Chapter 55 – Evil Star

Thunk—Silina’s body was shoved, her eyes widening in shock.

At that instant—

Swish—A chilling sound accompanied the appearance of a strange, curved blade slicing through the space she’d just occupied.

Beside her, her escort knight, Untra, swung his two daggers in sync with the curved blade’s movement.

And there stood Yurasia.

As Silina’s body began to tilt, she saw three blades closing in on Yurasia. At this rate, Yurasia would be impaled.

Worse still, one of the daggers seemed poised to bury itself in her pale neck.

Had her royal knight really allied with a demon? How long had he been plotting her death? On whose orders?

None of that mattered. She didn’t need to know.

There was no time to feel betrayed.

Her escort knight had become a clear enemy.

She had to act. She had to kill him.

Silina clenched her teeth, gathering her balance, and swung her axe high with her right hand.

But her axe didn’t reach its target.

Too late. Because of me, Yurasia is about to die.

Just as that thought crossed her mind—

Clang—!

Yurasia’s sword swung instantly, intercepting Untra’s dagger.

Then, whoosh—A dark blue aura surged from her black blade, slowing the curved blade’s approach.

In a fraction of a second—too fast for Silina to process—Yurasia had deflected both attacks.

Silina barely had a moment to be amazed before her gaze locked onto the still-moving curved blade.

If she could react in time—

Silina made a swift decision, throwing herself forward.

She shouted as she moved.

“Everyone, get back!”

“Y-yes!”

The academy students began retreating at Silina’s command just as she lifted her axe.

Clang—!

Two axes blocked the strange, curved blade. But it was heavy. She was being pushed back. If this continued, her stance would crumble. She had no idea what lay behind the wall, but the difference in strength was painfully clear.

Even so, Silina did not retreat.

Behind her stood Yurasia.

In that fleeting moment, Yurasia had risked her life to protect her.

That was enough reason to trust Yurasia.

She might not be able to guarantee the outcome, but she could buy some time.

And Yurasia responded to her resolve.

“Hup!”

A short breath. Following that breath, a blue sword aura surged from Yurasia’s blade toward the curved sword. Crack—! This time, the fully formed sword aura successfully deflected the curved blade. Yurasia lunged forward.

“Princess!”

There were no words exchanged. Only blue eyes met platinum eyes. But in Yurasia’s gaze was an unmistakable resolve, which Silina understood immediately.

Silina moved as well.

Her target was Untra, the knight who had once been her escort but was now her assassin.

She didn’t know how long it would take for the demon behind the wall to break through.

But she would kill Untra as quickly as possible.

That was their plan.

Golden mana surrounded Silina, a 3rd rank. Her hands gripped the axe tightly, almost bending its handle, and swung with all her might.

Behind her, Yurasia’s sword, charged with blue aura, sliced through the air.

Silina’s attack was a feint.

Yurasia’s sword strike was also a feint.

The real strike was the hidden blue aura.

Untra noticed.

He sidestepped Silina’s axe with light footwork, then adjusted his grip on his dagger to parry Yurasia’s sword. Watching the blue aura scattering around him, he swung his right-hand dagger.

At the same time—flash! Yurasia’s aura scattered.

Shredded fabric flew in all directions, and Untra’s steps drew closer.

And around Untra’s entire body was—

“…Aura.”

The emblem of a 5th rank warrior, the Aura Shield, surrounded him.

Aura Shield.

He had hidden his true power.

Untra’s supposed rank had been 4th, as her royal escort knight. But that was a lie.

Silina bit her lip, gripping her axe with her trembling hands.

Yurasia’s gaze, however, remained calm.

With a steady look, she measured Untra’s strength against her own and contemplated how to pierce his Aura Shield.

“If it’s only the threshold of a 5th rank Aura Shield, I can break through. I read about it… it’s no big deal.”

Yurasia recalled something Eliaernes had told her back when she had reached the 4th rank.

“An Aura Shield consumes a lot of mana. If you can force it into a long fight, you’ll eventually win—or so I’ve heard.”

But if a prolonged battle wasn’t possible…

“Sharpen your sword aura to its absolute limit and strike the same spot over and over. Relentlessly, without giving him a moment’s rest.”

After all, this combat technique was designed specifically to kill stronger opponents.

“Since it’s Yurasia, I know she can do it.”

Even if she didn’t believe in herself, she trusted Eliaernes, who had faith in her. So, Yurasia decided to trust in herself as well.

“If you can aim for where my sword strikes, without any breaks, we’ll stand a chance.”

“…Understood.”

With that brief exchange, Untra stepped into Yurasia’s range.

Their target was his right leg.

They would sever his leg, incapacitating him, and then deal with the demon.

Their plan was set.

Boom! Yurasia’s powerful step reverberated through the ground. The force from her lower body transferred into her arms as she swung her sword in a wide arc.

Crash—! Dozens of blue sword auras erupted from Yurasia’s blade. But Untra, covered in red aura, didn’t stop.

