Chapter 224 – Their Anger

Chapter 224

Their Anger 

Date : Day 9 of Deepwinter 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

The key was finally in their hands.

Arianna's Earth Wall could stop the Blancorn's charge. Once its momentum was taken away and its massive body became stuck, the rest of Freedom Party could pour their attacks into it before the Goblin Rider had enough time to recover.

It wasn't a perfect strategy. But it worked. And against a Guardian as troublesome as this one, that was enough.

Hyoren tightened his grip around the Étendard Sacré du Lys in his left hand and Dawn Breaker in his right.

We can do this…

The Blancorn was visibly wounded.

Blood stained its white fur, and several deep gashes marred its side. Poison continued to seep through its body, while the wounds inflicted by Jackey's Bloody Axe had accumulated damage through its compounding effect.

Its regeneration was still working.

But it couldn't erase everything immediately. If they could repeat the same strategy two or three more times, the Blancorn would fall. And once that happened, the Goblin Rider would lose its mount.

A knight without a mount should be much easier to deal with…

Even if that mithril armor remained troublesome, at least the Goblin Rider wouldn't have the Blancorn's overwhelming speed and charging power behind it.

Hyoren took a breath.

Then he activated the Ring of Arsenal.

“Swap. Spear to shield.”

The mithril spear in his left hand vanished. His Steel Kite Shield appeared in its place.

Almost immediately, the Goblin Rider flicked the reins. The Blancorn lowered its head. Its six legs dug into the arena floor. It was going after Arianna again.

Hyoren didn't hesitate. He raised his shield.

“Provoke.”

A wave of Aethell spread across the arena.

The guardian's attention shifted. The Blancorn changed its direction, turning away from Arianna. Toward Hyoren.

Hyoren immediately activated his Ring of Arsenal again.

“Swap. Shield to spear.”

His shield disappeared, replaced once more by the Étendard Sacré du Lys. The banner of Aetovacus fluttered behind him as he lowered his stance. 

He was ready.

And this time, nobody needed an explanation. His party members already knew what to do.

Jackey stood nearby with his twin axes in hand. His eyes remained fixed on the Blancorn. The moment Arianna stopped its charge, he would be there. His Bloody Axe was ready to continue building upon the damage he had already inflicted.

Elise had moved farther toward the wall. She had already nocked another poisoned arrow into her Moonveil Bow. Her emerald eyes tracked the Blancorn carefully, waiting for the moment when its movement was finally stopped.

And Arianna stood in position with the Quadraflux Weaver raised.

Her expression was calm. Her mind was already calculating. Distance. Speed. Timing. The precise moment when she needed to release the spell.

She had done it once. She could do it again.

The Blancorn began to move. One step. Then another. Its pace rapidly increased. The Goblin Rider lowered its massive white lance.

Hyoren planted his feet and prepared himself.

The distance continued to shrink. And Freedom Party repeated what they had already proven worked.

Arianna waited until the timing was right. Her light blue eyes remained fixed on the charging Blancorn.

Then, at the precise moment—a surge of Aethell flowed through her Quadraflux Weaver.

“Earth Wall!”

The ground in front of the Blancorn erupted. A thick stone wall rose from the arena floor.

BOOM!

The Blancorn slammed directly into it.  Dust burst outward as cracks spread across the stone. But just like before, the Blancorn's charge was stopped.

And this time, Freedom Party didn't need to be told what came next.

They moved.

Hyoren rushed forward first. His mithril spear thrust toward the Blancorn while the Goblin Rider was still recovering from the sudden stop.

At the same time, the Goblin Rider swung its massive lance.

CLANG!

Hyoren caught the attack with his spear, redirecting the lance away from his body.

He immediately followed with Dawn Breaker.

“Quick Slash!”

SQUELCH!

His sword carved into the Blancorn's wounded side.

Jackey was already there.

The Cat-clan Beastkin leaped onto the Blancorn's flank and began swinging both axes repeatedly.

“Cross Slash!”

SCREEECK!

Another strike. And another one. Each strike opened another wound. The compounding effect of the Bloody Axe continued to build.

Elise didn't stop either.

