"How foolish, is he really one of my people?"
"Forget it, since it's an order, there's nothing I can do."
Then, the other party seemed very unwilling, but said something unexpected: "That one over there… the 'Hero', do you want to join us?"
"Wha—what?! Join… what do you mean by that?!"
"It's… exactly what it sounds like. I'm asking if you want to join us Demon Women. Of course, those few over there can come along too."
Everyone was a bit surprised. They had thought the Demon Woman called Kouki out to set some kind of trap for him.
They never expected it to be an invitation.
"I refuse! How dare you ask me to betray humanity, my companions, and the people of the Kingdom! How could you even say such a thing?!"
"You Demon Women are indeed evil beings! You seem to have come specifically to recruit me, but coming out alone shows your foolishness.
You're outnumbered, surrender quickly!"
Kouki said righteously, without the slightest waver in his tone.
Although he was decisively rejected, the Demon Woman merely narrowed her eyes slightly, as if observing Kouki, seemingly indifferent to his words.
Not only that, she even offered more favorable terms: "My superior told me I can give you many benefits, and you can even bring a few companions. You still won't agree?"
"My answer remains the same. No matter… how many times you say it, I have no intention of betraying humanity!"
Kouki still replied without hesitation.
The ones anxious about Kouki's actions were not the Demon Woman, but Nagayama and Kaori.
Kaori's expression was a bit grim. Kouki was too straightforward. At this moment, he only needed to lie to stall the Demon Woman's attention and create an opportunity for Endo to get closer.
"No wonder Hiyama said he was a hothead back then. Thinking about it now, it's truly fitting…"
The scene from that day inexplicably popped into Kaori's mind.
Now the Demon Woman's attitude was clear; she had no intention of negotiating at all. Her purpose in doing this was merely to achieve the goal of calling Kouki out and enticing him.
So, if the enticement fails… Sure enough, just as Kaori expected, the Demon Woman raised her eyebrows and said, "…Is that so? Then I don't need you."
"Anyway… the order from above was 'lure him in if possible'. Since negotiations have broken down, don't blame me."
"Lutus, Havel, Enki, it's dinner time!"
After the Demon Woman called out three names, a shattering sound rang out. At the same time, Kaori and Nagayama both let out pained groans and were sent flying.
"Ugh…!"
"Gu-ah!"
Kaori and Nagayama's faces were horrified. Even though they had been prepared, they were still sent flying.
......…Whatever sent them flying was unknown. As soon as the Demon Woman gave the command, the space around them suddenly shook.
At the same time, something approached at a terrifying speed.
Kaori immediately drew her sword, forming a cross with her sword and sheath, defending against the shaking space.
She seized the moment of impact and leaped backward, thereby weakening the enemy's attack power.
However, the opponent's attack power far exceeded her imagination, and Kaori's defense was breached.
A shallow cut was opened on her abdomen, and she fell heavily to the ground, the air forcibly squeezed from her lungs.
Nagayama possesses the skill "Body Reinforcement," which enhances physical strength, and has learned "Vajra," which can create reinforced external armor with magic.
If these two skills are activated simultaneously, he will gain defensive power far stronger than a steel shield.
Coupled with his own massive physique, it could be said to be as difficult as ascending to heaven to break through this human fortress.
However, even Nagayama's defense was breached by the unknown attack, leaving deep wounds on his arms, blood splattering, and his entire body flying out.
Then, a third shaking space immediately launched a pursuit. Kaori and Nagayama had just been sent flying and didn't even have time to defend.
If they were hit, they would surely die! "Illuminate everything with protective light! — 'Revolving Heaven' 'Circulating Heaven' 'Heavenly Severance'!"
Kaori instantly activated three light-attribute magic spells with almost no chanting!
One was the light-attribute intermediate healing magic 'Revolving Heaven', capable of simultaneously healing multiple dispersed targets.
Kaori and Nagayama, who were torn, sent flying, and impacted the ground, were immediately healed.
Chapter 65: Hard Battle!
The two groaned in pain, struggling to get up. White violet light fell upon them, and their wounds immediately began to heal at an unusual speed.
There were three shaking spaces; they were invisible presences that would be missed if one's attention wavered even slightly.
The same white violet light that fell upon Kaori and the others then fell upon those three presences.
The light spread out, revealing outlines of light in space!
Light-attribute intermediate healing magic "Circulating Heaven." Although the healing amount is small, it automatically applies healing magic at regular intervals.
The characteristic of this magic is that… during its activation, the target will be enveloped in a layer of magical light.
Kaori used this characteristic, setting the healing amount to the minimum, thereby indirectly making the invisible enemies visible with this magic!
"Oh?" The Demon Woman showed a hint of appreciation in her eyes. She had thought the Hero was the precious resource.
But she never expected that this seemingly fragile girl's potential was not at all inferior to the Hero's!
The white violet halo outlined a strangely shaped monster named ""nine two seven"." Its head was like a lion, its limbs had dragon-like claws, its tail was similar to a snake, and it had eagle wings on its back.
This monster, called a Chimera, probably possesses a unique magic similar to invisibility.
Moreover, it can eliminate not only its form but also its aura, making it a very difficult ability to deal with.
However, that… unique magic also has a drawback. It seems unable to fully exert its effect during movement, which causes the phenomenon of spatial shaking.
"Roar!!!"
The three Chimeras roared in anger, completely disregarding the light wrapped around them, and swung their sharp claws in pursuit of Kaori and the others, who had not yet regained their composure.
The Chimera's claws were like the Grim Reaper's scythe, swung at an astonishing speed, but just as they were about to claim the lives of Kaori and the others, they were redirected in another direction!
