Istar, Cobalt, Thierus, Oryba, Isval, and Besitulars were attacking Raum together.
The master plan that I made is coming together nicely.
Yet, I don't have any clear plan for Phase 4.
I need to think of something.
"Loosen up a bit, Master. You need to rest, you have expended too much mana." Momoka, who was placing her hand on my chest and back, whispered to me.
If it weren't for her healing, most of the people here wouldn't be able to make it.
It was all due to her technique.
Rain of Blessings: Extra Life.
A technique Momoka developed herself that is capable of healing the person she chooses to heal, rapidly regenerating any injuries. Covering limb regenerations or even organ regenerations. The only downside is that she needs to strictly meditate for 10 minutes before using it.
On top of that, unlike Carmilla's Panacea, Momoka can't exactly heal someone's mana reserve. If they depleted their mana reserve as I do, the most they can do is just maintain my body from necrosis and let my mana regenerate normally.
Unlike Raymed, who draws it rather rapidly, I can only wait it out until I have enough.
In a sense, I can try to gamble and make Momoka infuse mana forcefully on my body.
However, with one wrong move.
My cells could explode from the forceful move.
How Carmilla's technique restores mana is too fantastical for me to comprehend.
Since it works as if filling a tank that is empty tank, then distributing it automatically throughout the cells without making it explode.
Then again, Carmilla can create her own spell for her own use.
One talent that made her a Child of Miracles.
Why am I even thinking about this?
I shake my head before looking at the scenery before me.
Think. Think. Think.
What is Raum's cheat skill?
Then I remembered an event that had happened a while before.
-~
I saw Raumstar's eyes as she was broadcast.
Did her eyes move? How come I felt like she was seeing eye to eye with me?
"Remember, if you are indeed responsible for her death. Better give yourselves up before there are any casualties. You have 14 days. If you, however, are unwise, the best bet is to protect your loved ones before it's too late." Raumstar spoke as if she were talking to Thalamik.
"Master, are you okay?" Momoka asked.
Then Raumstar said one final sentence that sealed the deal. "So better prepare well... Kaiser."
-~
In that moment, Raum definitely did something to me.
Through this battle, Cobalt and Besitulars are seen to have acted weirdly.
Loss of strength...
Unfocused...
A sense that I, too, have experienced.
At the moment when I have a meeting with everyone else in preparation for fighting Raum. I felt so powerless, and I even puked.
At the time, I thought that was due to my not being able to control Alterity.
But perhaps my puking and feeling powerless was caused by none other than Raum's cheat skill.
Raum's cheat skill must have been related to inflicting fear on her opponents.
But for what?
I remembered another memory. It was when I accompanied her on a sightseeing South Jaka.
-~
"Tell me," she said softly, "what do you feel when you see this face?"
Her skin rippled.
Hair shifted from black to blondish-white, her features molded into elven grace.
Her face had turned into that of Zuatha Il Zikmel.
My hand clenched before I forced it still.
-~
Why did Raum want to see my fear?
My eyes widened. "Bingo," I said with a smile.
"Bingo?" Momoka asked with a worried face.
"Ah, sorry. Was talking to myself." I said with a warm smile before thinking again.
Raum showed me Zuatha's form to literally scare me.
It's because her cheat skill isn't affecting me anymore.
Then, on the question of what her skill is for.
I closed my eyes, initiating a telepathic link towards Isval.
"Oi Isval."
"Whut? Kinda busy here."
"Then get to a safe place. I need to ask an important question."
"Alright."
Isval suddenly moved backwards, garnering distance from Raum.
"Did you see anything Raum did that is suspicious when Cobalt and Besitulars suddenly got powerless?"
"Anything weird? Hmm, as a matter of fact, I did. Raum's mana suddenly spiked as if she got a power-up. Or perhaps regenerate."
"Explain clearly, dumbass."
"When Cobalt fell, she got strong and broke free from Thierus's restraint and even grew wings. When Besitulars fell, she regenerates her face."
Then her intention of using fear is to heal herself.
Hence why she blatantly said,
-~
"As long as there is 'fear', I will never die. It doesn't matter if I don't have mana. It doesn't matter how hard you hit me. There is only despair if you fight me."
-~
Hahaha.
How clever.
I can guess why she only decides to heal herself at certain points.
She's healing in conditions that make it look like she is unkillable.
