Chapter 353 : Mother and Daughter

Charles, Chloe, and I are currently facing Duchess Arnett, Commander Dayne, and senior Vyn, who suddenly appeared to attack us. We realized that the three opponents we are fighting have transformed into demons; we knew this because their eyes had turned pitch-black. Additionally, a pitch-black tattoo was visible on Commander Dayne’s body—revealed after one of my water slashes damaged his clothing. While tattoos on senior Vyn and Duchess Arnett aren't visible—likely still concealed by their attire—the fact that Commander Dayne arrived alongside them is proof enough that they have become demons too.

I am currently facing Commander Dayne, while Chloe faces Duchess Arnett and Charles faces Senior Vyn. However, our matchups aren't fixed; the three of them—Commander Dayne, Duchess Arnett, and Senior Vyn—rotate who they fight. For instance, before facing Commander Dayne now, I had fought Senior Vyn; prior to that, I had faced Duchess Arnett right when the three of them first launched their attack on us.

Although they take turns attacking, I have managed to hold off each of them. Charles and Chloe, however, appear to be struggling against this rotating assault. It seems the power levels of the transformed Commander Dayne, Duchess Arnett, and Senior Vyn surpass those of Charles and Chloe, which explains their difficulty. Whenever Charles and Chloe struggle against these rotating attacks, I step in to assist them immediately after knocking back the opponent I was facing. Right now, for example, after slamming Commander Dayne against a wall, I immediately moved to help Chloe fight Duchess Arnett and knocked her back as well. After successfully knocking back Duchess Arnett, I immediately helped Charles fight Senior Vyn and sent him flying as well. Commander Dayne, Duchess Arnett, and Senior Vyn were now a considerable distance away from the three of us after I had struck them down. Having dealt with the three of them, I turned to speak with Charles and Chloe.

"Charles, Chloe, you want to go check on Her Majesty right away, don't you? You should just go now. I'll handle the three of them myself," I said.

Charles and Chloe looked a bit surprised at my words.

"You're going to face them alone?!" Charles asked.

"Are you sure about that, Rid? You're up against three people, and all of them have turned into demons," Chloe said.

"Yes. Just stay calm and don't worry. You saw me kill the three demons that attacked me earlier, right? I'm certain I can kill them on my own, just like I did with the previous three. So, there's no need to worry," I said.

Charles and Chloe fell silent for a moment after hearing this. Before long, they spoke again.

"Alright, Rid. We'll leave those three demons to you and go check on our mother immediately. But..." Charles said.

After saying that, Charles and Chloe turned to look at the connecting corridors in the area where we were standing.

"...We don't know which path to take to reach our mother, who is in the central building," Charles said.

I paused to think for a moment before speaking again.

"Before Commander Dayne, Lady Arnett, and Senior Vyn attacked us, do you remember which path they emerged from?" I asked.

"I remember; they came from that path," Chloe said, looking at and pointing to one of the connecting corridors.

"Since the three of them emerged from that path, it seems likely that it leads to the academy's central building. After all, before Commander Dayne, Lady Arnett, and senior Vyn arrived here to attack us, they had been with Lord Remy at the arena in the central building. Given that they came from there via that path, it stands to reason that the path leads to the central building," I said.

"You make a valid point; that path does indeed seem to be the one that will take us to the central building," Charles said, looking toward the path Chloe had previously pointed out.

"Right, hurry up and go check on Her Majesty via that path. I’ll hold off the three of them," I said.

"Alright, Rid. We’re off, then," said Charles.

"Be careful fighting the three of them, Rid," said Chloe.

"I will. Don't worry, Chloe," I replied.

Charles and Chloe immediately rushed toward the path Chloe had pointed out earlier. However, just as they were hurrying away, Commander Dayne, Duchess Arnett, and Senior Vyn quickly closed in on them. The trio was now right behind Charles and Chloe, preparing to attack. But before they could strike, I swiftly moved to intercept them, positioning myself to their left. I immediately launched an attack—a kick infused with wind magic.

~Great Wind Slash~

A massive wind blade erupted from the kick I unleashed at them. The huge blade of wind swept out horizontally, striking all three of them at once and blasting them away until they slammed into a wall of trees some distance to their right.

Charles and Chloe, who had been running, glanced back after realizing I had saved them.

"Thank you, Rid," Charles and Chloe said.

"You're welcome. Now, keep running to reach your mother. I won't let any of them leave this spot to chase after you," I said.

"Understood, Rid," Charles and Chloe replied.

Charles and Chloe continued running along the path until they were a considerable distance away from me. Meanwhile, after watching them run off, I turned my gaze toward Commander Dayne, Duchess Arnett, and Senior Vyn. They had been sent flying into the trees earlier, but now they were back on their feet. The three of them looked ready to attack me, and I prepared to strike back.

"I won't let the three of you go after Charles and Chloe. If you want to pursue them, you'll have to defeat me first," I declared.

Commander Dayne, Duchess Arnett, and Senior Vyn immediately darted toward me. However, I was fast enough to react and launched an attack the moment they closed the distance.

