My lady won the battle
"I'm alive...?"
"I'm relieved... I've made it in time."
As I held Milady in my arms, I confirmed her existence and felt her warmth, accompanied by the reassuring sound of her heartbeat.
"I'm so glad, really glad."
"Crow, you..."
Milady, being held in my arms, had a somewhat puzzled tone in her voice. For now, I wished to stay like this for a little longer. One wrong move, and I might have lost Milady. Just thinking about it made my body tremble.
It really was a close call. When I returned carrying the injured person, it was precisely at the moment when an ogre's iron lump was about to strike Milady. It could be called a miracle that I instinctively shielded Milady and avoided the attack.
"...How long do you plan to keep holding me? Put me down already!"
"My apologies. I'll put you down right away...!"
Sensing a murderous intent, I instinctively leaped backward while still holding Milady. In the next moment, the spot where we had just stood was completely destroyed.
Upon closer inspection, the ogre that had been there before was now glaring at us with bloodshot eyes.
What an inconsiderate fellow, interrupting my precious time with Milady.
"Crow, is that..."
However, Milady seemed more surprised by the faint magical aura surrounding my body than by the enemy's attack. It was undoubtedly the result of enhancement magic, something I shouldn't have been able to use, considering my lack of innate magical abilities.
"As a precaution, I prepared this magical tool. I never thought we'd actually have to use it."
I showed milady the bracelet-shaped magical tool I had attached to my left arm.
Taking into account the incident when Lady Maria's magic went out of control last time, I had prepared this tool to ensure I could carry Milady and escape at a moment's notice.
I had to pay that damn merchant nearly two hundred gold coins for it, but the effectiveness was well worth every penny.
Even with what I considered a light jump, I had moved nearly two meters. In terms of my physical abilities alone, I probably matched the nobility.
While this was only a fraction of the power nobles possessed, it was more than enough.
"Grooooowll!"
In the midst of a conversation with milady, I evaded an attack from an enemy who suddenly lunged at us and, while mid-air, twisted my body to throw a knife in response.
"Explode!"
"Grrrr!"
"Tch... it seems this won't even leave a scratch. This is why I hate dealing with monsters."
All three knives exploded as intended, but the ogre emerging from the flames remained completely unharmed.
I knew it wouldn't be easy, but it seemed my current weapons couldn't inflict significant damage. Even with enhancement magic, it merely granted me the privilege to fight alongside milady and others.
That alone wouldn't be enough to defeat these monsters.
Realizing this, I unconsciously clicked my tongue and distanced myself from the enemy.
"Milady!"
"Wha-what is it?"
"Do you have any magic that can defeat that monster, Milady?" I asked as we dodged the ogre's furious attacks, my arms tightly holding her.
While I knew I couldn't take down the ogre myself, Milady was a different story. With her noble bloodline and the tremendous magical power it bestowed upon her, she might possess a spell capable of defeating the monster.
"Of course, I do! It's my secret weapon!" Milady replied confidently.
As expected of her. I didn't understand the details of the spell needed to defeat such a formidable foe, but if Milady said she could do it, I had no doubt. The question was how much time she needed to prepare it.
"How long will it take, Milady?" I inquired. Magic often required time to construct, especially for powerful spells. Normally, these preparations were made in a safe environment, but that wasn't an option now.
"Ten minutes..... no, five minutes should suffice" milady responded. "I'll complete the spell in five minutes."
Five minutes... It was tight, but we had no other choice. I would keep evading to buy her the time she needed.
"Let's go with that plan. I'll keep evading its attacks until Milady's ready to cast the spell" I said while still holding milady in my arms.
"Understood. I entrust my life to you" Milady replied, closing her eyes and beginning to prepare the spell.
Even though a single mistake on my part could cost milady her life, there was no fear or tension on her face. She had complete trust in me and entrusted me with her life.
"Very well, Milady" I responded. She had a knack for motivating people. When pushed to this extent, there was no choice but to meet her expectations.
I turned back to face the ogre.
"Come at me" I challenged.
"Groowl" the ogre responded.
"Your movements are too predictable!"
As the ogre charged straight at me, I dodged to the right. The ogre, however, planted its feet into the ground and made a sudden stop. It then pivoted 90 degrees, swinging its iron lump toward me.
"Whoa!" I instinctively jumped backward, but the impact shattered the ground beneath me, throwing off my balance.
Seizing the opportunity, the ogre launched another attack, but I wasn't going to let it defeat me so easily.
"Daaaaaahh!"
"Growl!?"
Once again, I used the hilt of my knife to deflect the iron lump coming down at me, harnessing my enhanced strength to forcefully counter it.
With its attack thwarted, the ogre was momentarily vulnerable before launching the next assault.
