Terradin Forest, Hensberg Kingdom, Northern Continent.
"Aaaarrrrhhhh!"
Lilith screamed in pain as she received a slash from my sword, Seraphis. Her body staggered backward, distancing herself from me. Both of her hands clutched the wound I had inflicted, while her head remained lowered toward the ground.
Yes... I will protect the girl named Elena from Lilith's madness.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Shortly after, Lilith's laughter echoed. Why is she laughing after receiving such a deep slash from my sword?
Not to mention, my slash was quite long—it cut diagonally across her chest, from below her neck to above her navel. I could see her black blood (since Demonkin possess black blood) flowing down, soaking her crimson robe.
Then, what is she laughing at? Has she completely lost her mind?
"Just as I expected from you, Aella, the Demon Slayer. It has been so long since I last felt this sensation of pain. It has been so long since I last saw my black blood spilling from my body due to an enemy's blade. This is wonderful... this is truly exhilarating, Aella... hahahahahaha!"
Lilith laughed once again after spouting her nonsense.
"Very well, I suppose it's time for me to get serious against you."
The moment she said that, the wound on Lilith's chest suddenly closed on its own. The slash I had inflicted vanished without a trace.
Unknowingly, my hand trembled slightly at the sight.
Am I… afraid of this demonic woman standing before me?
"O deus tenebrarum Zaal, da virtutem tuam. Da mihi gladium tuum, qui natus est de calore inferni."
(Oh, Dark God Zaal, grant me your power. Bestow upon me your sword, born from the heat of the inferno.)
Lilith began stepping forward slowly while chanting her incantation. As she did, the air around us grew cold and ominous. The trees trembled, as if voicing their fear and unease. A black mist gradually emerged, wrapping itself around Lilith as she advanced toward me.
"Infernox!"
The moment she uttered that word, the black mist that surrounded her began condensing around her right hand. Slowly, it solidified into the shape of a sword.
I would never forget that sword—Infernox. The sword of the Dark God, Zaal. A blade said to have been forged from the darkness and intensity of hellfire itself.
"Surely, you haven't forgotten Infernox, have you, Aella? Let me tell you something—this is the very sword I used to split open Estella's chest."
"Enough of your nonsense, Lilith! I refuse to believe that your filthy hands were capable of so much as scratching Estella! Have you forgotten how you fled in terror when you saw Estella's sword?"
It seemed my words wounded Lilith's pride. Her face flushed red, burning with rage.
"Watch your tongue, Exiled Elf!"
Consumed by fury, Lilith charged at me with incredible speed. She swung her sword sideways toward me. Seeing this, I lifted Seraphis from below and deflected Infernox's powerful strike upward.
Cring!
The clash of our swords created a deafening sound. The trees roared as if the battle of two deities was unfolding before them—represented by us and our divine blades, Seraphis and Infernox.
Lilith relentlessly swung her sword at me with immense force. Meanwhile, I continuously redirected the strength of her swings elsewhere with the delicate movements of my own sword.
We ran, leapt, and clashed against each other, exchanging relentless strikes.
"Listen to me, Aella! I will teach you the fundamentals of swordplay against Demonkin. You see, Demonkin possess the greatest physical strength among all races. Never fight them with brute force alone! Swordsmanship is not merely about power. When stone collides with stone, the hardest stone wins. But if stone strikes water, it sinks and erodes over time. Engrave this in your mind, Aella!"
After saying that, Estella had once demonstrated her sword movements with ease, asking me to observe them closely.
Even now, I still remember all of Estella's teachings. She had taught me the sword techniques meant to counter the strength of the Demonkin. And the sword style I use now—belongs to Estella.
"Vincula tenebrarum!"
(Chains of Darkness!)
Lilith cast another spell. This time, dark chains burst forth from the ground, attempting to ensnare me. I leapt backward, trying to evade their grasp.
But this time, the chains coiled around Lilith's Dark Spears, which were scattered throughout the battlefield. Then, she swung several of the spears, their chains guiding them toward me.
