NOVPUB"Well done, everyone. I knew you could make it out."
I greeted the awakened kids with relief.
To be honest, I was worried.
That damn clown.
If he had foreseen this and even handed over the tokens to the kids, the least he could have done was tell me!
I looked at Ha-rim.
She was truly remarkable.
If she had imagined an ordinary mirror, it wouldn't have connected because it wasn't marked.
But in the final moment, Ha-rim thought of the mirror I was in, which allowed the connection to work.
Oh.
There was a piece of paper with a drawing on it in Ha-rim’s hands.
Just as I was about to ask about it, Ha-rim suddenly pulled me into a tight hug.
"I thought of Ella at the very end. I knew it—Ella has to be with us."
Of all people, Ha-rim was the one acting clingy, not Eun-jung?
Surprised, I asked, "Uh... H-Ha-rim, were you that scared?"
Ha-rim lifted her head and met my gaze.
Her eyes were filled with joy.
"Yeah. I was scared. But it's okay now. At the most desperate moment, after refusing to give up and struggling to the end, Ella appeared."
"Even if you say that, I didn't do much."
"That's not true."
"No matter how scary it was, Ella taught me that in the end, something amazing can come from it."
"...That's embarrassing."
"So now, I feel like I can push through anything."
Ha-rim smiled brightly.
What an incredible kid.
In the original storyline, Ha-rim lost all her friends and eventually gave up.
But this time, it would be different. She would never give up.
I was sure of it.
Ha-rim was no longer the tragic protagonist.
I couldn’t help but smile.
"...You really only say the most heartwarming things, don’t you?"
"You're practically dripping honey from your eyes."
Piero entered through the window.
Tch. Just when we were having a touching moment.
I let go of Ha-rim and turned to face ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) Piero.
"Shall we get moving? The nun and the soldiers you brought are exhausted, and they’re struggling to hold off the pursuing Spider Beasts. And besides..."
"Besides, the concealment barrier you set up is about to wear off, meaning Spider Madam is going to notice us, right?"
I cut him off, making it clear I was ready to go.
Piero grinned, seemingly amused by my response.
"Oh? Someone's fired up, I see?"
"Not really. I'm just a little pissed off."
How dare they lay a hand on my kids?
I dismissed the soldiers and confidently stepped outside.
There, in the distance, I saw Spider Madam searching for us.
"Damn, she's huge."
Bigger than most buildings. She's way larger than that Radio-Head Demon from before.
"As the Spider Beasts continue to devour other entities, their overall power seems to be increasing," Piero noted.
"But why were they trying to devour other entities in the first place? You said she was already doing that before she was taken by the demon, right?"
Piero shook his head before answering.
"Isn’t it obvious? The stronger you become, the sooner you become aware of your own ‘frame.’
She must have thought that by gaining power, she could learn something about herself.
But that was precisely what the half-wit demon couldn't tolerate, so he turned her into this mess."
"She wanted to find her own wish, huh..."
And what was my wish?
Just as Piero and I were chatting, Spider Madam, who had been wrecking a building, suddenly turned her gaze toward us.
"..."
"She noticed us."
The moment she locked onto us, she charged, tearing apart everything in her path.
Under normal circumstances, I'd be terrified.
But right now? I was furious.
When the kids collapsed, it felt like my whole world was shattering.
And besides... I had gotten stronger. I wasn't just some helpless Mirror Ghost anymore.
This overflowing confidence! Nothing could stop me!
...And it definitely had nothing to do with the fact that the strongest boss, Piero, was standing right next to me.
As she got close, Spider Madam swung her massive fist at us.
However, as soon as Piero unleashed his presence, she froze in place.
"..."
Despite the overwhelming killing intent she was radiating, Piero addressed her casually.
"Oh my! Greeting you in this state seems pointless, but I'll do it anyway. Because it’s funny."
"..."
"Now then. Let’s begin the show."
With a flick of his wrist, a flurry of playing cards burst from his hands.
The cards were sharp as blades, leaving wounds on Spider Madam’s massive body.
Enraged, she swung her arm down at us.
I dodged by slipping into a mirror, while Piero leapt out of the way.
Even though we avoided it, the impact nearly shattered my mirror.
She didn’t stop there.
The moment she unleashed her aura, spiderwebs began spreading across the entire area.
A Boss Stage transformation.
She was turning the whole place into her domain.
If that happened, we wouldn't just have to deal with her—we’d also have to avoid countless traps.
I wanted to stop it, but the difference in power was too big.
Annoying as it was, I had no choice but to rely on the strategy I knew.
"Wow... so this is Spider Madam's full strength, without any relics weakening her."
She was a walking disaster.
Why the hell was she in a horror game with a bunch of high schoolers? She should be in some other game, fighting armored space marines in the Death Universe or something.
"How troublesome," Piero muttered.
Even he found the spiderwebs annoying. He began radiating his energy.
