The guards were running in retreat; the last warehouses were, at long last, being emptied. Those who did not flee continued to fight. For every guard who stood his ground to fight, ten pure-bloods emerged to overwhelm him. Without Vargas's assistance, the numbers far surpassed the already shallow experience of the guards.
— It seems this place is finished; even if Vargas defeats those two, it won't be possible to hold back this many animals... — said the woman as she analyzed the battle. — It is deplorable to imagine this, but it was only when that damned Valemortis stepped into this place that this mess began.
The masked woman turned to where the trio was and analyzed the situation. Vargas's eyes, still blurred from Elyandra's attack, proved to be an annoyance. Even Oswin, who was not a warrior, gave a fair amount of trouble when aided by Elyandra, who positioned herself as support in that fight. In this way, Vargas found himself pressured. At the same time that he blocked and returned blows from Oswin—who, even wounded, still gave a fair amount of trouble—he was constantly bombarded by more divine spheres made by Elyandra which, upon hitting, caused certain damage.
"Dalia once told me that someone strong in the use of magic could withstand direct attacks without being harmed as much by other sources of magic, simply because the magic flowing in their veins is strong enough to create a type of natural defense, without the person actually needing to create magical defenses." The girl then saw Vargas begin to charge another attack against Oswin and quickly threw another orb against the man, which exploded against his sword, suppressing the blow.
She then returned to her thoughts: "These spheres I'm throwing at him are stronger than the one I used against that occultist, but they aren't even hurting him..." Another sphere hit Vargas's face as he dealt a blow against Oswin, who defended while being thrown backward. The sphere exploded and, again, a blinding light left Vargas disoriented.
"At my current point, I don't have enough physical strength to fight an adult man; I can only bet on magic and serve as support."
— You are a rather unconventional Saint, aren't you? — questioned the masked woman, drawing Elyandra's attention. — Of course, you are a Valemortis, your father is a great military strategist, I bet you must have been well-trained; you exuded nobility, demonstrating you are someone of high society just in the way you behave, but after working a long time in this business, I can tell who people really are just by observing them.
Elyandra turned to her, and as the two stared at each other, another impact caught the girl's attention. Vargas threw Oswin against a wall with a lateral attack.
— Oswin!
— Tick... Tock... Little Valemortis, I know you are someone different; there isn't a person in this empire who doesn't know your family. — The masked woman then crouched down, and even through the mask, Elyandra felt a shiver run down her spine. — Just by looking, I can tell you are someone of rare stature; I can't even measure the value I could gain from your sale; perhaps that is why your family was attacked.
Elyandra's eyes widened; she then heard the impact of another blow from Vargas throwing Oswin against the ground.
— You won't defeat Vargas, little Valemortis. — The woman said as she stood up; she looked at the flames of the fires around her and spun with open arms. — Our performance is ending; have fun, I'm going to prepare the paperwork; among the rare pieces I have ever sold, you will be my greatest sale; besides, I'm sure a certain group must be anxious to get their hands on you.
— Wait a moment!
Elyandra prepared to run after the woman, but another sound of impact caught her attention. She noticed Oswin coughing up blood after defending himself from another blow from Vargas. The girl knew she couldn't leave the boy alone, or else he would die. She then looked at the masked woman one last time and noticed she had vanished without a trace.
— Damn it...
Oswin struggled to get up once more; he sank the tip of his weapon into the ground and used it as support to stand. Upon looking closer at the sword, he noticed the weapon he was using was already in shambles and dented.
— You fought well... for a mere vagabond — Vargas stated as he pointed his sword at Oswin.
— ...
The man then looked around and saw no one. The absence of the masked woman and the little Valemortis caught his attention.
— It seems your Saint has abandoned you.
Oswin realized his vision was becoming blurred and his legs were trembling, but inside, his mind was calm; he knew he had done what was possible. He didn't feel bad or distressed; if he was to fall, he would fall, but he would fall fighting.
— You have the expression of a warrior, you have my respect; I hope you don't give up now.
