Carla vs. Ergrim, Part 2
The all-out 【Fireball】 unleashed by Ergrim engulfed Carla, who was laughing as she neared death, and the raging flames swallowed even the fallen warriors of the Magic Clan.
“Those who are alive, fall back!!” Ergrim shouted, his voice strained in the situation. Half of the warriors, who had barely managed to avoid the flames despite suffering from Carla’s 【Phantom Pain】, were perplexed.
“But, Elder. In this situation, for her to still be alive…”
“There may still be warriors alive within the flames! Ergrim-sama, please grant us permission to rescue them!”
The four surviving subordinates turned pleading eyes towards Ergrim.
Ergrim understood their feelings. They were his most senior disciples, who had served under him for over a century. As Assassins of the Magic Clan, they were prepared to risk their lives in this Ceremony of Selection, ready to die for the clan and abandon their comrades.
However, the warriors who had disappeared into the flames were young men, not even fifty years old, junior disciples to the surviving warriors, like younger brothers or sons.
Even without that, there was a strong bond between them as members of the same clan. If they could be saved, it was only natural for those who had known them since they were children to wish to help.
“…Fall back!!”
However, Ergrim roared to make his subordinates retreat.
As the subordinate warriors said, no one should be alive in this situation. But even so, that deathly girl had survived even in a desperate situation and killed their comrades, and that fact set off alarm bells in Ergrim’s sense of danger.
“But…”
Just as one of the subordinates was about to object further, another warrior grabbed his shoulder to stop him.
“Understood, Elder.”
When the oldest man among Ergrim’s followers retreated, the others had no choice but to follow.
“–Gah!”
Suddenly, the man spat out blood, and “something” burning pierced his heart from behind.
‘!? ‘
The warriors, including Ergrim, were confused but immediately jumped away from the burning flames.
There was no sign of anything. Appraisal skills were useless due to the flames, but even so, they should not have felt any life force.
“Nuooooooo!!”
The oldest man, despite having his heart pierced and vomiting blood, launched an attack towards his back.
His strength was second only to Ergrim in the Magic Clan, and he was Rank 5. His Overall Combat Strength was 1700, and his last, desperate attack from a man who had once fought alongside the “War Demon” on the battlefield and was feared, was to stab his own abdomen with his sword, trying to pierce the enemy as well.
But, at that moment, a “black arm” was pulled out of his chest, and at the same time, his head, grabbed by the other hand, was pulled back, and the black shadow enveloped in flames shattered the back of his head with a knee strike.
【――――】
【Mana Capacity: Unknown】【HP: 00/00】
【Overall Combat Strength: 1711 (Special Combat Strength: 4906)】
Wrapped in black rags all over its body, emitting an ominous amount of Mana, it was not a Monster that people called for distinction, but a true “Monster” in the real sense of the word.
The “Monster’s” mouth formed a distorted, crescent-shaped smile.
“Fall back!!”
At the same time as Ergrim’s voice, three warriors drew their weapons and attacked the black shadow. Seeing this, the black shadow jumped up with inhuman leg strength, kicked off the ceiling to accelerate, shattered the chin of the approaching warrior, and smashed his skull by slamming him into the ground while blowing away the remaining embers of the flames.
“Who… are you?”
“–Have you forgotten already?”
A slightly muffled, familiar girl’s voice echoed, and the countless thorns wrapped around her head unraveled, revealing a deathly pale face.
It was clearly abnormal. That appearance, that bizarre Combat Strength… How did she obtain it? How could she do so much?
“Thank you, old man. That’s enough now.”
“…Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!”
Before his mind could comprehend the meaning of those words, Ergrim let out a shriek like a strange bird and fired countless 【Ice Lances】.
Instantly, the remaining two warriors also launched an attack, firing multiple Hidden Weapons.
“Aha♪”
Carla wore a full smile that made people uneasy and stepped forward, tearing off the charred dress that still remained.
Until now, even when Carla went to the front lines, she had never tried to face enemies who mainly fought in close combat. But now, she stepped forward herself, grabbed the approaching Ice Lances with her bare hands, and blew away the other ice and Hidden Weapons as if slamming them down.
【Mana Capacity: Unknown】【HP: 1/52】
【Overall Combat Strength: 1711 (Special Combat Strength: 4906)】
“Damn you, monster! 【Flame Javelin】–!”
“–【Dragon Breath】–“
Carla responded to the 【Flame Javelin】 fired by one of the warriors with 【Dragon Breath】.
However, just as Ergrim had previously neutralized 【Digvolt】 with 【Ice Lance】, fire Magic could not be defended against with fire Magic.
The two fire Magic collided, and while slightly reducing its momentum, it attacked the opponent, charring half of the warrior’s body, whose face was contorted.
“Ahahahahaha!”
But Carla laughed loudly while being burned by the flames of the 【Flame Javelin】.
【Mana Capacity: Unknown】【HP: 2/52】
【Overall Combat Strength: 1711 (Special Combat Strength: 4906)】
“You… why can you do so much…”
“Which part are you referring to?”
Ergrim asked with a painful expression, and Carla tilted her head as if teasing him.