I seized that opening and closed the gap even further.
"Groooowl!"
"Shut up! Stay quiet!"
The ogre, attempting to eliminate me at close range, let out an ear-piercing roar. I instinctively covered Milady's ears and shouted back at the ogre. Simultaneously, I threw a knife into its gaping mouth and triggered an explosion.
"Groowl!" Seemingly affected by the internal damage, the ogre hesitated, interrupted in its roar.
In that moment, I closed the distance, passed between its legs, and moved to its back.
"Gaaa!" The ogre, perhaps weakened by the previous attack, swung the iron lump in an attempt to crush me. However, its massive swings only made it easier for me to evade. With precise movements, I sidestepped its attacks and closed in, staying within the range of its swinging lump.
"Growl!"
Of course, since it couldn't swing the iron lump in its right arm, the ogre tried to grab me with its left arm. I jumped to dodge its grasp and ended up on its arm, quickly climbing up the ogre's body.
"This should do the trick!"
Its eyes locked onto me as I reached its shoulder. It tried to shake me off, but I was faster. I pulled out a large knife from my waist and infused it with magic, then forcefully thrust it into the ogre's left eye!
"Gaaaaah!?" The ogre screamed in pain as I gouged out its eye. I immediately leaped back, getting away from the thrashing monster.
"Ugh... What incredible regenerative power."
After finally landing on the ground, I watched in amazement as the ogre's left eye, which I had wounded a moment ago, started to heal. Flesh swelled from within the wound, pushing out the knife I had lodged earlier until it fell to the ground. I made sure to crush it thoroughly before turning my attention back to the ogre.
Now, its eyes were filled with nothing but anger.
"Well, I can't blame you for that."
From its perspective, I was just a minor annoyance who had inflicted damage on it. Its pride must be severely wounded.
"But I can't let them take us down easily either" I muttered to myself.
In my arms, milady was still preparing her magic. I had to keep evading until her preparations were complete.
The countdown continued, four minutes and twenty-three seconds left.
"Damn it..."
How long had I been running? My body was already battered and bruised. Even though a single hit from the enemy's attacks would spell our doom, our attacks had proven ineffective, making this situation incredibly unfair.
To make matters worse, that brute seemed to have learned not to rely solely on its wild swings. It had started shattering the ground and hurling the shards at us. I managed to deflect any that came close to milady, but the others were beyond my control.
I had already taken quite a few hits from those shards, and my condition was deteriorating rapidly.
I tried my best to defend myself and even attempted to draw in the surrounding ogres into the enemy's attacks or provoke infighting among them, but it didn't seem to yield much of an effect.
"Crow, I'm ready!"
Finally, I heard the words I had been desperately waiting for as I evaded the ogre's attacks narrowly.
I attempted to create some distance, but in doing so, the ogre closed in on me.
"Hey! If you keep moving like this, I can't get a clear shot! Stop for a moment!"
"Don't ask for the impossible in this situation! Whoa!?"
I responded to milady's command while barely dodging the ogre's attacks. It was clear that the enemy wasn't going to let us escape easily.
"This is getting really annoying. Can't someone stop that creature?"
"Is there anyone who can move freely in this situation...?"
"Understood. 『Shadow Bind』."
Before I could even say, "There's no way..." numerous chains stretched from behind and entwined the ogre, restraining its movements.
"My apologies for the delay, Sir Crow."
"Eins?!"
A young maid from my entourage landed beside me. I had tasked them with rescuing the injured, and it seemed they arrived just in time.
"Yes, but I'm not alone."
In response to my question, a multitude of spells were unleashed from behind, targeting the ogre.
"Hey! I won't let you interfere with my master!"
"Could you please be a bit quieter?"
"Go! Protect Lady Isabella!"
"I can still go on!"
"Count me in!"
The remaining maids and students who had been receiving treatment in the background joined in, deploying numerous restraining spells against the ogre in front of us. It seemed like all the available forces capable of moving had gathered here.
However...
"Graaaah!"
"Can it still move after all we've done!?"
The enemy appeared to sense the threat of the magic Milady was preparing, breaking through the numerous restraints and continuing its attack.
"Do something! We can't let it go on like this!"
Milady shouted and gave orders, but everyone here was already giving their all. They desperately tried to restrain the ogre, but it seemed like the enemy had a slight edge in power.
"We're so close... Just one more step..."
"Darn it... Isn't there anything... anything at all..."
Is this as far as we can go....
"...Good grief, I wanted to keep this hidden, to be honest."
"Huh!?"
Just when everyone was on the verge of giving up, four ice spears suddenly flew in and pierced through the ogre's limbs. Despite its resistance, the ice spreading from the pierced points covered its body, completely immobilizing it.
