When One Wave Has Yet to Settle

Cain told the puzzled Roxy about his plan.

"This is way too reckless, Cain! Leaving aside whether I can hit it, even if you succeed, what are you going to do afterward?"

"Don't get worked up, Teacher Roxy. That's why I called you over. Do you know wind magic? Teach me one temporarily—the one with the biggest recoil possible."

Roxy pressed her lips together, unable to hide the worry in her eyes. Using ice magic to launch himself into the air was just too reckless.

Cain naturally knew Teacher Roxy was worried about him, but this was no time to hesitate. He looked at Roxy with a serious expression.

"Teacher, our mages are almost out of mana. If we don't deal with that Red Dragon soon, we could become live targets for it and suffer unnecessary casualties."

Roxy pursed her lips, her blue eyes still filled with worry.

"But what about you?"

Compared to strangers she did not know, Roxy cared more about this good student who had only known her for a day, yet was willing to consider her feelings, help her solve her problems, and was fellow Devil Race.

Looking into those azure eyes full of concern, Cain felt moved. His gaze softened slightly, and a brilliant smile gradually appeared on his handsome, youthful face.

"Teacher, please believe in me. After all, I'm the second Sword God of the Sword God Style."

Roxy's blue eyes trembled. Watching Cain's expression gradually turn serious, her feelings became complicated. Then she let out a deep sigh and smiled helplessly.

Roxy gently placed her hand on Cain's handsome, youthful face and stroked it tenderly, somewhat reluctant to let go, as though she wanted to forever remember the brave young man before her and the confident, handsome look he wore now.

Only then did she realize that Cain's face was far more youthful than her own. This fool was probably only twelve or thirteen years old. Roxy could not hide the complicated feelings in her heart, but she still forced herself to remain calm so Cain would not worry.

"If you abandon your teacher, I'll be very sad, you know."

Cain's eyes trembled slightly. Seeing Roxy wink one eye and lightly touch her lips with her index finger, he could not help but smile helplessly.

Feeling the soft warmth of Teacher Roxy's small hand against his cheek, he nodded slightly and gave a quiet hum. He smiled confidently and tightened his grip around the demonic blade, Instant Void.

"I believe in Teacher Roxy!"

"And I'm a Sword God, after all! Don't worry, Teacher Roxy, I'm very strong!"

"You'd better come back safely! Otherwise, I won't refund your magic tuition."

Roxy spoke with a smile on her lips, her expression turning resolute again. She quickly taught Cain the chant for the beginner wind spell, Wind Bullet.

Afterward, Roxy had Cain repeat it. Once she confirmed he had learned it completely, she turned back, seriously adjusted her wizard hat, and looked toward the enormous Red Dragon still circling overhead. The staff clenched in her hand began to glow.

By then, nearly half the mages had collapsed to the ground from mana exhaustion.

The density and frequency of magical attacks were rapidly dropping. The Red Dragon in the sky sensed the change in the attacks around it and glanced disdainfully at the ants below. Flames began gathering in its mouth again.

"That damn Red Dragon! Get the mages without mana into the city! Hurry!"

Zoldat shouted orders anxiously. If looks could kill Demonic Beasts, he would have killed that cunning Red Dragon over a hundred times by now.

"Zoldat! Give me your sword!"

A loud roar suddenly rang across the battlefield, drawing every adventurer's attention.

Zoldat froze for a moment before sharply turning around. He saw Cain standing atop a gigantic ice spike nearly ten meters long, his face filled with shock. When he realized what Cain intended to do, the corners of his lips rose involuntarily, though a bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead.

"Hey, hey, seriously? Cain, you actually went this far? Honestly..."

"All mages, cease your attacks! Clear the way for Sword God Cain!"

He dared to think and act. This bold second Sword God truly suited Zoldat's tastes. Too bad he was a man; otherwise, Zoldat could only swear brotherhood with him.

Secretly admiring him, Zoldat raised an arm and directed the scene while violently throwing the shortsword in his hand toward Cain.

Cain caught the rapidly flying sword by its blade with one hand, then gripped the hilt and drove it into the ice spike beneath him.

Roxy continued casting ice magic, wrapping Cain's feet in ice and freezing them firmly in place on the icy surface.

