Erica quickly surveyed the terrain. There was nowhere to stand around the sea of lava except for the rocky ledges scattered along narrow pathways. Judging from Hawer's form, it didn't seem like he could land a physical attack unless he managed to swallow her whole, so she focused her attention on his magical capabilities.
"If you're not willing to cooperate, then I'll have to use force!"
Erica shouted and leapt down, gripping her blade tightly, ready to strike. Hawer didn't flinch. His entire body arched upward, mouth agape. Erica could see everything inside that terrifying maw - it was like a gaping, endless abyss.
Without hesitation, she pulled out a vial filled with a white solution and hurled it into his mouth—then dove in after it. Hawer instantly slammed his jaws shut, swallowing her whole. Silence fell. The lava sea still churned, but no sound could be heard. Hawer raised his head in triumph. Watching from above, Sagrite panicked, afraid that Erica had lost.
Then, Hawer's body froze completely. White streaks formed across his surface, and in an instant, he was frozen solid from within. His once jet-black skin turned a stark, icy white.
Moments later, Hawer was sliced into pieces, and Erica stepped out from his mouth. She leapt to a nearby ledge, completely unscathed. Chunks of the giant worm's body fell, splashing lava in all directions.
Sagrite was horrified by the sight. But when she realized the sinner couldn't truly die, she knew the battle wasn't over yet.
Erica kept her eyes fixed on the floating remains bobbing atop the boiling lava, as if expecting something.
And then, it came.
A faint rustling echoed through the air. At first it was soft, like bones cracking or flesh tearing. The ground trembled violently. Slowly, the severed meat began to regenerate, forming skin and reshaping into smaller worms - smaller versions of Hawer.
So these are his spawn. Erica gripped her sword tightly, her eyes unblinking. A part of her regretted not splitting him in half earlier.
The creatures let out high-pitched screeches, their voices blending into a strange, fiery chant. Then they roared in unison, the sound echoing throughout the cavern. Erica had the odd sensation that Hawer - no, all of them - were laughing.
"Well done, girl! You don't seem the least bit surprised."
"Well, I am a demon. I've been through worse situations than this."
All eyes glared at her in fury, making her realize that probably wasn't the answer they wanted. Erica could sense their desire to devour her, especially as the spawn bared their fangs in a grotesque display.
Finally, they spoke again, their voices united and threatening:
"You're not as innocent as you look, little girl."
She responded with a faint smile. "We're not in Heaven, Mr. Hawer."
Indeed, Hawer thought. This was the abyss of darkness - there was no such thing as mercy here. Seeing his expression shift, Erica knew her words had struck a nerve.
Without another word, all the worms thrust their chests forward, spewing lava toward Erica. She jumped to higher ground, but they weren't about to let her go so easily. The ledge she aimed for suddenly vanished, as though it had merged with the wall. She was forced to stab her blade into the rock to hang on.
Still they didn't stop, continuing to hurl molten attacks her way. Erica launched herself higher, retracting her blade, anticipating the vanishing ledges. She summoned the weapon again to stab and leap repeatedly. Wherever she moved, they followed with precision.
Realizing this was a waste of time, she suddenly leapt toward the center of the swarm - only to vanish mid-air. The creatures were stunned, frantically scanning the area.
But Erica had gone invisible, now floating in mid-air, silently observing them to find the best strategy.
Meanwhile, Sagrite desperately wanted to help, but had no idea how. She was still tied to the boulder, after all. She turned to ask Lars to free her - only to find that he was gone. In his place stood a massive, true Hellhound.
It was still the same sleek black fur, fiery tail, and wild red eyes - but now far larger than before. Thankfully, the ceiling was high enough to accommodate him.
"This... is your true form?" Sagrite stammered.
"Yep! Cool, right? Too bad I've only got one head. If I had two more, I'd be epic." Even his voice was no longer childlike - it had deepened. He continued:
"Climb on. We need to find a way out, fast."
"Wait! Are you people all brain-dead!? I'm still tied up, you know!"
"Who gave you the right to yell? Anyway, Erica told me you can manipulate earth and stone - but your mana isn't strong enough to control the ground around here. That's why she decided to bring the boulder along - she figured it'd be useful."
"...How the hell does that girl know everything!? It's like she's been spying on me."
"You already figured it out, didn't you? Eri's basically a walking encyclopedia when it comes to sinners from this age. Want to know about some bastard with a cursed past? Just ask her. But for now, let's focus on getting out of here."
Lars lowered his body to let Sagrite climb up. It was quite the struggle, given her bound hands, but she eventually made it.
"You could at least untie me…" she muttered.
Lars raised his head, sensing the magic around them. He crouched, then leapt downward into the passage below. Like Erica, he too could sense something strange about the cavern - especially the cold, dripping walls. It wasn't just the blood-like ooze; it was the feeling that the walls could close in at any moment.
