barely works on you.”
Her gaze shifted to Iryoku and Yumi.
“Oh… and these two,” she added with a wicked smile. “They seem similar to you. Excellent. Even better. I could use all three of you at once.”
She laughed—a high-pitched, cruel sound.
“At last… I’ll obtain the perfect body.”
“Sadly, I wanted to taste your body directly first—like when I used to be male, young Reika,” Lunara said, licking her lips slowly. “But my time is running short. Having a mortal body is truly the worst…”
Her face was cracked and flaking, pieces of skin peeling away.
Her expression twisted into something monstrous.
“With your bodies, demonification can finally be achieved. I could ascend from this lowly plane into true immortality,” she hissed. “And finally stop hiding my identity… I will return again—as Zora, the most powerful magician.”
Her hands lifted, magic gathering.
Suddenly, a flurry of blades shot toward her face—
But Lunara didn’t flinch.
The same aberration leapt forward, twisting in midair like a spinning saw. It intercepted the blades effortlessly, its bone-like limbs clanging against the metal.
“Just shut it, hag,” Iryoku snarled, stepping forward with deadly intent. “It’s time for you to die.”
Lunara turned to him, eyes gleaming with amusement. “Ehe… I like your guts, young man.”
The aberration landed beside her with a bone-chilling screech.
“Do you like my little pet?” she asked, petting the creature affectionately. “A lovely experiment—part summoned beast, part corpse… all powered by high-level magic.”
She raised her hand and fired a surge of energy into the monster. It grew larger, more grotesque. Its jagged spikes darkened to black, radiating corrupted magic.
Before she could gloat further, a fireball blasted toward her—launched by Reika. Yumi followed up with a magically charged arrow.
But a glowing magic barrier flared to life in front of Lunara. The attacks stopped short as they collided with the shield. It blinked momentarily, then absorbed their energy, funneling it directly into her.
“Mmm… that feels so good,” Lunara moaned with a twisted grin. “That’s right, keep attacking me!”
At the same time, the massive aberration leapt from the platform and landed heavily on their level with a deafening CRASH.