Chapter 270
Whoosh!
Leaving behind fiery trails, the salamanders fiercely slashed through the air. Feeling the presence of spirits, Lukawan glanced sideways.
‘What the hell?’
He was already busy enough, where was this flimsy energy interfering from? With a casual flick of his aura, Lukawan shot down the salamanders. Though it was a mere half-hearted effort for him, to the fire spirits, it was a devastating blow.
The salamanders burst apart in a single strike, forcefully recalled to the spirit realm.
"T-This can't be…!"
Siris, flustered, hurriedly prepared another summoning spell. The salamanders weren’t even close to being a match for that overwhelming battle.
"Come forth! Udar Mjolnir!"
Rumble!
With a crack of thunder, a massive lightning spirit giant, Udar Mjolnir, descended upon the battlefield. Following its summoner’s command, the spirit titan surged forward, unleashing arcs of electricity as it charged straight for Lukawan once more.
Crackle!
Every time Udar Mjolnir brushed against the air, bolts of lightning discharged. This time, even for Lukawan, it wasn’t something he could simply ignore like before.
However, just because he acknowledged it didn’t mean it was a threat.
Lukawan swiftly struck at Repenhardt’s side before leaping away. Sir Geblik, quick to read the situation, joined in the attack. As a result, their positions shifted, and now Repenhardt had been maneuvered directly into Udar Mjolnir’s line of attack!
"Kyaa!"
Siris let out a horrified scream. Udar Mjolnir’s thunderous hammer was aimed straight at Repenhardt’s back. Spirits possessed a certain level of autonomy and could distinguish between friend and foe with simple commands. However, the shift had happened so suddenly that it couldn't stop its attack in time.
Yet, Repenhardt showed no signs of panic as he activated Spiral Guard. After all, he had anticipated such a situation.
Boom!
With an explosive roar, the enormous lightning spirit was swallowed by a golden vortex and vanished.
Siris gasped in dismay and shouted, "I’m so sorry, Repenhardt-nim!"
But how could Repenhardt, who cherished Siris like family, be angered by something like this? Instead, he laughed heartily and reassured her.
"It’s fine! Don’t worry about it!"
Of course, that didn’t mean she was thick-skinned enough to truly brush it off. Feeling disheartened, Siris changed her approach.
It was impossible for her spirit magic alone to accurately target only enemies in the midst of such a lightning-fast battle.
However, she wasn’t just a simple spirit mage, she was also a 4th Circle mage!
"Lau Enk Quenefit, light, descend upon my hands! Become the binding ropes that restrain my enemies! Hold Person!"
Siris recalled how Teslon had effectively fought Iniya with just a simple spell. Just like back then, she cast Hold Person, a spell meant to restrain her opponent’s movements.
Her targets were the two aura users fighting Attila, Kamerun and Werl.
Lukawan and Sir Geblik were already on high alert, so the spell was unlikely to work on them.
Flash!
Hold Person wrapped around the two fighters. But before it could take full effect, the spell dissipated without even slowing them down. Siris's face twisted in frustration.
"Ugh…."
They were in the midst of an intense battle, pouring their full strength into their aura. Against such overwhelming force, ordinary magic simply wouldn’t hold.
Teslon had managed to halt Iniya’s movements, even if just for a moment, using magic alone. But that was because he was a high-level mage, one who possessed the mind of Repenhardt, the greatest magical prodigy of all time.
With Siris's magic, she couldn’t even make these opponents stumble.
"Long-range attacks won't work."
Did that mean she had to charge into that relentless battle herself? That was simply impossible for Siris as she was now.
However, she had one precious gift from Repenhardt.
Gripping her scimitar, Siris took a stance and activated the artifact she was wearing, Blink Boots.
"Blink!"
Back when she fought Teslon, she hadn't been skilled enough with them to use them effectively. But since then, she had trained tirelessly to master the artifact.
Her form vanished in an instant, and she reappeared 20 meters away, right behind Walgran.
In the middle of his duel with Iniya, Walgran’s broad back was now fully exposed before her eyes. Siris channeled the power of Sylph into her blade and swung down with a slashing strike.