From a position near the edge of the battlefield, her Moonveil Bow continued to sing. Twanging strings. Flying arrows.

SQUELCH.

One poisoned arrow after another buried itself into the Blancorn. This time, the effects were becoming increasingly obvious. Its movements weren't as smooth anymore. Its muscles occasionally twitched. Its six legs didn't respond quite as quickly as they had before.

The poison was finally accumulating faster than the Blancorn could comfortably recover from it.

The Guardian struggled against the Earth Wall. Then—the Blancorn finally broke free with a loud sound.

But Freedom Party was already retreating.

They had done this before. They knew the rhythm. Provoke. Charge. Earth Wall. Attack. Retreat. Then repeat.

And they did exactly that.

Again. And again.

Two more times, Arianna successfully stopped the Blancorn's charge with another precisely timed Earth Wall. Each time the Guardian was stopped, Freedom Party attacked without hesitation.

Each exchange left more wounds. More poison. More accumulated damage. And with every repetition, the Blancorn became slower.

Until finally—the massive white beast stumbled. Its middle legs barely moved.

Hyoren's eyes narrowed. He watched carefully.

The Blancorn's body was covered in wounds. Its breathing had become heavier, and its movements were no longer as sharp as before. Even its muscles were visibly twitching.

Elise's poison was doing its job. Its reflexes were slowing. Its movements were becoming sluggish.

Hyoren's lips slowly curved upward.

Almost…

The others noticed it too.

Jackey's eyes were fixed on the struggling Blancorn. Elise lowered her bow slightly, though she didn't let her guard down. Arianna tightened her grip around the Quadraflux Weaver.

They all understood. This was the final stretch. The Blancorn was almost dead.

But none of them relaxed.

They had already learned that Floor Guardians weren't ordinary monsters. A Guardian could have a last-resort skill. It could suddenly change its behavior. It could even enter another phase.

The Goblin Berserker on the first floor had sacrificed its own regeneration to gain explosive power when it almost died. The Goblin Ruler on the second floor had possessed three distinct phases during its battle.

There was no reason to assume this Goblin Rider would simply collapse without one final struggle.

Hyoren tightened his grip around his sword and shield.

This guardian might have a second phase...

His eyes remained fixed on the Blancorn.

His gamer instincts were already filling in the possibilities. He had seen this kind of thing countless times in games. A boss looked nearly defeated. Its health dropped low.

Then—a new pattern. A hidden skill. A second phase.

This Akela Dungeon proved to be too similar to how games on earth work… I’m sure the Goblin Rider will do something… soon…

He wasn't going to let his party become careless now.

“Everyone!”

His voice immediately drew their attention.

“Be careful! We might see a change in behavior, just like the previous Guardians!”

Elise immediately raised her Moonveil Bow again. Another arrow slid into place.

“Mm!”

Jackey lowered his stance. His Bloody Axe was readied in his right hand, while the Flying Kite Axe in his left remained raised.

His tabby cat ears stood alert.

“Okay, Big Bro! Whatever the skulkers do, I'm ready to whack it! HAHA!”

Arianna adjusted her grip on the Quadraflux Weaver. Her breathing remained steady even if her forehead was drenched with sweat.

“Understood, Leader. I still have plenty of Aethell Reserve.”

Hyoren looked at the three of them.

Despite the fatigue. Despite the long battle. Despite everything they had endured over the past twelve days—they were still standing.

Still ready. Still fighting together.

My party members are all dependable…

A grin appeared on Hyoren's face.

***

Just as Hyoren finished his thought—the Guardian moved.

Hyoren's eyes narrowed.

It's here... A second phase…

The goblin rider suddenly reached up and pulled away its blindfold. For the first time, its eyes were revealed. A pair of glowing red eyes stared across the arena. The sight alone sent a chill through Hyoren's body.

The goblin rider tightened its grip on the reins.

Then—a violent surge of Aethell erupted from both the Goblin Rider and the Blancorn. Red light spread across their bodies, forming a crimson aura that enveloped the rider and its mount.

Hyoren's body reacted before his mind could fully process what he was seeing. He immediately raised his shield.

"Everyone, be careful! It's the second phase!"

His voice cut across the arena.