~Secret Sword Art - Dragon Slayer Technique: Dragon Slayer Slash~

I prepared to swing my sword and unleash a slash at them. But before I could execute the move, a massive mouth—resembling that of a wolf—suddenly emerged from beneath my feet. The entire maw was wreathed in electrical magic. Moments after appearing, it snapped shut, swallowing me whole. Realizing I had been devoured by a giant wolf, I immediately prepared a counter-attack to break free from its body.

~Secret Sword Art: Electric Slayer Slash~

I slashed through the wolf's body from the inside, splitting it clean in two. The creature vanished instantly, taking the surrounding electrical magic with it. I managed to emerge from the remains and inspected my body. I realized I had sustained several injuries—likely caused by the electricity enveloping the wolf I had just cut down. The current had struck and wounded me while I was trapped inside. Upon realizing I was hurt, I immediately treated my injuries with healing magic.

~Full Healing~

My wounds healed instantly after I cast the spell. Just as I finished healing my body, a long sword suddenly shot toward me, aiming to run me through. As the sword was about to strike, I quickly deflected it with my own sword, causing it to veer off course and miss me. I then looked toward the source of the attack; the long sword that had targeted me belonged to Commander Dayne.

"I don't know what technique he's using, but if that sword keeps extending toward me, it could become quite troublesome," I thought.

With that in mind, I instantly dashed toward Commander Dayne. Upon closing the distance, I prepared to launch an attack. However, just as I was preparing to attack, a massive, fire-engulfed wolf's maw suddenly erupted from beneath my feet, ready to devour me. I quickly dodged and shifted to a different spot before it could snap shut on me. Yet, no sooner had I moved than another giant wolf's maw emerged from the ground where I now stood—this one wreathed in water. It lunged to swallow me, but I once again evaded the attack and relocated. Every time I moved, a wolf's maw—each cloaked in a different elemental magic—would appear, poised to consume me.

After successfully dodging six times, the wolves stopped appearing to attack me in that manner. Now, five massive wolves stood before me, each wreathed in a different element: fire, water, lightning, wind, and earth. These were the very same wolves that had previously tried to devour me. I braced myself to attack them, but just as I did, a sword and an incredibly long whip came hurtling toward me. I swiftly dodged both weapons and glanced toward their source. As before, the long sword belonged to Commander Dayne, while the long whip was wielded by Duchess Arnett. I was momentarily puzzled to see Duchess Arnett holding a whip, as the weapon she had previously carried was a rapier, not a whip.

"It seems that whip is actually her rapier, transformed into a different shape. It’s the same technique Princess Amelia used when I fought her back then. It’s no surprise they share the same technique, given that they are mother and daughter," I thought.

With that realization, the sword and the long whip came rushing toward me once more. I dodged the two weapons again to avoid being hit. Just as I successfully evaded them, the five large wolves before me began their attack. I managed to dodge their strikes as well, all the while preparing to take them down one by one. However, whenever I readied myself to attack one wolf, the other four would interfere. The sword and the long whip, constantly darting toward me, added to the trouble.

"It seems fighting them will be more of a hassle than facing King Albert, senior Florian, and Commander Marshall," I thought.

I continued to evade their attacks, waiting for an opening to strike back. After a long period of dodging, I finally saw a chance to destroy the fire wolf standing right in front of me. At that moment, there were no other wolves, nor the sword or long whip, nearby to interfere; they were all too far away. Seizing the opportunity, I immediately attacked the fire wolf.

~Secret Sword Art: Flame Slayer Slash~

I swung my sword toward the fire wolf. Yet, mid-swing, the long whip belonging to Duchess Arnett suddenly lashed out at me with incredible speed. I ignored the incoming whip, confident I could handle it without even moving. I felt this way because I sensed someone else rapidly approaching the scene.

~Flower Sword Art: Chaenomeles Thorn Thrust~

The approaching figure launched a long-range thrusting attack directly at Duchess Arnett. The strike hit her squarely, sending her flying against the nearby wall. As Duchess Arnett was sent flying, the long whip she held was also knocked aside, missing me completely. With the whip no longer a threat, I was able to swing my sword without obstruction, successfully slicing the fire wolf before me in two. The creature slowly dissipated the moment it was cut apart.

I then turned my gaze toward the person who had just struck Duchess Arnett down. I had known who it was without even looking, yet I chose to turn and offer my thanks. The figure stood there, bearing several wounds on her body—it was Miss Violetta.

"Thank you for your help, Miss Violetta," I said.

After I said that, Miss Violetta remained silent. Her gaze was fixed on Duchess Arnett, who had slammed against the wall. I followed her gaze and saw that Duchess Arnett had picked herself up and was now looking back at Miss Violetta. As she stared at Lady Arnett, Miss Violetta—who had been silent until then—finally spoke.

"Mother, why do you look like that?! Who did this to you?! Answer me, Mother!" Miss Violetta exclaimed, her voice raised.

Her expression was a mix of shock and anger as she spoke. I, too, was startled by her words.

"Mother?" I asked.

-To be continued