The Battle Ends in an Instant
"The match ends in an instant."
"Don't run if it charges—resist! Showing your back means death!"
At my command, the soldiers and mercenaries drew their swords and spears, aiming in every direction. Armida stepped up beside me after retrieving the returning Talatas.
Shura came running over too. I glanced at my sister.
"What happened to that guy?"
"He bolted far away."
"So was it just a simple ambush?"
Armida's eyes widened in fury.
"No way. It's coming again! From the west!"
The Sky Despair dodged the Talatas my sister hurled with an acrobatic figure-eight flight path, then flew straight at me, mouth gaping wide. It was unleashing a super-sonic breath attack.
"Dodge!"
I hurled myself behind a dirt mound just in time. A boom echoed as the mound exploded, dirt spraying everywhere. Bursting through the dust cloud, the Sky Despair swung its massive aura claws at me before soaring high.
I'd barely escaped its attack, but it was a close call—one aura claw had grazed the hem of my clothes.
I straightened the torn fabric and glared up at the ascending Sky Despair.
This bastard!
As I ground my teeth, the mercenaries edged away from me. I wondered why until I spotted the Sky Despair diving straight for me again.
It was targeting me.
"Shura. Get away from me."
"Pardon?"
"I said get away!"
As Shura backed off, I distanced myself from everyone else. The Sky Despair, evading my sky sword with a spiral maneuver, veered toward me, whipping its eight aura claws in an X-slash as it passed.
I barely blocked with Yojyo and locked eyes on its retreating tail. No doubt about it—it was after me.
Armida approached and said,
"Little bro, looks like it sees you as easy pickings."
"What?"
"Doesn't it always go for the weakest first?"
I furrowed my brow.
"Yeah, but not this time."
"Then?"
"It figures taking me out first gives it the win."
Up to now, I'd commanded the unit effectively, blocking the Sky Despair's assaults. And it'd been watching me the whole time while attacking us.
So now it was gunning for me—the one calling the shots—to seize the advantage.
"Hoh. Smart enough to think that far ahead...? Pretty cunning."
"Yeah. Anyway, sis, you hang back too. It needs to keep targeting me."
"You sure you'll be okay?"
"Once it's locked on, it's either it dies or I do. I'll hold it off, so you nail it first somehow."
"Got it."
As Armida retreated, the Sky Despair spun like a whirlwind toward me. Idron bounced off its wildly slashing aura claws. From afar, Armida launched Talatas again, but it grazed past and kept charging, claws gleaming as it aimed for me.
"Die!"
I timed it perfectly and swung Yojyo with all my might. A massive explosion scattered its aura claws. I swung again, but the Sky Despair blasted a white air pillar for an instant burst of speed, escaping.
Shoved back by the air burst, I shot irritated glances at Armida and Katrinah. I was busy just defending—they needed to land hits, but they weren't cutting it.
"Come on, you two. Do better. I'll die first at this rate."
Katrinah looked sheepish. Clearly not great for a Valkyrie's pride.
"It's too fast. And small."
Armida chimed in.
"My Talatas is kinda heavy. Gotta be several times an Idron's weight."
I grumbled,
"Then use a lighter sword."
"Others don't feel right in my hand."
As we bantered, Katrinah suddenly yelled,
"From the east!"
Magic cannons roared in unison. Some soldiers, regaining composure, had joined the fray. But no hit landed—the Sky Despair sliced through the net rods and thrust its aura claws at me.
Eight razor-sharp talons. I parried upward with Yojyo's aura blade, but one jagged claw grazed my thigh.
"Kuh!"
Blood spurted from my leg. Not fatal, but deep. The two Great Saintesses' healing magic patched it right up, though.
Damn. Shura and Princess Ignes are more help.
I scowled at Idron and Talatas chasing the Sky Despair. The two Valkyries were pouring everything into their sky swords, but couldn't even scratch it.
I was starting to worry I'd go down first.
But as the Sky Despair pressed its attacks, the Valkyries' sky swords grew sharper. They were adapting to its speed.
"Alright, let's end this."
Its relentless assaults wore me down. Long gashes—now healed by magic—crisscrossed my body, and my left arm twitched faintly.
But my battle spirit burned hotter. Yojyo's aura blade surged well over a meter, and a cool smile tugged at my lips.
Hunting it was tough, but nothing like facing it in the Age of Ruin. Back then, it was impossible; now, I could win by holding out.
Boom! Boom boom!
Magic cannons fired in volley, crews hitting the dirt. The Sky Despair slipped through the tattered steel nets, bellowing as it unleashed a super-sonic breath.
Then Idron's aura blade grazed its feathers. It spun faster in panic, but a few tail feathers sheared off.
The Sky Despair fled afar. Katrinah, gritting her teeth at Armida's continued misses, snapped,
"Fly properly. Do it right."
Armida shot back,
"Pfft, one graze and you're bragging."
I picked up the fallen feathers and chided them.
"Hey, no time for fighting. Focus."
Armida eyed me tucking the feathers carefully at my waist.
"What're you doing, little bro?"
"Nothing. No big deal."
