Keyaruga, Freia, and Setsuna stood in a relatively broad alleyway. All the passers-by fled what would unquestionably become a battlefield. The Hero of Healing once again gazed upon Kureha Cryleth, a silver-haired warrior with a beautiful natural face and blue eyes, full of righteous fury. Her armor was unreasonably thin; it didn’t offer any protection to her right arm (which was cut by Tafias), legs, or chest. Let alone the head. Normally, such armor shouldn’t have even existed outside of parades, and yet this risk was calculated. The mythril cuirass was enchanted to increase the swordswoman’s speed. He already felt it firsthand; his cheek got cut with her slightly curved adamantine sword. After all, Silver Death, as some called her, had been the fiercest fighter in the entire kingdom, rivaling even Hawkeye and Bloodbringer, the two remaining Champions of Jioral. And she even carried another blade around on her waist. And now that power force was ready to stand against the red-eyed lad.
"You still haven’t answered. Who or what are you?" — Kureha inquired, assuming the hanging stance. Keyaruga’s moves, dodges, parries — even though they were altered to fit his anatomy and one-handed saber, the style was unmistakably one of Cryleth's.
"Wait, did you really ambush a man without even knowing who he was? I think you’ve mistaken me for someone." — Although the man taunted her, throwing up his arms, he never lowered his defense. After all, her experiences of carnage were genuine, unlike Keyaruga, who only lived through most of his battles with the help of feelings and minds from the people he healed.
"I know exactly what you are! A mass murderer who slaughtered Jioral’s soldiers with the Cryleth's blade! You sullied our style, and for that you must die!"
"What’re you talking about?" While playing for time, the healer desperately made plans on how to deal with that overpowered, pampered child. "I’m just an alchemist. Me and my attendant were just handing out the potions to cure the local plague."
"You lie! You’ve poisoned them! Made poor people kill each other!" After her words, Freia’s teeth loudly creaked, and Keyaruga felt the air around the caster heating. "I know what you did! Those brave souls just tried to protect the tribe of ice wolves, and you slew them all! Now it’s my responsibility to put you down!"
"Blah-blah-blah! Protect from who? Why would two hundred of that fucking scum be roaming their nearby woods? I don’t remember you being that idiotic, Kureha." The worst thing was, the swordmaster was rapidly losing any respect in Keyaruga’s eyes. "Don’t tell me that instead of thinking it over, you try silencing me."
"Then why are you dragging an ice wolf slave?" And now the self-righteous woman has managed to tick off the calm and reasonable huntress.
"She’s not my…"
"You wrong! Setsuna became Keyaruga’s slave, because master saved Taretanbi!" The girl took off her hood to reveal her animalistic ears.
"It’s true! These soldiers were simple bastards! They wanted to enslave everyone there, but Lord Keyaruga saved the tribe!" Freia insisted, but that… barely made any impact.
"Enough of that! Not only did you attack the village, you also subjugated two poor girls and made them lie for your own sake. It seems I’ll have to execute you, "Lord" Keyaruga." — Kureha spoke, emphasizing sarcastically the fake title.
"So, this is how you want to repay me your debt?" Come on, Keyaru! Keyaruga!? It's not that hard!
"I don’t know you, and I owe you nothing!"
"Hm. Suit yourself, woman." It’s hopeless. She doesn’t want the truth, only justice.
"I will! Maybe, after I carry out my judgment, these poor girls will come to their senses." Now, Keyaruga aimed for her axillary artery.
"Kureha Cryleth, I respect your strength and bravery. If you so desire, I can reveal to you the truth about your corrupted kingdom. Or, would you rather stand against me?" Although having said so, the hero knew his words were in vain.
"If I have to…"
"Enough! I will not let you treat my lord like a criminal!" — The sorceress snarled, releasing a volley of condensed fireballs, every one of which rushed toward the swordswoman. And yet, one she dodged, the second missed, the third, forth, and fifth got dispelled after being quickly cut in half — adamantine could cut through magic. Kureha got dangerously close to Freia, but the man could do nothing — the silver-haired fencer dived underneath his saber swing and struck the caster with her scabbard in the solar plexus.
