Chapter 31: Loki Fails And Can’t Do It?
Chapter 31: Loki Fails And Can't Do It?
The world slowed to a razor-sharp crawl. Seeing Ayala’s weapons tearing through the air toward my throat, my mind flashed back to what Thorin had told me about her arsenal.
Her Black Iron Greataxe was no ordinary weapon; it was originally the magical handaxe of a Frost Giant Chieftain, claimed by Ayala in a brutal one-on-one duel. Like Thorin’s own maul, it was forged from a super-heavy, indestructible dwarf-metal. But it was her other blade, the Wolf Fang, that truly terrified me. A magical longsword forged from the essence of Fenrir—King Owen’s 9th Circle Grey Wolf from the Plane of Death—its unbreakable blade could cleave through virtually any material once infused with raw aura.
She had won the sword from the King himself after defeating Gondul in a high-stakes duel. Thorin and I were still scratching our heads over what the King had actually been hoping to get out of that wager, but my money was on a night with a fierce Amazon warrior. Leave it to an otaku king to risk a legendary weapon just to get close to an Amazon.
Ayala’s relentless drive to drag me into her warrior class didn't stop there. He had even warned me about her infamous Mithril Bikini Scale armor.
She’d won that from an elven prince who rashly challenged her to a duel of swordsmanship. Officially, the prince just wanted to test his skills, not her body—no elf wanted to be branded an Amazon-chasing degenerate. Unofficially? He definitely did.
A pair of fierce, beautiful green eyes was the last thing I saw as her twin blades closed the distance.
Clang!
Out of nowhere, a desperate defense materialized at my neck. Taki’s Ninjato Defender met the Wolf Fang with a shower of sparks, while Yin’s Jian groaned under the crushing weight of the heavy Greataxe. As they struggled to hold her back, my sluggish brain finally caught up to the danger. Taki’s radiating fog quickly filled the arena, blanketing the training room in a thick, protective mist.
Swoosh—Bang!
Just when I thought I had a moment to breathe, Ayala bypassed our guard completely. Infusing her leg with a seamless, dual-ability combination of <Fast Attacks> and <Piercing Strike>, she drove a blinding snap-kick straight into my gut. The sheer momentum sent me tumbling backward across the stone floor, my defenses utterly useless against the concentrated force.
Cough!
I wheezed, the air violently expelled from my lungs. Forcing myself up onto one knee, I notched an arrow into my Elven Longbow and targeted the silhouette in the mist.
"Ssssslow down thisss Amazon!" I hissed, channeling my mana. "<Star Metal Chains>!"
Heavy adamantine links erupted from the stone floor. The 7th Circle Summoner spell—an area-of-effect restraint originally designed to keep disobedient summons in line—lashed out through the fog. The heavy chains coiled tightly around Ayala’s legs, feet, and waist, violently snapping upward to pin her arms.
Blinded by the thick mist, Yin retreated backward, guiding herself by her mental link to her master. Taki, on the other hand, began chanting a high-level spell, her voice cutting through the damp air. But Ayala was too fast to be contained.
"Hah! <Blink Teleport>!" she roared, shattering the chains in a flash of displaced light. Before Taki could finish, Ayala slammed her bare foot down. "I don't think so—<Ground Stomp>!"
Thud—Boom!
A violent shockwave of superheated air erupted outward in a ten-foot radius. The Vanguard 3rd Circle power shattered the stone beneath her, unleashing an elemental blast that carried the weight of an <Aura Blow>. The concussive force instantly threw off my aim and stalled Yin in her tracks, disrupting our coordination. Fortunately, Taki’s magic shield and superior Circle level absorbed the brunt of the shockwave, preserving her concentration.
"Waterfall Style, triple bolts," Taki intoned smoothly, her hands weaving through the fog. "<Triple Water Shuriken>!"
Three massive, spinning blades of compressed water tore through the air simultaneously. Ayala’s passive <Elusive Movements> and <Heighten Awareness> kicked in, allowing her to contort her body and narrowly dodge the first shuriken, but the remaining two struck her squarely in the back with a heavy, wet impact.
Utilizing the cover of the dense mist, Shehuang slithered silently into a flanking position and began to cast.
"Block my Masssster's troubles," she hissed softly. "<Iron Wall>!"
Rumble!
A solid, foot-thick wall of wrought iron erupted from the floor, stretching ten feet high and twenty feet wide. It instantly cut off Ayala’s line of sight and bought me precious seconds of protection. Knowing the wall blocked my view as well, Yin immediately bolted toward the left flank, projecting a wave of sword aura to catch our opponent.
"Silver Crescent Blade," Yin cried, "<Line Attack>!"
A five-foot-wide crescent of pure metallic energy sliced through the training room. Ayala twisted mid-stride, barely evading the arc of aura, but the sheer force of the near-miss successfully halted her forward momentum for a split second.
