Ch.210210. Melee (3)

With a thunderous explosion, condensed flames burst forth, illuminating the world with a brilliant flash.

The massive explosion engulfed both friend and foe indiscriminately. While our allies had a moment to catch their breath, the enemy was forced to focus on defense to prevent their bodies from burning.

I quickly retreated, not wasting the time Tania had bought for us.

The crater from the explosion and the thick dust obscured my vision. As I watched the Demonkin trying to smother Tania’s final bombardment—the blue embers clinging to my body—with Magia, I steeled my resolve.

The first thing I needed to do was…

‘My remaining Mana.’

My lifeline. How much Mana did I have left?

I quickly assessed what remained in my core and couldn’t help but sigh.

‘Really not much left. Still… thanks to Tania’s consideration, I have this much at least.’

Even after that spectacular attack, the fact that I had any Mana left was a testament to Tania’s contribution.

I instinctively understood that she had considered my limited Mana and shouldered most of the burden that should have fallen on me when casting the spell.

From the Mana that constituted her physical form in this world to the power of her true self in the spirit realm—she had forcibly gathered that immense Mana that should have been impossible to collect while trapped in the spirit realm. She had created that final shot using every trick she could muster in this world, even accepting the backlash herself.

Even after Tania was recalled, the blue flames she left behind showed no signs of diminishing as they devoured the forest. Like mines scattered everywhere, these sacred flames consumed only those with Magia without burning a single blade of grass.

‘…She must be groaning in pain in the spirit realm.’

Just looking at this scene, I could vividly imagine Tania returning to the spirit realm completely drained, whining while being nursed by Chang-sik.

Ending my stray thoughts with a mental note to ask for a spirit stone as a gift for Tania the next time I met a High Elf, I assessed how many exchanges I could manage against that Demonkin who had suffered a major penalty from Tania’s flames.

‘With this much Mana…’

With equal power, five exchanges at most.

With slightly superior power, two exchanges at best.

I couldn’t afford to move too late or slip up when opportunity presented itself.

I slung my bow over my shoulder.

“Orna, prepare again. Focus only on supporting my movements and obstructing their vision.”

—Keong!

The Demonkin pushed back the flames consuming her body with Magia. Determined to kill me, the spirit user, to escape the flames, she raised her sword and charged.

Soon her blade would reach my neck. At this close range, shooting my bow would only result in my head being pierced rather than her heart.

First exchange.

Chae-aeng—!

I dodged the lightning-fast thrust aimed at my neck that came with her drawing her sword.

Crack…!

Was this truly a desperate strike from my opponent? A horrifying sound erupted from my wrist. My relaxed right wrist bent unnaturally against her monstrous strength as she flexibly turned her sword.

“You damn bastard!”

“Ssup…!”

I took a deep breath, focusing power in my core to smoothly transition to the next move.

Second exchange.

Forcibly gripping my broken right wrist as its strength began to fail, I rotated it.

My right hand held the sword handle just enough to maintain a clean cutting path, while I channeled strong force into my still-intact left hand.

With the sensation of cutting deeply downward to the end, I pressed my left hand, left arm, and ultimately the sharp blade heavily downward.

From northeast to southwest. The Demonkin’s neck and heart lay in the middle of my sword’s path. In that fleeting moment as I swung my sword down—

“…!”

The Demonkin’s sword path changed abnormally. A technique impossible for someone missing a left arm.

The woman, whose posture had faltered after failing to thrust, instantly twisted her body to avoid her neck and heart being hit, and stabbed my right leg instead.

‘Damn it…!’

The deep stab immediately collapsed my center and posture. The power behind my slash was inevitably weakened.

Skretch—!

I felt the blade cutting through, with Orna’s support adding speed to my strike, but it was shallow. I hadn’t cut deeply enough in one go.

As her sword withdrew from my thigh, my blade aimed for her neck again.

Our eyes met for an instant.

I abandoned the remaining three exchanges and concentrated all my energy into this strike. I was confident my sword would reach her faster. Besides, I had high-quality potions nearby that could patch up a hole in my stomach.

Since it had come to this, I’d take a hole in my stomach if it meant taking her head.

Without looking back, I focused solely on the single point I needed to pierce.

Third exchange.

My sword shot forward, compressed with the last bit of my remaining Mana.

As my blade raged with killing intent, I quickly cleared my mind. Nothing was worse than losing flexible thinking by getting drunk on bloodlust.

I saw it.

“…!”

The path of the Demonkin’s sword rising to tear open my stomach. I could even see how to strike her remaining right arm to disable her.

So I changed direction.

My sharp thrusting attack suddenly plunged downward, but I sensed there wouldn’t be enough time.

—Keong!

Orna’s magic infused my sword.

The blade, now imbued with increased speed, bent downward with even more magnificent velocity.

“Eek…!”

In the end, I heard the woman’s startled groan.

She had moved in close to ensure her sword would pierce me deeply, but unfortunately, she no longer had an arm to wield it.

I kicked the ground with my left foot, changing my posture while avoiding the falling blade. We were so close there wasn’t even room to swing a sword.

Final exchange.

Without hesitation, I dropped my sword.

Forcing strength into my barely responsive arms and hands, I performed a familiar motion.

From the quiver on my back, I naturally drew an arrow. As the half-human, half-demon struggled, her Magia fluctuating as she tried to suppress the damage from Tania’s flames.

The moment a gap appeared in her Magia around her neck—

“Keu, keuuuk…”

My arrow marked the end of the battle.

Her form slowly crumbled as she glared at me with resentful eyes.

Barely half-human, half-demon, yet possessing strength more terrible than a lesser demon. Surviving and ultimately defeating this tenacious opponent was certainly an achievement worth celebrating, but right now, fatigue outweighed any joy from victory.

“No, damn it…”

They said demon blood had thinned over a thousand years.

How is this what thinned demon blood looks like?

I carelessly tossed her aside and dragged my body, which now barely responded to my commands. Lying spread-eagled on the ground where a pool of blood would soon form wasn’t the best idea.

I reached a spot a little distance away and leaned against the remains of a broken altar pillar.

“…I’m dying here.”

—Myaang…

A ball of fluff nestled against my chest, looking up with worried eyes and rubbing against my cheek, but unfortunately, I didn’t even have the strength to gently stroke it or move a single finger.

My entire body was suffering from extreme weakness and lethargy, and to make matters worse, there was a large hole in my right leg that was actively pouring blood.

Perhaps because the sword had been soaked in Magia, the wound seemed to bleed even more profusely. My leg had been pierced so smoothly. Looking at my leg only irritated me, so I raised my head.

‘I’m a complete mess.’

My left wrist was properly broken and swollen, the steel plates around my shoulder and chest were covered in small scratches, and parts of the leather exterior had been sliced off by sword strikes I couldn’t completely avoid.

My body was testament to how fierce the battle had been.

“Huu…”

My eyelids were gradually closing.

Perhaps because I’d been caught in Tania’s self-destruction, there weren’t any Demonkin nearby. Still, losing consciousness alone here would be as good as death.

Exerting all my remaining strength to keep my eyes open, I assessed the remaining battlefield situation.

I could make out the status of the two most important figures left here.

‘Irene, and—’

First, I saw Irene.

As the dust from the fierce battle settled, I could see that while she had many minor injuries, she had suffered no major wounds. She had taken down another Demonkin’s head, causing yet another Demonkin to retreat.

Then I saw—

“…Friel?”

With golden hair that had lost its original brilliance.

In stark contrast to Irene, lying motionless on the cold ground was the daughter of House Arielt.

The ominous sight of Friel Arielt.