Fierce Battle

The Wind Serpent snapped its jaws, biting into empty air.

It would have succeeded, had Rhode not suddenly appeared from behind.

"Mr. Rhode?"

Lize, having escaped death, looked up in surprise to find Rhode standing behind her. She was leaning against his chest, and perhaps due to the lingering shock, the girl felt her entire body go limp, unable to muster any strength. She instinctively tried to stand, but her legs gave way, and she sank back down.

"Lize!"

Seeing Lize survive, Carter let out a sigh of relief, but his anxiety returned almost immediately. The Wind Serpent, having missed its mark, had already turned its head, spread its wings, and raised its neck, preparing to strike again. Damn it! He gripped his twin swords and ran toward them, hoping to make it in time—but no matter how he looked at it, he was too far away.

Watching the Wind Serpent again, the girl couldn't help but hold her breath. She wanted to do something, but she didn't know what to do. As a Spirit Master, she didn't use weapons, nor did she carry any. What was she supposed to do now?

"Leave it to me."

Just as Lize was panicking, she heard Rhode's voice in her ear. Then, she saw him step forward, shielding her with his body.

Is he planning to face this Wind Serpent with his bare hands?

As doubt flickered in Lize's mind, she saw Rhode extend his right hand. It was only then that she noticed a complex, ornate magic circle glowing with clear, brilliant light on the back of his hand. Lines of light radiated from it, extending to every finger, and a translucent, card-like object gradually emerged from the center of his palm.

Rhode then gripped it with a backhand motion.

A dazzling, white radiance erupted.

Invisible mana broke its seal, transforming into a tangible shockwave that rippled outward. The Wind Serpent, caught in the brunt of it, shrieked and flapped its wings, struggling to maintain balance against the violent blast. But before it could make another move, a brilliant flash of light burst from the shockwave, slamming into the creature's body and sending it flying.

"Hoo..."

Rhode let out a soft breath. The dazzling light had dissipated, replaced by an exquisitely crafted, pure white longsword held in his right hand. He swung the Stardust Sword, and specks of light drifted slowly from the blade, creating a mesmerizing scene.

He didn't notice that the others were completely stunned. Lize sat blankly on the ground, staring in disbelief at the man standing before her. Carter had also slowed his pace, his eyes filled with shock and astonishment; although he had long sensed that this man was no ordinary person, he never expected him to be this extraordinary.

Even while still sitting on the ground, Lize couldn't help but admire the flawless white sword. Ancient patterns were carved into the slender blade, emitting a faint glow. Specks of light, visible to the naked eye, danced around it like a dream, and the folded wings on the hilt were so delicate that even individual feathers were clearly defined. While women were rarely interested in weaponry, this longsword had far surpassed the category of a weapon; it was, without exaggeration, a work of art.

Lize was purely admiring it, but Carter's gaze was different.

As an experienced adventurer, Carter could swear he had never seen anything so bizarre. In fact, he had been stunned the moment Rhode summoned the weapon. He had seen mages perform summons before, but they usually used crystals or similar objects, and they had to chant strange, convoluted incantations to summon ugly monsters—that was common enough. But summoning a weapon? He had truly never seen such a thing.

Though he didn't know what Rhode held, Carter knew well that such a magic weapon was certainly not something an ordinary person could use. Anyone qualified to wield it must possess a noble and unique status. Seeing the lifelike wings on the hilt, Carter couldn't help but frown. He was well aware that on this continent, Angels were a highly noble race; most held prominent positions or served as the backbone of important organizations. For instance, Lydie Paffield Mira Franlica, who had ascended to the throne of the Moon Principality three years ago, was a Throne Angel. Although he didn't know this young man's true identity, this sword confirmed that he was undoubtedly connected to that noble race.

These thoughts flashed through Carter's mind as he reached the pair.

"Are you alright?"

"I, I'm fine."

Lize's face remained pale. It wasn't that she was timid; after all, if Rhode hadn't pulled her back just now, she would have surely died. The terror of narrowly escaping the Grim Reaper's scythe was something no ordinary person could easily process.

After confirming Lize was unhurt, Carter immediately turned his gaze to Rhode.

"Mr. Rhode, are you alright?"