Several shining shields appeared in the void, smoothly changing the trajectory of the claws.
Light-attribute intermediate defense magic 'Heavenly Severance'.
Heavenly Severance is an advanced magic of the light-attribute defense magic 'Light Severance', capable of deploying multiple barriers at once!
These were all the results of her continuous efforts and diligent study every day, so that she would not lose her beloved ones again.
In a critical situation, Kaori's painstaking efforts preserved the lives of her companions.
The attacks of the three Chimeras were neutralized. They seemed a bit angry and prepared to launch another offensive.
"Lutus, Havel, Enki, attack that girl." The Demon Woman said coldly.
"Roar!!!"
The three Chimeras shifted their targets and pounced towards Kaori.
"Don't even think about it!" Kouki roared, activating the skill "Shrinking Ground," instantly blocking in front of Kaori. His raised Holy Sword shone with a holy light!
"Heavenly Soaring Light Sword!"
Kouki swung his Holy Sword, and light instantly burst forth. Countless snowy white light swords, like a rainstorm, slashed towards the three monsters.
"Roar ah ah!!!"
Just as his attack was about to hit the Chimera, two shadows appeared from nowhere, roaring and attacking Kouki!
"What?!"
In the nick of time, Kouki used the centrifugal force of his sword to twist his body, narrowly dodging the attack.
Only then did he clearly see that the monster that ambushed him was a foot and a half long, resembling an Goblin in appearance, but its body was much leaner than an ordinary Goblin.
In fact, from the ambush just now, the monster's movement speed and arm strength were incomparable to those of an ordinary Goblin, and it also had something like invisibility.
Speaking of invisibility, "Nagayama!" Kouki looked at Nagayama, whose injuries had already recovered. Nagayama responded with a slight shake of his head.
Endo's invisibility skill was already perfected. Besides… Nagayama, who was his close friend, no one else could accurately pinpoint his location.
"Leave the Chimera to me, Kouki, you go find that… Demon Woman!"
"Nagayama, you protect Kaori!"
Kaori, whose injuries had also recovered, regained her fighting spirit, drew her katana, and rushed towards the three Chimeras.
Kaori deliberately did not lower her voice; everyone present could hear her.
"Yaegashi Style 'No Beat'!"
Kaori stepped with mysterious footwork, and her body speed instantly increased by more than ten times!
A whooshing sound rang out in an instant, and Kaori's disappearing figure was just seen. The next moment, she had already appeared directly behind the Chimera, holding her sword, which had been sheathed at some unknown point, and drew and slashed using the principles of iaijutsu!
"Yaegashi Style 'Heavenly Severance'!"
Using the thumb of the hand holding the scabbard to press against the tsuba, accumulating reactive force, and at the moment of drawing the sword, the thumb pushes in the opposite direction.
This increases the drawing speed to its limit!
A silver flash cut through the void. The next second, the Chimera's snake tail had already been split in half!
"Gah… ah ah ah ah!!"
The Chimera let out an angry roar, swinging its claws as it turned, but its swing missed.
Because Kaori had already circled to the opposite side, swinging a second slash that severed the Chimera's wings.
"Damn it!" Kaori controlled the enemy with her speed, inflicting damage effectively, but no joy was visible on her face.
The reason was that the enemy's movements differed from her expectations.
Originally, Kaori's first strike was intended to sever the Chimera's body, but the snake tail blocked it at the last moment, preventing the slash from touching the body.
The second slash was expected to sever the Chimera's body, but before the slash reached, the Chimera crouched down a split second earlier, causing Kaori to only sever its wings.
The Chimera couldn't keep up with Kaori's speed, but it wasn't completely unable to cope. It could… hide its form, and although it was very difficult, its reactions could also cope with Kaori's maximum speed. It was truly a nightmarishly difficult enemy.
Although Kaori wanted to defeat it quickly and go rescue her companions, for Kaori, there was no more troublesome enemy than it.
Afterward, Kaori also swung a third and fourth slash, leaving countless scars on the Chimera's body, but each slash was too shallow, not enough to be a fatal wound.
Not only that, the Chimera seemed to be gradually catching up to Kaori's speed, causing anxiety to appear on her face.
For Kaori, no, for Kaori and her companions, the disaster did not stop there— "Chirp ah ah ah ah!!"
Such a cry suddenly echoed in the room. Kaori saw the Chimera in front of her, whose wings and snake tail had been severed, enveloped in a dark red light, and its injuries healed in an instant.
"What?!"
Kaori's eyes widened. While cautiously guarding against the rapidly healing Chimera, she glanced in the direction of the cry.
Immediately, Kaori saw a two-headed white raven perched on the shoulder of the Demon Woman, who was watching the fight from the sidelines, at some unknown point.
One head of the white raven was facing Kaori's direction, no, to be precise, it was facing the Chimera in front of Kaori.
"There's also a monster responsible for healing?!"
She had finally managed to inflict damage on a troublesome enemy, but the injuries healed instantly.
The longer the delay, the more the Chimera adapted to Kaori's speed, and the slimmer Kaori's chances of winning became.
She never expected there to be a healing monster waiting in the back. Facing a desperate situation, Kaori couldn't help but show a look of despair.
On the other side, Kouki was also in a tough battle.
Although he was intent on rushing to the Demon Woman's side and striking her with his Holy Sword, those… 0.9 agile Goblins always blocked his path.
Even if he seized an opportunity to use a skill and inflict a fatal blow on it, he wouldn't even have time to rejoice. After one head of the white raven gazed at the wound and cried out, its wound would also gradually heal as if a video were playing in reverse.