I ran, jumped, dodged, and parried each of Lilith's relentless attacks—whether they were the dark chains emerging from the ground or the spears slicing through the air above me.
"Ventus Gladius!"
(Wind Blade!)
As I ran, avoiding Lilith's onslaught, I chanted my Wind Blade spell and directed it toward her. However, she effortlessly deflected each and every one of my attacks with Infernox, the sword gripped in her right hand.
"Ignis Vita!"
(Flame of Life!)
"Ignis Tenebrarum!"
(Flame of Darkness!)
I launched an attack using my Flame of Life, but Lilith countered it with her Flame of Darkness.
Our battle raged on with unrelenting intensity.
In truth, my duel with Lilith was not a typical mage's battle. Generally, mages are a class that supports the frontline warriors, such as knights or swordmasters, by providing long-range magical attacks.
However, both Lilith and I were different.
We were frontline mages—mages specialized in breaking through enemy defenses. We, both Lilith and I, shattered enemy lines with our magic and swordsmanship. That was what set us apart from ordinary mages and placed us in a different league of combat altogether.
As our flames clashed, Lilith suddenly leapt through the blaze, charging straight at me with Infernox raised. Caught off guard, I had no choice but to block her powerful strike head-on.
The impact of our swords colliding sent me flying backward. I tumbled across the ground, my arms aching and trembling from the sheer force of her blow.
A direct hit from Lilith—one I should have deflected, yet I had chosen to block instead.
And… where is my sword?
Frantically, I scanned my surroundings and found Seraphis lying not far from where I had landed.
But before I could even move toward it, something coiled around my right ankle.
Lilith's Dark Chains had caught me.
In an instant, my body was hurled through the air, crashing into the dense trees. My back slammed against a thick tree trunk with brutal force.
"Ughuk-ughuk!"
I coughed, pain burning through my chest. Blood spilled from my mouth as I gasped for air.
"Oh my, oh my… So, is this how our battle ends, Aella?"
Lilith walked toward me with a satisfied smile on her face.
The expression on her face made it painfully clear—
"This is my victory, and your death."
I struggled to rise, my body aching, as I extended my hand toward Lilith and chanted once more.
"Ignis Vita... Ventus Gladius..."
(Flame of Life... Wind Blade...)
I continued chanting my spells, using the last remnants of my strength to attack Lilith. But she effortlessly deflected all of my attacks with both her magic and her sword, Infernox.
Once again, Lilith sent my body flying with the strike of her Dark Chains.
I lay on the ground, writhing in pain, my hand clutching my chest after being struck by her cursed chains. Amidst the agony, I began to hear the sound of approaching footsteps—the footsteps of that demonic woman. When I turned my face upward, I saw Lilith standing before me, gazing down with eyes full of mockery.
Lilith slowly raised Infernox high above her head. Then, with a satisfied smile, she spoke to me.
"Go and meet your dear friend, Estella, in hell, Aella!"
Her sword began its descent toward me. I closed my eyes, ready to accept the fate I had chosen.
But… nothing happened.
Slowly, I opened my eyes, and before me stood Swordmaster-san.
As for Lilith… she was kneeling on one knee, gripping Infernox tightly, her sword no longer aimed at me.
"Are you alright, Elf-san?"
The man standing in front of me was covered in wyvern blood. My eyes quickly darted around, searching for the two wyverns that had been fighting him. And then, I saw it—their severed heads lay on the ground, detached from their massive bodies.
This man had slain both wyverns alone… and all I had done was provide him with a simple wind spell.
"Elf-san… are you still able to fight that horned woman with me?"
I gathered every ounce of strength I had left and forced myself to stand, enduring the pain that coursed through my body. Then, I looked straight at Swordmaster-san and spoke.
"Of course… let's bring down that horned demon together."
A moment later, Swordmaster-san charged toward Lilith, while I began chanting my spell…
***
"This is incredible—Swordmaster-san actually defeated two wyverns all by himself. Alright, now it's time for our counterattack. Get ready, Lilith!
The next episode is titled 'Lost in The Shadows.' This will be our final battle against Lilith. Don't miss it…"
—Aella Mead