"Could that be a wraith!? Fucking bullshit!" Rowdy Kiku exclaims.

"Calm down, swords-girl. There is but one, and you have magical assistance. An ethereal form means little to spirits." Seria speaks in a level tone.

A wraith, huh? Yes, those are ghost things. With that scream, I wonder just what it suffered in life...

"I'll protect A... Let me do it." Rishya shouts.

"Very well. Do hurry." Seria states, giving a wry smile.

Rishya doesn't reply, but holds her staff forwards and starts chanting under her breath. The glowing wisps hovering above us all rapidly shoot down towards her, passing right by my head.

These are light spirits, right? They swirl around her, and the ambient heat and brightness rises quite rapidly. Another vile scream echoes as Aria and Kaede step out of her way and come behind me.

Rishya has a grimace and is shaking slightly as magic circles form around her staff. A point of blinding light begins to gather there, illuminating the whole intersection in harsh, dancing light. She's literally firin' her laser...

The wraith appears. It is pretty damn hideous. Swirling blue and wispy. Translucent and floating. But it is clear that what should be the ghost’s naked 'body' takes the appearance of melted and rotting flesh. It may have been a woman at one point, but it is lacking feet. And eyes. And most of a face. One oversized claw stretches forwards as it floats casually towards us. Its fanged mouth drips ectoplasm as it opens to scream again.

Rishya stumbles back slightly, quivering. Her magic circle starts to fray at the edges, her spirits distracted by her lapse in concentration.

It might be presumptuous, but I place a comforting hand on her shoulder and squeeze lightly. She shakes her head and the circle renews itself with even greater brightness, and with a surge of heat, a massive searing white beam blasts outwards and engulfs the ghost.

The scream it produces ratchets up several notches to a seriously unholy racket. But then it abruptly stops, and shortly after, the laser flickers and dies as well. A small puddle is the only evidence it ever existed, as the heat and light disperse. We are briefly cast in darkness until Kiku lights a torch from somewhere.

Rishya staggers back, sweat on her brow, breathing heavily. Aria grabs onto her in concern.

"Rish! Are you ok?" Aria exclaims.

"D-did I kill it?" Rishya wonders.

"You did. It was a clean job." I say.

She looks relieved.

"I see. I'm glad." She says.

Then she suddenly appears to realise her mask has slipped.

"I-I mean... as expected! B-brilliant. Yes... such perfection!"

Aria chuckles at her as she shrugs dramatically, and me and the others do the same. I pat her on the shoulder again as congratulations.

She jumps like her beret caught fire and slaps away my hand.

"W-where you do you think you're touching!!" She squeaks, spinning and giving me a look of fury.

Aria taps her other shoulder with an internet troll face, making her yelp again.

"The same place he did just a moment ago." Aria grins. She really has been learning bullying techniques from me.

"ARIAAAAAAA!!!" Rishya cries, her eyes darting back and forth as a blush develops...

Seria and O RLY Kiku cackle together like a pair of old women. One of them ~is~ technically an old woman, but perhaps this is why Seria seems to like Kiku. They find the same things entertaining.

Kaede actually sighs and face-palms, as if to say 'who the hell are these twits...', but that in itself is a crazy increase in emotional content for our resident doll.

Unlike before, I don't think anyone can be sick about dispatching the Wraith. It is clearly otherworldly.

'Level-up! 3 skill points awarded' echoes in my ears.

Huh... perhaps being relaxed here was enough to finally credit the zombies to my XP account. Or is grasping Rishya's shoulder to calm her considered an assist? Well, regardless, good to know this expedition is already bearing fruit.

Serious XP farming, here I come!