"Is this really where that bastard and bitch were hiding?"
Croc arrived at the waterfall with two dozen of his men on both sides of the river, waiting for his command to begin the assault on wherever Sera claimed their targets were.
"This place has a barrier cast on it with a warding effect. That's why you fools wouldn't even consider the possibility of a cave hidden behind the falls."
"If that's true, how did you even notice it?" Croc asked, still doubting Sera's claim.
"I'm a Witch. I can see through a barrier cast by a Priestess even when my eyes are closed," Sera replied while gathering her mana in preparation for the fight.
"Besides, I cast a tracking spell on that moron's pathetic stick. Unless they left him behind or cut it off, there's no way they won't be here," she added before walking into the river.
The water beneath her red heels instantly froze, giving her a foothold to continue walking at the center of the river.
She held her staff with both hands, then cast her magic.
"Glacier."
The entire river and the waterfall further ahead froze, even the air in the surrounding area turning into a freezing white mist.
"Fireball."
Sera followed up with another offensive spell, summoning multiple fireballs mid-air above the frozen river, each the size of a human head, before launching a magical onslaught.
BOOM!
The destructive explosion obliterated the frozen falls, shattering the barrier protecting the cave and exposing Lu-el and Kaori to the spotlight of glowing fireballs.
"Oh my… are you two still not done?"
***
"Seriously? Right now—ahh~!" Kaori moaned from the stimulation of Lu-el pulling out, before crouching down in an attempt to hold back her nearing orgasm and compose herself from the embarrassment of being seen in the middle of the act.
"With that massive size, it definitely felt insanely good, right?" Sera said, teasing Kaori further.
"Now that you've had your turn, I guess I could have mine," she added, grinning with lustful eyes at Lu-el—or more accurately, at his still-erect rod.
Lu-el, meanwhile, picked up the towel on top of the fur blanket, then tightly wrapped it around his waist before grabbing the battle axe leaning against the cave wall.
"Ehh~! Don't cover it up," Sera muttered, disappointed that Lu-el wasn't going to fight naked like when he first showed up—especially since she herself was almost naked, wearing only her black robe..
Surely, a towel wouldn't add any defense.
Still, Lu-el was reluctant to fight naked—not because he felt embarrassed, but because the ominous glares from the bandits made him suspect they would definitely aim at his manhood during the fight.
"If you wanted me that much, then how about changing sides with us, Ms. Sera?" Lu-el said, trying to convince her and increase their chance of survival.
Lu-el stepped out of the cave, walking onto the frozen river barefoot. He should have felt cold, but the lustful heat within his body from his intimacy with Kaori kept him warm.
At the same time, Lu-el somehow felt that he had become stronger. After all, he was carrying what used to be a heavy metal axe that now felt like a light chopping tool.
"That's an offer as tempting as you," Sera replied with a sweet smile, "but unfortunately, I don't like sharing my lover."
"It's not like you'll have a choice once I put a collar on you and strap you to the bed," Lu-el teased—only to feel a murderous aura behind him, directed at everyone, including him.
"How about I just kill all of you?" Kaori said as she stepped out of the cave, the frozen river beneath her boots cracking with each step she took.
"You know I'm not exactly serious... right, Kaori?"
"Hmph!"
"Ehh~! So you're just toying with my feelings?"
"Enough with this bullshit!" Croc shouted, interrupting the mock love triangle between Lu-el, Kaori, and Sera.
"Keep that bastard alive just enough for him to die watching me fuc' that bitch!"
At Croc's command, the two dozen bandits surrounding the river charged at Lu-el and Kaori—only for all of them to slip and fall as soon as they stepped onto the frozen river.
"It's a literal ice field, you fools!" Kaori shouted before hovering mid-air with her heels barely touching the ice, distancing herself from the fight.
"Leave Croc to me, Kaori," Lu-el said, reassuring her that he could handle him.
"You're not gonna throw up again, are you?" Kaori replied, reminding him it was either kill or be killed.
"I'm already past that point."
"Don't die, Lu-el."
Kaori gathered her mana, enhancing her physical abilities to their utmost limit to boost her strength and speed.
She drew her dagger and knife as she dashed forward to intercept the incoming bandits.
In the blink of an eye, the frozen river—illuminated by Sera's fireballs—was painted in blood: severed hands, slit throats, slashed eyes and jaws, pierced guts, and headless bodies with their severed heads rolling across the bloodstained ice.
In just a few seconds of unleashing her newfound power, Kaori took down a dozen bandits.
"ARGHHH—!"
Screams of agony echoed through the dim surroundings, reverberating across the dark forest.
"You're not the only one who's fast!" Croc shouted.
He kicked off the ice, leaving a large crater as he charged toward Kaori at blinding speed.
Croc swung his sword, aiming to cleave Kaori in half—or so it seemed.
