[Raul PoV]
Valeria attacked the monster atop the building with her wind magic. However, the creature dodged with ease and lunged toward the green-haired girl with its powerful legs, moving like a cannonball.
A wall of earth formed in front of Valeria; she used the Earth Wall spell, causing the monster to slam into the barrier with a loud thud. Valeria then shoved the earth wall forward, pinning the monster against the building.
Still, that attack alone wasn't enough to take the monster down. Nevertheless, it was clear how much Valeria had progressed in the way she utilized her magic.
—Kriieek...
I refocused on the other monster in front of me.
It performed another powerful leap toward me. Activating my Repel magic to bolster my defense, I braced for the monster's punch. Due to its momentum, my body was pushed back slightly.
—Kriieeek!
The monster threw a right hook, but I quickly ducked and executed a sweep kick to its legs, tripping it.
—Bam!
I then kicked its body, sending it flying toward its companion.
"Raul, aren't you going to use your sword?" Valeria asked without taking her eyes off the two monsters.
"Moonblanc Cricket—a Level 5 monster with powerful jumping abilities and skin as hard as steel," I replied.
Well... in truth, I could still slash through them by targeting their joints, just as I did against Captain Zack Swallow when he used iron-skin magic. However, I wanted Valeria to be the one to defeat these two. I needed to hold them off as long as possible until Valeria realized how to fight them effectively.
The two monsters stood up; they seemed to be communicating with each other in a language I didn't understand.
"Valeria, prepare your defensive magic just in case," I instructed.
"I understand."
It seemed they were getting serious now.
—Kriieekk...
The two monsters lowered their hips and began leaping from one building to another at high speeds. Their figures seemed to bounce around the surrounding structures, making it difficult to predict where their next strike would come from.
Beside me, the earth around Valeria rose and adhered to her entire body, forming a suit of armor. Her magic manipulation had evidently improved as well.
—Bam!
The monster struck Valeria hard, sending her flying quite a distance. Fortunately, she had activated her defensive magic in time. It seemed Valeria wouldn't be able to defeat these two in an open space.
Before the monster could attack Valeria again, I rushed in to intercept it with a kick. The monster dodged, and I saw its mouth open wide as if it were laughing at me.
The monster in front of me then leaped away. Suddenly, from behind, the other monster lunged at me with maximum speed.
—Bam!
Its body slammed into me, pushing me backward. All four of its arms wrapped around my waist, pinning me in a tight grip.
—Crrrash!
My back smashed through a building wall, but the monster refused to let go. I repeatedly struck the back of its neck with my hands to force it to release its hold, but it didn't budge.
—Krieekk...
It laughed again, finally releasing its grip before leaping back onto a building.
I ignored that monster, however. My gaze was fixed forward on the other creature heading straight for me at high speed.
"Repel..."
My body was hit again, sent crashing through the other side of the building wall.
Ugh... this is what happens when you let the enemy dictate the flow of battle.
***
[Valeria PoV]
My whole body ached. Luckily, I managed to cast my defensive magic just in time to protect myself. If I hadn't, that attack surely would have eliminated me instantly.
I could see that the armor I had just equipped was cracked and shattered. I should shed it now so it doesn't hinder my speed.
After standing up, I peeked out of the building to locate the two monsters. Raul was engaged in close-quarters combat with them. Every time they tried to pull away and create distance, Raul would chase them down, forcing them back into a melee struggle.
Why was he doing that?
I thought about it for a moment.
The attacks from those two monsters were incredibly unpredictable when they were bouncing off the buildings. Raul must be trying to prevent them from building up that momentum.
I have to help him.
However, the three of them were so close together. I was afraid my magic would miss and hit Raul instead, causing him to fail the exam. If I wanted to hit those two monsters with magic, I had to ensure a direct hit that would finish them off instantly.
What should I do...? What would Raul think in this situation?
"Valeria!"
I heard Raul shout while trading blows with the two monsters.