"Now get some sleep. He’s just using you." She… didn’t even catch her.
"You bitch! How dare you hit my Freia?!" That’s it, you graying whore... No, relax, I need to keep my head cool...
"What… are you?" Despite his best efforts, Kureha felt the man’s sheer rage. And although he now wanted to exact revenge upon his first patient, this wasn’t the reason to rush foolishly.
"Oh, Kureha! Just why must you be so stupid? Now I have no choice but to break you!" Keyaruga said, dramatically covering his left eye with his left hand, which made the jade light of the other eye shine even brighter.
Although she hadn’t leveled up since the previous time, Kureha was already bad news enough. Level forty-five, the peak of the fencing skills, and she even has enchanted armor. Keyaruga couldn’t win, not like that.
"Setsuna, take Freia and don’t interfere! Just watch and learn!"
"Matiolu, master." — The girl replied, carrying the unconscious sorceress away. When falling, she bruised her chin, which made the ice warrior furious, but she still understood her limits, and that woman was clearly above them.
"Luck? Yeah, I’ll need it." With that, the healer touched his chest, reconstructing his body just for that single fight.
Race: Human
Name: Keyaru
Class: The Healer; The Hero
Level: 38
Mana: 67/67
Physical attack: 129
Physical defense: 107
Magic attack: 59
Magic defense: 36
Speed: 119
Abilities:
Magic of Healing: 3-rd circle
Divine blade: 4-th level
Ultra-perception: 4-th level
Acceleration: 3-rd level
Alchemy: 4-th circle
Destruction magic (all): 4-th circle
With his healing powers, the hero discarded all of his magic points in favor of physical attack and defense, which correlated to strength and robustness. After all, the sword master did not wield any elemental spells. Anyway, with both competitors having completed their preparations, the time of battle has come.
Both opponents rushed forward to trade consecutive diagonal strikes. The first strikes ended in a stall of crossed blades. Keyaruga now aimed at his foe’s bare armpit. His saber even got close, but Kureha leaned backwards and retaliated with a vertical cut of her own, which the man avoided with a swift sidestep. The man’s next strike threatened to split the fencer’s head in half, if not for her unnaturally fast pirouette. The swordswoman basically disappeared from Keyaruga’s eyesight. In her spin, the Silver Death grabbed the hilt of her crimson sword with her left hand. But, since he has her perception…
"BEHIND!!!" — Setsuna screamed, and yet, by that time, the healer had already blocked the blade aimed toward his neck.
"Did… Did you predict it?" Even though Kureha retreated, fatigue was catching up with the healer. And it’s only been a few seconds!
"Haa… Ha-ha! You flatter me!" — The hero replied wryly. Even now, he was still no match for the Swordmaster. The lad knew her moves; he could fight her. But not win.
The steel sang again. Keyaruga struck blow after blow, yet none reached its goal. The Swordmaster parried everything he could offer, either with the back of her blade, or with the armor on her left arm. Then she regained the upper hand. One, two, three cuts, thrust, pirouette, and backstab — saber-fencer barely deflected the mad barrage of strikes. There could be no room for counterattack, no chance to exploit the massive breaches in Kureha’s armor.
Bulat steel cried out with bright sparks, whereas adamantine barely even dulled. Trading hits with Kureha was so hard, that running from the Silver Death was literally less exhausting. The longer it drags… Up, diagonal, down — the fencer was just too relentless. ...the greater are the chances of losing my head. Time for…
After a backflip, Keyaruga grabbed his saber with his left palm to paint the bluish metal red. The next moment, the blood that covered the blade turned brown. The man barely had a second, before Kureha once again engaged him with a couple of heavy downward slashes. Yet, at that moment, when the adamantine slid by the steel, something unexpected happened — even the Swordmaster needed a breather.
"Haa… Haa… Fuh! How can you be so strong, yet so evi…" Keyaruga exploited the moment to toss a throwing knife. Too bad it didn’t pierce her pauldron.
