The handsome youth held his sword forward in his right hand, his left held out to the side for balance.
The sharp tip of the sword glinted with a cold light.
The Swift Sword was about 1.2 meters long, but its blade was only two fingers wide, making the whole thing look like a magnified sewing needle.
"Sir, there’s no need for this, is there?" the youth said with a smile. It was a smile as warm as a spring breeze.
Colin completely ignored him.
He leaped forward, switching to a one-handed grip as he thrust violently.
The handsome youth remained unruffled. He drew his body back while thrusting out with his own one-handed sword, the tip aimed straight for his opponent’s forearm.
Looking at the guard on the Swift Sword’s hilt—an entanglement of several curved metal strips that protected the entire hand—Colin quickly pulled back his strike. He didn’t dare risk a trade that would leave a bloody hole in his arm.
Counter-intuitively, the blade of the one-handed Swift Sword was longer than that of the two-hand-capable Hand Half Sword. Forcing a direct confrontation now was definitely not a wise decision.
Seeing his opponent retreat, the handsome youth once again used the tip of his sword to keep him at bay, steadily maintaining a defensive posture.
He made a hand gesture and began Casting again.
Colin took a deep breath and began chanting a Spell at the same time.
The two Casters were like orchestra conductors. They made gestures and recited Spells. The invisible Magic Net was like an orchestra following their lead, uniformly weaving and fluctuating, tangling into the shapes the conductors desired, and replicating the corresponding magic models.
After being baptized by fire in several high-intensity battles and spending a long time in research, Colin could cast the [Flaming Arrow] Magic with complete ease.
He reached his left hand back.
Countless sparks materialized from thin air and converged from all directions, coalescing into a ball of fire in Colin’s palm, while his opponent was only halfway through chanting his Spell.
To the handsome youth’s astonishment, he swung his arm forward.
The arrow of fire flew out.
In this duel of Casting Speed, Colin was completely victorious!
Though cast second, his Magic struck first, exploding on his opponent’s right shoulder. A large patch of the man’s Leather Armor was instantly blackened.
His own Magic, not yet fully formed, rapidly dispersed. The right hand holding the Swift Sword no longer had the strength to keep it pointed at his opponent in a defensive stance.
Colin surged forward again, sword held high, and thrust with one hand.
"Damn it..." the handsome youth cursed, then uttered a strange word.
The moment he heard that word, Colin suddenly felt the muscles in his arm twitch, and he began to pull back his strike involuntarily.
Fortunately, his thrust had enough momentum that the tip of his sword still managed to pierce a bloody hole in his opponent’s shoulder.
However, at the last moment, the handsome youth propped up his injured right hand and made a backhanded stab at his opponent’s thigh.
Spurred by the sharp pain, Colin suddenly felt a taut string in his mind snap.
The [Tasha’s Hideous Laughter] had been broken!
Without a second thought, he quickly stepped forward.
’Enhance, [Emerald Flame Sword]!’
A flash of fire, and the tip of his sword erupted.
With a twist of his wrist, the flaming blade sliced through the Leather Armor and disemboweled the handsome youth.
After finishing things here, Colin looked back.
Orelia had already dealt with the three monsters who had been severely wounded by [Burning Hand], but a few uninjured ones were still locked in combat with the Tiefling.
Kase was still fighting the Samurai and a few other monsters. Ale was supporting him with Magic from a short distance away. It seemed the Half-Orc had the upper hand; finishing off those monsters was only a matter of time.
Just then, the Samurai, having broken free of [Tasha’s Hideous Laughter], was rushing toward the Tiefling.
Colin charged forward with his sword.
Just as he was about to launch a sneak attack from behind, the Samurai spun around, parrying the incoming Hand Half Sword with his Short Sword and simultaneously retreating diagonally backward.
’What’s this guy’s deal?’
’Anyway, Kase and the others are almost done with the other monsters. My Magic is almost spent, but all I have to do is tie this guy up and it’ll be over.’
Colin pressed his advantage, trying to keep the pressure on his opponent.
But since he didn’t know if there were other enemies, he decided to conserve a little Spiritual Power, lest he be left with no Magic to use later.
The stout man maintained a solid Defense, parrying his opponent’s thrusts again and again as he retreated step by step into a corner of the room.
In the next few exchanges, Colin discovered that his opponent’s Power was far beyond that of a normal person. If they were to clash head-on, the man would have an overwhelming advantage.
But for some reason, the man kept trying to defend.
Only after retreating a dozen or so steps did the Samurai suddenly swing his Short Sword in a counterattack.
As Colin steadied his footing, he took small steps back, trying to take advantage of his weapon’s longer reach.
Then the Samurai suddenly raised his left hand, palm open.
’Does this guy know some kind of Magic too?’
Before Colin could figure it out, a searing pain shot through his calf.
Looking down, he saw a Hand Axe, thrown by the Samurai, embedded in his calf.
’Can this guy recall a thrown weapon?’
While thinking, Colin used his weapon’s reach advantage, Cast a Spell, and struck his opponent’s chest with an [Emerald Flame Sword].
The Long Chain Armor blocked the blade, but it couldn’t stop the Flame on its tip.
Yet the Samurai’s movements didn’t pause in the slightest after taking the hit. He turned his chest to let the blade slide along the Chain Armor while thrusting out with the Short Sword in his hand, carving a fresh gash in Colin’s upper arm.
"ARGH!!!"
Just as Colin was about to counterattack, Kase’s roar echoed in his ears as he thrust an Ice Short Spear into the Samurai’s side with both hands.
The Half-Orc’s strength was immense; he pinned his opponent directly against the wall.
With a series of CLINKs, the metal rings of the Chain Armor burst apart. The Short Spear plunged into the Samurai’s abdomen, driving all the way through until it nailed him to the wall. Blood seeped continuously from the gushing wound like water from a spring.
Colin simply stood his ground and began attacking with [Flaming Arrow].
Golden [Flaming Arrow]s also flew in from a distance, exploding one after another against the Samurai.
Under this barrage of attacks, the Samurai struggled twice more before going still.
"That weirdo... you hit him once, and he hits you back even harder," Kase complained as he walked toward the door on the far side of the room to check for more enemies. "They’re so tough, they’re practically not human!"
Colin looked around. The few monsters in the room had all been dealt with.
Orelia walked over, carrying her Shield.
She had been bitten on the leg joint, and torn flesh was visible through the rip in her clothing.
"You should heal yourself first," Colin said.
"Mr. Kase was willing to risk his life to save us, so I have to do my best to save you all too," the Tiefling said, placing a hand on him. Only after healing her companion’s wound did she begin to tend to her own.
Just then, Kase, who was standing by the inner door, turned and shouted, "Nothing else in here! Looks like some kind of sacrificial site!"
His wounds now healed, Colin walked over to take a look.
The inner area was about the same size as the outer room. The surrounding walls were also lined with cells holding prisoners, who, like the ones outside, were dazed and showed no reaction to the recent chaos.
The difference was that now there was something resembling an altar in the middle of the room.
There were also several more wooden doors in other places, leading to unknown destinations.