บท 27: Last Minute Surprise
"Are you ready, Lily?"
After taking a deep breath, Lily's eyes brimmed with determination again.
"Yes!"
Sylvia smirked.
"Good."
She looked at the waterfall.
Then, she approached Lily and whispered into her ear.
"Huh? I have to fight it alone?!"
"Trust me. This plan will work."
"W-wait!"
Lily could not stop Sylvia from walking away.
The monster silently gazed at her for a moment, when she passed by it ignoring it completely.
Feeling provoked, he raised his two left arms and was about to swing them at her.
However, it was interrupted, when Lily shot a small fireball at its body.
The fireball was so small that the flames extinguished instantly when it came in contact with the monster.
"I'm here, you big ape!"
Her nervousness did not fade away entirely, but her resolve to fight it was firm.
The ape slowly turned its attention to Lily.
It began to walk slowly to her.
Then, it picked up its pace step after step until it rushed to her at high speed.
The monster ran with its four arms directed at her, which looked like they were trying to grab her.
Instead of running away, Lily did not move an inch and faced it head-on.
Again, she took a deep breath as she went through Sylvia's plan again.
It was a reckless plan.
But it could work.
It would only depend on Lily.
"Alright, let's do this..." Lily muttered firmly to herself.
Lily got down and placed her hands on the ground.
The spot she was touching started to glow brightly.
Quickly, the glowing area expanded and was now big enough to fit two people in it.
"That should do..." she whispered as she looked up at to the fast-approaching monster.
When the monster was about to step into the circle, Lily jumped backward.
As the area was now shining even brighter, the monster made a confused noise until it turned into an agonizing screech, when fire came out from the area.
The fire rose high like a pillar.
Trapped inside the fire pillar, the ape shook its upper body and arms wildly around.
But then, wrathfully it swung its long arms to the front and managed to step outside the fire.
As soon as it left it, the fire pillar vanished with the glowing spot.
The monster's fur was still in light flames at some spots and some other spots were already burned into crisps.
It stood still with no sound being heard from it.
For the first time, the ape-like monster was fully enraged.
However, that wrath was exchanged with fear as it looked to the front.
The heat it felt from the still-burning flames on his body and from the completely burned-off body spots was nothing compared to the emitting heat it felt from the front.
Instinctively, it took a step back.
"So even you know what fear is, huh?"
With wobbly legs, Lily was gathering flames in her hands, which she held above her.
During the time, the monster was inside the fire pillar, she used the chance to collect flames for her final attack.
Usually, Lily would only create fireballs, which were large enough to consume a person, but this time something was different.
She sweat bullets, her arms were trembling and her breathing was not stable.
"More... I need more..."
Far exceeding her limits, blood started to flow out of her mouth.
She was more than just exhausted as she finished gathering flames for her yet largest fireball.
Above her tiny head was now a fireball ten times bigger and hotter than her usual ones.
And without hesitation, she swung her arms down, throwing the fireball simultaneously at the monster.
The ape was running away with its back facing Lily.
But its efforts were futile.
The speed it was thrown was slower than usual, but nonetheless, it was impossible to evade it due to its enormous size.
"I leave the rest to you..."
Fully exhausted, Lily fell on her knees and collapsed.
The last thing she could hear was the ape's loud and painful scream as it was engulfed by her flames.
"Well done, Lily. You can rest assured now." Sylvia said satisfied from her spot.
The screaming and ablaze monster ran for its life in the direction of the waterfall.
And with a huge jump, it splashed into the water to extinguish the flames.
Except for his head, its entire body was underwater.
"Did you calm down now?" Sylvia asked sarcastically with a smug grin.
She was currently standing in the water up to her thighs.
The monster turned its neck to her.
An icy fog gathered around her.
Its instincts told it again what to do as it was about to get out of the water, but it was too late.
Calm and collected, Sylvia froze the entire water within the blink of an eye.
This time, the monster could not break free from the ice.
Its entire body was frozen with the water with only his head and shoulders being spared.
It tried to stretch its neck and roared loudly, but it was futile, too.
Sylvia, who was naturally unaffected by her own freezing, stepped onto the frozen water and approached the ape's head at a slow pace.
"Did you really think just because you got two additional arms we would fall into despair that easily?"
She bluffed.
