I've Had Enough of This Red Tape! (Revised Version)

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!" Hundreds of sharp bone spikes suddenly burst up from the ground!

Vivian and the others hurriedly dodged, but—

Her keen senses told Vivian that the spikes were covered in the power of Crimson Corruption...

"Crimson Corruption... It's you! That skeleton!" Vivian glared at Su Li through gritted teeth.

But before Vivian could question her further, something unexpected happened.

"Awooooo!!!" Mara, who had been gravely wounded, suddenly threw back her head and let out a ferocious howl.

Her eyes turned bloodshot in an instant, and her muscles swelled like balloons, bursting through what remained of her armor.

Gray-black fur sprouted wildly as her spine crackled with a series of teeth-grating snaps.

At last, Mara slowly dropped to all fours. Her eyes rolled back, and foul-smelling drool dripped from her fangs onto the ground.

[Madness: She lost all reason in exchange for absolute physical strength!]

"Roar!" Mara, now berserk, kicked off with both legs and lunged straight at Su Li!

Su Li waved a hand. "Pipi Dragon, take care of this mad dog. Don't let her bother me."

"Roar!" Tina, who had been itching for a fight, roared and swung her thick tail with all her strength, crashing into the berserk werewolf in midair...

Meanwhile, Su Li stared fixedly at Vivian.

[All attributes increasing, all attributes increasing...]

But the side effects of [Blood Boiling] were taking hold as well.

An overwhelming craving for battle was rapidly eating away at her reason.

And her instincts told her that the swordswoman before her was the strongest opponent here!

"Come on!" A frenzied smile tugged at the corner of Su Li's mouth.

Then she raised the Judgment Dragon Lance with one arm and took up a ready stance.

"Waterfowl Dance!"

"Boom!" The air split apart!

The massive lance swept down at Vivian with a force that seemed capable of leveling mountains and overturning seas!

At the sight of the countless lance-shadows blotting out the sky, Vivian's expression changed dramatically.

"Vivian!"

Seraphina, behind her, reacted in a flash and immediately began to chant: "O great God of Light... hear the plea of your faithful servant. Let holy light form a shield and grant us peace!"

"Vmm—" A shield of radiant light, so dense it seemed to reach its very limit, instantly enveloped them both.

But...

"Crack... Smash!" Countless shards of holy light flew everywhere!

Though the shield absorbed most of the attack, the Judgment Dragon Lance still slammed down amid a violent rush of air!

"Hah!" A fierce glint flashed in Vivian's eyes as she raised her greatsword with both hands and braced herself against the blow!

"Clang—!!!" The deafening crash of metal rang out!

A visible shock wave burst outward from the two of them, snapping every tree within ten meters in half!

Vivian grunted as her legs carved two deep furrows through the mud and blood streamed down them.

But she clenched her teeth and somehow managed to block the deadly strike!

Watching her opponent's stubborn resistance, Su Li's Soul Fire burned ever brighter in her eye sockets. Her fighting spirit was about to overwhelm her reason.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Not bad! Very good!" Su Li laughed excitedly.

"You really are strong! You're worthy of being my opponent! Tell me your name—loudly!"

Vivian spat out a mouthful of bloodied saliva, her gaze icy. "Remember this: the one who kills you today is Vivian!"

"Excellent! I'll have your name engraved on your tombstone!" Su Li grew more and more frenzied.

"Ha ha ha ha! Get that blood pumping, Vivian! Take another hit!"

"Flame Prayer!"

"Whoosh!" A raging blaze ignited along the Dark Gold shaft. With a fierce swing, a fan-shaped wave of fire surged toward Vivian, blotting out the sky!

The sudden attack caught Vivian off guard. She immediately grabbed Seraphina and retreated, but the flames at the edge still licked Seraphina's arm.

"Ah!" Seraphina cried out in pain and looked down at her arm.

Then her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Is this Crimson Corruption?!"

Everyone knew that fire countered Crimson Corruption.

But now, the area on her arm burned by the flames showed no signs of charring. Instead, it was being eaten away by Crimson Corruption!

The flames had Crimson Corruption mixed into them?! That was absurd!

Seraphina didn't dare hesitate. She hurriedly cast [Holy Light Healing]. A flash of pure white light passed over her arm, barely managing to cleanse away the Crimson Corruption.

"Vivian, this person is too strange. Let me help you!"

Seraphina took a deep breath, determination flashing in her eyes.

Then she held her staff against her chest with both hands and chanted loudly:

"O great God of Light... in the name of the God of Light... I lend all my power to my companion!"

"Divine Fusion!"

As the incantation ended, Seraphina's body turned into a dazzling figure of light. Then, like a swallow returning to its nest, she instantly merged into Vivian's body!

"Boom!"