"Shut up and fight, woman!" The Hero of Healing grew more and more fatigued, and that irritated the man. He couldn’t even heal his bleeding palm. Silver Death honored his request, lunging with a swift poke. The lad parried it and retaliated with downward and upward slashes.
This wasn’t a duel, barely even a sword fight. That clash couldn’t be anything but art, its supreme form. At least for a mesmerized spectator. But for Keyaruga, it was everything but. Three parries per second, making his cape stay above his boots, not letting his foe grab onto it — this took an inadequate amount of focus. And yet, it was worth it.
With the adamantine sword chunking out, the healer finally grinned, foretasting victory. His strike or hers — it mattered little, for each clash of their blades made her weapon weaker. The crimson blade no longer sang — it creaked. And finally, after another trade, it broke, crumbling into metallic dust. Keyaruga felt like a winner now.
"You… U-U-UH!!!" And that backfired on him when Silver Death punched him in the chest. Not only did that terrific blow shatter the man’s rib cage and rip through his diaphragm, it also sent him flying into the nearest wall. With so much power put into the punch, both physical and magical, the hero’s body crumbled the bricks. If not for his preliminary means of reconstructing the flesh, this would be the end of him.
"MASTER KEYARUGA!!!" — Setsuna screamed as loud as she could, but the man barely even heard her. His sight blackened, his breath turned into a pathetic wheeze. The healer couldn’t even feel his legs anymore. The situation looked grave indeed. With Kureha approaching the she-wolf, the latter had no chance. I… can’t afford it! I will live! I will persevere!
With a titanic force of will, the broken man dragged his broken arms to the torso. Finally, a bright green spark lightened the rubble, and Keyaruga was now restored to his full glory. After that he finally jumped back to the light.
"Get away from my girls!" — The red-eyed shouted out and retrieved his trusty saber. Setsuna clutched Freia in one hand while warding off Kureha with the other, knowing full well that her ice claw would not save her. Fortunately…
"How are you still alive?" …Kureha quickly lost interest in the she-wolf after Keyaruga's unexpected revival. She now gazed at her sword’s handle. "What kind of bloody sorcery did you use on my weapon?"
"Simple alchemy. Adamantine may disrupt magic, but it’s weak to acids." Although, my own saber got it rough as well. And she unsheathed another. Hm, it’s shorter?
"So, sword mastery, body strengthening, alchemy, healing. Just how can you have so many powers?" Good question. Hundreds of minds, I had no choice but to delve into it? Training in the woods, until I memorized by heart how every muscle should look and feel? Your own skills?
"Lower your weapon, and I will tell you." Hm, we’ve already been here.
"Are you joking? I see fewer and fewer reasons to spare you!" Sure, my dear… Hah, first it was exhausting, now it’s getting tiresome.
"Too bad." With nothing more to add, the man tossed three enchanted knives. All were swiftly deflected. Keyaruga never expected to win with just his saber, so he had a few aces in his sleeve. After all, he would be a fool to use his alchemy tools only for cures.
"For how long are you going to flee? Are you exhausting me?" — Silver Death asked, chasing her agile foe.
"Why would I?" Yes, the tables had already turned; the swordswoman got sweaty and tired while the healer got his pristine state back. Keyaruga once again swung his saber, and Kureha dodged. With the brownish blood still covering the bulat steel, the fencer had no choice but to evade or deflect with her sheath. With the lad gaining the upper hand, the saber whistled again and again, and even so, Silver Death retaliated with a thrust toward the lad’s neck. A futile attempt.
One swing, one back step, jump — this was but a prelude. The Hero of Healing tossed another set of three knives, too slow to penetrate her defense but fast enough to cover something else. Blades got repelled, but a cracked phial, hidden behind them, crumbled to sprinkle Kureha with the purple goo. However, the fencer rolled away.
"Whatever it is, you are struggling in vain." Am I? You’re breathing it in.
"Yeah, whatever."
Kureha lunged once again, her broad step made the man jump away. We were in the open, and Kureha used that chance… to find out she got slower and more susceptible to the man’s retaliation. He made a couple swings, and now the fencer had to retreat.