Ice magic? Who could have...?
No, there was no time to think about that now.
"Milady!"
"I understand! Watch closely, for this is my trump card!"
This was probably their last chance.
As I held Milady in my arms, she raised her staff high, unleashing her magic. Light burst forth from the magical gem at the staff's tip, creating a complex and massive magic circle in the night sky.
Suddenly, dark clouds appeared out of nowhere, hiding the starlight and enveloping everything in complete darkness.
"Until just now, you were quite the nuisance!" In the midst of this darkness, Milady, shining brightly, waved her staff as if conducting a symphony. This caused the magic circle in the night sky to expand, and streaks of light illuminated the cloud-covered heavens.
The lights within the clouds grew brighter, making the air around us quiver.
"Guoooo!"
Sensing danger, the ogre tried to break free from the ice restraints and reach Milady, but her magic was slightly faster.
"Take this! 『Thunderbolt』!"
Milady widened her eyes and swung her staff down towards the ogre before her. In an instant, a brilliant column of light pierced the heavens, flooding the world in blinding radiance.
In the world of magic, there are six elemental attributes: fire, water, light, and others. Within these attributes, there are even more advanced elements known as "upper-tier attributes." These upper-tier attributes are incredibly potent but also exceptionally challenging to control. They are considered the pinnacle of magical mastery and are typically wielded only by those who have perfected the basic attributes.
However, in extremely rare cases, some individuals are born with an innate talent for these upper-tier attributes, allowing them to manipulate them effortlessly. Milady is one such exceptional individual, and her attribute is "lightning," which falls under the upper-tier category within the wind element. Her magic can even control the weather, making it devastatingly powerful.
"Guo, ooh..."
As my vision gradually cleared, I saw the ogre before us. Despite being struck directly by a bolt of lightning, it remained standing, albeit with charred patches and a menacing glare.
"It didn't go down from that..."
Milady appeared slightly surprised that her previous attack hadn't finished off the ogre. Its resilience, surviving such a powerful assault, was truly remarkable.
"Then, one more time!"
"No... Wait, Milady, please!"
I intervened, stopping Milady as she prepared to raise her staff once more to cast another spell.
The enemy's behavior was strange.
Or rather, it was...
"Guo, ooh..."
As we watched, the light vanished from the ogre's eyes, and it collapsed to the ground with a thunderous roar.
Simultaneously, the other monsters in the vicinity panicked and fled toward the forest.
"We did it...?"
"I report! The monsters around the northern gate are retreating."
"The same goes for the southern gate!"
Milady was left dumbfounded, but reports from various locations confirmed what had happened. With the defeat of their boss, it seemed that the subordinate monsters were fleeing.
Without a doubt, it was our victory.
"We did it! We won, Crow!"
Finally grasping the situation, Milady beamed with a smile and clung to my neck. While I couldn't deny the benefits of her soft curves pressing against me and her delighted voice near my ear, it was probably best to keep my composure here.
"Please, calm down, Milady. Everyone is watching."
"What...!? How long do you plan to carry me like this!"
"I'll put you down now. Come on, Milady, make the victory declaration. Everyone's waiting for you."
I gestured toward the students surrounding us, prompting her to remember her situation. She suddenly blushed and began to struggle. I carefully lowered her to the ground.
Once Milady stood firmly on the ground, she regained her composure and turned her serious gaze toward the surrounding students.
"Ahem... Everyone, well done. Let out a victory cry! This is our victory!"
"""Uooh!"""
Milady's victory declaration ignited a burst of cheers from the students who had been anxiously watching. Despite everyone being battered from the intense battle, their faces were filled with smiles of joy. Some enthusiastic individuals had already begun preparing a celebration with food brought from the storeroom.
Amidst the jubilant celebration, I noticed something unusual. As I observed Milady and her friends rejoicing and students who had fought elsewhere joining the festivities, I felt something warm trickling down my cheek.
"What's this?"
When I touched it with my fingers, it felt slimy. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was red blood.
"Cough!"
I see, it seems like time's up... or so it feels.
I thought idly while looking at the clump of blood I had coughed up.
"Damn..."
My legs wobbled, my vision blurred, and in the next moment, I found myself collapsed on the ground. I knew I had to get up, but my body had lost all its strength, and I couldn't even move a finger.
"Come on, Crow! What are you doing? Get it together!"
I heard Milady's worried voice coming from right beside me. It seemed she had come over to check on me.
"Ah..."
I tried to convey that I was okay, but all that escaped my throat was a raspy breath.
I'm sorry, Milady.
"Crow! Wake up!"
As I heard Milady's voice, tinged with what seemed like impending tears, my consciousness began to fade away.
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