Behind Lilia, the homestead zed with growing mes, consuming the first and second floors in a dancing disy of immtion and smoke.


    A dozen guards flooded out from the incinerating structure, scrambling to safety as scorched debris rained down from above.


    After being hit, the soldiers looked confused as they dusted themselves off. Then, within a moment, they grabbed their weapons and moved to confront Mizuno and me.


    Meanwhile, Lilia''s face twisted into a fierce smile. "I hope you''re ready... Because I am!" She lunged forward with astonishing speed, gliding across the floor toward me.


    "I''ll kill you first!" She outstretched her dagger-like ws, poised to strike.


    "We''ll see about that," I gruffly retorted. My knees buckled as I raised my guard, ready for a sh.


    In a snap decision, I opted for an attack I knew was effective against agile opponents. ''If this can kill a skydrake,'' I gritted my jaw and unleashed a defensive offense, ''it''s gotta do something to you!''


    The surface of my magic stone-made shield began to shift and transform, hundreds of small stone fragments molding into shape and exploding outward in a deadly volley. The projectiles created a symphony of distorted whistling through the air as they streaked toward my opponent.


    But I didn''t stop there.


    cing my il-wielding hand firmly on the ground in a fist, I focused a portion of my energy on replenishing the shield''s mass. A surge of power pumped rippled through the gravel surrounding my palm.


    A fresh supply of stone began coiling into my shield, making it stronger than ever before.


    "Ha! Pointless!" Lilia cackled.


    Pointless it was.


    The rock, upon contact with her armor of me, melted and cracked under the heat''s pressure. What used to be deadly sharp projectiles scattered away as molten dust.


    Lilia was undeterred by my assault and upon me in seconds. "It''s my turn!"


    Sheunched a relentless attack that boasted the power of a firestorm. Though I had my shield lifted, her strikes each detonated with the force of a small explosion.


    "Do you n to block all day?!" she giggled while whittling away at my shield''s surface. "I won''t let you!"


    The intensity of her attack pressed further as a series of cracks began to snake through my shield.


    ''Agh...dammit. It''s not...going to hold!'' I gritted my teeth, trying to stand my ground. However, a few more hits from her barrage were all it took to send me spiraling backward.


    My heels scraped against the pebbles beneath me as I struggled to remain upright.


    As soon as I came to a stop, my shield crumbled away, leaving my arm exposed to the elements. My tender skin amplified any stimulus, causing me to flinch at even the slightest touch.


    The sun''s rays bore down on me, adding to the difort of the cool breeze that blew past. I felt a simultaneous burning and shivering sensation shoot up my arm as if my nerves were being electrocuted.


    Thankfully, my experience as a cksmith had given me plenty of exposure to burns, and I could tell that this was a rtively minor one. After all, nothingpares to the feeling of hot coals identally sshing onto your skin!


    ''I wonder if she''s doing any better?'' I nced toward Mizuno. She had problems of her own.


    Arge troop of guards from the inmed homestead had her entirely surrounded, all rushing her with simultaneous attacks. ''Guess she''s a little busy.''


    "We''re not finished!" Lilia shouted, drawing my attention with a maniacal grin. "Not even close!" She leaped in and swiped her ws straight for the throat.


    My warrior''s instincts took over, and I hopped backward. Her ws singed the tips of my beard''s gray hair, scorching it ck and frayed. A fire ignited in it, to which I hastily pped my hand to stifle it.


    ''That was close,'' I sighed.


    There was no time for rest. Lilia thrust her arm forward, but I was already a step ahead, ducking and charging past her. I pivoted on my heel to face her, mming my hands t on the ground as I moved.


    Lilia growled in frustration and swiveled around toward me. "You can''t evade fore-" she began, but her arrogance made her blind to my next move.


    I''d already formed a massive stone pir by the time shepleted her turn.


    It shot forward like a piston, hammering into Lilia''s gut with instantaneous force. It hurled her backward over a dozen meters through the air. A momentter, she finally crashed through the front door of a nearby structure.


    As I watched her go, I couldn''t help but sigh. "I better be careful," I muttered. She had smashed into the warehouse adjacent to the one my golems were stashed in. ''That would''ve ended the n real quick.''


    The impact kicked up a cloud of smokey debris, obscuring my vision. ''Now, let''s see if my attack did anything,'' I stepped forward and squinted.


    From the cloud of darkened dust and shadow, I gleaned her movements. They were staggered and clearly injured, but the fullkin wasn''t defeated like I''d hoped.


    "I suppose it wouldn''t be that easy," I grumbled.


    ''How are things on the Captain''s end, I wonder...'' I turned toward Mizuno with the hopes she was making more progress than I was.


