The deepest entrance to the Delusion Forest.
Asili, who had been watching Elia’s fight from the trees, couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
When Asili first realized that Elia was aiming to fight the ruler of the territory, she was conflicted about whether she should stop her.
After all, the rulers of the territories living in Delusion Forest were all powerful monsters, each having at least five knights, equivalent to a standard knight’s squad.
Even though Elia was a skilled fighter who had defeated knights from the Shardena Order, she was now alone, without even armor, holding only a sword.
It was a situation that seemed dangerous, and Asili wondered whether she should intervene and stop her.
However, after observing her level of training, Asili decided to stay hidden and simply watch for a while.
If a 14-year-old genius could defeat a knight, even from the Shardena Order, there was a chance she could also win against the ruler of the territory.
If she was that much of a genius, Elia might stand a chance, and even if she wasn’t, she could probably withstand a few blows.
This was the reasoning behind Asili’s decision to watch the fight.
Clang, clang—!!
Right now, Elia was showcasing an overwhelming fight against the monster ruler of the territory, Pigra, without even being grazed by its attacks.
“Basic stance, basic swordsmanship, modified swordsmanship—everything is perfect.”
For a young child with little real combat experience, her skill was far beyond expectations.
Each technique she used in the real battle was performed flawlessly.
But there was one question…
“Why isn’t she using the combat-style swordsmanship?”
Asili knew that Elia had received all forms of sword techniques from Kael, including the combat style, so why wasn’t she using the combat-style swordsmanship Kael had perfected?
However, Asili soon had a rough idea of why.
Could it be because of that?
There was no reason not to use the combat-style swordsmanship, and Elia, being a teenager, had likely run away from home in a fit of emotion.
At that age, if a kid ran away and exhibited strange behavior, the reason was often clear.
Ah, so she ran away to create her own combat-style swordsmanship?
Perhaps Elia had run away because she wanted to create her own version of the combat-style swordsmanship.
Asili chuckled at her speculation, but it felt very likely to be true.
The reason she came to the Delusion Forest right after running away must have been because of this.
She must have heard that real-world experience was the best way to develop combat-style swordsmanship, so she came here to experience it herself.
“Geez… such a stubborn kid.”
Although it was concerning to see her fighting without the combat-style swordsmanship, Elia was already doing well enough with basic and modified sword techniques, so there was no need for Asili to intervene.
And so, Asili watched as the fight neared its conclusion.
The young genius girl was about to defeat the ruler of the territory.
Rustle—
Had it not been for the faint sound of someone approaching, Asili would have continued watching.
“Who is it?”
The sound of footsteps on grass, which Elia couldn’t hear, reached Asili’s ears.
Turning her attention toward the sound, Asili saw eleven people watching the battle between Elia and the ruler of the territory.
They were wearing uniforms, mostly black leather armor, and carried fast, small weapons like short swords and daggers.
Asili wasn’t sure about the others, but she recognized those outfits and weapons.
Are they from the underworld?
Eleven individuals, and if Asili’s instincts were correct, they were definitely criminals from the underworld.
But Asili couldn’t understand why they were here.
The Delusion Forest wasn’t a place where underworld criminals would typically venture.
There were far more suitable places for committing crimes.
So why had they come here? They were heavily armed and had made their way to the deepest parts of the forest.
Did they come to hunt Pigra?
They must have seen signs that this was Pigra’s territory.
If they had come this far, it could only mean they had come to hunt Pigra.
“This could get a little dangerous.”
Elia, hunting Pigra, and these underworld criminals who had come to hunt Pigra too—it was a situation that looked dangerous from the start.
Asili tightened her grip on her twin daggers and prepared to intervene at a moment’s notice.
She would rush out immediately if Elia was ever in danger.
The attack path of the monster was clear.
The movements of the muscles, the flow of mana, everything was visible, and Asili could see the trajectory of Pigra’s attacks.
Elia, too, had seven years of body training and swordsmanship.
Her body, honed since she was eight, now had the strength to rival that of an adult knight.
The sword techniques she had ingrained into her body could be unleashed at any time.
There was only one thing left to do.
Shh—!
Elia narrowly dodged Pigra’s front paw swung over her head, stepping back just enough to find a gap.
She thrust her sword into the opening with precision.
Kael’s modified sword techniques—5th, 21st, 17th.
“Ha!”
“Kyahh!!!”
In the moment Pigra’s front paw missed, Elia cut into its torso, and as she retreated from another incoming paw, she casually stepped back.
The result was predictable. Pigra’s paw slammed into the ground, missing Elia entirely.