'This time, it'll hit for sure!'
But reality was never so kind.
"Hmph."
Walgran scoffed without even turning around.
Everyone here was an aura user. No matter how one teleported across space, the moment they reappeared, their presence could be sensed immediately.
Siris had completely misused the Blink Boots. If she wanted to use their teleportation against an aura user, she should have retreated beyond their attack range instead of trying to flank them.
Walgran subtly twisted his body and fired aura backward.
Three streams of Blade Aura shot toward Siris, aimed precisely at her vital points.
The terrifying force of the aura shattered the Sylph energy imbued in her scimitar in an instant and surged toward her. Siris let out a piercing scream.
"Kyaaah!"
"S-Siris!"
Repenhardt's eyes widened in urgency. But bound as he was, there was nothing he could do in that moment.
Then
"Tch!"
Clicking her tongue, Iniya swung her sword, unleashing a brilliant flash of silver Blade Aura. It intercepted and deflected the attack aimed at Siris.
But the price for her momentary distraction was steep.
"This is my chance!"
Kroatl did not miss the brief moment when Iniya’s ironclad stance crumbled. His eyes gleamed as he immediately lunged into the opening.
His gray Blade Aura streaked toward Iniya’s heart with deadly precision. She barely managed to twist her body to avoid a fatal wound, but at that moment, a searing flash of light slashed across her shoulder.
Blood spattered as her shoulder was stained crimson.
"Ugh!"
Iniya let out a suppressed groan.
Siris, having barely survived, immediately activated her Blink Boots again, teleporting out of range. She stumbled backward, panting heavily.
"Hah… hah…"
Her heart was still pounding wildly. She had truly thought she was going to die.
"T-Thank you, Iniya…"
Iniya's expression twisted. A sharp throbbing pain radiated from her shoulder. Fortunately, the cut wasn’t deep enough to render her arm useless, but the blood loss would inevitably drain her stamina.
She shot Siris a piercing glare.
'You absolute idiot!'
Did she have any idea what kind of battlefield this was? With her current skills, she had no business jumping in like that! A surge of anger flared within Iniya, but she forced herself to swallow it.
'Urgh, calm down. Calm down. She was only trying to help…'
It wasn’t that Iniya was particularly forgiving.
In truth, she was the kind of person who would lash out so viciously when her kin did something stupid that they’d seriously consider ending their own lives. The Stiria Tribe’s fear of Iniya’s outbursts wasn’t without reason.
But that foolish young elf girl was someone Repenhardt cherished.
And there was no way Iniya was going to earn a reputation as a raging lunatic in front of him.
'Getting on Repenhardt-nim’s bad side? Yeah, no thanks.'
According to Sillan, the ideal woman for a man was a wise and virtuous lady during the day and a seductive temptress at night.
Honestly, from a woman’s perspective, that wasn’t exactly a flattering expectation.
But if it meant seducing Repenhardt, what wouldn’t she do?
It was daytime now.
That meant it was time to be a devoted and gentle lady.
So, Iniya deliberately softened her expression and spoke as kindly as she could.
“It’s dangerous, Miss Siris. Stay out of this. You need to know your place.”
…This was Iniya’s idea of being considerate.
“With your skills, it’s impossible. You’d be better off retreating.”
Thinking she was being friendly, Iniya attempted to soothe Siris. And, in an even greater act of kindness, she didn’t hesitate to use her aura-infused wind to push Siris far out of the battlefield.
Swept away by the silver aura, Siris was helplessly flung more than 20 meters back. At that distance, she probably wouldn’t get hurt, right?
Feeling quite moved by her own generosity, Iniya smiled.
‘Ah, what a compassionate soul I am!’
Of course, Siris was trembling all over with humiliation.
‘D-Damn it…’
But she couldn’t say a word in protest. The truth was, she had no place in this battle.
Abandoned on the sidelines, Siris stared blankly at the unfolding fight before her.
She had spent so much time by Repenhardt’s side. She had listened to his stories of his past life. Honestly, she hadn’t liked how his gaze seemed to see not her, but someone from the future.
But that future itself had been so promising.