The others immediately understood. Elise tightened her grip on Moonveil Bow. Jackey lowered his stance, both axes ready. Arianna raised her Quadraflux Weaver, her eyes fixed on the Guardian.

Hyoren didn't move. His dark eyes carefully examined the Guardian.

The first thing he noticed was what hadn't happened. The Blancorn hadn't healed. Its body was still covered in wounds. The regeneration that had kept repairing their damage throughout the battle was still working, but it was no longer enough to keep pace with the accumulated wounds and Elise's poison.

So that wasn't a sudden super regeneration… Then…

Hyoren's gaze shifted to the Goblin Rider.

The Goblin Rider didn't look physically different either…

The white armor was still intact. Its massive lance was still in its hand. The only obvious change was the disappearance of its blindfold.

Then what changed…?  What was it trying to do…?

Only a single second had passed. Yet, with his adrenaline surging through his body, that one second seemed strangely long.

Then—the Guardian did something completely unexpected. The Goblin Rider released the reins.

Elise's voice escaped before she could stop herself. Her pointed ears twitched.

"Eh?”

Jackey's tabby cat ears shot upright.

"Why?"

Arianna's eyes widened.

"Leader...?"

Even Hyoren couldn't immediately understand what he was seeing.

The Goblin Rider simply reached down and patted the Blancorn once. Then it jumped. It landed lightly on the arena floor. For a moment, the Goblin Rider stood completely still.

Its glowing red eyes swept across the battlefield. Hyoren's gaze met those crimson eyes for the briefest instant.

Then the Goblin Rider's head turned. Its attention shifted toward the opposite side of the arena. Toward Elise. The silver-haired elf stood near the wall, Moonveil Bow drawn in her hands.

Hyoren's expression changed.

Damn it… it noticed her…

Elise had been constantly firing poison arrows throughout the battle. Most of the attacks had been weakened by the Blancorn's anti-magic effect, but the poison itself had continued accumulating.

The Blancorn was already showing the effects. Its movements had slowed. Its muscles occasionally twitched. Its reactions were no longer as sharp as before.

The Goblin Rider had apparently recognized that.

It decided Elise was the bigger threat…

But Hyoren didn't have time to think any further.

A roar suddenly shook the arena.

"ROOOOOAAAR!"

The Blancorn moved. Even without its rider. Its six legs dug into the stone floor. Then it charged. Straight toward Arianna.

Hyoren's eyes widened.

What?! They split up?!

The Guardian had abandoned its formation completely.

The Blancorn was attacking one side while the Goblin Rider went after another.

And worse—the Blancorn was moving as though its injuries didn't matter. Its middle legs were still wounded. Its body was still bleeding.

Elise's poison was still coursing through its massive body.

Yet it didn't slow down.

If anything—it was faster. Much faster than before.

Hyoren immediately understood.

It's an enrage-type skill!

The Blancorn was simply ignoring its injuries and forcing its damaged body to produce even more power.

Damn it…

Hyoren's thoughts raced.

Since both Guardians aimed for the back row, Arianna and Elise would be attacked without a way to defend themselves.

He couldn't allow that. He immediately raised his hand.

"Provoke!"

A wave of Aethell burst from Hyoren and washed across the battlefield.

Normally, that would be enough. The Blancorn should have abandoned its current target and turned toward him.

But—nothing happened.

Hyoren's eyes widened.

What…?

The Blancorn didn't even slow down. It continued charging toward Arianna.

Provoke didn't work?!

His mind instantly connected it to what had happened earlier.

The Provoke duration was already short because of the anti-magic field. But every time he reapplied it, the Blancorn had still turned towards him.

But this time—it completely ignored him.

The anti-magic effect...

Hyoren gritted his teeth.

It was already reducing the duration before. But now, during the second phase, did its effect become even stronger?

There was no time to test the theory.

The Blancorn was already closing in on Arianna. And it was moving faster than ever.

At the same time—the Goblin Rider lowered its massive lance. Its glowing red eyes remained fixed on Elise. The Guardian leaned forward while rushing across the arena. Straight toward the silver-haired elf.

***

Jackey watched the Blancorn charge toward Arianna. His golden eyes widened.

