V3 Chapter 52

The area was covered with a thick cloud of dust and dirt.

Then, suddenly two figures, one crimson red, while the other azure white shot out from it.

Booom! Baang! Baaang! Boom!

As the lights shot out to the sky, the colors intertwined, and thunderous explosions could be heard every time they clashed.

With their weapons clashing, suddenly Julian raised his left hand and punches Oriel in the stomach, grabbed her leg, and throw her to the ground.

Oriel hurriedly tried to stabilize her balance before crashing into the ground, when a movement appeared at the corner of her eyes.

Julian, like a meteor, was flying toward her at an incredible speed.

Oriel hurriedly congealed a sphere of swirling cold wind on her hand and launched it toward blazing Minotaur. But the beast of flames just slashed the vortex with his flaming axe easily, and dash toward the Demon Princess.

The Minotaur swung down his axe at her, but Oriel successfully dodged it and attacks him, in revenge, slashing at him a couple of times. But the blazing Minotaur easily blocked her strikes with his axe.

“Aaaaahhhh!!!”

“Roooooaaar!!”

Julian and Oriel began to exchange blows with each other in close-quarters combat.

Oriel got the most hits with her speed advantage, but Julian dealt the most damage.

A spellcaster is truly at a disadvantage fighting against a full-strength build in melee combat.

Even if Oriel’s swordsmanship is also something praiseworthy, physical strength-wise, she is still unable to compete. Not to mention, from time to time, her strength seems to be sucked away by something, due to the curse magic that was cast on her.

Burn wounds littered her body, still, the Demon Princess fights bravely without stepping back, that it even amazes Julian.

Unlike most female fighters he knows and met, the Demon Princess is truly the strongest he’d seen. If not for the magical items he had worn in this battle, perhaps, even he would have been defeated…?

The intense close-combat ended when Julian swung his axe upward along with Oriel’s crystal sword, exposing her guard down.

Julian didn’t waste any moment, and sent the chains, trying to capture her. But seemly expecting it, Oriel let out a loud, piercing cry, and the Ice Wings on her back quivered, and suddenly countless small icicles materialized, and when they flapped, the icicles shot towards Julian.

Though, with flames protecting his body, Julian still felt the blunt of Oriel’s attack. Though most of them melted upon touching his skin, some still hit him directly, piercing through his flesh, and causing his flames to dim. The tip of the chain that was blocked by a wing froze over and was repelled back.

“Frost Shock!”

An invisible but chilling cold shockwave struck Julian, and he was sent whirling into the air, before crashing on the ground.

Not wasting the opportunity-

“Hail Barrage!”

Oriel summons more icicles and ice spears and launches them at Julian.

The Minotaur didn't have time to react as he was now bombarded with a swarm of icicles hitting every part of him.

Oriel then landed on the ground and placed her hand on the ground to summon sharp pillars of ice heading to her now defenceless opponent. The pillars managed to stab Julian through his arms, legs, and body. Following after, she raised her hand, and summon from the air a giant mass of ice in the sky.

“Glacial Destruction!!”

She threw the mass of ice at Julian, crushing him as the result.

Looking at the massive ice boulder she had cast, she sighs in relief, thinking to herself that she has won. She then started panting, breathing somewhat rapidly, and almost exhausted.

However, when she was about to turn around, suddenly, the ground began to shake.

Oriel’s face paled and disbelief could be seen in her eyes.

How is this possible?!

Crack!

Booooooom!!

A massive pillar of flames shot toward the sky and chasing away thick clouds.

The pillar of flames seemed to be a tall pillar that connected heaven and earth.

And then, from the flames, one could see Julian’s blazing figure. Though wounded and in a very sorry state, nevertheless, he was alive and kicking. He walks through the smoke with bright red flames covering his body.

Then, out of nowhere, he charges towards Oriel.

Snapping from her shock, the Demon Princess summoned multiple layers of ice shield and blocked the attack.

But the blazing Minotaur jumps into the air, over the ice shield, and slams onto the ground, creating an explosion of a heatwave that caused a large rift to appear, and disgruntled, Oriel was sent flying from the impact.

Oriel somersaulted in the air, and hurriedly withdrew two red bottles from her storage rings and poured them all into her throat.

A normal human cannot endure the side effects of drinking two healing potions simultaneously. However, as an elite demon, her physical constitution is not something to be taken lightly. Still, she grits her teeth from the sudden stinging pain on her stomach.

However, such pain is negligible.

With two healing potions effect, her open wounds and burn rapidly closes.

But Julian once again started chasing after her relentlessly.

Oriel channeled all her remaining magic power, and flew in the air, wanting to create distance, but when she does, a massive column of fire shot towards her direction.

“Damn it!!”

Dodging is impossible.

Oriel curled into a fetus-like position, and the Ice Wings immediately wrapped around her, protecting her.

Booom!

