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Well, it was time for him to pay with his life. He had trampled over Arthur’s expectations and attacked and burned down a village. Only his death could make up for that.

Daniela and I stood side by side as we advanced towards Mordred. None of the other orcs would attack us now.

Mordred’s face flinched as he took a step back. Having no intention of allowing him to escape, we began to run. The distance was bridged in a flash. Panicked, Mordred swung the Excalibur down at us. I crossed the Glampanzer and Ashikirimaru in front of me to block it. Daniela took advantage of the moment and aimed for Mordred’s heart with her rapier, but he twisted his body and moved away. He was rather quick for someone his size.

Daniela struck at him again, but Mordred countered her attacks with surprising skill and quick feet. All the while I kept him in my vision. Perhaps being in this position had an effect on his nerves, because I didn’t see any inattentiveness in his eyes anymore. But it didn’t matter what state he was in. I would kill him. Just as Daniela altered a thrust into an upward swing, I moved in between them. His shocked face looked down at me. I would take his mobility first. I thrust my swords between his legs and swung outwards.

 

“BGUAGH!!”

 

There was a hoarse scream as the blue blood gushed from his inner thighs. He would not be so quick on his feet now.

Mordred burned with rage as he brought his sword down over my head, but I intercepted it with an Ice Shield I had generated. He continued to press down over it, but I had put so much power into it, that for now, the force on each side of the sword and shield seemed to be equal. Of course, that meant he was wide open.

 

“He’s open!”

 

Daniela’s stinging thrust pierced through Mordred’s face. Drops of blood dripped onto the clear, ice shield. Just as I felt the tension on the shield weaken, I pushed back and followed with a shield bash. Mordred reeled and then fell on his backside. Blood was dripping from his left eye. That was where Daniela’s sword had pierced. I stood next to her as she flung the blood off her sword.

 

“He’s pretty strong.”

“Aye. One of the strongest I have ever fought.”

 

We kept our swords ready as Mordred glared at us through his remaining right eye. Wounded monsters were sometimes the most dangerous.

 

Mordred used the Excalibur as a cane as he stood up. But then he thrust his empty left hand at us, instead of the right hand which gripped the sword. For a moment, I wasn’t sure what to do. And that turned out to be a lethal mistake. I should never have assumed that an orc was incapable of it.

 

“No!”

 

Daniela pushed me hard to the side. My vision shook from the impact. However, even through that blur, I could see something unbelievable. The left hand that Mordred had thrust out was enveloped by crimson magical energy. It turned into magic and then shot out towards us as a ball of fire.

 

“Tsk…!”

 

The heat burned my skin. But I was more worried about Daniela. She was still on the ground after pushing me away, and had been swallowed up by the fire.

 

“DANIELA!!”

 

The flames rose in a sudden blaze and then there was an explosion. I could do nothing as the force of it launched me into the air.

I flew with the wind until I was dropped over a pile of corpses. But the tragedy was far from over.

 

“Gggguh….!!”

 

A sharp pain ran through my left arm. The pain and the heat made me see colors and I felt dizzy. My forehead was covered in sweat as I looked down at my left arm. It was under my poncho. I pulled up my sleeve and saw that my upper arm had been pierced by the sword of an orc. The fabric was soaking up the blood rapidly. I had been so carried away in the slaughter. I never thought that I would let my guard down here, but I just couldn’t believe that an orc would use magic. It was an unguardedness that came from ignorance.

 

“Damn it…!”

 

Still, there was no time to lie around. I tried to get up without widening the wound, but the sensation of the blade sliding out of my arm sent a horrible pain through my body. I had very personal reasons for not wanting to be stabbed. It wasn’t just a matter of intense pain. My hand shook as Ashikirimaru fell from its grip.

 

“Da-Daniela…Daniela…!”

 

I put down the Glampanzer in order to put Ashikirmaru back into its sheath. Then I picked up the Glampanzer again and searched for Daniela. I couldn’t see the hated figure of Mordred. I didn’t even know where to look.

 

“Asagi! Daniela is safe!”

 

Virgil’s voice rang in my ears. I looked towards where the sound was coming from and saw Virgil holding an unconscious Daniela.

 

“I was somehow able to save her with my magic! You go and chase him!”

 

I nodded as Virgil pointed me in the direction that Mordred had gone. My legs felt so weak as they moved. When I arrived at the spot, there was a hole in the wall and a tunnel. The tunnel leading to the valley floor…

I looked down at my left hand. It was red with blood that dripped off the points of my fingers. I had to finish him before I lost consciousness from blood loss… That was the only thing on my mind as I went down the tunnel.

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