"What’s wrong, Swordmaster? Not feeling too good?" The hero taunted his foe. He poisoned the fencer with an aphrodisiac of his own making, and that broke her concentration.
"What have… you done to me?" Now, a blushed Kureha squirmed her legs. Body fluids poured down her hips. In that state, she couldn’t win.
"Do you really expect me to reveal my tactics? Now then, shall we continue?" The red-haired lad once again mocked his opponent, bracing for another hopeless strike. Arousing fumes held no power over the healer. The fencer, though, could bear suffering but not pleasure. After all, Keyaruga knew that despite everything, she was still a virgin. But still, Kureha was a warrior, determined enough to just stab her own leg to regain focus in the midst of pain.
"No matter what you did, I... I can still take you down!" With that said, Silver Death dropped her scabbard to grab the handle with both hands. You may be naïve, Kureha. But you’re brave, I’ll give you that.
"As you wish. Let’s finish this."
The healer decided to resort to trickery, knowing all too well how dangerous it was to fight a cornered beast. First, he relieved all the atrocities and savagery Jioral had caused him, to prepare himself. Then, the man dashed forward, with his saber raised high. Too high for any competent fencer. But there was a catch, a trap Silver Death would never get into normally. But this situation was everything but. Keyaruga wasn’t a swordsman nor a normal fighter.
Even in her weakened state, Kureha Cryleth managed to land one blow. One upward slash took her enemy’s arm right off. But instead of painful groaning…
"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" …the healer burst into laughter. "I HAVE FORESEEN IT, KUREHA!!!" With a single touch, the hero regained his lost limb from an emerald flash. His restored hand grabbed the Swordmaster’s head. Keyaruga wasn’t a swordsman, nor an alchemist, nor an assassin. He was the Hero of Healing, someone to whom losing a hand or two mattered nothing.
"No… NO! STOP IT!!! NO-O-O-O-O!!!" — The fencer screamed, her eyes now flooded with tears, and her whole body trembled before losing consciousness. This was the second time he actually transferred his memories to someone else, so the risk was great. All the raids, all the raping, executions, murdering, and plundering. The Jioral Kingdom had been an ambitious empire, so its soldiers had quite a lot of blood on their hands. This time, Keyaruga only showed a single chapter: "Cruelty against demi-humans". The enslavement of a few ice wolves wasn’t even their most merciless crime there.
"Haa… Haa… Well, that’s it. A sword, protecting the kingdom, broke apart." — The man said, imagining just how much the swordswoman would hate her motherland now. He picked up his saber. After the fight, it looked terrible. Brown from the acidic blood, chipped out by clashing with adamantine; the edge was no more. But there was the handle of Kureha’s primary weapon. The lad gladly took it with him, together with his severed sleeve, leaving arm to rot there. But of course, there was another trophy. The Silver Death herself, whose hands were now tied with a rope, and her body hidden under the green cape. He couldn’t let anybody see his spoil of war. Not when hundreds of soldiers came looking for him.
"Bring her to me." — Keyaruga ordered Setsuna. The latter still couldn’t shake off the mix of fear and awe she felt for her master. And Freia… Well, the poor thing barely breathed, and her chin was now covered with a couple of crimson sores. However, both problems faded away when the healer took a phial of green potion from one of his poaches and poured it into the sorceress’ mouth with a kiss. For what Kureha had done to his lovely toy, her fate was already sealed.
"Hey, Freia. Good morning. How do you feel?"
"I… Lord Keyaruga, I’m so sorry…"
"Stop it. This isn’t what I asked you." The hero said, touching the cheek of his caster. He got much more concerned than irritated. The ice wolf said nothing, yet her face expressed similar emotions.
"Thanks, I’m… I’m completely fine" To prove her words, the girl jumped to her feet. At least the potion worked. And now the trio had to reach their room with a massive trophy in the man’s hands. But before waking her up, Keyaruga decided to make some preparations.
"Hey, Freia. Remember us talking about that Flare girl, who we got killed?" It's a really thin piece of ice, but to recruit Kureha, I need to walk on it.
"Well, of course. My lord, is there something you need from me?"
"Yes. I want you to masquerade as her."
