Chương 39: Ch.38— Preparations.

The preparations for the ritual were finally completed. Crow lay unconscious in the center of an overly complicated-looking blood circle carved directly into the obsidian floor, his bare torso marked with glowing blood lines infused with mana that pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. Thanks to everyone's generous donations, the ritual had been completed without Amy becoming completely anemic.

However, it had also caused a little side effect—not really an actual problem like the ones she was habituated to per se, but still… awkward… The group stood in a loose circle around the unconscious boy, their faces illuminated by the eerie red glow. Amy's features appeared gaunt and hollow, the red glow emphasizing the dark circles under her eyes. Lyra stood with her arms wrapped around herself, trembling a little, no idea if it was the cold or the sight.

Lain's silver eyes reflected the pulsing light, her face completely emotionless and with traces of blood. Zayd observed the scene with interest, his amber eyes shining. Iris, with her permanent grin, looked like a psychopath out of a horror movie. And finally, Ash, the tallest of them all, had an unsettling intensity as he stared at their unconscious friend surrounded by glowing blood magic. The silence stretched on as the group observed Crow.

The obsidian walls seemed to reflect the crimson light in ways that made the entire room feel... very, very awkward… or at least that's how Amy felt as she looked at the scene.

"Well," Iris was the first to break the silence, gesturing at the unconscious boy surrounded by glowing symbols, "so do we start by forcibly making him drink the blood of a thousand virgins, or continue by eating his intestines and then gifting the rest to the Dark Lord below?"

"Ha, ha, ha…. very funny," Ash breathed out, looking pretty queasy as he stared at the ritual circle.

"C'mon, we are about to sacrifice our companion through a demonic ritual for the sake of our survival, a little joke won't hurt."

"Not a sacrifice," Amy corrected automatically, though her voice lacked conviction.

"A deterrent."

"Right," Iris rolled her eyes.

"Whatever makes you sleep at night, boss." Amy rolled her eyes, but did not respond; instead, she rehearsed in her head the next and simplest, yet most scary, step to follow: the activation. She took a step back from the ritual circle, examining their work carefully.

"Everything should be ready," she announced, wiping her hands on a cloth Lain had generously taken from her storage ring and provided to everyone. Zayd stepped closer to the circle's edge, his eyes studying the glowing patterns.

"An impressive piece of work, your ability truly is an impressive…oddity… If only our situation wasn't as pressing as it currently is, we could talk in more depth about it…" he said with a sigh, then he looked up at Amy.

"Either way, I must ask Miss Stake—how will we know when the barrier has successfully linked with Crow? Surely we need some form of visual confirmation that the ritual has taken effect." Amy froze, realizing she hadn't actually considered that aspect. Her ability had shown her how to create the link, and she had faith in it. But still, overconfidence could lead her to ruin very easily; this whole nightmare had shown her time and time again that she could not become complacent.

Zayd was right, she needed to—"The balcony…" Lain suddenly interjected, her quiet voice cutting through Amy's thoughts.

"I saw one during exploration…"

"That works," Amy nodded, grateful for the solution.

"Then let's get moving—""Wait," Lyra suddenly interjected.

"Is it safe to leave Crow unguarded? What if something happens while we're gone?" She gestured helplessly at the glowing circle. Lain was quiet for a moment, considering. Then she said, "Amy and I should go..."

"I want to come too—" Iris started, taking a step forward. However she was soon stopped by Lain's silver eyes, which snapped to Iris with an intensity that made her stop mid-sentence. There was something in that look—a message, maybe, or a request that Amy couldn't quite interpret. Iris, just like Amy, was confused. She blinked and tilted her head at the sudden sharp attention.

"I... what?" But Lain was already turning back to Amy, effectively dismissing Iris's confusion.

"Let's go..."

"Oh, right…sure." Amy hesitantly agreed.

"Let's go." As they moved toward the corridor Lain indicated, Amy caught Iris opening her mouth as if to protest again, but Lain was already guiding Amy away from the group.

"This way," Lain commanded, leading them down a passage Amy hadn't noticed before.

"It's not far…" Amy followed Lain through the narrow stone corridor. The red glow from the ritual chamber faded behind them, replaced by the dim, blue light of the runes in the walls. As they climbed a winding staircase carved directly into the academy's walls, Amy found herself stealing glances at the other girl's profile; it was pretty obvious that she wanted the two of them alone for whatever reason… either that, or she really did not want Iris to come. Have I done something wrong?

Amy's mind raced through the recent events, then it looked to the most obvious reason. Maybe Lain was upset about the ritual itself. Amy knew it wasn't exactly... ethical. But they didn't have a choice, did they? They needed time for the trials, and Crow had volunteered—sort of… Actually, he hadn't…. Maybe she blames me for all of this, Maybe she's leading me somewhere isolated to— No. That was ridiculous. Lain might appear cold and emotionless most of the time, but she wasn't a killer, just timid.

