Chapter 310: Defending Xerxes Village II

It did not take long before two demonic elves reached Killian simultaneously.

One was a female elf, while the other was a male.

Their daggers flashed beneath the moonlight as they lunged from opposite directions, yet Killian’s expression remained calm.

Rather than retreating, he merely shifted his footing.

Swish—

The sound of something cutting through the air echoed faintly as the dagger aimed at his throat grazed past Killian’s cheek.

At the same time, his left hand shot forward and seized the attacker’s wrist.

With a twist of his hips and a pull of his arm, the demonic female elf spun around him before being pulled into his embrace, her body positioned as a shield while her arms were pinned and rendered unable to move.

The movement was so smooth that it almost resembled a dance.

In fact, had it not been for the weapons in their hands and the bloody battlefield around them, they would have looked like they were dancing in a ball.

Shhk—!

Due to the sudden turn of events, the second demonic elf’s dagger plunged straight into its companion’s neck.

Before either could react—

Thrust!

Killian’s sword shot forward.

Puchi—

The blade pierced the second elf’s throat with utmost precision.

He immediately released the first elf.

The two corpses collapsed almost simultaneously.

Thud. Thud.

Yet before their bodies even touched the ground, three more demonic elves had already arrived.

"Oho, my next dance partners are here?" Killian’s carefree voice resounded.

One swung a curved blade at his waist.

Another lunged for his back.

The third leaped from above.

Killian stepped forward as he scrunched his nose, "Meh, sorry. You guys are not my type."

Whoosh—

The curved blade missed him by a hair’s breadth.

His sword swept upward.

Clang—!

Sparks erupted as he deflected the descending dagger overhead, using the rebound to rotate his body.

Crack—!

His elbow smashed into the throat of the attacker behind him.

The demonic elf stumbled, but Killian immediately hooked a leg around its ankle.

Thump!

The creature crashed to the ground, and the moment it landed—

Shhk—

His sword descended as blood sprayed across the grass.

The remaining two attacked without fear.

One aimed for his eyes.

The other, his ribs.

Killian’s sword suddenly vanished from their sight.

Or rather, it moved too quickly.

Clang! Clang!

Two precise deflections.

No wasted strength.

No wasted motion.

Every movement was exactly what was necessary, with no flashiness whatsoever.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

The blade flowed with effortless elegance through the gaps in their guard like water.

Shhk!

A wrist separated from its owner.

Shhk!

A throat opened.

Two more corpses fell, but more demonic elves rushed toward him.

Ten.

Twenty.

Thirty.

Killian stood amidst the sea of enemies with nothing but a chipped sword and his own body.

Yet his movements only became more fluid.

Every dodge was measured.

Every step had purpose.

Every swing claimed a life.

Under the silver moonlight, he no longer looked like a man desperately fighting for survival.

He looked like a master swordsman giving a lesson.

And every demonic elf that approached him paid tuition in blood.

Killian’s figure danced along with the sword in his hand as he struck the vitals of any demonic elves that came close to him.

The basics of swordsmanship: slash, thrust, block, and parry.

Everything was demonstrated with maximum efficiency.

This lasted for nearly half an hour.

And as Killian was starting to have a hard time controlling his breathing, he sensed a familiar fluctuation nearby.

As one of the demonic elves charged toward him, a pale hand suddenly appeared from behind it and clamped down on the crown of its head.

Shing—

In an instant, the demonic elf turned into a golden statue.

CRACK— Shatter!

Thereafter, the golden statue exploded into dust.

"You’re finally here..." Killian smiled as a visible look of relief appeared on his face.

Pandora ignored him and erected a mana barrier around them.

Meanwhile, Aurelia frowned as she scolded him, "What you did back then was too reckless! I didn’t expect you to suddenly break our formation!"

"S-Sorry..." Killian’s voice sounded apologetic as his knees finally buckled.

The nagging sense that something was wrong finally resurfaced from the back of his mind.

A hint of confusion crept into his voice as he spoke, "I... don’t know why I did that either."

Before Aurelia could scold him any further, Pandora chimed in, "That confirms it."

The two immediately looked at her with curious gazes.

"Didn’t you find it strange too, Aurelia? Killian is not someone like that."

As they pondered her words, Pandora continued her explanation.

"Over the years we’ve spent together, we’ve come to understand each other’s personalities quite well. Even if this idiot likes chasing skirts and playing the hero, he’s never been the type to put us in danger just to do so."

Aurelia nodded in agreement, "Right, his action today is really strange..."

"Don’t tell me that..." Killian’s eyes widened as he seemed to realize something.

Pandora nodded as she confirmed what he was thinking, "Yes, I believe the poison in the food and drink we consumed earlier did more than just make us unconscious..."

"If that’s the case, shouldn’t we gather everyone to inform them?" Aurelia immediately suggested.

Killian spoke as well, "Indeed!"

Pandora’s ruby-red eyes shifted toward the demonic elves clawing at the mana barrier she had conjured.

She shook her head, "That won’t do. We don’t know where they are, and Xerxes Village, despite being called a village, isn’t small at all."

"Moreover, this red mist makes it difficult to see and clouds our sense of direction..." Killian added, seemingly realizing it as well.

That was precisely why he had no choice but to remain where he was instead of making his way toward Pandora and Aurelia.

The blood mist obscured both vision and direction, making it far too easy to become lost amidst the chaos.

"Then what should we do?" Aurelia’s eyes were filled with worry, especially since her siblings had parted with them as well.

Pandora’s gaze remained neutral, "All we can do is trust them and..."

’And what?’

Killian and Aurelia thought at the same time as they both looked at her.

A moment later, her voice sounded once again, "Make use of this mist."

"It’s been a while since I used this spell since learning the high rank Telepathy..."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Pandora’s lips as she chanted in a whisper.

[Low Rank Magic: Mist Communication]