But only in dire moments where she was almost defeated to instill more 'fear'. That fear will certainly instill despair into someone's psyche.
"Oi, Kaiser. By the way, she said something like, Besitulars' taste exquisite? Is it some kind of innenduo or something?"
Taste exquisite?
I see. Raum's cheat skill is eating fear itself. The fears that give her a great boost of regeneration taste great, while normal ones she doesn't bother to comment on. With that way of thinking.
Raum could sense fear from others and choose her own targets based on that.
I need to test it.
"Isval, can you come here quickly?"
"What is it now?"
Isval walked towards me, asking with an annoyed face. "What are you asking me to do?"
"Did you remember what I did to you back then?" I asked, staring with murderous intent.
Isval's eyes twitched as he backed up a little, his shoulders raised, seemingly nervous. "Wh-What are you?"
I raised my mana as I let the pressure of it get through Isval.
Hands rose from the ground as Isval's feet were grabbed.
"Kaiser! What are you!" Fear painted across his face as he turned away, trying to crawl away from me.
"This is where you will die. I have given you courtesy enough after all this time."
As Isval is crawling, another figure looks towards us. Isval looked forward as he locked his eyes with Raum. Her red eyes looked at Isval before suddenly.
"HUEK!!" Isval puked as his crawling stopped.
It was like energy was drained away from him.
On the flipside, Besitulars are suddenly able to start moving again without any sluggish movements.
Now my theory has been proven.
Demon Lord Envoy Raum. Your cheat skill is eating fear to restore mana and body. But your weakness is that you can only use it on one target at a time. But, I know, that in the end, the best tasting fear you'd eat.
Is my own fear.
I closed my eyes as I remembered memories of the distant past.
A hurtful memory.
I held Momoka's hands, stopping her from casting her healing towards me.
"Momoka. Please cast something to make my brain relax. Just like what you did at the time. After the meeting where I exhausted myself too much."
Momoka smiled and said, "I will master."
Then I looked at Raum's eyes once more.
Then it came.
Darkness envelops me.
I feel it once again.
-~
"Run, Amus!" I shouted, struggling to hold off the elves. But it was too late. They were too fast, too many. I watched in horror as they cut down my parents, their bodies collapsing beside the stroller.
"No, no, no!" I screamed, pushing forward, but my strength was failing. I could only watch as they turned on Amus and the twins.
"AMUSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
-~
It was then that I felt it.
.
.
.
.
.
ZWONGG!
A pair of red eyes stared at my back.
My body feels powerless.
I feel nauseous.
A fear is caused by an amygdala hijack.
A phenomenon where your brain is manipulated by the amygdala, triggering a condition known as fight or flight.
But Raum's cheat skill made us feel compelled to choose 'flight'.
My breathing became uncontrolled.
I am so scared of everything.
I took a deep breath.
Upon exhaling, my mind is cleared.
I feel relaxed.
Momoka really did help me.
The only way to choose the 'fight' option.
It is to be mindful of the situations and not let whatever fear we have pollute our concepts of current reality.
"Thalamik..."
I opened my eyes and saw Amus in front of me. "Hang in there..." She said with a smile.
I smiled.
***
Inside Thalamik's mindscape, where Raum had peeked through.
Feeding on his fear of the past and traumas.
Regenerating her own body in the process.
Thalamik's fear is really the best.
Out of all the people I've encountered, his is really the most tragic.
Yet that is what made it more delicious.
Raum licked her lips as she peered through Thalamik's fear.
She has personified herself as a pair of red eyes in the sky, looking towards Thalamik inside his mindscape.
"What, the?"
Thalamik, who was facing his back on Raum, suddenly, as if noticing her, turned around.
His eyes glowed blue.
"You ate the bait, it seems." He said, looking at the large red eyes in the sky. "Did you ever hear, when you gaze too long into the abyss. The abyss will gaze back at you." Suddenly, Thalamik, who was inside his mindscape, released something Raum hadn't expected.
"YOU.... YOU AREN'T A HU-"
CRACK!
In a condition of an 'amygdala hijack,' only two options are available.
Fight or Flight.
But Raum made it hard for people to fight.
Thalamik, however, finds the perfect way to make sure he chooses to fight rather than run.
It was hatred.
Hatred of those who would view humans as obstacles.
Bloodlust that was fueled by hatred.
"My hatred is far greater than my fear, Raum."