Suddenly, Armida and Katrinah whipped their gazes the same way. It was coming again. Any living thing would've tucked tail after that close call, but the Sky Despair charged relentlessly.
A bit dumb-looking, but terrifyingly fearless. Even I could get sick of something that ignored death.
But its attack failed again—Talatas blocked the aura claws. Big enough to use as cover.
I grinned at the retreating Sky Despair. An arrow was lodged deep in its torso—one of the mercenaries' wild shots had hit true.
The tail-end embed was comical, but it'd taken damage.
Good. Damage is stacking up.
Yet its hit-and-run assaults continued endlessly.
It tired; I tired. Sweat from the late autumn heat slicked my grip on Yojyo's hilt, and the bright full moon to the east dazzled my eyes.
I refocused, staring where it'd vanished. Lately, it wasn't looping wide—it attacked from the same forward direction. Too exhausted for feints.
Attacks came faster, but predictable paths let us respond precisely.
Armida said,
"It's slowing down."
I nodded. It propelled via mana thrust. Slowing meant mana depletion—nearing its limit.
No wonder, spamming that speed with eight aura claws and super-sonic breaths. Still fresh would be weirder.
"Not many chances left. Miss now, and it'll be gone a while."
"You think it'll run?"
"Nah. It'll retreat to rest, like before. Won't give up on me, but needs time to recover mana and wounds."
"Then we pull back and come later?"
"It'll hit us immediately then. It'll know it's got the edge."
Armida pouted.
"Such a pain."
"Yeah. So we grab the opening."
I ordered everyone to concentrate magic cannons and crossbowmen on one side. Focus fire to overwhelm in one go.
High-risk gamble, but necessary.
Miss this, and it's a war of attrition. We had supplies, but long fights favored it—no mental fatigue like humans.
Beeeep~
The Sky Despair dove from the cannon-less side, straight at me. No resistance, so it focused me. But it curved slightly to dodge Idron's sharp approach, reaching me.
Talatas bounced off with a clang. Missing again, it glared murderously and vanished opposite.
"Eyes sharp, everyone! We get it this time!"
Over ten cannons and crossbows aimed where it'd gone. Tension hung thick—then Katrinah bellowed,
"It's coming! Right there!"
Cannon crews and crossbowmen fired with machine-like precision. Timing perfect, barrage well-spaced.
But it pierced through. We'd hoped big, but its tiny size let it slip even dense shotgun fire.
"Damn it!"
Gritting my teeth at the missed shot, I regripped Yojyo. Now we had to finish it ourselves.
The Sky Despair arced in fast. As it met me, a brilliant flash erupted behind—perfect timing.
Shura's burst of light.
Blinded momentarily, it wobbled. Chance! I thrust Yojyo, twisting to narrowly evade its aura claws.
Its wing tore open along my aura blade. Blue blood sprayed as it crashed into the ground, slamming into the back of an iron shield car. Idron and Talatas followed, stabbing deep in succession.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
"Got it!"
Armida whooped. The match truly ended in an instant. Shura's timely flash had decided it.
But I shoved joy aside and charged. My win wasn't sealed without the kill shot.
I stomped the writhing beast and savagely yanked out its faintly glowing spine.
The Sky Despair stilled. I hoisted the crystalline, blue-blood-smeared spine high and hugged the rushing Shura tight.
"Shura. You did great."
Mercenaries and soldiers swarmed. Eager for a look at the fearsome monster they'd never seen.
I pulled Idron and Talatas free and displayed the mangled corpse—but forbade touching. Pure money.
Feathers and hide for top-tier magic defense; every bone a crystallized Chaos Piece, dense as essence.
All bones extracted? Easily 7-8 top-grade essences.
"Alright, recover the body and clean up."
After savoring victory, I checked casualties: 14 dead. Heavy, but negligible vs. my past life—thousands lost in one clash during the Age of Ruin.
The next afternoon, back in Rendal territory, locals gave us a hero's welcome. We'd slain the terror that gripped the count's lands. Refugees could now return home safely.
"White Mask, sir. Thank you. You saved us."
"Eh, no big deal."
I acted aloof. I'm practical—never downplay my feats or feign humility.
I was damn proud of slaying the Sky Despair.
"Come in. We prepared a modest feast on news of your return."
"Sure. Lead on."
After the feast, I stayed days more in Rendal, settling the reward—securing food supplies.
Not the crude looting Sierra imagined. Excess grain that'd rot anyway; selling to starving regions would crash prices, saving lives.
Yeah, I'm the bad guy. Saved thousands from famine, but pocketed fat profits.
But worse exist: fake do-gooders ignoring aid for "purity." They preach virtue, practice it half-assed, and doom masses to pain or death.
Sure, free handouts sound nice. But who really shares like that? Waiting for saints while preaching leaves common folk suffering.
Post-settlement, I announced massive development: port with my stake, new roads.
I invested 10,000 riff gladly; construction kicked off fast.
Rendal folk now swam in unseen wealth. Cash flooding markets, me buying surplus food. The villain me freed them from poverty. Classic me—supremely wicked.
"The match ends in an instant." End