Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard-Chapter 101: Find the source- Part 2

Sophia coughed and waved her hand.

"Well, that was unexpected."

Auriel shot her an exasperated look.

"You are reckless."

Sophia grinned unapologetically.

"Hey, it works as long as it works, right? You have no right to complain about any of it."

Auriel turned her attention back to the swirling darkness ahead of them. It was impossible to see beyond the writhing mass of shadows, but she could feel something—something deeper inside, radiating pure malice.

"The core is further in. If we don’t find it soon, this corruption will spread and consume the entire imperial castle."

Auriel stated.

Sophia cracked her knuckles.

"Then let’s go find it."

The two stepped forward, cautiously moving through the darkness.

The further they went, the thicker and more oppressive the air became. It was as if the shadows themselves were trying to push them back, resisting their intrusion.

Auriel’s divine aura flared brighter, pushing back the darkness just enough for them to see their surroundings.

The chamber they had entered was vast, with walls lined with ancient symbols that glowed faintly. The ground beneath their feet felt unstable, as if the very foundation of the castle had been tainted by the dark magic.

Then, in the center of the room, they saw it.

A massive sphere of pulsating darkness, veined with cracks of crimson energy. It hovered just above the ground, its presence radiating pure malevolence.

Every pulse sent another wave of corruption outward, feeding the darkness that enveloped the castle.

Sophia let out a low whistle.

"Well, that’s not ominous at all."

Auriel narrowed her eyes, stepping closer.

"This isn’t just dark magic... there’s something alive inside of it. We need to be cautious or we might become its next meal instead."

As if responding to her words, the sphere shuddered, and the shadows around them began to shift. A deep, guttural growl echoed through the chamber as a form began to take shape within the core.

Glowing red eyes appeared first, burning like embers in the dark mist.

Then, long, clawed hands emerged, reaching out from the swirling void. The figure’s presence sent a chilling aura through the room, the oppressive energy making it hard to breathe.

Auriel’s grip on her power tightened.

"Prepare yourself."

Sophia, for once, didn’t argue. She raised her hands, arcane energy crackling around her fingertips as the shadowy figure fully emerged from the sphere.

Then, with an earth-shaking roar, it lunged toward the pair with the intent to rip them apart.

But before it could reach the pair, darkness obstructed their path once more, making it impossible to be able to see what was happening.

Auriel raised her hand, summoning a spear of divine light that cut through the swirling darkness around them.

The shadows recoiled violently, parting as if they had been burned by the sheer purity of her power. As the veil of darkness lifted, their enemy was revealed.

A hulking, grotesque creature stood before them—a hideous amalgamation of various beasts fused together in a perverse mockery of nature.

It had the muscular body of a bear, but its skin was covered in dark, jagged scales. Its head was a twisted fusion of a wolf and a serpent, with one glowing red eye in the center of its forehead. Large, leathery wings sprouted from its back, twitching as it shifted. Its limbs ended in razor-sharp talons, each claw dripping with a thick, black substance that sizzled upon contact with the stone floor.

The beast let out a deafening roar, shaking the very walls of the chamber.

Sophia took a step back, blinking in disbelief before letting out a short laugh.

"The royal family really needs better taste in pets."

The moment her voice echoed through the chamber, the chimera’s massive head snapped toward them, locking onto their presence.

A guttural snarl rumbled from deep within its chest before it charged, its massive claws slamming into the ground as it propelled itself forward.

"Oops,"

Sophia muttered before quickly summoning a spell. A blast of crackling energy shot from her fingertips, striking the creature head-on.

The impact sent a shockwave through the room, but instead of stopping the beast, the attack merely knocked it back a few steps before it shook itself off, entirely unscathed.

Auriel barely had time to react before the monster lunged again. She moved swiftly, grabbing

Sophia by the wrist and pulling her out of the way just as the beast’s massive claws slashed through the air where she had been standing.

They landed a few feet away, and Sophia groaned as she pushed herself up.

"Okay, that did nothing. Interesting."

Auriel shot her a sharp look.

"Interesting? That thing nearly tore you apart."

Sophia’s lips quirked up into a smirk, her curiosity outweighing her concern.

"That just means I need to try harder."

Auriel frowned.

"No. This thing isn’t something you should be experimenting on. We need to eliminate it before it spreads more corruption."

Sophia’s expression hardened with worry and excitement.

"And how do you expect to do that without knowing what we’re dealing with? If I can test its limits, we’ll know how to bring it down."

Auriel hesitated. As reckless as Sophia was, she wasn’t wrong. The chimera was resistant to magic, and if they didn’t figure out its weakness soon, it would continue rampaging.

Seeing the conflict on Auriel’s face, Sophia grinned.

"Come on, trust me. Let me test something. I’m sure I can handle this."

Auriel exhaled sharply before nodding.

"Fine. But the moment I see you in danger, I’m stepping in."

Sophia’s grin widened.

"Deal."

With renewed determination, Sophia turned back to the chimera, rolling her shoulders before lifting her hands.

This time, she didn’t just throw a single spell—she unleashed a barrage. Bolts of energy crackled through the air, striking the monster with rapid precision.

Fire, lightning, ice—she used everything in her arsenal, pushing her magic to its limits.

She was a talented mage who was using everything she had at her disposal to fight this creature.

For a moment, it seemed to be working.

The beast staggered under the relentless assault, its movements slowing as the spells crashed against it. The room trembled from the sheer force of magic being thrown.

Victory finally seemed to be in fight.

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