Truthfully speaking, if it was not for the waterfall, Sylvia would not have an idea how to beat it. Worst case, maybe the two would have even found themselves in life-threatening states.
"Stand still and I will end it swiftly without pain."
Sylvia coldly looked down at its head, which was on her knee's height, and created an ice blade in her hand.
Her gaze got sharper.
Then, she pierced the ape's head vertically from above.
Its ugly death scream, which was painful to hear for others, only lasted shortly.
It was over.
The two girls finally won against the monster.
They managed to clear the quest.
"Good job, you two. You successfully cleared the quest."
Ophelia appeared behind Sylvia.
She was giving the unconscious Lily a piggyback as she congratulated Sylvia wholeheartedly with a smile.
After seeing them, Sylvia thought that she could finally let her guard down.
However, reality had different plans for her.
Or rather for them.
Sylvia and Ophelia heard a monstrous roar in their vicinity.
"What do you want from me?!"
It was the voice of a boy, they were familiar with.
"Why are you running away?"
This voice was rather deep and sounded croaky.
Then, a boy in their academy uniform and a shirtless man appeared from the woods and thick vegetation.
"Mika?"
Sylvia was about to reflexively approach him but was stopped by Ophelia, who seemed pale, which was uncommon for her.
And if that was not enough, another creature came from behind Mika and the man.
"!"
Sylvia was stunned by the sight.
"What the..."
Ophelia, who was pale, now even broke into a cold sweat.
"M-Ms. Ross... Why is there another one of those..." Sylvia stuttered in despair.
It took a short while, but Mika also finally noticed the girls.
"Nice timing! Ms. Ross, please give me a hand here!" Mika shouted.
"..."
Ophelia stared blankly at the man.
"Ms. Ross...?"
Sylvia was worried about her as she did not respond.
"O-oh, sorry..."
She regained her senses.
"Listen well. You have to take Lily with you and get out of here!"
"But what about you two?!"
"We will stall the enemies here."
"Then, let me help y-"
"Don't!" Ophelia yelled at Sylvia in panic.
"Just listen to me and get out from here!" she added desperately.
Ophelia grabbed Sylvia's shoulders.
"Ms. Ross, are you...?"
Sylvia noticed how Ophelia's hands were trembling.
"I'm sorry... Even though I'm your guide, I'm telling you to escape from the jungle alone with heavy injuries..."
"But... But it's far more dangerous staying here..." she continued.
Sylvia bit her lips.
She understood how dire the situation was and how desperate Ophelia was to get her and Lily out of there.
In the end, she could not even offer her help.
She would only be a burden.
"I understand..." Sylvia said bitterly.
Without looking back, she took Lily with her and vanished into the woods.
"I see... I feel the presence of a relic." Zantar stated thoughtfully after he stopped chasing Mika.
Beside him, the ape-like monster, identical to the monster Lily and Sylvia were fighting against, also did not move an inch.
Thus, Mika was able to reunite with Ophelia.
He gasped for air after running away from the two the whole time.
"Sorry, Ms. Ross... I truly did not want to involve you in this, but I can't do this without you..." Mika apologized while still being out of breath.
"I know that you've felt it as well." Mika added as he took a glance at Zantar.
"Wait! So is he really..."
If it was just Ophelia, then he did not need to hide anything.
"Yes. He's a demon."
Ophelia's eyes widened, despite having guessed it roughly.
"I can also understand that fighting a demon, whose abilities are still unknown would be suicidal even for high-ranking people like you... But still!"
Mika looked into her eyes fiercely.
"Can you do me a favor and stall him for me?"
"What?!"
Usually, Ophelia would be delighted to fight strong people.
But demons were another matter.
"..."
She did not evade his eyes.
She could not.
How could she ignore the determined look of her own student in such a situation.
"Fine..."
She sighed.
"I'm your teacher after all... How could I let my student be braver than me in front of a demon?"
Mika smirked slightly.
He was happy that he could trust her.
"Thanks." he said as he turned his face to Zantar.
"No need to thank me, idiot." Ophelia returned his smile.
She analyzed the situation.
"So? What's your plan?"
Mika's smirk did not falter.
"I don't have one." he stated with confidence.
"Huh?!"
"Just give me one minute."
"One minute?"
"Yes. I will take down the ape in one minute."
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