" Wrr... "
A tail that ended in a bony spearhead tore through the air with a snap. A sword as wide as the palm of a broken hand stood in the path of the deadly blow that should have taken at least one life.
Rascal tensed his muscles, absorbing the momentum of the blow. He stood firm, not yielding to the pressure, causing him to be pushed back, leaving a deep footprint on the ground behind him.
" GHA!!! " - The Goblin roared, deflecting another blow while releasing a sea of sparks created by the sudden clash of two weapons. This time, he did better and held his position. Rascal even went a little further and performed a sweep, forcing Night Ripper to go on the defensive.
This is what the last five minutes looked like. The battle was stuck in a stalemate. Rascal acted as a defender, while Caera and Asme tried to hurt Night Ripper… Well, that's right. The problem is that they only tried.
Ramiel watched the spectacle with disapproval painted in his eyes. 'If it hadn't been for the Goblin... Night Ripper would have been savoring the warm meat long ago...
' There are so many things they need to improve. Their cooperation is practically non-existent. They are tripping over their own spells! I knew it was bad... but I didn't expect it to be this bad... '
Ramiel analyzed the course of the battle coolly. He didn't like what he saw in the slightest. The advantages of his beauties ended with incredible talent and looks. Their experience was zero, as the current skirmish perfectly demonstrated.
' And what are you going to do about it? You know you can't help them, otherwise they won't learn anything. With such an advantage, they should have finished with it long ago.'' - Avi aptly responded to Ramiel's whining.
''I know that.'' - Raimel muttered grimly. ''But that doesn't mean I can't give them pointers. Look at Asme. She's trying to use the benefits but doesn't know where to start. She casts spells randomly, hoping for a stroke of luck. This isn't good. On the other hand, Caera tries to flank Night Ripper, but Asme's chaotic attacks prevent her from doing so. '
Ramiel sighed heavily. After a moment, his chilling voice rang out in the tunnel.
" Rascal, keep Night Ripper busy with something. You can go all the way. "
The Goblin chief didn't need to be told twice. A battle cry escaped from his throat, heralding a savage assault.
Rascal had the skills to kill Night Ripper single-handedly but held back. He adjusted his strength to the level of his opponent. After all, the monster belonged to Caera and Asme. Goblin is only responsible for diversion.
The air suddenly rang with the sounds of intense combat interrupted from time to time by the peculiar sound of bending metal.
Rascal's actions allowed the women to catch their breath, which he took advantage of. Asme and Caera temporarily withdrew from the fight, panting heavily.
Ramiel appeared beside them. It didn't take a genius to guess what his face meant. He was disappointed, very disappointed.
Asme wanted to justify herself, but the former hunter didn't give her the opportunity to do so.
" You will probably come to this on your own, but what you are doing isn't working. Your cooperation is worse than bad. You are getting in the way and getting in each other's way instead of helping and filling in the gaps. If it weren't for Rascal, you would have been lying dead long ago. " - Ramiel began to scold, but Asme had prepared a counter-argument.
" If Caera had stayed out of my way, I would have killed him with spells long ago! " - The horned beauty hissed and looked at the monster ominously.
The elfess lowered her gaze at her friend's comment. From her perspective, it looked a little different. Every time she tried to get closer, Asme bombarded her with spells. She saw a few good opportunities when she could have shone, but the horned beauty squandered everything, casting spells blindly.
Instead of focusing on the enemy, Caera devoted most of her attention to avoiding being hurt by her ally's fire.
Ramiel raised an eyebrow. Until now, Asme had struck him as an intelligent woman, but apparently, thinking while fighting wasn't one of her strengths.
" Are you telling me that mindlessly casting spells is a good way to win? "
Asme pulled her lips into a straight line at Ramiel's cold and sharp words. It was only the beginning.
" What if more monsters are about to appear? What will you do if you run out of mana in the middle of the battle because of your previous actions... " - Ramiel sighed. He sounded waspish, but he had to be that way. " Asme, you can't use mana mindlessly. On the battlefield, every drop is precious. "
" This... " - Asme tried to defend but fell silent as she felt her master's chastening gaze upon her.
" Caera isn't your enemy but an ally. Besides, from what I've noticed, it wasn't she who bothered you, but you who bothered her. "
The woman tightened her grip around the handle. Inside, she was boiling with anger. She knew she had done wrong, but her pride and inexperience prevented her from admitting it.