Keyaruga, Freia, and Setsuna stood in a relatively broad alleyway. All the passers-by fled what would unquestionably become a battlefield. The Hero of Healing once again gazed upon Kureha Cryleth, a silver-haired warrior with a beautiful natural face and blue eyes, full of righteous fury. Her armor was unreasonably thin; it didn’t offer any protection to her right arm (which was cut by Tafias), legs, or chest. Let alone the head. Normally, such armor shouldn’t have even existed outside of parades, and yet this risk was calculated. The mythril cuirass was enchanted to increase the swordswoman’s speed. He already felt it firsthand; his cheek got cut with her slightly curved adamantine sword. After all, Silver Death, as some called her, had been the fiercest fighter in the entire kingdom, rivaling even Hawkeye and Bloodbringer, the two remaining Champions of Jioral. And she even carried another blade around on her waist. And now that power force was ready to stand against the red-eyed lad.
"You still haven’t answered. Who or what are you?" — Kureha inquired, assuming the hanging stance. Keyaruga’s moves, dodges, parries — even though they were altered to fit his anatomy and one-handed saber, the style was unmistakably one of Cryleth's.
"Wait, did you really ambush a man without even knowing who he was? I think you’ve mistaken me for someone." — Although the man taunted her, throwing up his arms, he never lowered his defense. After all, her experiences of carnage were genuine, unlike Keyaruga, who only lived through most of his battles with the help of feelings and minds from the people he healed.
"I know exactly what you are! A mass murderer who slaughtered Jioral’s soldiers with the Cryleth's blade! You sullied our style, and for that you must die!"
"What’re you talking about?" While playing for time, the healer desperately made plans on how to deal with that overpowered, pampered child. "I’m just an alchemist. Me and my attendant were just handing out the potions to cure the local plague."
"You lie! You’ve poisoned them! Made poor people kill each other!" After her words, Freia’s teeth loudly creaked, and Keyaruga felt the air around the caster heating. "I know what you did! Those brave souls just tried to protect the tribe of ice wolves, and you slew them all! Now it’s my responsibility to put you down!"
"Blah-blah-blah! Protect from who? Why would two hundred of that fucking scum be roaming their nearby woods? I don’t remember you being that idiotic, Kureha." The worst thing was, the swordmaster was rapidly losing any respect in Keyaruga’s eyes. "Don’t tell me that instead of thinking it over, you try silencing me."
"Then why are you dragging an ice wolf slave?" And now the self-righteous woman has managed to tick off the calm and reasonable huntress.
"She’s not my…"
"You wrong! Setsuna became Keyaruga’s slave, because master saved Taretanbi!" The girl took off her hood to reveal her animalistic ears.
"It’s true! These soldiers were simple bastards! They wanted to enslave everyone there, but Lord Keyaruga saved the tribe!" Freia insisted, but that… barely made any impact.
"Enough of that! Not only did you attack the village, you also subjugated two poor girls and made them lie for your own sake. It seems I’ll have to execute you, "Lord" Keyaruga." — Kureha spoke, emphasizing sarcastically the fake title.
"So, this is how you want to repay me your debt?" Come on, Keyaru! Keyaruga!? It's not that hard!
"I don’t know you, and I owe you nothing!"
"Hm. Suit yourself, woman." It’s hopeless. She doesn’t want the truth, only justice.
"I will! Maybe, after I carry out my judgment, these poor girls will come to their senses." Now, Keyaruga aimed for her axillary artery.
"Kureha Cryleth, I respect your strength and bravery. If you so desire, I can reveal to you the truth about your corrupted kingdom. Or, would you rather stand against me?" Although having said so, the hero knew his words were in vain.
"If I have to…"
"Enough! I will not let you treat my lord like a criminal!" — The sorceress snarled, releasing a volley of condensed fireballs, every one of which rushed toward the swordswoman. And yet, one she dodged, the second missed, the third, forth, and fifth got dispelled after being quickly cut in half — adamantine could cut through magic. Kureha got dangerously close to Freia, but the man could do nothing — the silver-haired fencer dived underneath his saber swing and struck the caster with her scabbard in the solar plexus.
