Pretty Tough Foes Swarm In...! Masters Always Protect Their Slaves, No Matter the Threat
After grandly introducing themselves as warriors of the self-proclaimed demona tribe, Balona and her two companions lunged at Sylvia with menacing intent.
What the—?! One of 'em's coming at me!
I was in Sylvia's blind spot, fumbling to grip Dark Bringer and pointing its tip threateningly upward. Sylvia flashed a cheeky grin without even glancing my way and began chanting a spell.
She swung her wand back with flair.
-[Arc Barrier: Ark Wall]!
A burst of light erupted from my body, forming a sphere that steadily expanded. The one charging at me—Valerina or Valerino or whatever—was repelled by the transparent barrier. She slammed her clenched fist against it lightly, only to get flung far back.
Damn, that's sturdy as hell.
In the end, a massive barrier over 15 meters tall enclosed me. Sylvia had been caught inside it too, but Balona's trio couldn't pierce through.
"Witch bitch. Stronger than we thought? Plan to snag the man without spilling blood... failed."
"Boss, I was too slow. Sorry."
"It's fine. We're warriors. Better to clash head-on like this anyway."
Balona's trio spread their wings intimidatingly, forming a triangular encirclement. They grabbed nearby rocks and stones, hurling them indiscriminately at Sylvia's Arc Barrier. It didn't shatter right away, but the shaking suggested the impacts weren't negligible.
"Sylvia. Can you win this?"
"Heh, my slave just trusts his master. I've got these losers' level figured out. Boring."
Sylvia's face brimmed with confidence as she resumed chanting. Her rapid murmurs were hard for me to follow. She usually spoke slowly enough for me to catch every word, but in battle, her pronunciation sped up insanely.
-[Fast Movement: Swift Motion]!
-[Quick Step: Rapid Footwork]!
-[Magic Armor: Magical Plate]!
-[Automatic Intercept: Auto-Engage]!
-[Levitation: Aerial Lift]!
Light enveloped her petite frame, and six orbs materialized around her, orbiting like satellites. In an instant, Sylvia was battle-ready. She kicked off with sprinter-like speed and soared into the sky. A few drops of semen rained down.
Hovering serenely above the demona trio, she murmured another incantation. Magic manifested in a flash.
-[Thunder Cannon: Thunder Shell]!!
Rumble...!! BOOM!!!
Lightning bolts fired simultaneously in three directions scorched the ground below. Zzzzap!!!
"Gyaaak...!"
One of them—Valerina or Valerino, who knows—collapsed charred like coal. The other two somehow dodged.
"...Valerino went down in one hit...! She's crazy strong! We misjudged her, Boss! That bitch!"
"But aerial combat's our specialty. We'll fight from above too. We've still got a shot. Just don't get hit."
Whoosh! Balona unfurled her four-meter wings, kicking up dust as she rocketed up to Sylvia's altitude in a blink.
-[Lightning Whip: Thunder Lash]!!
Sylvia cast the spell with barely any chant, extending a long, electric tendril from her wand's tip and whipping it wildly. Zzzzt!
Valerina half-dodged, crossing her arms to block, but the shock sent her plummeting. She barely recovered mid-air, avoiding a crash.
Valerina flew low, scooping up pebbles and hurling them like bullets. But the six orbs around Sylvia intercepted, blasting them out of the air.
Ignoring Valerina entirely, Sylvia focused on the approaching Balona. Eerie beams crisscrossed the sky as Balona weaved through them perilously, closing the gap.
"You dare eye my slave, you weakling?"
With a icy voice, Sylvia swung the dangling light tendril viciously, restricting Balona's movement as she narrowed in. Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Like a rhythmic gymnastics ribbon spinning wildly, she sealed off all evasion space in a heartbeat, forcing Balona forward only.
Balona channeled intense light into her held pebble and flung it at Sylvia. It pierced the auto-intercept without fully shattering, smacking toward her face. Sylvia didn't flinch, taking it head-on.
Crackle. At point-blank range, the pebble crumbled to dust on impact.
"Ngh... Witch bitch...! Tough! Going in close!"
In mid-air, Sylvia and Balona chased each other in a dizzying dance. I could only watch the mystical battle from below.
"Hey, she's got this, right? Sylvia's winning?"
[Hmm... No room for complacency, young one... But yeah, looks like she's got it.]
