Zaphira lowered her center of gravity and bolted forward like a flash of lightning.
‘So fast!’
Vivian was startled. She kicked off the ground, attempting a nimble backflip to evade the strike.
“Slow.”
A cryptic word fell slowly from Zaphira’s lips. She spoke in a language Vivian had never heard before—the Demon Tongue. It was a language capable of channeling the power of curses, every word steeped in filth and malice. When a demon spoke it and chose to infuse it with mana, a powerful curse would manifest and take hold of their enemy.
Suddenly, a thick, black sludge exuding an evil aura appeared out of thin air, rapidly coating Vivian’s skin. It dragged at her movements, slowing her leap.
‘How disgusting.’
A wave of nausea washed over Vivian. She clenched her right fist, and a burst of purple energy erupted from her body, shattering the sludge made of cursed energy.
However, Zaphira had already achieved her goal of slowing her target down. She lunged in front of Vivian, her longsword swinging in a horizontal arc toward the girl’s chest.
‘I can’t dodge it!’
In a rush, Vivian crossed her arms in front of her chest to shield herself.
*Squelch!*
A muffled thud echoed as blood sprayed. The longsword bit deep into her flesh, only stopping when the sharp blade scraped against the bone. Despite the blow, Vivian’s expression remained as calm as still water. Seizing the moment Zaphira spent recovering from her swing, Vivian threw a left hook!
*Boom!*
Zaphira’s flat chest was caved in by the punch. The demon was sent flying backward, her silhouette performing a backflip in midair before she landed steadily on the ground. She looked down at her sunken chest, a flicker of surprise crossing her mind.
“I have to admit, I underestimated you earlier. I’m upgrading your evaluation to a ‘big piece of trash’ now~”
She spoke with a playful lilt in her voice, but her eyes were grave. Her sunken chest gradually began to pop back into place.
“…”
Vivian stared silently at her dripping forearm. A large, jagged wound sat upon her elbow, leaving the area a bloody mess.
‘I’m… injured…’
A hint of disbelief flickered in the depths of her eyes. Her fingers trembled as she touched a bit of the blood from the mangled wound. She slowly brought it to her lips for a taste.
‘It’s salty too…’
She had wondered if a Vampire Queen’s blood would have some kind of special flavor. A faint metallic taste spread across her tongue. This was usually her favorite flavor, yet now, it made her frown with displeasure.
‘I actually got hurt!’
It was a sensation she had never experienced before—strange and novel. In the three months since she had arrived in this world, this was the first time she had encountered a being capable of wounding her.
Vivian raised her head somewhat wistfully, looking up at the sky dyed red by the orange-red flames. Thoughts raced through her mind.
‘I thought that as long as the true gods in the heavens didn’t come down to cause trouble… I was invincible. It seems I was being a bit arrogant.’
A self-deprecating smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. Zaphira’s appearance had instilled a sense of crisis in Vivian’s heart. Her current strength seemed… insufficient to maintain her peaceful life. If a few more demons like Zaphira showed up, her life would be ruined.
‘Therefore, I need more power!’
Vivian’s expression turned determined as she tightly clenched her right fist. A layer of red energy coated her elbow. Wiggling granulation began to sprout within the wound. In the blink of an eye, the injury sealed completely. Her fair skin returned to its original, smooth state.
“Oh my~ I don’t know what you’re thinking about,” Zaphira said, waving her hand dismissively with a giggle from a short distance away. “But Lady Zaphira can understand why someone who is about to die might feel a bit sentimental! However, next, I’m going to show you my full strength!”
As she finished speaking, a torrent of flames erupted from her petite body. Her burgundy hair stood on end, and waves of scorching heat swept across the entire wilderness. A blinding light appeared.
Carlyle, who had been forgotten off to the side, suddenly felt a wave of heat hit his face. He hurriedly opened his eyes, only to see a massive pillar of fire erupting from the ground, illuminating the pitch-black night sky.
‘What the hell is that!?’