All magic attacks had stopped. Every adventurer present fixed hopeful eyes on the small figure atop the ice spike. While admiring him, they silently prayed for him as well. Everyone knew this was their final chance—and their final method—to kill the Red Dragon.

"Are you sure about this, Cain?"

"Yeah. Use ice magic on it, Teacher Roxy!"

"Then please be careful!"

The Red Dragon circling in the sky gathered flames in its mouth. Then it suddenly noticed the huge ice spike flying up from the ground!

Heh, just the futile struggle of weak ants. Wait, what is that?

The Red Dragon's eyesight was exceptionally sharp. It saw a small figure crouching beneath the ice spike, but it had no time to think about what it was. It had no desire to be struck by that enormous spike.

With a smooth roll through the air, the Red Dragon narrowly dodged the ice spike. Every adventurer below watched the scene, barely daring to breathe.

Hmph! Ants are still ants. Have they been frightened so badly they can't move?

The Red Dragon glanced disdainfully at the adventurers below, raised its head, and prepared to breathe fire magic down upon the tiny adventurers. But with a boom, its instincts suddenly sensed danger. It snapped its dragon head upward at the sound and saw a figure rapidly closing in beneath the ice spike!

"You're finished..."

Cain looked down at the Red Dragon that had entered his range with icy eyes, as if looking at a corpse. Fierce battle aura wrapped around his body and the katana Instant Void in his hand. Crouched beneath the ice spike, he gathered strength, then violently shattered the ice and shot forward like a cannonball!

Before the trembling-eyed Red Dragon could understand what had happened, Cain had already drawn his katana at the speed of light and opened with a vicious Blade of Light!

The Red Dragon's eyes abruptly contracted! In the next instant, its body was split in two by the invisible slash of light! Blood sprayed everywhere!

When the adventurers below saw the scene in the sky, their eyes widened. They stood stunned for a moment, then could no longer suppress their excitement and raised their arms in cheers!

"He cut down the Red Dragon! He did it! Sword God Cain Brand! He did it!"

They shouted Cain's name in excitement, but only Roxy, gripping her staff tightly and praying for Cain in her heart, knew that he had not completely succeeded. Or rather, he had only succeeded halfway.

Cain looked down at the crowd, tiny as ants, and the entirety of the snow-covered Ranoa Kingdom, then smiled faintly. The view from high in the sky really was beautiful. He could not help but sigh...

Cain and the Red Dragon's two massive severed halves were rapidly falling from a height of over a hundred meters!

That was the height of more than forty stories above the ground—enough to smash Cain and the Red Dragon's two halves into pulp.

Fortunately, Cain was the Sword God of the Sword God Style, and his body control had already reached the utmost limit. He began twisting his posture to the extreme in midair, quickly adjusting from a tumbling free fall into a crouched position.

Without the magic Teacher taught me, I really wouldn't dare try this.

The fact that he was still plummeting at high speed had not changed, yet Cain's face showed neither fear nor panic. As his hair whipped about, a faint excitement appeared on his face instead. His heart raced as he extended both hands downward and began casting without chanting.

Wind Bullet!

With a boom, the air trembled. A chantless air bullet flowed smoothly from Cain's hands, sending his falling body sharply upward for a distance before he began dropping again. Meanwhile, the Red Dragon's two severed halves passed him, plummeting toward the snow-white ground beneath them in a torrent of blood.

It worked! A smile rose at the corner of Cain's lips as he praised Teacher Roxy in his heart and continued casting Wind Bullet downward with both hands.

"Not bad, Sword God Cain!"

"I told you he'd be fine!"

Zoldat and Bruce beside him exchanged a sharp high-five. Excitedly watching Cain use Wind Bullets to offset his descent, they were already considering which tavern to hold a party in once he landed perfectly.

Roxy smiled helplessly at Cain's chantless method.

He really is amazing. Any other mage probably wouldn't even be able to chant at such a height.

The heavy stone weighing on Roxy's heart slowly settled, but then someone suddenly cried out. A huge black shadow streaked past at low altitude, and scorching Lie Yan breath exploded across the sky, shooting straight toward Cain.