"Look around you! Find a place suitable to finish these two off at once!"
Utilize the surroundings? Let's see.
There were several damaged buildings around here. Judging by how Raul was handling the monsters, it seemed one of their weaknesses was fighting in confined spaces where they couldn't utilize their jumps and speed.
I looked toward a particularly tall building. There were holes in the walls on the 7th and 12th floors. I thought I could use that to kill both monsters with my magic if my plan worked out.
I stepped out of the building to put my plan into action.
"Raul! The tallest building at 1 o'clock! I'll shout to give the signal!"
Hearing my words, Raul looked over. He seemed to... smile.
"Understood! Leave it to me!"
He understood that ambiguous instruction? If it had been Brian, he would surely have been confused. But I didn't have time to explain my plan in detail. I hurried toward the building first.
My heart beat faster than usual. Adrenaline coursed through my body, making my breathing irregular. But I had to do this. I wanted to win against monsters that were far stronger than me.
—Kriieeekk!
I heard the monster's screech and looked back. It was hurtling toward me at high speed.
—Bam!
Suddenly, Raul appeared from the side and kicked the monster's face, sending it reeling.
"Don't stop running!" he shouted at me.
I nodded and kept going. He really is reliable at times like this.
Reaching the target building, I rushed inside. However, there were no stairs leading up; everything had been destroyed long ago. I used Axio magic to leap from floor to floor. Looking down, I saw Raul and the two monsters had entered the building.
Six, nine, ten... I was almost at the twelfth floor where the hole in the wall was. Below, Raul had reached the seventh floor and was still fighting one of them. The other monster was now looking at me and leaping up to chase me.
Reaching the twelfth floor, I ran straight toward the hole in the wall.
—Kriieeekk!
Looking back, the monster had arrived on the same floor and was sprinting toward me. I was almost at the edge. I had to signal Raul and prepare the magic that would kill both monsters at once.
"Raul! I'm jumping!" I screamed as loud as I could.
With that, I leaped out of the building through the large hole. I caught a glimpse of the beautiful desert city landscape as I fell. But this was no time to be fascinated by the view.
—Kriekkk!
The monster following me jumped out as well.
As I plummeted, I turned mid-air and began activating my magic. Seconds later, I was level with the 7th floor, where Raul was running with the other monster in pursuit.
Raul leaped out to catch me in mid-air. The monster that had been following Raul also jumped to chase us. Both were now directly above Raul and me, following us as we fell from the building.
"Valeria, now is the time to hit them with your magic. These two won't be able to dodge while in the air," Raul whispered to me.
Taking a deep breath, a magic circle manifested right in front of my palms. I then murmured the words Raul had taught me for when I was about to execute someone.
"Hasta la Vista, Baby..."
A green laser erupted from my magic circle, streaking toward the monsters.
—Bomb!
An explosion occurred as my magic struck the two monsters in mid-air.
Raul then turned his body so that I was on top of him. Our faces were inches apart.
"Repel..."
Raul activated a defensive spell to dampen our falling momentum before we hit the ground.
—Thud!
His body hit the earth, his face contorting in pain. It seemed the impact was still significant despite the Repel magic. Shortly after, severed pieces of the monsters rained down around us. Both Raul and I were splattered with the monsters' blood.
My heart wouldn't stop thumping. This was the first time I had felt such a rush of excitement in a battle. That was the craziest maneuver I had ever pulled in my life.
"Good job, Valeria."
Hearing his praise made my chest feel warm. The corners of my mouth curled upward; I was happy and satisfied with his acknowledgment.
Currently, I was pinned against Raul's body. Our faces were very close, our chests pressed together. I could feel his tickling breath, his heartbeat, and his firm, muscular stomach.
"That was fun, Raul..." I whispered in his ear. "I enjoyed this fight."
I then rested my head on his shoulder.
I finally defeated monsters far stronger than me... All of this happened because of this man... The man I initially hated so much.
However, I like him a little bit now.