“Mia? Are you alright?”

Mia, who had been staring up at the transparent ceiling and at her status list, barely heard La behind her “Huh…? Oh, yeah. I am fine.” She had been thinking about the best way to approach the up coming battle, with only coming up with one plan, mimicking how AM, Assist Mode, fought the two members of the church.

“Don’t worry” La patted her chest, a slight sparkle in her eyes as she spoke with confidence “We are strong, can handle anything.”

Mia gave a wry smile ‘no, you can’t handle what’s coming… that’s the problem.’ She thought to herself, the [Sanctuary] or what ever they called it, that Mia heard them call it sometimes while watching AM fight for those months, rendered them powerless to the point they couldn’t even fight a Rabbi Spider. As the cat’s fought with mainly non-physical skills and magic.

The phantom arms and weapons they used to do damage were rendered useless, and the skill made La completely helpless as she relied on casting ice magic. As AM demonstrated, raw stats and physical magic that was casted before [Sanctuary] took effect were the only things that made a difference. To make it worse, the people in robes could still freely use their skills and magic, but if they casted a ranged spell it would dissipate, reducing its range.

“Yeah, just leave what ever you are worried about to us, kid.” Ra tried to reassure her.

“Hrm…” Which meant that the only way to defeat them was to mimic what AM did, she was a bit mad that AM didn’t beat the church members and hand back over control then and there instead of reloading and having her do it, but after what she did to get to that point in the first place… she shuddered thinking what she’d have done.

“…She seems very worried.” Si whispered to Ra.

“Hm, maybe she really wasn’t lying?” he replied.

“Doesn’t change what we have to do, just be more prepared?”

Mia still held some reservations about using those skills AM leveled up, but not only did they compliment her fighting style but not using them felt like an insult to Si, Ra, and La, who were sacrificed multiple times to get her to this point. No, she’d just have to stop thinking too hard about it. Her current goal was to save them, despite what she knew would happen the moment she loaded back to save 1.

She had already paid the price, and has reflected on doing so, hopefully this would be the last time she forced herself to play hero.

“H-hey! What’s going on?!”

Hearing the yelling of Si, Mia snapped out of her deep thought, her eyes going wide once she saw the familiar lights. “It’s here…” She whispered, time to see where she was at, stat wise, in comparison to those two.

“What are these?” Ra asked, poking one of the lights with his sword, the light unaffected by it as it phased through the metal and continuing its fall.

“Can’t use any skills.” Mia said, trying to give them hints to get them prepared. Still trying to see if them finding it out themselves was better then just flat out telling them everything, though this was easy to believe, all they had to do was try it themselves, but telling them bluntly would just lead them to questioning her and growing suspicious. Potentially leaving them open, which she was trying to avoid.

La raised her staff up, closing her eyes and resting her head on its shaft. Her eyes went wide “I-it’s true!”

“What?” Ra turned to her, upon seeing her in that state he readied his sword, trying to use his phantom skill to test “What is going on?! Si, is it the same for you?”

Si nodded, throwing a few punches in a random direction “N-no, I can’t use skills either, even my detection skills are not working.”

“Can’t open my inventory!” La said, panicked.

“It’s these lights! The hell, are they?!” Ra yelled, swiping at them and trying to crush them with his shield, nothing having an effect as they still fell to the ground.

‘Good so far…’ Mia nodded to herself, they were slightly panicked, but at least not out of control. She took her lumber axe off her back and holding it in her hands, noting it felt a bit lighter and easier to handle, attributing the difference to her skill “Careful, something might be coming…” She said, now she needed to get them to focus “Still haven’t seen what my skill warned about” She still blamed knowing what would happen to her skill, reminding herself to not say any direct answers, not yet.

Si nodded, putting a paw onto Ra to get him to calm down “She’s right, this proves she wasn’t lying about the skill.”

Ra paused, lowering his weapons “Right… this is going to be tough without skills…” he sighed, readying his weapons and looking down the dungeon hall.

“Yes, La and Mia, fall back behind us a bit, if it gets dicey make a run for it.”

Mia nodded, going along with it for now but she had no plans to run, she did not want to start an argument. She felt La wrap her arms around her leg, looking down she saw the cat shaking, obviously afraid and confused. Mia gulped, most likely this wasn’t the attempt where she saved them, but hopefully it was the last time they had to die to these people.

“Si, should we move up or stand our ground?” Ra asked, looking for orders.

Si pondered for a moment before speaking “Move forward, we are almost at the entrance and running into a dungeon monster now would be fatal.”

