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–––Olivia’s Perspective

It was thanks to Natalia that I could move past her death. It was all thanks to Natalia. But now Natalia had sacrificed herself so I could escape. And then… I’ll be alone.

No… I really wouldn’t have anyone left after losing my mother and the person I love.

“I don’t want that… Natalia…”

I mutter her name with a trembling voice, but there’s no answer. She’s not here, obviously.

No… I know Natalia tries her hardest as my maid, that’s why she let me escape. But I can’t do that, I can’t run away alone. If I run leaving behind the person I love I’ll lose everything that makes me who I am.

I’m sorry Natalia. She might hate me for not listening to her. But that’s alright, just this once, I’ll…

I turn around and run back as fast as I can. The first thing I see when I get there is Natalia aiming her guns at Lacks, and the Comet Wolf high in the air charging a magic attack.

This doesn’t look good. The monster is gathering so much mana that there won’t be any safe place from the blast. Should I attack to force it to stop? No, that won’t work. It already has more than enough mana to be dangerous.

I won’t have time to attack or dodge. Maybe I can change where it’s aiming then! A hit to the chin might do the trick!

I start gathering mana myself and adjust my aim while shortening a chant.

“Ignis-”

Natalia appears in front of me just when I’m about to launch my spell. I lower my hand that was ready for the spell, and everything turns white. But neither the heat nor pressure reach me. Natalia’s barrier keeps everything away.

“Natalia!”

Why is she here all of a sudden?! I really didn’t have to think hard about that. She’s ready to sacrifice herself to save me, so she’d obviously cover me like this as well.

But really, I’m okay! Though I’m fully aware that Natalia will always be this way, I know that better than anyone else.

The barrier starts to crack and creak, so Natalia channels more mana to repair and strengthen it. But that’s not enough to stop the cracks from spreading, and eventually light leaks through a hole and burns Natalia’s shoulder.

The light gets even brighter so I instinctively cover my face with my arms. Once the light starts to dim again, I slowly open my eyes. There’s a large clearing burned out from the surrounding forest, with Natalia in the center, looking exactly the same as she did when I closed my eyes.

“Natalia!”

I call her name, but her body just tips over and falls on the ground with no resistance.

“Natalia!”

I shout her name again and run to her side, holding her up. But she’s completely unresponsive, the light from her sapphire eyes gone.

Death…

The word I dread so much flashes in my mind, and I forcefully push it away.

There’s no way Natalia could die! A doctor- No, a specialist like Miss Annabelle might be able to save her!

“Grrr…”

But I still have an enemy that won’t let that happen.

The Comet Wolf growls slowly. Even experienced adventurers struggle fighting Meteor Wolfs, but this is an evolved form of that. It’s just one step away from the Valhen Woods’ apex predator, the Wolf King Roa.

But so what!

I carefully place Natalia’s body down and then dash forward.

“Full Divine Wind!”

I speed up, and before it can react I hit its chin with Shell Fang.

“Ignis Drake!”

Then I add the spell I couldn’t launch earlier, which hit the monster from close up. Its enormous body gets launched into the air a bit, so I kick its exposed stomach with all my might.

“Pahhh-”

There was a dry sound like a drum being hit, and the Comet Wolf flew high into the skies above the forest.

“Tsk, that actually scared me a bit, but at least it’s gone now.”

The large man with one arm crawls out from the scorched earth. Ahh right, he was also here.

He’s a survivor from that gang of slave traders that captured me a year ago. Earlier I was so scared remembering that so I could barely move. But that’s no longer the case. He had hurt Natalia.

I’ll never forgive him!

“Ugh, even my sword is gone… Hm? Where’s the Comet Wolf now?”

I run at him with Full Divine Wind to hit him with Shell Fang too. My fist gets assaulted by a terrible pain, as if I just punched a hunk of iron.

“It’s not good to prank others, girly.”

Not even Natalia’s magic guns had much of an effect against him, so Shell Fang couldn’t do much either. His skin is probably even more resilient than a Greedmega Worm. But my father taught me how to deal with such enemies too.

“Sparkling Lightning Discharge!”

My fist gets covered in lightning and hits Lacks’ body multiple times.

“Keh… You really don’t learn, do you!”

I knew that wouldn’t be enough, I just needed him to be distracted for a bit. While his eyes recovered from the lightning I had prepared my next attack.

Sparkling Lightning Discharge works by gathering mana in my fist and discharging it every time I punch, but my next attack is different. I molded some more mana and gathered it in my palm, keeping it still as I struck Lacks’ stomach.

Most of the mana infiltrated his body without resistance, creating a pathway for me to send even more mana into him.

“Electrifying Blood Lotus!”

Mana travels faster than any liquid through blood vessels, so it’s possible to spread it through an opponents’ body before detonating it into electricity and fire.

“Ghaa?!”

Lacks’ skin ruptured open and blood spewed out from the wounds. He probably can’t understand what just happened to him, but that won’t stop me from attacking more. The strong resistance I felt when I punched him earlier is gone now.

“Sparkling Lightning Discharge!”

I hit him many times more than before, mercilessly trying to tear his flesh and bones apart. Now that his defenses were lower, my punches had a far stronger effect.

“Ahhh…w-…w-wait. Forgive-”

I didn’t let him finish. I jump into the air and around him, swinging my fist down at his head.

“Sparkling Lightning Discharge!”

There’s a loud tremor as Lacks’ body falls to the ground and his head is smashed against the ground. As soon as I land I turn around and pick Natalia up, carrying her to Ingralowe as fast as I can.