Then again, at least that's how the Lain in the manga had been, and Amy had learned the hard way that she couldn't blindly trust her knowledge. The staircase seemed to go on forever, spiraling upward through the academy's walls. Amy's legs were starting to burn from the climb, and the silence between them was becoming more uncomfortable by the minute. Should I, like, say anything…? Amy debated in her mind whether opening her mouth right now would bring more trouble than answers.

And eventually concluded that, if she did nothing, at least things could not get any worse. After a lot of internal debate and walking, they finally reached a heavy wooden door reinforced with iron bands. Lain pushed it open, and cold air rushed in, carrying with it the distant sounds of beast growls. They stepped out onto a stone balcony. The structure really did look like a medieval castle from out here, all towering spires and battlements.

Amy almost felt like she was a character preparing for a war in a dark fantasy movie set, and for better or worse, a damn detailed one. Thousands upon thousands of chaos creatures swarmed around the academy's perimeter. From this height, they looked like black dots, but Amy could make out some of their forms: they looked just as ugly as the first time she saw them, and the fact that they hurled themselves against the academy's invisible barrier did not do them any favours.

"Christ," Amy muttered, gripping the stone railing. She'd known they were out there, but seeing the sheer number of them… How are we supposed to survive that…? A little bit of fear started creeping in, until she shut it down with a shake of her head, forcing herself to focus. Either she'd survive or wouldn't; it didn't change that she needed to give her all for the opportunity to live another day.

Amy closed her eyes and reached out for the connection between the ritual circle below and the barrier surrounding the academy. She could sense it there, waiting. The process was kind of reminiscent of the exercises she did to augment her control over mana and spell casting. Only a ginormous bit harder. Thankfully, her broken skill and all the training that had pushed her magic to B (D) rank came to the rescue. Okay, she thought, raising her hands. Let's see if this actually works.

But just as she was about to channel her power into the ritual's activation, Lain's quiet voice cut through her concentration.

"Amy." The tone made Amy pause, her hands still raised. There was something different about the way Lain had said her name—softer than usual, almost hesitant. Amy turned to look at the girl, who was standing a few feet away, silver eyes staring straight at hers. For once, Lain's usually impassive expression showed traces of... uncertainty?

"I wanted to talk to you," Lain said, her voice barely above a whisper. Amy felt her heart skip a beat, though she wasn't sure if it was from relief Lain didn't seem mad or from a new kind of anxiety.

"About what?" Lain was quiet for a long moment, her gaze shifting from Amy to the chaos creatures below, then back again. When she finally spoke, her words came out measured and careful.

"You're changing." Amy blinked, caught off guard.

"What do you mean?" Lain didn't respond immediately, her silver eyes studying Amy's face. The silence stretched between them, filled only by the distant sounds of growls. Stolen story; please report.

"I mean..." Amy tried again when no answer came, "I think it's rather like I'm acting more like myself. You know? Like I'm finally being a little more honest about who I really am."

"It's both," Lain said quietly, her voice barely audible over the wind.

"And you should be careful." Amy felt a chill that had nothing to do with the winter air.

"Careful about what?"

"I know good people. And it only ends in two ways for them in places like this."

"Which are?"

"Corruption," Lain said simply.

"Or death." Amy stared at her for a moment, then let out a short, bitter laugh.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that. I'm not 'good people.'" Lain's silver eyes sharpened, and Amy felt a little regret for opening her big ass mouth.

"If you weren't good," Lain began, her voice calm despite the intensity in her gaze.

"We wouldn't be having this conversation. I wouldn't care enough about what happens to you." Amy opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again, not sure what to say to that. Lain's words settled uncomfortably in her chest. And instead of continuing the conversation, Amy turned back toward the barrier, raising her hands once more.

She could feel Lain's eyes on her, but she pushed the feeling aside and focused on the connection she could sense thrumming between the ritual circle below and the protective magic surrounding the academy. She took a deep breath and reached out with her magic, feeling for the threads of connection between Crow's unconscious form and the barrier that surrounded the academy. The activation wasn't like casting a normal spell.

It was more like trying to tie two massive, writhing snakes together while they fought against her grip; the barrier resisted the foreign connection, while the ritual circle demanded more and more of her power to force the link. She had to activate her ability at some point so that she could even advance in the process. Amy gritted her teeth, sweat beading on her forehead despite the cold air. This was still far beyond anything she'd attempted before.

Come on, she thought desperately, pouring more energy into the link. Just work, damn it. Eventually, her prayers were answered, and with a sensation like a rubber band snapping into place, the connection solidified. Amy could feel it thrumming through her bones—Crow's heartbeat now synchronized with the barrier's pulse.

