As Mau and Nia approached Arina's ship, footsteps echoed through the darkness. The sounds were heavy and dull.
When the two noises intertwined and drew near to Nia and Mau, two shadows emerged from the end of the dark alley.
The first to appear was Arina. She glided out of the shadows like a phantom, utilizing her long limbs. Her gray robes fluttered in the wind laden with heavy tension, and her large eyes fixed directly on Mau and Nia. In her hand, she held a sword with a blade that curved like waves. A blue light shimmered on the surface of the blade, and a strangely distorted air emanated from the hilt.
Following her, Groi revealed himself, dragging his massive bulk with effort. His sweat-glistened skin reflected even the faintest light with a dull sheen. His small eyes on his broad face darted restlessly, glaring at Mau and Nia. He carried a short, massive two-handed sword slung over his shoulder like a burden. The thick, stubby blade resembled a tool for carving huge chunks of meat.
Arina glanced at the fallen mercenaries. Observing their wretched state, she snorted dismissively.
"Hmph, worthless trash that can't even earn their keep..."
Her voice was cold, and her gaze held not even a spark of interest. It was the indifference of someone looking at discarded garbage.
Groi yawned widely, opening his mouth.
"Those Dawi and Droko are being a real nuisance... Yaaawn."
At the end of his yawn, his hefty hand gripped the hilt of the two-handed sword once, and a sharp metallic screech cut through the darkness.
Mau bared his fangs, scowling fiercely as he glared at Arina. The fur on his arms and shoulders bristled, showing hostility toward the approaching pair.
"Where is Dallen?"
From behind, Nia sniffed the air and raised the half-spear.
"The scent is toward the ship. It's certain."
Arina flashed a thin smile and pointed at Mau.
"What? You already know, don't you? But I have no intention of letting you board that ship. I'm tired of talking... Let's just get started, Dawi!"
She lightly raised her sword and lunged at Mau like a darting shadow. The blade sliced through the air, blue light rippling, and that glow flickered in Mau's eyes like some illusion.
In an instant, Arina closed in on Mau. Her sword traced a sinister curve, flying toward his chest. Mau instinctively twisted his body to dodge, but before the blade could even touch him, Arina was no longer there.
A blue rift shimmered where Arina's sword had passed. She melted into the blue rift and reappeared from another direction. And already, her sword was slashing toward Mau's flank.
"Graah!"
Mau blocked the blade with his forearm. However, the undulating edge dug deep into his thick skin, tearing it open. Red blood splattered, and Mau growled low, pressing her with a heavy glare.
"The flesh slices off so easily."
Arina sneered lightly as she swung the blade. Blood traced a sharp arc from the tip of the wavy sword.
"Being cut by this sword leaves wounds that tear painfully and are hard to stitch... How long can a fleshy Dawi like you endure, I wonder?"
"Grr... You talk too much. Come at me already!"
Mau roared and swung his massive fist. Arina vanished into the rift just before his punch could connect, retreating backward. Mau's attack cleaved only empty air, and his furious cry echoed through the cave.
"You're way too slow."
Arina reappeared behind Mau through the rift again. This time, the blade descended toward his leg. But Mau reacted now. He crouched low to evade the blade and charged straight at her.
"Even if I'm slow, once I grab you, it's over!"
Mau planted his thick arms on the ground and propelled himself with full force, charging toward Arina's position.
Arina tried to open a rift and relocate in that instant, but Mau's prediction was spot on. As the rift opened, he thrust one arm forward, slamming into where she would emerge.
-Boom!-
"Ugh!"
Arina dodged, but not perfectly. Mau's arm grazed her side, jarring the hand holding the sword. She retreated, readjusting her grip on the blade.
"Hmph, you've got strength, at least."
Arina steadied her breath and touched the tip of the demonic sword to the ground. At that moment, another blue light rippled from the blade, and the surrounding air began to distort.
"But how many times can you read these movements... I wonder?"
With her voice, the demonic sword generated rifts. This time, it wasn't just Arina's movement. Sharp afterimages of the blade erupted from the rifts, assaulting Mau's vision.
"Grgh!"
Mau flinched between the illusory blades from the rifts and the real one, but soon his eyes widened as he scanned around. His gaze settled on a massive rock at his feet.
"I'll block with this!"
Mau gripped the rock with both hands and heaved it up with all his rage-fueled might. The rock was uprooted, scattering dust.
Mau hurled the enormous rock toward where Arina stood. The tremendous force sent it crashing into the ground, creating fissures. Arina, attempting to shift into a rift, twisted her body swiftly to barely avoid the collision, but the rock shattered, showering debris everywhere.
-Crash!-
"You didn't see that coming!"
Mau didn't miss Arina stumbling and charged again. His massive fist swung toward her, and Arina twisted at the last second, vanishing into the rift to narrowly evade his attack.
However, Mau's fist smashed into the shattered rock fragments on the ground, sending sharp shards flying in all directions. The keen debris bounced around Arina, disrupting her balance once more.
"Damn it!"
Arina leaped backward, barely escaping the chaos. Breathing heavily, she glared sharply at Mau. Then, after a long exhale, Arina smiled and swung her demonic sword through the air with one hand, approaching slowly. Her eyes gleamed coldly.
"Not bad? It's too much fun to kill you quickly. I'll make it slow and agonizing. That way, drawing this sword after so long feels worthwhile, right? Ufufufu."
Her eerie laughter echoed like a reverberation. The rift blade shimmered like heat haze, stirring the air.
But Mau remained unshaken by her words. He lifted his head, glaring at her with a low growl.
