I almost tripped over to the floor, but thankfully using the Roukanken as a crutch prevented my face to hit the ground.

I exited the elevator, and walked over to one of the tables near the ransacked bookshelves, and took a seat on the chair.

I opened my magic storage, and took out a vial of blood. Gulping, I quickly injected it into my bloodstream. Instantly my body went back to normal, all the pain went away.

Afterwards, I stood back up and went all the way back up until I reached the shrine's altar again. I walked out of the staircase, and the altar behind me closed by itself rather loudly. It was then when I see the body of the Acolyte Beast twitching.

I walked closer, and touched it. Instantly, embers begin to form on it's body before it then doused the beast's body in flames. It slowly stood up, and got off the altar, before seeing me. Now I can get a look at her head, short red hair and feminine face. This beast was once a human woman.

The beast held her head with her right hand, her body then exploded into flames, and she screeches as she outstretched her left arm, trying to grab me slowly. I pulled out Roukanken from it's scabbard and readied myself for what's coming.

I backstepped once, as the beast used her left arm to swipe the floor beneath us. Her hand hits a nearby wall, and it became stuck in there.

Quickly, I jabbed the hand with the Roukanken causing a painful screech from the beast.

She pulled her stuck hand out, and stops clutching her head before making an ear blistering screech, stunning me for a moment before she grabs me and shoved me into her blazing body.

Screaming due to the painful heat, I squirmed in her hold to no avail until she then tossed me to the front door of the shrine building. I rolled around the floor to get rid of the flames engulfing my body, and after a few seconds it's extinguished.

She made another screech before attempting to pounce me with her blazing body, but I rolled over to the side to evade being crushed, and I raised the Roukanken up high, holding it with both of my hands with full strength.

The Roukanken then glowed as bright as the moon, before I brought it down to slash the beast in front of me... And I sliced her body off, as if it's cheese. Youmu wasn't kidding when she said that the things that cannot be cut by this sword is closer to none.

However she still moved, and the body part which I sliced off spills out a flaming liquid which I can recognize as flowing lava. Something must have happened in the real world for this beast to be cursed into this abominable state.

The lava flows slowly, but also disappeared as long as I didn't stand too close to it. However, the beast's upper body then spun around using her hands, before she crawled over towards me. She raised her right hand and tried to smash me into the floor, which I dodged, and I sliced off the arm with one slash, before doing the same to the left arm. Now with nothing left to defend herself, I deliver the final blow by thrusting the blade into her skull until a fleshy sound is heard. I pulled the blade out, and dashed out of the front door. Soon after, a huge explosion occured, devouring the shrine in flames.

I walked over to where Mai is, and she asked me.

"You're back... Where's Yuki?"

"Dead. The accursed being underground killed her."

"Huh... That's not surprising. She was always stubborn... But still I couldn't believe that she would die like that..."

"Do you know how can I leave the nightmare?"

"I don't know for sure, Good Magus... But my guess? Head over there."

She pointed over to a hole. I looked down to see nothing but darkness.

"What the hell's this, ze!? I can't see the bottom!"

It was then when I felt Mai's foot kicking me in the back, and I fell inside the deep hole screaming for dear life.

- To Be Continued