The Azure Knight

Chapter 17

Sera finally arrived at Roselake, the nearest big town from the frontier. Her appearance was really terrible now. Her white shirt became purple at some parts and her pants were torn at the knees. She also smelled fishy because of the monster's blood that stuck on her shirt. Anyone who was passing her immediately went away while staring at her with curiosity and also fear. Maybe it was because of her awful appearance. Blood and the smell of it always made people scared. Even the guards – who watch the city gate – interrogate her first before they were let her in.

Sera found the store easily and bought all of the herbs that Ayaka wanted. In a minute, she was in the forest again. It was a quick shopping, but need hours and a lot of effort to go to this city. She sighed when she saw the sky. Its color was crimson now as the sun was hanging on the west. Half of it was already set. The night will come in a blink if she didn't hurry.

This time, she was sure where was she heading. She remembered all the way to come back home.

Being lost wasn't so vainly for me. Sera thought while carefully climbed down the hill. She held her torch high to see the path furthermore. There were roots that poking out in the middle of the road. It distracted her. For a while, she walked without looked to the front. It made her bumped into something.

"Ack!"

Fiery green eyes appeared from the darkness. She was just bumped into a monster, the same monster that she fought this afternoon, but five times bigger. Sera walked backward slowly while looked up to its eyes. Something cracked under her shoes. Automatically, she glanced to see what it was.

It was the dead body of the monster that she killed earlier. Apparently, its mother looking for its baby but only to find out that it was already dead. The giant monster roared soon after Sera turned her back and started to run. It swung its leg and its claws stuck in her bag. She felt like she was flying before she realized that she was being lifted by the monster.

"ARGH!!!"

Sera panicked and used her dagger to cut her bag hastily. It made her fell hard to the ground. Luckily, she was not too far from it so it didn't really hurt. Even so, she still couldn't able to walk properly. Now that the monster realized that its prey was trying to escape, it swung its other leg to pierce her. The girl was closed her eyes. She was ready to feel the pain from the sharp claws that will stab her body soon, but she felt nothing.

Sera opened her eyes only to see Alexei was already standing in front of her, withstand the monster's claws with his large sword.

***

"Don't just sit there and stared at me! Run!" Alexei shouted to Sera.

Ayaka had arrived and helped Sera to stand. Both of them immediately rushed away from the fighting zone.

"Are you hurt?"

"It's only a few scratch. I'm fine. I should help them." Sera gathered her magic at her hand. She just about drew her fire sword when Ayaka held her hand.

"Don't go. They can handle it."

"Ayaka-san, I can't just watch them fighting alone. It's a high-level monster. They are maybe able to injure the monster, but they cannot kill it!" Sera shouted in depressed.

While the two of them argued, Alexei pushed forward his sword to force the monster to step backward. "What a leovasher doing here?"

"Let's think about it later!"

Selwyn had joined him now with his wind magic. The former captain of Cerulean Empire's army had swung his hand in the air to cut down its claw using the wind, but he failed.

The monster that called leovasher, roared louder than before. It made his wind slash disappearing instantly. The roar was so strong until Selwyn was forced to build a barrier. A transparent white light appeared like a wall just in time. Even though they were saved from being pushed away, the barrier was trembling under the great roar. All of them covered their ears immediately. Sera ran closer to the monster, leaving Ayaka behind who was still put her hands on her ears.

"The eyes! Aim the eyes!" Sera shouted.

Selwyn nodded. Then he made his move by throwing more wind slash once the roar was over. He made an open for Alexei to stab its eyes. But the leovasher brandished its claw again, faster than its previous speed. It had closed Alexei's way to go forward and made him jumped aside to dodge the shocking attack.

Alexei clutched his sword with both of his hand to defend himself from being torn off. While he was doing so, Selwyn managed to send his wind spears and injured its body. A few drop of blood fell to the ground as those spears stuck there for a while before vanished. The monster got distracted for a second because of the wounds. It directed his mouth to Selwyn and roared, ignored its other enemy.

"Alterplex!" Alexei shouted to activate his magic. The wide sword that on his hand began to separate from each side. It split into two parts. He used this chance to attack again while the monster was completely focused to Selwyn. He was on his dual-wielding mode now. Alexei raised his swords and swung both to slash the monster's leg. Blood splattered from the wounds.

'The twin is out.' Sera said. She referred to the swords. 'But it is still not enough to kill the monster.'

"Ignite!" Sera called her fire sword. She was already named it, so it was easier to use. A long sword made from her fire magic suddenly appeared on her hand. The three of them who witnessed Sera's magic didn't have time to get amazed. Alexei was lying on the ground after being hit when he looked at Sera. He was immediately rolled aside to dodge the deathly claws, while Ayaka was healing Selwyn. The man apparently was late to make a barrier, so the roar was hit him directly.

"Nice sword, shorty. But you will make the forest get burn with it!" Alexei warned her.

"I know it, idiot! Did you think I'm going to burn us alive here?" Sera shouted. "Now follow my words. I will distract its hands and you go to stab its eyes."

Without waiting for any respond from Selwyn and Alexei, the girl jumped forward, right when the leovasher waved its front leg.

Slash!

A pond of blood had created around Sera. She was just slit a few claws out from the monster's leg.

***