By what Thalamik is doing, it doesn't necessarily mean Raum can't regenerate herself. But the energy that she would drain was lessened by as far as 99% of what it usually is. Hence, she can only get 1% regeneration by targeting Thalamik.
I have to change targets.
Raum thought as she went to focus on the real world, escaping the mindscape.
SHURST!!!
"SKY PIERCING: DRAGON SLAYER"
Cobalt had punctured Raum's eyes, blinding her in the process.
"Everyone! Hear me." Cobalt shouted. "From now on, we must close our eyes. Kaiser said that if we open them, Raum can activate her cheat skill. Therefore, we must make sure not to make eye contact. To attack, follow the flow of mana directed at Raum made by Thalamik."
Raum heard every word and smiled.
Did he think? Would I just regenerate my eyes? How stupid.
I excel at combat. Why would I need my eyes that much? If everyone is closing their eyes. Instead, I will use this opportunity to regenerate my mana.
Even though my regeneration is only 1% I can still buy time to...
Then Raum felt it, a mana wave touched her backside.
She smiles as she sweeps her backside with her hand.
FWOOSH!
Was nobody there?
"Zephyr Auger!"
A hole was punctured through Raum's stomach.
"AAACKKK!!!"
Then a mana wave pressed to her left foot, which she then kicked.
FWOOSH!
Again, no one was there.
With that...
SHRUST!!
Raum was again impaled in all directions.
SLASH!!!!
Her head was sliced off.
"KUAAACKKK!!" She moaned in pain.
"Wow, even with your head severed, you can still live, huh?" Thalamik's voice spoke out.
Raum puts all her effort into regenerating one of her eyes to look at what is happening, only to see that it was Thalamik who was smiling happily. "Well, look who decided to finally look. You know, everyone was surprised that you didn't regenerate your eyes. No one closed their eyes by the way... so STUPID." He nudged his face with crazed eyes.
"YOU WON'T WIN! I WON'T LET YOU WIN!" Raum screamed before her red eyes summoned the crows targeting her body. Everyone backed away in an instant the crows arrived.
***
"I WILL BLOW EVERYTHING TO KINGDOM COME! I WILL TAKE YOU WITH ME, KAI-"
Raum's head exploded and was torn to bits. Thalamik, with a flat face, brushed his hand, dirtied by Raum on his pants. Before setting his eyes on the body of Raum, who was surrounded by crows and glowing.
"Everyone, get away!"
Thalamik put up his hand pose.
"MASTER! DOING ALTERITY AGAIN WILL!"
"Alterity Shift!"
From his body, Mana roots began forming once again, creating the Alterity Barrier in a last-ditch effort to save everything.
Thalamik kneeled as he puked blood.
He had spent too much mana in one standing.
It will be literal minutes before his Alterity breaks down.
Momoka rushed towards Thalamik inside the Alterity.
"Master!!!" She hugged Thalamik as she initiated her healing once again.
"KAISER!" Another voice was heard. It was Sky Piercing Cobalt. "I will do my best to protect you from the explosion!" Cobalt said with a firm voice, readying his weapon.
Thalamik swept away the blood from his mouth and said, "More importantly, you must destroy the body that is about to explode. Raum isn't dead yet... If she is already dead, then her core would be exposed. You must..." Thalamik stopped as he suddenly lost his power on his knees.
"Master!"
"Good Grief, Thalamik, you are lucky we both made it in time." A woman's voice sounded.
His eyes widened, showing a gleeful smile.
"HHAHA, my favorite elf is here!" Thalamik smiled, looking at who was previously talking
"Let's do this, Illias and Cobalt." Trish Il Lupache spoke as she began charging her mana once again. Blue lightning covers her body.
"Yeah!" Cobalt said before casting his flagship technique again. He used his own mana to make fiery red armor.
"I'll seal him for sure." Illias was enveloped in green mana as tenths of glyphs in the air began appearing.
Thalamik looked at the scenery as he remembered something.
Three streaks of blinding color—blue, red, and green.
It was their color.
Once again.
Hope, Determination, and Dreams stood ready to face the storm.
"From now on, this is your guys' stage! My Alterity will stand for only about 5 minutes. I don't know how long Raum's body will explode. I'll provide the best backup I can. But you guys better do a good fucking job, is that clear?"
"LOUD AND CLEAR!" The three said in unison.