"Let me handle this bitch," Cassian said, standing up.

  She was visibly angry.

  Lena looked at her, then nodded.

  "You better wreck her."

  Cassian turned to Mirya.

  "You should have never opened your mouth to spew nonsense."

  Mirya smiled.

  "Guards!" she shouted. "Take care of the second demon!"

  She pointed at Lena.

  "Quickly! Defeat her fast so you can come help me against this... thing."

  Lena felt something break inside her.

  "I don't like being underestimated."

  She tightened her grip on her sword's hilt.

  "I'd like to shut your mouth, bitch. But I'll settle for your lackeys."

  She turned to Cassian.

  "You better not lose. Beat that whore up for me."

  "With pleasure," Cassian replied.

  The guards charged towards Lena.

  "DEMON!"

  "DIE!"

  Lena parried each of their attacks perfectly.

  But it was hard. Really hard.

  Fighting while being careful not to kill anyone when they were actively trying to kill her.

  She had faced worse opponents. But underestimating them would be a grave mistake.

  After all, they were still trained.

  Mirya looked at Cassian with an arrogant smile.

  "Our fight won't take more than five minutes."

  Cassian lifted her chin, the same arrogant expression on her face.

  "Indeed. It won't take more than five minutes. Because I'll have finished dismantling you in three."

  Mirya attacked.

  Without warning.

  While Cassian was still talking.

  A sword strike aimed at the stomach.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Cassian dodged hastily but correctly.

  She directly created an ice sword and retaliated.

  CLANG CLANG CLANG.

  The exchange of blows was brief.

  But Cassian quickly broke through Mirya's defense, forcing her back.

  Cassian was surprised.

  It hadn't been that long since she'd been training with the sword under Lena.

  She thought she'd struggle against this bitch. But on the contrary, it was Mirya who was backing up?

  She had always been good at fighting, Cassian thought.

  Her learning abilities were apparently the same as on Earth.

  Her teachers on Earth always said he was good when he trained.

  Cassian thought they were just saying that to compliment him and get on his good side.

  Apparently, it wasn't just bootlicking.

  She hadn't realized it when training with Lena because Lena was just a monster.

  Cassian smiled.

  Only her appearance had changed. It had, of course, affected her physical condition.

  But the abilities she had on Earth remained the same.

  Mirya noticed Cassian's smile.

  "I'm going to wipe that smile off your face."

  She began to chant.

  "Orange, Flame-Devou—"

  SPLASH.

  A jet of cold water hit her in the face.

  Mirya almost choked.

  The water was extremely icy.

  She was now completely soaked, in a state of shock.

  Cassian looked at her with a mocking smile.

  "Did you want to say something?"

  Mirya coughed, spitting out water.

  She tried to chant again, but lower this time.

  "Orange, Flame..."

  SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH.

  Cassian used the water from the fountain again, sending long, icy jets onto Mirya.

  Mirya fell to the ground.

  Cassian crouched down.

  Mirya raised her head, trembling.

  Cassian placed a hand on Mirya's wet hair.

  "Sometimes, you need to know when to stop."

  She tilted her head.

  "You're clearly not up to the task. Pure and utter disappointment."

  Mirya clenched her teeth in anger.

  She grabbed her sword from the ground and tried to attack Cassian.

  The water around her suddenly moved.

  It wrapped around parts of Mirya.

  Then turned to ice. Some parts sharp.

  Mirya suddenly found herself unable to make the slightest movement without risking injury.

  Cassian snickered.

  "Lena!" she shouted. "I'm done on my side!"

  She gave Mirya three light slaps.

  Nothing hard. Just enough to humiliate her.

  Then stood up, satisfied.

  Lena wasn't finished yet.

  She was trying to knock out the guards, but wasn't succeeding.

  She could just kill them all. But she struggled to immobilize them.

  A majority of the guards were on the ground, injured but not knocked out.

  "Cassian!" Lena shouted. "Help me!"

  Cassian smiled.

  "It's shower time for everyone."

  She used the surrounding water and immobilized all the guards like she had done with Mirya.

  "That's handy," said Lena.

  "It's temporary," Cassian replied. "The ice will eventually melt at some point, unless I keep feeding it mana. But I don't want to waste my mana on that."

  Lena approached Mirya.

  "Where is Haloy?"

  Mirya was shivering from the cold.

  "Free me..."

  "Where. Is. Haloy."

  "I'm... I'm too cold..." Mirya's teeth were chattering. "After... after I'll talk..."

  "I'm not stupid enough to free you."

  Lena thought for a second.

  Then smiled.

  "Anyway, I get it."

  Cassian frowned. "What?"

  "If Haloy was nearby, this bitch would have said that when Haloy gets here, we're done for. But she's saying nothing."

  Lena turned around.

  "That must mean Haloy is in the direction Hiro and Lucia went."

  Mirya gritted her teeth.

  "We need to catch up to Hiro and Lucia quickly," said Cassian.

  ---

  Hiro and Lucia were running down the street.

  In the distance, they saw buildings being destroyed.

  Two people were fighting in the air.

  They were sowing destruction in their wake.

  Hiro and Lucia were impressed.

  Haloy currently had green eyes.

  Large roots and tree branches erupted from the ground, charging towards the adventurer.

  The adventurer moved quickly.

  He ran along them, dodging, slicing through every branch, every root.

  He was getting dangerously close to Haloy, who was retreating by jumping from house to house.

  Finally, he got closer.

  Haloy parried and pushed the adventurer back.

  The adventurer noticed on Haloy's face that he seemed to be having difficulty.

  I need to keep the pressure on, he thought.

  Haloy, on the other hand, was having trouble focusing on the fight.

  He desperately needed to shit.

  He was sweating profusely.

  Suddenly, the adventurer chanted.

  "Life-Annihilating Lava!"

  Haloy sensed the danger.

  His eyes immediately turned brown.

  "Impenetrable Defense!"

  Unlike the Archons, he didn't need to speak the color's name.

  Walls of earth rose into the air in multiple layers.

  Several buildings in the town made up the walls.

  The lava destroyed several walls, hurling debris across the entire town.

  ---

  Cassian, on the street with Lena, saw a clothing shop.

  She smiled.

  Maybe it's time to finally change clothes, she thought.

  There was no one left in the area.

  She approached.

  Just before she could enter...

  CRASH.

  An entire house landed on the shop, completely destroying it.

  Several debris narrowly missed Cassian.

  Cassian's face went blank.

  She stared fixedly at the ruins of the shop.

  "Cassian!" Lena shouted. "What are you doing? We need to hurry!"

  Cassian didn't respond.

  She just stared at the ruins.

  ---

  The adventurer himself burst through the final wall, surprising Haloy.

  He kicked him.

  It sent Haloy flying out of the village.

  The adventurer quickly caught up with him outside the town.

  He walked slowly towards Haloy.

  Haloy got up.

  "Nothing matters anymore."

  He smiled.

  "There's no point in holding back now."

  He started laughing.

  The adventurer frowned.

  "Have you lost your mind seeing you're about to die?"

  "I can't lose here," said Haloy. "I'm ready for any sacrifice for Lapithathon."

  He shit in his robe right after.

  Letting it all out at once.

  The sound was horrifying.

  The adventurer stopped walking.

  He was shocked.

  "I suddenly feel much lighter," Haloy said with a smile. "Serious business can begin now."

  He was running on adrenaline.

  The adventurer's eyes were wide.

  He wondered if Haloy, in his terror, had literally shit himself.