He ran as fast as he could, focusing only on the pitch-black path ahead. Thankfully, it wasn't as long as the tunnel they had entered. Soon, they reached a dead end - or rather, the exit. Lars had chosen this path because the mana in the wall was scattered - he just needed to strike the core.
But before he could act, the walls began to tremble violently. Bulges formed on the surface, like boils swelling under skin. Small lumps pushed outward, twitching in rhythm, making wet, squelching sounds. Oozing red slime seeped from them, staining the coarse stone. A putrid, damp stench filled the air.
The tumors broke free, morphing into living red stones with savage faces and deformed, glistening bodies.
Lars' nose burned from the foul mixture of smells, but amid it all, he caught a familiar scent.
Acid.
And strong acid at that! Lars was more desperate than ever to escape this damned place.
Not waiting for the creatures to strike, he attacked first. He opened his jaws wide and unleashed a torrent of fire. The flames scorched the monsters, melting them into bubbling slime. A series of explosions rang out.
"Sagrite! Use the boulder as a shield - NOW!"
Paralyzed by the grotesque scene, Sagrite snapped out of it at Lars' urgent command. She manipulated the boulder, stretching it like rubber to form a barrier that enveloped them both, leaving only an opening at the bottom. Lars relied on his senses, sprinting blindly ahead, heading back toward the center.
Meanwhile, Erica was still playing cat and mouse with Hawer. Who would've thought he had such sharp instincts? He had already figured out where she was hiding.
But something else was bothering her - her body was changing. A nauseating, suffocating sensation overwhelmed her. It felt like she was melting.
Melting…?
That didn't make sense. She hadn't been hit, and it wasn't the heat. Then she noticed something odd - her left arm was turning to stone.
Without hesitation, she sliced it off with her blade. The severed arm fell into the mouth of one of the worms below. Black blood gushed out, but in a moment, her arm regenerated.
Melting she could understand - but petrification? That was new. But as she reassessed the situation, it all began to make sense.
She was being digested. The realization was insane, but it thrilled her.
From the moment she heard Hawer's story and saw the bizarre cave rising from the desert, she'd wondered if Hawer himself was the cave - a shapeshifter.
Seeing her wide grin, Hawer felt insulted. As if this girl could actually win, while all she'd done so far was run.
"What's so funny, you little bitch!?" the worms screamed in unison.
"Oh! Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not laughing at you. I've just discovered something fascinating. And guess what? It actually surprised me!"
"So… you've finally figured out what kind of situation you're in?" they sneered.
"That's right. You really are a master of deception, Mr. Hawer. But it's a shame - you're being deceived yourself. Someone else is pulling the strings."
That set him off. A thunderous roar echoed from somewhere within his body, followed by a disembodied voice:
"What do you know!?"
"Oh, a lot. For example, how your village treated you like garbage before you met Sagrite. That's why you put all your trust in yourself—why you chose to go it alone. And there's so much more."
Hawer fell silent. Who was this girl?
"Who... are you?" he asked hesitantly.
"Hmm… People think I'm part of Recon, but I operate independently. My name's Erica - of House Darker."
She said it with pride. Hawer didn't recognize the name Erica - but Darker rang a bell.
He remembered what that person had told him - someone who had made many promises:
Beware of those who serve House Darker - especially the free agents.
He'd heard of the Darkers before - a bunch of holier-than-thou zealots who relied on Heaven's protection. That's what his kind always said, bitterly.
But clearly, they weren't just protected. They were dangerous. And the girl before him was proof. She hadn't even gone all out, and it still felt like she could win.
The silence returned, broken only by the lava's bubbling and the worms' groans. Hawer seemed like he had more to say, but trying to talk during a fight wouldn't help.
So Erica rummaged through her bag again. This time, she pulled out a milky-white orb and tossed it downward. It expanded into a massive pale-blue shield - like a giant, seamless net. It slid down toward the worms. They panicked, trying to push it back - but it didn't budge.
Crushed beneath the thick ice, they sizzled helplessly. Erica jumped down, landing softly on the frozen surface.
Hawer was stunned. She'd taken them all out - without breaking a sweat. It was unreal.
"So?" Erica shouted. "Ready to talk properly now?" Though, deep down, she doubted he'd give up so easily.
The tremors returned - stronger than ever. She looked around. The cavern walls were swelling again, birthing new tumors. They detached, becoming more living stone monsters.
Breeding more again?
This time she switched weapons - a mace. One swing shattered everything around her. Red fluid sprayed out, vaporizing upon contact with the ice.
Acid. She silently thanked Hugh for the acid-resistant mace. After a few more strikes, Hawer's enraged voice echoed again.
"I won't lose! I've come this far for a reason! I just wanted Sagrite to be happy. She deserved that much. But him? He never helped humanity - he made those damn laws! What the hell for!?"
Erica, her patience wearing thin, shouted back mid-battle.