"I've got a friend waiting to be rescued, so I need to wrap this up fast!"
He stomped the ground hard and charged forward. Arina smiled and twisted into the rift, but Mau's momentum didn't slacken for a moment.
"Oh? Then let's enjoy it more!"
Arina burst through the rift, charging toward his flank and swinging the blade. But Mau, with keen senses, anticipated her move and grabbed a rock fragment, hurling it.
-Bam!-
The rock shattered into pieces, filling the space between them with dirt and debris. The heat of the battle intensified further.
Mau spread his arms wide and charged ahead once more. The ground shook under his immense ferocity, and Arina moved quickly to vanish into the rift.
The battle between Arina and Mau transcended mere intensity, becoming a fight for survival.
Arina's sword, slicing through rifts for instantaneous relocation, assaulted Mau's vicinity with unpredictable, shadow-like trajectories. The wavy blade of Arina's sword left deep wounds with even a single graze, and Mau's body was already stained with blood flowing from numerous cuts, large and small.
Mau caught his breath and glared at Arina. His massive chest heaved violently, but his eyes burned with fierce determination.
"Are you just going to keep running away?"
Mau bellowed in a low, rough voice.
Arina curled her lip in a mocking laugh. The blade whirling in her hand held blue light, making the air tremble.
"Running? Not at all. I'm just savoring it until you crumble."
She vanished into the rift again, reappearing above Mau's head. Mau ducked reflexively, but the blade grazed his shoulder. Blood gushed from the deep gash, and Mau exhaled heavily, dropping to one knee.
"Ufufufu... Looks like it's time for you to break down?"
Arina opened another rift and retreated once more.
"Grr..."
Mau ignored the blood flowing from his wound and rose slowly. His thick hands braced against the ground for balance, and soon he stood tall again, facing Arina.
"You sure talk big. But aren't you overestimating your own strength?"
Arina frowned and opened yet another rift. This time, she appeared behind his back, swinging the blade sharply. But the situation was different now.
"There!"
Mau's massive arm precisely seized Arina's wrist. Her eyes widened in unconcealed shock.
"How...?"
"Got you!"
Mau declared firmly, applying force as if to snap her wrist. Arina's sword trembled, and the blue rift faded.
"Now I can see your movements!"
Arina desperately tried to escape through the rift, but Mau's grip wouldn't release her. He slammed her to the ground with all his strength.
-Crash!-
Arina hit the floor with a pained groan. The demonic sword in her hand wavered momentarily, but she quickly grasped it again.
"Did you think I'd drop the sword?"
Mau steadied his breath and glared at her once more.
"Hoo! Now... this might be a fair fight!"
"Shut up!"
Arina screamed and raised the sword high. Blue rifts surged wildly along the blade, and the surroundings distorted as if warped by heat.
"I'll kill you with this sword's power!"
As the blade descended, Mau channeled all his might into his fist and smashed it into the rift. The blue rift shook under Mau's force, its gaps twisting and cracking.
"Uwaaaah!"
-Crackackack!-
The rift expanded and warped, emitting sharp bursting sounds. The power erupting from the blue gaps created an intense shockwave. And that impact transferred fully to Arina.
"Urk...!"
Arina collapsed from the blow to the ground, but the sword didn't leave her hand. Instead, she raised it again, glaring at Mau with an even sharper gaze.
Mau seemed to have no strength left to endure, dropping to his knees. His breathing was ragged, and the blood flowing from his body formed small pools on the ground. His broad shoulders heaved heavily, and his eyes dimmed, as if all his energy was depleted.
Arina didn't miss this and raised her sword for the final strike.
"Fine, if it's come to this, I'll have to take you seriously to the end."
Blue light enveloped the blade, and she began preparing her full-powered attack.
Raising the blade once more, she opened a rift and relocated instantaneously to Mau's side. Her movement was unprecedented in speed and sharpness.
"It's over now, Dawi!"
As her sword descended toward Mau, a sharp wind sliced through the space. And with that wind, a vivid red afterimage flashed from the darkness.
-Clang!-
The wavy blade of the demonic sword, stained red with Mau's blood, shattered into pieces mid-air.
"What...?"
Arina's blade fragmented in the void. Stunned, she staggered back, left with only the broken hilt in her hand.
Arina turned her head in disbelief, and right in the center of her vision stood Nia. Nia's presence was so swift and clear that it was hard to believe how close Nia had gotten.
"The Droko... How...!"
Arina ground her teeth and cried out.
"When did you...?"
Arina gnashed her teeth in frustration, breathing heavily.
Nia calmly regulated breathing. The face was expressionless, but the light twist of one foot into a ready stance revealed unyielding confidence without a hint of hesitation. After spinning the half-spear once and securing it firmly in hand, Nia murmured softly.
"Sword against sword... Slash against slash... Wrap the weapon in strong mana, high-density mana."
Nia's words carried neither mockery nor contempt, but the teachings learned from Iris.
"Otherwise, the sword breaks."
Arina glared at Nia with eyes full of rage, but having lost the demonic sword's power, fighting further was impossible.
"Grr...!"
She groaned and collapsed.
Mau exhaled heavily and looked down at the fallen Arina.
"If you hadn't shown up, I'd have been in big trouble. Thanks, Nia."
Nia stowed the half-spear and replied calmly.
"Groi was too weak. Groi couldn't stop Nia."
When Nia turned to look, the form of Groi, Arina's companion, lay collapsed. His massive frame sprawled on the ground, and his short two-handed sword lay broken beside him. His small eyes were faintly closed, and the body didn't stir.