(Author’s rant: Allllright! Here’s the last of the completed chapters I currently have. I’m almost done with Chapter 16 so I’ll post that ASAP. Also, due to a reviewer pointing out the similarities between my synopsis and the light novel series Rokka no Yuusha, I tweaked it a bit so it doesn’t cause trouble in the future. Thanks Meistrom for letting me know!

Now it’s time to FIGHT!!!)

“Haaahhhh!” (Eliza)

Just after the Demon made her chilling proclamation, Eliza launched a series of strikes with her borrowed sword, but her opponent merely raised her hand in response.

Immediately after, a semi-transparent wall of black energy formed in front of her, blocking all of Eliza’s attacks.

“Damn it!” (Eliza)

Eliza cursed aloud, but another voice bellowed behind her.

“Eliza, switch!” (Gale)

Eliza obeyed the command, and jumped away.

Instantly replacing her previous position, Gale jumped into the air and delivered a heavy blow with his axe.

“Hahh!” (Gale)

*SHATTER*

Despite their ineffectiveness in breaking the barrier, Eliza’s barrage succeeded in weakening it significantly, and under the destructive force of Gale’s attack, the wall of black energy crumbled.

{Hmph.} (Demon)

Her face showed an annoyed expression at the sight of her barrier dispersing.

With power to spare, Gale’s axe continued its downward arc, with the Demon woman in its path.

Just as the axe was a hair’s breath from her neck, the Demon dodged the incoming axe by moving her body to the side at the last moment.

The axe missed its target and crashed into the ground--or at least, it should have.

However, a scaled hand had seized the axe before it could touch the floor and was grasping the axe’s hilt just above Gale’s hand.

Astonished, Gale traced the arm back to its owner, who revealed a devilish grin.

“Wha-!?” (Gale)

That was all the dumbfounded Dwarf could get out of his mouth before the Demon tossed him aside like a sack of potatoes.

“Shit!” *CRASH* (Gale)

Gale slammed into a nearby pillar, shattering it into pieces as his momentum sent his body tumbling across the floor.

Although his mithril armor prevented any serious harm, he was still left in a daze from the concussion.

The Demon smirked as she approached the hero.

Raising her hand, sharp claws grew from her fingertips, and she struck at the defenseless Dwarf in front of her.

{Hmm?} (Demon)

However, sensing motion behind her, she turned her body around while simultaneously whipping her tail upwards.

The armored tail confronted the White Wolf girl’s surprise attack, but Eliza’s mithril-iron sword proved to be no match for the hardened scales of the Demon’s tail.

Her stance broken, Eliza was blown away by the tail’s whiplash, but she managed to regain control over her momentum and flipped her body midair so as to land on her feet.

{Don’t think you're safe yet!} (Demon}

Hearing those words, Eliza looked up in time to see the Demon standing over her with her clawed hand arcing towards her.

Eliza raised her sword in a panic, and white sparks danced in the air as it clashed with the Demon’s claws.

Gnashing her teeth, it took all of her willpower to keep her arms from buckling under the pressure.

Seeing her enemy’s frantic state, the Demon’s lips curved into a ridiculing smile.

Raising her left hand, more claws appeared and she slashed at Eliza’s right flank.

So fast!

“...tch!” (Eliza)

Eliza barely managed to ward off the first attack in time to deflect the attack from the right.

The Demon repeated that action while sending praise to the Demi-human Savior.

{Not bad, not bad, but I wonder...can you keep up with me?} (Demon)

With those words, the Demon increased the ferocity of her attacks.

From the right and the left, from above and below, the attacks came from all directions.

Eliza tried to counterattack right after parrying one hand, but the other hand would strike at her from the opposite angle, forcing her to be constantly on the defensive.

Mustering all of her strength, Eliza endured the relentless assault for what seemed like an eternity, but she could not repel every attack.

Occasionally, a claw would slip past her defense and tear into the hero’s flesh.

The leather armor she wore allowed a greater freedom of movement, but did little to protect against the merciless sharp claws.

Numerous wounds gradually accumulated on her body.

By the time she was able to escape the constant barrage of attacks and retreat to a safe distance, her body was a mess.

The leather armor on her arms was completely shredded, exposing her pale skin which was riddled with various degrees of cuts and bruises.

The metal gauntlets on her forearms were scuffed and scratched beyond the point of being able to restore them to their original condition.

The small armored plate on her chest had been torn away and the cleavage of her bosom was laid bare, but she was too distracted to feel embarrassed about such things.

On her left thigh, a steady stream of blood flowed from a deep gash that greatly hindered her movement.

Keeping her sword pointed at the Demon woman with her right hand, Eliza used her other hand to wipe away blood that had seeped into her left eye from a shallow cut on her forehead.

The Demon was keeping her distance as well, possibly to regain her strength. Though she did not suffer any injuries, she did not expect Eliza to hold out for as long as she did and she found herself tired from fatigue.

Panting heavily, Eliza recalled the details of their recent exchange.

Damn, that was rough. If it wasn’t for my fast reflexes, I’d be mincemeat right now.

