No matter how much Lilith—the dragoness, so let's call her Maple—tried to heal her wounds, they would not close up. Not that they were deep to begin with.
They didn't bleed or slow her, but the fact that they existed and hurt so freaking bad baffled her.
She couldn't remember the last time she got injured. No, she couldn't remember a single time.
The wyverns only managed to scrape her skin, and the Green Mage couldn't harm her a century ago either. That was the whole reason he had to seal her away after all.
But now? His magic cut her defenses like a knife through butter.
She panicked.
It was a first, having fled the battlefield.
Sure, meeting the demoness and the archangel was scary too, but, well. Lilith was her, thousands of years from now. It was obvious she'd become so much stronger over time.
Plus, the angel's sole purpose for existing was to keep her future self in check.
She could rationalise that.
But for an everyday mortal to hurt him this much?!
That, she couldn't comprehend.
And now, the Halaima Pass was far below her. She might've flown dozens of miles.
Konrad—
When she realised she abandoned her savior, the real panic set in.
Maple tried and tried, but couldn't reach him. All her telepathic messages bounced back. Why did she think he'd withstand the same forces that made her flee?!
He couldn't even cast magic a few months ago. He didn't have the constitution of a dragon.
He was a mere human. Brave, but fragile.
She was way better than that—so why couldn't she push through her pain?
She had to try. And she had to turn around as well.
Lights still flashed below. The duel wasn't over. If Konrad were alive, she had to help him.
She reached out to her wyverns in the camp that was still in upheaval.
Her future self must've taken the angel somewhere, leaving her winged minions behind. There was a lot of shouting—Lord Schwertburg was loud enough to hear even from the skies.
At least the world didn't collapse because of her panic.
Realising that, she started to relax, even if only a little bit. Deep breaths, no matter if they hurt.
Fleeing in panic? That wasn't her.
This much pain couldn't kill her. It was normal. She wasn't used to it, that was all.
Nothing could ever challenge her until now, and it was startling. But the fact that Lilith from the future existed should have meant she wouldn't die here. Not now. Not like this.
This gave her enough peace of mind to actually turn around and dive the way she came from.
She didn't bring the wyverns, either. Unlike her, they were regular beasts, standing no chance against the Green Mage. But her? She was the peak of what this world could offer.
She'd better start acting like it, too.
Cutting through the smoke—her mana halfway refilled—she prepared a devastating attack.
Her plan was simple.
The moment she sees the Demon Lord, she'll blast him with her fire breath. And if that didn't turn him into cinders, she'll pierce him with her talons. Or snap him in half with her jaws.
She had all the tools she could ever need. And mages were bad at melee anyway.
Except Konrad. The bossman was a true outlier.
She opened her maw. Not all the way to see what she'd strike, and—she froze.
***
Right when Konrad thought of her, Maple finally appeared.
If that was her.
He had no way of differentiating between past and present Liliths at a glance.
But for sure, a dragoness descended from the heavens, cutting through the clouds and smoke. She looked ready to incinerate the Demon Lord for good, but hesitated at the last moment.
Their gazes met, and confusion washed over Konrad from her eyes.
Oh. Yeah, he was past the shock of seeing the Green Mage turn young again.
Or the fact that Stella joined the fray. But it was all news to the dragoness—whichever she was.
What a wasted opportunity.
They have already tired Maou Midori out. The stolen life essence from his skull-shaped staff was all depleted. The former executioner made sure he couldn't syphon more away, either.
Meanwhile, Konrad was overflowing with mana.
Something must have happened with the cracks between the dimensions. Now, his only bottleneck was the speed at which he cast his spells. And at that, the Demon Lord still beat him.
Not even he could have reacted to an airstrike like Maple's, though.
Had she followed through, the battle would have been over.
But by the time she confirmed her target, the Green Mage was ready with his defenses, too.
"Oh, fuck," Stella hissed, still clinging to his back. "Now he'll syphon her life forces."
Things were not looking good.
"Can you do something about it?" Konrad asked despite himself.
It was a waste of time.
He could've cast an offensive spell while his enemy was busy.
One missed opportunity after another.
"She's too far," the girl complained, because, of course, Maple flew the opposite way. They lacked coordination. And if Konrad used telepathy, Maou could read his intentions as well.
Not that he had the time if they kept him under constant pressure.
He made his decision, letting the intricate net of mana dissipate around his head.
'Maple, turn around,' he thought, unsure if she got his message. 'You're out of Stella's range, and you're only feeding the Green Mage if she can't protect you from his syphon.'
Even the split-second silence felt like an eternity.
All the time he spent talking was time he could've used casting spells. Not to mention, his mind was wide open for the enemy to read. But he sighed when the dragon's head snapped back.
'Sorry, bossman. On it.'
Her thoughts felt painful, but also—relieved?
No, pondering about it didn't bring him closer to victory.
The Demon Lord got stronger again, casting three offensive spells at once.
Konrad deflected the two heading their way, and Maple evaded the last one. Pressure. He couldn't keep defending forever. He had to strike with all the mana he already hoarded.
A lightning bolt crashed through the smoke.
It evaporated a quarter of the mountain road before the thunder's echo reached them.
With all the static electricity piled up in the air, and the generous amount of mana he put in it—
The Demon Lord was still standing, wiping sweat from his brow with a smirk.
"Not bad, Otherworlder," he scoffed. "If you started our duel with this, I would've been in trouble. But thanks to your essence and the dragon's strength, this much is nothing now."
Twelve seconds. That's how much he wasted on that taunt.
Konrad could erect a sturdy barrier around Stella and himself during that monologue. Better yet, his next spell was on its way, too—he only had to power it up and let it loose.
'Maple, you're in range. Flank him.'
No wasted words, even in thought. The dragon obliged, strafing from the side.
The Demon Lord deflected the flames and the sudden strikes, sure. But Konrad was curious how he'd deal with the heat, too. Nothing says pressure better than cooking someone alive.
It was time to unleash his Isekai Microwave.