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Sapphire sensed the presence of something evil within her own Divine Realm. Its not as if they had infiltered from the outside, but they emerged from a guest se willingly allowed inside, another carrier of a Stigma, Rose.
"This malign presence… What is this darkness?! It is coming from the Sealed Fragment of Power from the Deep One within Rose! We need to quickly intervene…" Sapphire panicked.
"Well, isn't Benladra and Kate there?" Wondered Benladann.
"The children should be fine then." Miranda nodded.
"W-Wha…?! Are you aware they're children, right?!" The ancient mermaid felt like the two were going insane.
"Don't worry about them." Drake said, while sipping some tea. "Rose must be in a hard place right now, but my daughters are going to help her. Oh, and that brat of Coral as well."
"H-How can you trust such young children with defeating that fragment?! It most likely was waiting for the moment Rose's heart weakened to this extent… It might be trying to take over her powers and body…" Sapphire muttered. "I am responsible for this, I should-"
"If things get out of control, I will quickly intervene, don't worry. I can easily get where they are." Drake said. "But let's trust them. Let's say this is… a test. Not only for Coral and Rose, but also for Benladra and Kate's growth."
"Y-You're really trustful of your daughters…" Sighed the mermaid.
"Not even we know how strong they truly are." Benladann said. "Benladra has been growing stronger exponentially since she was born, so I am also a bit guilty about this… I want to see how far she can get."
"I suppose this is the perfect moment for that brat to awaken his powers too, right?" Yuki wondered.
"Powers?" Asked Sapphire. "Right… That boy's not just a merman, he's rather connected with Rose, somehow. His magic is very strange…"
"So even you don't know about this? I guess the Stigmas themselves and the powers they have may not only affect the wielders anymore." Drake said.
"Wait, what?" Sapphire only felt even more confused. "You mean…?! That over these thousands of years, the Stigmas might have evolved on their own?"
"More than just that. If Rose successfully manages to overcome this trial as well, she might finally be able to awaken her true power. We'll need the power of Stigmas to enter that Dungeon, right?" Drake asked.
"You're quite sharp, Dragon King. Indeed, the power of Stigmas is of vital importance to enter that dungeon and to bring my dear Aquarius to his eternal rest…" Sapphire sighed, her eyes filled with emotions.
…
"Don't get any closer to me…! I am tired of all of you!" Rose's voice resonated from within the enormous piranha fish-shaped monster, made out of her own magic and powers within the Stigma. "I am tired of everything… of this damn world, of all of it!"
"GRAAAAAARRRRHH!"
The furious fish leaped into the air as it reached Benladra in an instant, opening its monstrous jaws and quickly attempting to bite her with all its strength!
"Rose, stop trying to run away!" Benladra angrily said, as her tiny draconic claws began glowing with a piercing, divine light, she swung them vertically and horizontally, intercepting the fish's biting attacks!
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLAAASH!
Light and darkness spread like shockwaves around their surroundings, shaking the abyssal sea of mirages formed by the very fish-like monster that had taken over Rose.
"I am… not running away!!!"
Rose's voice grew more distorted, as the entire abyssal seas started to shake. Large quantities of black sea began gathering, deadly miasma and mirages transformed into countless of fish-like creatures, it made clones of itself, attacking all three children at the same time!
"GRAAARGH!"
However, they were not weak.
CLAAASH!
Kate quickly summoned two enormous mechanic claws, slashing the Phantom Fishes into pieces with each slash. Her eyes quickly began analyzing her surroundings, but she felt slightly confused.
"Ugh… Can't analyze well, head's spinning…" Kate who used her gifted eyes to analyze her surroundings and accurately predict enemy attacks felt tired, this was because her surroundings were all made of mirages themselves.
"K-Kate! Are you okay?" Coral asked, as he was being made to float in midair using the girl's spiritual magic.
"GGRUOOOHHHH!"
A gigantic fish-like jaw emerged below Kate while she was struggling to regain her control, opening its sharp jaws and about to swallow her and Coral whole!
"Uuuaaagggh!" Coral cried in shock, closing his eyes and channeling his mana instinctively into his hands. "Damn it Rose!!!!"
FLAAAASH!
A bright purple and red light emerged from his hands, as Coral suddenly realized something was… growing from his very hands. It was the same Coral he thought was a sickness or a curse, but it was now shaping based on his necessities, forming a tough, multi-layered sphere protecting him and Kate together!
CLAAAASH!
The fish's jaws bite through the corals, slowly beginning to shatter them. But it began to realize it was a rather hard task, they were gaining cracks, but way too slowly. And the phantom fish's teeth were breaking apart as it tried to munch through this magic's powerful defenses.
"T-This power… And this coral…"
The boy quickly realized the corals he summoned were different than before, they were crystal-like, resembling growths of colorful jewels shaped as corals, they emanated a powerful aura of magic power like he had never sensed before.
"Unnggh, the mirages are gone?" Kate realized. "Thank you Coral!"
Kate quickly regained her pace as she was helped by her friend, in mere seconds, she summoned another gigantic mechanical claw, slicing through the Phantom Fish attempting to devour them and making it disappear into particles of darkness.
SLAAAASH!
However, where that one was gone, several more followed, as four more Phantom Fishes, smaller than the actual bosses, appeared, surrounding the kids!
SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!
Meanwhile, Benladra was fighting against Rose and her monstrous Familiar, as her Heavenly Light clashed and exploded against the endless Abyssal Miasmic Sea of Mirages, which shaped into countless streams to overpower the little dragon girl!
CLAAAASH!
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