WARNING! The Lawful Gamer has various scenes and mentions of swearing, gore, sexual content, and many more subjects that may be inappropriate to certain viewers! It is rated M for a reason! If you continue regardless, you have been warned!~

(Terros - Continent of Janus - Kingdom of Furore - Capital City - Asilas Manor)
(Raphael's POV)

"-a spell requiring a great deal of focus, Raphael, are you listening to me?"

I blinked, zoning back in to see Katianna looking at me sternly.

"Sorry about that, I was thinking about... other things." I chuckled nervously.

Her expression softened, "I know that you're worried about her Raphael but you have to focus, if the spell is done incorrectly there is a chance that Rosalina may never recover." She hummed, "Now, where was I?"

"Talking about the intricacies of this spell." I told her, and she made a sound of affirmation.

"Yes, as I was saying, this spell requires a great deal of focus on my part as well as large quantities of mana." She sighed, leaning back in her seat. "We'll have a short amount of time to find the problem and excise it."

I frowned at the ambiguity of our time frame. "How long do we have exactly?"

"An hour at most, which isn't much, her mind is likely a maze - made worse by her trauma." She looked over at Rosalina, "Hopefully the problem will be found quickly, if not then..."

It went unsaid but the implications were there, and I didn't want to dwell on it for too long.

"...Alright, how soon can we begin?" I asked, getting up from my chair.

"I can begin the preparations for the spell now, it is best that you do some preparation of your own before we enter her mind." She got up from her seat as well, "Traversing minds can be quite taxing on one's own mind."

Would that apply to me though? Gamer's Mind is on my side, and I've never even felt truly winded since my... tutorial. Not to mention my apparent lack of requiring sleep, this is as prepared as I can be, though it wouldn't hurt to see if the Hub had anything that might help with the situation.

[Quest Alert!]

[A Mind's Salvation]
[Objective: A terrible mental illness has befallen the one closest to you! Rosalina Surrexerunt risks the possibility of being in a state of unconsciousness for the rest of her life lest you and Katianna Nix enter her mind and find the root of the problem! Though this is not without risks of its own, and her death is far more likely with this procedure - you are given a single hour of time once it begins.]

[Time Limit: 01:00:00]
[Rewards: $25,000, 250,000 EXP, Rosalina's Life]
[Failure: Emotional Breakdown, Rosalina's Death, Loss of Companion]
[Do You Wish To Accept?]
[Y/N]

Haven't had a quest in a while... but I clicked [Y] without a second thought.

"Right, just call for me once you're ready, here's hoping everything will go... well." I placed a hand on her shoulder, and she sent me a placating smile.

"Have faith Raphael, she shall receive the help she needs in time."

She shooed me away playfully as she went to the bedside, a golden glow starting to emit from her hands as she placed them on her temples. I sent them one last look as I stepped out the room, leaving just the two of them in there.

In the hall stood Hal, Alpha-One, Bravo-Two, and the maid, Alisone.

"Hal, get around to exploring the entire manor." I ordered immediately, it wouldn't do for the man to be unproductive considering his skills. "Alpha-One, Bravo-Two, stay here and guard this room. No one gets in without my permission."

The three nodded and did as they were told, and Alisone shuffled awkwardly in place.

"My lord...?" She asked with a bowed head, trailing off.

"I have a room of my own, right?" I inquired, and she nodded. "Take me to it."

"Of course, follow me, my lord." She turned around, and I followed as she led me further down the hallway. "It is not far, only two rooms away from your... ill companion's."

She was right, it was an incredibly short walk from Rosalina's room to mine. It was several dozen or so feet away from her room, and my room appeared far more luxurious once I had entered it. Dismissing Alisone, I took little time in examining the rather fancy room that I was given.

The bed was unnecessarily large, twice the size of Rosalina's, it probably wouldn't be an overstatement to say that you could have half a dozen people in the bed with plenty of room to spare. There were several empty wardrobes as well, not like I'd ever use them considering I have my inventory, but that reminds me to get clothing befitting of Terros.

A bathroom was present as well, within it there was what was basically a miniature pool alongside a few stools, buckets, and towels hung up on one side. The luxury was rather nice, but I can't enjoy it now, though I did make note to come back to it later.

(Return to Hub) I intoned mentally.

The usual flash of light washed over me, and I found that I grew used to its effects as I found myself in the central plaza of the Hub.

There was the usual hustle and bustle as my fellow Gamers entered and left the Hub with bright flashes of light. I made a beeline for the marketplace as the natural place to look for remedies to cure a broken mind.

Currency: $351,550

With a third of a million dollars I could hopefully buy what I'm looking for, this amount of funding can get me far on Terros as well. Though I imagine it'd be a paltry amount compared to the fortunes my compatriots have out there.

"Are you Raphael?"

I paused as my name was called, and I turned to face the voice.

"Who's asking?"

My eyes met a person wearing a robe that simply hurt the eyes to look at, the contrasting black and navy blue design seeming to twist and swirl. It was as if though the robe itself were alive, but considering where I am now it likely isn't that far from the truth. I used Observe on them, seeing it to be the only way to fully find information on him.

Name: Gabriel Procellas
Race: (?)
Class: (?)
Age: (?)

Level: (X)

Title: (?)

Well, that's certainly informative.

"I don't need to say anything to give you my identity, now do I?" The now-identified Gabriel had changed his voice, taking on a more monotone tone of speech.

"...What's the reason for the fourth strongest Gamer to be greeting me?"

"For the same reason Michael had sent one of his own people to meet you." His voice changed into that of a woman's and I blinked, "To welcome another one of Gaia's Chosen among us, and to give you a gift to help you on your journey."

"So, am I an investment then?" Michael did consider it so with his gift, and I assume Gabriel would as well.

"No." Gabriel's voice changed back to that of a man's deep baritone, becoming shorter in appearance too. "This is a simple gift, no strings attached."

Gift Received From (Gabriel Procellas)! [Summon Card: Greater Elemental]

"I recommend you save that for... dire times, when you're a higher level of course." Gabriel advised me, voicing changing again to a woman's, body jutting out slightly. "It is as it says, this card can summon an Elemental, one that will obey your every command. However, the summon'll only last depending on your mana, but I'm sure you'll make good use of it when the time comes."

Oh.

"...I don't know what to say." I spoke uneasily, finding the prospect of holding an item that can summon an Elemental is one I don't know how to respond with. "I guess the reasonable thing to do is to say... thank you for this generous gift."

"It's of no consequence, I specialize in summoning magic, but I believe I have to go now." He - or she(?) - bid me goodbye, beginning to turn around before pausing, "Oh, and I recommend that you start working on your levels, it appears that you're stagnating. There are consequences to such long periods of... inactivity, we'll speak further on such subjects the next time we meet."

Gabriel turned about before I could respond, vanishing in the blink of an eye, and I blinked again in confusion.

That was... one of the most strangest encounters I've ever had, but I guess I should start expecting more of those in the future. Regardless, I continued onto the market, using the opportunity to examine the new item I received, though I did take note of his words.

[Summon Card: Greater Elemental]
[Rank: A-]
[Grade: Epic]
[Durability: 100,000/100,000]
[Description: Within this card holds the power to summon a Greater Elemental of significant power, however, each summon will not be the same entity. This can vary between an elemental of ice or fire which is why one must be wary when summoning an elemental in certain circumstances. Each use of the summon expends a tenth of the card's durability, and cannot be repaired by conventional means. That is, if one can maintain the large amounts of mana required to summon and keep the Greater Elemental since such a powerful being comes at great costs.]

