I’d been certain from the start that Milia was behind this chaos.
A veteran summoner wouldn't have botched things this badly otherwise. For an assassin, a scene of pure confusion was the ultimate stage.
Under these circumstances, Milia was guaranteed to come for my head.
The reason I’d sent Silvia away was that I couldn't afford to protect her while fighting. After all, Milia was the world’s strongest assassin, boasting stats that belonged in the late-game.
However, that wasn't the only reason.
In truth, I definitely wanted to avoid the other students' gaze.
Down the line, I wanted Milia to serve as an ally to the Hero, Leon. It wouldn't do for anyone to witness her in a lethal struggle with a notorious villain like me.
Silvia seemed to be doing her part well, as I couldn't sense any students nearby.
This level of upheaval certainly made things easier for an operative to maneuver.
All that was left was for me to see if I could safely capture the world’s strongest assassin alive while she came at me with everything she had.
I readjusted my grip on my sword.
"Aha! You’re quite motivated, aren't you!"
The moment an innocent killing intent flickered across Milia’s face—
Milia vanished.
"!"
I put my trust in the motion caught in the corner of my eye.
Reflexively, I unleashed a strike that clashed head-on with Milia’s dagger.
"Wow, not bad!"
She was fast.
I’d already activated Frenzy. My physical capabilities had been boosted exponentially, yet even with that power, I was barely reacting in time.
"But, I have two of them, you know?"
Milia thrust her right dagger forward.
While evading the point, I swung a counter-slash at her.
Milia leaped lightly into the air—
She leaped!?
She flipped her body mid-air, driving her dagger toward my throat from an inverted position.
"—Whoa!?"
I reflexively dropped my center of gravity and threw myself back. If I had been even a second later, my carotid artery would have been sliced wide open.
Milia landed softly.
"Amazing. Usually, it’s already over by now, you know?"
There was no mistake; she was even stronger than Hero Leon after he'd received Serafina's buffs. Her Cold Intimidation pricked at my skin like needles.
Despite her ridiculous appearance and behavior, her skill as an assassin and the purity of her killing intent were extraordinary.
"Well, I wonder how it'll go when you're outnumbered?"
As she spoke, a massive presence appeared behind me.
Well, since the thing had no intention of hiding its footsteps, I’d already noticed its approach.
"GUGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
An Iron Claw Bear launched a tackle at me from behind.
I stole a quick glance and dodged to the side.
At the same instant, the pink-haired assassin attacked fiercely. It was the natural move.
The moment my attention was split, Milia’s Silver Flash raced forward. The slash came from an infuriatingly nasty angle.
I couldn't dodge it.
At least, I couldn't have before.
I’d already taken out insurance. My body, pushed by the increased load of Frenzy, snapped back from its reckless posture and parried Milia’s blade.
"Wow! Amazing! It’s like you're not even human!"
"I don't want to hear that from you!"
As if to prove I was human, my muscles creaked and screamed. Part of it was the forced movement, but the simply increased load of Frenzy was grueling.
I couldn't afford to let this drag on, but I didn't have the luxury of adjusting my output.
As my high-speed exchange of slashes with Milia resumed, the Iron Claw Bear continued to rampage right beside us.
"Hey, you! Don't just target me! Attack the pink-haired girl too!"
"Aha! I’m loved by a bear—it’s un-bear-able, isn't it!"
That wasn't funny.
Of course, it wasn't that my pheromones were attracting the beast. The trick was simple: Milia’s presence was too thin. From the bear's perspective, I was the only one whose existence felt "dense" enough to attack. Presence Concealment was far too convenient.
Then again, the fact that Milia could keep her presence hidden while moving this much was what was truly impressive.
I parried Milia’s left-hand slash. I stepped in and evaded a thrust from her right—
Or so I thought, but her reach suddenly extended.
"Super Kick!"
It was a sudden, jarring kick. I barely managed to react, guarding with my left arm. Even so, the impact was enough to make my core—tempered by Frenzy—shudder violently. Her martial arts were top-class as well.
If she kept me on the defensive like this, I was done for.
I unleashed a desperate slash, and Milia leaped again to evade it.
I knew it! She was going for my neck again. I shifted my posture with more composure than before and put some distance between us.
However—
"GUGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The Iron Claw Bear was standing right next to where Milia was dancing through the air.
"Super Kick Again!"
Milia shouted as she kicked off the Iron Claw Bear’s chest. Using the recoil, she closed the distance in a straight line, flying through the air toward me.
You've got to be kidding.
I hadn't expected three-dimensional maneuvers like that. My posture was already completely broken.
Damn it, I had to do it.
Deployment time: two seconds. Enough for a single strike—Highly Concentrated Frenzy.
I activated the same technique that had finished off Leon. In an instant, my body accelerated to impossible speeds. My blade intersected with Milia as she flew toward me like an arrow.
Milia landed behind me.
Simultaneously, the dagger slipped from her left hand and clattered to the ground.
"Aha... No, you've got me... Seriously, are you sure you haven't quit being human?"
Milia’s left arm hung limp. Her sleeve was shredded, and crimson blood seeped through the fabric.
On the other hand, while I had survived her strike and even landed a counterattack, my heart was hammering against my ribs. Sweat drenched my entire body. Fatigue made my limbs feel as heavy as lead.
This was the recoil of the Highly Concentrated Frenzy. It possessed terrifying destructive power, but for now, I could only use it in the decisive moment of a fight.
But this time, I had been forced to play my hand. I’d had no choice. If I hadn't used it, I’d be dead.
This was the price. I could just barely maintain Frenzy, but I was out of time.
In this exhausted state, could I really suppress Milia, who was perfectly fine aside from one arm?
"GUGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The Iron Claw Bear roared. Perhaps her Presence Concealment had slipped due to her injury, or perhaps it was just enraged from being kicked, but it lunged at Milia in a fit of fury.
"Annoying."
Milia’s right hand snapped forward. The dagger she threw pierced the bear directly between the eyes. As the massive body collapsed, Milia drew a new dagger from her right sleeve.
"We're both at our limits, aren't we? Shall we settle this?"
"I suppose so."
Milia closed the gap instantly, thrusting her right dagger. Even as I staggered, I reacted with pure willpower and managed to parry the strike.
Milia readjusted her grip and stepped in again.
"Aha! I wonder if you can keep up in that state!?"
"—I have two as well."
As I spoke, I swung with everything I had, slamming a red club gripped in my left hand into Milia’s head.
It was an unexpected strike from outside her field of vision. Even she couldn't evade it.
"...Eh? From where...?"
With a stunned expression, as if she couldn't comprehend what had happened, Milia looked at me and the club in my hand. Then her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed with a thud.
Phew...
To answer Milia’s unspoken question: it came from my blood. Even as I thought it, the club lost its shape and splashed onto the ground as a red liquid.
This was Verdict’s Ancient Magic—a technique that forged weapons from blood.
When I was attacked by the Iron Claw Bear earlier, I’d received a graze on my left hand. That small wound had been my saving grace. Using it as a starting point, I’d refined the weapon and succeeded with the surprise attack.
It was a close shave. If I were told to do it again, I probably couldn't. As expected of a powerful character who completely ignored game balance. To think I would struggle this much even with my current strength...
"Ah, I'm exhausted."
Regardless, I’d managed to take her alive.