Volume 6, Chapter 44 – Uncoordinated Teamwork

“Milu, keep your head down!”

Facing Liti’s shout from behind, Milu just frowned slightly. Not only did she not lower her head, but she exerted force with her calves, stepping on the head of the Evil Soul Moth in front of her, and leaped into the air in one step.

“A mere Frenzied Fang Bird.”

“ Squee?! ”

With disdain in her bright red vertical pupils, Milu swung the longsword in her hand in a circle with one hand, slashing forcefully at the Frenzied Fang Bird’s body. The power of the Stellacryst Beast drove her whole body to turn slightly, and a clean sword strike cut straight into the Frenzied Fang Bird’s body.

Accompanied by the bird’s shrill scream, feathers flew across a small half of the sky. However, the sturdy body of the Frenzied Fang Bird prevented it from being cut in two on the spot by Milu. Instead, it smashed diagonally into the puddle below like a cannonball.

If I switched back to dual swords, I should be able to dismember this Frenzied Fang Bird.

The dull sensation transmitted from her hand told Milu that this Frenzied Fang Bird was not dead.

But now was not the time to pursue.

Milu hadn’t reached the third rank yet and couldn’t use [Flight]. Her body, having jumped into the air, was now free-falling. The Evil Soul Moth she had stepped on earlier had already turned around. Its eyes red with anger at being played, its fat moth body slammed straight toward her in the air. Not only that, but the other monsters below also surged toward Milu’s landing spot like venomous snakes sensing prey. Once Milu got close to the ground, she would immediately be bitten and trampled by dozens of monsters.

However, Milu showed no fear. She completely ignored the Evil Soul Moth flying toward her. Her terrifying bright red vertical pupils were fixed on the most troublesome monster not far from the group—a gray rabbit-type monster named Frenzied Rat, yet as big as a male lion. This monster acted like a leader, issuing piercing squeaks to command other monsters. Any monster that heard its voice would immediately have their eyes turn red, their movements no different from falling into a frenzy.

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If not for the [Siren’s Mirror] granting complete immunity to mental magic, her actions might have been affected.

I must deal with this Frenzied Rat capable of using enhancement magic as soon as possible.

Realizing this, Milu took off the [Siren’s Mirror] from her chest with one hand, then held the longsword with both hands, pouring magic power into it.

A heavy hum that seemed to reach the heart sounded. Immediately after, the longsword in Milu’s hand split in two, turning into two shorter one-handed swords.

The reason she hadn’t separated [Undead Princess’s Hatred] and [Vampire’s Blessing] earlier was because she was wearing the [Siren’s Mirror] which blocked magic. Now that she had finally sneaked close to the Frenzied Rat without it noticing, it was time to risk taking it out.

Although all this happened in a flash, a moment on the battlefield was enough to change many things. The Evil Soul Moth had rushed to a position only one meter away from Milu. If it weren’t raining, the poisonous powder on the Evil Soul Moth’s wings would have already contaminated Milu. That was a poison with hallucinogenic effects.

“— [Flash Thunder]!”

“Liti, springboard!”

“Don’t need you to tell me; I’m ready! — [Telekinesis]!”

First came the lightning strike cast by Tilulu from the rear, then the transparent springboard that appeared out of thin air under Milu’s feet.

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The former drew a blue-purple electric arc in the rain, piercing straight into the Evil Soul Moth’s spine. The Evil Soul Moth’s body exploded and turned black instantly, convulsing as it fell to the ground. Liti’s [Telekinesis] provided Milu with a foothold to adjust her posture. The monsters waiting for Milu to land pounced on empty air.

But this wasn’t over. Milu borrowed force from the springboard formed by [Telekinesis], intending to jump over the monster group and pounce on the Frenzied Rat that was separate from the group in the distance.

However.

Crack—

The [Telekinesis] under Milu’s feet couldn’t support her full strength. The springboard instantly made a cracking sound of giving way. Before the snowflake-like cracks could extend to the entire board, it shattered into pieces. Losing her foothold, Milu immediately fell toward the monster group below.