He had intended to play dead and wait until Vivian and Zaphira were finished fighting before making his move. If Vivian won, he would play dead and beg for mercy. If Zaphira won, he would go up and flatter her to claim some credit.
But he hadn’t expected this.
A sudden, extreme heat surged toward him. Poor Carlyle didn’t even have time to scream before he was instantly vaporized. Not even a corpse remained.
The terrifyingly high temperature melted and crystallized the loose sand beneath Zaphira’s feet. The desert was covered in a layer of translucent, glass-like crust. Even the space itself seemed to distort and ripple from the heat.
Vivian couldn’t help but shield her face with her hand. The intense light in front of her was so blinding she could barely keep her eyes open!
‘Should I run…’
She quietly took a few steps back. As the saying went: “Where there is life, there is hope.” Time to get out of here!
Since things looked bad, there was no need to force it. Her life was more important. Vivian’s feet slid across the ground as she turned to slip away back the way she came.
‘When I pass the camp, I have to remember to take Nolan and Blake with me,’ she muttered to herself, worried she might run too fast and accidentally leave the two behind.
Right then.
“Vivian, we’re here to help!”
Two familiar voices suddenly called out from ahead. Speak of the devil. Nolan and Blake broke through the outer barrier of flames and rushed toward Vivian with a shout.
“To think you’d desert your post—you coward!” Zaphira’s enraged, shrill voice rang out from behind.
Vivian glanced back. She saw Zaphira, wreathed in flames, transform into a streak of red light as she flew toward her.
“I’ll stop her! You guys run!”
Blake let out a roar, the muscles on his body bulging abruptly! The wounds from his last battle that hadn’t yet healed split open again. However, the blood spurting from the cracks was instantly evaporated by the heat, leaving behind only gruesome, fleshy gashes.
At that moment, a tall phantom of an Orc appeared behind Blake!
“Advance!”
A deep and majestic voice echoed from the phantom. Though it was clearly the Orc language, everyone present seemed to understand its meaning. Blake’s figure became like a meteor, turning into a streak of white light as he crashed directly into Zaphira.
In an instant, the red and white meteors collided.
*Boom!*
An earth-shattering explosion erupted across the wilderness. Vivian looked at Nolan as he rushed toward her. Her eyes darted around as if she had thought of something.
“Nolan, come here!” she shouted to him.
“What did you say? It’s too loud, I can’t hear you!” Nolan yelled back in confusion.
Vivian clicked her tongue. She had wanted to give Nolan some time to prepare mentally, but since there was no chance… she would just do it!
Her body exploded into a swarm of bats, flying rapidly toward Nolan.
*Flap flap flap!*
Amidst the dense sound of wings, Nolan was enveloped by Vivian’s swarm of bats.
“Wha—”
Before Nolan could speak, a sharp pain flared in his neck. He turned his head and saw that Vivian had already bitten him. The strength throughout his body, along with his blood, was being rapidly drained by her. He felt as though he was about to be sucked dry.
‘Don’t do this, Vivian! I’ll die!’
Nolan’s strong will to live caused him to struggle violently. Suddenly, a red light flickered in the depths of Vivian’s eyes. Nolan’s body shivered.
‘It’s fine if I’m drained like this…’
An idea he could hardly understand crossed his mind. Then, he slowly closed his eyes and let Vivian have her way.
After an unknown amount of time, Vivian finally let go. She gently placed the unconscious Nolan onto the sand. Nolan’s eyes remained peacefully closed, his arms hanging limp and powerless.
“Rest for a while. I’ll be right back.”
Vivian stood up and clenched her fists. A faint purple glow surfaced on her skin. She could clearly feel the surging, torrential power rampaging restlessly in her blood!
‘I am stronger than ever before…’
Vivian summoned her panel and took a look.
**[Satiety: 150/150]**
‘I’m full. It’s time to send that demon on her way…’
Her dark red eyes looked toward the red figure in the air.
‘I hope you give me a lot of experience points, Zaphira.’