— — — — — —
The Snowdrift Wolf charged forward with a blinding white glow radiating from its body.
If you looked closely, you could even catch a faint glimmer of rainbow-colored light shimmering around it.
Seeing this, both Yukina and Endou's eyes widened in surprise.
But Yukina frowned slightly—her magic power… It was draining way too fast.
It felt like the magic inside her wasn't nearly enough to keep the Snowdrift Wolf going.
Seriously?
Yukina looked a bit embarrassed. She was supposed to be the weapon's master, but she was holding it back?
The Snowdrift Wolf seemed to notice this as well. Once that hint of rainbow color reached a peak, it stopped reacting altogether.
That…That was all the magic Yukina could muster.
The Snowdrift Wolf: "…"
"?"
Endou raised an eyebrow. Wait a minute—did she just see… a spear looking speechless?
What the hell?
Sure, she knew the Snowdrift Wolf had shown signs of sentience lately.
But still—was it just her, or were its emotions getting more and more expressive?
If one day it turned into a human, she wouldn't even be surprised anymore.
---
Meanwhile…
Golan sneered as the Snowdrift Wolf charged toward him again.
"Nice weapon… shame about the person using it."
After that last clash, he'd basically figured out Yukina's limits when it came to wielding the Snowdrift Wolf.
He wasn't worried in the slightest.
His massive arms surged with black flames. Raising both hands, he lunged forward to grab the charging beast!
Two gigantic, flame-wreathed hands came crashing down like a black net, aiming to completely smother the Snowdrift Wolf!
The intense flames twisted the air around them—so hot the distortion was visible.
But just as Golan's hands were about to close in, the Snowdrift Wolf suddenly burst with radiant light!
HUMMMM—
From within the white glow, a sliver of rainbow light—small, yet piercing—stood out brilliantly.
SSSZZZHH—
The light touched Golan's arms, and a sizzling sound immediately followed!
The black flames wrapped around his arms started to vanish, as if someone were erasing them with a rubber.
Golan's eyes shrank, pupils contracting in shock. A creeping sense of dread surged from deep within.
And then—
A searing pain tore through his right arm!
"AGHHHH—!"
He grunted, biting back a scream, eyes darting to his arm.
What had once been a massive limb… was now just a bloody stump.
Blood gushed out in torrents, dripping onto the stone floor with asplat, splat.
His face contorted in agony as he staggered back, clutching his severed limb with his remaining hand. A strand of magic sealed off the bleeding, finally allowing him to breathe again.
He gritted his teeth and stared ahead.
What just happened?!
His gaze landed on the Snowdrift Wolf—now dim and lifeless on the ground.
That weapon?!
But…Where was his arm?
Golan immediately looked around frantically. If he could find the severed limb in time, maybe—just maybe—he could reattach it.
But no matter how hard he searched, there was no trace of it.
That only made his rage worse.
The sudden turn of events left both Liana and Gajou stunned.
Wait—did that actually work?
Seeing the state he was in, they finally reacted, a glimmer of hope flashing in their eyes.
Maybe they still had a chance!
But then they looked over at Yukina, who was gasping for breath—and that flicker of hope dimmed once more.
She looked completely drained.
Damn it!
Sure, the attack landed—but if she used up all her magic just to take off one of his arm.
Liana's heart sank again. She glanced at the Snowdrift Wolf, now embedded in the floor.
If Yukina was out of juice… then maybe I—
"Don't even think about it."
Endou's calm voice cut in, as if reading her thoughts.
"If the Snowdrift Wolf doesn't acknowledge you, you're not even qualified to use it."
Liana froze, frowning.
Endou kept staring at the weapon, quietly muttering to herself.
"Return the world to Zero…"
"That ability's seriously busted."
To think Yukina, who only had the magic power of a mid-class devil, could pull that off?
What if her power increased even more?
Endou clicked her tongue, clearly unsettled by the thought.
She turned back to Yukina with a curious look. "You've already mastered the Snowdrift Wolf's true power?"
Yukina, still bent over and catching her breath, shook her head.
"No."
"Hm?"
Endou raised an eyebrow.
Yukina sucked in some air and continued, "That wasn't me… the Snowdrift Wolf acted on its own."
Her current ability wasn't enough to unleash the weapon's full potential. And even if she could— after what just happened, she probably wouldn't dare use it so easily again.
Her face was pale—completely spent.
Endou's eyes flickered thoughtfully. "So…"
"The Snowdrift Wolf can activate itself?"
Interesting.
Also, was it just her imagination, or was that thing getting weirdly emotional?
Endou looked a bit thrown off.
---
On the other side—
Still unable to find his missing arm, Golan was seething.
His beast-like eyes narrowed past the fallen weapon, locking onto Yukina and the others.
He'd dismissed them as minor players—but they'd actually managed to put him in this pathetic state?!
"You all DIE."
He opened his jaws wide, his voice icy and guttural.
And in the very next instant—
A jet-black flame erupted from within!
He inhaled deeply, and a blazing sphere of dark fire condensed in his mouth.
With a deafening roar, a massive beam of black energy exploded outward!
The moment it fired, Liana and the others' pupils shrank in terror.
Even in this underground tomb encased in layers of ice, they could feel the burning heat surging from that beam!
'We're going to die.'
That was the only thought that flashed through Liana's mind.
Endou's eyes narrowed, and in a blur, she raised several barriers to try and block the incoming attack!
But—
Crack! Crack!
Sharp shattering sounds echoed as the black flames collided with the barriers.
Every single one of them snapped like twigs—completely overwhelmed.
Endou froze. She hadn't expected Golan to suddenly unleash this kind of terrifying power.
But even so, she wasn't panicking.
HUMMMM—
Just before the black flame engulfed them, a large black magic circle flared to life on the icy floor.
And then—A tall figure emerged from it.
It was Lynn—summoned through the group chat by Yukina's message.
He gave the incoming beam a quick glance, raised an eyebrow, then looked over at Endou.
"This supposed to be my welcome party?"
Endou laughed awkwardly, scratching her head, unsure of what to say. She just gave him a sheepish smile.
Lynn's eyes swept over the roaring black beam, then he calmly raised a hand.
His lips parted.
"Cero."
.
.
.