Redemption

The battle continued. The play area grew larger as the village was flattened, with ruined buildings and burning ash scattered around. Captain Yuro forcefully slammed me towards the center of the open space. My feet created streaks into the earth as I was flung backward.

A smile rose on Yuro's face as he chuckled with excitement in midair. “Yes. I’m so glad you’re still standing! Keep going!” He launched another fierce attack, rushing at me at full speed with a powerful punch.

I raised my guard, having no faith that my team would come to my rescue... but I was foolish.

Suddenly, a familiar, yet cocky man entered the battle. “Alright, fake hero! The best crusader has arrived!”

The confident crusader jumped into harm’s way and shielded up. I noticed his body emitting a yellow coat of mana. Anojin’s shield clashed with Yuro’s fire punch.

The heat from the attack made the crusader uncomfortable. However, Anojin managed to block the punch with ease.

…

Our mouths gaped in shock at Anojin’s durability. That should have inflicted some damage, regardless of whether he blocked or not. How did he get so much stronger?

After he shielded me from the blow, I noticed the emitting yellow mana around him fading. I curiously asked him about it. “What was that? Since when did you get stronger?”

“I’ve always been stronger, especially when compared to you.” Anojin pointed out. “Naima used her spell on me that increased my durability.”

“I see…”

“That was an amazing block!” Yuro exclaimed, giving the crusader his props. “I didn’t know there was someone else strong here. Don’t ruin this fight for me! We can fight after this one.”

Since a new player joined the fight, it turned into a handicap match against the demon. I understood that the crusader had no reason to help me other than being forced by the girls. However, this worked in my favor. I needed to practice my control.

Anojin glanced over his shoulder, wondering, “How weak are you? Can’t you use that stupid slash attack you did back at the mansion already?”

“Working on it.” I kindly patted the crusader on the metal plates on his shoulder. “Buy me some time. Thanks.” After thanking him for helping me out, I immediately ran in the opposite direction.

Anojin gritted his teeth after being left alone with the captain. “What the?! I don’t follow orders from you, you frau-”

The crusader sensed Yuro flying past him, heading toward me. He chased after the demon, blocking his path.

“Move out of the way!” Yuro demanded.

“Sorry, but you’re going to fight the strongest crusader right now!” As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Anojin knew the only way to defeat the captain was by me. He needed to fulfill his role while I tried to control my mana.

Anojin kept the demon occupied, blocking his every path as I ran away for a moment. He desperately kept up with Yuro’s movement as the captain constantly searched for an opening to break through.

I moved only a few feet away from my original position to give them more room to fight. With this sudden break, I recalled my training from yesterday. I had to think of the sword as an extension of my body… but how?!

The break lasted for less than a minute before the demon slipped through the crusader’s fingers and caught up to me.

Crap! Captain Yuro delivered a heavy blow to my core. His knuckles dug deep as he launched me backwards once again.

I held my stomach while coughing up acid. Anojin quickly chased after me like a game of tag.

With Anojin’s constant interference, Yuro grew agitated. He had to defeat the crusader if he wanted to fight me.

The crusader and I stood our ground, wary of Yuro’s next strike. Luckily, the enemy’s plan was simple. He rushed them head-on.

We exchanged blows with each other. We attacked Captain Yuro with numerous combinations, leveraging our fighting styles and using one another as literal stepping stools.

Anojin decided to demonstrate the results of his training with the King. As he blocked several brutal punches from Yuro, the crusader used his shield offensively against the captain. Our attacks barely hurt the demon, while his were wearing us down.

…

Amada and Naima had to play catch-up. They arrived at the battle shortly after Anojin, but had to continue running towards us.

The girls watched from a distance as the ruthless clash unfolded ahead. Anojin and I were taking punches and gradually felt the exhaustion building up.

The girls also felt their breaths grow heavier from all the running around the village. Unfortunately, they had no time to waste.

Naima wanted to confirm with Amada. “Amada, are you sure you want me to use my spell on you? To remind you, if I do use it, I can’t guarantee I will have enough mana left for healing.”

Amada had already made up her mind. Resolve shone from her eyes. “That’s fine. I have faith in the boys. We don’t need healing. Give me that spell.”

Naima glanced over to her left at Amada. Hinabe’s older sister felt a sense of confidence in Amada’s demeanor. Naima decided to trust in her judgement. “Ok, Amada. I’ll cast the spell on you. Make sure you hit your attack.”

She extended her arms towards Amada and chanted her spell, “Stat Boost!”

Amada felt an immense surge of power coursing through her body, coating her with yellow mana. She gained the power boost, but the hard part was still there… she had to land her spell.

…

Eventually, the girls reached the battle. Amada waited for the right moment to strike. They stood a few feet away from us, on the outer edge of the area, to catch their breath.

Meanwhile, the fight momentarily paused. Anojin and I stood side by side, a short distance from the demon, catching our breath. In contrast, Captain Yuro appeared unbothered and still full of energy, standing without any signs of fatigue.

That was impossible! How was he not even tired?! He flew all the way here and immediately started fighting. Like, come on! At least show any sign of weakness.

Yuro thanked us with glee. “Thank you, Satori and your accomplice, for this amazing battle. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time! I’ve really enjoyed this fight. I was angry at the crusader for interfering, but it’s even more fun when he joined.”

“How are you not tired?!” I asked the demon.

“Tired? Why would I be tired?” He spoke so genuinely, as if I asked a stupid question.

My hand cramped up after wielding the Tri-Carver for the entire clash. However, I tightened my grip. I needed to stay focused.

Thankfully, we were at a stalemate. I seized the opportunity to calm my nerves. I shut my eyes and began meditating and channeling my mana into the sword.

Yuro confidently marched forward with a subtle frown on his face. “I’m a little sad that this has to end so soon. This was fun,” he said.

Anojin glared at the demon, annoyed by the difference in power. Despite that, he decided to provoke the demon. “Ha, you’re not as strong as I thought. I haven’t even used my spell yet.”

“Oh, then please show me that spell of yours. I would love to see it.”

Anojin clicked his tongue, annoyed by Yuro calling his bluff. He wanted to save his spell for an emergency… and it looked like this was one.

The captain continued his slow walk towards us while yapping. “I want you guys to survive this next attack. But I can see your bodies are at their limits.” He tried to encourage us to survive, feeling sorry for us. “Come on, guys, keep trying! You can do it! I believe in yo-”

Suddenly, a familiar voice interjected from the distance and chanted the name of her spell. “Lightning Ray!”

…

Crack!

A massive lightning bolt struck Yuro’s body from the side, stopping him in his tracks. The bolt sparked the demon’s nerves, impairing his movement for a while.

Anojin and I watched in shock. The lightning didn’t come from above… someone created it. Where did that come from? Who cast that?

The blow came from our left, in the direction of the girls. We slowly turned our heads towards the source of the lightning. We were amazed by the power as we recognized the caster.