"It worked," she gasped, her legs suddenly feeling like jelly. The magical exertion hit her all at once, and she swayed dangerously close to the balcony's edge. Strong hands caught her arms, steadying her before she could fall. Lain's grip was firm, holding her upright as the world spun around her.

"Thank you," Amy managed, her voice hoarse. She could taste copper in her mouth—had she bitten her tongue during the activation? Lain didn't respond, just held her steady.

"We should get back," Amy said, trying to take a step toward the door. But Lain didn't move. Her hands were still on Amy's hips, and her silver eyes had shifted downward, staring intently at something beyond the balcony's edge.

"Lain?" Amy frowned, following the other girl's gaze. Far below, almost invisible against the dark landscape and the seething mass of chaos creatures, stood a figure. At this distance, it was barely more than another silhouette, but something about its stillness made it stand out against the constant movement of the beasts around it. Amy squinted, trying to make out details. The figure was humanoid, and it was looking directly up at them.

"Abaddon," Amy whispered the name like a curse.

"How long has he been there?" She asked, her heart rate increasing.

"I don't know," Lain replied quietly, "But he's been there for a while."

"..." Creepy fuck… I wonder what's going through his mind right after what he just saw us do…

"Amy," Lain said, turning to her, "Are you certain Abaddon won't simply... work around this obstacle…? He claims to be a true prophet after all…" Amy looked up from the figure in the distance, meeting Lain's gaze. The question was reasonable, logical even.

"The only thing I can promise is that I will try my best," she said simply.

"It wouldn't be the first time I beat a stronger seer, either way." Just like Zayd's uncle—Professor Kaelen—Abaddon was way stronger than her, and his mastery over his ability put Amy's in the water. And yet, Amy had won during the tea meeting, not because she was stronger or luckier, but because her ability was in a way a kind of counter against future sight; what did it matter for him to see the future if she was still the one choosing it? Still, she couldn't grow confident.

He was still Abaddon, and he was still a true prophet.

"I trust you," Lain muttered, turning to Amy. And before she could respond, Lain turned once again toward the distant figure and raised her hand. Ice crystallized in the air around her fingers, forming into a perfectly sharp spear of frozen magic. Amy jumped back, startled by the conjuration.

"Lain, what—" Without hesitation, the girl launched the spear toward Abaddon's position. But by the time it reached the spot where Abaddon had been standing, there was nothing there but empty ground and scattered chaos creatures. He had vanished the instant Lain released the spell.

"He's fast," Lain observed with clinical detachment, lowering her hand.

"But not fast enough to hide the fact that he's injured. Did you see how he moved? Favoring his left side, shoulders hunched. Whatever you and your book did to him, it left marks." Amy stared at the empty space where Abaddon had been, her heart still racing from the sudden violence.

"You could have warned me you were going to do that."

"Sorry..."

"Oh, no, don't worry." Amy rapidly said, not expecting an apology.

"It's alright. Let's just get going." They both walked towards the stairway, Lain still holding the dizzy Amy, whose head was still on the fleeing man.

"He'll be back," Amy said as they descended the winding stairs.

"I know," Lain replied quietly.

"We need to prepare." They walked in silence after that. And as they neared the bottom of the staircase, Lain suddenly stopped.

"Amy," Lain said, not turning to see her.

"Think about what I said earlier… I meant it."

"... I will," Amy promised, though she wasn't entirely sure what there was to think about.

"Good." Lain resumed walking.

"Because I'd rather not lose another good person to this world." -————-　■　-————- The group sat in a rough circle. Crow remained unconscious next to the door, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, and did not seem to be in any pain whatsoever. Amy settled between Iris and Lyra, while Lain took a spot slightly apart from the main group. Zayd sat with perfect posture while seemingly being on edge. Ash sprawled on the obsidian floor, using his jacket as a makeshift pillow.

"So," Iris began, breaking the silence.

"I'm assuming the ritual worked, since neither of you came back screaming about impending doom."

"It worked," Amy confirmed, absently wiping at a spot of blood on her lip.

"The connection is stable. Crow's life force is now tied to the barrier's integrity."

"Good," Zayd said with a nod.

"Then we should focus on our next priorities. Defensive preparations and trial order." Amy leaned back against the cold obsidian wall, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling into her bones. The ritual had taken more out of her than she'd expected. Her head still buzzed with residual magic, and she could taste copper every time she swallowed.

"Defenses first," she said, forcing herself to focus.

"We should assume Abaddon will eventually find a way to get past the barrier without compromising Crow's life. This room needs to become a fortress as fast as possible." Ash sat up from his makeshift pillow, running his hands through his disheveled hair.

"What kind of numbers are we talking about? Because from what I saw during our escape, those things move fast and hit hard. Still in the thousands?"

"More," Lain answered quietly.

"They augmented in number from last time."

