Pain exploded through my back as I hit the wall, the impact driving the breath from my lungs. Splinters of rotting wood rained down around me as I slumped forward, my vision swimming. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, and I could feel warmth trickling down from where my head had struck the rough planks.
Through the haze of pain, I looked up to see my attacker stepping forward with predatory confidence. He was massive—easily a head taller than me, with shoulders that seemed to fill the narrow corridor. His great sword, nearly as long as I was tall, gleamed with a deadly light despite the dim surroundings. This wasn't some desperate Evilius grunt. This was a warrior, a high-ranker whose presence here meant there were more than 1 High ranker among them.
"Another little lamb for the slaughter," he said, his voice a deep rumble that seemed to vibrate through the floorboards. A cruel smile split his scarred face as he raised his weapon. "You adventurers always think you're so clever with your little raids."
I forced myself to my feet, my legs shaking but holding. My sword felt heavier in my grip, and I could feel the ache in my ribs where his kick had connected. But I was alive, and as long as I was alive, I could fight. And most of all, I don't need to win, I just need to hold him back for long enough time for Ais and Alise to arrive.
"You talk too much," I managed to say, spitting blood to the side.
His laugh was like grinding stone. "Spirit. I like that. It'll make breaking you more satisfying."
He came at me again, but this time I was ready. I couldn't match his strength, but I didn't need to. Speed and precision would have to be enough. As his great sword descended in a crushing overhead strike, I rolled to the side, feeling the wind of his blade as it smashed into the floor where I'd been standing, leaving a crater in the wooden planks.
The narrow corridor that had seemed like a disadvantage suddenly became my ally. His massive weapon needed room to swing properly, and here, cramped between walls, he couldn't bring its full power to bear. I darted in close, my blade seeking the gaps in his defenses, but he was faster than his size suggested. He pivoted, using the pommel of his sword to drive me back, then followed up with a horizontal sweep that I barely ducked under.
"You're quicker than the others," he admitted, his tone shifting from mockery to genuine interest. "But speed won't save you forever, boy."
"Well, well," came a familiar voice dripping with attitude. "Looks like someone's having all the fun without us." Alise stepped into view, her rapier already drawn, red eyes taking in the scene with practiced assessment. Behind her, Ais moved with silent grace, her Desperate already in hand, golden eyes focused intently on the massive warrior who had turned away from me to face the new arrivals.
"Scarlet Harnel and The Sword Princess, two more lambs to slaughter," the giant rumbled, though his tone had lost some of its earlier confidence.
Alise flicked her hair back with deliberate arrogance. "Lambs? Oh, that's rich coming from you. Who faked his death, just so you won't be hunted down, isn't that right, Gorran Veltz?" She spoke his name, but I don't remember anyone with that name from the story. There is a possibility that I am just forgetting it.
Alise pointed her rapier at him with a theatrical flourish. "This time, try to fight like a real warrior. Unless you're too scared to face the Sword Princess and the best captain Astraea Familia has to offer." Man, at this moment, even her narcissism looks cool.
The warrior's grip tightened on his great sword. "You'll regret those words, little girl."
"Little girl?" Alise's grin turned positively wicked. "Oh, now you've done it."
Alise's rapier gleamed as she fell into her combat stance. "Ais, you take his right. I'll handle the left."
"Understood," Ais replied, her voice calm as winter wind.
*Gorran's eyes darted between them, calculating. The cocky predator was gone, replaced by a veteran warrior who understood he was now facing two Level 4 adventurers in a confined space. His great sword, so intimidating moments before, suddenly seemed cumbersome in the narrow corridor.*
"Agaris," Alise murmured, her lips already moving in the familiar cadence of her magic. Red light began to gather around her as she started her spell.
Gorran didn't wait. He lunged forward, targeting Alise before she could complete her incantation, but Ais was already there. Her blade intercepted his great sword with a resounding clang that shook dust from the rafters. The force of the blow sent her skidding back, but she absorbed the impact with practiced ease.
"Too slow," Ais said simply, then pressed her counterattack.
Her blade became a silver blur as she unleashed a series of precise strikes, each one aimed at vital points. Gorran was forced to give ground, his massive weapon ill-suited for the rapid defensive movements required. He managed to parry most of her attacks, but not all—thin lines of red appeared on his arms where her blade found its mark.
"Alvesynth!" Alise's spell completed, and her whole body erupted in crimson fire. She darted in from his blind spot, her burning blade seeking his ribs. Gorran twisted desperately, the flame searing across his side instead of piercing his heart.
He roared in pain and fury, swinging his great sword in a wide arc that forced both of them back. "You think your little tricks will save you?" Dark energy began to gather around his weapon. "I am Level 5 now! I've killed dozens of your kind!"
"Level 5?" Alise's grin never wavered. "Then this should be interesting."
The battle intensified. Gorran's enhanced strength and reach kept him in the fight, but the confined space worked against him. Every swing had to be calculated, every movement measured. Ais and Alise, meanwhile, flowed around him like water.
