Linton flipped through the air, landing on the ground while catching Princess Yalan, who had been thrown towards him. The other three weren't as lucky. The explosion's shockwave had flung them away, causing secondary injuries, leaving them dazed on the ground. Linton had no time to check on them, though, as a purple figure flew out of the crater. It was none other than the Fire Devourer.
Seeing the creature's current state, Linton knew it was furious. Even from a distance, he could feel the murderous intent—it clearly intended to kill them all.
"You didn't mention this thing could fly," Linton said with a bitter smile.
"I didn't know it could fly either," Princess Yalan responded, her voice tinged with despair as she looked up at the Fire Devourer, realizing they were doomed.
"Your Highness…" came a weak voice from the side. Both Linton and the princess turned to see Barry, standing again while supporting himself with his sword. Linton had no idea how Barry managed to get up—there was no way the healing potion could work that fast. His willpower must have been extraordinary.
As admirable as that will was, the truth was that Barry was too injured. Merely standing took all his strength, and he couldn't take another step.
Meanwhile, the Fire Devourer had already locked onto them, clearly preparing for another attack.
"Your Highness, you need to run," Barry shouted to Princess Yalan, but she shook her head, remaining calm.
"It's no use, Barry. We can't outrun it." She understood the creature's speed and knew escape was impossible. Her tone indicated she had accepted her fate.
"Your Highness…" Barry faltered, realizing the princess had resigned herself to her fate.
Princess Yalan raised her staff, ready to face her destiny. But just then, someone stepped in front of her.
"I'll handle it," Linton said, not looking back, eyes fixed on the Fire Devourer. "I've never had to fight for my life before. I don't even know how fierce I can be."
Yalan stared at Linton's back, momentarily speechless.
At that moment, the Fire Devourer launched its attack, its entire body turning into a streak of purple light, charging toward them like a glowing meteor. The sight was breathtakingly beautiful, yet filled Yalan with dread.
As she prepared for the end, a black arm suddenly appeared in front of them, grabbing the purple light ball mid-air. With a powerful swing, the arm slammed the creature into the ground with a deafening crash. The earth trembled, and silence fell over the battlefield.
Princess Yalan was frozen in shock. When she looked ahead, she saw a giant black figure surrounding Linton. The giant emitted an ominous black mist, and its body seemed to be made of bones.
"What…what is that?" Yalan asked, dumbfounded.
"Magic," Linton answered calmly.
"That's impossible…" Yalan muttered.
"Do you know the Melowei family motto?" Linton asked.
"What?"
"Magic…is limitless." Without waiting for a response, Linton controlled the giant to slam its hand down where the Fire Devourer had landed. He wasn't sure if he could kill the creature, but he planned to hit it until it stopped moving.
The ground shook again from the force of the attack. But just a second later, a purple light pierced through the giant's hand, and the Fire Devourer charged toward its body.
Linton quickly swung at the creature. Despite its speed, his Sharingan allowed him to track its movements perfectly, almost as if he could see the future.
However, in the next moment, a beam of light shot from the creature's horns, blasting through the giant's body, making its entire left side disappear. Fortunately, it was the giant and not Linton himself that took the hit, though it still made him even more desperate.
"Focus! Willpower! Let's go!" Linton shouted, and suddenly, black flames burst from the giant's hand, forming a massive sword. It was the same weapon that had appeared during his previous battle with Shukaku, though he hadn't known how to use it until now. In this critical moment, he summoned it again.
Without hesitation, Linton swung the sword at the Fire Devourer. The beast hesitated but, in its fury, charged straight at the blade.
The black sword struck the creature's horns, and time seemed to freeze for a second. In the next instant, the sword sliced downward, cutting into the ground. A wave of black flames followed the sword's path, and after a massive explosion, half a nearby mountain was blown away, the other half still burning with black fire.
Everyone left on the ground was stunned. The level of this battle was far beyond anything they could comprehend.
Even Linton was surprised, barely understanding what had just happened. Only when he noticed his magic power had been drastically reduced did he realize he had accidentally used one of the giant's special abilities—a devastating sword attack similar to the legendary techniques of Itachi's Susanoo.
As the smoke cleared, Linton looked toward the battlefield. The Fire Devourer was still alive, though severely injured. Its once-gleaming purple light had faded, and its body was covered in wounds. More importantly, its horns had been sliced off by Linton's attack, giving the creature a strange, weakened appearance.
The beast panted heavily, clearly exhausted. Linton guessed it had expended much of its energy after being buried earlier and was now running on empty. It had hoped to finish them off but had instead been badly wounded.
Linton wasn't in great shape either. His magic reserves were almost depleted. With his time to fight running out, he knew he had to end this quickly.
Just as he prepared to strike again, the Fire Devourer suddenly turned and fled. Linton was momentarily stunned but quickly moved to give chase. However, it wasn't easy—while the giant was excellent for defense, it wasn't built for speed, especially since Linton's version wasn't a fully-formed Susanoo. Without legs or flight, he had no way to catch up.
Fortunately, the giant was large enough that the beast was still within range. Linton raised his sword to strike again when a voice called out from behind him.
"Wait! Linton!" Princess Yalan shouted.
Linton paused, holding the sword in the air.
"Let it go," she said.
"What?" Linton asked, confused.
"I've already got what I came for," she replied.
Linton glanced at the ground and noticed the Fire Devourer's severed horns. That's what the princess had needed all along. They were clearly special—unbreakable and possibly the source of the creature's power.
While they talked, the Fire Devourer had already disappeared into the forest, using the last of its strength to flee. Linton sighed, knowing there was no way to track it now.
He released the giant, and its black figure slowly faded into the air. The battle was over. He doubted the beast would dare return after this.
When Linton turned around, he saw the others still in shock. Princess Yalan stood there, speechless, while the other three were motionless on the ground.
"Well, we're alive," Linton said with a shrug. "Can any of you move? Let's help the others."
"Oh…right," Princess Yalan snapped out of her daze. She had a million questions but knew they needed to tend to their injured companions first. Together, she and Linton checked on the others.
Reina had only minor injuries but was utterly exhausted and needed rest. Gassain had severe internal injuries and wouldn't be able to move for a while. Barry was in the worst shape, still bleeding, and even high-grade healing potions couldn't fully stop it.
They quickly divided their remaining supplies and bandaged Barry as best they could. With only basic medical knowledge, Princess Yalan couldn't do much more. They had no choice but to rest here for the night. Linton started a small fire and went to retrieve the Fire Devourer's horns, cleaning them before handing them to Princess Yalan.
The princess stood in silence for a moment before lowering her head.
"Th-thank you…thank you all," she said softly.
(End of Chapter)