"Damn." Iris let out a low whistle.

"Well, that's just fantastic. Anyone have any bright ideas about how six people hold off thousands of chaos creatures?"

"We don't have to hold them off indefinitely," Amy said slowly.

"Just long enough for Crow's trial to complete."

"Speaking of which," Zayd interjected, "how long do these individual trials typically last? And what exactly do they entail?" Amy hesitated. Her knowledge from the manga was limited here; the time had never been detailed.

"I don't know..." she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Could be minutes or hours, hard to say." The silence that followed was deafening.

"Hours?" Lyra's voice cracked slightly.

"Worst case scenario, we have to hold this position for hours while chaos creatures try to break down the doors? And what about Abaddon? He will be a problem too, right?" Amy could feel the despair creeping into the group, and she couldn't blame them. The scope of what they were attempting was becoming clearer, and it was almost impossible. Almost.

"We can do this," she said firmly, pushing down her own doubts. Even if she did not believe they could do it, she would still say the same words.

"We have advantages. This place is easily defensible—lots of hallways, solid walls, if we map it correctly, we will know exactly where they are coming from. We're not being ambushed."

"You're right," Iris said, standing up and pacing to one of the obsidian doors.

"Look at this setup. These doors are thick, reinforced. We can force them to come at us in smaller groups." Zayd stood as well, moving to examine the other door.

"The obsidian itself might be significant. This material is known for its magical resistance properties. If we can enhance these defenses..."

"I can reinforce the doors with ice, maybe the walls and cover the ground too," Lain offered quietly.

"It will slow them down."

"We should also make traps," Ash said.

"I know how to make stone spikes and pressure plates. Only need the right material."

"I have many," Lain spoke, "I will give you some."

"We'll need to barricade everything except controlled entry points," Iris said, already examining the door frames, running her hands along the edges.

"Force them into kill zones where we can hit them with everything we've got."

"That addresses the immediate tactical concerns," Zayd interjected, returning to the group.

"But we still need to determine trial order. In case of an emergency, this decision might prove vital." Amy nodded. She really didn't want to think that Abaddon might find a way around the barrier, but it was wise to keep it in mind. This decision was important.

"Logically," she began, then stopped. Logic felt cold and calculating when she was talking about her people's lives.

"What is it?" Lyra asked, noting her hesitation.

"The order matters for more than just defense," Amy said slowly.

"The trials are personal. Individual. They're going to test us in ways that... that might change us. The person who goes first will be different when they come out, maybe slightly, but still different... and tired. So will the last person before Crow."

"Different how?" Iris asked, though her tone suggested she might not want to know the answer. Amy closed her eyes again, searching her memories, then frowned.

"They're going to hurt," she said finally.

"Not physically, necessarily, but... they'll dig deep. Force us to face things we've been avoiding."

"Great," Ash muttered.

"Psychological torture."

"I assume this is something you also saw in your book, right?" Iris asked with suspicion clear in her voice. Amy just rolled her eyes, ignoring her, then looked around the circle at each of them. Coincidentally, not a single person here had it easy in life, not even her. The trials would definitely hurt hard and deep.

"I think..." she started, then stopped. The weight of the decision felt enormous. It made her feel bad, dropping her companions into their traumas… And yet…

"I'll go first and then Zayd second," she said finally.

"We are both the only seers, the faster we go back, the better; the easiest way to fight against divination is with more divination, so if Abaddon does something, we can expect that it will take a little time to set up, with luck, we both will be here by then." Zayd inclined his head slightly, accepting the decision without argument.

"Then Ash," Amy continued, following the threads her power showed her.

"His trial should probably be physical as much as mental, and he'll recover quickly."

"I can handle it," Ash said with more confidence than the situation probably warranted.

"Iris next," Amy said, meeting the girl's eyes. Iris shrugged.

"Wouldn't be the first time I've had to face my demons."

"Then Lain," Amy said quietly.

"By that point, she should have finished up reinforcing the structures with her magic." Lain nodded, no emotion readable on her face.

"And that leaves Lyra and Crow," she observed. Amy nodded.

"Lyra second-to-last, because if anyone has suffered unexpected wounds during the trial, she can heal us..." She looked at their unconscious friend, tied to the barrier that protected them all.

"And then Crow for obvious reasons." The group sat in contemplative silence for a moment, processing the order and its implications.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Lyra said finally. Amy stood up, feeling steadier now that they had a plan.

"We should start setting up defenses now, while we still have time. The barrier won't hold forever, and Abaddon is still out there." As the group began to move, preparing for the battle to come, Amy caught Lain's eye. The silver-haired girl gave her a small nod—approval, maybe, or just acknowledgment of the choices they'd all made. Amy nodded back, then turned to examine the room with new eyes; not just as a temporary shelter, but as a fortress. She just hoped it would be enough.