Chapter 165 [Event] [Enigma Red Dungeon] [26] Amael And Aurora VS Morino [2]



"M-Mary don't come, I can do it," I forced my weak knees and stood up. I glared through my blindfold at Morino. "I will kill this fucker."

[She can't come when you are wielding your sword, in any case.]

Oh.

The restrictions placed by the sword prevented her presence, I see. It made sense, considering its origin as a relic of Eden.

For now, I forced myself to stand, relying on the sword to keep me upright. It was the only thing allowing me to move, keeping me alive with its extraordinary power.

Aurora unleashed her attack, swinging her sword with a resolute determination. "Michael's Celestial Wave!" A wave of radiant light surged forward, aimed at Morino.

But he sneered in response, swiftly summoning a mana circle. It seemed he had learned a thing or two about mana circles, not surprising for someone born in Sancta Vedelia.

"Cyclone," Morino declared, manipulating mana and Prana with precision. Prana, a malleable energy akin to Ruah, allowed for versatile manipulation.

Aurora fought valiantly, attempting to parry the onslaught, but she was being pushed back. Determined not to let her falter, I infused my body with Ruah, bracing against the pain in my back. With Trinity Nihil gleaming white, I repelled Morino's attack, shielding Aurora.

However, the strain on my body was evident. I winced as pain seared through my back, the fabric of my tracksuit burned, revealing raw skin.

"Amael...?" Aurora spoke, her voice filled with concern, her defense weakening against Morino's relentless assault.

I approached her, taking hold of her hand that gripped the sword. "Ruah," I whispered, channeling my energy into her. Though she lacked knowledge of Ruah, I could teach her. It was the least I could do.

Realization flashed in Aurora's eyes as she understood my intent. "I will help you," I assured her, enveloping her sword with Ruah, transferring the energy towards her attack.

At that moment, I caught a glimpse of Ruma, offering his remaining mana before vanishing. A brave young boy, he had reached his limits.

A thunderous explosion resonated as Aurora's golden light took on a somber shade of grey, overpowering Morino's assault.

"What?!" Morino exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief. "You're just an annoyance!" He cursed, leaping high above the ground to evade Aurora's retaliatory strike. And then, he did something unexpected—he opened his mouth wide, preparing for something grand. "I will show you the true might of my race compared to yours."

An eerie sensation prickled my skin as the surroundings trembled, an overwhelming amount of mana converging before Morino. 

"NightFang Ancestral Art."

As I heard Morino's mutter, I instinctively widened my mouth, recognizing the Art he was about to unleash. Somehow, a faint memory of him possessing that ability resurfaced. So, he was from "their" family after all?

Cursing under my breath, I urgently called out to Aurora. "Avia! Prepare a shield!" I shouted, my voice laced with urgency, while raising my sword.

"Y-Yes!" Aurora replied, quickly getting into position.

Nodding in acknowledgement, I gripped my sword tightly and spoke, my voice resonating with determination. "Trinity Nihil, lend me your strength."

Aurora's expression contorted in shock upon hearing my words. She knew the names of all the Relics of Eden, after all. How was I able to invoke their power?

My grip tightened on the sword's hilt.

"Michael's Celestial Barrier!"

In response, Morino unleashed a fearsome breath of reddish-white energy, diving down directly towards us, scorching the very air around us. His attack collided with Aurora's shimmering barrier, causing cracks to appear gradually. Blood trickled from her mouth as she approached her limits, having only recently awakened to her true potential.

Crack!

The barrier eventually shattered into a shower of golden sparkles, and the destructive force continued its path towards us. Reacting swiftly, I swung Trinity Nihil.

"Aghh!" I groaned, feeling the tremendous pressure weighing down on my body. The vibrations from my hands holding the sword reverberated throughout me. It was working—Trinity Nihil was successfully repelling his attack.

"Watch out!" Aurora's voice rang out, and she swung her sword in front of me. The clash of metal resounded as Aurora's blade met Morino's hand. With a yell, she slashed upward, cutting deep into Morino's side.

"You fucking...!" Morino grunted, retaliating by swinging his leg towards Aurora's stomach. "Dissection!"

Aurora coughed up blood, crashing to the ground several meters away from the impact.

"H-Hey!" Panic surged through me as I witnessed her condition.

"Miserable ants!"

Damn it!

In an instant, Morino struck me, slamming me forcefully to the ground before delivering a punch to my stomach.

