Venderwood rapidly approached, wielding his greatsword.

Despite his large size, his speed was impressive. I dodged to the side and extended my hand.

"Flames of the Abyss."

I aimed for his arm.

Venderwood, with fluid motion, sliced through the flames.

"Spatial Severance."

As he cut through the flames, Perrian unleashed his magic.

I threw myself to the side, attempting to avoid Perrian's spell, but Venderwood was already upon me.

Dodging both attacks at once was impossible.

"Priscilla!"

A silver wolf appeared in front of me.

Priscilla bit down on Venderwood's greatsword with her massive jaws.

"So, rolling around the academy has taught you well. However,"

Perrian began, manipulating mana as he spoke,

"you are only as good as a student."

Perrian reached down to the ground.

"Undead Rise."

Skeleton hands emerged from the ground, followed by dozens of skeletons.

"Behemoth."

As I chanted the incantation, a magic circle appeared on the ground, and a small elephant emerged.

Previously only reaching my knees, its magical growth now matched my height.

The Behemoth's trumpeting caused iron to burst from nearby carriages, flying towards the skeletons at its command.

"Hmm..."

Perrian, stroking his chin, let out an impressed gasp.

Priscilla blocking Venderwood and the Behemoth taking down the undead suggested I could maybe hold out for the 30 minutes.

"Bone Spear."

At Perrian's command, bones gathered and formed several bone spears around us.

These spears flew towards me, guided by Perrian's gestures.

"Hell's Thorns!"

Black pillars erupted from the ground, impaling the incoming spears.

"Spatial Severance."

Perrian cast another spell simultaneously.

I threw myself aside to dodge, rolling onto the sandy ground.

I saw Venderwood, previously obstructed by Priscilla, charging towards me.

"Damn it, Priscilla!"

I shouted her name as I rolled to the side.

"I know!"

Priscilla, using ice to grasp Venderwood's ankle, charged towards his shoulder.

Despite her efforts, her magic couldn't stop his advance.

I had thought her attack would impede him, but the sound of bone and flesh crushing under Priscilla's bite filled the air.

Venderwood hadn't blocked her teeth; even as his shoulder was torn away, flesh and bone ripping, he continued his charge towards me.

"Ah..."

I was reminded of Venderwood's ability.

His form, enduring even when mirroring my future self, flickered in my mind.

Despite injuries or being torn into dozens of pieces, he possessed a regenerative ability that allowed him to recover.

Then...

Thud!

"Ugh!"

I was kicked squarely by Venderwood as he charged at me.

Lying on the ground, the impact of his kick sent me flying.

Venderwood raised his sword, intending to strike me while I was airborne.

"Damn it... Behemoth!"

"Roar!"

The Behemoth undermined the ground beneath Venderwood's feet as he swung his sword towards me.

The earth split open, causing Venderwood to lose his balance.

Clutching his sword, he glanced down at the Behemoth.

Venderwood immediately pushed off the ground.

"Roar!"

Thud!

Venderwood moved swiftly, reaching the Behemoth in an instant, and swung his sword at the creature's body.

The powerful swing split the Behemoth's belly.

The Behemoth vanished like smoke.

Though it was a summoned creature and wouldn't truly die, the reduction in our fighting force was problematic.

Venderwood, having cut down the Behemoth, lifted his sword and looked towards me again.

The shoulder Priscilla had bitten began to heal slowly, returning to its original state.

"Rudy, are you okay?"

Priscilla helped me up from where I had fallen on the ground.

It felt like I had a rib or two knocked out of place from Venderwood's kick, but with body reinforcement, I figured I could manage to hold on.

"As long as it doesn't turn into a war of attrition, I think we can hold out."

If we press the enemy and both sides start accumulating damage and fatigue, we're at a significant disadvantage.

They have skeletons to expend at will and even a swordsman who heals himself.

A war of attrition would clearly be in their favor.

And they knew it as well as we did.

Our plans would not go as intended.

Venderwood charged at me again, a reckless dash.

"Priscilla, I'll leave him to you."

I asked Priscilla to take care of Perrian and stepped forward.

