[Marquis Fran's POV]
After several minutes of fighting that Vampire, my body was covered in several wounds.
This True Vampire is incredibly strong...
I cannot even imagine the power of a Noble Vampire, who would be far superior to the True Vampire I am currently facing.
"What is the matter? Is this all you are capable of?" the female Vampire asked with a mocking laugh.
Now, while this Vampire is strong, it does not mean I cannot defeat her. So far in our battle, I have not yet unleashed my full power. I wanted to test and observe her abilities first to ensure I could land my magic on her successfully.
In a life-or-death struggle, knowing the capabilities and limits of your enemy is paramount.
Coating my sword with Mana, I settled into a stance to launch my technique.
"Nothing you do can defeat me!" the Vampire shrieked as she flew toward me.
"Flying Wind Blade!"
With a diagonal slash of my sword, the Mana enveloping the blade streaked toward her, transforming into wind-blade magic capable of striking from a distance. However, the Vampire managed to evade the attack by twisting her body mid-air. I did not stop, slashing my sword repeatedly in her direction.
Yet, she was remarkably agile, dodging every one of my Flying Wind Blades.
"Your attacks are useless!" the Vampire declared, launching a heavy punch at me.
I tried to block it with my arms, but her immense strength sent my body tumbling backward, even after bracing for the impact. Digging my sword into the roof to steady myself, I stood tall once more. I saw her flying back toward me.
I prepared my stance again. This time, I aimed the tip of my sword directly at her body. I had to destroy her heart with this strike.
"Almahara: Jet Strike!"
My sword extended at high speed, slamming into the Vampire's torso and driving her backward.
"Guuahhh! Damn you!" the Vampire screamed in frustration.
But my sword kept extending, further and further. Her body smashed through several city walls, yet the blade did not stop. My magic allows this sword to extend up to one kilometer at a speed of 50 meters per second. This is why the attack is nearly impossible to evade.
— BOOOMMMBB!
A thunderous roar echoed as the Vampire slammed into the city's clock tower. Only then did my sword stop extending.
"Reverse..."
Upon speaking the command, my sword retracted to its original size.
Author's Note: The Marquis's ability to extend his weapon is the same as Emilia's. Just a fun fact for those who forgot.
"Did I manage to hit her heart?" I muttered, gazing toward the tower.
Only a plume of smoke was visible at the clock tower. However, something flew out from the haze, providing the answer to my question.
"It seems she managed to dodge at the very last second," I muttered, feeling a slight sting of frustration that the attack failed to kill her.
I couldn't dwell on it, as the Vampire was already flying back toward me.
"Damn you, human! That actually hurt!"
She threw a punch, but I immediately evaded to the side using Accel magic. However, the Vampire did not stop; she spun around and launched a kick toward my head.
— Bam!
The impact sent me flying off the roof and plummeting toward the ground. As my vision cleared, the Vampire was gone from her previous position. Hearing a sound, I snapped my gaze to the side. She was diving toward me, fist raised.
— Bam! Bam! Bam!
She struck me repeatedly, a barrage of blows that left my entire body in pain. In the air, she held the maneuverability advantage. I couldn't track her well enough to counter-attack.
"Take this, trash!"
The Vampire kicked me so hard I crashed through several nearby buildings. My body finally hit the street, rolling across the stone.
"Cough! Cough!"
Blood sprayed from my mouth as I coughed. I had internal bleeding, and it felt like several ribs were broken from that last assault. Struggling to my feet, I saw the Vampire flying back toward me.
"Fine. This will be my final strike," I whispered, gripping my sword tightly with both hands. "To be honest, I didn't want to use my Awakening power yet, as I haven't fully mastered it."
But I had no choice. Because the mastery was imperfect, the Mana required would be far greater, likely leading to Mana Exhaustion immediately after use.
First, I relaxed, stabilizing my breathing. Then, I began to pool my Mana and settled into the stance required to activate my Awakening.
"This time, I will kill you and feast on the blood of the humans you lead!"
Ignoring her words, I focused entirely on the activation.
"Hoja de la muerte..."
The moment I spoke the incantation, my body and sword were enveloped in a vibrant green Mana aura.
"Die!"
The Vampire lunged with a punch. I evaded her easily and struck with my Awakening technique.
"Atomic Slash!"
In a single stroke, the Vampire's body was shredded as if struck by a thousand blades simultaneously. When the attack concluded, she had been reduced to fine dust.
— Brak!
