"Now's the time, Tifa! The finishing blow!"
Robin's voice rang out once again.
"Hah!"
Tifa let out a sharp cry. Leaping high into the air, she performed an impossible flip, gathering all her magic power into her right leg.
Like an inverted shooting star, carrying the momentum of a falling mountain, she delivered a vicious downward axe kick squarely on the clone's head.
BOOM—!
With an explosive sound, the clone could no longer maintain its form. Amidst an unwilling roar, it completely burst apart into a cloud of golden electricity and black mist.
With its clone destroyed, the Wooden Lupus's main body let out a roar of pain and fury.
It violently threw off Daphne. Its crimson, bestial pupils locked dead onto Tifa, who had just landed.
Abandoning all defense, violent lightning erupted from every crack in its carapace. Its entire body transformed into a bolt of golden lightning, charging toward Tifa in a mutually destructive stance.
This was its final, strongest death throes.
"Not good!"
Daphne's expression changed. She immediately activated her skill, [Laurel Wreath], consuming her stamina to massively boost her endurance. Disregarding everything, she threw herself in front of Tifa to block the attack.
BOOM—!!!
A terrifying collision occurred.
It was as if Daphne had been hit by a charging Goliath. She was instantly sent flying backward, spitting out a spray of blood.
She took the vast majority of the Wooden Lupus's impact head-on.
Behind her, Tifa was also swept up by the residual shockwave. With a muffled groan, she was similarly sent flying far away.
The battle ended in this instant.
Having unleashed its final strike, the massive body of the Abundance Sprite: Wooden Lupus crashed heavily to the ground. It dissolved into dissipating black smoke, leaving behind only a massive Magic Stone.
Almost at the exact same moment the two girls were sent flying, two figures moved.
One was Aiden. Taking a single step, he instantly appeared in the trajectory of Tifa's flight. Extending his arms, he caught her steadily in his embrace.
A soft, warm sensation transmitted to him. The beauty in his arms was pale, a trace of blood hanging from the corner of her mouth. She had clearly suffered significant internal injuries.
Aiden didn't hesitate. He immediately pulled a high-grade recovery potion from his coat and carefully brought it to her lips.
"Drink it."
His voice carried a trace of tenderness.
The other figure was Cassandra. She sprinted with all her might to Daphne's landing spot.
Although she couldn't fully catch her, she managed to cushion the fall.
"Saul Light!"
She immediately cast her healing magic. Gentle, healing light enveloped Daphne's body, beginning to repair the severe damage she had sustained from taking the attack head-on.
Daphne's face was as pale as paper, but with the magical healing, her injuries were finally stabilized, and her life was no longer in danger.
A hard-fought victory drew to a close.
"Beautifully done."
Aiden looked down at the slightly pale Tifa in his arms, his azure eyes filled with unconcealed admiration.
He carefully adjusted his posture so she could lean more comfortably against his chest, while holding the opening of the high-grade recovery potion to her lips.
Her warm breath brushed over the back of his hand, sending a slight tickle across his skin.
Tifa was only a Level 2 adventurer, but the strength and courage she had displayed in that battle far exceeded the boundaries of her Level.
Not only had she single-handedly suppressed and defeated the clone of the "Abundance Sprite: Wooden Lupus"—a monster with a potential ability parameter as high as Level 3—but she had even delivered the killing blow to the clone at the end.
After all, the Wooden Lupus's clone wasn't a simple phantom. It possessed nearly identical combat power to the main body, and even sensory feedback from injuries was synchronized with the main body.
This explained why, after the clone was defeated by Tifa with the momentum of a thunderbolt, the monster fell into a reckless frenzy.
It was because Tifa had already severely wounded its "soul" beforehand.
Of course, Daphne also deserved immense credit for this victory.
Aiden's gaze shifted slightly. Not far away, Cassandra was flusteredly casting healing magic on Daphne. Although Daphne was more severely injured, her eyes shone with the satisfaction and resolve of a post-battle victory.
Had she not acted as a shield, pinning down the main body of the Wooden Lupus head-on to prevent it from effectively coordinating a pincer attack with its clone, it would have been absolutely impossible for Tifa to secure victory so smoothly.
This was a perfect display of teamwork.
As the warm potion slid down her throat, dispelling the stinging pain inside her body, a trace of color returned to Tifa's pale face.
Leaning against Aiden's broad, solid chest, feeling his steady, powerful heartbeat and listening to his sincere praise, a current of warmth surged in her heart.
She tilted her head up slightly. Her long black hair cascaded like a waterfall over Aiden's arm, and her bright eyes gazed at his face, which was mere inches away.
"If I don't work a little harder," her voice was somewhat weak, yet it carried an unyielding stubbornness, "I'm afraid... I won't even be able to see your back anymore."
Her voice was very soft, yet it tickled Aiden's heartstrings like a feather.
He could feel the determination to catch up hidden behind her words, as well as a barely detectable, anxious fear of being left behind.
Hearing this, Aiden couldn't help but chuckle.
He lowered his head, his nose almost touching Tifa's forehead, and said in an extremely serious and gentle tone: "You won't. I believe in you."
No flowery words, no extra explanations—just a simple "I believe in you."
This unreserved, almost matter-of-fact trust left Tifa completely stunned.
Her heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks, which had just cooled down, began to heat up uncontrollably once more.
She instinctively avoided Aiden's overly sincere eyes, burying her cheek deeper into his chest. In a voice so quiet only she could hear, tinged with a mix of bashful annoyance and sweetness, she mumbled, "It's because... it's because of this inexplicable trust of yours that I..."
"Hm? What did you say?"
The subsequent murmurs were as faint as a mosquito's buzz. Aiden didn't catch it and wore a confused expression.
"Nothing!"
Tifa suddenly lifted her head like a startled cat, and glared at him reproachfully.
That feigned fierce glare, paired with her flushed cheeks, carried absolutely no intimidation. Instead, it only added a bit of naive charm.
She struggled, trying to sit up from his embrace, only to find she was being held tightly, completely unable to move.
"How long are you going to keep holding me?" she asked, somewhat annoyed but also shy. "Put me down quickly, careful... be careful Robin gets jealous."
Although being held by Aiden like this gave her an unprecedented, intoxicating sense of security—making her even somewhat reluctant to leave—Tifa ultimately still knew how to read the room.
What's more, she could sense that the elegant figure not far away was fixing her gaze on them with great interest.
Aiden froze upon hearing this, instinctively looking up. Sure enough, he met Robin's smiling, lake-green eyes.
"It's fine," Robin walked over slowly with elegant steps, her skirt swaying gently with her movements.
She stopped in front of the two, tilting her head, a perfect, spring-breeze-like smile hanging on her face. "You can hold her as long as you want, as long as Tifa isn't angry."
Her voice was gentle and melodious, as if she didn't mind at all that her boyfriend was holding another beautiful girl. That composure and magnanimity actually made the atmosphere even more delicate.
Aiden drew in a breath of... well, the air mixed with Tifa's sweat and faint, sweet scent.
He was instantly caught in a dilemma; letting go was wrong, not letting go was also wrong.
The soft touch on his arm and the warm body in his embrace made his thoughts wander, but Robin's seemingly gentle yet all-seeing gaze sent a chill down his spine.
"Tifa-dear, how are you? Let me see quickly!"
Just as this awkward atmosphere was about to congeal, a lively voice rang out like a savior.
----
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