Now, the difference between Elia and Pigra was clear to anyone watching.
Grrr… Grrrr…
Pigra let out a strained, pained roar, its body covered in blood, its fur now stained red.
“At this point… it feels like there’s still a bit lacking for a real fight.”
Elia tidies her bangs with a look unchanged from the start of the fight.
It was clear who was dominant and who was the victor, even without taking a closer look.
It was so obvious that even a passing beast would know, and there was no way the clever Pigra wouldn’t realize it.
And knowing that he was going to lose, Pigra made a simple choice.
“Krugh!!”
“Huh? Hey! Where are you running off to?!”
With the last of his strength, he let out a roar and fled from the predator before him.
That was the only choice Pigra could make.
Using his sharp-clawed hands, he tried to climb a tree to escape.
Elia hurriedly shouted and chased after Pigra, but since she hadn’t trained in tree climbing, the smooth trees of the Delusion Forest were as impossible to climb as an ice path.
Sliiiiide.
“Damn…!”
As soon as she made a big leap to grab the tree, Elia’s body slipped.
She gritted her teeth, cursing under her breath, as she could do nothing but glare at the escaping Pigra.
Whoosh—!!
At that moment, someone suddenly cut through the air and appeared.
“What the—?!”
Startled by the unexpected arrival, Elia shouted in surprise.
At the same time, she saw it.
A woman with dark red hair, appearing with a gust, slashed Pigra’s neck with twin daggers as he climbed the tree.
With a sharp, unmistakable sound, the woman’s dagger—enhanced with sword energy—cut Pigra’s throat deeper than Elia’s sword ever could.
With that fatal blow, Pigra died instantly, unable to even let out a final cry.
Soon, his lifeless body began to fall from the tree, and the woman landed in front of Elia along with it.
Thud—!!!
With a heavy sound, Pigra’s corpse crashed down, while the woman with crimson hair landed lightly atop it.
Before Elia could ask who she was, the woman spoke first.
“First of all, thank you. You’re quite skilled for a young kid. Thanks to you, I didn’t have to run around chasing Pigra everywhere.”
“Uh… yeah, I guess. But who are you…?”
Even though she was expressing gratitude, there wasn’t even a hint of a smile on her face.
Instead, what Elia sensed was an unsettling emotion hidden behind her blank expression.
A bad feeling crept over Elia, and she instinctively started to create some distance.
Rustle… Step… Step…
But before Elia could back away further, ten more figures emerged from the surrounding bushes.
Unlike the woman in front of her, they didn’t bother hiding their killing intent.
Elia narrowed her eyes.
‘This just got a lot worse.’
She already lacked real battle experience.
The most she’d ever fought at once was two or three opponents.
But now, could she really escape unscathed from a group of eleven?
“……”
The fear of death slowly closed in on her.
And before she could even come up with a plan, the bloodstained twin-daggered woman began approaching her at a slow, deliberate pace.
“Gratitude is gratitude, but I still have a job to do.”
“You’ve already played your part in wearing down Pigra’s strength, so now, just die.”
“Ugh?!”
Before she could say anything to stop it, the woman lunged at Elia in an instant.
An overwhelming speed—just like what she’d seen when Zenre was fighting seriously.
Elia’s eyes widened.
‘My body…!’
She could perceive the woman’s movements, but her own body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton.
Why?
Because the woman’s speed far exceeded her own.
Even if she wanted to react, her body couldn’t keep up.
The realization of this sent a wave of terror up her spine, consuming her mind with the fear of death.
‘I don’t want to die here…!’
And at the moment when the woman’s daggers were about to pierce Elia’s body—
Another figure appeared between Elia and the woman, entering her slowed field of vision.
Clang—!!!
The moment she arrived, the world seemed to speed up again as a clear metallic ring filled the air.
The woman’s twin daggers were blocked by another pair of twin daggers.
“Oh wow, twin daggers? That’s a rare weapon. Did I impress you, Miss Asili?”
“What the—?! Where did you come from?!”
The woman furrowed her brows, shouting as she glared at the new arrival—who had just introduced herself as Asili.
Asili smiled with ease, effortlessly blocking the attack.
Elia, still struggling to process what was happening, stood frozen in confusion.
The situation began to unfold rapidly.
“You guys sure you want to do this? You might be better off surrendering to me right now.”
“Because if you don’t, two very scary people are heading this way as we speak.”
Asili smirked.
“Your choices are simple:
Get caught by me, or get caught by inevitable death.”
With that ominous time-attack warning, Asili readied her stance once more.
A faint glow shone from the communication device at her waist.