“After you manage to hold her, the priestess will focus on purifying the demonic energy which will allow us to go in and erase the signal. With the signal gone the demonic energy shouldn’t try to invade her soul and disperse.”


    While I was glad that Methild had a plan, her rambling in my head didn’t help me against Morrigan’s onslaught.


    “I am going to try to get her away from the new barrier. Do you think you can give me buffs from that distance?”


    Since I used the buffs I could use once a day against Bloodbane my options were slightly limited. I could use Ferocity of Wolf King and Frost Booster as much as I wanted…


    Wait. While I was thinking about my options I remembered something. I have an item that can work in this situation.


    (Bite of Binding Centipede)


    (Paralyzing Venom: The dagger secretes a potent venom that, upon entering the bloodstream, blocks nerve signals, rendering foes temporarily paralyzed. Victims also experience a numbing of pain.)


    (Binding Bite: Each successful strike with the Bite of Binding Centipede carries a 10% chance of inflicting "Slowness" upon the target, impeding their agility by 5. This debilitating effect mirrors the centipede''s method of ensnaring its prey, rendering them less agile and more vulnerable.)


    It was the dagger I got on the first floor of Chimera Garden. While I was sure that Morrigan had a considerable amount of resistances, it was better than using just my sacred sword. I pulled it from my Shadow Storage. With it in my left hand and Requiem for Unfinished Dreams in my right hand I engaged Morrigan.


    “Poyraz. B?rü is asking if you see Morrigan’s dagger on her.”


    Ama’s voice asked.


    “No. She has been fighting with her body ever since we started fighting.”


    I also found it weird that Morrigan’s daggers were nowhere to be found since not only they were excellent weapons, but she was also emotionally attached to them since they used to belong to her father.


    “B?rü says that they provide protection against any kind of outside effects. He will search for them with Arslan. They may help Morrigan to gain control.”


    Even though those daggers could help Morrigan, I highly doubted that they could find a pair of black daggers in this darkness and chaos so it was better for me to not rely on that. I manifested three daggers in front of me and punched them towards Morrigan. Even though they wouldn’t have damaged her since I didn’t put any mana on them, Morrigan moved to dodge them.


    Using that opening, I started to run away from her, using Ferocity of Wolf King at five stacks to speed up. Seeing the previous interaction Morrigan had with others, I was sure that she would follow me. I was correct but looking back at her, I wished that I was wrong. Despite my enhanced status, she closed on me on all fours. The monkey part of my brain was having flashbacks to when lions hunted early homo sapiens.


    “Poyraz, I locked on your mana signature. Giving buffs at a distance is tricky try not to resist.”


    (You received Nature’s Call. Your strength and agility increases by 10 for 30 minutes. Your attacks will carry elemental forces of wind and earth with them for 10 minutes.)


    (You received Nature’s Vitality. Your vitality and defense increases by 10 for 30 minutes. Elemental forces of wind and earth will block some damage dealt to you for 10 minutes.)


    (You received Mana Surge. Your mana regeneration increases by 50 percent for 30 minutes. Your mana-based attacks increases by 5 percent in effectiveness.)


    Power filled back to my body as Methild’s voice gave me the good news. Now that I was far away from civilians, received buffs, and Morrigan already caught up to me, I turned to face her. At first, I tried to hold her at a distance with a flurry of thrusts from my longsword but none managed to hit their mark. Despite her corruption, Morrigan’s movements were fluid and graceful as she dodged and parried my attacks with ease. Even though Frost Booster caused a thin sheet of ice to cover her arms, she didn’t seem affected by it all.


    “Very well.”


    I let her parry my thrusts to the side and close in on me. As she tried to claw my throat open, I slashed her forearm with my dagger. It was barely deep enough to draw blood as the demonic energy covering her body acted like armor.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    “It is something.”


    She backed away for a second to lick her wound somewhat creepily. While I was grateful for the breather, the look on Morrigan’s face almost looked… Excited. She lowered her stance and…


    “Kaboom.”


    I was barely able to raise my sword to block it. My pitiful attempt wasn’t enough to stop Morrigan’s light-speed attack as a large gash appeared across my collarbone. It wasn’t the worst thing as a loud sonic boom rang. The vibrations shook my skeleton like a leaf in a storm and a ringing noise filled my ears. Something wet dripped down my left ear as the world spun, causing me to fall on my knees.


    “Poyraz what was that? Are you okay?”


    Ama’s worried voice calling out to me didn’t help my tinnitus.


    “She moved faster than sound…”


    I blurted out as I froze my wound to not bleed out by borrowing Ice Wolf’s Breath.


    “Oh, I know this. A sonic boom! Sonic booms occur when an object exceeds the speed of sound, creating compression waves in the air. These waves collide to form a shock wave, perceived as a loud boom. Is your ears okay, Poyraz?”