Balona folded her wings to accelerate, dodging Sylvia's magic, but her charge ended at the wand's tip—where all the lightning converged.
"...What the—!?"
"Ahahaha!"
Sylvia mocked with a clear, ringing laugh, tightening the net and snaring Balona. As Balona grimaced in agony, Sylvia delivered the executioner's finale.
Zzzzzap!!!
Balona plummeted trailing smoke.
...Or seemed to. Valerina swooped in, catching her and ascending higher than Sylvia.
"Tch. Still one left."
Sylvia clicked her tongue but stayed composed. Balona, barely airborne gripped by Valerina's wing, endured the pain to speak.
"You... strong.... Show mercy to the strong... We're desperate... Please... lend the man... lend the man."
"Don't care what your deal is. No one touches a hair on my slave."
"Just talk..."
"Nothing left to say. You weaklings tried grabbing what's mine, so take your beating and drop dea—!"
Electricity sparked from Sylvia's wand again. Looked like another Thunder Cannon.
-[Thunder Can...]
Whoom! Whoom! Whoooosh!
Just as victory seemed sealed, flying figures surged from all directions. Over twenty of them. All demona tribe.
"Wha—when...!?"
"Our tribe's magic resistance is high. That Valerino you 'defeated' must've called for backup."
Sylvia showed a hint of anxiety, her mana likely drained. Even for her, this many was tough. Am I screwed?
"Fuck... what now."
[Negotiate... You must negotiate, young one. Even the master's master would struggle with these numbers.]
"Y-yeah, guess so? We almost had 'em."
The tables had turned. Balona, cradled by Valerina, spoke.
"Witch bitch... Keep protecting the man... and fight on...?"
"You...!"
"Sorry... but we're desperate too... Understand..."
"Like hell...!!
-[Thunder Cannon: Thunder Shell]!!
Zzzzzap!!
Valerina dropped Balona to dodge the blast; Balona fell clear of the trajectory. She flapped her wings weakly to rejoin her allies.
"Damn it...!!"
Sylvia broke into a cold sweat, warily eyeing the enemies surrounding her from all sides.
"Boss is beat up bad."
"That's the man?"
"Just that one witch floating there. So only two total?"
"Can't hurt the man. Only one's left."
"Gang up on the floating bitch and take her down?"
"Split half and half."
Whish~!! Flap! Flap!
The demona tribe closed in from every direction on signal.
"I-I got cocky... Underestimated the volcanic zone... Thought I could handle it alone...? Stupid bitch... Damn it... Fuck...!!!"
Despair flickered in Sylvia's eyes, but she refused to yield. She unleashed powerful lightning blasts in all directions to keep them at bay.
Zzt! Zzzzzap!!
Each hit packed serious punch, but they grouped up to disperse the shock, draining her mana faster.
Fuck, what is this, Wanted Trio barrier bullshit? They just tank it side-by-side without dropping. Die already, you fuckers! Don't wear Sylvia out!
"Sylvia... hang in there! You... you rape bitches! Stay back!"
[Young one... Better negotiate with them.]
"No way. Sylvia hasn't given up—can't kneel first."
[But...]
Whoosh! Whoosh!
I swung Dark Bringer to show I wasn't pushover. Poke poke poke... But these assholes just giggled cutely, their barrier strikes weakening for a split second.
No, fuckers! What the hell you smashing for?!
Sylvia, locked in grueling aerial combat, spotted the demona pounding my barrier. Her eyes and voice hardened.
"My slave... I have to protect him."
Her gaze turned resolute.
"It's not... not over yet..."
Muttering, Sylvia began emitting a chilling sound.
"چاقماقنىڭ تەقدىرى بىلەن تۇغۇلغان مېنىڭ يېنىمغا چۈشۈڭ"
Her eyes half-lidded, she chanted at breakneck speed in some incomprehensible tongue. Her silver hair stood on end, glowing with radiance. The eerie scene made even the demona flinch.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Cracks widened on my enclosing barrier. It'd shatter soon.
The demona accelerated, aiming to end it before Sylvia's spell completed.
Her chant finished right then.
-[Advent: Descent]
Crackle—
The demona's movements froze.
"Wh-what the hell is that, Boss...?"
"Th-that's..."
"What is it, Boss!"
"...Ker..."
Balona slowly, frustratingly taught her subordinate warriors what Sylvia had become.
-Keranos...