A sudden thought crossed her mind, and while looking down at the sword in her hand, she lightly smiled.

I must really thank Kris as well. My old sword would have shattered by now…

Eliza felt a slight discomfort in her chest after remembering the unknown status of her absent companion.

Even when he’s not beside me, he’s still protecting me…I feel so useless...

A depressed expression unconsciously formed on her face.

The Demon smirked.

{Giving up already, are we?} (Demon)

With those provocative words, she brought her hand to her lips.

A slightly forked tongue protruded from her dark green lips and began licking the scarlet blood coated on her clawed fingers

When she was finished, an intoxicated smile spread over her face, and she gazed at Eliza with eyes longing for more.

{Ahhh, its been so long since I could taste the blood of a Demi-human. I can’t wait until I get to savor all of you.} (Demon)

“Grrrrr.” (Eliza)

Eliza slightly opened her mouth and snarled in response. The Demon chuckled at that reply.

{Hehe, well I guess before we continue, we should first introduce ourselves, right? Won’t you tell me your name?} (Demon)

“...Isn’t it common sense to state yours first?” (Eliza)

{...Very well.} (Demon)

Arching her back and placing her hands on her hips, the Demon puffed out her chest and spoke in a very dignified tone.

{I am the last surviving member of the Basilisk tribe, the Basilisk Queen.} (Queen)

(Author’s note: From this point on, I’m changing her name from ‘Demon’ to ‘Queen’)

Hearing her opponent's introduction, Eliza felt the irony of the situation.

“My name is Elizabeth Shortfang, and as far as I know, I am the last surviving member of the White Wolf tribe.” (Eliza)

Perhaps the Queen had the same realization as Eliza because she laughed like she found it amusing.

{Ahahaha! Interesting! I suspected your race based on your features, but to think we would meet again after so many centuries! This must surely be fate, right? Two bitter enemies crossing paths after hundreds of years, there can’t possibly be another explanation!} (Queen)

“I don’t really believe in fate, but I think this will be an exception.” (Eliza)

{Haha, indeed. Anyways, it seems I have been belittling you by treating you as just some weakling. I will give you the honor you deserve, and fight you with my full strength!} (Queen)

After their introductions, the White Wolf swordswoman and the Basilisk Queen readied themselves to resume their battle.

The Queen positioned her arms so that they were bent in an almost ninety-degree angle and her palms were facing towards Eliza with outstretched fingers curved like she was ready to catch her prey.

Eliza took a small bottle from the pouch behind her waist and drained the contents in one gulp. Almost instantaneously, all of her wounds began to sizzle as they slowly closed up.

As her injuries healed themselves, Eliza let go of all of the troubling thoughts that had been weighing on her since Kris’s disappearance.

...I can’t let myself be distracted by my emotions right now...this is my chance to prove I was worthy of being chosen as the the Savior of Demi-humans!

{Are you ready?} (Queen)

The Queen’s question brought Eliza back to reality.

If I don’t win now, I won’t ever be able to face Kris again. So here I go!

After emptying the bottle, Eliza let it fall to the floor where it shattered upon impact.

She gripped her sword with both hands and showed a fearless smile to her mortal enemy.

“Bring it!” (Eliza)

****

So Eliza had to use the high-level healing potion I gave her already...I was hoping she wouldn’t need it right away, but it would seem the Basilisk Queen is not an enemy she can take lightly...

Lily, who was watching the battle from behind the safety of a Light Barrier, saw Eliza drink the potion she had given her earlier and sighed, but she had a more troubling matter to deal with.

Lily returned her attention back to her wounded companion lying next to her.

Sylvia’s face was pale with visible sweat rolling down her forehead and cheeks. Her ragged breathing meant she was having trouble getting air into her lungs.

When Lily directed her gaze to the wound on Sylvia’s chest, her face turned grim.

While it was fortunate that the blade had just barely missed her heart, it had undoubtedly punctured her left lung.

Veins inflated from infection spread out from the base of the cut like roots from a tree. The wound itself had turned blue and purple.

Though it had stopped bleeding, there appeared to be an unseen force preventing her mana from healing the wound any further.

Poison, huh...the Demon must have coated the blade with her venom before throwing it at Sylvia.

The venom of a Basilisk is rumored to be so potent that it can kill a Wyvern in less than ten minutes.

The fact that Sylvia hadn’t parted from the world of the living yet is a testament to her strength as well as the amazing healing abilities of one of the strongest Elven mages alive.

With her options limited and Sylvia’s life in her hands, Lily could only think of one solution to save her companion, but it had its fair share of risks involved as well.

“...But there’s no other option, is there...?” (Lily)

Lily’s question remained unanswered as she began her preparations.

Behind her, the sounds of battle reverberated through the barrier, but she did not avert her gaze from her work. She trusted her companions to keep the Basilisk Queen occupied while she would heal their wounded comrade.

She could only pray for her friend’s well being as she fought for her life.

Once Lily was done, all of Sylvia’s clothing on her torso had been undone, exposing her bare chest and abdomen.

Under normal circumstances, Lily would have at least been considerate of her friend’s privacy, but that was a luxury she did not have.

