Terradin Forest, Hensberg Kingdom, Northern Continent.
"Of course... let's defeat that horned demon together."
The moment those words left my lips, Swordmaster-san dashed toward Lilith, lunging at her with his sword. While Lilith was preoccupied with his attacks, I sprinted toward where my magic sword, Seraphis, lay.
I needed to retrieve it to dispel its magic and absorb the mana stored within. My body was nearly out of mana. Swiftly, I grabbed Seraphis from the ground and released the enchantment, reclaiming the precious mana inside.
As I turned my gaze toward the battle between Swordmaster-san and Lilith, I was utterly shocked. That man was truly holding his own against Lilith in close combat.
He fought while skillfully dodging the deadly swings of Infernox, Lilith's blade. Each time she slashed at him, he evaded her strike, leaped, and counterattacked. When Lilith attempted to parry his sword, he instinctively twisted his body to avoid clashing his blade against Infernox. Then, in the midst of his spin, he swung his sword toward Lilith's body. Sensing the danger, Lilith leaped backward just in time to avoid his attack.
It was as if he instinctively knew that his sword would shatter if it met Infernox head-on.
I began chanting my wind spell.
"O nympha venti, tege corpus hoc pallio venti. Et hoc corpus fac praesidium tuum."
"O spirit of the wind, shroud this body with your cloak. Grant this body your protection."
Pointing my magic staff, Indurta, toward the man battling Lilith, I called out—
"Ventus Pallium!"
(Wind Cloak!)
A transparent green veil of wind enveloped Swordmaster-san, forming an ethereal cloak around him. Both he and Lilith were visibly taken aback by my support spell.
"Aella!"
Lilith roared my name in fury.
With his newfound speed, Swordmaster-san charged at Lilith once more. Caught off guard by his sudden increase in agility, she was unable to react in time—his powerful kick struck her squarely in the stomach, sending her flying several meters away. In the process, Infernox slipped from her grasp.
"You bastard!"
Lilith cursed as she began chanting her Dark Chains spell.
"Vincula Tenebrarum!"
From a distance, she unleashed her dark chains upon Sir Swordmaster, who leaped backward while slicing through the oncoming barrage with swift, precise strikes.
"Ventus Gladius!"
(Wind Blade!)
I launched a flurry of wind blades toward Lilith.
"Ignis Tenebrarum!"
(Dark Flames!)
Lilith countered with her dark fire, consuming my wind blades in an instant.
"Aella!"
Once again, she screamed my name, her voice trembling with rage.
Meanwhile, Swordmaster-san rushed toward the scattered Dark Spears left behind by Lilith. Grabbing them one by one, he hurled them at her. In response, Lilith used her Dark Chains to deflect the incoming spears.
But then, in a shocking turn of events, Swordmaster-san suddenly appeared at Lilith's side—right where she had lost Infernox. Without hesitation, he swung his sword toward her. Lilith, however, swiftly grabbed a nearby Dark Spear and blocked his attack.
The two clashed relentlessly—Swordmaster-san unleashed a barrage of sword strikes, while Lilith countered each with her spear.
But… it was all a trap.
Just as Swordmaster-san's blade clashed against Lilith's spear, the spear suddenly transformed—back into Infernox.
She had swapped places with her fallen sword!
Had she deliberately thrown Infernox away earlier just to deceive us?!
The result was disastrous—Swordmaster-san's blade shattered upon impact with Infernox. And in the next moment, his chest was slashed open by Lilith's sword.
He stumbled back a few steps before dropping to one knee, clutching his bleeding chest. He gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain.
Of course… he had to be suffering. A wound from Infernox was like an unrelenting fire, burning deep into the flesh. I understood that pain all too well—I had once been wounded by Infernox back when I was still part of Estella's army.
"Die, you wretched human!"
Lilith lunged at the injured Swordmaster-san.
But instead of retreating, he did something unexpected—he jumped forward.
Grabbing Lilith's arm mid-air, he flipped his body and—
BAM!
—landed a powerful kick that sent Lilith flying.
"Elf-san, can you still cast your magic?"
He shouted at me.
"Yes… I can still chant a few more spells."
"Then, help me with your sword magic!"
He was referring to my Wind Blade spell. Without waiting for my response, Swordmaster-san bolted toward Lilith once more, tossing away his broken sword in the process.
I poured my full focus into chanting my Wind Blade spell, raining a barrage of magical swords down upon Lilith from above. She used both Infernox and her Dark Chains to deflect my attacks.
But at the same time—
Swordmaster-san weaved through her defenses, snatching one of my Wind Blades embedded in the ground.
"You bastard!"
Lilith swung Infernox at him once again.