Only moments ago, Hyoren had used Provoke. 

And this time—it had failed. The wave of Aethell had washed over the guardian, yet the Blancorn never changed its direction. It continued charging straight toward the crimson-haired mage with reckless speed.

“Big Bro's skill failed!”

The words escaped Jackey before he could even think about them.

His gaze immediately snapped toward Arianna—his lover. The crimson-haired mage was standing near the edge of the arena, Quadraflux Weaver already raised in her hands.

Jackey's expression changed. His tabby cat ears perked upright.

“Arianna!”

He didn't wait. His body moved before his mind could finish forming the thought. He started to sprint.

His Strong Legs and Physical Enhancement were already active, the two skills continuously reinforcing his body as they had throughout the battle. His powerful legs struck the stone floor in rapid succession as he accelerated toward Arianna.

At almost the same moment, Hyoren moved too.

Jackey caught a glimpse of his Big Bro rushing in the opposite direction. Toward Elise.

The situation was clear.

The guardian had split its targets. Hyoren was going after Elise. Jackey was going after Arianna.

Then Hyoren's voice rang across the arena.

“Jackey! Go protect Arianna!”

Jackey tightened his grip around his twin axes and pushed his muscles even harder.

“Already on my way, Big Bro!”

He didn't see Hyoren nod. He didn't have the time to. His golden eyes were already locked onto the Blancorn. The massive beast was closing the distance.

Jackey's ears flattened.

Arianna was trying to prepare something. Her Quadraflux Weaver was raised, and he could see the concentration in her expression.

But Jackey knew.

She wouldn't have enough time!

Earth Wall required preparation. Even with Arianna's incredible ability, she couldn't simply conjure it instantly.

And although Arianna had been training her physical condition and stamina alongside everyone else, she was still a mage. She wasn't strong enough to withstand a direct charge. She couldn't simply dodge a monster that massive at the last second.

Jackey's breathing became heavier.

His legs continued carrying him forward at their maximum speed.

Closer!

Just a little closer!

But the Blancorn was faster.

“I can't reach her in time!!”

His voice came out strained.

He was already running as fast as he could. Yet the distance between them was still too great.

The Blancorn lowered its head. Its massive white horn pointed directly toward Arianna.

Jackey's eyes narrowed.

If he couldn't reach her in time—then he needed to slow the Blancorn down.

His left hand flicked as he activated his Throwing Skill.

“Precision Throw.”

His Flying Kite Axe left his hand. The weapon spun through the air in a wide arc, its trajectory guided by the skill.

SWOOSH!

The white axe curved toward the Blancorn's hindquarters.

Jackey had aimed for its leg. Helped by skill assist, the aim came true.

SCREEECK!

The axe buried itself into the Blancorn's hind left leg. The beast roared. Its charge faltered.

Only slightly.

But it was enough. The Blancorn's speed dropped as its wounded leg dragged against the stone floor.

Jackey's eyes lit up.

“Got you!”

He immediately used the axe's return function.

“Return.”

The Flying Kite Axe vanished from the Blancorn's leg. In the same instant, it reappeared in Jackey's left hand.

There was no time for celebration. The Blancorn was still coming.

Its wounded leg dragged behind it, its body struggling against the damage that had already accumulated throughout the battle.

Poison and neurotoxin continued coursing through its enormous body. Its muscles were already damaged. Its nerves were hampered. Its movements were already slower. 

Yet the red Aethell surrounding the guardian continued to flare.

The Blancorn simply ignored everything. Its wounded body was being forced forward by the power of its enraged state.

Jackey gritted his teeth.

“Still not enough...”

He pushed himself harder.

Arianna was getting closer. The Blancorn was getting closer. But the distance was disappearing too quickly.

“I can't make it!”

There was no way he could stop the charge completely with another attack.

And then Jackey's thoughts changed.

If I couldn't stop it! I could protect her!

His usual instinct was simple.

Attack. Charge forward. Whack the enemy until it stopped moving. That was how the Cat-clan Beastkin fought.

But this time, there was someone behind the enemy. Someone he couldn't let get hurt.

