Mirelle stood her ground, cutting down monster after monster—all to protect her master, Lady Celeste. She didn't know exactly what was happening, but she knew it was important. If anything disturbed it, she would regret it for the rest of her life.
Despite her best efforts, the tide of monsters didn't stop. No matter how many she defeated, more kept coming. And though she didn't bleed or sweat, the relentless onslaught was beginning to wear her down. Her muddy body, which needed no rest, was sustaining damage faster than it could regenerate. Her movements dulled. Her strength waned. She had pushed herself beyond her limits—and for the first time, she began to make mistakes. Not from fear, but because her body was breaking apart, and each error led to another, feeding into a growing chain of missteps.
Mirelle shed no blood, no tears, no sweat.
And yet—for the first time—she truly felt overwhelmed. Desperate.
She was scared. Her thoughts were clouded with worry for her master. Her mind split between survival and concern. And in that moment, distracted and deteriorating, she failed to notice the danger.
One of the larger monsters had already reached her.
As she finished off another creature, a massive beast rammed her from the side. The impact hurled her into one of the stone pillars she had created. The pillar shattered with a deep rumble, and a large chunk exploded outward.
Her stomach, still recovering from her earlier battle with the fast-moving creature, took the brunt of the hit. A chunk of her torso was blown clean off—not torn or pierced, but utterly obliterated.
If she had been made of flesh and blood, the blow would have been fatal. But being a being of mud revealed something even more dangerous—her greatest vulnerability. Her golem core, normally protected deep within her form, now sat dangerously exposed.
Worse, the impact had cracked the core.
The monster responsible—a creature that looked like a cross between a greyhound and a lizard—towered above her. Its stone-textured skin bristled with gravel-like ridges, and glowing amber eyes stared her down. Rock-like scales dropped from its back as it stamped the ground with seismic force.
Mana was leaking from her core. And while her body attempted to repair itself, her mana drained faster than she could restore it. Even with more than 50,000 mana, it suddenly felt insufficient. If her core wasn't stabilized, the regeneration would become meaningless—and if her mana ran out…
She didn't know what would happen. But she suspected it wouldn't be good.
Even in this state, Mirelle forced herself to focus. Her own safety didn't matter. What mattered was her master. Lady Celeste remained inside her protective barrier, unmoving. And Tsukihana, though powerful, was being pushed back by a surge of monsters on her flank.
Mirelle clenched her sword tighter. Her broken, half-healed body trembled, but her will held firm. Her left arm was missing. Her core exposed. But she would not allow herself to fall—not yet.
The massive beast roared and pounded the ground, shaking the mudplain with each stomp. Mirelle didn't flinch.
Her mind was quiet now. Focused.
With only one arm and one sword, she envisioned the outcome. Just one clean slash. One perfect strike. She accelerated her thoughts, compressing every possibility into a single plan of attack. Mana burned faster and faster as she pushed her visualization beyond the limit.
The beast launched forward, tearing through the air with terrifying speed.
Mirelle didn't move.
Her eyes locked onto the monster. Her stance adjusted—back foot grounded, katana raised diagonally upward, her aura silent but unyielding.
As the beast approached, her blade shimmered.
Purple mana surged along the length of her sword, leaving trailing sparkles in its wake. With a sudden motion, she swung upward. The moment the blade met the monster's head, an explosive force erupted between them. The creature was thrown into the air, its charge completely stopped.
Her sword, which had risen skyward, now hovered briefly—glowing, resolute—before she brought it crashing down with overwhelming power.
The beast hit the ground.
Her katana cleaved it in half.
Silence followed
.
The creature lay still, its body broken in two. But Mirelle didn't celebrate. Her mana reserves were nearly depleted. Her regeneration was slowing. Her core still exposed.
Fear crept into her heart—not for herself, but for her ability to protect Lady Celeste. If her mana ran out, she wouldn't be able to defend her any longer.
She couldn't let that happen.
With what strength remained, Mirelle summoned one last burst of magic. Earthen walls rose around their position, surrounding Lady Celeste, Tsukihana, and herself in a protective ring. At the same time, she expanded the muddy plains once more, hindering enemy movement as much as possible.
It was her final act of loyalty—her last defense—before her mana completely ran out.
A loud rumbling spread across the muddy plains as massive earthen walls surged up from the ground, encircling the area around them. The swampy terrain stretched farther and deeper, making movement even more difficult.
As the magic and dust settled, Mirelle, with the last of her mana, walked slowly toward her master, Lady Celeste. She stood before the barrier that protected her master, cautiously scanning the area for any signs of damage or danger. She inspected the surroundings one final time.
The distant cries of beasts and monsters echoed beyond the stone walls she had raised. From the shadow of one of the nearby pillars, Tsukihana emerged. She walked toward Mirelle, quietly expanding her mana and conjuring several [Time Bubbles] outside the walls—each one distorting time within, slowing the approach of the advancing horde.
The two looked at each other in silence. Then, Mirelle stabbed her katana into the ground. With the last remnants of her mana, she stood firm—her back turned to her master, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade. And as the final thread of mana left her body, she froze in place like a stone statue.
Tsukihana, with barely any mana left herself, quietly walked toward the barrier and curled up beside it. She closed her eyes, preserving the little energy she had in case the monsters broke through Mirelle's wall.
The two stood still—one frozen in loyal defiance, the other resting as the final line of defense.
It was the last act of devotion Mirelle could offer her Witch Master, Lady Celeste.