It was Sandra Ironically who first eyed the prize, “Guys a fish with a key! I found it!”

“Did you get it?” Giel asked tail wagging hopefully

“No it swam away, but It’s probably still in the area!”

“You know,” the Demon King said blinking into the line of sight, holding one of the larger fish over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes “if you want to find something just ask Hailey”

The elf’s eyes went wide, shivering as all the eyes in the room turned to her “W-what?”

“Page 8 in your spellbook” the demon explained, breaking the fish over his knee and revealing a glowing katana made of blue metal “Nice!” the demon said, ginning at the weapon.

Ali watched her friend flip to the page

The elf looked up questioningly at the Demon King “‘Trackers eye’? The sight affinity spell?”

“That's the one! Prep it and have it ready to cast as soon as you glips that key.”

Hailey nodded and raised her hand in the way she always did when she was preparing a spell. The pose was completely unnecessary but it seemed to help the elf think.

After a few seconds of obvious effort, Hailey spoke “Got it…”

The party stuck together behind the elf as they tried to spot the key fish again.

They had, mostly Ali, destroyed around half of the fish already so it didn't take long to see the sone they wanted

Ali spotted a gleam of copper within the crystal body of one of the fish, as the thing passed she got a better look. It was the key!

“Hail! There!” Ali said pointing t where she spotted the fish

The elf spotted it immediately and released the spell. Her eyes flashed with white light and Hailey cried out seeming more in surprise than pain. At the same time, the key fish began to glow to Ali’s vision

The Demon King blanched “that, uh, that's not supposed to… that's not normal” he muttered as he watched the fish glow in the sky

“an effect of her multielement core?” Ali guessed, receiving an agreeing nod from the demon

“Probably… only Hailey should be able to see the fish’s location but im assuming her light mana mixed in and... Changed the effect”

“Whatever it was it hurt” Hailey complained “My eyes!”

The Demon King sent a healing spell her way and she quickly stopped blinking and squinting

“Note to self, close your eyes when you cast that one”

“At least we know whatever now,” Kenn said patting the elf's back gently

"So your sacrifice was not in vain” Giel added “we will remember you forever… whatever your name is” he joked

“I’m not dead” Hailey snorted with a roll of her eyes and a quiet giggle but quickly calmed up and went red like she always did.

There was still the matter of catching the diamond fish. It swam weaving through the others of its kind, glowing like a beacon.

Ali was pretty much out of fire mana, so no more flares, the ice mana was petty good and her lightning was pretty much full, but aiming as t such a small constantly moving target was difficult.

The key fish was probably one of the smallest of all of the diamond fish, and because of that the fastest and most maneuverable. It zipped throughout the room using the other fish as cover and leading Ali and the others to keep missing their shots, breaking other fish, or otherwise wasting mana.

At one point the fish passed right by them, Kenn swung his sword batting the manabeast out of the air.

The fish dodged the blade easily, diving downward and spiraling around them like a whirlpool in an almost cocky way before shooting up to the school again.

Kenn glared at the retreating fish “Damn it!”

Ali looked over at the hourglass “We’re running out of time!” she turned and sent the last of her ice mana out in the form of several icebolts, watching as each of the icicles just missed the diamond fish with the key.

Kenn followed suit firing mana cuts with each swing of his sword, but like with Ali’s projectiles, the fish dodged each of them “At least this is getting easier,” he sighed looking down at the glow fading from his weapon.

“I-is it just me or is this fish smarter than the others” Hailey pointed

The Demon King nodded “probably directly dungeon controlled.”

Sandra looked over “So our DM is fucking with us”

“Well it's a DC, dungeon core, but yeah.”

The fish swooped down again, seemingly in response to the conversions.

Sandra cast her new shadow strike spell, the unexpectedness of the extra range seeming to surprise the fish and the shadow-mana-formed knife nicking its crystal flesh. It didn't kill the creature but there was a hissing sound as it began to lose air and thus its ability to gain altitude.

The diamond fish with the key was now swimming just above the ground, It zoomed of weaving between their legs.

Giel attempted to step on it, but the fish-only barrel rolled to the side, flicking its tail off the ground to jump up and bash itself between the beast-kin thighs.

Giel clutched at his crotch, crumpling and whimpering like a kicked puppy.

Both Kenn and the Demon King visibly shrank in sympathy.

Ali cast lightning bolts, the fish swerved tanking each of the spells before zooming away before anything else could be done.

It was just too fast, and they were out of time.

Ali looked on in horror as the Hourglass drained down to its last tenth.

“We’re going to die…”

Giel growled, “Kenn do something!”

The warrior blanched “Why me?”

“I don't know! Just go!”

Ali was silent as she watched the last of the sand fell.

In the last second, she saw the desperation of panic fill Kenn’s gaze the warrior lifted his hand and...

The last-second didn’t end.

The world slowed, and while Ali’s mind still thought as normal her entire body moved as if it was swimming through molasses. It took ten seconds to bring her hand up enough to look at it, and another ten to turn her head and take in the room, The others were similarly affected, they all were as if the universe itself was in slow motion. Sandra hung in the air where she had lunged at the diamond fish, Giel lay still crumpled on the ground, Hailey stood in midstep reaching out to the beast-kin.

The school of remaining diamond fish were all but still, including the key-fish. Even the demon king was slowed for a moment before his whole body vibrated and he was once again moving as normal. still, his voice came out slow and low-pitched, the very air that carried the sound moving sluggishly, “By the gods…”

The only one who wasn't affected at all was Kenn.

He stood there looking as if he was going to pass out, or worse. His face was drawn and gray, his breath alternated between heavy and wheezing as he swayed dangerously on his feet.

Ali wanted to call out to him, and she could hear Hailey beginning to even slowed as she was.

Kenn straightened looking as if his body weighed tons, he stumbled over to the laggardly swimming form of the key-diamond fish and, even as it tried to escape, brought his boot down on its head.

Then Kenn collapsed.

The Demon King looked horrified “Crap. Shit! Damn it!!! Hailey I’m going to need your help on this one. We’re dealing with mana depletion” HE pointed as the elf, he looked to the rest of them “And one of you idiots go unlock that door so his effort isn't wasted”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All beings felt it as the world shuddered.

A few moments stretched out into minutes as time herself seemed to stall.

Couples in the midst of love rejoiced. Those suffering great pain cursed.

But most just chalked it up as their own imaginations or some unknown magical event, such things weren't truly uncommon in this world.

But the oldest and most powerful of creatures felt otherwise. They could sense the mana that had created this anomaly. Odd and powerful though it was, it had one distinct quality.

It was of a mage. And from its density a first-trial, at that.

If this was this mage’s power at the first stage…

Some felt hope. A hero to slay the calamity. They would do all they could to strengthen this mage.

Some felt he was a threat. Power like that could destroy them, surely. It must be ended before that level is reached.

And some. Some knew they had to have such power for themselves.

One such being stood from her seat, stretching her gold feathered wings and listening to the echoing clink of her armor, and without a word took off into the night sky.