‘We’d hit the church members sooner that way.’ Mia thought, remembering their near-invisibility, one of the benefits they get for being in [Sanctuary]. The only way to see them was looking for the floating lights, not the falling ones, she’d have to make them be warry of it. “The lights, look weird.” Mia said, hoping that would do it.

Si nodded “Yeah, they do… kind of pretty though.”

“More worried of the monsters, lets get out of here.” Ra pushed forward.

Mia frowned; Ra wasn’t paying attention but from what she could tell Si was at least giving them a parting glance. La was… still hanging onto her foot, it made it harder to move but at least she was in the safest spot. She knelt and patted the cat’s head, before standing up and following after them.

It didn’t take long, they turned the corner into a long straight hall, Mia noticing immediately the two floating lights at the end of it that halted when the group rounded the corner ‘they noticed us…’ she glanced at Si as they continued to walk, hoping she would notice.

Halfway she still didn’t notice and apparently the two decided what their plan, one of the lights rushed forward ‘shit-!’ Mia dashed forward, hearing a yelp from behind her that was most likely La who got thrown off Mia’s leg “Ra! Watch out!” She yelled; the light was heading right for him ‘Hope this is the smaller one...’ She jumped in front of Ra, swinging her axe.

*Thunk*

“Aaa-!?” Mia felt the air expel from her body as a blunt force hit her in her chest, pushing the girl back. The air once again escaped her as her back collided with the wall, where she fell to her knees “Was the big one…” she choked out, glancing at her health which was at 57, causing her to gulp.

“Mia!” Si yelled as she watched Mia fly through the air, but her attention was drawn to the front as Ra yelled.

“Si! Focus!” He swiped at the light, but then was punted by an unseen force, slamming into the wall himself.

“Ra! You…what ever you are!” Si charged towards the light, stopping half way as she was lighted into the air, “Yo-Stop! Let me go! Ra!”

“…” Mia couldn’t help feel a bit stupid ‘next time I’m fighting them solo…’ she sighed, not like she couldn’t understand, it was hard fighting something you couldn’t see. She glanced over to La, seeing her safe but scared, desperately trying to cast spells to support her allies but failing, she then looked towards the light in the back, the smaller swordsmen, who had not moved.

She clenched her teeth, holding the axe in hand she charged forward at the floating Si. She had seen this guy’s figure enough times in these three months to guess where all his parts where, especially with him standing still, she could imagine the big guy holding Si triumphantly, his legs spread and his free arm on his waist, meaning he was…

She approached from below, swinging her axe upwards towards the floating light, smirking when it suddenly jerked back, Si falling to the ground besides her as she was apparently released “Get Ra and La back… still one more.” She spoke calmly to Si, not looking away from the dual lights.

“M-mia?” Si stutterd, clearly confused.

“Go!”

Si went stiff for a moment, before nodding and running off to Ra.

“That crazy bitch tried to go for my nuts!” A voice yelled, soon after one of the lights shimmered, a large man wearing a robe appeared in its place with one arm over his crotch, a slight cut could be seen behind his palm.

“Don’t be stupid, the beast couldn’t have seen you.” The other light shimmered, revealing a man of a much smaller and thinner build than the other.

“But brother! It blocked my other strike!” The bigger one complained.

“Heh, maybe it just smelled you, beasts do have a greater sense of smell.” The smaller nodded.

“No, I knew you were there.”

They both paused, their heads turning towards the small fox child in front of them “haaaah?”

“Aimed there on purpose, sad I missed.”

“See brother! I told you!”

The smaller one crossed his arms, then pulled out his sword “Bitch is messing with you, no way in hell does a dumb beast know about this shit.”

“Hn, know a lot, by the way, the big guy does smell pretty bad… do they not let you guys’ shower in the church?”

“This bitch! Brother, I told you! I am going to crush her!” The big one dashed forward, his arms raised in the air.

“Wait! We need her alive or else the priest will be mad!” The small one yelled after his brother but did not move from his spot.

Mia smirked, while not exactly liking she was copying AM she had to admit, these two were susceptible to provocation, which served a purpose other than just pissing them off, it made them predictable. Mia leaped back as the big guy slammed his fist onto the ground, then swung the axe around, only managing to cut into the cloth of the guy’s robe as he reacted in time to pull back.

“W-woah!” She put too much strength in the swing, the axe pulling her as it hit empty air.

“Night night.”

