Even so, Lonis had gathered her courage and wanted to save Elucia.

But the black-haired “girl” was like a demon, using all kinds of tempting words to pressure Lonis into “falling”:

…

“Hmph, Lonis… Are you sure you want to save me? Do you know what that means?”

“U-uh…?”

“If you think I’ll treat you kindly after you save me, you’re dead wrong… To repay your kindness, I’ll torment you even more and indulge your little masochistic desire to be abused!”

“N-no… No, you can’t!”

…

“Take a good look. Your boobs really are quite round, aren’t they? Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have never touched a girl’s boobs before, would you? Is that why you designed them like this?”

“None of your business!!”

…

“Cough, cough… I’m coughing up blood again. Well, while we’re at it, should I say a few last words?”

“Hang on, Elucia. We’re almost there.”

“I can’t go on, hehe… I never thought I’d die on the back of a perverted masochist. What a disgrace!”

“How is that a disgrace?! And I’m not a masochist!”

…

…

Though Elucia was rambling about all sorts of nonsense, Lonis knew it was a sign of her strength… She didn’t want to die just yet, either, so she was keeping herself calm by talking.

After all, when someone was gravely injured, once they lost consciousness, they might never wake up again.

Lonis hurried along, taking elevators and crossing tunnels as she made her way through the maze-like Underground World. At last, she reached a crimson door.

…

The door stood at the end of the passage, more than twenty meters tall.

It looked as if no one had set foot there in ages, yet its surface was still spotless, smooth as ever.

A strange energy spread around the door. Lonis felt her heart begin to pound, as if some mysterious force were resonating with her.

“Elucia, what is this…?”

“This is the Flame Abyss Temple, the place I used to serve… Hmph. Smear my blood on the handle. That should open it.”

“Okay…”

Lonis nodded. Elucia had lost quite a bit of blood along the way, and now they could put it to use.

But even after Lonis smeared the blood on the door, it remained sealed. No matter how hard she pushed, it wouldn’t open.

Elucia frowned at the sight.

“What’s going on…? Was I rejected?”

“Elucia?”

“Haha… Hahaha.”

Suddenly, Elucia burst into laughter… She laughed so wildly that she seemed not to care at all about her wounds.

But once the laughter faded, only utter desolation remained—as if there were nothing left in the world worth being happy about, and no matter where you looked, life held no goals at all.

Crimson blood kept flowing from Elucia’s body, drop by drop, running down the steps.

“It seems fate wants me dead. I’m sorry… Lonis, you should leave now.”

“Elucia, what are you talking about? There has to be a way inside!”

“The Flame Abyss Temple is an ancient ruin. Outsiders absolutely can’t open it… Why do you think Kelu waited here for so long?”

“Huh?”

“You must’ve realized by now. Kelu rebelled to help the Demon Lord obtain the power of the Flame Abyss. But in the end, my escape ruined his plans… Hehe. When you put it that way, I’m a princess who abandoned her country and her people, aren’t I?”

Elucia shoved Lonis away with all her strength, then collapsed to the ground.

Even breathing had become difficult for her now.

Blood continued to seep from her skin, drenching the black-haired little girl until she was covered in it.

Lonis’s heart ached at the sight of Elucia, but she wasn’t going to give up.

Because…

“Elucia, what are you talking about? You could open it before, so you can open this door now, too.”

“Hmph! Lonis, you don’t understand… Only a girl who’s been recognized can open the Flame Abyss Temple. But I’ve fallen. I’m no longer the naive princess of the Snow Country I used to be! I’ve lost the right to control the Flame Abyss completely.”

As if she couldn’t bear Lonis making fun of her, Elucia raised her head and shouted at Lonis with the last of her strength.

“Ugh!”

If this had been any ordinary day, Lonis would’ve tucked her tail between her legs and backed down in the face of Elucia’s anger… After all, she was no match for this girl in either knowledge or strength.

But…

But!

When it came to the will to survive, Lonis absolutely wouldn’t lose to Elucia.

Because she’d died once before, Lonis knew how painful it was to become a ghost… You lay in a pitch-black space, unable to do anything or see a thing.

Boundless darkness wrapped around you, bringing despair with it. And when your consciousness finally faded away and your thoughts went numb, you truly vanished from this world.

So…

“If it won’t open, then I’ll smash it open!”

“Lonis, what are you doing?!”

“It’s just some stupid door! I’ll put everything I’ve got into smashing it open!!!!!!”

Lonis let out a frantic scream, then hurled herself at the crimson door with all her strength.

“KABOOM!”

Of course, that sound effect came from Lonis—she’d actually hit the door so hard that she was seeing stars, but the crimson door stood firm as a wall.

“Idiot, idiot! Are you stupid? How could you possibly break through the Flame Abyss Gate with your body?”

“If it doesn’t work the first time, I’ll try a second!”

“If that worked, Kelu would’ve gotten inside ages ago!”

Elucia shouted at her, but Lonis didn’t listen at all.

Because there was only one thought in her mind now: if she kept ramming the door, there might be a chance. It had been neglected for ages, so maybe she could smash it open.

But if she just stood here and did nothing, Elucia was as good as dead!!!

So Lonis summoned her strength and charged at the door again.

And this time…

“Ah, aah! That hurts!”

“I told you to stop!”

“I won’t, ptooey… Elucia, if you’ve got the strength, then get up and stop me~”

The impact was so fierce that Lonis felt as if her shoulder were about to shatter… It was already more than her ability to “turn pain into pleasure” could handle, and her skin had turned blue with bruises.

But that pain only fired Lonis up.

Her body was so sturdy that no matter what, it wouldn’t break!

So she might as well keep ramming it~

Next time, she’d try using her head and her whole body, holding nothing back~?

Lonis clenched her fists,

then slammed into the door again with all her might!

This time, she put all her strength into it. The crimson door filled her vision, and nothing else existed.

And that impact…

The enormous door

was actually knocked open by Lonis!