Shino runs toward the pacified Slime Queen and picks Adrian up. He does not look well. His face is stuck in an expression of exhaustion. His eyes are dull. He looks just like Teruki. They both seem like husks of themselves.
Gerald rushes over to help Shino. He lifts Adrian and carries him to a safer distance.
They do the same for Teruki. Yuto watches over them even though he is out of supplies.
"What happened to them?" Viri asks, looking at Rei.
We all look to Rei. Now that Adrian is out of commission, it is up to her to decide.
"Most likely mana exhaustion," Rei says. "Teruki and Adrian put too much pressure on their mana cores."
"How long until they wake up?" Viri asks.
"I cannot say," Rei replies, staring toward the Queen.
"Well," the Queen sighs, "you have beaten me. What comes next?"
"Now that the Queen is locked in place, we can try to seal her," Yuto says.
"Do you have the seals with you?" Maki asks.
Yuto fumbles around. "I must have left them at home."
"I have one," Iso says. "We can seal her so no one else ever gets hurt."
Iso pulls out a small cube made of unknown material. A black box that radiates an eerie, unfamiliar energy. The energy reminds me of the floor itself.
"A seal is too risky," Han whispers. "If it is stolen and released onto the players of this world, millions, maybe billions, will die."
"We could have won earlier," Viri replies. "We only struggled because we were unprepared."
"So you are going to guarantee the seal is never tampered with?" Shino shouts. "If we still had an inventory like in the game, I would understand, but right now the risk is far too high."
Sera seems to agree, nodding up and down.
"Then what do you suggest?" Viri asks.
"Someone becomes its avatar," Shino says. "That way no one else will get hurt."
"Would Adrian agree to this?" Gerald asks.
"With Adrian out of commission it is up to you," Shino answers.
"Who is to say I even want to be trapped in your body," the Queen says, taking Calder's form.
"Then what about me?" Rei offers. "I can show you the world and how magic has progressed."
"No," the Queen replies. "If anything, I want to corrupt a manaless guild. Adrian Kundra's guild."
"Magicless," Maki corrects.
"I want to be in a female body, so it will be either you or … you," the Queen says, pointing at Maki and Shino.
"I choose to offer myself." Maki says.
"I volunteer," Shino says immediately.
"It's up to you Shino" Maki sighs. "I won't argue with you."
Tears rolled down Shino's face. "I don't want to see anyone else die. Please… let me do this."
"Adrian is logical," Han says. "Shino is the best pick."
"I agree," Iso says. "Since she has the lowest mana and now will have the highest among players, it makes sense for her to be the avatar."
"Okay, if you're sure," Maki whispers.
They all look to Gerald, waiting for his final approval on the decision. Gerald tries to keep a firm expression, to act like his choice is already made, but he cannot hold it.
He exhales slowly and mutters, "Fine."
"Can you all give us some space?" the Queen asks, a cruel smile on her face.
We step back far enough from Shino and the Queen so we cannot hear anything. We continue talking among ourselves.
The Crusaders Guild looks tense. I understand their worry about Shino, but the Queen is pacified. I take a deep breath and exhale. I let myself relax. I think back to the WorldEdit the Queen used. I could feel all of my mana.
I felt useless in the fight, only being used to draw the boss's attention. I wish I did not have this ring. I could feel my mana. I could taste it. Without it, I feel so empty. I realize how dependent on mana I had become.
I need to change my build, I whisper to myself.
"It's finally over," Han sighs. He collapses to the ground.
"It's not over until the boss is defeated," Gerald says.
"Calm down, guys. There's nothing to worry about," Yuto adds, sitting down beside me.
"Are you sure about this, Iso?" I ask.
"It makes the most logical sense," Iso replies, "though I still can't tell what my sister is thinking."
"What do you mean?" Rei asks.
"Long story," Iso shrugs.
Rei forms a small fire so we can warm up. Conversation dies down as we all worry about what Shino and the Queen are discussing.