Effects:
Random Greater Elemental (Lvl: 150-250)
Summon Greater Elemental (100,000 MP per summon, 25,000 MP upkeep per 8 seconds.)|
-Mana Draining

I almost did a spit-take at what levels the elemental the might come with, and I stopped walking to gape openly at the amount of mana that's expended to summon and maintain its presence. I wasn't going to focus on magic, but with this item it would require me to.

I shook my head and dismissed the screen before me, continuing my walk into the market.

As I entered, I couldn't help but marvel again at the countless options that were available in each and every stall. Sure, I could buy an army, but that doesn't benefit me now, and it'd raise more questions than answers if I return to Terros with an army never before seen at my beck and call. Weapons on the other hand, are easily more concealable, revealing it to those I trust and should my enemies be on the receiving end of it then there'll be few left to report it.

Passing by several stalls selling building material and furniture, I reached the market's section of medicine both physical and mental.

I looked through the subsections more focused on mental medicine, though I did find several drugs that dealt with both they were either far too out of my price range or didn't deal with the specific type of ailment Rosalina has. There were some that did pique my interest, and I made note of them in the eventuality that I'll need it in the future.

With a sigh, I turned away from the stalls, my expectations were low for finding an alternative solution but that didn't stop the disappointment that welled up inside me.

Don't want my visit to the Hub to go waste th-

"Such a fascinating place..."

"...Seraphine?"

"Apologies for not speaking sooner Raphael, I was rather distracted by this... Hub of yours."

...

"I... see, I didn't realize that you could also come along with me into the Hub." I paused, looking around as I realized I was essentially talking to myself. "One second..."

"By all means, take your time Raphael, I shall take on the sights."

Moving over to the more less populous sections of the market I resumed my conversation with her after ensuring no one was close enough to see or hear me.

"Well, what do you think of it?"

"I've seen it in your memories, though to see it now is awe-inspiring. Your goddess is truly a powerful one, even if you may not worship her like those who worship me."

"I still respect you enough to be willing to try and pray to you Seraphine, if that's what you want."

"No no, I won't ask of you to pray to me, that decision must be made by you and you alone. I don't demand much from my followers, I merely desire peace for everyone, even if they may not follow nor know me."

"And that's why I respect you, you're willing to continue your ambitions of peace in a world at constant war, I know many would've given up long ago if you're as old as I believe you are."

"Oh stop, you're making me blush." I could practically imagine her looking away bashfully, and I chuckled at the thought.

"I'm more than willing to help you accomplish your goals to some degree Seraphine, since the complete unification of Terros is what I want."

"And the means of accomplishing them?"

"Through force of arms if necessary as I've said before in our last face to face conversation, Seraphine, that is the only way complete peace can be made."

I heard her sigh in resignation, "I know... just please, do not lose yourself in accomplishing your objectives."

"I promise to you, that I shall not lose sight of what's most important to me in my conquest." My morals are just as important to me as those I love, losing them would be akin to me losing someone I love.

"Thank you Raphael, that is the best I can hope for."

With our conversation done for the time being I continued to look around the market, browsing for items that'd be of use in my current circumstances. Armor would be good, it'd be a step-up from the Kevlar I wore, and relying solely on my Mana Shield would eventually be a mistake. Perhaps I can requisition a set from a blacksmith in Tenebrae rather than buying it from the Hub, it'd be more fitting to have armor locally anyhow.

Sighing, I realized that my whole trip to the Hub was pointless, aside from meeting Gabriel I didn't accomplish any of my self-given objectives. Though frustrating, I didn't have high hopes to begin with, and it would be best to return back to Terros.

Casting one more look around the marketplace, I shook my head.

(Return to Campaign World)...

Oh, hello again bright light...

Back in the bathroom after a quick moment, I moved to my new bed, feeling lethargic because of what's been happening with the situation at hand. I sprawled over the rather comfortable bed sheets with a sigh. It caused me no end of anxiety to wait for Katianna's preparations to be complete, what was worse was the fact I couldn't do anything to assist.

...

There was a knock at the door, and I rose with a grunt.

"My lord? Lady Nix is ready for you."

Opening the door, Alisone stood there patiently. The maid curtsied quickly before me, taking two steps back to allow for more distance between us.

"Thank you, and you don't have to guide me, I'm sure I can reach her by myself." I said curtly, and she bowed. "Attend to your other duties in the meantime."

"As you wish my lord, I bid you luck on your endeavors." She excused herself, walking off in the opposite direction of Rosalina's room.

I hurried over, bypassing Alpha-One and Bravo-Two at the door, carelessly, I pushed open the door with more force than necessary. Wincing at the slight crack it made in the wall I saw Katianna staring at me in amusement.

"Still nervous Raphael?" She turned back to our main concern, and I noticed the priestess had one of her hands on Rosalina's temple, emitting a golden glow from the point of contact. "It is best to keep a clear head for what we are going to do."

"I... well, there're things that I can't help but worry about." Embarrassed, I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "Let's just get this started Katianna, as you've said, we can't delay this any further."

"I am glad to know you understand how dire this truly is, come, take a seat." She spoke, keeping her hand on Rosalina's head. "I'll need you to be close for you to enter her mind alongside me."

"So, how will this work?" I asked, grabbing a nearby chair and dragging it over to her side. "Because it can't be that simple, right?"

"You are correct, usually when I enter one's mind I've had to use both of my hands to channel my magic through them, though in our case I have to use one because you're being brought with me." She used her free hand to indicate so, "I'll have a much more difficult time conserving my mana."

"Which means...?"

"Should I be interrupted while the spell is ongoing, then there is a possibility that all three of us will suffer a severe mental backlash, whereas it would usually only be myself receiving the consequences in most situations."

"Do I want to know what this 'severe mental backlash' is?"

"If you want to burden yourself with such information, Raphael."

...

"I'm good, let's just get this started if you're ready."

"Very well, may Lady Seraphine guide and bless us with good fortune so that we may have success in our quest this day." Katianna placed her hand on my own, and I tensed as I felt her prod at my mind and soul.

"I will help the both of you as best as I am able, Raphael, be careful my champion."

Seraphine, listening as always...

"Calm yourself Raphael, I can feel the tension coming from you even without my magic."

Taking a deep breath - and nearly choking on nothing - I soothed the bundle that was my frayed nerves. Easing myself into my chair and focusing on nothing but the warmth of Katianna's magic and hand.

Soft...

My vision was darkening, and my senses were slowly being cut off, the sound of the wind and birds outside the manor turning into nothing but a deafening silence and I could no longer smell the scent of roses that permeated the manor. It wasn't long until I felt weightless, the chair and floor beneath me no longer registering and I would've panicked had I been unprepared.

It wasn't long till an all-enveloping darkness took over...

(Rosalina's Mind - ?)

"Get up Raphael, we've no time to lose."

Wha...?

"Don't make me resort to force."

With a groan, my eyes opened, and the effort it took to do so strained me. It was as if though I was actually tired for the first time in a long while.

"Good, I was worried that I didn't fully bring you through."

