After strolling leisurely for a while, Ella realized she couldn’t keep walking and broke into a light jog.
The physical sensation in her chest caused a slight bounce, but she was used to it by now.
Not long after, she heard a crackling sound from the sky. Looking up, she saw a massive Meteor hurtling down.
Back during the forest battle, because both sides were under heavy pressure, Vina hadn’t had a chance for lengthy chanting, focusing instead on quick and precise control.
Now, at last, it was her time to shine.
“If there are no small fry on the battlefield, the only use for wide-area attack Magic is to put on a fireworks show.”
This was a saying passed around in the Kingdom Mage Court.
But in the deep night at Lilburg, there were more than enough small fry.
The Wolf Beastmen, standing on two legs, charged wildly toward the fortress, believing their target awaited them there.
As the temperature above their heads gradually rose, the first to look up let out a terrified screech.
“Gah?!”
With a thunderous crash, the Meteor struck the ground.
The unlucky one at the very center was flattened instantly.
A scorching shockwave rippled out, setting dozens of pelts ablaze and turning the pack’s howls into wails of agony.
From a distance, the formation led by Feng Lie lost a third of its numbers to the Meteor.
While not utterly routed, they certainly wouldn’t regroup anytime soon.
Well, the battle had already started.
She couldn’t possibly run over there in time, and getting too close would only get her discovered.
So this was the only way.
Ella stopped, crouched gently, and plunged the White Bone Sword into the earth.
Closing her eyes, she recited a murky incantation:
“New slaughter of the dead, no path in the netherworld, grievances arise from spirits, the restless find no peace.”
At the edge of the Meteor’s impact, the corpses of Wolf Beastmen whose organs had burst from the shockwave suddenly opened their eyes.
Not bad, this vantage point was decent.
She could see—wait!
The Hero Squad’s coordination was too fast.
The Meteor attack had just ended, yet Celes gave them no chance to breathe, charging forward with her sword.
The surging wind around her formed an arrow-shaped Sword Qi, propelling her body forward at breakneck speed.
None could stand in her path, and a violent gale swept wherever she passed.
The corpses were swept up by the wind, and Ella’s vision spun like a roller coaster, nearly making her dizzy.
Luckily, when she landed again, her view improved. She caught a clear glimpse of Celes charging into the fray.
“Roar!!”
From within the ranks, a Centurion hefted a meteor hammer and led over a dozen warriors in an attempt to intercept the icy-blue figure tearing through their formation. Just as the two sides were about to collide, a dazzling holy light descended from the sky. The Sword Qi around the young girl swelled even larger, crushing the interceptors to pieces.
They didn’t even manage to slow her down.
Ella took in the scene, muttering inwardly. The squad’s coordination and fighting power seemed to have improved yet again. Could it be they had really honed themselves by sparring against her?
No one could stop Celes from reaching the core of the battlefield. Soon enough, Feng Lie appeared before her.
His human body stood at about two and a half meters, muscled and imposing. His head was that of a fierce wolf, a scar slashing across one eye, and he wielded a Ring-hilted Broadsword as large as an ordinary person.
Realizing his scheme had been exposed and used against him, with his troops battered and humiliated, Feng Lie’s face twisted in rage.
“Curse you!”
He leaped high, swinging the Ring-hilted Broadsword down at Celes.
Boom—!
Feng Lie was sent flying backward.
The Ring-hilted Broadsword was indeed formidable, and the wielder’s strength was nothing to scoff at. But Celes was at the peak of her momentum; her icy-blue Sword Qi, empowered by the Saintess’ Prayer, was simply unstoppable. Anyone who came at her would be sent flying.
Ella’s lips twitched as she watched.
She knew Feng Lie was reckless, but hadn’t expected him to be this reckless—charging headlong into a frontal attack rather than dodging an obvious advance.
As she expected, after sending her target flying, Celes stopped, the aura around her fading.
The more powerful the skill, the greater its limitations. The direction was set at the start, and there was no turning midway.
Let’s see how Feng Lie is doing.
The corpse’s eyes rolled frantically. At the edge of her vision, a piercing wolf’s howl suddenly erupted. The warriors who had gathered to check on their leader were blasted away. Bathed in the Blood Moon’s Radiance, the Wolf Beastmen rose to their feet once more.
“Die… for me!!”
He’d gone berserk.
Celes’s eyes narrowed. She raised her sword, gathering the swirling Sword Qi until it blossomed at the tip—
Clang!
This strike was purely defensive, and perfectly timed. Even though Feng Lie’s attacks were wild and left plenty of openings, she made no aggressive moves at all.
The contrast was clear. Ella thought to herself: back when she was on the offensive, Celes could barely block her and had to rely on the healer’s constant support. But now, without needing Leah’s help, she could handle things with ease.
Still, this steady fighting style felt familiar…
Clang!
The Ring-hilted Broadsword was parried again. Feng Lie paused, catching his breath, and just then, a dark shadow flashed past behind him.
“Ah!!”
Nice!!
Ella was thrilled. Yes, that’s it, that’s the feeling! Now they know how she felt back then.
There’s just no way to deal with this kind of tactic alone—it’s pure trickery.
Feng Lie roared and swung wildly behind him, but hit nothing but air. Celes forced him back to the front, and just when the fight grew deadlocked, another shadow flashed behind him.
After several rounds of this, Feng Lie’s body began to convulse. He lowered his savage wolf head, blood gushing from his wounds and emitting a strange red glow.
The final stage of Berserk Form—activated!
“ROOOOAR!!!”
His howl echoed to the heavens, making the earth tremble. Even the dark clouds were blown away, revealing a full moon high in the sky. The blood-soaked, armored wolf-head leader stood tall, drawing his Blood-blade Broadsword and swinging it—at empty air.
He had drawn his blade, only to find no one in front of him.
No Sword Saint girl, no assassin girl, no healer girl, no mage girl—nothing at all.
The transformation was so dramatic, everyone knew what was happening and had already withdrawn.
Feng Lie twisted his head, scanning the distance like a vigilant wolf. The next second, he leapt into the shattered ranks, grabbing a chubby, pale figure.
“N-no, please, ah!”
With a bite, his fangs tore through the throat. Feng Lie drank deeply of the blood, then tossed the shriveled corpse aside two minutes later.
“Mere Blood Slaves, and you dare try to flee?”
Bloodlust surging, he scanned the battlefield again, searching for more Blood Slaves hidden among the fleeing soldiers.
“Roar!”
Celes had anticipated Feng Lie’s mobility in Berserk Form. The withdrawal range for the second stage of their tactics was set far enough to clear the battlefield entirely.
In an unnoticed corner, the long-dead wolf warrior finally closed his eyes. At the same time, the pink-haired, thunderous beauty opened her bright eyes.
“They’ll never expect that Feng Lie can heal his wounds by drinking blood.”
So, she made her move.