Dyren combined two skills that could enhance his combat abilities—Berserk and Sword Master. These two skills now allowed him to corner the Bunny Girl.
However, slowly, the Bunny Girl managed to adapt and began to match Dyren's pace. That was not good news for him. If he couldn't defeat her within ten minutes, he would lose.
"Please… Win!"
Dyren begged himself. He kept pushing forward, but several times, he was forced to stop because the muscles in his legs tightened. He forced himself to keep fighting.
They exchanged blows with one another. Both were wounded. Blood dripped from their bodies. Dyren was reaching his worst condition. The time he had left was running out. He had to win, or he would fall here.
[05m:22s]
"Hahaha." The Bunny Girl laughed loudly. She was enjoying this battle. "It's been so long since I've felt this thrill."
She looked at her trembling hands. There was a slight fear inside her. Dyren's swordplay and the way he dodged were so precise. Almost unpredictable and impossible to read. Yet, the Bunny Girl still believed she had a 99% chance of winning.
She smiled at Dyren, who was charging at her. "Come, human! Entertain me until your last breath."
Dyren raised his sword. Just as he was about to slash at the Bunny Girl, he suddenly vanished from her sight. Within seconds, he reappeared behind her. He changed his attack direction—this time a horizontal slash.
"Interesting..."
The Bunny Girl raised her knee and elbow. Dyren's slash landed, but she managed to block it, though it sent her flying backward. Blood dripped from her elbow. She ignored it because Dyren was already charging at her again.
They traded brutal attacks with one another. Everything was still balanced, but when Dyren only had three minutes left, he nearly collapsed. His head spun and his vision blurred. The Bunny Girl was already in front of him. She struck his face with her knee.
Dyren was thrown back, blood flowing from his temple and lips. His vision darkened, but he forced his eyes to stay open. His breath was ragged, his chest rising and falling violently. He had come too far to turn back now.
"Get up... Get up!" he muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth and forcing his body to stand.
[02m:58s]
His body stood again, though shaky. Berserk was still active. His body was covered in wounds, but his power surged with every breath. His sword's aura grew sharper. The Bunny Girl paused for a moment, staring at Dyren with wide eyes full of battle lust.
"Hoo... You can still stand, huh? Impressive... A human body like yours should've already collapsed," she said, licking the blood from her fingers. "Come on, give me your climax, human!"
Dyren didn't respond. He couldn't speak anymore. All he could do was fight.
With a burst of aura, Dyren dashed forward again. This time, he was faster. His movements were almost invisible. He launched slashes in rapid succession. The Bunny Girl was pushed back. She had no time to counter. Only to defend.
Right slash, left slash, thrust, vertical swing, and spinning attacks. The Bunny Girl was forced to jump back, but Dyren always caught up to her. Her shoulder was slashed, a long cut opened on her thigh, and blood poured from her arm. For the first time, she was truly cornered.
By a human.
"What… is this?" she whispered.
[00m:37s]
Dyren prepared his final attack. He jumped high and spun his sword like a whirlwind of death. His eyes locked onto the Bunny Girl. This would be the deciding strike. If it landed, the battle would end. All of his power was poured into this.
His sword emitted powerful magical energy. The wind pressure pushed everything nearby. Dark and green energy surged violently, forming a terrifying and immense force.
"Please… Let it work!" Dyren pleaded.
But…
Just as he was about to strike—
His body froze.
His arms wouldn't move. His legs gave out. His eyes widened.
[00m:00s]
"Ugh—! Arghh!!"
His body felt like it was being struck by thousands of hammers. His muscles tore from within. Berserk had reached its limit. The backlash took over. All his power vanished instantly, and his heart pounded rapidly, as if it were about to explode.
DOOM-DOOM-DOOM!
"Ugh… H-Huff…!" He vomited blood.
Dyren collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing. His hand still tried to grip the sword, but there was no strength left. His breathing was heavy, his body felt like it was burning from the inside. His vision dimmed. He could barely see and was on the verge of losing consciousness.
The Bunny Girl stood a few meters away. Her body was injured, her breathing ragged, but she was still on her feet. Her face darkened. Slowly, she walked closer.
"…You almost scared me, human."
She raised her foot, ready to stomp on Dyren's head.
"But unfortunately, your time is up."
***
Saria, carrying Ereon on her back, stopped for a moment. She saw a green and dark flash coming from the village. It looked like a massive storm. Seeing it made her swallow hard. Her goosebumps rose. She could feel how terrifying that power was.
Maybe… that attack could destroy a whole city.
"What in the world happened back there?"
Mireille, who was also running, glanced back. When she saw what Saria saw, her eyes widened. She nearly dropped Kael from her arms.
"What is that?" Mireille asked.
Saria shook her head. "I don't know, but whatever it is, it's incredibly strong."
She was curious, but she couldn't go back to the village. She had to save Ereon and Kael. Though for a moment, she thought of Dyren. But she closed her eyes and turned around. Saria felt guilty, but she had no choice. The Hero's life was more important.
"I'm sorry." She started running again. "I hope you survive."
Saria had already begun to leave. Mireille stood still, staring at the massive surge of magic. But a few seconds later, the magic disappeared as if erased. That shocked her. She frowned.
"What just happened?" she wondered.
"Mireille, hurry! We don't have time!" Saria called out.
Mireille nodded. She turned around and started running again. The two of them moved farther and farther from the village. A few times, Mireille looked back. Trying to confirm something, but the magic was gone. She didn't even feel the impact of the blast from the village.
It made her curious. "Did that man get defeated?"
She thought that terrifying magic was the power of some resurrected monster. She didn't know that Dyren was the one who unleashed that insane spell. But whatever the case, Dyren was finished. He could no longer move.
As they kept running, suddenly a horse carriage stopped in the middle of the road. Someone stepped down and smiled at them.
"Come on, get in! You must leave immediately. That demon has won. He'll be coming here soon," said the Village Chief.
He gestured with his head, signaling Mireille and Saria to get in quickly. Both of them climbed into the carriage, and the horses galloped at full speed.