A Crisis Yet to Pass

Kayin told the puzzled Roxy his plan.

"That's too reckless, Kayin! Even if I can hit it, what will you do afterward?"

"Don't get worked up, Roxy. That's why I called you over. Do you know any wind magic? Teach me a spell—the stronger the recoil, the better."

Roxy pressed her lips together, unable to hide her worry. Riding Ice Magic into the sky was far too reckless.

Kayin knew Roxy was worried about him, but this was no time to hesitate. He looked at her seriously.

"Teacher, our mages are nearly out of Magic Power. If we don't deal with that Red Dragon now, we could become sitting ducks. People could die for nothing."

Roxy pressed her lips together. Her blue eyes were still full of worry.

"But what about you?"

More than those strangers, Roxy cared about her good student. She had known him for only a day, yet he cared about her feelings, helped her through her troubles, and was a fellow member of the Demon Race.

The concern in those clear blue eyes touched Kayin. His gaze softened, and a bright smile spread across his handsome, youthful face.

"Trust me, Teacher. I'm the Second Sword God of the Sword God Style."

Roxy's blue eyes trembled. She pressed her lips together and looked at Kayin's increasingly serious expression. Mixed feelings stirred within her. At last, she sighed deeply and gave him a helpless smile.

Roxy gently rested a hand against Kayin's handsome, youthful face and stroked it with reluctant tenderness, as though she wanted to remember the brave boy looking so confident forever.

Only then did she realize how much younger his face looked than hers. The fool might be just twelve or thirteen. Complicated feelings rose in Roxy's heart, but she put on a calm front to reassure him.

"If you leave your teacher behind, I'll be very sad."

Kayin's eyes flickered. When Roxy gave him a one-eyed wink and lightly touched a finger to his lips, he could only smile helplessly.

Feeling the warmth of Roxy's small hand against his cheek, he nodded slightly and gave a soft hum of acknowledgment. Then he smiled with confidence and tightened his grip on Demon Blade: Instant Void.

"I believe in you, Roxy!"

"And I'm a Sword God! Don't worry, Roxy. I'm strong!"

"You'd better come back safely! Otherwise, I'm not refunding your magic lessons."

Roxy spoke with a smile, then her expression turned resolute again. She quickly recited the incantation for Wind Bullet, a beginner-level wind spell, to Kayin.

Once she had finished, Roxy had Kayin repeat it. After confirming he had learned it, she turned back, straightened her magic hat with a grave expression, and looked up at the massive Red Dragon still circling above them. The staff gripped tightly in her hand began to glow.

By then, nearly half the mages had exhausted their Magic Power and collapsed to the ground.

The density and frequency of their spells were dropping fast. Sensing the change in the attacks around it, the Red Dragon cast a contemptuous glance at the insects below. Firelight gathered in its mouth once more.

"That damned Red Dragon! Get the mages who are out of Magic Power into the city! Hurry!"

Zoldat barked orders in a panic. If looks could kill monsters, he would have slain that cunning Red Dragon a hundred times over.

"Zoldat! Give me your sword!"

The shout rang across the field, drawing every adventurer's gaze.

Zoldat froze for a moment, then whipped around toward Kayin, who stood atop an enormous Ice Spike nearly ten meters long. Shock crossed his face. When he realized what Kayin meant to do, the corners of his mouth rose despite the bead of cold sweat on his forehead.

"Hey, hey, are you serious? Kayin, you've gone this far? Honestly..."

"All mages, cease your attacks! Clear a path for Sword God Kayin!"

The Second Sword God was bold enough to think it and do it. Zoldat had to admit that suited him perfectly. Too bad he was a man; they could only become sworn brothers.

Secretly impressed, Zoldat raised an arm to direct the others and hurled the short sword in his hand toward Kayin.

Kayin caught the blade of the short sword as it hurtled toward him. Then he gripped the hilt and drove it into the Ice Spike beneath him.

Roxy kept casting Ice Magic, wrapping ice around Kayin's feet and freezing them in place on the surface.

All spells ceased. Every adventurer there fixed a hopeful gaze on the small figure atop the Ice Spike. They admired him and silently prayed for him. Everyone knew this was their last chance to bring down the Red Dragon!

"You'll be all right, Kayin?"

"Yeah. Hit it with Ice Magic, Roxy!"

"Then please be careful!"

Flames gathered in the circling Red Dragon's mouth. Suddenly, it noticed the enormous Ice Spike flying up from the ground!

Hah. A futile struggle from feeble insects. Wait, what's that?

The Red Dragon's eyesight was excellent. It spotted a small figure crouched beneath the Ice Spike, but it had no time to consider what that meant. It had no intention of letting that enormous spike hit it.

With a smooth roll in midair, the Red Dragon narrowly dodged the Ice Spike. The adventurers below watched, hardly daring to breathe.

Hmph. Insects are insects. Too frightened to move?

The Red Dragon glanced contemptuously at the adventurers below and raised its head, ready to spew fire magic at them. But with a boom, its instincts suddenly screamed of danger. It jerked its head up toward the underside of the Ice Spike. A figure was hurtling straight at it!

"You're finished..."

Kayin stared coldly at the Red Dragon now within range, as though it were already dead. Fierce Battle Aura wrapped around his body and the Tachi, Instant Void, in his hand. Crouched beneath the Ice Spike, he gathered his strength, then kicked off hard enough to shatter it and shot forward like a cannonball!

Before the Red Dragon, its eyes trembling, could grasp what had happened, Kayin drew his Tachi at blinding speed and opened with a savage Blade of Light!

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

The adventurers below stared wide-eyed at the sight overhead. After a stunned moment, they could no longer contain their excitement and threw their arms up in cheers!

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

They shouted Kayin's name in excitement. But Roxy, gripping her staff and praying for him, knew he had not quite succeeded yet. He was only halfway there.

Kayin gave a faint smile as he looked down at the people, tiny as ants, and the snowy expanse of the Ranoa Kingdom. The view from so high up really was beautiful, he thought...

Kayin and the Red Dragon's two massive halves were plummeting from a hundred meters up!

At a height of more than forty stories, the fall was enough to smash Kayin and the Red Dragon's remains flat.

Fortunately, Kayin was a Sword God of the Sword God Style and had mastered control of his body. He twisted himself through the air, quickly shifting from a tumbling free fall into a crouch.

Without the magic Teacher taught me, I'd never dare try this.

He was still falling fast, but there was no fear or panic on Kayin's face. Instead, excitement glimmered there as his hair whipped around him and his heart raced. He pointed both hands downward and began casting without a chant.

Wind Bullet!

Boom! The air shuddered as a chantless Wind Bullet shot smoothly from Kayin's hands. It thrust him upward briefly before he began falling again. The Red Dragon's two severed halves dropped past him, trailing blood as they hurtled toward the snow-white ground.

It worked! A smile tugged at Kayin's lips. He praised Roxy inwardly and kept firing Wind Bullets downward with both hands.

"What a guy, Sword God Kayin!"

"I told you he'd be fine!"

Zoldat and Bruce slapped palms, watching with excitement as Kayin used Wind Bullets to counter his fall. They were already planning which tavern to hold a party in once he landed safely.

Roxy watched Kayin's chantless casting and smiled helplessly.

Incredible. Any other mage would struggle to chant at all up there.

The weight of worry in Roxy's heart slowly lifted. But then someone cried out. A huge shadow swept past at low altitude, and a blazing breath attack burst across the sky, heading straight for Kayin.