But this time, Swordmaster-san caught her right wrist—the very hand gripping Infernox—spun his body, and—
Slash!
Lilith's right hand, the one holding Infernox, was severed from her body.
"AAARRGGHHH!!"
She staggered backward, screaming in agony.
Not missing a beat, Swordmaster-san closed the distance between them. He rained down brutal blows—elbow strikes, knee attacks, and the blunt end of my Wind Blade—mercilessly beating Lilith down.
Her agonized screams echoed through the battlefield.
But… something felt off.
A strange unease crept into me as I watched him.
I could feel it—an aura of darkness slowly emanating from Swordmaster-san's body.
And then, I saw his expression—
A feral, ruthless smile stretched across his lips.
The way he looked at Lilith, writhing in pain on the ground—
It was as if he was savoring her suffering.
"Qui ambulas in ponte tenebrarum, audi me. Audi vocem animae meae ad te. Et mitte ad me animam tuam demersam in tenebris."
(You who walk upon the bridge of darkness, hear me. Hear the voice of my soul calling to you. And send me your soul, drowned in the abyss of darkness.)
Suddenly, I heard Lilith chanting her spell. This was the first time I had ever heard that incantation.
"Swordmaster-san, be careful of Lilith's magic spell!"
I shouted to warn the man, but it was pointless. He had completely lost his sanity. He was no different from a monster thirsting for blood.
"Vox Tenebrarum!"
(Voice of Darkness!)
As Lilith finished her incantation, Swordmaster-san suddenly screamed in agony, clutching his head. He shook his head violently, crying out in pain, then fell to his knees, grasping his head with both hands.
What was happening to him?
"Lilith, what have you done to him?"
"Aella, you should have realized it too. This man... this bastard, for some reason, carries the same aura as my race, the Demon Race. Somehow, he possesses the aura of darkness, meaning his body has an affinity with the darkness element. A human with the element of darkness. But that's good... because now, I have found a new, truly fascinating toy... hahahahahaha!"
What was she talking about? I had no idea what Lilith meant. But... the man had stopped screaming and was now slowly rising to his feet.
"Are you alright, Swordmaster-san? What do you intend to do? Wait... why are you looking at me like that? Stop it... please, stop..."
The man suddenly lunged at me ferociously. He rampaged, attacking me blindly. I had already used up my last bit of mana to rain Lilith down with my Wind Blade magic. I was defenseless against his assault.
Bruaakkkk!
"Arrrhhhhggg!"
My body crashed violently into a tree from his powerful kick.
I should have realized it from the start. From the moment I first met him at the tavern, when I laid eyes on him for the first time.
He was a very dangerous man.
But his concern for the girl named Elena had lowered my guard. No... I had even started to trust him, just a little.
And I was completely wrong!
As a result, I now lay helpless on the ground. My mana was completely drained, and I had no idea how many of my bones had fractured under his attack.
"Stop that. Don't kill that woman just yet. But kill that disgusting little girl first... yes... kill her. Look, Aella! Watch with your own eyes! Watch as this man crushes the girl's face beneath his feet... hahahahahaha!"
Please, stop... don't go near her... please, stop...
I couldn't even find the strength to speak. I wanted to scream. No... please, don't kill that girl named Elena. Because she might be the daughter of my dear friend, Estella. So... I beg you, don't harm her.
My voice was trapped by fear and anxiety, along with the exhaustion and pain that spread throughout my body. Tears streamed down my face as I heard the sound of the madman's footsteps slowly approaching where Elena was.
No... don't!
Aaaauuuuuuuuuhhhhhh!
Suddenly, a loud howl echoed through the night. In an instant, the wind howled violently, followed by the ground trembling beneath us. The night air grew colder—so chilling that it pierced through my skin. An eerie, bone-chilling presence filled the air. The trees swayed wildly.
My body trembled violently... I was terrified!
And I wasn't the only one. Lilith's body was also shaking in fear. Slowly, from within the darkness, a pair of crimson-red eyes approached us.
Eyes that froze all of us in place—me, Lilith, and even the crazed Swordmaster.
And then, emerging from the shadows, stood a towering black-furred wolf, three meters tall, its body adorned with blood-red streaks. The creature exuded both majesty and brutality, ferocity and elegance. It was the mythical wolf that had become a legend across the Northern Continent.
Fenrir, the God-Slayer.
***
"Why has the harbinger of calamity appeared so suddenly? What does Fenrir want from us? Even Lilith trembles in fear at its presence. Are we all going to die here in the Terradin Forest?
Stay tuned for the next episode: 'Fenrir, Wolf of Ragnarok'. Bye..."
Aella Mead