I pressed myself against the wall, I took out a High potion I had for an emergency, and stopped to catch my breath while watching the deadly dance. This was what true high-level combat looked like—not the desperate struggles I was used to, but a display of skill, power, and tactical brilliance that left me in awe.
Gorran managed to catch Alise's rapier with his crossguard, twisting to throw her off balance, but Ais was already there, her blade driving toward his exposed back. He spun, barely deflecting the strike, but the movement left him open for Alise's follow-up.
Her flaming rapier punched through his defenses, piercing his shoulder. He stumbled, dark blood streaming down his arm, and for the first time, real fear flickered in his eyes.
"Impossible," he gasped. "Two Level 4s cannot—"
"Cannot what?" Alise's voice was silk wrapped around steel. "Cannot defeat someone who's been hiding in the shadows, preying on the weak? You're out of practice, Gorran. And we're just getting started."
"Don't get cocky bitch!" He roared. The blade he was using glowed in a dim light, which gave me a feeling of forbidding.
"Get back, both of you!" Before I registered anything, I was already screaming. Gorran raised his sword overhead, swinging it down in their direction. Both Alise and Ais, heeding my warning, dodged the attack as the shockwave of the swing destroyed the street.
"A magic sword?" Alise questioned.
"No, it's a cursed sword," I explained as I stood up and walked up to them. As for how I was able to tell, it was from observing how the magic was behaving when it was poured into the blade.
"That's right. With this, I am equal to that of level 6. And you brats will regret making me use it." I stopped observing his blade and instead observed him. I was able to see his muscles bulge unnaturally, veins blackened, and his irises shrank too and his eyes became bloodshot.
Just as Gorran raised his cursed blade to bring it down again—
A green blur crashed into him from the side, knocking him off balance and sending him skidding against the corridor wall.
"Wha—?" Alise blinked as dust settled.
"You took your time, Lion," she muttered, smiling.
I was able to see Ryuu stepping forward from the dust that started settling down, her blade already drawn, her cloak billowing behind her.
"You looked like you needed help."
Gorran growled, clutching his bruised shoulder. "Another one? You pests never end!"
"Three Level 4s now," Ryuu said coldly. "You should consider surrender."
"Dream on, Gale wind," he snarled, blood dripping down his chin.
What followed was an intense fight. Ryu and Ais made use of their speed. While Alise used her increased strength to give him a severe wound. I attracted his attention whenever he tried to raise his sword to do a wide swing. Which would create that shockwave effect.
Despite our coordinated efforts, something was wrong. Gorran's movements were becoming more fluid, more precise. The cursed sword in his hands pulsed with malevolent energy, and each swing seemed to carry more weight than the last.
"He's getting stronger," Ryuu observed grimly as she barely dodged a thrust that would have taken her head off.
The cursed blade's influence was spreading. Dark veins crawled up Gorran's arms like living shadows, and his eyes had turned completely black. Whatever humanity had remained in him was being consumed by the sword's power.
"Fall back!" Alise commanded, but there was nowhere to go. The corridor had become a trap.
Gorran's next attack came faster than any of us expected. His great sword swept in a horizontal arc that caught Ryuu off guard. She managed to get her blade up in time, but the force of the impact sent her crashing into the wall with a sickening crack.
"Ryuu!" I started toward her, but Gorran was already moving.
Ais intercepted him, her Desperate meeting his cursed blade in a shower of sparks. But this time, she was the one being pushed back. The curse had elevated him to a mid-level 6—he was operating at a completely different level now.
"Agaris Alvesynth!" Alise's flames roared to life again, but when she lunged forward, Gorran caught her wrist with his free hand. The fire sputtered and died as his grip tightened.
He was silent as his sanity was being chipped away.
He hurled her aside like a rag doll. Alise hit the ground hard, her rapier clattering away.
Ais pressed her attack, her blade work a thing of beauty even in desperation. But for every strike she landed, Gorran seemed to grow stronger. The cursed sword was feeding on his sanity.
"You cannot win," Gorran said, parrying Ais's thrust and following up with a pommel strike that sent her reeling.
I watched in horror as my companions were being systematically dismantled. Ryuu was struggling to stand, clutching her ribs. Alise was on her knees, blood trickling from her mouth. Ais was the only one still fighting, but even she was being pushed to her limits.
Something hot and fierce began building in my chest. Not panic—I was long past that. This was something else. Something that felt like molten steel flowing through my veins.
"No," I whispered, gripping my sword tightly. "Not like this." I don't wish to lose the people that are important to me again.
Gorran raised his cursed blade for what would surely be a killing blow against Ais. She was too exhausted to dodge, too battered to block effectively.
"NO!"
The word tore from my throat as I launched myself forward. But as I moved, something Strange happened. The world seemed to slow around me, and I could feel power—raw, untamed magic—erupting from somewhere deep inside.
