"VIOLETTA!"
Damian's shout echoed across the battlefield.
But I didn't dodge the massive tidal wave rushing toward me.
Instead—
"Eat this!"
I pulled something from inside my coat and hurled it forward.
A bundle packed with dozens of bottles of holy water.
CRASH!
BOOM!
The bottles shattered against the wave.
Instantly, the black water turned white.
Holy energy spread through it like wildfire.
The corrupted lake hissed violently before evaporating into steam.
A thick white mist engulfed everything.
"Now!"
I burst through the cloud of vapor.
In a single leap, I closed the distance to the Lord of the Abyss.
My hammer rose overhead.
"Let's see your helmet survive this!"
CLANG!
The hammer smashed into the giant's helm.
A deafening metallic shockwave rang across the lake.
But the helmet didn't break.
It merely dented.
The recoil traveled straight through my arms and nearly dislocated my wrists.
[Pathetic.]
The Lord sounded bored.
Annoyed, even.
With a casual wave of its hand, it backhanded me.
"Gah!"
I flew across the battlefield like a discarded rag doll.
My body skipped across the lake and crashed into the rocky shoreline.
"Violetta!"
Both Damian and Kairik immediately rushed toward me.
"Are you alright?!"
Kairik grabbed my shoulder.
I coughed up a mouthful of blood and staggered to my feet.
"Ugh..."
I wiped my mouth.
"That thing is ridiculously hard."
Nothing seemed broken.
But every bone in my body hurt.
That armor wasn't normal.
Physical attacks barely affected it.
Kairik scowled.
"Even my sword can only scratch it."
Damian looked equally troubled.
"Holy power isn't penetrating either."
His grip tightened around his weapon.
"It's protected by multiple layers of magical barriers."
Physical resistance.
Magic resistance.
A walking cheat character.
There's got to be a weak point.
I activated my spirit sight and studied the Lord carefully.
Black aura swirled around its body.
The energy leaked from tiny gaps in its armor.
Then I noticed it.
One place where the aura was denser than anywhere else.
"Found you."
Its solar plexus.
A faint crimson glow leaked through a seam in the armor.
That was the core.
The heart.
The weak point.
The problem was reaching it.
Alone, I couldn't break through its defenses.
"New plan."
I beckoned the other two closer.
"We attack together."
Their attention snapped toward me.
"Damian blinds it."
I pointed at Kairik.
"You lock down its arms."
Then I tapped my own chest.
"I'll break the core."
Kairik immediately frowned.
"Too dangerous."
His eyes narrowed.
"You'll have to get closer than anyone."
I shook my head firmly.
"My hammer is the only thing here that can crack that armor."
I lifted the weapon slightly.
"You both know what it can do."
Silence.
Then Damian nodded.
"...Understood."
His expression hardened.
"We'll trust you."
I grinned.
"Good."
I rolled my shoulders.
"Let's finish this."
Together, we charged once more.
[Foolish mortals.]
The Lord rose from its throne.
For the first time, it stood.
The giant towered over us like a mountain.
Then it raised its weapon.
A colossal black scythe.
With a single swing, it unleashed a blade of energy that seemed capable of splitting space itself.
"RAAAAGH!"
Kairik transformed.
His body surged with beastly power.
Instead of dodging, he threw himself directly into the attack.
The slash tore through his shoulder.
Blood sprayed across the battlefield.
But he didn't stop.
If anything, he accelerated.
In a blur, he reached the Lord and sank his fangs into its arm.
[You mangy beast!]
The giant roared.
As it tried to shake him loose—
Damian moved.
"Divine Radiance!"
A barrage of arrows made entirely of holy light erupted into the air.
The battlefield exploded with brilliance.
[AAAAARGH!]
The Lord staggered.
Its vision obscured.
Its attention divided.
And for me—
That opening was a highway.
"Out of my way!"
I stepped onto Damian's shoulder.
Then launched myself skyward.
Spinning through the air, I poured every ounce of strength into my hammer.
The target.
The crimson glow.
The seam in the armor.
The heart.
"THIS IS MY SERIOUS PUNCH!"
BOOOOOOOOM!
The impact detonated like artillery.
The armor exploded apart.
Fragments flew everywhere.
For the first time, the crimson core hidden within was exposed.
And my hammer struck it directly.
CRACK.
A fracture appeared.
Then another.
And another.
The core began to split.
[NO!]
The Lord screamed.
[THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!]
But it wasn't enough.
The core resisted.
Refusing to shatter completely.
"AAAAAAAH!"
I gritted my teeth.
Every muscle in my body screamed in protest.
Slowly—
Painfully—
I forced the hammer deeper.
Then—
Warmth touched my hands.
Damian.
He had stepped beside me.
His hands wrapped around the hammer's handle.
Holy power flooded into the weapon.
A second hand joined ours.
Large.
Rough.
Powerful.
Kairik.
His crimson mana surged into the hammer as well.
"Together!"
Three powers merged.
Holy power.
Mana.
And my completely unreasonable physical strength.
For a brief moment—
The three forces became one.
CRACK!
The core shattered.
[KIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEK!]
The Lord of the Abyss unleashed a final, agonized scream.
Then came the explosion.
A colossal eruption of black energy consumed the cavern.
The giant's armor crumbled.
Its body dissolved into smoke.
And then—
Nothing.
The Lord of the Abyss was gone.
The cavern began collapsing immediately.
The ceiling cracked.