"Now get some sleep. He’s just using you." She… didn’t even catch her.
"You bitch! How dare you hit my Freia?!" That’s it, you graying whore... No, relax, I need to keep my head cool...
"What… are you?" Despite his best efforts, Kureha felt the man’s sheer rage. And although he now wanted to exact revenge upon his first patient, this wasn’t the reason to rush foolishly.
"Oh, Kureha! Just why must you be so stupid? Now I have no choice but to break you!" Keyaruga said, dramatically covering his left eye with his left hand, which made the jade light of the other eye shine even brighter.
Although she hadn’t leveled up since the previous time, Kureha was already bad news enough. Level forty-five, the peak of the fencing skills, and she even has enchanted armor. Keyaruga couldn’t win, not like that.
"Setsuna, take Freia and don’t interfere! Just watch and learn!"
"Matiolu, master." — The girl replied, carrying the unconscious sorceress away. When falling, she bruised her chin, which made the ice warrior furious, but she still understood her limits, and that woman was clearly above them.
"Luck? Yeah, I’ll need it." With that, the healer touched his chest, reconstructing his body just for that single fight.
Race: Human
Name: Keyaru
Class: The Healer; The Hero
Level: 38
Mana: 67/67
Physical attack: 129
Physical defense: 107
Magic attack: 59
Magic defense: 36
Speed: 119
Abilities:
Magic of Healing: 3-rd circle
Divine blade: 4-th level
Ultra-perception: 4-th level
Acceleration: 3-rd level
Alchemy: 4-th circle
Destruction magic (all): 4-th circle
With his healing powers, the hero discarded all of his magic points in favor of physical attack and defense, which correlated to strength and robustness. After all, the sword master did not wield any elemental spells. Anyway, with both competitors having completed their preparations, the time of battle has come.
Both opponents rushed forward to trade consecutive diagonal strikes. The first strikes ended in a stall of crossed blades. Keyaruga now aimed at his foe’s bare armpit. His saber even got close, but Kureha leaned backwards and retaliated with a vertical cut of her own, which the man avoided with a swift sidestep. The man’s next strike threatened to split the fencer’s head in half, if not for her unnaturally fast pirouette. The swordswoman basically disappeared from Keyaruga’s eyesight. In her spin, the Silver Death grabbed the hilt of her crimson sword with her left hand. But, since he has her perception…
"BEHIND!!!" — Setsuna screamed, and yet, by that time, the healer had already blocked the blade aimed toward his neck.
"Did… Did you predict it?" Even though Kureha retreated, fatigue was catching up with the healer. And it’s only been a few seconds!
"Haa… Ha-ha! You flatter me!" — The hero replied wryly. Even now, he was still no match for the Swordmaster. The lad knew her moves; he could fight her. But not win.
The steel sang again. Keyaruga struck blow after blow, yet none reached its goal. The Swordmaster parried everything he could offer, either with the back of her blade, or with the armor on her left arm. Then she regained the upper hand. One, two, three cuts, thrust, pirouette, and backstab — saber-fencer barely deflected the mad barrage of strikes. There could be no room for counterattack, no chance to exploit the massive breaches in Kureha’s armor.
Bulat steel cried out with bright sparks, whereas adamantine barely even dulled. Trading hits with Kureha was so hard, that running from the Silver Death was literally less exhausting. The longer it drags… Up, diagonal, down — the fencer was just too relentless. ...the greater are the chances of losing my head. Time for…
After a backflip, Keyaruga grabbed his saber with his left palm to paint the bluish metal red. The next moment, the blood that covered the blade turned brown. The man barely had a second, before Kureha once again engaged him with a couple of heavy downward slashes. Yet, at that moment, when the adamantine slid by the steel, something unexpected happened — even the Swordmaster needed a breather.
"Haa… Haa… Fuh! How can you be so strong, yet so evi…" Keyaruga exploited the moment to toss a throwing knife. Too bad it didn’t pierce her pauldron.