A future where she would become the strongest elf, the fearsome Valencia of Madness, a swordmaster so powerful that all humans would tremble before her.
She had worked tirelessly.
She had honed her spirit magic, refined her swordsmanship, and studied magic.
She had done everything to become the kind of woman who could stand beside Repenhardt without shame, just as he had foretold.
But now, another woman was already standing at his side.
"Watch out! Repenhardt-nim!"
Iniya, fighting an enemy, quickly glanced to the side and shouted. Geblik was sneaking in with a silent aura thrust toward Repenhardt’s flank.
Repenhardt only realized it at the last moment, narrowly dodging the attack before nodding in gratitude.
"Thank you, Miss Iniya!"
Once again, Repenhardt and Iniya gathered their auras.
Golden aura and silver-white aura.
As if it had been planned all along, even their colors complemented each other perfectly.
It wasn’t just their auras.
In appearance, experience, swordsmanship, combat ability, Siris had nothing that surpassed Iniya. Even their figures weren’t comparable.
The only advantage she might have had? Household skills and… serving in bed? But that was the virtue of a concubine, not a woman who stood as an equal in battle.
"Straight Cannon!"
"Blizzard of the White Night!"
Once again, the two unleashed their auras and clashed. Trading fierce attacks, sometimes covering for each other, sometimes relying on one another. Their movements were seamless, as if they had fought side by side for years.
Siris clenched her teeth.
‘Could I ever… be like that?’
How long would she have to train? How much suffering would she have to endure to reach that level? Was the future Repenhardt had spoken of really possible? Would she, of all people, become the strongest elf, leading her kin, when that woman was right there beside him?
"Haa…"
A faint sigh escaped Siris’s red lips.
No matter how she looked at it, the one who truly deserved to stand at Repenhardt’s side was Iniya. A warrior who had reached this height through her own strength, a woman worthy of respect.
Not her.
Everything she had, her artifacts, her spirit magic, her spells, had all been given to her by Repenhardt. Without them, she was nothing. She wasn’t someone who had achieved greatness on her own. She was just a girl who had gotten stronger because she met the right man.
Her hands trembled. She felt like she was about to burst into tears.
But she swallowed them down.
That was the last shred of pride she had left.
* * *
A short distance from Repenhardt’s battlefield, another fierce fight raged on.
Russ and Tassid were still locked in combat with Dekril and Marrad.
Both were heavily injured and utterly exhausted. Russ’s blue aura and Tassid’s teal aura had faded to the point where calling them Blade Aura was almost laughable. Even so, they endured purely through sheer willpower.
Dekril let out an admiring sigh as he watched Russ.
"Well now, for a young man, you've got some impressive grit."
Marrad, glancing at Tassid, nodded in agreement.
"I’ve heard orc gladiators were formidable, but this is beyond comparison."
Both aura users wore relaxed expressions.
The reason Dekril and Marrad hadn’t finished off Russ and Tassid, who looked like they could collapse at any moment, wasn’t anything special. It wasn’t because they had any aversion to killing, nor because they were too weak as aura users to handle two near-corpses. Even if they were only using basic aura skills, if they had fought with their full strength, they could have severed Russ and Tassid’s heads long ago.
The only reason the two had lasted this long was that Dekril and Marrad had been constantly distracted, their attention split elsewhere.
‘Hmm… So that’s Sir Kroatl’s ultimate technique, the Abyssal Aura.’
‘As expected of Sir Walgran’s Aura Skill. So that’s how it manifests.’
Unlike them, the six aura users fighting against Repenhardt’s group were going all out, revealing every hidden trump card they had. Each and every one of them was displaying unique Aura Skills that had been kept secret until now. For an aura user, this was a spectacle beyond price, something that even money couldn’t buy.
Seeing another’s Aura Skill didn’t mean one could instantly learn it or become stronger. But at the very least, recognizing an opponent’s ultimate move could provide a significant advantage in a future duel. With careful observation, one might even discern a weakness.
With their focus half-lost throughout the battle, distracted by what was happening over there, Dekril and Marrad had barely been fighting at all. That was the only reason the half-dead Russ and Tassid had managed to hold on this long.
But it seemed that their luck was finally running out.