What he struck was merely an afterimage, while Kaori herself had already passed him and taken down the remaining bandits.
As Kaori's afterimage faded, Lu-el appeared in sight, rushing forward even faster than Croc was.
Lu-el swung his axe with all his enhanced strength, aiming to cut Croc in half.
BAM!
Sparks erupted as Lu-el's axe clashed with Croc's sword.
Although Croc managed to block the strike, the impact shattered his weapon and sent him stumbling across the ice, his leather armor torn as he slammed into the bodies of his fallen men.
"Go ahead… pick it up," Lu-el said, allowing Croc to grab the sword lying nearby. In truth, his arms ached and his hands were numb from exerting power he had not yet fully adapted to.
"You'll regret messing with me, FUCKER!" Croc roared in rage, humiliated by Lu-el's fake confidence.
***
While Lu-el and Croc continued fighting, Kaori began chasing Sera.
"Is that all the speed you've got?" Sera mocked, slowing Kaori's advance with a barrage of fireballs.
BOOM!
The frozen river shattered and began to melt, limiting Kaori's footholds while Sera continued hovering and retreating.
"You talk big for someone who hasn't landed a hit," Kaori shot back, dodging the incoming fireballs.
"It's simply because I'm still going easy on you."
At Sera's words, her offensive strategy changed.
Her fireballs suddenly disappeared.
Taking advantage of the darkness, she cast another spell.
"Whirlwind."
A strong gust of wind spiraled around her, releasing dozens of invisible wind blades toward Kaori.
"Idiot," Kaori muttered, confident that Sera had made a mistake—thinking a Huntress couldn't fight in the dark or dodge invisible attacks.
Kaori charged forward, increasing her speed and maneuvering skillfully, dodging every wind blade by sensing vibrations and hearing the faint slicing sounds in the air.
She reached Sera in an instant and swung her knife at her neck.
Sera, however, had anticipated everything. Her earlier attack had been a diversion.
Her real plan was to cast a defensive spell, forming a translucent mana shield to block Kaori's strike, while raising ice spikes from the frozen river to injure and capture her.
It was a flawless plan—Kaori had fallen into her trap.
Or so Sera thought.
[Moonlight Beast Claw—a divine weapon capable of slicing through and countering magical defenses.]
[Moonlight Beast Fang—a divine weapon capable of piercing through and countering physical defenses.]
Kaori gambled her life on the weapon Lu-el had given her as a gift to celebrate their becoming lovers.
Her knife sliced through the magical shield, and her dagger was already closing in on Sera's chest before the ice spikes could strike.
"Fireball."
BOOM!
In a desperate attempt to survive, Sera detonated a fireball between them.
The explosion blasted Kaori and Sera apart, sending them crashing across the ice, but they both managed to survive by covering their bodies in mana.
"You're really full of surprises…" Sera grumbled, slowly rising with the support of her staff. "First a mysterious high-quality lover, and now a pair of divine weapons."
"You can die of envy for all I care," Kaori retorted, getting back up with full confidence that she could win.
Or so she believed.
"Envy? Why would I, when I can just take everything from you?"
Sera rose into the night sky, reaching a height Kaori could not match even with a full jump.
"Like I said, I was going easy on you."
At her words, over a hundred fireballs—large enough to resemble blood moons—manifested in the night sky.
The overwhelming display of power halted both Lu-el and Croc.
"That bitch has gone mad," Croc grumbled, reconsidering running away.
"Kaori! Run!" Lu-el shouted in panic.
Kaori, however, could not help but feel both impressed and irritated as she literally looked up at Sera.
Still, she was confident she could dodge everything and escape amid the chaos.
But what about Lu-el? Sera wouldn't kill him, right? Kaori thought.
That meant she would have to leave him behind.
And she couldn't accept that.
"Go ahead, take your shot!" Kaori shouted, gripping her dagger and knife as she took her stance. "Let's see if you can even land a hit."
As Kaori prepared to face Sera—FLASH!—flares rose from deep within the forest into the night sky.
More bandits appeared around them. Lu-el rushed to Kaori's side, ready to fight alongside her. But to their surprise, the bandits weren't reinforcements.
"What the fuck is happening!" Croc shouted in panic, recognizing the distress signal from his own men.
"It's the Duchess's soldiers!" an injured bandit shouted.
"The Night of Von Fleur is leading them!" another screamed in terror.
"Tsk! Sera!" Croc clicked his tongue before calling out to her.
"I know…" Sera sighed as she dispersed her fireballs and descended beside him.
"It looks like I played too much," she said, glancing at Lu-el and Kaori. "The next time we meet, I'm definitely taking you and those divine weapons from her."
Sera and Croc retreated into the forest with the remaining bandits.
Lu-el thought they were finally safe with the soldiers arriving—until Kaori grabbed his hand, looking at him in panic.
"What are you waiting for?"
"Huh?"
"We're running away, idiot!"