    This time it was Nocturna’s voice that rang out in my head. Guess she would know about it as she could do sound magic. I already knew about sonic booms but that didn’t help with the pain in my ear. As I struggled to regain my bearings, the ringing in my ears slowly began to subside, replaced by a dull ache. Despite the pain, I forced myself back to my feet, my determination unwavering even in the face of Morrigan''s overwhelming strength.


    "I''m alright," I replied, my voice strained but steady. "Just a bit shaken up."


    Of course, that was a fucking lie. It was simple physics really. Even without any kind of mana or demonic energy someone delivering a hit at supersonic speeds was deadly.


    “E=mc2.”


    I whispered to myself as Morrigan started to circle around me, speeding up with every loop. I could sense that she was looking for a sign of weakness to attack like a wild animal.


    “Hmpft.”


    Regeneration.


    Combat Instincts.


    Ice Wolf’s Breath.


    I choose to borrow those three skills from G?kb?rü. While Enhanced Senses sounded promising at first glance to follow Morrigan’s movements but I really didn’t want to be receiving the end of a sonic boom while having better hearing. Not wanting to give Morrigan initiative, I stomped the ground and manifested ice pillars to cut her off. It didn’t work as she avoided them and jolted towards me. I raised my weapons to guard but…


    “Kaboom!”


    I fell down to one knee as her claws dug into my right side. I didn’t have the time to collapse to the ground, however as another axe kick aimed for my head. I dodged it by turning my head into shadows. It was a risky gamble as she could do the same and caught me but it worked out. She passed through me.


    I released Ice Wolf’s Breath at full power, aiming to both attack Morrigan and freeze my wound to stop my bleeding. Predictably she dodged but I was able to tag her leg with my dagger.


    (You managed to absorb small amounts of mana.)


    The notification was just on time as I created a massive ice wall between myself and Morrigan, using massive amounts of mana in the process.


    “Methild… How much longer…”


    I called out, sounding like I was begging. I was on my absolute limit. I have been fighting since midnight and the sun was coming up. My previous wounds were not healed and I was sure the last attack I received took my liver out. I was trying to stop the outer bleeding by freezing my wounds but I couldn’t do anything about the internal ones. Because of my damaged eardrums my balance and hearing were shit. My body was slumped over and I couldn’t straighten in no matter how much I tried. My breath came in ragged gasps as I fought to stay conscious, my vision swimming with darkness.


    My muscles were dull and heavy. The cause wasn’t the blunt force trauma I endured though I was sure that it helped, it was mainly because of the buffs I have been using. Regardless of the type of buff I used, they placed a heavy strain on my body. While I used that to my advantage in training, it came back to bite me.


    “You shouldn’t have come here. But you already know that.”


    A voice at the back of my head whispered.


    “Remaining demons are trying to kill the civilians! It is almost like they are trying to cause as much as damage possible before dying. Poyraz, just hold on there!”


    Methild’s words sounded like a cruel joke in my ears. At the same time, Morrigan tore down the ice wall and leaped on me. Summoning every ounce of resolve left in me, I blocked her claw swipes.


    “Okay.”


    I said to myself. I can’t move too much, I don’t have the energy. I have to perfectly read Morrigan’s light-speed attacks and react to them with the smallest movement possible. I first started by controlling my breathing, every inhale measured, every exhale deliberate, as I sought to quiet the turmoil inside my body. Even though my body was cold enough to make me shiver, I forced myself to find stillness, my senses sharpening as my eyes widened to take in all of Morrigan’s movements, small or big, fast or small.


    “Clang!”


    The sound of metal and her demonic energy infused clashing stabbed my ears as I parried her claw aimed at my throat down. I took half of a step forward, using the momentum of my parry to carry myself, and managed to nick her thigh.


    (You acquired the personal passive skill “Unwavering Focus”.)


    Morrigan retailed by hundred or more claw swipes in less than 10 seconds but I managed to parry them with slight wrist movements, my parries causing her arms to bleed. Her breathing was getting faster and rougher every second. Primal Evocation already put a lot of strain on her body and with this demonic energy forcing her to be aggressive without caring about preserving stamina maybe I had a shot of tiring her out.


    “Poyraz! Aine is coming there! We couldn’t stop her while dealing with demons! Be careful!”


    God damn it Aine! I know she is your daughter but don’t throw a wrench in my job when I finally gained the upper hand! I took a deep breath, I had to make sure that Morrigan didn’t turn on the Aine the moment she showed herself. My breath exited as clouds from my mouth as I channeled Ice Wolf’s Breath, planning on at least slowing her down. I tried to bind her to the ground by freezing her feet down but she sensed it and started to move similar to breakdancing. Moreover, shadow blades fired from her hands and feet, breaking the ice I created while forcing me to back away.


    “Morrigan, stop!”


    Shit. Aine was here.