Episode(108) Too close for comfort
SOVEREIGN OF DEATH~(108)
[Just go wild! Let that greed devour you whole!]
There was no sanity in the eyes that spoke, just pure undiluted lust and greed. A bottomless pit that never new satisfaction.
Yet, those endless abyssal eyes felt extremely captivating to her at the time.
****
[Geez]
To think about that crazy bastard at this time.
[I must be losing it-]
From all sides, even above her head there were monsters crawling to close in on her. No sane person could even consider coming out of this situation alive.
At this point, even misfortune would avoid her like a plague.
And yet-
[I'm glad]
Glad that she met Nagisa, glad at the chance he gave and thankful for his insane yet very moving words.
[Right, why give up when I haven't died yet?]
He buckling knees regained strength and the arm holding the sword gripped it tightly.
Standing up, her gaze was no longer filled with despair but endless fighting spirit.
Until this flesh and bones ceased to exist-
[Come, let us decide who lives and dies monsters!]
Seeing the girl get up and spout something while holding the sword, the monster seemed to recognize that she still hadn't lost her will to survive.
It grinned as if to say he would see how long that spirit lasted and stretched out an arm while shrieking.
[Kieee!!!]
At his shriek, the monsters that were slowly gathering began to move at full speed. To Camilla, the sight before her was like a sea of monsters. Some even tripping over the others their sole desire to rip her into pieces.
But, Camilla did not panic.
If it was her from before then she wondered how much she would be flustered, she would have probably laid down preparing her own coffin for a burial.
However, holding out a hand she chanted.
<
At her words, the barrier of protection appeared once more its holy light dazzling and radiant.
The monsters charged forwards to break through the barrier, but aside from crowding it, trying to breaking the barrier was useless.
Before, the spider mantis could only breakthrough the barrier after one attack, yet even then he was blasted back.
And this was a monster that was likely over level 190. How could these low leveled monster break her defense?
Pfft!
Monster blood splattered as her sword enchanted by force cut through insect bodies like a hot knife through butter.
Camilla wove around the entire circumference of the barrier her sword constantly spinning and building momentum as more and more monsters fell.
Even so the barrier showed no signs of disturbance.
This was natural.
Saintess was a supporting type occupation so when using support type skills like healing or protection these skills were bound to be more effective than an attacking type occupation using the same skill.
At the same time, holy magic was one of the strongest elements aside from light and darkness making spells casted by the saint that much more powerful.
So, using the unique skill granted through her trait allowed her to easily fend off the sea of monsters easily.
Only the spider mantis would be capable of breaking her defense.
[Take this!!]
Still, it did not mean she was invincible.
No, rather the weight of the monsters pressing down on the barrier caused her to expend much more magical power and if this continued she would run out of MP sooner than later.
So she swung her sword frantically not stopping even for a single moment.
At the same time her eyes became more and more fierce the more time went by and her struggling increased.
'Nagisa, when you asked whether I'll just give in again…whether I was willing to accept my defeat-'
No!
She was unwilling. Having been granted a second chance, how could she just give up?
[I'm going to revive my family….I will protect all those I cherish!]
There was nothing that could stand in her way.
[AAAAGH!]
Gradually, her sword became faster and faster dicing up monster on the barrier like cabbages. Naturally, her skills made it so that her accuracy fell however she didn't care even when she missed.
'Follow the momentum and find the right path'
With Nagisa's voice echoing in her mind, even as she missed a monster she spun and sliced through another carrying the force.
Seeing all this from afar, the spider mantis that originally though this woman would give in to despair and allow herself to become monster feed became angry.
His eyes turned red and the rage burning inside flared up recalling her several bursts of strength during their fight before.
It's mana surged wildly and it released a powerful shriek.
[Kkkiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!]
Kgh!
Camilla hurriedly tried to block the sound covering her ears but it was no use. The sound seemed to slip past her barrier, past her palms and shot straight through her soul.
In an instant, the world twisted before her eyes. She felt as if she was falling yet the ground was beneath her.
Wha-?
Before she knew it she was on her knees, yet she couldn't stand up because the world kept twisting preventing her from regaining balance.
A pain like never before followed the intense vertigo and this experience was just unbearable.
Ahk!
[My….balance]
Just what in the world was happening?
No matter how hard she pushed her feet it made no sense since she would just topple over.
With no other choice, she squinted an eye ignoring the splitting pain in her brain while stabbing the sword through the ground to anchor herself.
At the same time her thoughts churned with ways to counter the situation.
Was it a skill?
She recalled when she hid in the small opening and was hit by a small portion of that shriek before, especially now that it had evolved the shriek must have become several times more powerful.
But, the problem was she seemed unable to even block this attack.
But, as her thoughts trailed both the headache and the dizziness made it hard for her to focus.
Suddenly, she heard a disturbance among the monsters and the pressure on her magical power decreased reducing the cost of magical power she had to spend to keep the barrier active.
Wondering what happened all of a sudden, Camilla bore the dizziness and looked up.
In her twisted vision she could see the spider mantis rushing towards her at an incredible speed.
Nothing could block its path, not even the mob that was supposed to be its army as monster were either crushed, pierced or slammed away.
Not good!
Before Camilla could even try to strengthen the barrier, the monster stabbed its spear-like spider leg instantly shattering the barrier.
The barrier cracked like glass and the monster rammed its body through the barrier like a truck with its break cut.
<
Camilla tried to cast another barrier to block in front of her, but the monsters speed was just too fast.
It arrived before she could even finish the word, its blade hand swiping through the air.
Fortunately, still under the effects of the shriek earlier she lost her balance just in time to avoid a decapitation.
Laying on her back, although her body felt no exhaustion Camilla was breathing heavily her face as white as a sheet of paper.
That, just now was too close!
But, she didn't think about it too long and rolled over on her head pushing off the ground with her hands and leaping away as the next attack came and a spider leg stabbed through where she was on the ground.
However she still had yet to escape when another spider leg pierced straight towards her stomach.
Avoid, she had to avoid it.
With a desperate twist of her body Camilla just barely avoided the attack crashing against the ground heavily and rolling a few times.
However she did not get away unscathed.
Blood spurted from the deep wound carved through her side. It was so deep that saying it took a chunk of flesh wasn't wrong.
Camilla hurriedly gripped her side, the blood pooling enough to form a river.
The monster was already moving, its blurring speed pushing its figure before her before she could even stand.
Not even a moment to rest, Camilla awkwardly held the sword down at her side, the hand scythe slashing against her the force sending her crashing.
[Ugh…this bastard-]
!!!!!!!
Her instincts rang danger bells while she lay in rubble and the moment she blinked a spider leg was thrusting straight at her face.
Barely avoiding with the tilt of her head, Camilla felt the warm trickling of blood against her cheek and rolled away not even bothering to finish her curses.