Ailiya heard the sound coming from behind her.
Seraphina braced herself against the rock beside her and slowly pushed herself up from the ground.
Her movements were sluggish. With every tiny shift, the pain on her face became more pronounced.
But she was already much better than before. Ailiya’s Battle Qi was flowing through her body, the searing heat purifying that accursed curse seal.
Although her magic power hadn’t recovered, at least about thirty percent of her physical strength had returned.
Her holy robe was completely soaked with blood. The dark red fabric clung to her body, revealing large swaths of pale skin.
The left sleeve had been torn off, exposing a generous expanse of white flesh from her collarbone down.
Most of her skirt had burned away, her long, slender legs peeking through the shredded cloth.
She looked utterly pathetic.
Ailiya turned around and glanced at her.
Then she frowned.
“Why are you standing up?”
“We need to hurry…!”
“We have to get to the camp quickly.”
Seraphina lifted her head.
“I just saw it with my eye of holy light.”
“There are two high-level magic beasts…”
“They’re chasing Yisela.”
Her voice began to tremble.
“I’ve already…”
“I can no longer sense the protection magic I placed on her.”
“She’s run too far.”
“So far that…”
“Even my magic can’t reach her anymore.”
Ailiya looked at Seraphina—covered in wounds, her clothes disheveled, barely able to stand, yet still worried about that little girl.
She was silent for a moment.
Then she nodded.
“I understand.”
She stepped forward, grabbed Seraphina’s arm, and pulled her away from the rock.
“I’ll carry you.”
“We’ll go together.”
“There’s no way I’m leaving you here alone.”
She turned around, presenting her back to Seraphina, and bent down slightly.
“Get on.”
Seraphina didn’t hesitate.
She knew full well this wasn’t the time for sentimentality.
Yisela was still out there, alive or dead unknown. Whether the Knights Order had safely withdrawn—every second felt like a knife at her throat.
She clenched her teeth, lunged forward, and pressed her entire body against Ailiya’s back.
The moment her skin touched, Ailiya’s spine tensed.
That soft, warm sensation came through the thin fabric, unmistakably clear.
Ailiya’s ears burned. She told herself it was because the battle had been too intense, not because of the soft thing on her back.
She said nothing, simply tightened her grip, holding Seraphina’s legs.
“Hold on tight.”
Crimson Battle Qi surged from within her, gathering, compressing, and shaping into a pair of blazing, fiery wings that burst open behind her.
Every feather was aflame. Each flap sent a scorching wave of heat.
BOOM!
The shockwave blasted a thick layer of gravel from the ground. Ailiya’s feet left the earth, and she shot into the sky like an arrow.
The wind howled past her ears.
Seraphina closed her eyes, burying her face in the crook of Ailiya’s neck.
“Which direction?”
Ailiya’s voice came from the front.
Seraphina opened her eyes, raised her hand, and pointed toward the depths of the Dense Forest.
“That way!”
“It’s the direction the villagers evacuated.”
“Yisela should be there too.”
“Got it.”
Ailiya’s blazing wings gave a powerful beat, and she transformed into a streak of crimson light, speeding in that direction.
What she didn’t know was…
At that very moment, at the edge of the forest hundreds of miles away.
Yisela felt she had never run so fast in her life. Her lungs were about to explode.
The holy light boots on her feet flickered with a weak, uneven glow, as if about to give out at any moment.
Behind her, two terrifying auras were closing in.
On the left was a Thunder Owl with a wingspan over ten meters. Every beat of its wings crackled with thunder.
On the right was a Night Shade, reeking of demonic energy. Its speed was just as fierce, its claws scraping sparks against the rocks. Several times, they nearly snagged Yisela’s skirt.
“Huff…!”
“Huff…!”
“You idiots!”
“Why are you chasing so hard!”
“In a hurry to die?!”
Yisela sprinted wildly, weaving through the rugged mountain path, while turning her head to curse.
A thin bolt of lightning grazed her hair, curling a few strands.
She touched her hair with dismay, then grew even angrier.
“Hey!”
“You’re a Thunder Owl, right?”
“You’re already bald—do you want to make me bald too?”
“And you, Night Shade! Your breath is drifting over here—did you even brush your teeth?”
The two high-level magic beasts clearly didn’t understand the art of human language. Their reply to Yisela was a sharper screech from the Thunder Owl and a roar from the Night Shade.
Yisela stumbled, and the light from her holy light boots faded completely, turning into the dull texture of ordinary leather boots.
“No magic left.”
Her heart skipped a beat, but she forced a stiff, awkward smile onto her face.
She stopped abruptly, turned around, planted her hands on her hips, and panted as she shouted at the two massive creatures charging toward her.
“Stop!”
“Time out!”
“How about we make a deal?”
The Thunder Owl and the Night Shade had clearly never encountered such a situation. Their momentum carried them dozens of meters past before they slammed on the brakes and turned around. Both pairs of beast eyes stared at the little silver dragon with confusion.
Yisela used the chance to put a little more distance between them, gasping for air.
“You two want to capture me alive, right?”
“That’s negotiable.”
“First, tell me—what do you want me for?”
“Let’s talk it out nicely. Tell me, do you have any problems? I’m not completely unreasonable…!”
Before she could finish, the Night Shade let out a low growl, scraping its front claws against the ground. It had clearly lost patience.
They remembered their master’s strict order: they must capture the little silver dragon alive, or else even their demon souls wouldn’t be spared.
Seeing their prey give up resistance, the Night Shade and Thunder Owl immediately dropped their attack postures and cautiously approached her.
“How about this,” Yisela said, her face pale, looking like she might faint at any moment. Her voice was weak.
“I’m a little hungry right now.”
“You two go find me something to eat. Preferably something like…”
“Medium-well steak, and a glass of red wine.”
“Once I’ve eaten and I’m in a good mood, I’ll go with you.”
“Otherwise!”
Her eyes suddenly sharpened. She pulled a small fruit knife from her waist, tremblingly pressed it against her own neck.
“Otherwise I’ll kill myself!”
“Then you won’t be able to report back!”
“Your master will definitely stew you both!”
After saying that, to make her threat more believable, she spat out a mouthful of blood (actually, she had bitten her tongue while running too fast and mixed it with saliva), and brandished the knife near her neck, looking like a madwoman ready to die.
The air froze for three seconds.
Hearing such extortionate logic—first eat, then surrender—the Night Shade was clearly enraged, or perhaps frightened by the suicide threat.
It didn’t waste any more words. Opening its massive maw, it spat out a thick, sticky glob of black demonic energy.
*Pfft!
The demonic energy instantly enveloped Yisela from head to toe, cementing her to the ground like concrete. Even the fruit knife was glued to her hand.
“Mmph mmph!”
“Don’t come near!”
“You unethical magic beasts!”
“I’m going to file a complaint!”
Yisela struggled wildly inside the demonic energy, cursing indistinctly.
The Night Shade paid no attention to her protests. It strode forward, and like a cat carrying a kitten, it clamped its jaws onto the clothes at Yisela’s side.
“Let go!”
“This princess’s limited edition dress!”
“And stop biting my waist!”
“Don’t you know how to carry someone?!”
Yisela’s protests were completely useless.
The Night Shade adjusted its grip, holding her securely in its mouth to ensure she wouldn’t fall, then turned its head and growled softly at the Thunder Owl.
The Thunder Owl understood. It spread its wings and soared high to scout the path.
The next second, the Night Shade’s four legs launched simultaneously, turning into a black blur, and with its prize in its mouth, it fled the scene at top speed, like a flying shadow.
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