His eyes flicked toward Arianna—his lover. The thought made his heart tighten. He decided.

I must protect her!

Jackey had seen Hyoren do this countless times. Standing between the enemy and everyone else. Taking the attack himself when there was no other choice. Protecting the people he loved behind him.

Jackey understood it now.

“Just like Big Bro!”

His legs pushed against the stone floor one final time.

He reached Arianna. Just in time. The Blancorn was already upon them. Its horn lowered.

Arianna's light-blue eyes widened.

“Jackey! Don't!”

She immediately understood what he was about to do.

“You can't tank like Leader!”

Jackey stopped directly in front of her. He knew the Blancorn was there. He knew exactly what was coming.

His dual axes rose. The Flying Kite Axe in his left hand. The Bloody Axe in his right. He crossed them in front of his body.

For the first time ever, Jackey wasn't preparing to attack. He was preparing to take the hit.

A wide grin appeared on his face.

“I will protect my woman!”

Arianna's eyes widened even further.

“Jackey...!”

The Blancorn arrived.

BOOM!

Its massive white horn crashed into Jackey's crossed axes.

The impact was monstrous.

“Heavy!”

The force surged through both of his arms and into his entire body.

Big Bro tried to tank this, before!?

Taking the attack from this massive beast made him realize how extraordinary Hyoren's tanking skill was.

But he couldn't dwell much on it. The Blancorn charge momentum still pushed him with heavy pressure.

The Flying Kite Axe couldn't withstand it. It gave up under heavy pressure.

The weapon shattered beneath the impact. It was not a weapon designed to take the brunt of the attack. Its construction prioritized lightness so it could be thrown easily. Fragments of metal flew away. 

At the same time, Jackey's left arm was violently forced backward. A sickening crack rang through the arena. His arm went limp. 

The force didn't stop there.

His entire body was driven backward. His feet scraped across the stone floor. His legs dug into the ground as he desperately resisted. The Blancorn pushed forward.

Jackey's boots slid.

Stone scraped beneath them. His muscles screamed. His ribs felt as though they were being crushed from within.

He gritted his teeth.

“HNGH...!”

Blood rose into his throat. He swallowed it. The Blancorn continued pushing.

Jackey's body shook under the tremendous force. But he didn't move. Not this time. Behind him was Arianna. And he would not let the Blancorn reach her.

His Bloody Axe trembled in his right hand. His broken left arm hung uselessly beside him. Blood soaked his clothes. His ribs were broken. His body was battered by the impact.

Then—finally the charge stopped.

Jackey had done it. He had stopped the Blancorn.

The massive beast stood directly in front of him, its horn pressed against the crossed remains of his weapons.

Jackey coughed.

“Hah...”

Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. His body was barely holding together. But his golden eyes remained open.

He had stopped it. 

Not because he was the strongest. Not because he could tank attacks like Hyoren. But because, for this one moment, he had chosen to stand where Hyoren would have stood.

Between the enemy—and the person he wanted to protect.

***

Arianna could only stare. For a moment, her mind refused to accept what her eyes were showing her.

Jackey was still standing in front of her.

But his body was battered. Blood ran down from his mouth and dripped onto the stone floor. More blood stained his clothes, flowing from the wounds caused by the tremendous impact. His left arm hung completely limp at his side, twisted from the force of the collision.

His Flying Kite Axe was gone. Broken. Yet his right hand still held the Bloody Axe tightly.

And somehow—the Cat-clan Beastkin was still standing straight.

“Jackey...”

Arianna's voice trembled. She tightened her grip around her Quadraflux Weaver and stepped closer.

“Jackey! Are you alive? Please, answer me!”

Jackey slowly turned his head. His golden eyes met her light-blue ones.

Then he grinned. There was blood covering his teeth.

“Better than ever!”

He gave her a thumbs-up with his good hand, despite the state of his body.

“I could protect you! That's what matters!”

Arianna's eyes widened.

“That's not something you should be…”

She couldn't even finish.

The Blancorn roared.

“GRAAAAAAAAH!”

Arianna's expression immediately hardened. Jackey turned his head back.