Rhode shook his head to indicate he was fine. Although his left side still pained him from the exertion, it wouldn't hinder his combat ability. On the contrary, he was more concerned about something else.

"What do you plan to do?"

The number of Wind Serpents around them was increasing. Although the Airship was moving at full speed, it hadn't managed to shake off the majority of the attackers. Their situation was not improving; it was getting worse.

"We intend to break out of their territory. Until then, we have no choice but to hold on."

If they were on land, Carter might have had other options, but the problem was that they were in the air. Aside from this plan, he had no better way to resolve the current crisis.

But as soon as Carter spoke, he saw the young man frown.

"It's too late, Mr. Carter."

"Oh?"

"Wind Serpents have an absolute advantage in the plains. Even if you increase speed, we won't be able to escape before the Airship falls apart."

"Really?"

Carter wasn't stupid; he had made that decision only because he wasn't familiar with this region. Hearing Rhode's assessment, he immediately understood the gravity of the situation.

"Then what should we do?"

"Descend immediately."

Rhode gave the answer without hesitation, then pointed to the side.

"And then we charge in there."

Carter looked in the direction Rhode was pointing, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"You mean you want us to charge into the Dusk Forest?"

"It's our only way to shake off the Wind Serpents, and besides..."

Rhode glanced around.

"We don't have much time left."

The situation was indeed deteriorating.

The threat of the Wind Serpents lay not just in their fangs; their corrosive venom was equally lethal. Moreover, they were small and agile; if they couldn't win a frontal assault, they would immediately change tactics. Already, many Wind Serpents had shattered the glass and burrowed into the cabin from below, and the group had no way to fend them off. Although the cramped space of the cabin limited the serpents' maneuverability, their threat remained undiminished. Because of this, the cabin was already in shambles, and the thick smoke billowing from several breaches showed just how dire the situation had become!

Carter didn't hesitate any longer and turned to leave. Rhode, gripping the Star Trace, blocked the breach in front.

"Hiss!!"

A Wind Serpent flew in from the right, jaws agape as it launched an attack at Rhode. But the very moment it lunged, Rhode shifted diagonally to the left, his white longsword flicking upward in a sharp arc. It struck the Wind Serpent squarely on the chin, sending it flying while simultaneously blocking the venom it had hastily spat out. Rhode spun around instantly, his silver-white blade tracing a curtain of light through the air, piercing accurately into the wing of another Wind Serpent attempting a sneak attack from behind. As it lost its balance, he delivered a follow-up strike, ending the poor creature's life for good.

However, the onslaught of the Wind Serpents did not cease; the scent of blood had clearly incited them. Just as Rhode withdrew his sword from the cooling corpse, dozens of Wind Serpents lunged at him. They were layered so densely that from a distance, they looked like a green cloud, or perhaps the gaping maw of some unknown monster, ready to swallow its prey whole in a single instant.

"Mr. Rhode!"

Having finished dispelling the toxins from another mercenary, Lize turned around and caught sight of the scene, letting out an involuntary cry.

Streams of acid erupted like a torrential downpour, surging toward Rhode. Had he been caught in that acidic rain, he would likely be dead or at least crippled.

But at that very moment, Rhode pulled back sharply.

The foul-smelling acid hissed past him, splashing onto the deck and corroding small holes while emitting wisps of green smoke. Yet, almost simultaneously, the swarm of Wind Serpents had already reached him, poised to tear the dangerous, hateful existence before them to shreds in the next heartbeat.

An ordinary person would have been paralyzed with fear at such a sight, but Rhode remained ice-cold. Facing the monsters that had lunged before him, intent on tearing him limb from limb, the only thing he did was raise his sword in his right hand and thrust forward.

Shatter Blade, activate.

A white blade of light erupted violently within the swarm of Wind Serpents, splitting from one into two, then into four. Several sharp blades shot forward at high speed, piercing through one Wind Serpent after another. The powerful air currents whipped up by the attack acted like invisible hands, dragging those lucky enough to have avoided the initial strike and ruthlessly tearing their bodies apart. In a mere instant, the green cloud was completely shredded by the dazzling radiance, leaving behind nothing but scraps of flesh and blood.

Everyone held their breath in that moment.