“Bang!”
Like a kite with its string cut, Nia was blasted flying by the Dragon Demon.
The massive impact sent her tumbling through the rubble several times before she managed to steady herself.
Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Nia began to retreat.
During her flight, she had roughly calculated the range of the interference magic that had dulled her movements, relying solely on her instincts.
But if that was the case, why hadn’t El been affected just now?
He hadn’t been far from where she was standing.
A suspicion arose in Nia’s mind.
She quickly took up a stance again and called back to El without turning her head.
“El, is your weapon still usable?”
“Yes.”
“This guy can use interference magic, but it should only work on one person at a time,” Nia said, eyes fixed intently on the Dragon Demon. “You shoot it from the side to draw its attention.”
“No problem.”
“Get ready, El. Wait for my signal.”
After shouting, Nia was wrapped in wind and charged toward the Dragon Demon at an incredible speed.
Covered by the wind magic, she almost instantly appeared beside the beast.
Clang!
Her longsword struck the vital point without a doubt.
However, it wasn’t the feel of flesh she sensed.
The Dragon Demon’s claw firmly blocked the strike.
Knowing the assault had failed, Nia tried to pull back her sword, but the Dragon Demon was already counterattacking.
There was no time to retract her weapon; she bent her flexible body and dodged to the side.
Though she narrowly avoided the first counterattack, the Dragon Demon began to gather a faint glow in its mouth on the other side.
The second counterattack came swiftly, and that same heavy sensation returned.
“El! Shoot!”
El, already prepared, fired a bolt from his crossbow at Nia’s command.
The arrow’s flight took only an instant, but for Nia, it felt like an eternity.
In front of her were the Dragon Demon’s slashing claws; behind her, the incoming arrow.
Just as the Dragon Demon thought it had the upper hand, Nia didn’t retreat—instead, she unleashed her full magical power, forcing herself forward with a heavy step and thrusting her sword, using the momentum to deflect the Dragon Demon’s crashing claw and maneuver beneath its head.
The Dragon Demon clearly hadn’t expected such a reckless strike from the woman.
As it turned to organize another attack, El’s arrow arrived.
Having just endured a massive explosion, the Dragon Demon dared not take chances.
It withdrew its interference magic from Nia and instead focused on the arrow flying toward its head.
The explosion had shattered its once-proud, tough skin defense, and now any attack could inflict fatal damage.
At that very moment, Nia felt the heavy sensation vanish from her body, and her attacks became fluid again.
She immediately aimed for a gruesome, bloody wound on the Dragon Demon’s right arm and swung her sword!
Clang!
The entire right arm of the Dragon Demon was severed, but Nia didn’t press the attack further.
Before the Dragon Demon could cast interference magic on her again, she retreated to a safe distance.
“Roar!!!”
The Dragon Demon’s roar was even more agonizing than before.
“Good, El. Looks like my guess was right,” Nia said, pausing beside El with a slight easing of her expression.
“It can’t skillfully use interference magic. As long as we attack at the same time, it can’t handle us.”
Following this strategy, the two of them quickly took off the Dragon Demon’s other arm.
With two arms gone, the Dragon Demon seemed utterly harmless—a living target that could only twist its body in pain.
Even with interference magic, it was powerless to stop Nia’s assault now.
Not giving the foe any chance to recover, Nia’s onslaught continued.
One fresh wound after another appeared on the Dragon Demon’s body.
The rapid blood loss dulled the Dragon Demon’s spirit, and its defense began to crumble.
The scales of victory were already tipping.
Looking down at the Dragon Demon collapsed on the ground, Nia’s long-held tension finally eased.
She gripped her longsword and slowly approached, ready to end its life.
Her gaze met the dying Dragon Demon’s.
Its pupils were already fading; in that hazy moment, Nia thought she saw a flicker of cruelty in its eyes.
“Nia, what are you daydreaming about!”
Just as the Dragon Demon’s mouth lit up, El’s excited voice rang sharply in Nia’s ear.
But she had no chance to dodge.
The Dragon Demon unleashed its last interference magic, completely immobilizing her body.
This was a guaranteed hit.
Nia closed her eyes—but the pain she expected never came.
Suddenly, it felt like something pushed her over.
When she opened her eyes, El’s face was already in her field of vision.
No need to guess—it was El who had saved her at the critical moment.
Before she could say thank you, the Dragon Demon’s body began to swell violently.
“Get down!”
In a flurry, El raised Frank’s great shield and pinned Nia down.
The shockwave from the explosion was like a raging storm sweeping across the battlefield.
Nia and El were thrown backward by the force, pressed tightly against the ground to withstand the nearly tearing power.
As the blast faded, dust and debris slowly settled.
Nia felt the pressure lessen and opened her eyes.
Struggling, she crawled out from under El’s protection.
Though her body ached from the shockwave and her ears rang, she knew there was no time to rest.
“El, are you okay?”
She slowly stood and helped El up, quickly checking his condition.
“I’m fine.”
Though Nia couldn’t hear him clearly, she read his lips and understood what he wanted to say.
Despite his words, he didn’t look okay.
The Dragon Demon’s near-death strike had left a terrifying wound on El’s shoulder.
Blood dripped from the injury, staining the ground bright red.
His breath was weakening.
Panic surged through Nia.
She stumbled as she scooped El up from the ground and ran frantically toward home.
“Hang on, El. I’m taking you back. The Mistress will save you.”
El nodded weakly, then closed his eyes trembling.
“Before we get home, I’ll rest a bit.”
“Open your eyes. Hang on,” Nia’s voice trembled as she saw him close his eyes. “You’re going to be the strongest Magic Swordsman. Can’t you hang on just a little longer?”
El gave a grim smile.
His lips moved.
Once again, Nia guessed what he was trying to say.
Don’t go making reckless promises before battles anymore.