It was much denser and stronger than Spider Madam’s.
Even though I was on his side, it made my skin crawl.
"I'm not in the mood to be taken down right now. I suppose I should take this seriously."
His aura completely overwhelmed Spider Madam’s, taking control of the battlefield.
A lively BGM began playing in my ears.
The signature background music of Piero’s Stage.
I used to love it in the game... until I died to it dozens of times.
"Oh, by the way—watch your step."
"Wha—? AHHH!"
A theme park ticket booth suddenly shot up from the ground beneath my feet.
A sign on the booth read: "It's free! No need to fight—just enjoy yourselves!"
That bastard. He scared me!
"...!"
Spider Madam, now completely overpowered by Piero’s presence, went berserk.
Her massive body tore through buildings indiscriminately.
And then—
A chunk of debris from a destroyed building hurtled toward the one where the kids were.
"Over there—!"
"Don't worry about it."
Out of nowhere, a monkey appeared and kicked the debris away.
One of Piero’s circus members.
I never thought I’d feel relieved to see that guy.
But because of that action, Spider Madam immediately realized the building was important.
Even though she was being controlled, she was still sharp enough to target it.
She grabbed more debris in her hands and hurled them like cannonballs toward the building.
"That woman—!"
"Like I said, don’t worry. Still hot-tempered as ever, I see."
"Why are you so damn calm?!"
"Because I haven’t just been playing around this whole time."
Piero’s aura exploded like a bomb, crushing Spider Madam’s presence and completely dominating the area.
He must’ve been storing up his power.
I gawked at him in shock.
Around him, amusement park rides began to rise from the ground, proclaiming his presence.
"This battlefield has now transformed into a delightful stage. Injuries during a performance? Unacceptable!"
The debris struck the building—
—But instead of smashing through, the building bounced it back like rubber.
...Wait a minute.
"Is that... a trampoline?!"
"Come on, come on! This is a battle with a giant monster! You can’t just sit back and watch! The audience needs to participate for the real fun to begin!"
With a snap of his fingers, a path suddenly appeared.
It linked the floor the kids were on to the area where Spider Madam was.
What the hell was he planning?
I turned to glare at Piero, but instead of answering—
He snapped his fingers again.
A giant elephant carrying the kids, and a cart holding James and Maria, suddenly shot forward, racing down the newly created path.
"AAAHH! YOU CRAZY BASTARD, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! YOU’RE GONNA GET THE KIDS KILLED!"
"Why are you strangling me?! This way is much more fun! And watch your language—it’s bad for their development!"
"YOU’RE INSANE!"
"I thought you had mellowed out, but you’re still as foul-tempered as ever! I should’ve known from the moment you ignored my jokes!"
"You are holding a grudge! This is revenge, isn’t it?!"
"If you’re so worried, why don’t you go protect them yourself? If they’re safe, it’ll be the best show. If they’re hurt, it’ll be the worst."
"Give them a show, Ella."
Without warning, Piero grabbed me and kicked me toward the kids.
Whatever enchantment he put on me made sure it didn’t hurt, but that didn’t make me any less pissed.
As I rocketed through the air, I screamed—
"YOU BETTER WATCH YOUR BACK, YOU BASTARD!"
I was rapidly approaching the elephant carrying the kids.
I considered making a mirror portal to land safely—
But then I saw Ha-rim stretching out her arms to catch me.
So, instead, I spread my own arms open.
"Gotcha! Wow, Ella, you’re so light!"
"I’m back... Eun-jung, what’s with that face?"
"Yaaay! Ella’s back! I’m really happy, but—ughh, I feel so sick—"
"I appreciate the sentiment, but please keep your distance."
I took a few steps away from the nauseous Eun-jung.
Then, I spotted Soo-ho, cutting down attacking Spider Beasts to protect the elephant.
His movements were cleaner than before.
And his eyes—there wasn’t even a hint of fear or hesitation.
"You’re not scared?"
"Hmm... I don’t know. I just don’t feel afraid at all. I wouldn’t say I’m getting cocky, but... it’s just the kind of atmosphere we’re in."
"What about Kyung-min and Eun-jung?"
"Uughh... uuuggghhh..."
Eun-jung looked more concerned about throwing up than fighting monsters.
"Until a moment ago, I was a little shaken," Kyung-min admitted. "But then you showed up... and even that disappeared. If anything, I’m kind of excited."
...Excited?
"Kyung-min. A confession in this situation? Maybe we should talk later... when we’re alone. Not that I’d... hate it or anything."
As I trailed off, my voice getting softer, Kyung-min started having a meltdown.
"THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS MESS WITH ME?!"
"Because your reactions are funny, of course."
With a sigh, I turned my attention to the ever-growing number of Spider Beasts and cut them down.
Even as their numbers increased, the kids didn’t falter.
If anything, they seemed even more excited, as if they were swept up in the momentum of it all.