Caera, on the other hand, hearing indirect praise from a man, jumped with happiness. She gave one hundred percent at all times. She felt appreciated when Ramiel noticed her efforts.
" Asme, you are a fighter oriented mainly towards magic, not ordinary magic. From what I remember, you specialize in illusions and the element of ice. " - Ramiel continued the previous lecture. " Try to change the approach. Use illusion to confuse the minds of the Night Rippers. You are smart, so you should understand what I have in mind. "
" As for ice magic, it is perfect for controlling the course of the battle. You are only limited by your imagination. Create traps under monsters' feet, influence the battlefield directly by freezing the ground. If you want to be more proactive, create ice picks and send them at the Night Ripper. "
" Just try to support Caera if you are standing behind. Standing farther back gives you a better view of the battlefield. For example, you can spot something she won't notice and save her with an ice wall. Anything will be better than what you did before. "
Asme lowered her head and took Ramiel's words to heart. This was her first battle, and she made a lot of mistakes, but there was nothing that couldn't be fixed. It was enough for the horned beauty to swallow her pride and follow the former hunter's advice.
Ramiel finished with Asme and focused on the elfess. He had a few words for her as well.
" Caera, you have good intuition, but when you see an opportunity, you chase after it mindlessly. What if your opponent created an opening specifically to lure you in? Also, you mentioned that you understand the elements of darkness and lightning.
Why haven't you used any spells yet? "
" It's not that I didn't want to. I just don't know any spells. " - The elfess lowered her gaze, whispering.
Caera's sudden confession clouded Ramiel. He didn't understand how the elfess had survived so far outside.
Wait... Caera used a bow maybe... - the former hunter followed the new thought.
" Your spells are related to archery? " - It sounded more like a statement than a question, but Caera understood. She nodded shyly in response.
" Try covering the dagger blade with mana infused with the lightning element. This will cause the weapon to be covered with an electric charge. " - Ramiel sighed. " When we return, remind me to teach you simple spells for combat. Now show me if you have learned any lessons. If you haven't noticed yet, the goblins killed their target long ago. You can't be any worse. "
Ramiel looked at the goblin chief.
" Rascal, go back to your previous formation. "
With that, Ramiel walked over to Night Ripper's body and watched the battle. He had to admit investing in goblins was a good idea.
Without the leader's support, the green creatures defeated the low-level monster in less than 10 minutes. For such weak and limited creatures, this was an excellent result...
At the same time, Asme let herself be carried away by the course of the battle. The horned beauty carefully followed the monster's movements, looking for some opening. She continued like this for a good few minutes but didn't notice anything. The Night Ripper seemed aware of her intentions.
" Fighting doesn't always go our way. If you don't see an opportunity to attack, you have to create it yourself. " - Ramiel shared a scrap of knowledge. Sometimes, people know something but only realize it when someone points a finger at them.
That makes sense." - Asme thought. Thanks to the man's hint, she came up with an idea.
" Caera, get ready. "
The elfess went to her feet. Preparing for the attack, she followed Ramiel's advice and coated the daggers with lightning element. An electric charge appeared on their surface.
Meanwhile, Asme created dozens of ice picks behind Night Ripper. A minimal flick of the wrist was enough to send them all at the monster.
Sensing the danger, the oversized cat attacked Rascal with all his might, pushing him away. Then, with nimble leaps, he dodged most of the spears, destroying the ones he couldn't block with his tail, whipping them like a furious lash.
Turning the last spear into dust, Night Ripper, at the edge of his field of vision, spotted the silhouette of a limber woman to his right. Without a second thought, the monster threw himself at her.
To his surprise, he sank his razor-sharp teeth into the victim, and she vanished into thin air as if she had never been there.
However, the monster didn't have time to think about it. Suddenly, a searing pain burned through its nervous system. The night ripper turned in time to see the same woman massacring his hind legs.
Caera felt the monster's fierce gaze on her and released the stored electrical charge. Lightning leaped from her dagger, passing through the skin, muscles, flesh, ligaments, tendons, and nerves of the Night Ripper, burning and tearing them.
Enraged, the monster wanted to rip its attacker to shreds, but a large block of ice blocked the tail, giving Caera time to retreat.
' Much better. If I'm not mistaken, the lightning bolt contained a modest trace of the space element.'' - Ramiel muttered while analyzing the fight.