The ground split apart.
Massive boulders rained from above.
"RUN!"
I pointed toward the exit.
"Move! Move! Move!"
None of us argued.
We sprinted.
Through collapsing tunnels.
Past falling debris.
Ignoring every ache and injury.
The only thing that mattered was reaching the light.
When we finally emerged—
The sky was blue.
Perfectly blue.
The black auroras were gone.
The monsters were gone.
Even the oppressive darkness that had haunted the North for years had vanished.
For the first time, I realized how beautiful the northern sky truly was.
"Haa..."
"Haa..."
We collapsed onto the snow.
Spread-eagle.
Completely exhausted.
Covered in blood, sweat, dirt, and monster guts.
And somehow—
It felt amazing.
Kairik stared up at the sky and laughed.
"It's over."
Damian smiled.
A genuine smile.
Rare enough to qualify as a miracle.
"We did it."
Then both men looked toward me.
I ignored them.
Instead, I reached into my pocket.
And pulled out the object that had dropped when the Lord died.
A fist-sized black crystal.
The Abyss Core.
A pure concentration of demonic energy.
The ultimate magical power source.
And, more importantly—
An absolutely obscene amount of money.
This thing alone could pay off every single debt I'd inherited under my family's name.
The territory loans.
The private lenders.
The financial nightmares.
All gone.
In fact—
It was enough wealth for generations of descendants to live comfortably without ever working a day in their lives.
"Hehehe..."
An evil laugh escaped me.
"Lady Violetta?"
Damian looked concerned.
"Are you alright?"
"Alright?"
I kissed the crystal.
SMOOCH.
"I've never been better."
Both men stared.
I ignored them.
"Now then."
I stood up.
"Let's go home and get paid."
I turned the crystal over in my hands.
"I wonder how much His Majesty is willing to offer..."
The thought alone made me giddy.
Kairik sighed.
"...You're impossible."
"That's part of my charm."
I flashed a grin and extended both hands.
"Come on."
I wiggled my fingers.
"Let's go eat something good. My treat."
A wolf.
A holy knight.
And a money-obsessed saintess.
Thus ended our Northern Expedition.
A happy ending.
Well...
Mostly.
I still had Laura and my father to deal with.
But honestly?
That felt more like dessert.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
The rhythmic vibration woke me.
Blinking slowly, I opened my eyes.
A familiar ceiling greeted me.
The luxury cabin aboard the magical railway train Snow Piercer.
The same train we'd used to travel north.
"Awake?"
A low growl came from nearby.
I turned my head.
Kairik was sitting beside me, resting his chin on one hand.
Looking down at me.
The problem?
My head was currently resting on his thigh.
As a pillow.
"...Huh."
I slowly looked the other way.
Damian sat on the opposite seat.
Fast asleep.
My legs were comfortably stretched across his lap.
...
This was ridiculous.
On one side sat one of the Empire's most handsome men.
On the other side sat another.
And tucked safely against my chest was the giant mana crystal we'd won.
Honestly.
Could a return trip get any better?
Kairik smirked.
"Sleep well?"
His thumb brushed the corner of my mouth.
"You were drooling."
"Liar."
I slapped his hand away.
"I don't drool in my sleep."
"You do."
His grin widened.
"My pants are soaked. Want proof?"
He pointed shamelessly at his thigh.
I laughed despite myself and sat up.
The movement woke Damian.
His eyes flew open instantly.
"L-Lady Violetta!"
He nearly jumped out of his seat.
"Are you feeling alright? Any discomfort?"
"I feel fantastic."
Stretching lazily, I smiled.
"You two provided excellent escort service."
Then I glanced out the window.
The endless snowfields had vanished.
In their place stood green plains and magnificent buildings.
The capital.
We had arrived.
Damian straightened his clothes.
His expression turned serious.
"Shall we proceed directly to the Imperial Palace?"
"Obviously."
I patted the Abyss Core hidden inside my coat.
"We have an invoice to submit."
A crystal like this...
How much was it worth?
Five prime properties in the capital?
Ten?
Honestly, probably more.
The atmosphere was solemn.
No.
Not solemn.
Stunned.
Terrified.
"Th-This..."
Emperor Ludwig III rose from his throne.
His hands trembled as he accepted the black crystal I offered.
The malevolent energy trapped within seeped through the jewel.
Even the Emperor looked unsettled.
"Is this truly the Lord of the Abyss?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
I answered casually.
"Its heart, to be precise."
I shrugged.
"Tough bastard, too."
The assembled nobles immediately erupted into whispers.
"Good heavens..."
"They defeated the Northern Calamity in only three days?"
"That young lady carrying the hammer?"
Countless eyes turned toward the silver sledgehammer hanging over my shoulder.
It was scratched.
Dirty.
Covered in dried blood and monster slime.
Yet somehow it looked more intimidating than any legendary holy sword.
"Remarkable!"
The Emperor carefully placed the crystal inside an ornate box.
"Truly remarkable!"
His eyes shone with admiration.
"You have saved the Empire."
He looked at each of us in turn.
"Lady Eberhardt. Sir Lyrat. Grand Duke Herzen."
The Emperor spread his arms.
"To honor this achievement, I hereby—"
"Your Majesty."
I politely interrupted him.
Then extended my hand.
The entire audience chamber fell silent.
I smiled sweetly.
"The praise can come later."
I wiggled my fingers expectantly.
"Let's discuss payment first."
