"Strong party? Just how strong is the party you hired?" Ryuka said.
"Let's see if you can still boast after we call that party," one of the group members said.
One of them then summoned the party, and when they arrived, Ryuka was shocked to realize the party they had hired was Shadow Leaf, the former party of Arata.
"Yo, isn't that the woman who was with Arata earlier?" Renji said.
"That's right, that's definitely her. No doubt about it," Claire said.
Ryuka, who had been surprised, laughed at their foolishness.
"Pfttt hahahaha, seriously? That's the party you hired?" Ryuka said.
"What's wrong with that? They're one of the strongest," one of the group members replied.
"Strongest? Hahaha, strongest, you say? If you want to know, they failed at exploring a Rank C dungeon," Ryuka said.
The group was shocked by Ryuka's statement about the Shadow Leaf party.
"Is what you said true?" one of the group members asked.
"Of course it is. If you don't believe me, go ahead and ask them," Ryuka replied.
One of the group members then asked the Shadow Leaf party.
"By the way, was what he just said true?"
They lied, but foolishly, the group believed their words.
"Of course that's a lie. There's no way we could lose in a Rank C dungeon," Renji said.
"That's right. We're one of the strongest. How could we lose?" Claire said.
"Don't believe him. He might just be trying to slander Shadow Leaf's name," Dason said.
"You're right. Good thing we asked you. How could one of the strongest parties lose in a Rank C dungeon? Looks like he just wants to tarnish Shadow Leaf's name," the group said.
Ryuka sighed, seeing their foolishness.
"(Sigh) Seriously, do you believe them that easily? Whatever, I don't care whether you believe it or not, but as long as I'm here, don't even think about entering," Ryuka said.
"Oh, really? Let's see who gets wiped out first, you or Claire," Renji said.
The Shadow Leaf members readied themselves to attack the barrier Ryuka had created.
Meanwhile, on Arata's side, he and Mira were still in Yuki's dream.
"Go to Yuki's soul and wake her up. I'll keep watch from here," Arata said.
"But how?" Mira asked.
"That's up to you. You're her sister, right? With your blood relation, I'm sure you can wake her up," Arata said.
"Alright, I'll try," Mira said.
"Be careful. If possible, don't use your magic so nothing happens to her," Arata said.
"Got it, I'll remember," Mira replied.
Mira began to approach her sister's soul when suddenly a dark shadow figure appeared in front of her.
"Who are you? Why are you in my sister's body?" Mira asked.
"Hahahaha, I am Yami no Sōsei," the shadow figure said.
Arata was startled to hear the name Yami no Sōsei, because he knew that this shadow would consume someone's soul to become stronger.
"What? Yami no Sōsei? Am I hearing that right?" Arata said.
Mira, noticing Arata's shock, asked, "Who is Yami no Sōsei?"
"Yami no Sōsei? He's a very evil shadow that consumes someone's soul to strengthen himself," Arata said.
"So what happens if someone's soul is eaten by him?" Mira asked.
"What happens to someone whose soul is consumed by Yami no Sōsei is that they become like a living puppet, only able to eat and sleep without any expression," Arata said.
"Is that true?" Mira asked.
"Yes, but that's not the worst part," Arata said.
"Huh? Becoming a puppet isn't the worst part? What's the worst part?" Mira asked.
"The worst part is that the person's body will swell like a balloon and explode at any time, and the remains of the explosion will become a shadow that Yami no Sōsei can use as his minions," Arata explained.
Mira, hearing this, was shocked, realizing her sister's soul was connected to the shadow.
"What? Does that mean Yuki will become like that?" Mira said.
"Not yet. Your sister's soul hasn't been consumed by him. If Yami no Sōsei had already eaten it, we wouldn't be able to see her soul like this," Arata said.
Mira sighed in relief, knowing that her sister's soul had not yet been consumed.
"(Sigh) Thank goodness. So, how can we save her?" Mira asked.
"There's one way. You need to wake up your sister, while I'll hold off Yami no Sōsei so he doesn't interfere with you," Arata said.
"Alright, I'll try," Mira said.
They both prepared to confront Yami no Sōsei.
"Hahaha, so you've finished your discussion?" Yami no Sōsei mocked.
"Yes, thank you for waiting. Now it's time for you to leave," Arata said.
"Leave? Hahahaha, I'm not going anywhere. Not until I consume this human's soul," Yami no Sōsei laughed.
Yami no Sōsei prepared to consume Yuki's soul.
Arata and Mira moved to block him from continuing to consume Yuki's soul.
"Don't think we're just here to watch you feast on Yuki's soul," Arata said.
"Oh? What can you two do? You're just weak humans waiting to be devoured by me," Yami no Sōsei taunted.
"Hahaha, weak? Fine, let's see how you handle this," Arata said.
Arata quickly cast a spell he learned from his mother, a Saintess.
Tenmei no Kusari
The moment Arata cast the spell, golden chains shot up from beneath Yami no Sōsei, instantly restraining his movements.
"What is this? Why are there chains on my body? I'm just a shadow," Yami no Sōsei said.
"Of course, these aren't ordinary chains. These chains can bind not only the physical body but also the soul," Arata explained.
"That's impossible! There's no magic like that!" Yami no Sōsei exclaimed.
"Oh, but there is. I just cast it," Arata said.
While continuing to restrain Yami no Sōsei, Arata urged Mira to quickly approach her sister's soul.
"Now go, Mira! Quickly wake up your sister!" Arata said.
Mira rushed towards Yuki's soul.
"I won't let you!" Yami no Sōsei shouted.
Yami no Sōsei struggled to break free from the chains but failed.
"Damn it! What kind of chains are these? Why can't I break them?" Yami no Sōsei growled.
"I told you, these aren't ordinary chains," Arata replied.
Yami no Sōsei continued to struggle, trying to free himself from the chains.
Meanwhile, Mira finally reached Yuki's soul and tried to wake her up.
"Yuki, it's your sister, please wake up," Mira said.
But Yuki's soul remained still, offering no response.
"Yuki, please wake up! It's your sister. Without you, I'm so lonely," Mira pleaded.
Still, Yuki showed no sign of waking.
Arata continued to hold off Yami no Sōsei, but because the spell had a time limit, the chains slowly began to fade, though Arata desperately tried to keep them in place.
Will Arata be able to hold Yami no Sōsei back? Will Yami no Sōsei break free from the chains? And what will happen to Ryuka—will he manage to hold off the attack from Shadow Leaf, or will he falter? Stay tuned for Chapter 12!
*If I made any minor mistakes that might be distracting, I sincerely apologize. I have done my best for this novel, and if you enjoy it, please consider giving it a like and sharing your feedback, suggestions, or criticism so I can learn and improve. Thank you for reading, and see you in the next chapter!*