    As it turned out, she was.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Several dead soldiers alreadyy scattered across the ground in pools of their own crimson. However, there were plenty more.


    The caste of guards surrounding Mizuno still boasted a considerable numbers advantage. Patches of ash tainted the metal ting of their leather armor. Its once lustrous shine had been corrupted by charred ck streaks.


    "Get ''er, you dolts! It''s just one measly girl!" a guard shouted while raising a studded two-handed mace. nged metal lined the weapon''s head; it added a sharp finish to its already deadly force. "Follow my lead, and we''ll kill the bitch!"


    He raced to Mizuno from behind. Following a mighty wind-up, the soldier cleaved his weapon in a wide horizontal arc for her head. Likewise, two others were rushing for simultaneous blows.


    One crept low with their charge, attempting to pierce her right rib area with a shortsword. The other was training a crossbow shot straight for her chest from the left side.


    Their formation was triangr in nature, surrounding Mizuno for a synergized attack.


    "Oh, that''s not good..." I shook my head and sighed.


    The mace-wielder went first. His mace strode through the air to dome Mizuno''s temple.


    However, his shouting had given him away.


    Mizuno ducked and spun around, her swords outstretched. The edges of her longswords deeplycerated his lower abdomen. A gout of blood spilled out as he howled in guttural pain.


    He dropped his mace and hunched over, desperately trying to hold in his insides.


    ''...They''d need more than that to take out my Captain,'' I smirked while watching the rest of the chaos unfold.


    Meanwhile, the shortsword wielder was closing in at great speed. "You''ll pay for that!" he thrust his de forward.


    Mizuno caught the edge of his de with hers in an expert maneuver. Skidding sparks flew wildly in the air like a swarm of Ignus Flies before she shed him backward.


    "SHIT!" the shortsword guard bellowed in frustration.


    "I''ll cover you!" the crossbowman shouted. He prepared tounch a bolt straight into Mizuno''s chest.


    Her response was swift and efficient. She rolled over the still hunched-over guard''s back with hers, stabbing one of her longswords into the earth.


    She seized the mace-wielder''s neck and pulled him upright as the crossbowman squeezed the trigger. The bolt streaked through the air with incredible speed before burrowing deep into the mace-wielder''s side.


    He cried out in agony as the crossbowman gasped in shock. "No, no, I''m sorry! I didn''t mean to!" he panicked, but Mizuno left them no time to regret.


    Mizuno kicked the mace-wielder forward, crashing him into the crossbowman. Two more soldiers approached from behind as she retrieved her slightly embedded sword.


    Mizuno turned and quickly parried one of their flying des into the other''s weapon. She exploited that moment of vulnerability with a decisive move.


    Crossing her longswords, she swiped her des in a horizontal "X" and opposite directions. They both found their marks and cut deep into each guard''s neck.


    A spray of misty crimson rushed forth, dousing Mizuno''s dark purple hair, fair skin, and ck cloak red.


    Mizuno''s fight raged on, but Lilia had finally begun making her move. The fullkin''s eyes were dead on my position, zing with an untamed wildfire of anger.


    "Mizuno! I''m going ahead with the n!" I beckoned toward her, then toward the fields.


    "Wait! Take this!" she shouted from amongst the chaos she was stuck in.


    She evaded yet another flying bolt and burrowed one of her des into the lunging shortsword guard. She then used her free hand to fish out a deep blue potion and hurled it toward me in a perfect arc. "I''ll defend here! Don''t die on me!"


    "Understood, Captain!" I outstretched my arm to grab the vial. It quickly spiraled through the air. However, Lilia had already begun her rapid charge to interrupt me.


    "I''m going to kill you!" she snarled through clenched teeth. "You filthy Gebbran!!!"


    ''Gebbran?! How the hell does she know about that?!'' I stood with shock. Mizuno, too, shot a quick nce my way before returning to her fight.


    Lilia was nearly in attack range, so I ignored my unease and readied myself.


    "So, you finally made it?" I gruffly chuckled.


    "AGGGHHHHHH," she shrieked in response. "I hate you!"


    That next moment was crucial. I threw open my palm, barely grasping the vial by its bottom. By that time, Lilia was upon me. She shed and thrust her ws in a frenzy.


    ''This is why I wear sabatons,'' I smirked, kicking my toes into the gravel. After the swipe of my foot, a wave of stone followed.


    Lilia''s rage must''ve made her reckless. My attack crashed into her and knocked her backward once again. She did manage to dampen the blow with an attempt at evasion, but it wasn''t enough.


    ''Time to run!'' I thought as I hauled ass toward the front gate. Lilia''s banshee-like cries of rage followed me hot on my heels.