Vivian shuddered all over as golden holy light erupted from her pores. Her shattered wounds healed instantly, and her aura surged wildly, making her seem like a Female War God descended into the mortal world!

Feeling the surge of power within her, Vivian gripped her greatsword in both hands and pointed its tip at Su Li.

"Come on, undead! Let's see who's stronger!"

Meanwhile, Su Li, who had stood still and waited for their fusion to finish, tilted her head slightly.

"Whoosh!" Nearby, the mage Karen finished chanting and took the opportunity to send a huge fireball hurtling toward Su Li's back.

Su Li didn't even turn around. She casually swung her left hand behind her.

"Smack!" The fireball, powerful enough to blast rocks apart, burst into a shower of sparks at her light touch.

"Your Fusion Skill's ready?" Su Li rolled her neck. "Then bring it on!"

On the other side, the mage Karen stared in horror at the Headless Skeleton who had just arrived.

"You... You're Mad Axe?!" Karen recognized him at a glance. Wasn't he dead? How had he appeared here? And how had he become undead?

Terror seized Karen's heart, and he immediately turned to flee.

But the instant he turned around—

Mad Axe leaped high into the air, landing on a giant hand.

The next moment, the giant hand hurled Mad Axe away like a catapult!

"Whirlwind Slash!" Spinning furiously in midair, Mad Axe turned into a whirling storm of sharpened metal!

"Shrrk—!" Before he could even scream, Karen's entire body was shredded into a rain of blood.

After landing, Pipi Axe hefted his battle axe and turned toward the battlefield where Su Li and Vivian were fighting, ready to rush in and fight alongside his master.

"Stay out of it!" Su Li waved a hand, shooing Pipi Axe and the others away.

"This is my prey! Nobody interferes!"

The negative effects of [Blood Boiling] had completely taken over her mind.

She didn't need teamwork or a fight where they ganged up on someone. All she wanted was the purest, most primal clash!

"Come on, Vivian! Let's have a real battle!"

Su Li let out a wild laugh and shot forward like a streak of silver lightning, gripping the lance in both hands!

Vivian's expression hardened. Holy light gathered furiously along her blade as she met Su Li head-on!

"Clang—!!!" Lance clashed with sword, like a thunderclap bursting across a clear sky!

The force of their collision blasted a massive pit into the ground beneath them.

"Again!" Su Li pulled back her lance and retreated half a step, then raised her right leg high and stomped down hard!

[War Stomp]!

"Rumble!" The ground shook violently as giant bone spikes thrust up one after another. Vivian had no choice but to dodge.

The instant Vivian moved, the Judgment Dragon Lance shot toward her throat like a venomous dragon lunging from its cave!

[Flowing Water Swordsmanship proficiency +5! Flowing Water Swordsmanship proficiency +5!]

"Not a chance!"

Vivian cried out and twisted her waist with all her might, knocking the lance's point aside at an extremely tricky angle. She followed up with a powerful New Year Greetings Swordplay strike aimed at Su Li's chest.

"Divine Judgment!"

Instead of retreating, Su Li forced a massive Light Lance to condense at point-blank range and brought it crashing down!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The two became streaks of gold and silver, locked in the most brutal close-quarters fight amid the ruins.

[Flowing Water Swordsmanship proficiency +5!]

[Flowing Water Swordsmanship proficiency +5!]

[Flowing Water Swordsmanship proficiency +5!]

"Fus—Ro!" Su Li let loose a dragon's roar, forcing Vivian back just as she conjured a giant Light Sword and prepared to bring it down.

As the battle wore on, the boost from [Blood Boiling] grew more and more absurd. Su Li's attributes continued to climb.

But at the same time, her reason grew fainter and fainter.

At last, in an especially violent head-on collision—

"Clang—!!!"

Amid a burst of sparks, Vivian threw everything she had into an upward slash.

The heavy blow knocked the massive lance upward, leaving Su Li wide open!

"Now's my chance!" A sharp glint flashed in Vivian's eyes.

But—

"Ha ha ha ha ha!!!" Su Li, who had been knocked back half a step, suddenly threw back her head and laughed hysterically.

There was no frustration at being forced back in that laughter, only boundless exhilaration!

She glanced at the lance in her hand.

"Too long! Too much trouble!"

Red light flashed fiercely in Su Li's eyes as she plunged the Judgment Dragon Lance straight into the ground beside her!

"Vmm—" The lance form was disengaged!

As the Dragon Lance's form receded, the excess Dark Gold material began to gather wildly in midair, and the giant Judgment Giant Hand took shape once more, ready to strike Vivian.

"In the way!" Su Li waved her hand irritably, directly interrupting the Judgment Giant Hand's formation!

Su Li reached out with her right hand and yanked out the Revered Corrupted Judgment Dragon Sword, now restored to its greatsword form.

"Enough! I've had enough of this red tape!!!"