Reincarnated as the Weakest Magical Beast

"COME ON! MY FIRE! BURN THIS MOTHERFUCKER DOWN!!!"

She still couldn't meow, as her body was still affected by the Demonic Fear stun, but in her mind, she screamed it with everything she had. Her very soul was roaring.

"AAARRRRRRGGHHHH!!!"

The Archdemon writhed in agony! Its colossal form shrank with every second, growing smaller and smaller! Crimson cracks split open across its smoky flesh, glowing like veins of magma. From those cracks, hellfire burst out violently, spraying like blood that burned the air itself. The demon's wings sagged, sizzling, melting, then collapsing into nothing but drifting ash.

And then, on its forehead, the infernal symbol that marked its rank flickered wildly.

YES!!! COME ON!!!

Mimi screamed inside, her spirit blazing just as hot.

The Archdemon's rank was collapsing! Suppressed further and further, it was almost reduced to a mere Greater Demon! The infernal mark on its head kept shifting…

Archdemon… Greater Demon… Archdemon… Greater Demon… Lesser Demon!

It was being forced down!

ALMOST THERE!!!

The sacred fire blazed brighter, feeding on Mimi's determination. Victory was so close, she could feel it!

…

However—

It wasn't as easy as she thought.

The Archdemon suddenly let out a roar that shook the chamber, its voice raw and monstrous. With jagged claws, it ripped straight into the divine flame, grasping it as if it were a living thing.

Dark, venomous words spilled from its maw, every syllable heavy with corruption. And then, behind the demon, a pentagram of infernal spell-circles erupted, layer upon layer of blood-red symbols spinning and locking into place. The cursed geometry lashed forward, binding the flame in shackles of demonic magic.

The divine fire shrieked, twisting in its grip, but the circles only tightened.

And Mimi felt it.

Her heart sank.

No…!

NO!!!

The flame was weakening, its brilliance dimming.

Mimi fought with everything she had left, her soul screaming into the void, trying so hard to cheer the flame up, or reactivate it:

Come on! COME ON!

Noxium Ignistinae—YOU CAN DO IT!!!

The flame shuddered.

It pulsed.

As if it had heard her desperate cheer, for one glorious moment, it fought back, exploding in a burst of black divine light, as if it might tear free from the infernic spell—

But then…

The spell-circles constricted like a vice.

Slowly.

Painfully.

The flame dwindled, flickering weaker and weaker.

And finally, crushed under the Archdemon's overwhelming might, it collapsed into nothing more than a tiny, trembling black ember, no bigger than a firefly.

****

No…

Mimi could only watch, frozen with terror. That fire had been her only hope—and it had been snuffed out.

As the flame died, the Archdemon's power surged back. Its wings reformed, its body pumped with renewed strength, growing bigger again, and the infernal mark on its forehead snapped back into that of an Archdemon.

"Arrrghh!!!" it grunted, half-anger, half-panic. "Something in here just awakened that damned flame!"

Its gaze swept the chamber with a slow, hungry cruelty—and then it fixed on Mimi.

"YOU!" The Archdemon jabbed a crooked, clawed finger toward her.

Oh shit!

Mimi tensed; her tail puffed up like a bottle-brush instinctively.

"Hahaha!" the demon laughed, the sound ugly and huge."So you're the one who called that fire. How… amusing. Who would have thought—a mere level-one cat—could stir divine power?"

The laughter died into a low, hungry whisper. Its eyes narrowed until they were slits of burning malice. "How dangerous… If I hadn't snuffed that flame in time, you might have actually sealed me again. Nice try, kitty!"

It raised a single finger. At its tip a roiling, bright hellfire began to gather.

"Die!"

FWOOM!

The fireball blasted outward, a blistering lash of heat streaking straight for Mimi! If this hit her, she would be nothing left but ashes!

"AAAAAAA!!!"

Mimi's terror exploded!

Is this it? Is this how I die?

NO!

I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!

SOMEONE!

HELP!!!

The fireball hurtled straight toward Mimi—

But then—

A figure leapt in front of her, throwing herself between Mimi and death.

"MAGIC BARRIER!!!" Emilia's scream tore from her lungs, raw and desperate.

From her outstretched hand, a wall of radiant light erupted. It shimmered like crystal glass, blazing with holy brilliance as it caught the Archdemon's fire midair. Sparks hissed across its surface, the impact thundering through the chamber.

MASTER!!!

Mimi's eyes went wide in shock. It was really her master—Emilia!

