Maria was still preparing the large-scale spell.
That meant my role was clear.
I wasn't here to kill.
I was here to protect—Maria and Paul—no matter what came out of the dark.
Unlike the afternoon fight, I couldn't afford injuries this time. Even a small wound would slow me down, and slowing down meant death. I had to control distance, control space, and make sure nothing reached them.
The problem was simple—and terrifying.
I didn't know how many enemies were coming.
I didn't know if a knight or a mage was among them.
In the dark swamp, vision was useless. I couldn't rely on sight—only sound. Footsteps disturbing shallow water. Mud pulled loose. The faint splash of tails and webbed feet.
Lizardmen didn't see better than us at night.
That was my advantage.
I handed my bow to Paul.
He hesitated.
"I know," I said quietly. "You're a healer. Not a fighter. But even one clean shot helps."
He nodded, gripping it awkwardly.
One kill would be enough.
To draw attention away from Maria, I moved first—slipping forward and widening the distance between us. I vanished behind a thick tree, letting the swamp swallow my presence.
That's when I heard them.
Seven.
No formation.
Swords. Spears. Blow darts.
Relief washed through me.
No knight.
No mage.
If a knight were here, they'd already be moving in formation. If a mage were present, Maria's mana gathering would have been sensed.
Still dangerous—but manageable.
They moved fast in the swamp, faster than humans. But they hadn't brought torches. Their vision was no better than mine.
My priority was clear.
The blow dart users.
I cursed myself for giving up the bow—but there was no time for regret.
They were arguing quietly, pointing weapons at each other, snapping in irritation. Poor discipline. Poor coordination.
I climbed.
Slowly.
Carefully.
I lay flat along a thick branch, stomach pressed into the bark, controlling my breathing so even the leaves wouldn't stir.
They passed beneath me.
The last one carried a blow dart.
I waited until he was directly under the branch.
One motion.
My sword flashed.
His head came free cleanly, body collapsing into the water below.
I jumped before the sound finished.
They reacted instantly—spinning, hissing, shouting—and charged.
I ran.
No plan. No calculation.
Just instinct.
Water splashed violently behind me as their footsteps closed in fast—too fast. One of them, a spearman, was gaining on me. I felt it before I heard it, the pressure of something about to pierce my back.
At the last second, I saw it.
The thick roots of a massive tree rising from the swamp like a broken ribcage.
I hadn't planned for it.
I used it.
I pivoted hard around the root, letting the swamp drag at my legs as I twisted backward. The spearman overextended—just for a heartbeat.
That was enough.
I cut diagonally, splitting his head clean in two. His grip failed, and the spear slipped free as his body collapsed.
I caught it without stopping.
One step. One throw.
The spear flew straight into the chest of a lizardman raising a blow dart. It punched through him and dragged him into the swamp with a wet splash.
Only then did I keep moving.Then—
The pressure hit.
Mana surged through the air like a wave.
Maria.
She'd finished the spell.
From the direction of the colony, the ground shook. I didn't need to see it to know—every lizardman froze.
They felt it.
Fear rippled through them.
That was my opening.
I surged forward.
This time, there was no hesitation.
No mercy.
The night swallowed their screams as I finished what I started.