The pantherine beastman, Batil, kicked off the terrace railing and landed on the ground below.
▼ Batil
Species: Catfolk Beastman♂ (Rank 4)
Aether Points: 187/200
Health Points: 452/470
Overall Combat Power: 1,203 (Boosted: 1,446)
With his dark torso exposed to the sun and a magic steel hand axe in each hand, he slowly approached me.
“I’ll kill you, girl,” he hissed.
“You can try,” I said.
Clang!
My black dagger collided with one of Batil’s equally black hand axes as we lunged at each other. Pushed back by his greater power, I deflected with grip and muscle strength, then swiftly swung my black knife. He blocked the strike with his free axe and kicked; I kicked back with my sole, using the impact to put distance between us.
“Raaah!”
Batil’s axe came hurtling toward me, and I spun backward to avoid it, then threw a knife from my thigh holster. As soon as Batil dodged it, my pendulum arced in from his flank and grazed his shoulder, forcing him back as well.
He had better stats than I did.
Our ability level was equal, and I had slightly better agility, but Batil beat me in every other aspect. Though my overall combat power was higher than his, I was at a disadvantage in short-term, head-on combat.
I was also severely fatigued from fighting two hundred people. On a battlefield where a lucky hit could kill me, fighting like this was like walking a tightrope blindfolded. The load on my mind and body was greater than I’d anticipated, and I was sweating even while standing still.
But that suited me just fine.
Batil’s eyes widened in alarm as I closed the distance between us in an instant with special, brutally efficient footwork, forcing my exhausted body forward. My black knife swung in an upward arc, and he responded instantly, his axe plunging down with the combined force of his weight and gravity.
Clang!
The axe smashed into the knife’s blade, but the sound didn’t match the magnitude of the impact. Taking advantage of Batil’s momentary surprise and the recoil, I thrust out my dagger.
“Tch!”
Batil didn’t retreat or switch weapons. I could only partially block his attack with my knife, and his axe grazed my arm—but my dagger gouged his shoulder too.
Ignoring the spurting blood, I dodged a swing from his powerful arm by dropping onto all fours. My body went taut as a bow, and my foot kicked out like an arrow, aiming for Batil’s legs.
“Haaah!!!”
“Raaah!!!”
Batil countered with a kick of his own, and we hit each other’s stomachs, sending both of us flying back.
“Ugh.”
“Tsk!”
I coughed lightly while Batil spat out a mix of saliva and gastric juice. We’d both taken damage, but thanks to Boost, we were still standing.
We readied our stances simultaneously and, this time, gradually slid closer to one another, watching for openings. The surviving beastmen looked on with bated breath.
He was strong. Stronger than other Rank 4s I’d fought before. The vampires, for example, had relied entirely on physical ability.
But my mistress and I could fight optimally even when exhausted. We moved with extreme efficiency and wielded our opponents’ strength with lethal precision against them. So, no matter how strong he was, if I failed to defeat him, it would be my own fault for not being skilled enough.
“Phew...”
Expelling the heat that had built up in my body and the anxiety that had welled up in my heart, I readied my knife once more. Batil must’ve sensed something, because he leaped out as though something had propelled him forward.
“Raaaaaaagh!”
His axe’s blade flashed sharply and seemed to burn on contact. The difference in strength between us was such that even just deflecting the blow with my knife injured me slightly.
“Die!” he shouted.
I said nothing. Something was missing, but what?
No. The answer was within me.
I pushed the flat side of his axe with my hand, slightly altering the trajectory of his powerful follow-up swing. Using that momentum paired with special footwork, I shifted half a step sideways and let the blade scrape past me.
“What?!” Batil blurted out.
He immediately slashed diagonally upward, but I deflected the axe’s handle with my knee and used that as leverage to move half a step back and avoid the attack.
My muscles were exhausted, so I had to spare them as much as possible. I would dodge with every technique I’d learned so far, use every trick I’d picked up in battle, and take advantage of my high-level skills. I could see the flow of mana with my eyes. Read the enemy’s presence with Detect. Use modest amounts of Intimidation to hinder my foe’s actions. Conceal my next moves with Stealth.
Something seemed to click within me.
I had to rely on technique and skill, not muscle strength. As I used simple yet complex techniques to evade Batil’s attacks, he finally began to sweat and let out a beastly roar.
“What the hell are you?!”
▼ Alia (Alicia)
Species: Human♀ (Rank 4)
Aether Points: 213/330 △ +10
Health Points: 103/260 △ +10
Strength: 10 (14)
Endurance: 10 (14)
Agility: 17 (24)
Dexterity: 9
[Dagger Mastery Lv. 4]
[Martial Mastery Lv. 5] △ +1
[Throwing Lv. 4]
[Bow Mastery Lv. 2]
[Guard Lv. 4]
[String Manipulation Lv. 4]
[Light Magic Lv. 4] △ +1
[Shadow Magic Lv. 4]
[Non-Elemental Magic Lv. 4]
[Practical Magic x6]
[Aether Manipulation Lv. 5]
[Intimidation Lv. 4]
[Stealth Lv. 4]
[Night Vision Lv. 2]
[Detection Lv. 4]
[Poison Resistance Lv. 3]
[Status Resistance Lv. 2] △ +1
[Basic Scan]
Overall Combat Power: 1,497 (Boosted: 1,853) △ +69
I wanted to become stronger.
To fulfill my vows...
To make Elena’s desires come true...
To give Karla what she wanted—death.
Until then...
“You fucking braaaaaaat!!!”
Batil, his face dark with anger, swung his axe down again. I used my knife-holding hand to smack the blade’s flat side and used that as leverage to spin my whole body—then turned my evasive maneuver into an attack, elbowing Batil’s flank as I spun to his side.
“Guh!” he groaned, then immediately kicked at me.
I caught his kick with my right leg, sliding on the ground with a slightly raised left foot to let the force dissipate. My black dagger was at the ready, aiming for Batil’s throat.
“Argh!”
Batil dodged the dagger by leaning back. Because his focus was on my knife and dagger, I halted mid-slide and stepped into range, striking his flank with my knee. His face contorted with shock, and he unleashed a desperate horizontal slash. I parried by lifting his axe with the back of my hand, then drove my elbow into his chest, near his heart.
He’d have dodged any weapons swung at vital spots, but even if he didn’t, I wasn’t sure my small blades could pierce through his tough muscles to reach internal organs. I opted for palm strikes to deal internal damage through shock instead.
“Ngaaaaaaaah!!!”
Batil ignored my attacks and smashed down both axes. I met the left axe with my dagger and the right with my knife, then struck his nose with my knee, sending him flying back.
He was taking more and more internal damage. In the few seconds since I’d switched to attack mode, the fatigue from the relentless offense and defense had taken a toll on him despite his health points. His swings had grown weaker—weak enough that I could parry them with my blades.