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Tania’s fierce flames have burned away countless enemies thus far. She has a history of incinerating even stronger beings than the monster currently facing us, reducing them to mere ash. And now, as Tania has drained my mana to regain her prime form and incinerated her opponent’s head whole—

The creature, having sustained more damage than its life force would allow, should have collapsed or at least struggled to breathe its remaining breaths. I observed its once sturdy body beginning to slump and felt the heartbeat that once thrummed strong fade into obscurity.

Tania had been secretly looking forward to the praise she would receive for saving her contractor from peril and slaying the monster.

However, her bright fantasies were about to lose their luster and vanish.

“Ugh…! Wh-what the…!”

An abrupt attack caught her off guard.

‘How the heck…!’

I could see the life draining from her eyes, and in that instant, her body went rigid.

Suddenly revived, the monster took a bite out of her arm.

As a Spirit Mage, Tania couldn’t help but feel the sudden emotional turmoil and sensations shared by her spirit. Her confusion and pain surged through her.

“Tania!”

“Get away—!”

A single arrow empowered by Elvis struck the creature’s side, and Tania’s fiery blast, fueled by her wrath, slammed into its face once again.

As the creature’s once tightly shut maw opened, it took the opportunity to charge towards me, still somewhat dazed.

‘It’s as if it revels in hurting others.’

In her superior form, now smaller in size, Tania was missing one arm. Being a spirit, she would normally fully recover with rich mana and some rest. But that didn’t mean she didn’t feel pain.

Adding small yellow flames to her unstable wound, she kept her tiny mouth moving to suppress the agony. Meanwhile, my spirit sat on my shoulder, pointing at Elvis instead of voicing her own pain.

“If I hadn’t blocked just now, that monster would have severely injured me like I mentioned before. Right? I’m irreplaceable!”

“Of course, thanks to you, I’m still alive. By the way… your arm?”

“I’ve had my arm get messed up a few times. It hurts, but it’s not unbearable. Unfortunately, it seems like my mana is draining nonstop.”

Despite her fierce expression, the way she gently caressed her small yellow flames indicated that she was in substantial pain. I noticed tears were welling up in her eyes, which she kept wiping away so they wouldn’t show. Using stronger magic in her current condition would definitely cause her further strain.

With this battle and the aftermath, I figured our Tania would need extra care.

The problem was that monster. With its giant form vanishing like a ghost and reappearing, as well as enduring Tania’s genuinely heart-felt flames, it should have long since been dead. It was beyond common sense that it could still move after taking an attack that should have killed it a hundred times over.

Thus, Tania, who began to pursue me again, seemed to sense this deeply. She brought it up.

“That monster is really strange. Normally, it would have taken ages to get past the tree my brother knocked over… I definitely felt it was on the verge of dying when I burned it. I never expected it to just suddenly revive and take a bite out of my arm…”

“I wasn’t the only one who felt that, huh? It really seemed like it was on the brink of death.”

“There has to be some connection with that monster, surely. And look at it. After taking those two hits, it’s definitely weaker than before.”

At her words, I turned my head slightly to check the monster.

As Tania said, it lacked the original speed and force with which it had charged through trees and rocks.

‘They say it was the guardian of the temple.’

It seemed it had been watching over the temple for decades.

I couldn’t fathom why the god who chose and bestowed strength upon me, unable to destroy it in a frenzy.

But if it had indeed been toying with powers granted by a god—someone who would meddle with fate, rather than just mana or magic—that made sense. And seeing it was now exhausted, it clearly wasn’t infinite.

‘It was confirmed that attacks work, and it’s weakened now.’

With Shione likely nearing completion with her magic within range, I readied three arrows and strung them up.

As the knights began to bind the creature’s legs once more, I thought about seizing the moment to restrain it.

Just as I prepared for that, one of the knights appeared, sword glimmering in hand.

“Looks like its momentum has faltered. Did our Deputy Commander give you quite a hard time?”

Perhaps angered by almost being flattened by the creature, Diolia was sharper than usual.

“Ray, close your eyes!”

And Shione, coolly letting arrows fly.

WHOOSH—!