"What do you know!? God has His own reasons - He knows what's best for mankind. You'll never understand if you keep blaming Him for everything!"
Hawer roared again, the entire cave shaking like it might collapse. More massive boulders formed. His voice thundered across the depths:
"I don't need to understand!!!"
They kept attacking her, one after another - and each one fell under her blows. Acid splattered across her skin, but she paid it no mind. If she'd known it would come to this, she would've brought her strongest freezing agent.
Suddenly, a massive boulder came crashing down from above, narrowly missing Erica. Its outer shell peeled away, revealing Sagrite astride Lars.
"Jeez! I almost mistook you for another enemy," Erica joked.
"Seriously, Eri! You're still joking at a time like this?!" Lars snapped. "We need to get out of here - get on, now!"
"Hold on a second!" she called out, swapping her weapon for a war hammer. She took a deep breath, gripped the handle tightly, and brought it crashing down onto the ice.
A thunderous crack echoed through the chaos. The ice split apart, deep fissures racing down into the depths. At the point of impact, a wide hole opened. Erica quickly pulled out four pitch-black spheres and dropped them in.
Then she climbed onto Lars's back. He immediately leapt upward, landing on the earlier passage and bolting forward. Sagrite raised the boulder as a shield. Her face was tense, but when Hawer's agonized scream echoed behind them - followed by a deafening explosion - she grew frantic.
"What did you do to him?!" she cried, trying to shout over the noise.
"Nothing too serious! Even demons get constipated now and then, don't they?" Erica snorted.
Lars suddenly stopped - seemed they'd reached the exit. Erica's voice turned serious.
"Can you handle heat?"
"…I suppose. Why?"
"Good."
At once, a surge of molten lava burst forth, sweeping them out. The stone shield held up fairly well, but its unguarded underside allowed lava to seep in. Erica heard Lars let out a pained cry, followed by Sagrite's string of furious curses. That's when Erica suddenly remembered - she'd packed heat-resistant fluid.
I am never, ever telling them about this.
Only once they'd rolled clear of the lava pit did Sagrite dare to lower her "shield." Erica realized they were in another part of the same desert - just a different cave.
The cave they had emerged from looked like a massive demon's head, horns jutting from both sides. Its gaping mouth was torn open, lava still pouring out from within.
Taking advantage of the moment, Erica climbed to the top of the head, feeling around as if searching for something. Sagrite stared at the cave's shape in shock - it looked eerily like Hawer.
"Hawer… is that you?" she asked without thinking.
"Sagrite, I'm sorry."
The mouth didn't move, but the voice rumbled, heavy with regret. "I kept you from reaching Heaven. I tried… but I'm truly sorry."
Despite her burns, Sagrite limped forward, tears streaming down her face. She gently touched his cheek, smiling faintly through the pain as she whispered,
"It was never your fault, Hawer. The truth is, even back then, I always had my doubts about faith… but I clung to it anyway. Because believing in God meant still believing in life.
But eventually… I gave up. Life treated me too cruelly.
But you - you stayed. You stood by me, ignored the gossip, overlooked my illness, and chose me anyway. I always believed in you, Hawer. I blamed God, but that was just an excuse because I was too afraid to face reality.
I'm sorry, Hawer. I never considered how you felt. But after all we've been through - there's still a chance for us, isn't there?"
Somewhere in the middle of her words, Hawer had started crying. Two streams of lava ran from his eyes.
Just then, Erica's triumphant voice rang out:
"Found it!"
She slammed her hammer down, and Hawer roared in pain. She leapt down beside Sagrite, who immediately shouted,
"What did you just do?!"
"Please," Erica said, brushing off the concern. "Don't talk like I'm some amateur. That was a calculated physical disruption to suppress the dark energy controlling him."
All eyes turned to Hawer. His body was shrinking, shrouded in swirling smoke and dust that made it impossible to see clearly. Lars stepped into the haze. A moment later, he emerged carrying a man on his back.
Erica and Sagrite rushed over to help. It was a demon with pale skin, long silver hair, and two sharp horns. His clothes were simple - like something a woodcutter might wear.
His eyes fluttered open slightly, lips parting weakly. He glanced between Sagrite and Erica, then murmured in a voice barely above a whisper,
"Sagrite… Where are we? Did something happen?"
"Hawer, how-"
Erica nudged her gently, signaling her not to say anything. Let him rest, she seemed to say. Sagrite simply nodded and cradled her husband in her arms.
Erica stood to leave, but Sagrite called out to her.
"Wait - don't go yet! I truly don't know how to thank you for everything you've done. I wish I could offer something more, but… would the two of you come to our home? I'd love to make you a meal. We don't have much of value, but we've got plenty of delicious food, so please, let me share it with you."
Erica and Lars exchanged a glance, smiles spreading across their faces as if reading each other's thoughts.
That's the line I was waiting for. Food, here I come!