Denied

Qian Huanyue summoned her Angel, and the flying swords called forth by the Seraph of Thousand Blades unleashed several slashes. The "Guardians" before them were cut down with ease.

Hand in hand with Huanyue, Shiori let herself be pulled along as Huanyue nimbly dodged the Guardians' attacks. A barrier of spiritual power flowed around them, firmly blocking the occasional surge of spiritual power.

For some reason, there were remarkably few Guardians ahead. With the Seraph of Thousand Blades clearing the way, the two entered the tower with ease.

It was nothing like the great mass of scarlet barrier they had seen before—

Before them stood a spiral staircase.

"Well, that was easy. Speedrun complete!" Qian Huanyue flashed Shiori a cute peace sign, trying to lighten the mood.

Round and round, the staircase spiraled upward. It looked so tall that the sight alone made them want to turn back.

"That was amazing, Huanyue," Shiori said sincerely.

"Want to take the stairs, or take a shortcut, Shiori?" Qian Huanyue smiled, running her fingers through Shiori's blue hair as though soothing a small animal. "You've got two choices."

Shiori instinctively felt there was something unusual about the stairs. The moment she stepped onto them, the memories in her mind grew clearer.

"How about we climb up? Huanyue, I feel like there's something special about this place."

"Wow." Qian Huanyue pulled Shiori into a run without slowing down, her silver hair streaming in the wind. "How brave~ I'll support you, Shiori~"

Her steps were light and her breathing steady. For a Spirit like her, this height was nothing.

Shiori felt her strength draining fast. Sweat soon soaked the ends of her hair, and she was so exhausted and thirsty that she could only keep running because Huanyue was pulling her along.

"Cough, cough—Hua—" Shiori