Strand of Hope

Seeing the stubborn insect before her, the Saintess roars furiously, as she fires multiple beam of concentrated mana at him.

Rolling forward, he slides down the street, narrowly avoiding the incinerating beams. 

"Tch. It can even do rapid fire?"

Leaping into the air, Reiji smashes down with Smashing Blow, his axe kick landing squarely into the two blades snapping them. Landing on the ground, Reiji side steps the counter attack, thrusting his Knee into the Saintess Ribs, Rending Strike drilling into her. 

"Eat this!"

Blitzing behind her, he unleashes Howling Storm into her back, staggering her for the first time, following with a round house kick, and Beast Fang. 

For the first time since the battle started, he managed to draw blood from the Saintess, a single drop of liquid black ink, yet the wound quickly closed with purple mana.

"Dammit. Thats just cheating now."

Swaying backwards, Reiji flips backwards avoiding her retaliation.

Pressing the attack, the Saintess unleashes an onslaught of attacks, weaving in sword skills among her lightning fast slashes. 

Cross Slash. Horizontal. Heaven Slash. Diagonal. Downwards. Reverse Swallow. Empress Blade. 

With each strike her speed increase, the purple mana enveloping her mana swords flaring brightly, with the final skill, the Saintess lets loose a giant blade of mana slicing through the entire street.

"Tch. Dammit!" Reiji flares up his Ki in response, desperately guarding against the attack, his skills working overtime. 

"This... this is nothing!" He roars as the violet light completely engulfs both him and his vision.

"..." 

Drowning out even the voice of Alicia that echoes in his thoughts, the attack from the Saintess was beyond this world.

Gritting his teeth, Reiji could do nothing but desperately struggle with all his might. His burised and battered body, held together by nothing but his yielding spirit.

Coughing out blood, he starts to loose feeling in his body. From his fingers to his arms, then his entire body, but still he stood refusing to back down.

The moment stretched from an instant to an eternity, the flow of time disappearing, losing all meaning to Reiji. 

In the blink of an eye, the torment ends, as the blade of light disappears. 

Sinking to his knees, wisp of smoke rises from his body, the smell of burnt flesh wafting through the ears, pools of his own blood forming around him.

Is... this it? Am I... done for? 

The memories of his time in this world come flooding back. The people he's met, the experiences he gained. The kids at the orphanage, Souma, Xenon, Nraltia...

Heh... now that I think about it... this isn't the first time, I thought I was done for. Thinking to himself, the small spark in his heart begins to flare, turning into fire.

"That's right, Reiji. This isn't the place where you'll die." Alicia's voice finally comes through, stoking the fires into an inferno.

"I refuse to fall. Not here. Not to you." Staring defiantly at the approaching Saintess, Reiji slowly crawls to his feet, despite his defiant will, his body was exhausted, just standing took a colossal amount of effort.

Slashing downwards, the Saintess unleashes a simple wave of light. The approaching mana wave, was  incomparable to the attack before, almost like a light breeze. But it was enough for Reiji's current state.

Just as his end was approaching, a wall of golden runes erupted infront of him, shielding him from the attack.

"Regenerate!" A burst of warm gentle green light enveloped him, closing his wounds, as Nraltia appeared besides him, propping him up against herself.

Two other shadows appeared besides the Saintess, one of them horned and clad in azure lightning, while the other was a women wielding a sacred sword. 

Attacking her simultaneously, the Saintess is forced to block, stopping her from finishing off Reiji.

The last figure, was the Reagent of Light Alexander, he stood between Reiji and the Saintess, holding up the Rune Shield, buying time for Nraltia to heal him.

"What are you doing here?" He asks through coughs of blood.

"We're here to help you." Her gentle smile easing the weight on his mind.

"What about the city?"

"The corrupted beast are approaching the city, but none are rising from within." The Reagent answers over his shoulder. "The knights and the Gryphon party have taken care of the evacuation and defense of the city."

After a pause, Alexander continues "All that's left... is to deal with this Corrupted Saintess." 

"Heh. Taking responsibility for your actions?" 

"Something like that." Flicking his hands towards Reiji, a golden light bask over him, refiling his Ki. 

"Oooh! I can feel my energy returning!" Reiji marvels as his Hp and Ki refill from the combined spells. "Just a bit more, until I'm back in top form."

Although the shield was still up, multiple attacks from the Saintess still came, bursting at the golden shield casted by Alexander. Despite Souma and Ophelia working together to disrupt her attempts, she still had time to fire multiple sword skills and mana beams at the shield.

"How much longer, Alicia? Is the connection done yet?" Reiji asks telepathically.

"It's going slowly, but we're more than halfway there. Just a bit more." The translucent heroine replies. "Sorry it's so slow. It's the only way to not get noticed. Once it's done we'll only get one chance so don't waste it."

"Right." Cracking his neck and knuckles, Reiji prepares to rejoin the fight alongside his reinforcements.

Nraltia brandishes her shortspear, ready to support him. 

Nodding to Alexander,Reiji rushes forward to join Souma and Ophelia. Nraltia also follows but remains at a middle distance, allowing her to jump in with both melee attack and spells. Alexander remains at the back, supporting the other four. 

With these guys by my side, we'll definitely win, Reiji thinks to himself.

"Let's finish this!" Reiji roars rallying the others.