I saw Katianna staring down at me, and she seemed... different. She looked the same as she always did, but her form had wisps of black smoke emanating from every part of her, turning every other color of her appearance a dull gray. The harder I looked the more I noticed that I could almost-barely see through her, something that I would've likely missed had I not been examining her.

Though when I looked at myself, I found that I had similar features, but I didn't feel any different. Actually, I couldn't feel anything.

"No time to admire yourself Raphael." I looked back to Katianna to see her proffered hand. "We need to go."

"Just adjusting to... whatever this is." Taking her hand - which I could feel, much to my relief - and rising to my feet, I took a good look at our surroundings.

"My reaction when I had first experienced this was much more..." She paused, letting out a small chuckle. "Well, let us just say that I was terrified, and I suppose it's not too late for you to react differently."

"Why do you say that?" I could hardly imagine her being terrified of mostly anything.

"I'll explain as we look for the source of Rosalina's illness." She gestured for me to follow her, "I recommend that you be wary of any foes as well."

"What?" Enemies, here in Rosalina's mind? "Is she trying to resist our intrusion?"

"No..." She shook her head as we walked about, the terrain seeming to writhe around us. "It's likely that a number of minor daemons plague certain parts of her mind, though previously unnoticeable, they were of no real harm when Rosalina was still awake."

"They are now though?" I kept a more careful eye on our surroundings, reaching into my inven-

...Shit

I don't have access to my inventory.

"Yes, with Rosalina as she is now, she is vulnerable to a number of mental attacks by these daemons." She explained, unaware of my plight. "Unfortunately, we do not have the time to be rid of them, killing any we see will simply be an added benefit for Rosalina. That is, if we manage to help her."

"Well... if we do encounter any daemons I'm more of a liability than anything without weapons." I rubbed the back of my neck, embarrassed of my circumstances and lack of proper preparation.

"Worry not Raphael, you can use Lady Seraphine's magic through me." She sent me a reassuring smile, "Perhaps this will allow you to gain further experience with our lady's magic."

If I'm limited to only Seraphine's magic then that means I only have access to two spells, three if I include Ecological Empathy - but that has no real use here. Hell, I don't even know what works and what doesn't, I won't even question the fact that I can't use my other magic. Though that didn't stop me from trying to use a Fireball on an imaginary wall.

"Maybe I should've taken the time to learn more spells from you and Seraphine, I would've otherwise had more to work with than just... the Blessed Spears of the Saint and Lesser Divine Healing." I lamented openly.

"We've had plenty of time during our travels Raphael, but now is not the time to regret your decision." She shook her head, before stopping, and I imitated her a moment after. "This certainly looks promising..."

It's a wall of black mist.

I took a step back, seeing the wall extend far and wide, making me wonder how we hadn't seen it earlier if it was this... expansive. I mean, we could likely go through it as it isn't exactly solid, but it's just as likely that visibility in there is limited to practically nothing. Katianna and I could just as easily lose one another if we aren't careful about moving through it as well.

"Raphael, I'm aware of what you're thinking, and I see no other path but forwards." Katianna broke through my thoughts, and I saw her offering me her hand. "And we have no time to explore any other way. We're going to need to stay close, don't let go until we're past this barrier."

I took her hand, "I understand Katianna, you don't need to tell me twice, let's just move quickly."

She tightened her grasp on my hand in a comforting manner - I noticed she seemed to be doing a lot of reassuring gestures today, not that I'm complaining - and she gave me a smile as we began moving into the mist.

We were enveloped by it, and I was right about visibility as it dropped to the point where I couldn't see my own body, let alone my hands. I had only the feeling of Katianna's hand over my own to rely on, straining my eyes certainly didn't help.

"Katianna, can you hear me?" I asked as she picked up the pace, forcing me to match her speed.

"Yes, I can!" She responded, but it sounded muffled, and I frowned as the mist seemed to suppress sound somewhat. "I think I can see-!"

...

"Katianna?"

I was met with silence, and I grew increasingly concerned at the lack of a response from the priestess. My hand was still in hers though, and I took comfort in that, but it was clear that something was wrong. Then I stumbled into what I presumed was her as she abruptly stopped, no longer tugging me along either.

"Ka-!"

Her hand tightened its grip alongside a ferocious pull, and I would've shouted in alarm before another hand placed itself over my mouth, smothering any noise that would've come from my lips.

"We're being stalked Raphael..." Katianna whispered, and it sounded as if though she was mere inches from me. "Be silent and we may not garner the attention of what lurks here."

I nodded, before realizing she probably couldn't see the gesture, "Got it."

She didn't say anything further before we started moving again, noticeably slower than before, and I was more wary of our surroundings despite my lack of sight on it. Attempting to listen brought no discernible noises to my ears aside from the sounds Katianna and I made, even then there was hardly any of that.

Whatever is stalking us could either be quite deadly or long gone, I don't doubt what Katianna saw or heard, but I do doubt that our presence went unnoticed upon our arrival now.

Regardless, I still kept my wits-

There!

I almost missed it but something shifted through the mist on our right...

Tensing, I squeezed Katianna's hand to warn her, and she slowed her pace in response. The entity passed by us again, this time on my left, and there was no doubt that this creature was aware of us as it actively circled around.

In fear of risking it attacking us I didn't utter a word, simply pulling Katianna closer to me as defensively as possible and fumbling to press my back against hers.

Feeling her tense as well I prepared the sole offensive spell I had available, and it was then that I found that there was more than one entity circling us. I hadn't noticed it at first, with its speed and the mist obscuring everything it would be easy to confuse at least two of them as the same being.

The danger became all the more serious as several more shapes appeared, and it became increasingly obvious that our options were dwindling by the second.

"Raphael, be ready..."

...Seraphine?

There was no chance for a response as a light from behind me shone brightly, forcing the mist around us to recede and for several of the entities to recoil with an mind-grating eldritch screech.

What.

"Raphael run!"

I didn't need to be told twice as Katianna broke into a sprint, one hand being raised to emit the light that kept the mist and creatures away. Running after her as fast as I was able, and with Katianna keeping the mist at bay, I got a good look at our stalkers.

It wasn't much of a good look, their forms were amorphous, lacking any discernible features aside from the fact that none of them bore the same shape or size. Despite lacking mouths, they continued to shriek at us in a tone that was simply inhuman.

With our run it became all the more easier to get turned around and become lost in the mist even with Katianna's light - which seemed to be growing dimmer - clearing the way. She let loose a string of prayers as it flickered, and in that brief moment, all the terrors that stalked us terrifyingly closed in at once before being repelled.

"Fucking hell!" I swore loudly, and we redoubled our pace. "Where does this end!?"

"I-I don't know, but we must find it!" She yelled back, and even with her muffled speech I could hear the exhaustion bleeding through her voice. "I cannot keep this up for much longer!"

It flickered once again, and I took no risks as a daemon sprung forth.

"Blessed Spears of the Saint!"

Several dim spears of gold struck down the entity, pinning it to the ground before it dissipated with a screech.

"R-Raphael, stop!" Katianna gasped ahead of me as I prepared to cast another spell. "Preserve your mana! We cannot afford to use it here on these creatures for I have need of it as well!"

"Shit! Sorry Katianna!" I apologized hastily as her light continued to flicker in increasing intervals.