I could see Venderwood charging at me.

He is undoubtedly strong.

But in close combat, I am not inferior.

"I'll dodge everything."

There's no way to conserve energy.

Minimizing injuries was crucial.

I charged towards Venderwood as he came at me.

Unfazed, Venderwood swung his sword broadly.

I ducked slightly, avoiding the greatsword, and moved inside Venderwood's guard.

In close quarters, fists are more advantageous than a greatsword.

I drove into Venderwood, striking his abdomen.

"Ugh."

I felt his ribs break under my hand.

I didn't stop there and continued to strike.

Concentrating mana in my hand, I hit what are considered important spots.

Thump, thump, thump

Such blows would turn an ordinary person into mush.

A punch filled with mana could shatter hard steel.

Yet, Venderwood neither fell nor was sent flying.

He merely stepped back slightly, enduring the hits.

Even if his body continued to heal, it didn't lessen the severity of the pain and impact.

Despite this, Venderwood withstood it.

"Gasp!"

Venderwood, despite being hit by my strikes, slammed the hilt of his greatsword towards me.

I quickly stepped back to avoid the blow.

As I moved back, Venderwood swung his sword, sending a wave of dark energy towards me.

"Ugh!"

Caught while retreating, I had no time to fully evade.

I raised my arm in an attempt to block Venderwood's sword strike.

The strike sliced through my arm. Though my arm was filled with mana and thus not severed, it left a deep gash.

"Rudy!"

I heard Priscilla's voice at that moment.

Bone spears appeared before my eyes.

"Damn!"

Caught off guard by Venderwood, Perrian's attack followed.

I had thought Priscilla would handle Perrian, but she was overwhelmed.

I had to make a quick decision.

I couldn't block all the spears.

Could I throw myself elsewhere?

Doing so would just invite Venderwood to charge at me again.

There was only one option left.

"Teleport!"

I tried to use spatial magic to escape elsewhere.

"So, you do know how to use spatial magic."

"Ah."

I tried to leave the area, but the magic failed to activate.

It was as if the spatial domain had frozen, immobilizing me.

The spears pierced my arms and body.

Intense pain engulfed me.

"Ugh..."

I gasped out in pain.

"Not much to you, after all."

"Rudy!"

Priscilla rushed to my front, shielding me.

Perrian, mocking Priscilla, walked up to me.

"Finally thinking of fetching the amplifier?"

"Damn... The spatial magic..."

"Didn't Ian tell you? Spatial magic users can block each other's magic."

Ian's words came back to me.

He hadn't suggested using spatial magic to escape when Perrian attacked.

He said he would come for me.

Ian knew I couldn't escape.

"Just... tell me properly... Damn..."

I cursed, barely standing.

My body was covered in blood.

The blood loss made my head spin, and my body felt cold.

Focusing was difficult.

Mana wouldn't flow properly.

"Are you going to keep fighting? With that body? Or, are you waiting for someone else?"

Perrian taunted me.

"You can't do anything alone. Pathetic."

His taunt wasn't wrong.

I've always depended on others, surviving by being together.

"So what?"

"What?"

"I live by playing my part within a group."

"The weak always say that. And their end always comes when they're separated from the group."

Perrian laughed at my words.

"How could someone like you even be compared to Ian? I don't get it. Ian's betrayal is trouble, but you're just scum. How could you possibly be from the Astria family..."

As Perrian continued his rant.

"...Huh?"

"You talk too much."

A blade was visible in Perrian's chest.

A sword had pierced through him.

It was Venderwood's sword.

Venderwood's greatsword had pierced through Perrian's chest.

"...What?"

"Cough... Ugh... What is this...?"

"Aryandor ordered the killing of Rudy Astria when he was almost captured."

"Ah... Aryand... Cough..."

He couldn't speak properly, likely because his lung was pierced.

Venderwood pulled the sword from his chest.

Then, Perrian collapsed to the ground.

"Aryandor wanted me to convey this."

Venderwood spoke to Perrian, lying on the ground.

"This is revenge against Ephomos and the necromancers."