Chapter 69 Magic Vessel
Chapter 69 Magic Vessel
“AAAH!” Halim screamed. “We’re gonna die!”
Iryoku held Yumi and Reika tightly in his arms, while Halim fell separately. At the last second, Iryoku’s harpoon moved on its own, latching onto Halim and yanking him toward Iryoku’s back.
“Hold tight, boy!”
Halim clung on.
Seconds later, the ground came into view. Iryoku fired the harpoon again—this time embedding it into the tower wall. The rope snapped taut, sharply slowing their fall as they bounced once, reducing momentum. He quickly detached and fired again, repeating the process until they had slowed enough for a safe landing.
“Uff…” Iryoku landed hard on his feet, legs braced.
Without missing a beat, he took off running.
“Rhogan, buddy—where you at?!” he shouted, sprinting away from the tower as rubble rained down behind them.
From the front gate, Rhogan—the rhino earth spirit—burst through in a full charge, growling. He crashed through the doors and reached the group, who all leapt onto his back without hesitation.
“Wait—Rhogan’s alive?!” Reika exclaimed, her voice a mix of joy and surprise.
Yumi beamed and flashed a peace sign.
“It’s a long story,” Iryoku said. “Let’s just bail for now!”
Rhogan roared and began charging out of the courtyard at full speed.
Not long after, demonic Lunara landed with a deafening crash and took off after them.
“Come here, young ones! I still want your bodies!” she shrieked, her horrific, echoing voice trailing behind them.
Her twisted, centaur-like form galloped with terrifying speed. Another bone spear began to form in her clawed hand, glowing with black energy. She hurled it at them with a scream.
“Careful, Rhogan!” Iryoku shouted as the spear landed just meters away, exploding in a blast of dark magic. The air cracked with pressure—but Rhogan powered through the shockwave, holding steady.
They weaved through the open courtyard—dodging enchanted trees, shattered benches, and broken desks scattered across the training grounds—as Lunara’s deadly attacks rained down behind them.
“Damn it! This can’t keep going. Do any of you still have gas in the tank?” Iryoku yelled as they narrowly dodged another massive strike.
“Barely!” Yumi shouted, breathing hard.
“Yeah, I’m the same!” Reika added, equally exhausted.
“Look—there’s the door!” Halim cried out, pointing ahead.
“Good!” Iryoku replied—but just as they got close, a heavy thud shook the wall.
Joka’latrex landed above the massive courtyard gate. His two bat-like wings folded neatly behind his back as he crouched like a predator. He grinned down at them, his voice dripping with amusement.
“Don’t get out of bounds, puny mortals,” he said with a wicked chuckle. “Or I might be forced to intervene… hehe. Come on, your opponent is right there.”
He pointed behind them.
“Shit,” Iryoku cursed. “Keep going, Rhogan—don’t leave the courtyard. We need to beat that hag.”
Rhogan kept charging along the inner wall of the courtyard, hooves pounding the ground like thunder.
Just then, another demonic bone spear crashed down nearby.
“AHHH!” they all screamed as the explosion rocked the area, sending Rhogan stumbling. The blast launched the group into the air, limbs flailing.
Everything slowed.
In midair, Iryoku twisted his body, dodging chunks of debris as he flipped. He reached out and grabbed Reika—the closest one—pulling her tightly into his arm. Spinning again, his glowing white rope snapped out, wrapping around Yumi and yanking her toward him. He caught her just in time, cradling her in his other arm as another bone spear exploded behind them.
He spun once more, the white rope flashing forward to latch onto Halim. As the boy flew toward him, Iryoku shifted Yumi onto his back, freeing his arm to catch Halim midair.
With all three of them secured, he hurled the white rope downward—toward the stone floor, where Rhogan had already recovered.
The harpoon struck hard.
It reeled them in fast—
Iryoku landed squarely on Rhogan’s back, legs braced wide, just as the rhino took off again, thundering through the courtyard at full speed.
“Good. Keep surviving,” said Joka’latrex with a smirk, clearly entertained as he watched.
Lunara continued to close the distance. Iryoku, growing more desperate by the second, glanced at the girls and Halim.
“Well—same strategy. Please find her weakness,” he said quickly.
Then, without hesitation, he jumped from Rhogan—launching himself directly toward Lunara. Like an arrow, he shot through the air, flipping midair and spinning along his axis. His daggers slashed across the skeletal side of her face.
Lunara screamed as blood sprayed.
At the same moment, Iryoku fired his harpoon to the side, embedding it deep into the rocky ground. It yanked him away midair—just as Lunara’s bone spear tore through the space he’d occupied a heartbeat earlier.
A layer of ice suddenly formed over the wound on her face, freezing the blood and sealing the injury—but it only made her shriek louder, her voice twisted with agony and fury.
“Stupid child! What have you done?!” Lunara howled, her expression warping with rage, her features contorting unnaturally.
Meanwhile, Yumi, Reika, and Halim—still riding atop Rhogan—pulled to a stop just a few meters away, watching in stunned silence as Iryoku stood alone, facing the monstrous Lunara.
Tension filled the air.
Reika took a deep breath and began preparing a spell, her fingers glowing faintly as she channeled her magic.