“Solid Binding.” (Lily)

A pair of miniature rock slabs popped up out of the ground and wrapped themselves around Sylvia’s wrists, restraining them to the floor.

“...This will be painful, so please forgive me Sylvia.” (Lily)

After taking one last look at her injured friend and whispering an apology into her ear, Lily bit her own finger, causing a trickle of blood to surface.

Lily then began writing a series of intricate designs and symbols directly on to Sylvia’s body.

When she was finished, a magic formation made of her own blood had been inscribed with the infected wound at the center of it.

Lily stretched out her hand that was still smeared with her blood and let it hover over the injury with her palm facing down. Her other hand grabbed an emerald crystal similar to the one on her staff that was hanging around her neck.

She closed her eyes and began her chant.

“Hear me, O’Spirits of Light! I call upon you to drive away the darkness that has taken hold of the one before you. I offer my own blood as recompense for our contract. Lend me your strength so that I may remove all evil that plagues her soul.” (Lily)

Along with her words came a gentle breeze that grew fiercer with each new phrase she spoke. The artificial wind created a miniature vortex with the heroes in the center.

The two opponents sensed the sudden change in atmosphere and momentarily stopped their fight. They both stared at the strange phenomenon with surprised reactions.

{What does that Elf witch think she’s doing!?} (Queen)

“Lily? What are you…?” (Eliza)

However, Lily could not hear their voices anymore.

A faint white light surrounded her body and her golden hair that usually flowed down her back was now standing on end and swaying with every gust of wind.

“Cure all that pains her heart and guide her spirit back to the world of the living.” (Lily)

Lily opened her eyes, but instead of green irises, her eyes had become solid orbs of light.

“Purify!” (Lily)

Exclaiming the spell’s name, the white light around Lily shined brilliantly, temporarily blinding the two onlookers who had to use their arms to block off the intense light.

At the same time, the magic formation on Sylvia’s body produced white light as Lily’s blood evaporated from the intense heat.

“Hngh!? Nngh! Gahh!” (Sylvia)

The comatose Drake Princess suddenly writhed about in agony while letting out painful moans.

Her hands tried reaching for her chest to find the source of her discomfort but they were prevented by Lily’s Solid Binding.

Since she was currently weak and unconscious, her arms did not have the strength to break through the restraints, but her body started flailing about from the pain.

After a few minutes, the blinding light finally subsided and the large hall returned to normal.

The vortex around Lily and Sylvia dispersed and she was no longer giving off white light.

The magic formation on Sylvia’s body had vanished, as well as the poisoned wound on her chest. All that remained was her nude torso that did not have a single scratch.

Lily breathed a heavy sigh from exhaustion and began refastening Sylvia’s chest armor, but her hands were trembling too much so it made the task difficult.

****

“...Wow…that was...amazing...” (Eliza)

Words of admiration leaked from Eliza’s mouth after seeing the spectacle that had occurred in front of her.

I always knew Lily was strong, but that spell was on an entirely different scale that an average mage could never hope to reach…

While Eliza gazed at Lily with awe and respect, there was another set of eyes that were oozing with bloodlust.

{...To purify my precious venom so easily, there’s a limit to how much you can insult me Elf witch.} (Queen)

The hostile pressure emanating from the Demon standing next to her brought Eliza back to her senses and she raised her sword cautiously.

However-

*SHATTER*

-the dreadful sound of the barrier that had been protecting Lily and Sylvia breaking apart echoed throughout the hall.

Hearing that sound, Eliza broke eye contact with her opponent for moment.

Therefore, she did not notice the large snake tail that shot out from the back of the Basilisk Queen and struck at her chest.

Although she managed to parry the tail with her sword, the force of the attack caught Eliza by surprise and she was pushed away by a couple of meters.

Once she recovered, Eliza realized the intention of that attack and shouted to Lily in a panic.

“Lily! Watch out!” (Eliza)

Unfortunately, the Queen, having taken advantage of her sneak attack, had already closed in on the exhausted Elf mage.

Using the highest level of the Purification spell without proper preparations came with consequences, one of which being an overconsumption of the user’s mana.

Even Lily was no exception to this effect, which is why her barrier fell apart and she did not have enough mana to erect a new one.

{Now you die!} (Queen)

Shouting in glee, the Queen raised her hand, preparing to slice the defenseless hero in half.

“.....” (Lily)

Lily silently watched the raised arm that signified her impending death with a resolute expression.

“NOOOOOO!” (Eliza)

Just as Eliza screamed in anguish, the Queen’s hand came down on the immobile hero, and fresh blood splattered on the ground.

However, it’s color was neither scarlet nor violet.

It was emerald blood.

{Hngh!? Gahahk!....what....} (Queen)

Surprised by a sudden intense pain coming from below, the Queen looked down at her abdomen while coughing blood.

An arm covered in dragon scales had impaled her with sharp claws near her stomach.

When she saw its owner, she couldn’t hide her shock.

{H-how...are you--} (Queen)

“Though I don’t know who you are, I won’t forgive anyone who harms my friends.” (-)

The one who spoke these words was none other than the Drake Savior, Sylvia.