. . .
Clang! Their swords collided. Steel met steel in every hard, intense swing. Dense, sharp aura wrapped around each blade, compressing the surrounding air until every impact felt heavy and forcing.
Snow screeched and scattered with each clash of steel. The surface split apart, lifted by the pressure of opposing auras crashing into one another.
Elisvaria was in a clearly disadvantageous position. She was forced to face two assassins at once. One opponent's realm appeared equal to hers, while the other waited with an unpredictable rhythm. Her condition worsened by the fact that the energy within her body had yet to fully recover.
I can't use that technique perfectly. I might only be able to release that final technique once.
Clang! Another collision rang out as Elisvaria blocked a vertical strike from above. At the same moment, the man equal to her exploited the narrow opening, aiming for her blind spot and slashing without hesitation, intending to finish her before she could adjust her stance.
After a brief parry, she shifted sideways. The aura around her sword was compressed, forced close to the limit she could still control. The flow of energy felt both hot and cold in her palm as she released the signature sword technique of the Velmora family.
Ice Dew Sword Technique
Ice Arrow Slash
Wsshh! The air split apart.
A horizontal slash surged forward, accompanied by a burst of frost that resonated with the sharp aura surrounding the blade. The air along the path of the strike froze for an instant. The man realized the danger at the very last moment and blocked, reinforcing the sword in his hand while channeling most of his aura to harden both blade and body.
Krang!
Their swords collided with a heavy sound, as if the metal itself screamed under unnatural pressure. The man had misjudged the power of the attack. His body was thrown dozens of meters backward, followed by sharp shards of ice that pierced and scraped across him, leaving wounds that froze almost instantly.
Snow exploded into the air from the impact, swirling before falling back down in small fragments.
Even in her current condition, this woman is still monstrously strong. I would have died skewered by those glacier-like blades if I hadn't noticed it early.
The man stared ahead while enduring the pain spreading through his entire body. He saw the aftermath of the technique that had just been unleashed. Sharp glaciers had formed across the snow-covered ground, created from the lingering frost carried by Elisvaria's sword swing.
That sword technique is truly dangerous!
"You are incredibly tough, Duke! I admit it! You are the hardest target our organization has ever faced. As a sign of respect, it would be better for you to surrender and die painlessly by my sword."
Elisvaria remained silent. From the beginning, she had no intention of entertaining such words. Her gaze stayed cold, fixed on the opponent before her, reading every change in breathing and foot placement.
At her side, one of the assassins had been standing still all this time. Although the aura within him indicated an Expert Aura realm, the caution he displayed felt far more dangerous. That figure waited, as if needing only a single small mistake to decide the battle's end.
I have to kill him first. I cannot afford to be careless and let even the smallest variable remain alive.
Fsshh! Snow split beneath Elisvaria's rapid step. Her target was immediately the man who had not moved from his position. Her body vanished from sight and appeared at his side.
Wsshh! A swift slash was released, aimed at the neck with speed that allowed almost no time to react.
The sword stopped in midair.
Bzz! Krrang!
A transparent barrier enveloped the man's body. The barrier trembled violently, its light rippling outward from the point of impact as the sword was repelled. The vibration of energy was clear and stable, a sign that this was not a low-tier spell.
Elisvaria retreated several steps, maintaining distance. Her eyes sharpened as she focused on the man, her mind moving quickly to assemble the worst possible outcomes.
A mage? This just became even more troublesome.
"Did you underestimate me? Did you think I was an Aura Practitioner?"
The man finally spoke. His hand moved inside his clothing and pulled out an object. A sheet of ancient paper appeared, filled with unique symbols and tightly sealed energy. He tore it apart without hesitation. In an instant, the aura of an Expert realm practitioner vanished without a trace, disappearing as if it had never existed.
The man let out a short chuckle.
"You were fooled, Duke. I am a mage. You can guess my true strength."
"A seven-star mage?"
