episode_0138

On a hill near the burning city.

Silphi focused her magical energy on Milaia and Bloodstain, secretly watching them.

“What are they trying to do…?”

Silphi couldn’t predict why Milaia had come to this place.

She couldn’t possibly be here alone to face the entire demon army.

But she remembered the day Milaia had given up her life with a hero.

Her actions back then were incomprehensible.

That’s why Silphi decided to keep a close eye on what was happening here.

Milaia walked boldly into the city filled with demons, without hiding or avoiding.

Some demons rushed towards her, but naturally, they couldn’t be her match.

And soon, a demon with a formidable presence appeared on the hill.

“That demon…”

Silphi remembered.

It was the demon who had killed heroes with terrifying power.

His name was… Bloodstain, if she recalled correctly.

The demons surrounding Milaia in a circular formation, facing her and Bloodstain.

“What… what’s going on…”

Silphi was becoming more and more puzzled.

Could Milaia possibly be betraying them and colluding with the demons?

No, that couldn’t be it.

If that were the case, the demons wouldn’t have attacked her.

So, were they here to negotiate?

No, that didn’t make sense either.

Negotiation was only possible when the other party was willing.

It was absurd to negotiate alone with the demon army that had openly attacked the kingdom.

“I’m curious…”

Silphi narrowed her eyes, furrowing her brows as she focused on Milaia and Bloodstain.

The distance was too far for the naked eye to discern, but with her magical energy concentrated, she could barely see the situation.

If only Shari, whom she had sent ahead, returned, she could have a clearer picture of the situation.

Lost in thought, Shari suddenly appeared from under Silphi’s feet.

Silphi, still focused on Milaia, didn’t even realize Shari had returned.

A moment later.

“Ahh!”

Startled by Shari’s sudden appearance in her field of vision, Silphi jumped back.

“Wha… when did you come back…”

Shari floated in the air with a satisfied smile, seemingly pleased with startling Silphi.

“Shall I show you what’s happening over there?”

Nodding, Silphi requested, and Shari immediately began showing her the scenes she had witnessed through her consciousness.

She saw Milaia and Bloodstain surrounded by demons, engaged in conversation.

She could also sense the tension between them that wasn’t exactly friendly.

It felt like they could start fighting any moment.

But Silphi still couldn’t understand what Milaia was up to.

“Should we get closer?”

Silphi moved to a better vantage point to observe the situation more clearly.

There were many hills around the burning city, providing different viewpoints.

Silphi agilely moved from one tree to another, swiftly changing her position.

Arriving at a new location, Silphi focused her magical energy on her eyes and observed the situation once again.

“Oh? They’re fighting!”

The situation had suddenly escalated.

Milaia and Bloodstain were locked in a one-on-one battle.

The monsters surrounding them dispersed and retreated far away.

“What… why…?”

Even without sending Shari to a different location, the situation was clear.

Although it was still a considerable distance, from Sylphy’s magical perspective, the view had become quite comfortable.

“Milreya… is falling behind…”

Sylphy couldn’t take her eyes off the intense battle between them, with Shari resting on her head.

Bloodstain was relentlessly attacking, while Milreya was defending and stepping back.

Even from such a distance, the sight was enough to make her body tremble slightly.

Sylphy couldn’t understand why the other monsters weren’t helping Bloodstain attack Milreya.

She didn’t think that they had agreed to a duel.

But since they were already fighting, that didn’t matter.

Sylphy swallowed nervously, silently cheering for Milreya to win the fight.

“Ah…”

However, as time passed, Milreya was falling further behind.

Bloodstain successfully attacked Milreya’s abdomen, showing signs of injury.

Although Bloodstain also had a wound on his side, his movements didn’t slow down at all.

And in the next moment, Bloodstain kicked the ground and leaped high into the sky.

Milreya took a defensive stance.

“It’s dangerous!”

Sylphy couldn’t help but shout out of a bad feeling.

The axe of Bloodstain gleamed red, clearly visible.

Milreya was known as the strongest adventurer and swordswoman, but there was no mercy for her from the demons.

Sylphy was convinced that Milreya was in a life-threatening situation.

“I… I have to do something!”

Sylphy took out her large bow.

There was no time to hesitate.

Senior Yunoa had once saved Milreya from a terrible demon.

So if Milreya were to be defeated by that demon here, Senior Yunoa would be saddened.

Sylphy loaded an arrow specially crafted for long-distance shooting with her magical power.

After receiving advice from Senior Yunoa and changing her weapon, she discovered her talent.

Although the enemy was close, Sylphy’s ability to concentrate magical power was almost genius-like.

As Bloodstain leaped towards Milreya like a meteor falling─

Thwack-!

Sylphy fired an arrow concentrated with all her magical power towards Bloodstain.

The arrow, leaving a trail of blue magical vortex, flew through the air like a beam of destruction.

* * *

Milreya sharply stared at the Bloodstain coming down towards her.

With great attacks come great vulnerabilities, but the overwhelming power of Bloodstain covered all those vulnerabilities.

At a point where defense and evasion seemed impossible, she reluctantly took a counterattack stance, knowing it was a low probability gamble.

The moment when Bloodstain was closing in on her felt like an eternity to Milreya.

Having vanquished numerous monsters before, she had never felt fear.

But even she realized that this attack could cost her life.

Countless scenarios played out in her mind.

But even with Milreya’s extensive combat experience, she couldn’t envision a future where she would emerge victorious.

A counterattack that seemed almost impossible to succeed… but she had no choice.

Milreya tightened her grip on the greatsword and lowered her stance slightly, preparing to leap as she looked up.

If they strike down, we rise up.

It would be great if I could stab him with a greatsword before his axe, but that was just a dream-like story.

Mireya was prepared to sacrifice her own life and turn Bloodstain into her comrade to counterattack.

But then.

Swoosh—

From somewhere, a blue beam of light flew towards Bloodstain at an incredible speed.

“…An arrow?”

A massive amount of magic concentrated arrow pierced through the air and embedded itself in Bloodstain’s side.

The arrow pierced through Bloodstain’s tough skin, relentlessly ravaging his insides.

“K… What, what is this!”

Bloodstain, caught off guard by the unexpected blow, staggered greatly.

Seizing the opportunity, Mireya pushed off the ground and leaped forward.

And—

Thud!

Mireya and Bloodstain crossed paths in mid-air.

A gruesome sound of flesh tearing echoed loudly.

The greatsword plunged into Bloodstain’s side wound, deeply cutting through.

Thud!

As Mireya lightly landed on the ground, Bloodstain crashed onto the ground behind her.

“…”

She immediately turned around to check on Bloodstain’s condition.

He lay motionless on the ground in a prone position.

The gaping wound on his side, and the horrifying contents oozing out of it, were visible.

Mireya readjusted her grip on the greatsword and slowly walked towards the fallen Bloodstain.

He couldn’t move, but his rough breathing was audible.

Bloodstain’s red eyes met Mireya’s gaze.

She couldn’t help but feel as if he was accusing her of being ‘cowardly’.

It was supposed to be a one-on-one duel, but an arrow that came out of nowhere decided the outcome.

It wasn’t a fair and honorable victory.

Mireya knew that well.

But that was all.

The goal was to directly take Bloodstain’s life from the start.

The method didn’t matter.

Even if Bloodstain wanted a fair and heated one-on-one duel, that was not Mireya’s concern.

The challenge was just a means, and the sudden arrow was an opportunity.

Mireya stepped on the fallen Bloodstain’s back and raised the greatsword.

Without a moment of hesitation, she brought down the greatsword, cutting Bloodstain’s throat.