Of course, being excited in a battlefield was dangerous.
But this wasn’t recklessness.
They weren’t being careless—
They were simply enjoying the thrill of the adventure.
And I loved that.
Ella smiled.
James, watching from his cart, turned to Maria.
"Those kids are ridiculously skilled."
The Spider Beasts kept coming, yet they never needed help.
With the bizarre tools Ha-rim pulled from her bag, they countered every attack flawlessly.
And with Ella working alongside them, their teamwork had no gaps.
"I know. They’re incredible," Maria said in awe. "Even with such a massive monster rampaging right in front of them, they don’t back down."
She was impressed.
James... was not.
"It is impressive," he admitted. "But it’s also unnatural."
Maria frowned.
"You’re being stiff about this."
James sighed. She was starting to sound like a mother doting on her kids.
"Don't get me wrong. I’m not being an old-fashioned hardass. But let’s be real—no one should be able to watch a monster like that and feel like they’re enjoying a show."
"But... that is the atmosphere, isn’t it?"
"Atmosphere, huh..."
And who created that atmosphere?
Who trained these kids to stay hopeful in the presence of such horrors?
No... this wasn’t just training.
It was something else entirely.
James narrowed his eyes, scanning the battlefield—
And then his gaze landed on Ella, leading the charge with a radiant smile.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
"Ella... it’s you, isn’t it?"
Even if she didn’t realize it herself.
Since arriving in this place, James had felt like he was caught in the middle of a massive current.
And at the center of that current was Ella.
It was Ella who protected the children.
Ella who had drawn them into this mess.
Ella who had created this hopeful atmosphere.
And Ella... was also the most suspicious.
After stealing demonic energy from Mary, the demonic reaction that had been at a quarter had now increased to half.
Piero and Spider Madam each showed a quarter of a demonic presence as well.
This wasn’t coincidence.
If all the pieces came together—
Then perhaps, this overwhelming current he was feeling was...
"James?"
Maria, noticing that he was lost in thought—something uncharacteristic for him—spoke with concern.
James waved a hand dismissively.
"It’s nothing."
‘...I just hope this atmosphere you create has nothing to do with your power.’
Ella and the children continued cutting down the Spider Beasts.
They were getting closer and closer to Spider Madam.
Piero, watching even as he fought her, chuckled.
"You all look like you're having so much fun, Ella."
He decided it was time to shake things up.
With a booming voice, he announced—
"Now then! It’s quiz time!"
A quiz.
One of Piero’s signature boss fight mechanics.
If answered correctly, he would take damage.
If answered incorrectly, the enemy would take damage.
(Why don’t you fight alongside the Spider Beasts?)
Despite commanding an army of spiders, Spider Madam never kept them too close.
If she had minions like the Spider Attendants, who could cast debuffs, she would be much more of a hassle.
A. Because she’s strong enough without them.
B. Because they get in the way.
C. Because they don’t listen to her.
D. Because she finds them disgusting.
"..."
(Correct answer: D.)
"Time’s up! Oh dear, seems like the demon has sealed your mouth shut. What a shame!"
Spider Madam remained silent.
And then—
BOOM!
Her body exploded, taking massive damage.
She retaliated with a psychic attack, but it had no effect on Piero.
"Hmm... how fascinating. The answer is D? But I recall you loving spiders."
Lost in thought, Piero failed to notice the incoming punch.
At that moment—
A massive mirror appeared.
The punch was swallowed into its surface—
SLAM!
—And then it shot out from another mirror, striking Spider Madam directly in the torso.
Her massive body lurched backward.
"Hey! Watch it!"
"Ahaha! My apologies! I was deep in thought!"
‘So that’s what the half-wit demon stole from her...’
"Next question!"
(Who do you hate the most?)
A. The villagers
B. Ella
C. Piero
D. The half-wit demon
E. No one
"..."
(Correct answer: E.)
BOOM!
“...Interesting. This is turning out to be quite the fascinating quiz."
One explosion after another rang through the battlefield.
"Damn," I muttered.
Spider Madam could still withstand all of that? That was terrifying.
But...
I could tell the fight was reaching its end.
Her movements were slowing down.
Piero motioned to me.
I nodded and gathered my strength.
"Let’s finish this in one blow."
I leapt—
Piero followed, landing right in front of Spider Madam’s face.
I conjured a massive mirror.
And from it—
A red-haired girl emerged.
"You’ll help, won’t you?"
The legendary ghost of the mirror.
The larger the mirror, the larger Bloody Mary became.
In her hands—
A massive axe and sword.
At the same time, Piero’s hammer swung downward.
CRACK!
A deafening impact.
For a moment, Spider Madam remained standing—
Then, all four of her arms fell limp.
Her head drooped forward.
She had no strength left to fight.
Piero glanced at me, speaking softly.
"The time has come. Will you grant her peace?"
