At that moment, Mistelina was caught in a hazy, dreamlike state.
It's so hot…
She could feel the fire raging inside her body, burning her from within. Her body felt like a piece of dried wood, and she could hear the crackling of flames spreading through her veins. It was as if she were stranded in a scorching desert—every breath she exhaled was blistering hot.
Each puff of air was like steam from a volcano, and the blood flowing through her veins felt like molten lava. Her skin, her muscles, her organs—all were being scorched under an unimaginable heat. Even her soul seemed to have reached the edge of dissolution.
Haa… haa… haa…
The temperature inside her kept rising. Mistelina felt dizzy, delirious, like someone consumed by fever.
Am I… going to die like this?
Maybe this is my punishment… If I hadn't acted so recklessly, things wouldn't have come to this. But… what will happen to the Lands Between? What will happen to everyone?
I'm sorry. This is all my fault…
"Uu—!"
Just as Mistelina was sinking deeper into despair, a sudden wave of suffocation struck her. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move. Though she instinctively wanted to resist, her body was completely overtaken by the Frenzied Flame. She could only endure the burning pain and the choking pressure.
Perhaps, at this point, all she wanted… was for it to end quickly.
She didn't know how long she drifted like that, but the suffocation grew heavier—until, just as she thought she would be swallowed entirely by darkness, a burst of cool, soothing sensation surged through her throat, pouring into her body.
"Mm…!"
Mistelina's whole body trembled. It was like a dying traveler in the desert finally finding cold spring water. The icy power flooded into her, spreading through every corner of her being. The Frenzied Flame that had been devouring her body and soul began to weaken, as though it had encountered its natural enemy.
Gulp… gulp… gulp…
To Mistelina, this cooling energy was her salvation. She drank it in instinctively, greedily, even though the cold was so intense it felt like it could freeze her very marrow. But she didn't care—even freezing to death would be better than being consumed by that madness and destroying the world.
Unfortunately, the cool sensation didn't last long—it faded as suddenly as it came. Yet something had changed. Mistelina's will to live had been rekindled. She stretched her tongue instinctively, yearning for that chill again. Perhaps her wish was heard, because moments later, a new wave of icy cold burst through her body, flooding her from the inside out.
"Ah…"
Her entire body went cold. A moment ago, she had been burning in a desert; now she felt trapped in the frozen polar wastes. Her limbs were stiff with frost, but the Frenzied Flame was gone. It had been smothered, drowned, extinguished—like a burning log submerged and frozen in a river.
She didn't know exactly what had happened, but she knew the fire that had tormented her was gone.
So… it's finally over…
With that thought, Mistelina tried to open her eyes one last time, but her eyelids were unbearably heavy. The only thing she could see was a tall shadow—and a faint, blurry light.
Then, she drifted into peaceful darkness.
"…Mmm…"
She didn't know how long had passed before her consciousness returned. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Milfi's face.
"Princess! You're awake!"
"…Milfi?"
Mistelina blinked, confused, trying to remember what had happened. Slowly, realization dawned.
"I… didn't die?"
She raised her arms to look at them. To her surprise, her skin was smooth and pale again—the burns, the blackened scars from the Frenzied Flame, were gone as if they'd never existed.
"Yes! The Knight saved you! And Sister Lorena treated your wounds! Thank goodness, Lady Mistelina…"
"I see…"
"I'll go tell the others right away!"
Milfi spun and dashed off. Mistelina sat up, watching her retreating figure, and absentmindedly lifted her fingers to touch her lips.
Why do they feel… a little sore?
Meanwhile, on the terrace outside the tower, Duanmu Huai and Lorena stood side by side, gazing up at the sky.
"It's beautiful here, Sir Knight."
"Yeah. Really is."
He cracked his back lazily and nodded toward the horizon.
"Still… quite the coincidence, huh."
"Yes, I didn't expect it either."
Lorena smiled and looked ahead—where two glowing jellyfish spirits floated side by side, their tendrils entwined.
One was Aurelia, the spirit jellyfish Duanmu Huai had once received from the red-hooded girl. The other was Aurelise, the little sister spirit Lorena had befriended during her travels. Lorena had found her wandering aimlessly among some ruins, murmuring about wanting to "see the stars with her sister." Since Lorena had been accompanying Duanmu Huai—who was literally going to see the stars—she brought the little one along to reunite them.
And, by sheer luck, her sister had been with Duanmu Huai all along.
"Well, that worked out nicely," Duanmu Huai said. "We'll bring them aboard the ship. Two spirit jellyfish will liven the place up."
He didn't mind keeping them as "pets." They were cute, after all.
Just then, Milfi's excited voice came from behind.
"Sir Knight! Sister Priest! The Princess is awake!"
"Awake, huh."
Duanmu Huai let out a breath of relief. Sure, even if Mistelina had died, he could've revived her later… but he didn't have the resurrection card yet. It was better this way.
"All right, Lorena, let's go check on our princess."
"Yes, sir."
When they returned to the tower, everyone else had already gathered—Bambi, Odelle, Aegis—all waiting anxiously. Mistelina, embarrassed, bowed her head and began recounting everything that had happened.
"…I can't believe you actually fell for that," Duanmu Huai muttered, utterly speechless.
Honestly—just seeing that woman eat grapes like that should've been enough of a red flag. What decent person performs rituals that disgusting?
"I'm truly sorry…"
Mistelina's voice trembled as she bowed deeply.
"You're right, Sir Knight. I made a grave mistake in judgment… Maybe it was because seeing that girl—Irina—die hit me too hard…"
She looked down, her expression clouded with grief. Indeed, that was the reason she'd trusted the witch Hyetta. After Irina's senseless death, Mistelina had been wracked with guilt. She'd known the world was dangerous, and that a blind girl alone was at risk, yet she'd ignored it—until it was too late.
And now, she still didn't even know who had killed Irina.
"So the Three Fingers have vanished, then?" Duanmu Huai asked.
Mistelina, Bambi, and Milfi all nodded.
"Yes."
"Bambi didn't see anything in the depths except big sister," the vampire princess added.
"What do you think, Lady Ranni?"
Duanmu Huai turned to the witch, still seated in her chair. She thought for a while before answering.
"The seal on the Three Fingers being undone is indeed a problem—but not one without a solution. We may not know where they are, but we can make them come to us."
"So the plan continues, then," Duanmu Huai said, raising an eyebrow.
He was referring to Ranni's Age of Stars plan—to sever the Greater Will's influence from the Lands Between. The Fingers would never allow that. Whether Two or Three, they would certainly intervene at the final moment.
Fine by him. Two fingers, three fingers—it was still a hand. Easier to crush them all together.
"Yes," Ranni said simply.
"Good."
Duanmu Huai clenched his left fist, staring at the Great Runes carved into his skin. While Mistelina was unconscious, he hadn't been idle. Guided by Ranni, he had slain Malenia, the Blade of Miquella, and Mohg, the Lord of Blood, claiming their Great Runes as well.
Now, he had nearly all the shards of the demigods' power:
Godrick's Great Rune
The Great Rune of the Unborn
Radahn's Great Rune
Rykard's Great Rune
Malenia's Great Rune
Mohg's Great Rune
And the Rune of Death itself
All that remained were two more: the Great Rune of Morgott, the Omen King, who guarded the Erdtree's gates—and the Golden Order bound to Queen Marika within the tree.
Once those were claimed, the fate of this world would be decided.
(End of Chapter)