Chapter 97
The two moved simultaneously. Though they had never coordinated before, in the face of urgency, they instinctively filled in each other’s gaps.
Roina launched ice spears at the approaching yeti from a distance and used tree roots to snare its ankles. The yeti’s monstrous strength was terrifying, and she couldn’t hold it for long, but it was enough to slow it down.
Maili, relying on her exceptional reflexes and combat instincts, dodged the yeti’s attacks while predicting its next moves. She had saved Roina’s life more than once. The same was true the other way around. If even one of them hadn’t been there, they wouldn’t have lasted this long.
Roina fired another flare into the sky.
Fwoosh—Bang!
The fire bloomed in the shape she had imagined. This should be visible even from afar.
Just looking at the beast, it seemed like it wouldn’t be easy to defeat, even with an entire knight order.
However, the creature hadn’t appeared when there were many people around earlier, so if the knights arrived, they would surely make a difference.
“Ahh!?”
“Roina!”
At that moment, Roina slipped. Unfamiliar with the forest terrain, she hadn’t noticed the rock underfoot and stumbled. Maili immediately tried to grab and pull her up, but the yeti wouldn’t allow it. A massive, boulder-like fist swung down between them.
—‘Found you.’
Roina heard the hallucination again. There was no time to dwell on what it meant. Desperately, she commanded the surrounding trees and ice—
Encase it. Freeze it.
Trees sprouted, twisting around the yeti’s legs. The roots of an ancient tree held it in place, and ice rapidly spread up the trunk, freezing it solid. But the yeti didn’t care. The match-up was unfavorable.
Match-up… If that was the case— A theory flashed through her mind. Until now, she had only used the materials around her to attack the creature.
But as the master of all magic, she didn’t actually need them. She recalled the principle Lutan had taught her earlier that day. What if she pushed the mana elements into extreme vibration?
Not just warming the air—creating flames.
Whoosh—
A brilliant flame burst into existence before Roina’s eyes. Once ignited, the fire rapidly grew in size. The yeti flinched and stepped back. That had never happened before.
“Fire! Set it on fire!”
Maili instinctively sensed it would work and shouted. Without hesitation, Roina hurled the fire at the yeti. The creature tried to dodge, but the trees and ice still hadn’t fully shattered.
Its fur caught fire. Flames roared to life, consuming its thick coat, and the beast let out a pained, unmistakably agonized wail.
The yeti thrashed about, pounding the ground with heavy thuds as it struggled in agony, desperately trying to extinguish the flames. It no longer paid any attention to them. With a roar, the creature fled farther and farther away. At that moment, a commotion arose in the distance.
“Roina!” A faint voice called out.
Thud.
The tension drained from Roina, and she collapsed onto the ground. Maili, who had remained standing with her sword firmly in hand, was also breathing heavily, her shoulders rising and falling from the exertion. Her sharp gaze remained fixed on the direction where the monster had disappeared.
—‘Found you.’
“Huh?”
Swoosh—
Someone yanked Roina’s shoulder as her guard was down, pulling her backward. She had no chance to resist and toppled over. Maili, judging that the creature was gone and their allies were near, let out a sigh and straightened her stance.
Then, she reached out to help her friend who had fought alongside her.
“Roina, now—”
Maili’s hand froze in midair. Just moments ago, Roina had been right beside her. But now, she was gone.
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