Zaefal gripped the handle of his greatsword. A thick black aura appeared and enveloped the entire blade. Thin black smoke flowed out from the metal edges.
The monster screeched loudly. From its back, dozens of sharp crystals glided heavily toward Zaefal.
"Void," Zaefal murmured.
Zaefal swung his sword in a circular motion. Every crystal that touched the black aura on his sword instantly vanished as if swallowed. Several other crystals that were not hit by the aura were deflected and shattered against the sand around him. Zaefal continued to move forward while parrying the barrage of attacks.
My reflex ability increased quite drastically after breaking through the barrier. Is the effect really this drastic? Zaefal muttered inwardly.
Zaefal darted forward. He kicked his foot into the sand and jumped high.
The eyes! Zaefal thought. He shot toward the head of the monster. His black blade slashed right into the monster’s eyeball. Thick blue liquid sprayed out.
Not yet, now the legs!
Once he landed, Zaefal lowered his body. He spun his sword and slashed both of the monster’s legs in one powerful swing. The monster fell heavily onto the white sand.
I haven’t used this in a long time. Zaefal took a breath and murmured "Void."
Suddenly the area around them was covered by a thick, circular darkness. The aurora light from the sky was no longer visible. Inside that black area, Zaefal moved with high speed. The sound of metal slashing through flesh was heard repeatedly. Zaefal ripped through the monster’s stomach, eyes, and arms without stopping.
The darkness suddenly vanished and the area returned to normal.
Zaefal’s body was now wet with blue monster blood. A thick fishy smell rose from his clothes. Zaefal stood still with shoulders rising and falling. His breath was ragged.
"I succeeded."
"I really succeeded."
Zaefal looked at his own hands.
"I succeeded, Sera."
Inside his clothing pocket, Zaefal’s adventurer card felt searing hot against his skin. The heat spread to his chest. Zaefal was startled for a moment before finally letting out a small laugh. He dropped his back onto the cold sand. His eyes stared at the purple sky above.
......
Fyar stood in the middle of the white sand desert which was now full of battle tracks. Two crystal-scaled monsters still stood before him. The creatures lowered their bodies, preparing to lunge.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three consecutive shots were released by Fyar. His pistol bullets hit the first monster’s stomach. The crystal scales in that part cracked and shattered. Thick blue liquid spurted from the wound.
Fyar did not let the monster recover. He darted forward with his body leaning down. His right hand swung the katana in one powerful horizontal pull.
Sret!
The metal blade cut both of the monster’s front legs. The massive body collapsed onto the sand and struggled stiffly. At the same time, the second monster jumped from the right side. Its shadow covered Fyar’s body for a moment.
"Arean," Fyar murmured.
A thin transparent dome appeared enveloping the surrounding radius. The air inside that circle felt heavy. The movement of the lunging monster suddenly slowed as if held back by a massive weight.
Fyar jumped into the air. He spun his body and slashed both of the monster’s arms with his katana.
Srat! Srat!
The two crystal-scaled arms detached from the shoulders. Blue blood sprayed in the cold desert air. Before his body touched the ground again, Fyar aimed his pistol muzzle toward the head of the now helpless monster.
Bang!
A close-range shot destroyed the front of the second monster’s head. The creature fell heavily onto the white sand.
Both monsters now lay still. Slowly, their bodies began to crack and crumble into fine black dust that blew away in the night wind. On the sand where the corpses were, two clear crystals remained, emitting a thin glow.
Fyar regulated his racing breath. His chest rose and fell rapidly. He wiped the blue blood splattered on his cheek using the back of his hand. A thick fishy smell pierced his nose.
Inside his clothing pocket, Fyar’s adventurer card felt searing hot against his skin. The heat spread through his entire thigh.
I succeeded. Fyar thought while staring at the dua crystals. No. Not yet. Not enough. But I didn’t expect to finish all three. Though it was quite difficult.
He then sat leaning against one of the giant crystals protruding from the ground. He looked up at the sky which was now only decorated by the purple aurora. The silver owl and Hasya were no longer visible there.
Hasya is gone. He probably went to Rasie’s place or the others. I hope the others are doing well. Especially Illya. Fyar muttered softly in his heart while closing his eyes for a moment to soothe the throbbing in his head.
Rasie thrust her greatsword straight into the belly of the monster in front of her. The metal blade sank through the crystal scales. Rasie smiled widely. She pulled her sword with one powerful jerk.
"Fire," Rasie murmured while jumping into the air.
Instantly her body and sword were wrapped in a blazing red fire. Rasie darted forward. She thrust the tip of her sword into the gaping mouth of the monster.
"Fire fire!"
A fire explosion occurred inside the creature’s mouth. Fire sprayed out from between the monster’s teeth and nostrils. The smell of scorched meat was immediately felt. Rasie spun her body and slashed the monster’s neck until it was severed in one swing.
"HA HA TAKE THAT BITCH!"
The monster fell and hit the sand. Rasie jumped back to keep her distance. She saw the monster’s corpse slowly harden and turn into a clear crystal chunk.
Rasie raised both hands high to the sky. She shouted loudly.
"Aaaaaaaaa I succeeded!!!!"
Suddenly her pants pocket felt searingly hot. Rasie was startled. She clutched her outer thigh which felt like it was burning. Quickly she reached into her pocket and pulled out a metal card. Her palm turned red holding the heat from the card.
Rasie stared at the number appearing on the card’s surface. Her eyes widened. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise.
"35.."
Rasie laughed out loud again. She jumped around joyfully on the sand while swaying her hips and shoulders. She did a little dance with irregular steps.
"FUCKING 35!!"
"35!!" she shouted toward the night sky.
"Rasieee you are so so so cool!!"
A shouting voice was heard from above. Rasie stopped dancing instantly. Her body went stiff. Her face turned bright red to the tips of her ears. She lowered her head and looked up through the strands of her red hair.
"A-ashole..," Rasie whispered softly.
Up there, Hasya stood on the edge of the silver owl’s back. He waved both hands cheerfully while showing a wide smile toward Rasie.
In another part of the white sand desert, Illya sat on a giant crystal stone. Her hands gripped a clear crystal reflecting the aurora light.
"I’m already this strong..." Illya smiled softly looking at the crystal in her hand.
All thanks to him. Illya thought.
Illya’s mind returned to the moment when Fyar cried bitterly after waking up from his sleep. The image of Fyar’s face wet with tears appeared in her head. Illya’s smile vanished. Her eyebrows knitted tightly. She bit her lower lip and stared blankly at the stretch of sand.
"Fyar..." Illya murmured softly.