"A perfect score for you. What a shame our mission is to kill you. I would have liked to play around, to feel what the body of a noble-class woman like you is like."
Elisvaria's grip on her sword tightened. Her shoulders trembled slightly, not from fear, but from anger held firmly in check. An Aura Practitioner and a mage. She quickly weighed the possible ways out of this situation while continuing to keep a safe distance.
A mage is not a major problem. Their weaknesses are clear in close combat. But fighting both of them at once, in my current condition, is truly difficult.
Her thoughts passed briefly to Vaelor and Nyra.
They must be struggling over there as well, and I am not in a position to help them right now.
"Luke, do not delay any longer. Reinforcements will arrive soon. Finish this according to the plan."
"Understood."
Hearing the leader's order, Luke moved without hesitation. Streams of magic began to gather around his body, the air trembling faintly.
Five-Star Spell
Aeris Dominus
The moment the spell was completed, his body lifted into the air. Gravity seemed to lose its hold on him. In an instant, Luke left the ground and hovered steadily above the battlefield, maintaining a safe distance.
Without giving any pause, he began chanting another spell.
Seven-Star Spell
Pluvia Ignis Lancea
Complex magic patterns appeared in the air around him. Layers of glowing circles formed, spinning rapidly and linking together. In a fraction of a second, solid spears of fire were created and fell one by one from the magic formation, shooting sharply toward Elisvaria below.
Boom! Snow evaporated and blasted into the air as heat spread in a brief wave.
Elisvaria leapt aside to evade. The ground where she had been standing exploded. A crater several meters wide formed, its surface scorched and cracked.
Before she could stabilize her stance, another fire spear fell toward her.
Boom!
She moved away again. Her body twisted midair, forcing herself to remain calm and focused amid the relentless rain of attacks that showed no sign of stopping.
Tch…
Mages were always troublesome and irritating.
Wosshh! A violent gust surged from behind her. Her instincts screamed. She realized the swordsman had already moved in, launching a close-range assault.
Too late.
The tip of his sword was already a step away, tearing through the air. Dense, sharpened aura vibrated violently at the edge of the blade, as if it could pierce anything in its path.
Overwhelming pressure. Sharp. Lethal.
In a fraction of a second, Elisvaria raised her sword. She deflected the thrust aimed straight at her heart. The opponent's blade met hers.
Krang!
A heavy, devastating impact followed. Snow exploded in all directions as Elisvaria was flung thirty meters backward. She did not stop there.
Brakk!
A tree trunk shattered as her body crashed into it before finally coming to a halt.
Ugkh!
She coughed. Fresh blood spilled from her beautiful lips, staining the snow beneath her.
My injuries are getting worse. That attack was clearly not an ordinary thrust. I protected myself with aura, yet I still suffered a serious wound.
From above, Luke did not miss the opportunity.
An opening!
He began chanting a seven-star fire spell once more.
Pluvia Ignis Lancea
This time, the output was far greater. The attack radius expanded, and the pressure of magic surged dramatically.
Larger, denser fire spears fell directly toward the woman.
Elisvaria rose with difficulty. This time, her resolve hardened. At the very least, she had to kill one of them.
Ah, right. That mage. I have hated them for a long time.
But—
She leapt far away.
Boom!
A violent explosion shook the area. Snow evaporated instantly. A crater more than ten meters wide formed at the point of impact. The surrounding trees were shattered into pieces and set ablaze.
"So slippery."
Luke noticed it.
This woman was incredibly tough and persistent. Even while injured, her movements remained agile enough to keep evading his fire magic.
He launched another volley of fire spears.
"Dodge, idiot!"
"What?!"
His companion's shout echoed from below. Luke glanced down for a moment. But the fire spears were already in motion.
The attack was destroyed before it could reach its target.
Thousands of sharp ice glaciers, each the size of a sword, shot toward him, shredding the fire magic he had just released. Their speed was overwhelming, like a barrage of bullets.
Damn, that's fast.
A quiet incantation escaped his lips.
