Alter.
The na cos from one of my favorite gacha gas before Fantasy Impact, a classic called Destiny Grand Order. In that ga, you played as a Master who could summon heroic spirits—legendary figures from history and myth—to fight alongside you in a battle for the Holy Chalice.
One of the most iconic servants I ever summoned was a gender-swapped version of King Arthur: Arthuria. Also known as my waifu.
She was the embodint of justice, a righteous King who wielded the holy sword Excalibur, cutting down demons and evil servants with divine light. She protected the weak, upheld honor, and ruled with compassion. Her people adored her.
And because of that, even though she wasn't a catgirl, she still sat proudly at the top of my waifu tier list.
However, there was another version of her. A darker, corrupted mirror of the sa legend, wearing black armor dress and had bigger boobs.
Arthuria Alter.
Twisted by the very demonic energy she once sought to destroy, this version had beco ruthless and unhinged—an incarnation of madness and chaos. She delighted in destruction, caused havoc wherever she went, and killed without hesitation anyone foolish enough to insult her.
Yet even then… beneath all the darkness… she was still Arthuria.
Sowhere deep inside, her heart hadn't changed.
She would rescue every lost kitten and puppy she ca across. She sobbed openly while watching lodramatic soap operas. And once, when Santa Claus fell ill right before Christmas, she volunteered to take her place for the day—because the thought of disappointed children waking up without gifts was simply unbearable to her.
And in the end, when the Demon Gods invaded and humanity stood on the brink of extinction, it was Arthuria Alter who rose to fight back. No hesitation. No doubts. She stood beside the original Arthuria and fought for the world.
So now, hearing Princess Felicia claim that na…
It can only an one thing.
She peaked into my past life.
She must have seen her—seen that version of Arthuria—while diving through my mories.
She must have seen… many other things too… but it's not a good idea to think about those stuffs right now.
Yeah, probably.
Anyways, the na fits her.
It's cool. It's dramatic. It's powerful. It fits the the perfectly—better than anything I could have co up with on my own.
But…
There's one problem.
….
(Aaaaaah… Are you sure about this? I an, you are the original Felicia,) I say hesitantly.
"Nah, it's fine," Felicia replies with a wide grin. "You think you are cool enough to be Alter? Hell no! You be Felicia from now on. I be Alter! Felicia Alter! No—wait—actually… Falter!"
"Falter?" Eris tilts her head, one brow raised. "That… doesn't sound right."
"O-okay, fine!" Felicia mutters, her cheeks flushing a little. "Then just call Alter from now on!"
"Alright," Eris says with a nod. "If that's what you want."
(Nn!) I chi in as well, agreeing wholeheartedly.
And just like that, the naming problem is solved.
"Alright, Eris," Alter calls out, her grin returning.
"Yes, Alter?" Eris answers.
"Co with ."
"To where?"
Alter turns toward the path ahead, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"To the heart of this dungeon."
————————————-
And so, we continue forward, walking toward the center of the ruined Luminaris Academy. The path is eerily quiet. There are no more giant corpse golems waiting to ambush us, and even the number of zombies and skeletons has decreased drastically.
Only a few stray undead erge from the shadows to attack us, but they are quickly and effortlessly taken down by Eris. She moves fast and ruthlessly, each swing of her weapon cutting through the enemies like they're made of paper.
"Now that I think about it, sothing's not right," Eris says, glancing around. "This is supposed to be an S-rank dungeon, and yet these undead are barely C-tier at best."
She's right.
They look creepy, sure. Intimidating, even. But in terms of power, Alter can easily cut them down like weeds. Eris, of course, could probably wipe out hundreds of them without even trying too.
Well… maybe not the giant corpse golems. Those were a different story. Those things were on a whole other level.
"It's probably because it hasn't had ti to grow yet," Alter replies thoughtfully.
"You an… the dungeon is new?" Eris asks.
"No. The dungeon itself has been here for years," Alter explains. "But the corrupted mana only started leaking out recently. So even though the air is thick with it, it hasn't had enough ti to spawn stronger monsters."
"Hmmm. That's a good theory," Eris nods
But suddenly cos to a halt.
"But wait," Eris says. "why do you sound like you know so much about this dungeon?"
"Because I do," Alter answers simply. "After all, I was the one who created the seal."
"What?" Eris stares at Alter, eyes widening in shock.
"Yes," Alter continues, her voice calm. "I was the one who made this dungeon in the first place."
"Are you… serious?"
"Of course. Just keep going, we're almost there. I will explain it to you on the way."
"A-alright." Eris nods.
And so, we continue forward.
As Alter begins to speak, revealing the truth behind this place—the dungeon, the seal, the corruption—the atmosphere around us begins to shift. The more she says, the grimr the situation becos. Her words are quiet, but each one adds weight to the air around us.
anwhile, the demonic mana grows thicker. Heavier. It clings to our skin, seeping into our lungs with every breath, instilling fear and doubts. I can feel goosebumps crawling across my arms.
Even Eris and Inky reacts.
Her tail bristles behind her, instinctively puffed up.
anwhile, Inky, still in his giant wolf form, walks with his head lowered slightly. His lips curl into a quiet snarl, revealing sharp, glimring fangs. The misty darkness that makes up his body flickers more violently now, his smoky fur rippling as if stirred by an invisible wind.
The tension in the air is suffocating.
——————————-
Then, monts later, we arrive.
Before us stands the Seal—or, as Alter calls it, the Great Luminaris Demonic Barrier.
And holy shit…
This thing is massive.
It's a a colossal do of deep, blood-red energy that spans wider than a football stadium. Lightning arcs of crimson crackle across its surface, pulsing with power. The entire structure hums with a low, nacing vibration, like the heartbeat of sothing ancient and angry.
Surrounding the barrier, thousands of glowing glyphs float in the air. The magical letters and symbols twist and swirl, forming intricate rings that orbit the do like a chanical halo.
However, as big and powerful as it is, there are already cracks along the do's surface.
Thin, jagged fractures spider through the barrier, glowing faintly where the integrity has begun to fail. And from those cracks… the demonic mana is seeping through, flaring like hell fire.
I can feel it pouring out.
And Eris feels it too.
"This mana…" she whispers, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. "Damn it… this is already on par with the most dangerous S-rank dungeons in the world!"
"And this is only the outer layer," Alter murmurs, narrowing her eyes. "Tch… to think it has deteriorated this much already…"
Without hesitation, she steps forward and reaches out toward the barrier.
But suddenly, Eris moves.
She grabs Alter's wrist and pulls her back.
"Wait," Eris says, her voice trembling. Her eyes, wide with concern, lock onto ours. "Do you… really have to go in?"
"What?" Alter replies with a forced grin. "Do we have a choice?"
She laughs a little, trying to play it off, but I can feel it.
Beneath that grin, beneath the bravado…
There's fear…
And intense, unshakable fear that's drowning her breath.
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