The battle wasn't over. The Blancorn was still alive. The crimson aura surrounding its massive body continued to flare violently. Its six legs were already battered, several of them barely able to support its weight, yet the creature refused to fall.

It jumped backward with a heavy sound.

Its wounded body landed several meters away with a heavy impact. More than half of its legs were damaged. Its movement was visibly impaired.

But the Blancorn didn't care.

It had received an order from its master—the Goblin Rider. And it would continue until that order was fulfilled.

Its eyes locked onto Arianna. Its horn slowly lowered.

Jackey immediately stepped forward again.

Even with his broken left arm hanging uselessly, he positioned himself between Arianna and the Blancorn.

Arianna stared at his back. Something inside her snapped.

The refined noblewoman who had spent five years learning etiquette and proper conduct at the academy disappeared for a moment. So did the mischievous girl who could become a magic freak brat.

What surfaced instead was something much more primal—anger. Her loved one had been wounded. Not merely scratched. Not merely injured.

He had been battered to this extent while protecting her.

Arianna's fingers tightened around her staff.

The feeling reminded her of what had happened when they faced Killa. That same instinct. That same fury. That same overwhelming desire to protect someone important to her.

You hurt him.

Her fingers tightened around her staff.

You hurt him this badly.

The Blancorn's horn lowered further. Arianna's light-blue eyes narrowed.

Why did you hurt him?

A feeling of protectiveness surged through her chest.

He's mine.

Her breathing became slower. 

Her surroundings seemed to change. Every sound in the arena faded. The movements of the Blancorn seemed to slow. Time itself felt stretched thin.

She could see the wounded legs. The blood. The poison.

Jackey's battered body standing between her and death.

It will attack again.

Her eyes moved to Jackey.

He's already too injured. He couldn't take another direct charge.

If that horn struck him again… He will die.

Arianna bit her lower lip.

What can I do...?

Her mind raced through every spell she used in this battle. Wind Arrow. Water Cutter. Everything failed to do satisfying damage.

She already knew the problem. The Blancorn's anti-magic field. Every spell that reaches it is weakened by more than half. The academy text book she read in the past said so.

Her earlier Wind Arrow had barely scratched it. Water Cutter had done little more. But it was not enough.

Then—Arianna's eyes widened. Realization struck her.

Wait…

A single memory surfaced—Earth Wall. The spell that had stopped the Blancorn's charge.

The earth wall had formed directly in its path. The Blancorn had slammed into it with tremendous force. And yet—the wall had held.

Arianna's breathing stopped for a moment.

Earth Wall is also magic. Then why? Why had the Blancorn's anti-magic field failed to simply weaken the wall?

Her mind began putting the pieces together.

Don't tell me...

Her eyes sharpened.

My other spells fizzle because they're only Aethell shaped into magic.

Wind. Water. Fire. They were manifestations of Aethell. But Earth magic was different. It created something physical. Earth. Stone. Gravel. A construct that existed after the spell had already been formed. It would still dissolve after enough time had passed, but within the time the spell existed, the material that consisted of the construct was real.

The anti-magic field could weaken the magic used to create it… But it couldn't weaken the physical earth after it had already formed?

Arianna's eyes gleamed.

That's it…

She understood.

“Jackey!”

Her voice cut through the arena.

“Leave this to me!”

Jackey glanced back.

Arianna had already raised her Quadraflux Weaver. 

Her expression was no longer frightened. It had turned to grim determination.

Her mind immediately began constructing the spell.

I don't need power or area.

Her fingers tightened around her staff. 

She didn't need to create a giant formation. She didn't need countless spikes. She only needed enough.

Her Quadraflux Weaver remained firmly in her hands as the runic array began forming within her consciousness.

The spell she chose was not a simple spell. It was her fourth-tier Basic Earth Magic—Earth Spikes.

The runic array took shape.

One rune after another connected into the spell.

Earth. Spikes. Point. Ground. Erupt. Matter. Thick. Shape. Sharp. Area.

Ten runes. Each one had a purpose.

Earth determined the element. Spikes determined the form. Point determined where the spell would manifest.  Ground and Erupt determined that the spikes would emerge directly from the ground. Matter, Thick, Shape, and Sharp determined what the spikes would be made of and how sturdy and sharp they would become. And Area determined the space covered by the spell.