Six-Star Spell
Astral Blue Barrier
The spell completed. A bluish, glowing defensive wall formed instantly in the air before him.
Sling!
The sharp ice glaciers slammed into the barrier.
Grrrh!
The protective wall shook violently under the continuous impacts, yet it did not break. Hundreds of ice shards fell and shattered after failing to penetrate the barrier.
Luke let out a long breath.
Just a little slower, and my body would have been torn apart.
Below.
Wrssh! The air screamed.
"You—!"
The swordsman jerked in shock. His focus was broken. A deadly attack came from the side, like a sudden exploding storm.
He had no time to move. Dodging would only make things worse.
This insane woman. That thrust was fully compressed into a single focal point. The air along its path ruptured. The power was enough to pierce through a small hill.
Damn it… let's gamble.
The man gathered all of his remaining aura at the tip of his sword. Energy was compressed along with his own ultimate technique.
The sword thrusts collided.
Impact.
Kriet! Ice cracked.
SHRAAAAA-TTTT!
The two attacks met at a single point. A piercing atmospheric shriek erupted, sharp enough to deafen.
The colliding auras surged outward like a solid wave, forming a crater beneath their feet.
Krak!
The sound of trees cracking and breaking rang out. Sharp ice glaciers were hurled into the air by the shockwave, destroying trees across a radius of hundreds of meters.
Snow filled the air and slowly drifted back down, as if winter had just begun anew.
From above, Luke stared at the result of that deadly clash.
His leader lay inside a crater forty meters wide. Not far from him, the woman knelt on one knee, her sword supporting her body to keep her from collapsing.
That attack… if it had been aimed at me, I would be dead. My defensive magic is not strong enough to withstand energy compressed into a single point like that.
Elisvaria looked at the man. Complex emotions churned within her.
Not dead. The energy in my body is almost gone. Only enough to keep this body standing. The mage is still up there. I never fully recovered from the start.
Nyra, Vaelor… I hope you're safe.
"Heh… damn bitch. I almost died."
The man stood up. Before the clash earlier, he had used attack-enhancement magic to balance against the woman. Without the magic from the artifact ring on his finger, there was no way he could have endured that brutal strike.
The enhancement spell in the ring was single-use and required recharging. But it was enough. At least, he was still alive today.
He staggered forward and stopped three meters from the woman.
Elisvaria was in terrible condition. Her silver-white hair was dulled by dust and snow. Her red eyes were heavy with exhaustion. Her face was pale, the wounds on her arms and body reopened, blood dripping slowly and worsening her state.
Ugkhh!
She coughed again. More blood spilled than before.
The man smiled. Satisfaction was clear on his face. This achievement would raise his status once the mission was complete.
"I will kill you without pain. Speak your final words, Duke. I honor you as a fellow sword practitioner."
"Do it. I have nothing to say."
"Wait."
Luke's voice came from above. Both of them turned.
"What is it, Luke?"
"Let me handle this woman."
"Are you daring me?"
The man's brows furrowed. His gaze pressed down on the mage. That request crossed the line and wounded his pride. To him, this woman was a major achievement that would elevate his reputation across the continent.
"Forget it. Do whatever you want."
Luke backed off. He realized his request was excessive and abandoned his desire to toy with the woman.
The man did not respond. He looked at the Duke without hatred, only satisfaction.
He stepped closer. The aura of his sword was compressed along the blade as it slowly rose. A trace of hesitation surfaced, then was immediately cast aside.
The sword swung toward the woman's neck.
But—
Clang!
The blade stopped. The vibration of the impact traveled into the man's grip. His eyes widened as he searched for the one who had intercepted his strike.
Beside the woman stood a man. His clothes were shabby, like those of a wanderer. A single-edged longsword drew his attention for a brief moment.
Black hair?
The man pulled his sword back and took a ready stance. A new variable had appeared.
"Who are you?"
Instead of an answer—
Buk!
A kick slammed into his chest. His body was sent flying twenty meters backward.