My body collapsed onto the street. Mana Exhaustion had set in instantly. My vision began to blur.
"I hope... my troops and Emilia can eradicate the monsters attacking the city."
.
.
.
[Raul's POV]
The battle was still raging. I had just managed to stab the eye of one of the giant Minotaurs, sending it into a blind rampage that crushed friend and foe alike.
However, this effort was not enough. The monsters were still surrounding a single battalion whose numbers were dwindling rapidly. Logically, our chances of winning this fight were slim. But if we gave up now, those chances would drop to zero. Hope would vanish.
Therefore, every soldier had to find their courage and refuse to yield, even with death staring them in the face.
"Keep fighting! Steel your hearts! It isn't over yet!" I shouted at the top of my lungs to encourage them.
But a battle cannot be won by spirit alone. The soldiers were being pushed back by an endless tide of monsters. They were exhausted and wounded after hours of combat.
What should I do? Was there any way for these soldiers to defeat these monsters besides waiting for Ariel to become a Saint?
Der Innere Recthum Der Leute Ist ~
Suddenly, I heard a beautiful melody from behind. A golden light emerged, enveloping my body and the bodies of all the soldiers fighting for their lives.
Wie Licht bunt, durch Farbgies hereinzuscheinen ~
The exhaustion and wounds I had sustained suddenly vanished. I felt refreshed, as if the battle had only just begun.
This magic... could it be?
Turning around, I saw an elegant woman with her eyes closed, fingers interlaced as if chanting a sacred prayer.
Das angeneme tägliche Leben Ist ~
There was no mistake; this was Ariel's power now that she had successfully become a Saint: The Goddess's Voice.
"Huh? Why has all my pain suddenly vanished?"
"Look, my severed hand is regenerating!"
"What kind of miracle is this?"
The soldiers looked on in bewilderment as their injuries healed in an instant.
Wie ein warmes Kerzenlicht... ~
Ariel's song could heal any physical wound sustained in battle. This is precisely why a Saint is so feared by the Demon armies. They can never win a large-scale battle if a Saint is present on the battlefield.
Die sehr weite grüne Erde...!
Das reiche schöne Wasser...!
Ariel's melodious voice echoed, and the soldiers who were previously being pushed back began to turn the tide.
"Counter-attack! With this miracle, we can surely defeat them!"
"That's right! Even if we are hurt, this mysterious light will keep healing our wounds!"
Morale soared as they basked in the magic of Ariel's song.
Die grandjose Natur sorgt immer noch für ihre Kinder ~
I didn't stay idle. I began cutting down the monsters surrounding us. The creatures looked confused, seeing the humans they had nearly defeated suddenly regain their full strength.
Hoffentlich können wir es irgendwann verstehen ~
Wir gehen zur anderen Seite des Horizontes ~
The monsters were pushed back. The soldiers successfully brought down one of the Minotaurs, causing the enemy's morale to plummet.
"Press forward! Don't let them escape!"
"Avenge our fallen comrades!"
It didn't take long for us to break the encirclement in this area. It was all thanks to Ariel's beautiful song.
Hoffentlich können wir es irgendwann verstehen ~
Wir gehen festen Schrittes... ~
Finally, the monsters began to flee. The soldiers pursued them through the various corners of the city. Once the battle in this sector concluded, I turned and walked toward Ariel, who had just finished her song.
Her eyes opened, and we locked gazes.
"You did it, Ariel," I said, smiling at her. "I knew you could do it."
She returned the smile. "No, this is also thanks to you, for always helping and believing in me."
Ariel walked closer until we were less than a meter apart. Her eyes, now a vibrant purple, stared directly into mine.
"Hey, may I ask you something?" Ariel asked, reaching out to touch my hand.
Before I could answer, my eyes caught a silhouette of a Vampire flying toward us. It landed atop a nearby building.
"HAHAHAHA! I did not expect to find a Saint in a place like this!" the Vampire shouted in delight. "I thought a Saint was only chosen in the Holy City, surrounded by the powerful!"
Ariel turned to face the intruder. Yellow eyes and red wings...
There was no doubt. This was a Noble Vampire, possessing power that could kill even the Empire's strongest Grand Espada, Liana de Grantz.
"The Demon King will surely grant me an abundant reward if I can kill both the Hero and a Saint at once!"
It seemed he would be the Final Boss of this battle.
***
Author's Note: If you want to know what song Ariel was singing, just search for 'Vogel im Käfig' on YouTube (the one with the Mikasa thumbnail). 😆