Normally, Arianna would use Earth Spikes differently.

Against a horde of weak monsters, she would spread the spell across a wide area and create countless spikes to skewer multiple enemies at once.

But she didn't need that now. She didn't need countless spikes.

I only need a few. I only need enough to pierce that thick hide.

Her light-blue eyes remained fixed on the Blancorn.

Four should be enough…

The Blancorn suddenly lunged forward.

Its wounded legs pushed against the stone floor. It roared. This was its final charge. A desperate attack fueled by enrage. It charged with the crimson aura surrounding its body flaring brightly.

Jackey remained in front of Arianna.

But Arianna wasn't afraid anymore. She had already finished constructing the spell.

At the exact moment the Blancorn began its charge—the orb atop her Quadraflux Weaver flashed brilliantly.

“Earth Spikes!”

DONDONDON!

The ground erupted.

Four thick, sharp stone spikes burst upward in rapid succession.

The first pierced the Blancorn's front left leg.

SCREEECK!

The second tore through its right side.

SCREEECK!

The third pierced through its left rear side.

SCREEECK!

The fourth erupted beneath its right rear side.

SCREEECK!

The Blancorn's charge came to an abrupt halt with a deafening roar. Its massive body jerked violently as the four spikes pinned it in place.

Arianna's breathing became heavy. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. The spell had required far more concentration than a normal casting. She had modified nearly every part of the spell. She had sacrificed area. She had sacrificed power. Everything had been concentrated into speed, thickness, and penetration. And it worked.

But the Blancorn still didn't die. 

The crimson aura continued to burn around its body. It struggled against the spikes. Its muscles contracted violently. Stone cracked. The beast tried to tear itself free.

Even if doing so meant destroying its own wounded body.

Arianna stared.

It was terrifying.

Even after everything—it still refused to stop.

Then Jackey's tabby cat ears twitched.

“Good job for making it stop again, Arianna!”

His voice was loud and full of energy despite his battered condition.

“Leave the rest to me!”

Arianna's eyes widened.

“Jackey?”

He was wounded. Badly. His left arm was broken. Blood still covered his body. He should have been resting. 

Yet he was already charging. Adrenaline surged through him, drowning out the pain.

His Instinct screamed at him.

KILL IT!

This white beast had tried to hurt Arianna. That was enough reason for him.

“Wait!”

Arianna reached out.

“You're wounded!”

Jackey didn't stop. He didn't want to stop.

His right hand tightened around the Bloody Axe. His left arm remained limp, useless at his side. He accelerated toward the immobilized Blancorn.

Then he jumped. The Bloody Axe rose high above his head.

His golden eyes burned with determination.

“Eat this!”

He brought the axe down.

“Horny Beast!”

His voice echoed through the arena.

“Power Slash!”

The Bloody Axe slammed into the Blancorn's thick neck.

SCREEECK!

For a moment—it met resistance. The neck was one of the Blancorn's protected weak points. Its thick hide and armor-like streak resisted the strike.

Jackey's arms trembled.

But he didn't stop. He gritted his teeth.

“OOOGGGHH!”

He poured everything into the attack. His remaining strength. His momentum. His weight.

Everything combined with the compounding effect that had been accumulating every time his Bloody Axe struck the same target throughout the entire battle.

The stacks had been building from the beginning of the battle. Strike after strike. Again and again.

And now—they had reached their threshold. The accumulated damage finally overwhelmed the Blancorn's defense.

The Bloody Axe broke through.

SCREEECK!

The massive blade tore through the thick neck.

Jackey roared as he forced the weapon downward.

The resistance disappeared. The axe cleaved through. The Blancorn's head was severed from its body.

Jackey landed with both feet planted firmly against the stone floor. Arianna stood behind him, her Quadraflux Weaver still raised.

For several seconds—silence.

Neither of them moved. Neither seemed to breathe.

Then the enormous body of the Blancorn began to break apart. Its white fur. Its massive body. Its blood. Everything began dissolving into countless particles of Aethell.

The crimson aura faded with it.

One half of the third-floor Guardian—had fallen.