The situation became worse with every passing moment, and there was one too many close calls with a daemon taking a swipe at either one of us, it seemed that the low visibility that the mist provided worked in our favor as much as it had against us.

"Raphael, I see a light!" Katianna called out, "I am certain it is the other side!"

"Then run faster! They're getting closer!"

"Don't tell me to run faster! This is as fast as I can move without disrupting our light!"

Nearly stumbling over an outstretched arm while her light flickered, I spotted what was clearly an indicator of the exit Katianna had seen. It was unfortunate that it was this moment that Katianna's ankle decided to be caught by a clawed hand.

"Katianna!"

She yelped as she fell over, despite the hand retreating, the damage was already done.

"R-Raphael, my leg is numbed!"

Her light significantly dimmed, and the daemons closed in all around us alongside the mist. They were only but a few inches from clawing their way through our bodies and I made a split-second decision to carry her the rest of the way through.

Lifting her up into a bridal carry, I diverted every ounce of energy I had to run through the mist with Katianna in my arms. Even though I'm not exactly physical in Rosalina's mind I felt the exertion I was putting my legs through, thankfully I never felt truly exhausted.

"Nearly there, nearly there..." I murmured to reassure myself more than to reassure her.

"Y-Your left Raphael!"

!

Even with her warning I couldn't avoid a claw striking my bicep, nearly panicking as I felt everything below it slowly go numb.

"Fuck! Hold on Katianna!"

Being quick to utilize what strength remained in my left arm; I moved her so that she hung over my shoulder, costing me a few precious seconds to do so. Fortunately I managed to avoid the next swipe and broke back into a run.

The bastards were toying with us, they could have just as easily struck down the both of us but instead to come at us one at a time in-between moments of flickering light.

"Keep the light going! It's right there!"

"Nngh..." She groaned, her light shining brighter than anything before, forcing the daemons back further than ever before.

"That's it! A few more seconds Katianna!"

She only needs to push herself a little bit more...

"Get ready-!"

I braced myself as we broke through the mist, and I kept running for several more moments in case the daemons had followed us out. Evidently, they had not, considering the lack of writhing, amorphous creatures that would've followed in my wake.

We hadn't escaped without repercussions though, as I could no longer feel anything below my left bicep. Katianna's ankle was numbed as well, and there's a fairly high chance she couldn't walk too far without falling over.

It could be worse though...

"R-Raphael," Katianna gasped from over my shoulder, "I-I'm afraid that we may have less time than predicted with all the mana I had spent."

Fuck me.

"Only more reason to hurry then, can you walk?"

"I-I'm not sure I can, but I will certainly try."

Being careful not to drop her flat on her ass with one arm, I had to lean down to get her own feet back under her. She struggled slightly as she steadied herself on me, but it was clear that she wouldn't get far without support with her hobbling on one leg.

"We won't get far if you can't even stand by yourself, come here." I hooked one arm under hers and around her shoulder, being a crutch for the woman. "Easy now..."

"Thank you Raphael..." She spoke gratefully, leaning on me. "Though I have to wonder, where are we?"

Now that she brought it up, our surroundings had vastly changed, and it painted a grim picture.

"Looks like a city that was razed to the ground, but... why is this in her mind?" I frowned as I saw several bodies - imaginary, of course, but bodies nonetheless. "This can't be a memory, right?"

"No, it isn't, there is a separate spell for such a thing." She said, a touch concerned. "From experience I can say that this appears to be a manifestation of Rosalina's trauma. However, this is by far, the worst I've ever seen in a person's mind."

"It's that bad?"

"Each time that I've delved into someone's mind, there's always something positive amidst the darkness. Most times the happiness outweighs the negative, even though I had expected her to be in an already terrible state, this is far worse than I had originally thought."

"I haven't seen a single hint of a happy thought anywhere, there've only been daemons and this." I gestured towards the death and destruction around us. "I don't need to be an expert on the matter to know that there's a slim chance of Rosalina's recovery with all of this."

"Raphael..." She spoke tenderly as we moved through the debris. "If we don't succeed-"

"Don't say it." I stopped her before she could finish her thought, "Despite the odds, I firmly believe that we can save her."

She went quiet after that, letting us traverse the shattered remains of an imaginary kingdom in silence. Though as we continued limping along the amount of bodies steadily increased to where stepping on one was unavoidable. It wasn't the number of bodies that disturbed me, it was the fact that several of the bodies were familiar.

The bodies of Hal, Rhea, Alpha-One, and Bravo-Two were the most noticeable to me and if Katianna was bothered by the sight she didn't show it. There were several vaguely familiar faces from Kyros as well, despite the short amount of time that I've seen them.

"Raphael, Katianna, Rosalina is close but she is shrouded by a daemon of considerable power."

...

"Considerable how so?" I asked when Katianna didn't, "Because I'm not sure if we're ready for any type of combat."

"I'm not sure... but assume that its fighting capability is sub-par, powerful it may be, it lacks the ability to fight holy magic unlike its physical brethren. Daemons that inhabit the mind usually do, but keep in mind that it has Rosalina hostage, and will likely kill her if it finds itself at a disadvantage."

"So... what can we do?" I mused contemplatively, "I don't see many options."

Katianna spoke up, "Our combined mana is being drained by the second, limiting the use of our offensive spells. I can see us safely casting one - perhaps two - spells with little mana left to spare, so if we do use them we must strike down the daemon in one single act."

"One chance... Well, it's not like our odds were any better beforehand." The probability for success is incredibly low, but it's better than nothing. "If there's nothing else, can you point us in the right direction Seraphine?"

"You're already heading in the right direction, I simply wanted to give the two of you a warning of what awaits you."

"Thanks Seraphine." I responded honestly before turning to Katianna. "We're going to have to pick up the pace to compensate for the uneven terrain, sorry in advance for any discomfort I'll cause."

"It's fine Raphae-!" She let out a small gasp as I started to slowly transition into carrying her rather than act as a crutch. "T-Try to be careful though."

Though seemingly difficult, half-carrying her was easier than I had imagined, even if I couldn't maintain it in longer periods of time. The bodies became more frustratingly hard to ignore as it didn't help that they now nearly covered every inch of ground, stumbling over every fourth cadaver.

It had started to get to the point where the corpses began to pile up, but I didn't voice my complaints as it meant we were getting closer to the Rosalina and the daemon that infests her mind.

"Raphael," Katianna's tap on my shoulder drew my attention. "I see it..."

"What do you see exactly?" Her eyesight was likely far greater than mine, and I knew better than to question the woman who was a hundred levels above me.

"A change in scenery, for one, not as many dead over there as there are here now." She noted, before forcibly halting me and by extension her as well. "Wait... I think I see Rosalina!"

"What!? Where? What's she doing right now? Is she alright?" I impulsively asked her question after question without restraint. "What abou-"

"-Raphael!" She snapped, "I know that you are worried about her but we cannot afford to waste anymore time, but from what I saw she's grieving over your body. A statement that is strange, I'm aware, but I also saw the daemon. So calm yourself lest we further risk the chances of failure with each passing moment!"

I winced as she berated me, and I felt slight amounts of guilt well up inside of me before it was suppressed by Gamer's Mind working its magic. Her words rung true, we can't afford me getting hysterical over Rosalina's well-being right now, not when we were so close.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize, especially when it isn't needed." Her voice softened slightly, "You're worried for her, I know, but I need to know here and now Raphael, can you handle this?"