She was hit by the flames, but with the Ice Wings protection, she was not hurt badly. However, cracks could now be seen on her crystal wings. Though the magic wings can be broken or destroyed, they can still be recovered by channelling magic power on them. But the current situation couldn’t give her that leeway.

She immediately broke free and once again flew away, Julian still behind her, chasing.

Oriel once again withdrew a small bottle with blue liquid inside. It was a Mana Potion. A potion that can replenish her magic power. Considering for a moment, she grits her teeth and added another bottle of mana potion and she both poured all the contents on her mouth.

The potions she had with her were all made by top alchemists and can be considered high-grade potion. Drinking more than two of them a the same time could wreak one’s body.

Still, Oriel endured the excruciating pain of her insides being jumbled or melted, or whatever it was, and gritted her teeth in determination.

Within the pain, she could feel her energy and magic power surge through her veins. In just a few minutes, she was now once again filled with power.

"Infernal Rage!"

Julian swings his axe, and a vortex of fire was launched towards Oriel. Oriel snorted, and a snow tornado surrounded her before rushing towards the enemy’s vortex of fire.

Hot and Cold.

The two opposing powers clashed, causing disaster wherever they struck. Then, suddenly, Julian jumped back and descended to the ground.

Oriel saw it and immediately chased after.

However-

“Firestorm!!”

Juian’s figure was suddenly surrounded by a tornado of flames, and it then swept over Oriel who had tried to take advantage of him descending back into the ground and attack.

The heat of the flames splashed against her face, and her expression darkened.

“Frost Wave!”

A chilling blizzard was launched to counter the attack.

The storm wreaked havoc in the entire forest that the once abundant scenery had immediately become barren.

Oriel dashed in the air, arriving instantly in front of her opponent.

However, as if already sensing her attack, Julian only seemed to turn slowly, yet managed to dodge. Her frown went deeper. She was slowly feeling the weakening of her strength, that even her speed seemed to have become noticeably slower.

If these things continued, she would surely be captured.

Gritting her teeth, she suddenly turned back, becoming hundreds of crossing sword afterimages.

Julian let out a snort, and then waved his blazing axe against the flurry of swords. As they exchange blows, one could see the countless sparks from their collisions and hear the sound of their weapons colliding.

Oriel moved at high speeds with her crystal sword in hand. She began to slash and stab at her enemy with her sword, but the Minotaur just stood there and took it all. Amidst the crimson flames, white steel could be seen plated the monster’s skin.

Seeing this incredible defense that even she can hardly penetrate through, Oriel bared her fangs and let out a loud cry, thrusting the sword into his head. But this time, the Minotaur finally could not tolerate it, and jumped back, knowing the danger the Demon Princess attack brought.

While jumping back, his axe swept horizontally, clashing against Oriel’s sword.

The tattoos on his body began to glow dark red like blood. His speed seemed to have increased significantly as the Minotaur zigzags towards his opponent at extreme speeds.

As Julian got close, he suddenly delivers a punch to the stomach, but Oriel, who had noticed it, immediately creates ice on her to defend from the attack.

Crack!

But the blazing Minotaur easily punch through the ice armor and hit the Demon Princess regardless. Then, in a quick session, swung his burning axe with his left hand.

Oriel gritted her teeth, and the pair of wings on her back, immediately covered her side, protecting her. However, the impact was something she could barely endure, and she was sent flying.

"Too slow," said Julian insultingly.

Oriel got up on her feet and charged at him again. This time, she aimed at the monster’s arm and legs joints, and the weak points of the body to immobilize her opponent then kicked him a good distance away.

The Demon Princess then summoned a hundred icicles around her.

"Hail of Spears!" she yelled out as she launched all her icicles at Julian.

She thought, no, hope that the monster would not be able to move after taking attacks to his weak spot. However, she was proven wrong as Julian once again dawned the steel skin beneath the clad of flames.

With the steel skin’s incredible defense, he stood up like nothing happened to him and he simply light dashed through the wave of icicles. And when he got close to the Demon Princess, Julian swung his axe horizontally, causing Oriel to desperately roll on the ground.

Looking at her figure, Julian let out a loud snort, and then suddenly, stomp the ground, creating a shockwave that broke the ground. The invisible shockwave hit Oriel, and she stumbled back, coughing up blood.

As Oriel got up on her knees, Julian stood in front of her.

"You are a fool, Demon Princess… you cannot win!"

Oriel simply responded by slashing Julian’s legs with her crystal sword. This caught the Minotaur off-guard, causing him to fall onto his knees and the Demon Princess takes advantage of this by kneeing the monster’s head. Then she gives a couple of slashes to him and ending her assault with a kick.

With Julian stunned, Oriel puts both her hands together and yell, "Frost Lance!" firing a large spike of ice at Julian.

With him being too close, Julian was hit directly.

The blazing Minotaur was blasted.

But there was no relief or smile on Oriel’s face.

Oriel’s expression suddenly changed and immediately she spread her wings and flew into the sky.

Right after, a long crimson arc of flames struck her position.

And the area exploded.