Luminous threads of silver and gold wrapped around my body like living light, spiraling up my arms and across my chest. The sensation was indescribable—like being struck by lightning, but instead of pain, there was only strength. Pure, overwhelming strength.
My blade intercepted Gorran's cursed sword just inches from Ais's face. The impact sent shockwaves through the corridor, but this time, I didn't give ground. The magical energy coursing through me held firm against his enhanced power.
"Impossible," Gorran snarled, his black eyes widening. "You're only Level 2!"
I did not reply that I was just level-1. I feel no need to.
I held my ground against his strike, the impact sending vibrations up my arm but not overwhelming me. The cursed sword met the light wrapping around my blade with a discordant shriek.
"What is this magic?" Gorran demanded, but I had no answer. I'd never felt anything like it before—it was as if every fiber of my being was being enhanced, elevated beyond its normal limits. But it also has a cost just like that cursed sword. My mind was being drained at a very fast pace by just standing and it only increased when I was exchanging blows.
"Arin?" Ais's voice was filled with wonder. She'd never seen anything like this either.
Behind me, I heard Alise struggling to her feet. "Well, I'll be damned," she breathed. "Look at our little Level 1 go."
The magical enhancement wasn't just affecting my strength—My reflexes were sharper, my movements more precise. I could now keep up with their battle, though I was still clearly the weakest of the four. When Gorran swung his cursed blade in a wide arc, I managed to duck and weave around it, my counter-attack finding a small opening in his defenses.
"You want to know what this is?" I said, my blade managing to score a shallow cut on his arm—nothing like the deep wounds the others had inflicted, but more than I'd ever managed before. "This is what happens when you threaten my companions."
Gorran's expression shifted from confusion to rage. "Companions? These adventurers are nothing but—"
"Everything to me," That was the truth despite the small time we have been together. I have come to see them as more than just characters I used to admire, now I truly wish to bring them happiness, after all I truly have no one else but them in my life now. Maybe I am crazy for thinking this… But if fighting to protect the people who made me feel less alone is madness—then I welcome it.". I stopped thinking of other things and focused back on the battle.
I couldn't land the decisive blows like the others, but I could keep up now, support them, be more than just a distraction.
The tide of battle had turned. Gorran was strong, enhanced by his cursed weapon, but my newfound power meant he now faced four opponents who could all keep up with his speed and to his strength to a certain extent.
"Agaris Alvesynth!" Alise's flames roared back to life, brighter than before. She moved to flank Gorran from the left.
Ryuu straightened, and started chanting healing magic.
"The song of a now distant forest.
The nostalgic melody of life.
To the one who seeks you,
Please grant thee mercy of healing.
Noah Heal!"
Gorran found himself facing four adventurers who could all match his enhanced speed—three Level 4s at their peak, and one Level 1 temporarily elevated to rival them. The cursed sword pulsed frantically, trying to draw more power, but it was reaching its limit now. As I was able to see some cracks forming on it.
"This isn't over," Gorran hissed, but even as he spoke, I could see the doubt in his black eyes.
But he was not the only one reaching his limit. My own magic was being drained at a frantic pace. I can only keep fighting at this strength for a few minutes more. Before my mind is completely drained.
I went back to where Alise was. "I want you to make an opening for me." She looked at me.
"Do you have a plan?" I just nodded.
"I will trust you then." She said and went back to fighting.
I also started preparing my trump card. Which I only have one. The same one I used against irregular infant dragons.
Yeah my clumsy Iai, but that's the only thing I have in my arsenal that can help me defeat an opponent stronger than me.
I closed my eyes to concentrate, in a usual battle it would have been stupid of me to blind myself, but right now I was not alone, I had the girls protecting me.
I was able to hear the blade clashing even the distant sound of battle fought in other alleys.
Not enough…
I tried to silent those noises as well.
Now all I was able to hear was the wind.
Still not enough.
But it will do.
I opened my eyes, made a jump towards Girran. My explosive muscle strength increased my speed to a degree unknown to me.
"Ais, Lion, get away!" Alise, who was aware of my plan, warned the others. As they made way for me.
Gorran who saw me approaching widened his eyes. Raising his sword high, bringing it down on me.
.
.
.
Perfect.
.
.
.
"Matataki!" I unsheathed the sword at the speed that it created a sonic boom. That alone told me how amateur I was in this technique.
The sword traveled through the air cutting it in the process clashing with Gorran sword.
A shock wave travelled around us, throwing us both backward like cannon balls, both our swords broke, my mind was completely spent. I was able to see that he was still alive.
But I don't mind that, as killing him was not my objective. My objective is to destroy that, which provides him that strength. Which I succeeded.
Before I hit the wall Ryuu caught my flying body preventing me from severe injuries.
"I leave the rest to you." The only thing I was able to say before I lost consciousness was able to hear Ryuu's soft beautiful voice.
.
.
.
"Please rest well and leave the rest to us."