Chapter 9: Holy Knight vs. Saintess & Sword Saint & Mage (Part 2)
“《All Reinforce Plus》”
As Ashley completed her first self-enhancement, the Sword Saint’s blade swung down upon her. In that instant, she was struck by the illusion of being cleaved in two along with her shield. Therefore, instead of blocking the attack, she redirected it, using the momentum to step back and create some distance.
“《Guardian’s Guard》”
This was the Holy Knight’s unique skill, allowing her to exhibit double the ability when protecting herself or her allies, or when she performed an evasive maneuver. Ashley’s task was simple: eliminate the opponents before her and keep them away from the “Sword of Justice.”
Eris’s attacks were a flurry of strikes, relentless and precise. With a double application of her skills, Ashley barely managed to deflect the onslaught. Even so, it was a razor-thin margin.
Facing the fiery onslaught of the Sword Saint was like walking on thin ice, and behind her were two more opponents waiting to strike.
“《Shield is Mine》”
Next, she activated a skill that sacrificed 20% of her attack power in exchange for doubling her defense. Thanks to this skill, she could finally withstand Eris’s barrage head-on instead of deflecting it. Ashley braced herself against Eris’s sword, gritting her teeth, and with a sharp exhale, she thrust her shield forward, sending Eris flying back toward the cave entrance.
“Eris-san, what are you doing?”
The Saintess sighed, her tone suggesting she wanted to ask why Eris wasn’t finishing off the opponent when she had the chance—an attitude that irked Ashley.
“《Over Agony》”
Ashley layered her skills once more. This skill doubled her defense at the cost of amplifying her pain perception during battle. At this point, she had quadrupled her skills. While quadrupling skills could yield tremendous effects, the backlash was so severe that it was said the user would not emerge unscathed. However—
“I don’t care what happens to my body! What are you waiting for? You two over there, stop standing around and come at me!”
Ashley was resolute. As a Holy Knight specialized in protection, she had only one way to defeat them all at once.
“Hero-sama has ordered me not to inflict too much harm, so I can’t use any intense magic.”
The woman who spoke was likely the renowned Mage Angelica, responding to Ashley’s provocation.
“Then let’s start from here.”
Her voice was as casual as deciding on a lunch menu.
“《Aqua Spear》”
She compressed a basic water spell into a spiraling spear and unleashed her unique magic.
The power was nothing short of devastating. Gyaaaah!—the sensation of her shield being gouged—this was bad! Ashley immediately shifted to deflect the attack. She tilted her shield to absorb the impact of the Aqua Spear, but even so, the water spear pierced the cave ceiling, burrowing into it like a jackhammer.
Ashley realized she was sweating coldly from the sheer power of Angelica’s magic. Yet, there was no time to hesitate.
The Sword Saint had returned to the fray. It was a fleeting moment. Eris struck upward from below, making it difficult to predict the origin of her blade.
Ashley couldn’t block it in time and opted to evade.
“It must be painful, Holy Knight Ashley.”
A trickle of blood flowed from Ashley’s arm.
“Even if you hand over your sword here, no one will blame you.”
For Ashley, being blamed or blaming others was trivial.
“On the contrary, you might be praised for contributing to the Labyrinth Conquest.”
For Ashley, receiving praise was not the essence of her actions. The most important thing to her was to protect peace.
Ensuring that the common folk could live their lives without worry was her top priority. For that, she would willingly accept any slander.
“Praise? I don’t need such things.”
Indeed, she had no use for them.
“You are quite stubborn.”
The Saintess sighed softly and then, with a serious expression, said, “I won’t hold back.”
The Sword Saint’s relentless strikes became increasingly adept at exploiting the blind spots of Ashley’s shield. Additionally,
“《Aqua Rain》 won’t be enough to get through. Hmm, then how about this?”
Mage Angelica unleashed her favorite spell, sending a barrage of compressed water needles flying.
“Guh, ugh!”
The members of the Hero Party were overwhelming. Though protected by her holy armor, Ashley was already covered in wounds from the countless water needles and the Sword Saint’s fierce attacks.
Each of them was a formidable opponent, and she was outnumbered three to one.
From the start, the outcome seemed predetermined.
“Guuuuuh—”
As the onslaught intensified, Ashley struggled to evade fatal blows, unable to suppress the groans of agony escaping her lips.
Yet—yet, she refused to throw in the towel. She continued to grasp at the slender thread of victory that remained.
And then, the moment arrived. Ashley managed to create some distance from her opponents and took a deep breath. She steeled herself.
“《Fools Don’t Watch the Clock (Wise Clockwise)》!!”
By using this skill, her physical abilities would triple for a limited time. However, exceeding that limit would drastically reduce her capabilities, making it impossible to continue fighting.
Ashley’s resolve—this was a quintuple skill, a taboo that disregarded her own body, and it represented her determination as a Holy Knight to protect the sword at all costs.
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