Behind the barrier, Shehuang caught my eye through a gap in the stone. Through our mental link, her intentions flashed in my mind. Forcing myself to shift slightly, I exposed just the edge of my elbow to her line of sight.
Sensing her targets, Ayala split her focus, unleashing twin counterattacks toward both Yin and the center of the mist column.
"Fire Crescent Slash," Ayala bellowed, "<Line Attack> times two!"
The Wolf Fang unleashed a blazing trail of fire straight at Yin, while her heavy Greataxe sent a second roaring wave of flames tearing into the mist.
"Ah!"
A sharp cry of pain echoed from the left. While Taki silently endured the heat within the mist, Yin took the full brunt of the flames. Being a full Circle below Ayala and lacking proper fire defenses, the severe burns took a heavy toll.
Seeing my position, Shehuang smiled. Doubling her mana output, she silently invoked her specialized magic. "<Swap Positions>!"
In a seamless distortion of space, the Summoner-exclusive spell traded our locations instantly. Because we maintained line of sight and a clear line of effect, the world blurred, placing me safely behind the column of mist while Shehuang materialized directly behind the short iron wall, waiting for Ayala to breach it.
Yin immediately dived behind the newly formed barrier, protecting the spot where she thought I still stood and shielding herself from any follow-up fire attacks.
I knew the ruse would only last for a heartbeat, and I had to make it count.
"Wall begone!" Ayala’s voice boomed from the other side. "<Meteor Leap> and <Piercing Strike>!"
Whoosh—BOOM!
With explosive muscle power, the Amazon launched herself forward like a missile. Her Greataxe slammed into the center of the iron barrier with ballistic velocity. Enhanced by <Piercing Strike>, the heavy metal parted like wet paper, shattering a ten-foot section into flying shrapnel.
But as the dust cleared, Ayala’s fierce green eyes widened in utter confusion. Instead of finding a vulnerable summoner, she found herself staring directly into the calm face of Shehuang. Before the warrior could adjust her stance or raise her guard, Shehuang’s delicate fist was already splitting the air.
"Wing Chun sucker-punch," Shehuang hissed coldly. "<Vital Strike>!"
Whoosh—Bang!
The compact, lightning-fast punch connected squarely with the bridge of Ayala’s nose. The precise targeting dealt devastating double damage, fracturing the bone with a sickening crack.
As Ayala staggered backward from the agonizing blow, two rapid-fire spells slammed into her exposed back.
"It's a dog pile! <Wooden Bullet>!"
Bang!
A hard, enchanted acorn struck her shoulder. Against a 7th Circle Amazon bolstered by innate <Toughness>, the spell didn't look particularly impressive, but it added to the mounting pressure.
"Waterfall Style," Taki chanted, clapping her hands before her mouth with pointed index fingers. "<Water Dragon's Breath>!"
Whoosh—Splash!
Taki unleashed a massive, eighty-foot cone of high-pressure, destructive water. The torrent hit Ayala like a roaring waterfall, sending her crashing across the training room floor and inflicting massive internal damage.
Yet, even as Yin launched another Silver Crescent arc to pin her down, the Amazon refused to stay down.
Swoosh—Squelch!
Activating her 6th Vanguard ability, <Bull Rush Stun>, combined with <Piercing Strike>, Ayala transformed into a blur of motion. She completely outran Yin’s closing attack, closing the distance to me in a heartbeat. Before I could even register the movement, a cold shock ran through my chest.
I looked down. The Wolf Fang was buried deep in my chest, piercing my heart.
Cough—Blargh!
My vision immediately began to dim, dark spots dancing at the edges of my sight. I coughed violently, spilling dark blood across her armor.
Ayala stood over me, her chest heaving. In her triumph, she didn't notice the strange silence of my summons—none of them cried out or panicked at my demise. Her expression was a chaotic mix of competitive euphoria and sudden, crushing anguish; deep down, she hadn't actually wanted to kill me. She knew my summons would survive for another twenty-four hours and would likely tear her apart in a blind rage, but to her warrior's mind, dying alongside a strong man was a worthy end.
Buzz!
Her heart stopped as my collapsing body suddenly dissolved, fracturing into a cloud of shimmering, coppery motes of light.
"Fuck!" I gasped, violently materializing several yards away, collapsing to my hands and knees. "I love you, Shehuang... but I never want to try that again."
Ayala stared in utter disbelief. I had been pulled back from the brink of oblivion by the 5th Circle Summoner ability, Summons Breath of Life.
Because Shehuang possessed the spell, she was able to mimic a high-level Healer, pulling my soul back into a mostly intact body within the one-minute window. I was alive, but heavily wounded, my health sitting at a fragile quarter of its maximum capacity.
Shehuang slid defensively in front of me, her slitted eyes locked onto the stunned Amazon. "She killed Loki," she commanded the others, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "We must get revenge. Attack!"