As the arrows zipped past the monster’s face, a brilliant light burst forth.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Diolia’s strike cleaved the creature’s left leg.

THUD—!

As its massive body briefly lost balance and began to topple, a barrage of magic erupted forth.

No matter how thick and tough its hide might be, being bombarded by magic like this was no easy feat. Not to mention, once the magic ceased, knights and rangers alike geared up to shove their weapons inside without hesitation.

Thus, the rain of magic finally ceased, and it was the knights’ and rangers’ time to shine.

‘And we’re starting again.’

The creature’s figure began to blur as if it were toying with some abnormal power again… It was staring right at me, so its target must be me.

“Elvis, Orna.”

Calling upon the spirits, I drew back my bowstring.

With mysterious power loading into my arrows, I fused my senses with those arrows I had fired until now.

Just as I began to retrieve the arrows made directly by the Kalia Marquis Family—

──!!

A bear maw full of sharp teeth swooped in for me from the side.

“Gah—!”

I dived to the side, narrowly avoiding, and shot an arrow.

As the arrow pierced through its maw, I shot two more near the penetration point.

Now, arrows returning with power!

As the three arrows punctured its jaw, I repositioned the arrows I had previously shot so they could stick back into the monster.

“Elvis, with the strongest one!”

“Ah, got it…!”

As if preparing the strongest strike it could muster.

As my mana drained, a sound more intense than the magic projectiles Shione typically used echoed throughout.

In the thunderous roar that tore the air, the cold and sharp arrowhead struck the monster. The winds that exploded from the collision whipped my hair about.

‘Surely, concluding this quest wasn’t happening by mere coincidence.’

As the arrow embedded, the creature’s eyes, which had appeared to be facing death, regained clarity.

But it would no longer go wild.

‘I’ve stuck so many arrows in it.’

With a time delay, arrows returned to splay across the monster.

As the last arrow hit, the creature lacked the strength to rise again.

This should be the final blow.

“Damn you…!”

Timed perfectly, Tania hopped in from under my shoulder, stomping forward to confront the gasping creature.

“Do you know how much pain you put me through? Even with yellow flame’s help, I’m still hurting…!!”

THUMP! THUMP!

Repeatedly pummeling it with her fists, her desire for revenge was evident.

I stepped close to the creature, pulling out my sword.

“I’ll help you!”

“Tania, don’t you think it’d be better to rest a bit?”

“I’m good to go now!”

Despite her touching the yellow flame, there was no way to bend that stubbornness.

Finally, having jammed her flame-laden sword into the creature, its breath ceased completely.

[The Guardian has been defeated.]

[Recovering the Divine Power left in the Guardian.]

‘Recovering Divine Power, huh.’

It seems the creature’s bizarre strength truly stemmed from divine influence.

I also realized the creator of my status window was the same as the owner of that temple.

Thus, after the battle, as I scanned the floating rewards, something caught my eye.

[The ability of ‘Fate – Modified’ has been unlocked.]

A new skill.

It seemed to be a rather significant ability that had come to fruition.

Moreover, as a reward, it revived me despite having already met my end and grasped the fragment of power that the god controlling this world desired. Drawn in by the mystery of the ability’s name, I tried to examine it more closely when I momentarily shifted my focus away from the status window.

“Ray! We are way too late! Are you hurt?”

Shione was racing towards me over the frayed ground and tangled roots.

As Tania waved her remaining arm to greet her, she exclaimed,

“I’m hurt!”

“…?”

Worry flickered in her eyes, but her delighted expression upon seeing me standing with both legs was undeniable.

“Wait, Tania! What happened to your arm?”

“That nasty monster bit me! I’m in so much pain!”

“Your arm will heal, right? Ray, what about your spirit…?”

“Yellow flamer’s helping me! I’m fine!”

Tania showcased the tiny flames clinging to her arm’s stump, furthering Shione’s confusion.

Soon, even Diolia, who adored these cute spirits, couldn’t help but gasp at Tania’s yellow flame.

“Deputy Commander! Wh-what do we do about this friend’s arm…?”

“Uh… Commander?”

“Priest! Come over here fast!”

“Princess Shione, that’s—”

I realized I needed to settle down this minor uproar for a bit.

 

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