I reached the sixth floor quickly, passing door after door until I reached the one I was looking for.
I couldn't stop myself ...I pounded on it hard enough to nearly break it.
It was bound to attract attention, but I didn't care. I was out of time.
All of this… because of the final twist in the Direct Advice.
Now, I finally understood why the system told me to visit Sansa every morning… except on the very last day.
Throughout these past days, Oliver Khan had been fending off the princess every night. And with each encounter, Sansa's power grew .. reaching closer to its peak. On the final day, she would be at her full strength… while Oliver would be at his limit.
That meant I would be forced to face her at the highest level of difficulty .. and that was the hidden trap laid by the Direct Advice I had followed blindly.
"I need to act before it comes to that."
Uriel Platini flung the door open in a panic after my loud knocking. She stood there startled, wearing nothing but her nightgown .. which revealed quite a bit. But I didn't care. I stepped into the room without hesitation.
"F-Frey! What are you doing here at this hour?!"
She gasped, taken completely off guard.
After getting past the shock of my unannounced visit, Uriel's eyes darted over the wounds scattered across my body.
"You're injured ..what happened to you!?"
"That doesn't matter right now. Listen, Uriel, I need your help."
I grabbed her by the shoulders, my face mere inches from hers.
Seeing the desperation in my expression and with a faint blush .. Uriel finally began to take things seriously.
"What happened?"
"I can't tell you everything… but soon, I'll be fighting a monster .. a terrifying one that uses demonic power on a massive scale."
"Demonic power…?" she muttered, and I nodded.
"To deal with it, I need your help."
She probably didn't realize it, but her powers were derived directly from the Lightbearers .. making her sacred aura the most effective weapon against demons.
"How exactly can I help?"
"I'm glad you asked."
I extended my hand, and dark aura began to coalesce, slowly forming a black sword with a runed hilt. The moment it materialized, the pressure in the room spiked.
Uriel's eyes widened in shock.
"That's—!"
"It's the Dark Sister."
"Another legendary sword…"
She began to realize the truth .. that I was wielding not one, but two blazing blades. But I cut her thoughts short and got straight to the point.
"I need you to imbue your sacred power into it."
"What?!"
She looked at me as if I'd lost my mind. But I was dead serious.
"I want to give my sword the attributes of holy aura."
The Dark Sister constantly amplifies aura. And with the system's inscription function combined with Uriel's power… I should be able to pull it off .. even if it would cost me every last Achievement Point I had left.
Uriel was still struggling to process what I was saying.
"A sword with sacred traits… like the Vermithor?"
I shook my head.
"Not quite."
The Vermithor couldn't be replicated. That was impossible.
"I only need it to unleash sacred power once .. just once."
All I needed was one strike. One single chance.
"That's all I ask from you. Please, Uriel. Just this once .. help me."
I pleaded with the girl standing before me. She was my only option.
I couldn't drag Snow into this .. using the Vermithor openly would stir the powerful forces behind him. Which meant Uriel was the only one left.
She was destined to become the next Saintess after Yurasha. Her sacred power was strong enough to rival even the energy infused into the Vermithor's blade.
Uriel took a moment to process everything I'd just said .. and the weight of the request I'd made.
With a resigned sigh and a crooked smile, she finally responded.
"You sure ask for a lot, you know that? And I doubt what you're asking is even possible."
Asking this of her without having built much of a relationship between us… it was unreasonable.
"I know what I'm asking is insane. But I'll do anything in return. I owe you."
I couldn't afford to fail this mission. And Sansa was someone worth going this far for. I had decided .. I would live in this world, hadn't I?
This was the least I could do to make that happen.
"Anything, huh…"
Uriel shrugged in defeat.
"Remember your words well, Frey, because I'll drain you dry in the future."
"I'm fine with that. I trust you enough to make that vow."
"Hmmmm."
She ignored my words and focused on the Dark Sister.
"Let's get started. I assume you have a plan?"
I nodded.
"Yeah. All I need is for you to place your aura here."
I'd make it possible with the system's support.
"Then let's begin."
Uriel tied her hair back and placed her hands on the sword's cold edge while I gripped the hilt.
"Keep it steady while I connect my power into it. An SS rank sword won't accept external aura that easily… so this is going to take a while."
Time… It was the one thing I didn't have much of.
"How long exactly?"
Uriel smiled.
"A few days, at the very least."
I couldn't hide the surprise on my face after hearing that .. especially knowing I didn't even have that much.
"What? Surprised? You should've expected to invest at least that much time for something this unrealistic."
Only four days remained.
But I had no other choice.
"…Fine. Let's do it."
Uriel nodded and began channeling her holy power into the sword.
The room lit up with her pure radiance as I focused as well, praying I'd make it in time… that this would be enough to finish the mission.
As her holy aura poured into the Dark Sister, the blade released a wave of dark aura .. resisting, rejecting the foreign force.
My job was to suppress its resistance and guide Uriel's power inward.
We both concentrated intensely, sweat dripping down as the process dragged on.
The Dark Sister was a unique weapon .. its core trait being its ability to amplify aura, unleashing over 200% of the original power.
That was why I chose it over Balerion.
Once it absorbed Uriel's holy aura, I'd be able to redirect it—magnified tenfold—against the demonic entity I was about to face.
Time passed quickly, both of us completely absorbed in the task.
Eventually, the resistance began to wane. Channeling the power became easier and smoother.
We could finally breathe again.
"Frey… What did you mean by demonic entity?"
With the pressure lifted, Uriel finally spoke, her hands still resting on my sword as she continued pouring her power in.
I couldn't tell her the truth about Sansa… so I gave her the best excuse I could manage.
"I'm about to fight someone wielding immense demonic power."
"Like the Ultras and their demonic powers?" she asked.
I gave a weary smile.
"Exactly."
Though in truth, Sansa's condition was far worse than most of them.
Thinking on my answer, Uriel sighed .. clearly frustrated.
"I just don't get it, Frey… If you're going to face something like that, why not just take me with you? I could lend you my holy power directly instead of going through all this chaos."
"…Uriel."
Was she really willing to go that far for me?
I knew. I'd always known how kind Uriel was .. so kind she'd risk herself for others without hesitation.
Which is exactly why I couldn't bring her along. Not against a foe that could very well kill her.
"…I'm sorry."
It was all I could say.
No excuses, no lies. I just didn't want her involved.
"You really are selfish," Uriel said with a small smile, her pure blue eyes meeting mine.
"But once this is over, make no mistake .. I will be selfish too when it's time for you to repay this debt."
I nodded with a soft smile.
"Do whatever you want. I'm yours."
Once I finish this cursed mission that's been weighing on me… I'll be more than happy to play that role for you, Uriel.
And so, the two of us spent those long but fleeting hours together .. sharing our powers in pursuit of a nearly impossible goal.
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A.N : 4 extra chapters will be released for the castle received today . Thank you!