"Oh my, that guy is really foolish. He may have the strength and status of a god, but how could he think he could escape my notice?" Merlin sat casually on a high vantage point, his wand resting on his lap, a relaxed and carefree smile on his face.
"Though you're powerful, obscuring your presence is hardly a challenge for me. Deception is something I'm quite skilled at."
As Merlin continued to explain his tactics, his words were meant to be heard only by himself, not by the others. Gradually, his smile faded, and he adopted a troubled expression. With a sigh, he stood up.
"Really, I haven't been sitting down for long."
"You've figured it out, haven't you? He's indeed a coward, obsessed with saving his own skin."
Ignoring the sarcastic remark, Merlin's dreamy purple eyes focused intently.
"If the opponent is you, well... this could get a bit tricky."
Before Merlin stood a figure full of contradictions, his outer robe as white as ever.
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The clash of the three-colored long swords and the double knives created a dazzling display. Every intersection of the weapons unleashed a strong airwave, yet the two closest to the airwave seemed unaffected and continued their fight.
Kitablilu attempted to create some distance, but was thwarted by the three-colored sword, which lashed out at him like a whip. He sighed lightly.
Experienced in combat, Kitablilu was familiar with various weapons, but this unique weapon, which could change from long to short and from hard to soft, was challenging to handle.
As a scorpion man, Kitablilu preferred to keep a distance to make use of his tail's barbs. Being struck up close was a severe disadvantage.
Altira, aware of this, continually restrained Kitablilu, preventing him from finding a moment to escape.
Though Altira was skilled at using her weapon to manage distance, close combat was not ideal for her. Kitablilu's tail often disrupted her powerful attacks.
The key to breaking the stalemate would be the ability to adapt to unfamiliar tactics or adjust the situation to one's advantage.
At one point, Kitablilu made a diagonal slash, but to his surprise, Altira did not dodge or block; instead, she thrust her sword straight down.
Kitablilu hesitated for a moment, then disdainfully swung his sword down.
Keng────
Two crisp sounds echoed almost simultaneously: the sound of Altira's sword scraping off Kitablilu's shell and the sound of Kitablilu's knife scraping Altira's skin.
Altira paused.
While she liked to talk about destruction, Altira didn't fight like a berserker craving only chaos. The Star Emblem on her body was a high-density, precise pattern that, when infused with magic power, could produce effects similar to magic. Combined with her natural skills, ordinary weapons posed little threat. Even if Kitablilu's weapon could penetrate her body, it wouldn't cause significant damage.
However, Kitablilu's shell proved to be sturdier than anticipated. The three-colored sword only sank half a centimeter before stopping.
Altira recalled Merlin's words about the possibility of energy enhancement.
In combat, even a brief distraction could lead to a fatal flaw, but Kitablilu was briefly stunned by the unexpected result of the exchange.
Despite being experienced, Kitablilu quickly recovered, stabbing at Altira with his tail to force her back.
"Um!?"
With the distance widened, Kitablilu couldn't take advantage of the moment, as the Sword of War in Altira's hand began spinning rapidly.
Before Kitablilu could react, Altira thrust out the Sword of War, sending three-colored beams into the forest.
Kitablilu was caught off guard. A small part of its waist was hollowed out, and hot gas could be seen escaping.
Despite the injury, Kitablilu had no time to dwell on it. As Altira prepared to chase, Kitablilu raised his tail, releasing dozens of blood-red spears. One-third targeted Altira, while the rest blocked her escape routes.
Altira, facing the red light that covered the sky, continued to spin the Sword of War, dispersing the spears into wild energy that exploded around her, stirring up dust that obscured her vision.
Altira frowned, sensing the toxic energy trying to corrode her body. Yet, her "natural body" could resist such poison.
Before she could clear her vision, a sound of breaking air reached her ears.
Keng────
Using her combat experience, Altira raised her sword to block the falling tail sting, but the thick smoke cleared to reveal Kitablilu holding two swords, now infused with immense energy, ready to deliver a deadly blow.
Confident in his victory, Kitablilu smiled, believing that Altira had no chance to escape.
Altira had not anticipated Kitablilu's next moves. With a sigh, she exerted force with the sword-holding hand, knocking the tail sting away.
Although she had no time to block the double swords, Altira's next move was unexpected. Instead of defending or dodging, she pointed the hilt of the Sword of War directly at Kitablilu.
Kitablilu was momentarily puzzled by the gesture, thinking it a final act of defiance. However, he quickly realized that this was no ordinary move.
"Destroy it…"
With a soft whisper and a distinct sound, three rays of light, matching the sword's colors, shot from the hilt and pierced Kitablilu's chest before he could react.
The double swords halted in mid-air. The battlefield fell silent.
"you..."
After a long pause, Kitablilu opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to speak, but only a strange howl escaped before he turned into dust and vanished.
Kitablilu, one of Tiamat's eleven sons, ended his life for the second time, unable to comprehend why a mere sword light had led to his demise.
Altira, having witnessed her opponent's dissolution, breathed a sigh of relief.
"Destruction…complete."
She had been reluctant to use the attack, but the situation left no choice.
In the aftermath of the intense battle, neither Altira nor Kitablilu noticed that the surrounding monsters had retreated, deterred by the dangerous aftermath of their clash.
The illusion had lost its effect—or rather, the caster had stopped maintaining it.
As Altira relaxed momentarily, a sound of breaking air reached her from behind. Her response was delayed due to her brief relaxation. She turned to see a white shadow before her, a figure using its palm as a blade, striking at her without giving her a chance to react!