CHAPTER 229: WAR [6]

Their eyes locked—human frost against demonic flame.

Then, with a roar that cracked the air, the demon charged forward.

The earth quaked beneath his steps, snow exploding in all directions.

Alice met him head-on, steel flashing under the moonlight.

Claaannnnnkkk!

Steel screamed.

The impact of their clash sent a shockwave through the air, kicking up dirt and snow like a storm. Alice’s knees buckled under the sheer force of Ravarn’s strike, her arms burning from the effort of holding her sword steady.

"—Tch!"

She twisted her wrist, redirecting his greatsword to the side just in time for it to gouge a trench into the frozen ground. Ravarn’s blade bit deep, sparks bursting where the enchanted steel scraped against stone.

He was strong that’s for sure.

Alice stepped back, panting, the cold air slicing into her lungs. Her breath misted in the night air as she stared at the towering demon.

His armor was cracked in several places, revealing faint veins of molten red light beneath. Every exhale from him steamed like smoke rising from a forge.

"Impressive," Ravarn said. His voice carried a strange respect. "Few humans have blocked one of my strikes and lived."

Alice wiped blood from the corner of her lips and raised her sword again. "Then I’ll be the first to block two."

Without waiting for him to move, she charged—snow crunching under her boots, her cape flaring behind her. She ducked under his next swing and slashed upward, the tip of her sword grazing his shoulder plate.

A streak of dark blood sizzled against the frost.

Ravarn didn’t flinch.

Instead, he caught her sword with his gauntlet-covered hand, his clawed fingers gripping the blade tight enough for sparks to fly. "Too slow," he growled.

Alice kicked him in the chest with all her strength. The impact barely moved him—but it was enough for her to wrench her sword free and leap back.

"You fight with heart, Lady Draken," the demon said, lowering his greatsword. "But heart alone will not save your people."

"I’m not here to save anyone," Alice said coldly. "I’m here to end you."

Ravarn’s laughter rolled through the frozen air, deep and booming, like thunder cracking across a stormy sky.

"Ah... so you do have fire in you, human!"

Before Alice could catch her breath, he charged again—faster, heavier, his greatsword cleaving through the air like a falling boulder.

But not fast enough to kill her.

Alice angled her blade diagonally and threw herself sideways.

Bang!

The greatsword smashed into the frozen ground, scattering snow and shards of ice in every direction.

Alice used the recoil to her advantage—two swift slashes toward the joints of his armor, then a low duck to avoid the retaliatory swing. She pivoted on her heel and retreated, keeping her stance low and balanced.

"I tried imitating Julies," she muttered, feeling the rhythm of combat settle into her bones. "Seems more doable than I thought."

Her movements were lighter now, sharper. She finally understood why Julies had always favored leather armor over full plate.

Even though her usual set was magically enhanced to be lighter, it couldn’t compare to the freedom she felt now. Every dodge, every parry came more naturally.

"Indeed, a knight!" Ravarn bellowed, his voice echoing across the snowfield like a drumbeat. "Good! You’ll make a fine opponent to end this battle!"

"Don’t rush me," Alice shot back, her tone cool, almost teasing. "I’ll fight you on your terms."

Still, she clicked her tongue. The fight was far from easy.

He was a walking fortress. Every inch of him was wrapped in thick demonic steel, and her strikes hadn’t left so much as a dent.

’The seams,’ she thought, eyes narrowing. ’That’s the only weakness.’

Her gaze locked onto the narrow grooves between his forearm plates. If she could just drive her sword into that gap—

Clatter.

The sound was faint but distinct. Alice’s focus snapped to the source just as the armor piece she was targeting... fell off.

"What—?"

Then came another sound. Clatter. Clang. Clatter.

Piece by piece, Ravarn’s armor began to unravel—the greaves slipping off, the chest plate detaching, even the helmet tumbling into the snow.

"What is this sorcery?!" Ravarn roared, his crimson eyes wide in shock as his protection crumbled away.

Alice didn’t hesitate. She didn’t need to look to know who was responsible.

"He’s here," she whispered, gripping her sword tighter.