"Shut up and fight, woman!" The Hero of Healing grew more and more fatigued, and that irritated the man. He couldn’t even heal his bleeding palm. Silver Death honored his request, lunging with a swift poke. The lad parried it and retaliated with downward and upward slashes.
This wasn’t a duel, barely even a sword fight. That clash couldn’t be anything but art, its supreme form. At least for a mesmerized spectator. But for Keyaruga, it was everything but. Three parries per second, making his cape stay above his boots, not letting his foe grab onto it — this took an inadequate amount of focus. And yet, it was worth it.
With the adamantine sword chunking out, the healer finally grinned, foretasting victory. His strike or hers — it mattered little, for each clash of their blades made her weapon weaker. The crimson blade no longer sang — it creaked. And finally, after another trade, it broke, crumbling into metallic dust. Keyaruga felt like a winner now.
"You… U-U-UH!!!" And that backfired on him when Silver Death punched him in the chest. Not only did that terrific blow shatter the man’s rib cage and rip through his diaphragm, it also sent him flying into the nearest wall. With so much power put into the punch, both physical and magical, the hero’s body crumbled the bricks. If not for his preliminary means of reconstructing the flesh, this would be the end of him.
"MASTER KEYARUGA!!!" — Setsuna screamed as loud as she could, but the man barely even heard her. His sight blackened, his breath turned into a pathetic wheeze. The healer couldn’t even feel his legs anymore. The situation looked grave indeed. With Kureha approaching the she-wolf, the latter had no chance. I… can’t afford it! I will live! I will persevere!
With a titanic force of will, the broken man dragged his broken arms to the torso. Finally, a bright green spark lightened the rubble, and Keyaruga was now restored to his full glory. After that he finally jumped back to the light.
"Get away from my girls!" — The red-eyed shouted out and retrieved his trusty saber. Setsuna clutched Freia in one hand while warding off Kureha with the other, knowing full well that her ice claw would not save her. Fortunately…
"How are you still alive?" …Kureha quickly lost interest in the she-wolf after Keyaruga's unexpected revival. She now gazed at her sword’s handle. "What kind of bloody sorcery did you use on my weapon?"
"Simple alchemy. Adamantine may disrupt magic, but it’s weak to acids." Although, my own saber got it rough as well. And she unsheathed another. Hm, it’s shorter?
"So, sword mastery, body strengthening, alchemy, healing. Just how can you have so many powers?" Good question. Hundreds of minds, I had no choice but to delve into it? Training in the woods, until I memorized by heart how every muscle should look and feel? Your own skills?
"Lower your weapon, and I will tell you." Hm, we’ve already been here.
"Are you joking? I see fewer and fewer reasons to spare you!" Sure, my dear… Hah, first it was exhausting, now it’s getting tiresome.
"Too bad." With nothing more to add, the man tossed three enchanted knives. All were swiftly deflected. Keyaruga never expected to win with just his saber, so he had a few aces in his sleeve. After all, he would be a fool to use his alchemy tools only for cures.
"For how long are you going to flee? Are you exhausting me?" — Silver Death asked, chasing her agile foe.
"Why would I?" Yes, the tables had already turned; the swordswoman got sweaty and tired while the healer got his pristine state back. Keyaruga once again swung his saber, and Kureha dodged. With the brownish blood still covering the bulat steel, the fencer had no choice but to evade or deflect with her sheath. With the lad gaining the upper hand, the saber whistled again and again, and even so, Silver Death retaliated with a thrust toward the lad’s neck. A futile attempt.
One swing, one back step, jump — this was but a prelude. The Hero of Healing tossed another set of three knives, too slow to penetrate her defense but fast enough to cover something else. Blades got repelled, but a cracked phial, hidden behind them, crumbled to sprinkle Kureha with the purple goo. However, the fencer rolled away.
"Whatever it is, you are struggling in vain." Am I? You’re breathing it in.
"Yeah, whatever."
Kureha lunged once again, her broad step made the man jump away. We were in the open, and Kureha used that chance… to find out she got slower and more susceptible to the man’s retaliation. He made a couple swings, and now the fencer had to retreat.