Yumi notched an arrow, charging a bit of magic into its tip. She let it fly just as Lunara attacked Iryoku. The arrow struck the skeletal side of Lunara’s face—the same area Iryoku had already injured—but it barely did any damage. Lunara snarled and flicked the arrow away with a sharp twist of her neck. Her furious gaze turned toward them.
But Iryoku reclaimed her attention.
His harpoon shot straight at her face—but Lunara deflected it just in time with her bone spear.
Clank!
A small cut appeared on the surface of her weapon.
“Fuckers,” she growled, charging more dark energy into the spear.
At the same time, Reika suddenly stopped her spell. “Yumi, did you see that? The ice—and your magic arrow!”
Yumi nodded, her eyes wide. “Yeah!” She had noticed it thanks to her far-sight. “The frost enchantment from Iryoku’s daggers really hurt her.”
She recalled Jonas’ teachings: “Certain creatures are more susceptible to specific elements.”
Yumi’s eyes lit up. “She’s weak to ice.”
Halim, still trembling and overwhelmed by the chaos, looked at them in confusion.
Reika turned to him. “Do you know how to cast an ice spell?”
Halim thought for a moment… then shook his head. “No. Sorry.”
“Damn it…” Reika muttered. She turned to Yumi.
“I haven’t been able to use elemental magic yet,” Yumi admitted, frustration in her voice.
Meanwhile…
The battle between Iryoku and Lunara raged on. Once again, Iryoku launched himself directly at her. She raised her bone spear to shield her face.
“It won’t work again, boy,” she hissed venomously.
But Iryoku shifted his attack at the last second, slashing at her armored body with his twin daggers. This time, the blades bounced off—but small patches of ice began to form where he struck.
This can’t keep going… I’m almost out of stamina, he thought, his face drenched in sweat.
He rolled forward, sliding beneath her horse-like legs just as she slashed at him from above.
“Just die already!” she screamed, her voice cracking with frustration.
Iryoku slashed beneath her belly and rolled out just in time, more frost spreading across her lower body.
Lunara howled, screaming from the pain caused by the freezing effect of his daggers. Snarling, she launched a spear spell downward—point-blank beneath her own body.
Iryoku’s instincts screamed. No—NO!
He tried to leap away, but his legs gave out. Desperately, he shielded his face and whipped his glowing white rope in front of him, bracing for impact.
BOOM!
“Arghhh!”
The shockwave threw him like a ragdoll. Blood burst from his body as he crashed to the ground, motionless.
Reika and Yumi’s eyes widened in horror.
“Nooo!” they cried, then broke into a full sprint toward him.
Yumi fired another magic-charged arrow mid-run.
Reika gathered energy in her hands, whispering frantically to herself, “Come on… Ice. Make ice!”
Tears welled in both their eyes.
Lunara, who had also been blasted back by her own attack, stood slowly—smiling through the pain.
Yumi's arrow struck her in the head, drilling in slightly—but not deep enough to matter.
Just in time, Rhogan charged her at full speed. His horn and plated body glowed green as he slammed into her with full force.
CRASH!
“AGHH—Stupid beast!” she snarled, trying to stand—
—but Rhogan rammed her again, then again, keeping her pinned to the ground.
Reika’s hands crackled with forming water particles, which grew colder by the second. She launched her spell—it struck Lunara’s upper body—
—but it was mostly cold water. It splashed uselessly over her.
Reika’s face fell. Her spell had failed.
She and Yumi rushed to Iryoku’s side. Yumi dropped beside him and gently turned him over—he groaned faintly, eyes fluttering open.
“Sorry, girls... I just don’t have... any more energy in me...” he coughed weakly. His face was smeared with dirt and blood. His armor had shattered from the explosion, and his wounds were numerous.
He tried to rise—but couldn’t.
Reika placed her hand on his chest and cast a healing spell, but her magic was nearly gone. And healing had never been her specialty.
“What do we do? What do we do?” she muttered, panicked.
Yumi cradled Iryoku’s head gently, tears falling freely.
Reika’s thoughts flashed back—to the moment she had left him behind using the return stone. She had sworn to protect him next time.
But now… she was failing again.
Suddenly, a spark of realization.
“The stone.”
She reached into her pouch and pulled it out.
Maybe it’ll work now… Maybe we can all escape together and reach the castle.
She focused the last of her magic into it—but nothing happened.
“No…” she whispered. “Still nothing. Why won’t it work?! What does it need?!” Her voice cracked as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks.
“HAHAHAHAHA!”
Joka’latrex’s booming laugh echoed from above, shaking the ground.
Yumi continued gently stroking Iryoku’s hair, whispering through broken sobs,
“Please don’t die, Iryoku. If you wake up… I promise I’ll do anything you want.”
His eyes were closed. He had fainted.
Reika, still clutching the glowing blue return stone, grasped Iryoku’s hand. She glanced down at his face—but then noticed something strange.
The stone was glowing faintly—absorbing something.
Energy. A small stream was flowing from Iryoku… and from Yumi, too.
Her eyes widened.
What’s happening…?
Then she noticed more.
Energy was also flowing from Lunara—still pinned by Rhogan’s relentless charge.
“What… is this?”
Clap. Clap. Clap.
“Ohhh,” the demon murmured, moving his hands in mock surprise.
Joka’latrex smirked from above, his crimson eyes gleaming with delight.
“So, after all… you really do have a vessel.”