I took a deep breath at that, keeping my emotions in check. "Y-Yeah... I'm calm, I can handle this."

"Very well, it wouldn't have mattered even if you had said you were not regardless, now that we know what daemon is plaguing her I can plan on how to handle this... delicate matter." She spoke carefully, "It has not manifested itself, which makes things far more difficult for us, we'll have to draw it out."

"And how will we do that?"

"We offer it something that it cannot simply resist taking." She sent me a look that filled me with dread, "I am aware of your mental defenses, to some degree, and a mind such as yours would be enticing for a daemon."

My mind is a fortress, that much I understood, the only thing - as far as I was aware of - that freely entered my mind was Seraphine. Everything else wouldn't be able to get in without my express permission, though my knowledge on that front is limited.

"Why would my mind be enticing to it though?" I was genuinely curious about what a daemon would want from my mind. "Doesn't it feed off the trauma or the negative emotions of someone?"

She shook her head, "Not always, it will feed directly off the soul should there be a lack of negative emotions in its place, and with your mind so well-guarded it won't have to compete with other daemons for control over your mindscape."

"Then you want me to offer myself so that it'll manifest?" I frowned slightly, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make to spare Rosalina from this fate any further.

"Yes, and while it is distracted I will strike it down from behind once it appears." It sounds easy when she says it, but I'll still hold my doubts "Hurry now Raphael, we don't have time for further questions."

"Alright, let's save Rosalina..." I mustered what confidence I could and reaffirmed my hold on Katianna.

She huffed as we endured several more moments of me stumbling over bodies and debris, and in all honesty I had expected the daemon to notice our floundering at the edge of the circle. I didn't doubt that she would've been amused by this had the situation not been so serious.

"Drop me here, I shall go around on my own to get behind Rosalina while you draw the daemon's attention." She unloosened her arm from me, and I likewise did the same to her without complaint. "Remember to keep the daemon distracted long enough for me to strike it down."

I nodded, letting her struggle slightly to keep herself steady. "I'll do my part Katianna, just make sure you don't miss."

"Worry not, it takes very little for the particular spell I'm going to use to strike true." She pushed me gently, "Go now, our success rides on both of us doing our parts correctly."

She moved off around the outskirts, and I watched as she moved as stealthily as she could with one leg - which she managed surprisingly well. Nonetheless, I started to move into position, placing myself a mere one step away from entering a circle with a weeping Rosalina in its center.

Taking one final look around to see if I could spot Katianna, which I unfortunately couldn't but I had to hope she was ready.

I braced myself as I took a step in, pausing as she stopped sobbing the moment I did.

"R-Raphael...?" She sounded so... lost, and it tugged at my heartstrings.

Another step, and her head slowly turned towards me, revealing a tear-streaked face. At the sight of me she went through a myriad of motions in a mixture of shock, confusion, and disbelief with her eyes darting between me and my imaginary corpse.

"Rosa, I'm here now..." I spoke to her in what I hoped was a soothing manner. "That-" I pointed to my double. "-is not me, none of this real, this is inside your head."

"W-What?" She shook her head, a hand reaching out towards me. "I... don't understand, Raphael... just please, help me..."

"I will, but there's something that I have to deal with first." A few steps forward and a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes. "Right now Rosa, I just want you to know that I'll never leave you in harm's way, and no matter what happens I'll always be here for you."

Ignoring her confused expression, I steeled myself as I stared intently into her eyes.

"Daemon, I demand that you show yourself!"

"D-Daemon!? Where!?"

Ignoring her panicked movements as she looked for a daemon she would never see, I continued to lock my eyes on her swaying form. With no clear response from the daemon that resided inside her I took it up another notch.

"I offer myself in place of her! You can take me so long as you leave her alone, here and now, so show yourself!"

...

I was met with more unnerving silence, leaving only Rosalina's frantic breathing. As I considered asking again, her movements stopped, freezing in place with an arched back and a gaping mouth. Even from my position I could see her eyes rolling into the back of her head, and though it pained me, I couldn't help her even if I wanted to.

A cloud of smoke spilled from her lips, not too dissimilar from the black mist that Katianna and I had traveled through. It congealed above her, forming a vague resemblance to facial features that would've instilled fear into the hearts of any normal person.

"Í̶̡̞̒̃͘ͅ ̴̢̤͇̒͜͝a̴͍̗͆̀ḿ̸̳̈́̆̉ ̸͕͍̼̹́̎ĺ̴͕̠̈́i̷̛̼͙̤̍͘͜s̵͍̦̻̓̉̂͝t̸̨̤͂ĕ̷̤̱̙͛̓n̴͓͎̼̘͋̋̎ḯ̷͚͕̞̄̉͘ń̵͎̖̼͉͆̚ǵ̷̟̥̺,̷̢̛̗͇͈̏̈́ ̶̼̦̙̓̀̿m̵͕̑͠o̵̬̝͊̓̅r̸̦̆̀̕͝t̴̢͖̜̓̈́̾̔a̷͉̙̖̓̔͛l̷̩̉͗́" It spoke, and I cringed at the inhuman voice. "Y̵̩̞̾́ó̸̯̇͜͝u̵̟͍͂̿ ̵̰̙̖́̋̚͠d̶̪̋̋̃̂è̸̞̗̳̮̓̌́ś̴̩͛̂i̵̼͑r̵̢̤̜̪̀͘e̵̳̺̜͈͐̽̚͝ ̷̩̖͙͑͝t̵̙̖͖̲̿ơ̵̙̔̿̇ ̵̱̇ṯ̷̪͔̐͜ǎ̷̝̦̀̒k̸̻̗͆e̶̼̓̽ ̴̨̼̘̖̓͑t̶̨͇̮̕͜h̷̦̖̲̽ḙ̵̢̧̍̔͛͘ ̷̗͓̼̅͋̀͜p̶͔̥̺̤̽̈́l̴͔̬̂̎ả̷͖̤̯͜ċ̵͔̹̰̖̓̽e̷͉͇̳͆͜ ̶̯̘͍̺͛̄̀̊o̸̾ͅf̶̮̱̠̭̑̀̃̓ ̷̤̩͉̌̀̑ṱ̸̬͎̏̈́h̴̭͕͇͒̕i̷̟̎̍̿ṣ̷̯͗ ̷̢͎̲̝̽ò̶͇̕ņ̶̫̫̀͜e̷͉͌͗?̴̜͠"

"Yes! I do!" I answered without hesitation, sincerely hoping that Katianna was in position. "I offer myself!"