"What’s wrong, Swordmaster? Not feeling too good?" The hero taunted his foe. He poisoned the fencer with an aphrodisiac of his own making, and that broke her concentration.
"What have… you done to me?" Now, a blushed Kureha squirmed her legs. Body fluids poured down her hips. In that state, she couldn’t win.
"Do you really expect me to reveal my tactics? Now then, shall we continue?" The red-haired lad once again mocked his opponent, bracing for another hopeless strike. Arousing fumes held no power over the healer. The fencer, though, could bear suffering but not pleasure. After all, Keyaruga knew that despite everything, she was still a virgin. But still, Kureha was a warrior, determined enough to just stab her own leg to regain focus in the midst of pain.
"No matter what you did, I... I can still take you down!" With that said, Silver Death dropped her scabbard to grab the handle with both hands. You may be naïve, Kureha. But you’re brave, I’ll give you that.
"As you wish. Let’s finish this."
The healer decided to resort to trickery, knowing all too well how dangerous it was to fight a cornered beast. First, he relieved all the atrocities and savagery Jioral had caused him, to prepare himself. Then, the man dashed forward, with his saber raised high. Too high for any competent fencer. But there was a catch, a trap Silver Death would never get into normally. But this situation was everything but. Keyaruga wasn’t a swordsman nor a normal fighter.
Even in her weakened state, Kureha Cryleth managed to land one blow. One upward slash took her enemy’s arm right off. But instead of painful groaning…
"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" …the healer burst into laughter. "I HAVE FORESEEN IT, KUREHA!!!" With a single touch, the hero regained his lost limb from an emerald flash. His restored hand grabbed the Swordmaster’s head. Keyaruga wasn’t a swordsman, nor an alchemist, nor an assassin. He was the Hero of Healing, someone to whom losing a hand or two mattered nothing.
"No… NO! STOP IT!!! NO-O-O-O-O!!!" — The fencer screamed, her eyes now flooded with tears, and her whole body trembled before losing consciousness. This was the second time he actually transferred his memories to someone else, so the risk was great. All the raids, all the raping, executions, murdering, and plundering. The Jioral Kingdom had been an ambitious empire, so its soldiers had quite a lot of blood on their hands. This time, Keyaruga only showed a single chapter: "Cruelty against demi-humans". The enslavement of a few ice wolves wasn’t even their most merciless crime there.
"Haa… Haa… Well, that’s it. A sword, protecting the kingdom, broke apart." — The man said, imagining just how much the swordswoman would hate her motherland now. He picked up his saber. After the fight, it looked terrible. Brown from the acidic blood, chipped out by clashing with adamantine; the edge was no more. But there was the handle of Kureha’s primary weapon. The lad gladly took it with him, together with his severed sleeve, leaving arm to rot there. But of course, there was another trophy. The Silver Death herself, whose hands were now tied with a rope, and her body hidden under the green cape. He couldn’t let anybody see his spoil of war. Not when hundreds of soldiers came looking for him.
"Bring her to me." — Keyaruga ordered Setsuna. The latter still couldn’t shake off the mix of fear and awe she felt for her master. And Freia… Well, the poor thing barely breathed, and her chin was now covered with a couple of crimson sores. However, both problems faded away when the healer took a phial of green potion from one of his poaches and poured it into the sorceress’ mouth with a kiss. For what Kureha had done to his lovely toy, her fate was already sealed.
"Hey, Freia. Good morning. How do you feel?"
"I… Lord Keyaruga, I’m so sorry…"
"Stop it. This isn’t what I asked you." The hero said, touching the cheek of his caster. He got much more concerned than irritated. The ice wolf said nothing, yet her face expressed similar emotions.
"Thanks, I’m… I’m completely fine" To prove her words, the girl jumped to her feet. At least the potion worked. And now the trio had to reach their room with a massive trophy in the man’s hands. But before waking her up, Keyaruga decided to make some preparations.
"Hey, Freia. Remember us talking about that Flare girl, who we got killed?" It's a really thin piece of ice, but to recruit Kureha, I need to walk on it.
"Well, of course. My lord, is there something you need from me?"
"Yes. I want you to masquerade as her."