Her ally had made his move.

She wouldn’t waste the opening he created.

With one swift step, she closed the distance—her blade cutting through the cold air like lightning.

Thwack.

The strike landed cleanly, slicing into the exposed gap between Ravarn’s collarbone and heart.

"Argh!" The demon staggered, dark blood splattering against the snow, steam rising where it touched the frost.

Alice’s expression didn’t waver. Her breath came in sharp, even bursts as she withdrew the blade, her eyes gleaming with grim resolve.

"For someone so loud," she said quietly, "you should’ve learned when to stop talking."

Ravarn collapsed to his knees, the life fading from his burning eyes as the storm above began to die with him.

"Huff...I bearly managed to arrived on time."

"Don’t worry, That was timely assistance. Julies."

Her loyal servent, Julies had arrived.

"If you say so My Lady."

Julies’s boots crunched over the frozen ground as he approached, his breath misting faintly in the cold. The faint glow from the dying embers of Ravarn’s demonic body reflected in his sharp eyes.

He looked at the fallen demon, then back to his lady, his expression somewhere between awe and exasperation.

"Remind me again, My Lady," Julies said dryly, "since when do you personally handle high-ranking demons without backup?"

Alice sheathed her sword, the sound of metal sliding against metal clean and precise. "Since the backup insists on being late."

Julies chuckled under his breath. "Ah, yes. My apologies for not teleporting directly into the battlefield. Next time I’ll make sure to appear before the demon starts throwing boulders."

Alice shot him a sidelong glance, her lips curving faintly. "You talk too much for someone who almost missed the finale."

Julies raised his hands in mock surrender. "I see you’re in good spirits, considering the circumstances."

While at the same time he looked at his system window.

----

Julies’s POV:

[Alice’s Demise Progress]

[30% → 35%]

While I was on my way to find her, a loud chime echoed in my head, followed by the unsettling sight of her demise progress ticking upward.

It wasn’t a big jump—but even a small increase was enough to make my blood run cold.

I hadn’t expected it to rise here, of all places.

’Don’t tell me... another higher entity like Velra?’

That thought alone sent a chill crawling down my spine. I quickened my pace, half-running toward Alice’s location.

...Thankfully, she seemed fine when I found her.

The fallen giant at her feet was one of Ravran’s elite soldiers, no doubt powerful, but not nearly enough to be called a higher entity.

If it were only him, Alice could’ve handled it herself without breaking a sweat.

So then—why the sudden rise in demise progress?

I frowned, staring at her. "Did something happen just now?"

She tilted her head, elegant as ever. "Is something the matter? You look troubled."

"Oh—no! No, nothing at all. I was just... surprised. It’s really a relief that you’re not hurt."

I forced a laugh, but my mind was anything but calm. The status window had never been wrong before. If it said her demise was approaching, then something—someone—was moving behind the scenes.

’Could it be the aftermath of that deal with Emma? Or maybe a hidden consequence of the Voss family’s involvement?’

Whatever it was, the danger wasn’t gone. It was just lurking.

Alice’s voice snapped me back. "You should stop worrying so much. We’re about to rescue our allies. If you keep that uneasy expression, it might spread to the others."

I scratched my cheek awkwardly. "Ahaha... you’re right. I’ll keep it together."

Her eyes softened for a moment, though her gaze still carried weight—sharp enough to pierce through my flimsy façade.

"...You clearly have something on your mind," she said finally, her tone quieter. "But don’t bottle it up. When this is over, tell me what’s troubling you."

I didn’t answer. What could I even say? That I was seeing a death counter ticking down over her head?

She studied me a bit longer, then turned her attention back to the battlefield. "Rescuing our allies comes first. We’re short on hands—will you help?"

"Of course," I said immediately. "Leave it to me."

Still, as I followed her, I couldn’t shake the thought lingering in the back of my mind—

If her demise progress was rising again... then fate had already begun to move.

----

Author Note:

Thank you for reading the Chapter. I hope you continue to do read more in future.

It’s my second novel so if there’s any kind of mistakes you find in the novel related to grammar please tell me and I’ll edit it as soon as possible.