"Y̷̦̙̩̬̆ó̵͍̤͓̅u̶͍̥̪̽͒ͅ ̷̪̹̂͋͗͘a̷̗̭͓̼̓̉͋͘r̵̗̺͐͆̈͘e̴̥̗͐̌̀ ̷̝̈́͑a̷̳̟͖̒͊̔l̶͇̋̚ͅř̴̹̤̋̚ē̸̛̺̱a̵̗̾̀̚d̶͈̳̲͆̂̑͠ȳ̷̹̝͓̟̐ ̴͚͈̺̜͆̉́m̴͇͐̚͠o̷͎͙͓̐r̷͉̯̤͌͝͝e̴̢̦̍͐ ̶̛͇͕̝͉a̷͇͎͇̅̆p̵͎̪̹͛͌͆̚p̶̙͉̥͗̊è̷̱̖̀a̸̟̚͝l̸̹̠̲̂̍ḯ̷̹͐̎n̸̛͙̈͛g̵̭̎̿͛͘ ̵̜̜͉͐t̸̮͒̂͜ḣ̵̖a̵̟͋n̵̝̔̈͝ ̸̡̢̊̾͒͂ͅt̶̛͒̆ͅh̵͈̉͌̏̉ḯ̴̢͎̪ŝ̵̢̹̜ ̵̝̹͐̽̐o̵̤̰͑̓̅n̴͙̻͆̈̂͝e̴̢̜͉͛̽͆̀." It seemed to muse, "I̵͕̰̾̈́̃ ̷̜̓͌̈́̚s̴̛͈̫̯̅͋ḩ̷̠̫̹̃â̸͚̠͍͋̆̈͜l̸̤͚̏̈́͐l̷̡̢͔̄͌̈́͝ ̷̹̙̲̋̂̉t̷̺̩͎̬̍͑̏a̵͎̎́k̴͈̳̜̰̾͋͘͝e̸̝̩̣̹͘ ̷̻̱̳͂̈y̵͖͓͎͙͊͆ǫ̷̹͇̳͗̾̌̃ú̵̹̀͜͝͝.̵̧̦̟̹̽"

"Wait!" I halted it, and it appeared to hiss at my interruption. "How do I know you won't just kill Rosalina the moment you transfer over to me?"

"Ỉ̵̝̭̝͂̔ͅt̴̝̥̖͖͐ ̸̗̯̅̀͘ï̶̞̠͕̋š̷̰̦͚͋͜ ̸̜̱̈b̵̤̠̐͒͋̔ͅe̴̯͇͍̎̕c̷̖̱͈̏a̵̟̱͉̙͛̽̏͐ų̶͌̀̑̚s̵͖̎̔͊͂e̴͖̯̬̎͆̏ ̶͓̩͒̿͒ͅI̷̼͚͐̒ ̴̭̍̈́̃̚k̶͈͊̽̇̔n̵̡̟̝̭͌̓o̸̝̊̕͠w̷̯̓͆͋ ̴̜͉͔̬͊́͂̕ÿ̶̰́o̶̬͍͇̿͘u̴̦̞̩̘͐.̶̹̯̰̺̈̓.̴̧̞͂̑̌̐.̸̖̭̜͇͝ ̴̛̬̲̓́̇ͅR̸̘̚å̸̖̭̰͕̅p̸͓̓̿̆h̶̝̣̾̄̔͝a̵͚̍̚e̶̩̽l̴̪̤̾́̾͠ ̷̡͕͙̝̄́D̶̦̿̅́̕'̸̥̞̤͋̍A̸̻̣̟̰̔͌̈ņ̸̼̯͋́͜ğ̴̛̻̹ē̶͕͖̮l̵̠̬̝͝o̸̫̰̒͝,̷̢̡̛͓̝̒͐͘ ̴̞̱̳̔ͅȊ̴̛̠̙̯̕͠ ̶̲̪͂h̷̟͌̑̈́̓a̸̞̠̗̍̇̓͘͜ṽ̴͔̆͝e̷̺̚ ̵̢͎͚͓͝s̷͕̭͔̭͆̓e̵̝̟͛̈̑͒e̵̗̦̭̼͆̉̐̐n̸̩̭̤̣̑̈́̋͝ ̶̼̣̠͋͜a̴̯̪̿͛ḷ̴͆̿l̷̖̟̃͝ ̷̨̣̬̇͝t̴̤̘̀h̸̨͂͘͝͝ạ̴̹͖̈͠͝͠t̴̎͜ ̵͉̪̥̒͐̃t̴̯̓̆͝h̵̝̭̄͝ḯ̴̧͈͓͕̏s̶̮̫̑̓ ̸͎̲͛͐o̵̯͌͛͒̀n̷͓̫̤̖͋̑e̴̡͔͔͑̿͊͜͠ ̵͕̮̲̳̾͋͒̅ḩ̸̪͕͕̆â̵̧̮̰s̴̖̱̥̜͊.̸̳̭̳͋͑́͘" It laughed hauntingly, "Y̸̲̼͗̈́o̶̩̍̉u̴̠̠̎͒ ̴̱̈́̄ȃ̴͈̹͘r̶̛̪̒͜e̶̫͝͝ ̴̜̙̓o̵̬̕͝n̶̙͇̾̾ë̷͔̚ ̵̻̀͛t̴̳̽h̶̻̓̃á̶̫̽͜t̴̲̑̔ ̴͖̟̈͒i̸̖̇s̶̭̜̋ ̴̛̠̌t̸̪͈̄͐ṟ̸̮̉͘u̸͍̠̓l̶̰͎̀̋y̵̗͒͐ ̴̘̱̋͘ù̸̧̻n̶̠͝ĩ̷͉q̵̣̬͆̎u̷̠̓̓ẹ̷̓,̴͚͍͋͑ ̶̺̌̓ẃ̴̭͒h̵͚̀ḯ̴͈̄c̴̖̚ẖ̷̕ͅ ̶̤̇̔i̷̫̾s̶̜̯̏ ̴̹̟̐͆w̸̨̯͌̚h̸͓̹͐̈́ỳ̸͔̱ ̴̟̆I̸̹͐̿ ̷͕́̕͜s̵̮͖͠h̸̜̲̐́a̴̯͐ļ̸̯̆̏l̷̬̮̿ ̶̖̂̅l̸̬̔e̴̠͐̀a̶̜͆v̷̙͊ē̷̝ ̸͕̍͋h̶͎͍̐e̸̗͙̽ŕ̷̦͠ͅ ̵͇͌̎a̴̹̠͊͆l̴̲͂ō̷̤͕n̴̢̐̚͜ế̷͕ ̶̝̕ḯ̵͎f̶̨́͌ ̸̫͌̊y̷̠̝͑ö̸̹̹͘û̴̠̍ ̶̫̊͐ṭ̵̃͝a̴͖̓k̶̨͐͐ḛ̶́̀ ̶̘͕͋m̵̧̉͘ě̷̺͚ ̷̢̙̆ḯ̸͓̗n̶͓̖̑t̴͕̫̉o̸͕͝ ̶̧̍͌y̶̬͐o̴̦̝͐u̵̺̿͆͜.̷͍͐ͅ" The daemon spoke easier, but still horrifyingly grating, it certainly is a step up from Zal'Tenzhun though.

"If you've been in her memories then you know that I won't trust you to leave her alone so easily." I warned, taking a step back.