If it was about her life force, there was no special trick. Carla, who had been living side by side with death since she was a child, would have died if she had not constantly recovered her HP with her Magic.
In the process, it sometimes reached 0, but as long as she was prepared for the pain of death, she would not lose consciousness and die just from that.
And, as for why she could become so “strong”–
“Isn’t it right for me to seek the ‘strongest’ in order to kill that girl on the best stage?”
And she became stronger. Abnormally so. That heightened power drew out the true power of the 【Soulthorn】, making even its essence her own.
“…………”
Ergrim felt, without any reason, that the “person” Carla was talking about was that Pink-Haired Girl.
Once a disciple, she inherited the skills of the one who had been stripped of everything and feared as the “War Demon,” the Pink-Haired Girl. Why could a human girl use those skills? Was that one, who should have died on the battlefield, still alive?
If that girl was related to the “War Demon,” to whom Ergrim had passed on everything, and if that girl turned against the Evil Race–
“I must kill that girl with my own hands…”
“Fufufu…”
Ergrim’s true intentions were unknown. But, Carla, with a full smile, released an ominous Killing Intent towards Ergrim, who said he would kill the person she longed to kill.
“Die.”
Ergrim squeezed out his life from his withered body, creating 【Fireballs】 in both hands.
Carla responded to this by raising both hands and kneading a huge amount of fire Mana Particles.
Ergrim created and controlled two level 5 fire Magic, which was normally difficult to do even one of, and aimed the Fireballs at Carla, even burning himself with the uncontrollable Mana. Even Carla, who had endured level 3 fire Magic, would not be unscathed if they clashed as they were. But, no matter how advanced the Magic she was building, Carla’s Magic had not yet taken shape. Seeing this, Ergrim, who had divided the two Magic to increase their speed and even their power, was truly worthy of being called the leader of the Magic Clan who had honed his skills for hundreds of years.
“Burn to ashes as you are!!”
Just as Ergrim was about to release his Magic first–
“–!”
Suddenly, Ergrim’s body swayed, and perhaps due to the drawbacks of creating two Magic, the flames of the 【Fireballs】 in his hands wavered greatly. At that moment, Carla’s atmosphere changed, and the quality of her Mana changed.
“–【Fire Storm】–“
Extreme flames raged around Carla.
The level 7 fire Magic, which had not been used by humans for over a thousand years, wreaked havoc, and along with Ergrim, who could not release his 【Fireballs】 within it, endlessly burned the Dungeon passage.
Carla, who was walking leisurely alone in the midst of the area being engulfed in flames, suddenly tilted her head and gently touched her cheek with one hand.
“Did I let him get away…? Oh well.”
A charred arm lay discarded in Carla’s line of sight. However, something else concerned her more than the enemy’s escape.
Carla, having released the black thorns of the 【Soulthorn】 that had been wrapped around her entire body, crushed the charred arm with her bare foot as she spotted a steel arrow lying nearby.
It was a short arrow used for small crossbows, but only a select few used arrows made entirely of steel.
This arrow… could it be that just as Carla had interfered in Aria’s battle, she had done the same…?
“Heh… guh…”
Carla coughed suddenly, blood spilling from her mouth.
“Gah, cough, cough, cough… guh…”
She coughed violently, the overflowing dark blood staining the pale skin of Carla’s chest.
“…Ah… and I was just starting to feel good.”
Carla, having analyzed and acquired 【Shadow Storage】, took out a cloak and wrapped it around her bare skin, then walked barefoot into the depths of the dungeon.
“Hey, can you hear me? Get stronger quickly… and kill… Aria.”
【Carla Leicester (Count’s Daughter)】【Race: Human Female】【Rank 5】
【Mana Capacity: 218/590】40Up【HP: 27/52】1down
【Strength: 7 (9)】【Durability: 3 (4)】【Agility: 14 (18)】2Up【Dexterity: 10】1Up
【Martial Arts Lv.3】1Up
【Light Magic Lv.4】1Up【Dark Magic Lv.4】【Water Magic Lv.4】【Fire Magic Lv.5】1Up
【Wind Magic Lv.4】【Earth Magic Lv.4】【Non-Attribute Magic Lv.5】3Up
【Utility Magic x6】【Mana Control Lv.5】1Up【Intimidation Lv.5】1Up【Detection Lv.2】
【Abnormal Status Resistance Lv.2】【Poison Resistance Lv.3】2Up
【Simple Appraisal】
【Overall Combat Strength: 1711 (Magic Attack Power: 2566)】642Up
【Soulthorn】
【Overall Combat Strength: 1711 (Special Combat Strength: 4906)】
【Divine Protection (Gift): Soul Thorn Exchange/Life Time】
＊＊＊
Click…
With a small sound, she loaded a spare arrow and stored it directly into her 【Shadow Storage】.
It wasn’t like she did anything special. She was just returning a favor.
Rest assured…
Because I’m the only one who will kill you.
Carla has finally taken a step towards the throne of the strongest.
It’s not perfect yet, but she will surely prepare it by the time of the “best stage.”
And Aria, in response, grasps her blade.
Next time: An enemy attacks Camille and the others. And the one who rushes to their aid is…