Almost everyone’s heart skipped a beat. Even Milu, with her calm personality, couldn’t help but contract her pupils to pinpoints. This was an unexpected situation; she hadn’t prepared a backup plan.

“Sister Anna, it’s no good!”

“Save Milu quickly!”

“I know.”

Even without Liti and Tilulu’s reminders, Anastasia, who had been watching everyone from the side, was prepared. Her body crouched slightly, her right hand resting on the hilt of the mithril sword. Cyan light flowed over her body as she entered a combat state. The condensed surging momentum made the raindrops slide away to both sides on their own.

“[Feral Wolf].”

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The moment the low voice fell, Anastasia had already disappeared from her spot. Correspondingly, a meteor-like cyan luminous body smashed straight into the monster group. The pressure it released caused even the wet and soft ground to sink in an arc. In less than a second, Anastasia had pierced through from one end of the monster group to the other, reaching straight in front of the Frenzied Rat.

When Anastasia’s body appeared behind the Frenzied Rat, the whole world seemed to be left with only the sound of splashing rain.

In the next second, the dazed monsters were split in two in unison. Exploding blood and pink internal organs dyed the mud red. Anastasia’s strike created a death zone in the entire monster group. Any monster that passed through this line was dismembered in that slash that was hard to perceive with the naked eye.

Not only that, but the Frenzied Rat behind Anastasia was also cut in two. The rabbit-like head was sliced diagonally from the middle, blood spraying from the cross-section. Losing command, the remaining monsters immediately howled in panic and fled blindly.

“Silvar Royal Swordsmanship. As expected of Sister Anna, a warrior who became the Captain of the Royal Guard by strength. I couldn’t see her movements at all.”

“I didn’t see it clearly either…”

Although Liti and Tilulu couldn’t see what happened at all, Fia caught it. In that instant, Anastasia attached a wind-attribute [Enchanted Blade] to her sword, then drew it in the blink of an eye, cutting down all monsters in her path with one slash.

Speaking of swordsmanship, this was certainly swordsmanship too, but rather than physical technique, it was more like an exquisite application of magic power. Just as Fia felt, the swordsmanship of the World Tree Continent and the swordsmanship Fia learned from Davis were two different things. If it were Davis, he should have accurately pierced the vitals of each monster in the blink of an eye, using negligible magic power.

Maybe I should teach Davis’s swordsmanship to Anastasia too.

Thinking this, Fia had already used a [Spatial Hand] to transport the petite Milu to stand beside her. She pinched Milu’s wing-shaped ears—although they were wings, they always felt warm to the touch, and the delicate texture different from skin was exceptionally comfortable.

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“Milu isn’t hurt, right?”

“Mm, no.”

Originally, Milu’s expression carried a hint of dissatisfaction, but after Fia pinched her ears, an embarrassed flush immediately appeared on her cute face, and her shoulders hunched inward slightly. Milu pouted and muttered softly.

“I should have been able to do better.”

“Don’t force yourself. After all, these are all third-rank monsters I picked out. If it were ordinary adventurers, a third-rank adventurer leading a group of first and second-rank adventurers to surround a single third-rank monster would be the normal situation. Now the situation is reversed: a group of third-rank monsters surrounding one third-rank and two second-ranks. Milu, you guys killing seven or eight monsters without injury is already a record to be proud of.”

“No, Your Highness. If Milu were an ordinary adventurer, this would indeed be a praiseworthy record. But coming from the Silvar Kingdom, and especially being a student taught by your subordinate personally, committing the impermissible mistake of recklessness must be punished.”

Sheathing her sword, Anastasia walked toward Fia, her serious face full of reproach and anger.

“As the only warrior in the team, you should protect the fragile magic casters behind you and advance gradually with their support. Yet you abandoned your comrades to hog the glory. If you were a member of the Royal Guard, I would have already dealt with you according to the rules of the Royal Guard—if Her Highness Tilulu and Princess Liti were injured because of your recklessness, what would you think?”