"Ẏ̶̭̙o̶̟͒͘ǔ̴̹͖́ ̵̳͎͑͝a̸̧͒͜ȓ̵̯̳e̴̤͕̒ ̸͍̊i̴̧̦͝n̴̳̔ ̸͚̌n̶͇̿̕õ̴͈̂ ̵̘͙͒͠p̷̜͊o̸̻͠š̴͚̺̕ḭ̴̟̅t̵͈̼̄i̵̗̦̔ȍ̵̢̥n̶̨̧͗ ̴̝̜̍t̷͇̎ǫ̵̩̿ ̶̢͗̀m̴̥͛̿a̷͍̋k̴̫͝ȅ̸̬ ̵̲̮̂͠à̵̫̽ ̶̻̏͝d̸̥̃͋e̵̝͐a̵̹̞̓͘l̴̡̍ ̴̢̍̀͜w̵̟͈͠i̴͎̣̒t̵͎̾͒h̶̹̀ ̸̩̞͆̅m̸̧̜̋̀e̵̝̋,̷̬̈̕ ̷̪̓ỳ̷̪ǫ̷̘͋ụ̸̤̆ ̵̖̒̍ẃ̶̲̖̈́ì̷̫͔̎l̵̨͖̏̌l̴̢̜͒ ̴̨̅̚a̵̦̚c̸̲͌͠c̶̱̥͒ẽ̴͇̮͆p̵͈̻̑̉t̷̯͗ ̶̱̻̊͆m̵̤̱͌é̷̦̉ͅ ̷͈͕́̇ȯ̴͙̟r̵̯̎ ̶̨̝̉͂s̸̮̫͝ḧ̴͕́́e̸̦̾̇ ̵̡̼͛s̵̟̋̽h̷͖́a̵̧͚̋l̶̲̞͐̆l̷̨̍̍ ̴̪̪̅̆d̴̥̦͆́ī̸͈ẻ̷̖̤ ̸̲̙͝ǎ̴̱̪̓n̵̰̍ḓ̷̈́ͅ ̴̣̗̍͒İ̸̖̥ ̴̛̃͜w̴̘̆̈́ị̷͊̈͜l̸̰͐ļ̸̫̓ ̴͎̋͜t̶̗͍̓͌a̸̲͊k̷̒̀͜e̴̝͔͆̕ ̴̣̍ȳ̷͓o̵̟͒̈́u̴̳̓̒ ̷̙̋̀w̴̳͑͒i̵̟͌̉t̵̨́h̵̦̗̅̋ ̵̫̅̎o̴͚̊̾r̶̝̚ ̴̖̈ẘ̵͍̻͠ĩ̸̪̳̕t̷̫̀̕ḧ̷̩́̍ó̷̢̐u̵̢͚̓̓ț̶̂ ̸̢͘y̷̜͑ǫ̴͈͋u̶̬̦͂͋ŕ̷̲͗ ̷̫̗̒͋a̸̬̅̅l̴̮̈͝l̴̮̕o̴̙̫͂w̶̻̓͋ȧ̵͙n̷̙̑̀c̶̻̀̋e̷̦̟͆.̴̙̌̉" It growled, and I flinched as one of Rosalina's arms was twisted into an unnatural angle, forcing a scream from her lips.

Even if her body here was a fake one, the pain she had experienced seemed no less real, and I raised my hand in surrender. "Stop! Stop torturing her, you can take me. Just leave her alone." I dropped to my knees to show my submission, keeping my one good arm raised.

It had stopped, and Rosalina released a choked sob before going silent again under the daemon's influence.

"Y̴̗͂o̶͚͊u̷͙̓ ̵̩̑ḣ̵̪a̴͉͝v̴̼̀e̵̥̅ ̶̞͠c̶̠̊h̸̞̅ö̷̥́s̷̻̅ė̸̢n̴̩̾ ̸̨͗w̸̝͂ḙ̴̇l̵̠͗l̷͔̽ ̶͓́m̶̮͠o̷̡͝r̴̟̎t̷̝̀a̵̺̚l̷̳̐.̵̺̐."It began to detach itself from Rosalina, wisps of itself escaping from her mouth.

With the daemon's gaseous form above Rosalina growing ever larger, the 'world' around us started to wax and wane, as if though reality were breaking down. I could only assume that it was because of the daemon that her mindscape looked so depressing.

Eventually the bodies disappeared, followed almost immediately by the debris and the thick wall of black fog Katianna and I had traversed through earlier. The ground beneath me shimmered into a cloud-like appearance, but it was still no less even terrain.

The last wisps of the black miasma that constituted the daemon escaped Rosalina's mouth, and she slumped forward on her knees, still. The unholy entity writhed, and I could feel the pure maliciousness it radiated as I felt its eyes linger on me - despite the apparent lack of them.

It roared, coiling forward.

"A̸̢͘ċ̸͕c̶̛̮é̵̤p̴̪̓ṯ̴̌ ̴̥̔m̵̻͝e̶̥͐ ̴̧̓f̵̱̌ö̵̤́r̵̞̓ ̸̄ͅe̶̟͝t̶̢͝e̷͍͂ṙ̵ͅn̶̈͜i̷̥͘t̶̻̚y̵͇̔!̴̪̇"

"The Martyr's Lance!"

"R̸̪̲̀̀̊̀̏̀Ȃ̸̟͕̜͇̠͍̐Ä̷͓̜̯͜A̸̞̜̦̥͎̗̓́G̶̢̢̦̬̝͓̔͠H̵̫̱̄͋!"

A single bright gold and red spear lanced down to pierce the daemon from above, eliciting an ear-piecing screech, and my vision blurred.

"Raphael! Grab her!"

I didn't need to be told twice as I bound forward to pull a comatose Rosalina into one arm, dragging her as far away from the daemon as possible while it was still recoiling from the holy spell. An intense pressure followed, weighing me down, and making it all the more harder to pull us away.

"Get down!" Katianna warned, and I dove down with Rosalina in tow, shielding her with my body as an explosive shockwave swept over us.

The daemon's roars of pain and outrage faded to nothing, having died in the dim of the spell's blast. I could only hold onto Rosalina and wish that the daemon died with its roaring as well, otherwise our situation would rapidly deteriorate from slightly hopeful to absolute hell.

Once it was over and I was sure that neither of us were harmed, I warily raised my head to look back at where the daemon once was.

Nothing remained of it aside from several wisps of black smoke that soon dissipated moments later, any evidence of a daemonic presence soon vanished as well. With room to breathe, I rose to my feet with Rosalina in one arm, turning to face an approaching - limping and visibly exhausted - Katianna.

"That was a bit of an anticlimactic end, wasn't it?" I joked as she came closer, eliciting a small but tired smile from her.

"Daemons such as these ones do lack the ability to fight, its mistake was to leave Rosalina to try and take you." She explained before staggering briefly, and I moved to catch her with my body. "T-Thank you Raphael, as I was saying, this type of daemon would usually use its host to fight for it, if it were any stronger that is."

"So what you're saying is that this one was weak?" If so, then it could've been a whole lot worse.

"No, but if it had fed off of Rosalina any further then it's likely that we would've failed here, we were fortunate that it was tempted by its greed to try and take you as its host." She leaned heavily into me. "It is time we returned... Rosalina shall be fine, and whatever minor daemons that remain will be far too occupied fighting amongst themselves now that we've taken care of the one in charge."

"Are you sure? It seems a bit dangerous to leave the daemons - even if they're minor - to wander." I spoke with concern, mostly because that what happened here could certainly happen again.

"Worry not, Rosalina's mind will be far more fortified from this experience, it'll take something much stronger to nestle to take control of her." She said reassuringly before offering me her hand. "Now, shall we?"

I hesitated, before gently lowering Rosalina to the ground, taking Katianna's hand.

She gave me a smile before a bright light filled my vision, and all of my senses with it.

...