'I still don't understand why Night Ripper threw himself into the air. ' - Avi spread her hands helplessly. Fortunately, the former hunter came to her aid.
' Most likely, Asme cast an illusion, creating a false image of Caera in the monster's mind, and hid the real one. '
Avi didn't question Ramiel's explanation. He had more experience in this aspect.
' Hmm... Don't they use too much mana for such simple attacks? ' - Avi asked another question.
' Of course they do. They are total amateurs in things related to mana and combat. Not everyone has accumulated years of experience like me. ' - Ramil wallowed in the spotlight for a moment, causing Avi to roll eyes.
' These ice picks have too much mana. If you cut the amount of mana in half, they would still serve their purpose. ' - Ex-hunter lasted another fairy's question.
' On the one hand, I find it strange, they live in a world that is full of magic and monsters, but their training sucks. It's quite as if they are self-taught and stunted by force. ' - Ramiel hoped for modest help but encountered only bitter disappointment.
' I don't know, I'm not familiar with it. ' - Avi shrugged carelessly.
What did I expect... - Ramiel groaned in his mind. He wanted to give up, but he remembered one more thing that was pulling sleep from his eyelids.
' You once mentioned that Asme and Caera were sacrificed to Nenneke. ' - This time, the man chose a good topic to talk about.
' It is a ritual in which various life forms are given into the care of Nenneke. It is supposed to bring blessings at a given time but is used as an excuse to get rid of the noble-born. ' - Avi explained briefly and vaguely.
' Huh? So I'm dealing with noblewomen? ' - Ramiel wheezed in surprise.
' Perhaps. The core didn't give me information about the women's past. ' - Avi muttered dispassionately.
Ramiel didn't pursue the topic further. He could afford to talk because the fight was already a foregone conclusion.
Night Ripper's hind paw injury limited his mobility. Heavy bleeding and internal injuries made it difficult for the overgrown cat to survive.
Sooner or later the monster will fall. It is only a matter of time.
" Rascal, back off and let them take care of it. " - Ramiel's command spread through the air.
Rascal, hearing his master's order, flexed his muscles and made a sweeping cut, pushing the wounded monster away.
The women snickered at the opportunity and rushed at the Night Ripper. In front ran Caera, prepared to take the blow.
Right behind her was Asme, forming three ice picks ready to attack. The succubus used up almost all of her mana for this spell. It was her last attack.
The horned beauty fired two ice creations at the monster's hind paws about twenty paces away from the overgrown cat.
The skewers missed their target by two centimeters. However, this wasn't the end of the story. The moment they made contact with the ground, they exploded, covering Night Ripper's limbs and the immediate area with ice.
At the same time, Caera wanted to make a quick slash to blind the creature, but its deadly tail prevented her.
Seeing the sharp spearhead coming towards her. With a graceful move, she turned her daggers, blocking the attack. Sparks poured from the place where the weapons collided, and the force of the impact threw the elfess backward.
Caera landed a few meters away, rolling several times on the ground. It was a painful experience. There will definitely be a few bruises left behind.
Asme, seizing the opportunity, fired the last exclusively at the monster's torso. The ice arrowhead pierced the creature through and through, massacring the internal organs. Small pieces of jagged intestines fell out of the wound.
The succubus didn't stop with this attack. Feeling the adrenaline coursing through her veins, she split the Night Ripper's skull in two with a brutal blow.
A fountain of blood splashed sideways and, in the process, splashed the horned beauty's face, while chunks of brain clung to her skin. She raised her sword up in a gesture of triumph. Her hair, due to the blood, stuck to her check. It gave her a peculiar charm.
Wanting to show off to Ramiel, she turned towards the man, but he wasn't there.
In a moment, someone's silhouette jumped out of the shadows before her. Asme felt the person drawing her close and pulling her back.
The horned beauty recognized the loud sounds of two colliding weapons, and after a moment, she felt something slash the skin on her back.
Immediately after the unpleasant sensation came a sharp and burning pain. Some sort of liquid ran down her back. When Asme tried to turn her head, the image flashed before her eyes.
The woman's body rolled several times on the ground. The pain that accompanied this was immense. She restrained herself with all her strength not to scream.
Lifting her eyes, Asme saw the silhouette of the Master with his back to her. In front of him stood two Night Rippers, but they seemed to be larger...