As she was being pulled, she noticed the man towering over her, briefly raising his arms into the air he slammed them down “Tsk-!” Mia let go of the axe, allowing it to fly away and clang into the wall, she then leaped back, twisting in the air and landing a distance away from him. “All you know how to do is hit the ground?” She said laughing nervously, now without a weapon.

“Dumb beast! I said I was going to crush you! Stay still!” The man charged, reeling back his arm and thrusting his fist forward repeatedly, a raining barrage of fists assaulted Mia.

She dodged effortlessly, stat wise she could tell she had much higher dex than him, strength wise… Well she could feel the force of his fists flying past her and she did NOT want to get hit with that. But now she was at a standstill without a weapon, and at least for this guy she knew she could effortlessly dodge his attacks…now she just had to test the other guy.

She needed to get away from this guy and start attacking the smaller one. Figuring she could slip in between his legs she suddenly bent down, leaping between the man’s legs but was slowed down by the robe getting in the way, she then suddenly stopped, feeling a yank on her tail “A-ah!” she had made a mistake, she tried to get away but was pulled back and lifted in the air, dangling by her tail.

“Hee hee, caught you~” The man laughed, raising his fist to punch.

‘Shit shit shit!’ Mia panicked, swinging around and ignoring the pain coming from her tail bone but then noticed something on the man’s face coverings, two glowing spots that looked particularly vulnerable.

The man punched, Mia reeling back and coughing up a blood that dripped to the ground “That was for calling me smelly!”

’15 health…’ Well, it was certainly an attempt, and she learned not to get close to this guy…ever. She’d like to test her stats against the other guy but it didn’t look to be the case. As the man pulled back his fist she prepared herself, closing her eyes and accepted her fate.

“”MIA!!!”

Her eyes snapped open, turning her view she saw Ra and Si running forward, Si leaped, her tiny claws extended,

“No! Down!” The man yelled, swatting her away effortlessly.

Taking this chance, Mia swung around, thrusting her fists towards the faintly glowing spots, feeling her fists hit something squishy as they pushed inwards.

“Guah?! What the fuck my eyes!” he stumbled back, pulling Mia away and holding her at a greater distance.

“Miiiia!” Ra followed up, dashing towards his crotch with his sword drawn, with the man distracted he stabbed into the man’s crotch.

“FUCK!” The man leaped back, dropping Mia, a red spot growing on his red robe just above where his crotch was “Why are you damn animals constantly going for my dick! Why always the dick!”

Mia flipped around in the air, landing on the ground besides Ra “Nice job.” She said, Ra nodding while he shook some fresh blood from his blade.

The large man stood, holding his bleeding abdomen “I will fucking kill all of you! You fucking good for nothing beasts! Fuck what the priest said! Fuckin no body treats me like a fool!”

Mia prepared herself, still without a weapon she looked around to see where the axe landed, now seeing Si with it as she had been apparently thrown next to it, she then looked at Ra, a bit worse for wear but still looking able to fight, this could work.

“Ok, that’s enough.”

Mia froze, hearing the voice of the smaller man behind her. ‘oh no…’ she had forgotten about him.

“Turn around, all of you, nice and slow if you don’t want this little cat to be killed. Drop your weapons as well! No funny shit!”

Mia heard a series of clanks, both Ra and Si had dropped their weapons and turned around, Mia doing the same. What they saw was La, held by the back of her neck and struggling to free herself.

“I’m… sorry…” La said between gasped for air.

“Good, you gave my brother a hard time, but imma bout to show you how our gang gets shit done when bitches get to ahead of themselves.” The man reached inside his robe, fishing for something “Thankfully for you, we have other plans.” The man found what he was looking for, taking out of his robe a black collar and throwing it towards them, it landing at Mia’s feet. “That’s a sla-“

“Nope.” Before he could finish, Mia dived to her side, landing on the ground in front of Ra and picking up his sword, stabbing it into her gut. She heard a series of shouts and confused yells as her consciousness faded.

“…” Now floating in the void she sighed, the big guy was no problem with her increased stats and she didn’t doubt she could easily finish him off if she wasn’t using the stupid axe, but whatever, that was just to test to see how it would go with the cats present. She was disappointed she didn’t get to fight the smaller one but… “Shouldn’t give me too many problems… just got to make sure he doesn’t take a hostage.” It would be ideal if she could fight them solo without worry but…

She nodded to herself; all in all it was a good first attempt, learning that she’d have to be careful of them taking a hostage, using the right weapon and skills, and that diving between someone’s legs when they are wearing a robe does not work. Confident she could do it if she took full advantage of her higher-level skills, she loaded her save once more.