(Waking World)

MP (Mana Points): 214/4,200

Ugh...

That was... a strange but draining experience, to say the least.

With my eyes still adjusting, I heard a groan from my right, and I turned to see the blurry form of Katianna. Once my vision properly restored itself I saw that the blonde woman was holding a hand to her head, pale and clearly exhausted from the whole ordeal.

Though there was something far more important that required my attention, and I redirected my sight towards the bedridden Rosalina.

She certainly looked far better than before, and I couldn't help but let a smile force its way past my lips. I was genuinely happy to know that she was no longer plagued by a daemon that sought to feed off her torment.

[Quest Completed - A Mind's Salvation]
[+$25,000, 250,000 EXP, Rosalina's Life]
[Time Remaining: 00:01:08]

You are now Lvl. 39!
(EXP: 57,350/78,000)

Currency: $376,550

That confirms it, we succeeded, though knowing that we only had one minute left before failure made my relief that much greater.

"Ngh..." My eyes darted to Rosalina, and I shot to my feet - nearly stumbling onto the bed with one of my legs having fallen asleep - as the woman stirred.

Her eyes fluttered open, confusion visible in those blue orbs. "R-Raphael?" She mumbled, blinking a few times. "Mmh, I-I... had a terrible nightmare..."

"Wait, do you... remember anything?" I asked hesitantly, and after a moment's pause, she shook her head. "I see..."

"W-Why? What happened?" She made to sit up, wincing in the process. "Ow..."

"You should be resting Rosalina." Katianna stepped in despite her exhaustion, pushing her down gently by the shoulder.

Rosalina puffed up her cheek indignantly, but didn't resist as she laid her head back on the pillow. "N-Not fair... you look like you need to rest too."

"Yes, but you are in far more need of it than I." She explained in a tone that would brook no argument.

I laid a hand on the priestess's shoulder. "She's right though Katianna, you look like you need to rest too. Besides, it's not as if though you need to look after her anymore since all she needs to do now is recover, I'll look after her."

She looked at me skeptically, "Are you certain Raphael?"

"I am, now go on, you need to recover all the mana you've lost more than I do." I gave her a warm smile, "And you've already done a lot for me, I won't ask for anything more from you, now go and have your much needed and earned rest."

"Very well..." She returned with one tired smile of her own, before turning to the bed. "I wish you a hasty recovery then Rosalina, farewell for now."

"O-Oh, see you..."

Katianna nodded at her, and then to me, moving towards the door and leaving with a near-silent click of the door. With the woman gone, I took her seat, placing myself closer to Rosalina so that I could provide some semblance of a comforting presence for her.

We settled into a comfortable silence, broken only by Rosalina's unsteady breaths.

I was more than content to just sit and wait, there wasn't much else I could be doing currently, nothing as important as attending to her health anyhow.

"Raphael..."

"Yes?"

She groaned, shifting slightly under her layers of blankets. "C-Can you tell me what happened now?"

Well, there's no harm in it now...

"It's a long story Rosa, but a daemon took residence up in your mind and..."

(Several Moments Later)

After a long-winded explanation of what had occurred - as well as answering her questions throughout it - Rosalina was understandably in shock. Thankfully not the kind of shock that would leave her comatose again.

"..." She sat quietly, going through a myriad of emotions while I waited for her to process it all.

"If you need some time alone, then I can-" I was standing up half-way before being cut off as Rosalina's head shot up towards me.

"No! I-I mean..." She trailed off, reddening slightly at her blunder. "P-Please, stay, I have another question..."

I smiled amusedly at her, and she pouted. "I-It's not funny!" She huffed, crossing her arms and looking away.

"Sorry," I raised my hands placatingly, and she turned back to me. "I believe you had more questions to ask though?"

She grew timid at that, poking her index fingers together. "O-Only one."

"Ask, and I'll try and give an answer for you."

She glanced away before meeting my eyes. "...Why?"

"What do you mean by that?" I tilted my head at her, and she shifted nervously.

"Why do you do all this for me?" She repeated in a murmur, and I frowned. "You have done so much for me, and... I haven't done anything besides be a burden for you, especially now."

I hesitated, and I struggled to find an answer, the bizarre question having taken me off guard - especially with the sheer emotion behind it. "It's because... well, I..." I bit the inside of my cheek.

She looked at me with an increasingly-saddening expression and my heart unusually ached. "Raphael...?"

"Rosa," I spoke with resolve, staring into those searching blue eyes. "I do care for you, and you may not believe it yourself but you are not a burden. Sure, you may not have done much on our journey but I didn't expect you to do anything, not with losing everyone you knew not too long ago." She winced at the mention of her dead kin, looking down into her lap.

"Not to mention everything that has happened after that," I continued with fervor, "you experienced more life-changing events than you probably would've ever imagined, and you coped better than most people I know who would've broken down under such events."

"Y-You mean it...?" She glanced upwards shyly, and I gave her a wide smile.

"I do Rosa, you're strong, both mentally and physically. With time and training, that untapped potential will make you far stronger than you could ever imagine." I leant forward, placing a hand over hers. "Never think of yourself as a burden again, not when you're capable of so much."

She sat there quietly after my words, and I grew slightly concerned at the lack of response before she looked up-

!

The woman looked at me with a teary-eyed expression, not of sadness, but of elation and relief as she withheld a sob. She lurched forward, wrapping her arms around me, burying her head into the crook of my neck.

Nothing needed to be said, as her actions had said enough for me to understand how she felt.

"T-Thank you Raphael..." She mumbled into my neck, tightening her arms around me.

I rubbed her back soothingly as she continued to release several weeks' worth of bottled-up emotions in this moment, "I'm always here for you Rosa."

Eventually, she detached herself from me, meeting my eyes with a flustered expression. She breathed heavily - for different reasons entirely this time, it seems - as she leaned in towards me.

"Mmh~"

I didn't resist, nor did I want to as Rosalina pressed her lips against mine. I was content to sit and enjoy our time together, though she had to pull back eventually - much to my disappointment. What mattered however, was that she appeared in a far better mood than before, for which I was glad for.

"Thank you..." She repeated, looking at me with adoring eyes.

"Of course." I cleared my throat, "Now, lay back down, you still need to rest."

She didn't make a fuss of it as she laid down, and I stood and threw a blanket over her, placing it over her shoulders as she shifted around comfortably. I leant down and kissed her on the cheek, and she returned it with a tired loving smile.

"Sleep tight Rosa, I'll be by your side, right here." I sat back down, and not too long after she began to snore lightly.

With a sigh, I sagged backwards into my chair, relieved that one problem was dealt with in the long scheme of things. I didn't need to worry about Rosalina's mental health anymore and could focus on the long campaign ahead of us.

It was also an opportunity to continue working on her growth as well, not to mention my own too, considering that we were stagnating - now that I reflect back on Gabriel's words. With her recovery underway, we'll have plenty of time to train.

Here's hoping nothing else goes wrong...

AN: Hey guys, it's been a while, but at least I uploaded this chapter faster than the last one, didn't I? I understand that things are going very slow in this story, but rest assured I will speed things up in the next chapter with several timeskips.

With any luck I hope to post the next chapter faster than this one - which should probably be easier, maybe. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you didn't then feel free to point out anything wrong I may have done and I'll try and fix it.

Until then, see you all next time!