With Shehuang managing my vitals and keeping me tethered to life, the battle devolved into a grueling, multi-minute war of attrition. The training room became a meat grinder, and my body was essentially used as a punching bag and a stabbing post as we forced Ayala to burn through her reserves.
Five minutes later, the training room was a disaster zone of shattered stone and scorched earth. My clothes were torn to shreds, and Ayala’s magical bikini scale armor was practically the only thing left intact on her body.
Yin had been forced to retreat back to her personal realm two minutes prior after Ayala targeted her relentlessly, and our <Summons Breath of Life> safety net had completely run dry.
Taki Tsuki stood back, her eyes closed. She had foreseen this brutal conclusion from the very beginning, which was why my temporary death hadn't shaken her. She knew exactly what it would take to bring the Amazon down.
Ssssssh—sh—sh!
Shehuang’s massive black snake-tail was coiled tightly around Ayala, constricting with agonizing, bone-crushing force. She squeezed methodically, slowly grinding down the Amazon’s legendary passive regeneration until the warrior could no longer heal the damage.
Buzz—Buzz!
Satisfied that the danger had passed, Shehuang dismissed the remaining summons back to their realm, leaving the final act to me. I had already stored her heavy Greataxe and my Elven bow safely inside my storage ring, stripped her of her minor magical trinkets, and tried to present some semblance of victory. My pants were shredded so badly I looked like the Hulk, and Taki had quickly wiped the excess blood from my skin before vanishing.
My breathing was shallow, my mana pool completely dry. I stood over her, the heavy hilt of the Wolf Fang resting in my hand, ready to bring the duel to an end.
Sensing that the Amazon was entirely drained of aura and hovering at death's door, Shehuang gently uncoiled her tail, letting Ayala slide limply to my feet. Understanding the heavy weight pressing on my chest, Shehuang leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
"Send me back, Massssster," she murmured playfully, trying to lighten the mood. "I don't need to see your first kill, hehe."
Buzz!
With a flash of light, she vanished. It was true that I had hunted monsters without a second thought, but taking a human life felt entirely different.
The broken Amazon lay flat on her back. Her body was a roadmap of fractures, deep lacerations, puncture wounds, and dark, mottled bruising. The fierce beauty she usually carried was entirely buried under the trauma of the fight.
Blargh—Cough!
As I stared down at her, she convulsed slightly, spitting up thick, dark blood. We had been forced to defeat her twice over due to a hidden, second-life Vanguard ability, and she had absolutely nothing left.
"Stab... cough... heart..." she wheezed, her green eyes incredibly dim, her brilliant red hair now darkened to a wet crimson. "You... win... cough, cough..."
Her words carried a strange, heavy weight. Forcing my trembling arms to cooperate, I lined up the tip of the Wolf Fang directly over her heart. Seeing the blade, a faint, genuine smile touched her bloody lips.
Suddenly, my vision blurred. To my horror, I realized I was crying.
A sudden, overwhelming wave of emotion hit me. Looking down at her, I felt the exact same terror I would feel if I were standing over Shade, Sylvia, or any of my other lovers. My very soul screamed against delivering the blow, even as my rational mind insisted that this woman was a walking catastrophe who knew entirely too many of my secrets.
Cough—Blargh!
She spat more blood, her voice a harsh whisper designed to provoke me. "Devil... Coward... cough... If you... can't do it... You can... never rise up..."
My tears spilled over, dripping onto her blood-stained cheek and leaving clean streaks through the grime.
Clang!
The legendary sword slipped from my fingers, clattering loudly against the stone. I dropped heavily to my knees beside her.
"You win," I whispered, my shoulders slumping. "I failed... I can't be a Devil. I can't kill you. I'm sorry."
Her eyelids fluttered shut, her chest stilled, and her breathing stopped entirely.
"NO!"
Panicking, I frantically pulled a high-grade Healing Elixir from my inventory. I uncorked it and poured the glowing liquid into her mouth, but her throat didn't move; she wasn't swallowing.
Desperate, I leaned down, sealing my lips over hers and blowing hard, using the pressure of my own breath to force the elixir down her throat. There was absolutely nothing romantic, pleasant, or soft about it—her mouth tasted heavily of copper and iron, and within seconds, my own lips were smeared with her blood.
I pressed my right hand firmly over her breast, desperately feeling for a heartbeat or the faint rise and fall of her ribs while I worked to ensure every drop of the medicine cleared her throat.
For a long, agonizing minute, I kept my hand pressed against her chest, waiting. Then, beneath my palm, her ribs expanded. A shallow, steady breath rattled in her throat.
I pulled back, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. "Good. You won't die... Well, not by my hands anyway, sigh."
What I didn't realize was that the moment the potent elixir hit her throat, Ayala had instantly regained consciousness. Realizing the compromising position we were in, she had intentionally suppressed her heartbeat and held her breath.
The fierce, terrifying Amazon warrior was currently playing dead on the floor, entirely paralyzed by sheer embarrassment.
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