He swung his dagger effortlessly. The resulting aura shredded the blue sword aura. Yurasia’s sword did not halt.

Amidst the scattering aura, her golden hair flew. Her black sword cut through the air. Behind it, Silina’s twin axes struck in staggered motions.

Clang—clang—! In an instant, Untra deflected five attacks, then swung both hands.

Boom! A violent shockwave shook the ground as a bone-jarring impact hit both of them.

Their bodies trembled. Their bones ached.

Cough—Blood seeped from Silina’s mouth.

But she bore no wound. In the split second, Yurasia had deflected the aura that was aimed at her and Silina.

Nonetheless, remnants of the aura had grazed their bodies. The impact was like being struck by a massive hammer.

With trembling arms, Yurasia gripped her sword again. Her gaze remained sharp, her aura fierce and foreboding.

Untra clicked his tongue.

“A mere 4th rank, yet you’re impressive.”

And he sneered.

“A bright future, yet you’re doomed to die in a place like this. Truly a shame.”

Before he finished speaking, Yurasia charged.

Silina followed close behind. Untra watched them approach with a leisurely smile, then raised his daggers.

No need to block, he thought, focusing on attacking while keeping his Aura Shield intact.

Three strikes in a single breath.

Taking into account the hidden sword auras and killing intent, there were about a dozen strikes. Yet Untra was unfazed.

Though he lacked his main weapon, the axe, he had no doubt that these two girls, one a 4th rank and the other a 3rd, could never breach his Aura Shield.

And so far, his confidence was proving correct.

Their relentless attacks in the prolonged exchange only disturbed his Aura Shield, never breaking it.

Meanwhile, Yurasia and Silina accumulated wounds. Though none were fatal, their bleeding was increasing.

Their expressions twisted in pain, and the gaps between their attacks lengthened, clearly showing their fatigue.

Silina, in particular, was in a terrible state.

Lacking in stamina, strength, rank, and experience compared to Yurasia, and being Untra’s primary target, she was visibly paling.

Her face was ashen, her eyelids drooping.

Bright red blood dripped from her parted lips.

Untra’s sneer deepened as he lifted his arm, his aura flaring.

At that moment.

Untra’s instincts went on high alert.

An unknown sensation prickled at his nerves.

What could possibly threaten me now?

He didn’t have time to dwell on the question.

Rip—There was a tearing sound.

He hastily lowered his raised arm and looked toward the sound.

The fabric of his pants was torn.

It was an area protected by his Aura Shield.

Although maintaining the Aura Shield consumed considerable mana, he still had plenty left.

In fact, he had more than enough to kill these two women before him.

And yet, his pants had been torn. For a moment, his Aura Shield had been breached.

This wasn’t just a disturbance—it was a clean breach.

But how? He had no time to analyze the situation.

Above the tear in his pants, Silina’s axe swung down.

Clang—!

Her axe met the thick aura surrounding him, but it didn’t end there. Crack—! Her other axe smashed into the head of the first axe, lodged against his Aura Shield.

A loud crunch—It broke through the Aura Shield.

Untra’s eyes widened.

He raised his lowered arm, preparing to block the next attack. He expected it to be a strike from Yurasia’s sword. Moving with that assumption, Untra shifted.

At the same moment that Yurasia attacked.

But it wasn’t her sword.

It was her knee.

Yurasia’s knee drove into the back of Silina’s embedded axe, wedging it deeper.

Crunch—

“Argh!”

Silina’s axe cleaved into Untra’s thigh, embedding more than halfway. Muscle tore and tendons snapped.

Untra’s massive frame began to topple.

The sudden pain disrupted his Aura Shield, making the once-solid barrier waver.

Yurasia didn’t let the opportunity slip.

Crunch—Her knee struck again, driving the axe even deeper, severing more flesh as blood spurted out, fully tearing Untra’s leg apart.

His Aura Shield flickered and faded. Untra’s body swayed as he struggled to stay upright. He stretched one arm toward the ground to brace himself, but Silina’s axe swung, cutting that arm down. He tried to use his other arm, but she struck that one as well.

Untra’s body fell completely.

No Aura Shield. No mana barrier.

No armor, no defense.

Before Yurasia lay his exposed neck.

There was only one thing left to do.

Yurasia raised her sword.

And—

Slice—

Thud.

Untra’s head rolled onto the ground.

“…What… just happened?”

Yurasia had only raised her sword.

She hadn’t swung it, and Silina hadn’t raised her axe.

Yet Untra’s head was severed.

“Kee-hee-hee… huh-huh-huh!”

A spine-chilling laughter echoed from beyond their line of sight.

Yurasia turned her head. Silina lifted hers, too. Blue eyes and platinum eyes stared at the figure standing before them.

And at that moment, they both realized.

“Kee-hee-hee-hee… I smell the scent of maidens.”

There was no escaping the death that had arrived.