570 – The Last Loyal Retainer

I glance backwards.
There’s no way.
No matter how cold Lilixira is, surely she wouldn’t kill her close attendant for practically no reason.

I see the two halves of a zephyr, falling to the ground in a spray of blood.
Alphiss is also covered in blood, but it doesn’t look like she took a direct hit.

…For a moment, I think she might be okay.
But, that naivety quickly destroyed.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
[Alphiss Atelite]
Species: Earth Huma
Condition: Dead
Lv: 60/75
HP: 0/364
MP: 48/227
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Checking her status, I quickly see that she has died.
Alphiss was around the equivalent of a C+ or B- rank monster at most.
There was no way she could withstand the passage of an [Aparajita] from a Legendary [Holy Naga] under the effect of [Chakra Awakening].

Having closed the distance, Lilixira swings her sword of light up towards me.
Even though she just slew her loyal retainer, there’s no hesitation at all in her movements.

I understand now.
It wasn’t that she hoped I would protect Alphiss.
She simply did whatever she could to disturb me.
She totally intended to kill Alphiss.
I know she’s desperate, but… that’s way too far.

Unable to dodge in time, the blade of light pierces my abdomen.
I’m in a pinch, and yet I’ve taken another non-shallow hit.

Quickly healing with [Autoregeneration] and desperately reeling my consciousness back in, I manage to drive the sword of light away with my sword.
But, with my balance broken, I’m in a bad situation.
Both [Oneiros Raizem] and [Oneiros Flugel] are almost destroyed.

If it stays like this, I’ll be killed in just a moment.
I need to reset the situation somehow.

I swing [Oneiros Raizem] hard towards Lilixira.
She blocks it with two of her [Aparajita] swords, which shift into a shield of light.

It’s become a pushing contest between sword and shield.
I thought she’d be more taken aback by my sudden attack, but her response is calm.

Her shield of light gradually pushes away my sword.
In her [Charka Awakened] state, Lilixira has an advantage in strength.

『What are you doing! Wasn’t she your closest aide!? I thought she was at least a little important to you, and yet…!』

“Fufu… She was driven by emotions and not much use, but at the end she was able to do something of value.”

I feel something about to snap in my head.
However, I just barely manage to hold myself together.

I’ve learnt something from our exchanges so far.
All Lilixira is doing is just mechanically spewing out whatever she thinks will rile me.
There’s no deeper meaning behind her words, beyond their desired outcome.
No matter what she says, there’s no value in responding emotionally.

I desperately rein in my bubbling rage.
All I need to think about is how to win.
Alphiss is already dead.
I can think about her after this battle is over.
And… there’s no point in ever letting Lilixira’s words haunt me.

In our pushing match, I feel her strength weaken slightly.
As I thought, she can’t properly maintain [Chakra Awakening] any longer.

“GuuoOOOOOOOOOOOOh!”

I roar, swinging my sword with all my strength behind it.

“Guh!”

Lilixira’s body flies backwards, her posture broken.

Thinking back, her inital attack was already rather weakened.
If it was right after she used [Chakra Awakening], I would have died the moment I was distracted.
She’s almost at her limit.

I’ll press the attack! I dive forwards and swing my sword up, cutting through her snake body to the opposite shoulder of her human body.
She quickly protects her chest with a sword, but is unable to stop my blade from cutting her shoulder and waist.
I cut away the muscle from her upper left arm, exposing bone.

I then swing the sword to the side.
Butt his time, she firmly blocks with her her shield of light.

Now that I’ve taken the offensive, I want to keep pushing until she’s dead.

『[Gravity]!』
“[Gravity]!”

At the same time as I use [Gravity] to break her balance, she also deploys [Gravity].
Our two spheres of black light overlap, dragging us down.

I desperately swing my sword, and feel it cutting into flesh.
It seems I was able to reach her.
I push my sword further, cutting deeper into her body.

But then, a severe pain explodes through my body.
My vision flickers, and I feel my body flying backwards.
It feels like my chest was hit by a lump of hot metal.
I can feel my scales melting.

My back slams into the cliff wall.
I see Lilixira, covered in blood and carrying a giant hammer.
It seems she judged that both of our defences were becoming weak, and transformed her sword and shield into a hammer to land a single heavy blow.

My HP is almost all gone… Even a light blow will kill me now.
As I try to heal, I quickly realise I haven’t got enough MP left.

“Finally, your enormous pool of mana is gone.
I’ll end it quickly.”

Lilixira stares at me, her mouth distorted into a smile.
There’s no sign of complacency in her expression.
However, she seems relieved to see that I took more damage than she did.

I glance down, looking at the bottom of the cliff where Alphiss disappeared.

『Lilixira… You can’t be allowed to live.』