To fight or to give up—that no longer mattered. Victory already seemed distant at that point. He joined his hands and did something that even caught Vargas by surprise: he lifted the sword from the ground and pointed it at the man, his hands together in front of his body, fingers crossed around the hilt and a look of determination that made even Vargas—who was nothing more than a complete thug—smile; he saw him as someone honorable. The situation led Oswin to smile as well; it was the moment of truth.
— Let's end this... — Vargas affirmed.
Oswin had accepted his fate; as for Vargas, he prepared for his final blow; however, something caught his attention—a sense of danger like no other. He quickly turned around and his eyes fixed on Elyandra; she was holding the weapon the masked woman had used against her.
"The crystal is broken, but I don't need it whole, just this shard." The girl squeezed the cylinder of the weapon with her hand. The fragment of the broken crystal was pressed into its spark point and charged with Elyandra's divine magic.
She didn't think twice and pulled the trigger of the weapon. Vargas instantaneously turned his sword like a kind of shield in an attempt to defend himself. The crystal shone with a golden light so strong that the very iron of the weapon became golden. A sharp, raspy sound traveled through the barrel of the gun and a thin, extremely golden beam of light was fired from it. The magical bullet, thin as a needle, hit Vargas's sword, which shattered completely, passing through the chest of the man who felt a surreal pain. His consciousness collapsed and, along with the impact of that shot, he was hurled backward and fell in front of Oswin, who was surprised by the girl's return.
— End of the line for you — Elyandra affirmed, dropping the weapon that was now completely destroyed with its barrel exploded and the crystal in crumbs.
Upon seeing the girl still present, Oswin broke into a smile; he felt relieved somehow. He tried to move toward the girl, but his legs lost their strength and he fell to his knees.
— Oswin! Don't you dare close those eyes — the girl spoke as she approached Oswin and crouched, analyzing his state.
"He has too many injuries; it's impressive he's still conscious."
While using her magic to begin first aid on Oswin, Elyandra turned her gaze to the crowd and noticed that the kidnapped people had subdued the kidnappers.
— ...In the end, I didn't need to interfere in anything — The girl sighed, feeling that finally everything was heading toward a peaceful end.
— What... are you talking about? — Oswin questioned while being healed.
— Don't mind that, I'm just pensive — She returned her focus to the healing. — When I woke up, I was worried; I didn't know if there would be a way to get out of here; I'm glad these people were committed to freeing themselves.
Oswin then held Elyandra's hand, the one she was using to heal his wounds.
The boy gave a light laugh. — A rather unconventional Saint, isn't she?
Elyandra noticed that he had heard what the masked woman had said; thinking about it was a bit funny; she then gave a light laugh as well.
— It seems we have a lot to resolve here, don't we? — the boy then forced himself to stand up. — Many of these people had already given up, but as soon as I said there was a Saint here... They rose up; I saw hope shine in their eyes.
The scene appeared to be chaotic, but everything seemed to be finally ending; she sat down and observed the kidnapped victims, she reasoned for a few seconds and thought: "If I weren't from the upper class, I could probably be in a situation like this... It's a bit complicated, but what a headache, I just want to go home and lie down in my bed."
— It seems I'll have to deal with you first.
The girl turned upon hearing that voice; in a violent burst of wind, a hand grabbed the girl's neck and lifted her high; it was Vargas, who had regained his consciousness.
— Elyandra! — the boy directed his blade's attack toward Vargas's chest, aiming to save the girl.
The attack was slow in Vargas's perception; he easily evaded Oswin's attack and, in a lethal counter-strike with what remained of his sword, the boy felt cold followed by a lack of sensation and a sharp pain; he turned his gaze to his left and noticed the absence of an arm; Vargas had torn off his arm; the pain was unbearable; the boy didn't even have the chance to scream or say anything; the man delivered a kick to his chest that threw him far away.
— Oswin... — the girl spoke while her throat was being squeezed so hard it felt like her neck would break.
— Enough of this game; I wonder, could you heal your neck if I break it?
Vargas then squeezed Elyandra's neck; she felt an unparalleled pressure; her hands, which before were trying to pry open the man's fingers, began to fall slowly; the girl's golden eyes could only see his face becoming blurred and everything darkening.
"So... this was the feeling? I felt this last time too... am I going to die again?"