The barrier trembled under the weight of the infernal flames. The air warped, blistering hot, but Emilia stood firm, feet planted, teeth clenched in sheer defiance.

But at her level, even the strongest barrier she could muster could not withstand the Archdemon's flame for long. Cracks began to spiderweb across the shield. The fire pressed harder, chewing through the magical glass until it burst apart with a deafening shatter.

The flames surged past, washing over Emilia. Her body seized as smoke curled from her skin, burn marks spreading across her arms and face. The stench of scorched flesh filled the air.

And yet… she didn't fall! She didn't move aside. She shielded Mimi with her very body, refusing to let even a spark touch her!

"Mi…mi… are you… alright?" Emilia rasped, forcing her head to turn back. Her face was blackened with smoke and bloodied by burns, but her eyes—though drowning in pain—still burned steady with determination!

[Ding! Thanks to your master's heroic presence, the effect of Demonic Fear has been completely erased!]

[You are now free!]

"MEOWWW!!!"

MASTER!!!

Mimi's cry rang out, her eyes flooding with tears. The suffocating black hands pinning her in place vanished like smoke, and for the first time since the fight began, she could move again, her legs shaking as she struggled to stand up.

But at the same time, her mind was now spinning with confusion.

How?

How was Master able to break free of Demonic Fear and save me?!

But at that moment, Mimi noticed something else. On Emilia's forehead burned a glowing mark of white fire. Pale flames smoldered along her body, not scorching, but wrapping her like a mantle of holy power. Every flicker of that flame radiated purity, a sacred aura strong enough to sweep away even the demon's corruption.

OF COURSE!

Mimi remembered it now! Emilia had that skill—Flame of Purification!

Skill Rank: Epic

Description: A unique ability born from the rare fusion of the Silvervein and Arzarenia bloodlines. When activated, it calls forth a powerful sacred flame that purifies the user's body. Instantly removes all debuffs and poisons, while also granting immunity to negative status effects for a limited time.

Mana Cost: 300

Status Immunity Duration: 2 minutes

Cooldown: 3 days

She had just activated Flame of Purification, burning away every curse and debuff, shattering the demon's hold on her, and breaking free of the stun!

And not only that, her Arzarenia bloodline granted her Level 2 Fire Mastery, giving her a natural resistance to flames that would have reduced any normal human to ash.

HELL YEAH! MASTERRR!!!

Mimi's heart blazed with hope once more.

However… even though Emilia had blocked one attack, the true threat still loomed before them.

Yes— The Archdemon itself!

"WHAT?! Impossible!" the monster gasped, its burning eyes wide. For the first time, it looked stunned. A human… had stopped its strike?!

But then—

"Hahaha!" Its laughter rose, booming like thunder, shaking the chamber. "Amazing! You're even stronger than I thought! No doubt about it, girl—you'll make the perfect vessel once I devour your soul and claim your body!"

This time, however, Emilia did not cower.

She straightened her posture, shoulders squared, and raised her fist toward the demon… only to flip it a middle finger!

"Come try me, bastard!" She said with a crooked grin. Her eyes burned with pure confidence, fierce and unshaken. Not a trace of fear remained.

"Hah! You're seeking death!" the Archdemon snarled, its fanged mouth splitting wide. "Very well, foolish human girl—if death is what you want, then I shall grant it!"

It lunged forward, claws stretching to seize her!

MASTERRRRRR!!! WATCH OUT!!!

"MEOWWW!!!" Mimi shrieked, panic bursting from her soul.

But Emilia glanced back and winked.

"Don't worry, Mimi. I've got this!"

And then—

BOOOOOOM!!!

A thunderous blast shook the chamber as the door behind them exploded into shards. A colossal bolt of lightning ripped through the air and smashed straight into the Archdemon's outstretched hand, detonating in a blinding flash.

The monster staggered, roaring in fury. Dust and rubble rained down, filling the chamber with choking smoke. Mimi's eyes stung, watering as she tried to peer through the haze.

And then, when her vision cleared—

OH SHIT!

IT'S HER!

Long, flowing blue hair whipped behind her like a banner in a storm.

Golden eyes gleamed like the brightest stars.

And her white armor and big gauntlets crackled and snapped with arcs of thunder, each spark louder than a heartbeat.

The guardian of the Treasury herself had arrived!

HECK YEAAAAAHHH!

"Come on, Emilia!" Zephyrona remarked, a wide grin plastered across her face, showing sharp dragonic fangs. "Didn't I tell you not to wander into one of the red ruby doors?"