"After the summit, we should do the training we talked about," Yuto says.
"Will we even be invited?" Rei sighs.
"You will be," Maki says with a smile, showing her support.
"How do you know?" Viri asks.
Gerald gives her a look, but she ignores it.
"Sho said that even if you fall from the top ten guilds, she'll allow you to attend," Han interjects.
"I would recommend one of your ranks to S, though," Iso adds.
"What does it matter?" Yuto sighs. "In a month, they'll be in the top ten anyway."
"I thought S rank was only for the top ten players and guilds," I say.
Maki looks at Iso and sighs. "Word on the block is that Sho will change the rank to the top 500 or 1000."
"She can do that?" Rei asks, surprised.
"Of course she can," Maki says with a smile. "She's Sho."
"Doesn't that require changing how almost every guild handles ranking, not just RG?"
"Who's going to contest someone with a 50-platinum bounty?" Gerald laughs roughly.
"That's right," Rei smiles. "Sho is incredible."
"Though it's crazy to think that if the ranking system changes, I'll be in the same league as Sho," Maki laughs.
"They'll probably add a rank for those in the top ten," Yuto adds.
"What do you think, Reyna?" Iso asks.
"I'm no longer top ten," Rei sighs. "Sho doesn't really care about ranks."
"I don't know," Yuto laughs. "She did race to rank one."
"In a few days, she went from unranked to rank twelve," Iso says.
"Why do you all care so much about ranking?" Iso asks.
"Well," Yuto replies, "I just wonder how Shino's next match will go."
"Shino's next match?" Rei repeats.
"Shino wanted to be top ten like Adrian," Yuto says, "but having an avatar that can use infinite mana would definitely be unfair."
"I'm sure avatars are already competing, so there shouldn't be any issues," Maki counters.
"Her role will probably change," Iso says. "From support to a different position. It really depends."
"What is an avatar?" Yuto asks.
"We've been over this," Maki complains.
"Definitely not," Yuto laughs.
His laugh is hollow. The conversation halts.
I watch their faces. I can see the anger and pain they all carry. The emotions they keep carefully hidden. Calder's death has left a mark on their guild. I can't help but wonder how ours would have reacted if Teruki had been the one to die.
I think about what she meant when she said she could have survived. That weight lingers in my chest as I glance back at the Queen. There has been a long pause.
Their conversation came to an end.
In the distance, I see Shino merge with the Slime Queen. A surge of light erupts at the spot where their bodies meet, blurring the line between Shino and the Queen. The chains that restrained the Slime Queen shake violently, then collapse under the force of the merging, clattering harshly as they hit the ground.
When the light fades, the Queen is gone.
Shino's white hair and mist-green eyes remain unchanged. Her armor is just as it was before, her stance and expression steady, as if nothing at all had happened.
We all rush forward. Relief washes over Crusaders.
Rei places a hand on her katana. "Are you okay, Shino?"
Shino turns unnaturally slow, her movements deliberate. A faint glare flashes across her face.
"I'm fine," she says. "Let's get out of here."
"Do not tell me you're evil, Shino," Maki taunts. "I would hate to have to kill you."
"I am not!!" Shino says. "I am just tired!"
At last, we can teleport away.
My stomach twists at the thought of nine more floors that don't allow teleportation until the boss is defeated.
If this is only the first Sun. What kind of challenges will await us? I push the thought aside. I forced myself to focus on the present.
Gerald carefully lifts Adrian, while Viri picks up Teruki.
"It's finally over," Rei sighs. Her voice is heavy with exhaustion. "Do you want to come with us?"
"Sure," Gerald replies.
I can't wait to never teleport back here, I think to myself.
"Wait!" Shino raised her voice.
We walked back to the original stone platform. Shino placed her hands on it. The rune shattered in an instant. The rune released a pulse of energy that rippled outward.
"I'm ready," Shino announced.
A red flash.
CRACK