"AGH!" I spat blood, struggling to maintain consciousness despite the intense pain coursing through me.

His relentless assault continued, each blow landing with a rocky impact against my cheek. Gritting my teeth, I clung to the handle of my sword.

Bam!

"I will leave you barely alive," Morino taunted, pulling his hand back. "Prana Art Claws."

BAM!

"ARGHHH!" I cried out in agony as searing pain erupted from my back. I didn't need a mirror to know that he had torn through my flesh. I would have died without Trinity Nihil. No, I would have been dead long ago when he attacked me head on if I didn't have Trinity Nihil in my grasp.

I ignored the pain and looked ahead of me.

Aurora.

"Humans from the lower continent have always been beneath us. It's an inherent trait, something you can never rid yourself of."

"..."

She was bleeding and wasn't moving.

No.

Not that.

"Mission accomplished," Morino said. "The Royal Princess is dead."

No way.

There was no way I would accept this.

Crawling with my sword in hand, I made my way towards Aurora. Morino observed me with furrowed brows, clearly taken aback by my ability to still move. But I refused to let his surprise deter me.

Reaching Aurora, I leaned in closer, bringing my ear to her mouth. She was still breathing, barely. She was on the brink of death.

"Aurora," I muttered, forcefully placing her hand around Trinity Nihil. I then clasped her hand, intertwining our fingers. The white runes on the blade glowed, and Aurora's body began to emit a faint light. It wasn't exactly healing her, but something indescribable was happening. She wouldn't die anymore.

"Ugh..." Aurora opened her eyes, locking gazes with me. "A-Amael?"

A wave of relief washed over me as I saw her consciousness return. I whispered something to her, my words meant only for her ears.

"What have you done?!" Morino's enraged voice boomed from behind me.

"You're so noisy," I muttered softly, gently placing Aurora back onto the ground. With annoyance, I stood up and turned around to face Morino head-on.

"Ahahaha!" Morino burst into a loud, maniacal laughter before charging at me with full force.

Trinity Nihil was still in Aurora's grasp. I wasn't sure if it would still work without me being near her, but it didn't matter. Clenching both fists tightly, I raised them in front of my face, assuming a boxing stance.

"Ruah," I whispered, condensing and enveloping my fists with dense Ruah. Activating my First Wing, I accelerated all of my thoughts, sharpening my focus.

"Are you mocking me?!" Morino yelled, throwing a punch towards me.

I swiftly ducked down, evading his attack, and countered with a powerful punch to his unguarded stomach.

Bam!

Morino winced in pain, confirming that Ruah was effective against him.

"Bastard!" He retaliated, aiming a kick at me, but I quickly crossed my arms in front of me.

"Agh!" Despite my defensive stance, the impact sent waves of pain surging through my body. If my bones didn't break, they would undoubtedly be cracked.

Gritting my teeth, I spun on my heels and roundhouse-kicked him on his temple. 

"It's useless!" Morino parried my attack with his arm and punched out but I jumped over thick arm and-

"Avia!"

With a flash of light,Trinity Nihila appeared on my hand. 

"W-Wha…!" Seeing the sword from up close and the energy emitted by it, Morino's face turned pale.

"Die now." I ignored that and swung down.

Fresh blood spattered across my face, and a scream of agony escaped Morino's lips. His body trembled uncontrollably, and a whitish light emanated from the wound on his chest.

Taking advantage of his momentary vulnerability, I leaped down and swung Trinity Nihil once again, targeting the same wound. However, this time, Morino managed to grab the blade with his giant, furred hands. I clenched my teeth, squeezing the sword's handle with both hands, desperately trying to cut through him. The blade did manage to injure Morino's hand, but it wasn't enough to subdue him.

Drawing upon my reserves, I summoned forth Ruah, channeling all my strength into overpowering him.

Die, damn it!

Suddenly, a golden sword pierced through Morino's chest from behind—it was Aurora who had stabbed him. Seizing the opportunity, I raised Trinity Nihil and drove it into his heart.

"KAH!" Morino's eyes rolled up, and all resistance melted away. I withdrew my sword, and Aurora followed suit.

-Thud.

Morino's lifeless body collapsed to the ground.

"Ah..." Simultaneously, Aurora's strength waned, and she began to falter. I took a step forward, catching her and preventing her from falling. "T-Thanks." She said holding on my shoulders. "T-Thank you, Amael."