(Today’s content includes sexually explicit material in the middle and later sections. Readers who prefer to skip such content are kindly advised to do so.)
Eldora’s expression was nothing more than a flat, “What the hell is this guy even doing?”
But that only lasted a moment.
As she squeezed her eyes shut with a fierce scowl, the orbs around her began to glow far brighter than before, radiating an immense, almost overwhelming energy.
The flush in her face faded noticeably—pushing herself beyond her limits—but the orbs grew steadily brighter, emitting an ominous vibration.
Suddenly, the space between Eldora and me transformed into a strange realm filled only with light, vibrations, and a crackling roar. Eldora’s figure blurred, obscured by the radiance of the orbs. No words could be heard, no shapes discerned. It felt as if we were alone in a different dimension.
“Ostende Te!”
Just as I was thinking this, a sudden shout pierced through the space between us.
Something incredible happened.
The dozens of orbs, which had been scattered chaotically, began to move as if dancing. They spiraled inward like a conch shell, drawing together.
Their speed wasn’t fast, but they converged steadily into a single point, then clustered into a massive circle that exploded with a blinding light several times brighter than before—like a miniature sun.
At that moment, I couldn’t afford to be complacent any longer. I had expected a longer fight, but Eldora seemed to be pouring every last ounce of her strength into this attack. A wise decision, in its own way.
So I matched her, intensifying the energy of Hwajeong even further.
My eyes closed gently amid the swirling space.
My golden hair whipped wildly in the tempest.
Moments later, Eldora’s eyes snapped open, blazing with an unshakable certainty of victory.
With one hand gripping a sword and the other clenched tight, she screamed at the top of her lungs:
“El Doradooooooooooooo!”
Fueled by rage, her voice tore through the air.
In that instant, I saw it clearly.
Where the golden orbs touched the ground, a fierce burst of flames erupted.
A deep, resonant hum filled the air as the orbs spun, unleashing a latent power that shook the heavens and earth.
The overwhelming energy was so vast it felt like my entire body was being crushed just by facing it. Slowly, it advanced, swallowing everything in its path—a breathtaking, magnificent spectacle.
Meanwhile—
“Is that all you’ve got?”
Hwajeong shouted, and almost simultaneously, blazing swords shot forth.
Flashing like streaks of light, the fiery blades, amplified by 4.5 times Hwajeong’s natural energy, collided head-on with the orbs, leaving thick, vivid afterimages.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The sun of light surged forward, shaking the world, while the crimson blades blazed fiercely to block it. Both Eldora and I staggered back under the sheer force.
Yet neither side yielded an inch. Instead, their power multiplied exponentially. Golden ripples spread across the surface pierced by dozens of blades, creating a vast, shimmering spectacle—truly a magnificent and dazzling sight.
Then—
With a roar, one fiery sword plunged into the very center, burning through and piercing a hole.
From that moment, the orbs were riddled with holes like Swiss cheese, finally allowing the attack to break through. The radiant light that had illuminated everything began to fade, and the orbs distorted and collapsed.
The surviving fiery swords shot forward like comets, shattering the sun.
And Eldora—
“Ahhhhhhh!”
She screamed as if in agony, engulfed by countless flames.
Before long, the crushing pressure lifted, and the whirlwind subsided.
It was over.
“Phew.”
I finally exhaled, gathering my strength and quickly checking myself.
My insides felt a bit hollow, but there were no injuries or backlash. She wasn’t an easy opponent, but not as difficult as some ancient evil gods.
Just about what I expected. After all, Hwajeong herself admitted she was no high-ranking deity.
I looked ahead, and the flames covering Eldora’s body were slowly dying down.
More precisely, she was still standing on her feet—miraculously.
But when the flames faded, the sight was pitiful enough to make me wonder if she was dead on her feet. Her once-beautiful golden hair was charred black, and her small, sturdy frame looked like a rag about to be torn apart.
It was astonishing. Even after such a brutal attack, she was still standing. I guessed her protective armor must be excellent.
Well, that worked out. Looks like I’ll be taking her armor and accessories along with me. Of course, Excalibur remains my top priority.
But surely no one’s going to suddenly appear and snatch the sword now, right?
Just to be safe, I moved quickly. Eldora weakly opened her eyes. Her bloodshot pupils trembled quietly. She tried to speak but coughed violently, spilling bright red blood.
Finally, she dropped Excalibur with a clatter and collapsed forward, powerless and coughing up blood.
“Hmph.”
Excalibur truly was a divine sword.
Despite all that chaos, it still reflected sunlight with noble beauty. It’s no wonder it’s considered one of the finest blades in the Whole Plain.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret for the scabbard. Ah, what a shame. Truly a shame.
“No way…”
“Hm?”
Just then—right as I was about to pick up Excalibur—a faint voice whispered in my ear. A trembling arm reached out toward me. Eldora, struggling even to breathe, looked up at me with pitiful eyes.
“Give it back…”
What was she saying?
Did she really want it back?
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Give it back…!”
“Are you crazy? One of the reasons I came here was for this sword.”
“Ah, ah…?”
I smiled coldly and pressed down firmly on the back of her raised hand.
“Yaaah!”
She screamed, bones crunching underfoot. She lifted her head and howled, but when I kicked her jaw, the scream cut off abruptly as she flew back, rolling on the ground.
I strode over and hauled the curled-up Eldora to her feet. Her bloodied face looked utterly miserable.
I quickly scanned her with my third eye. As expected: the Sielas Guardian Armor, Airen’s Pure Maiden Gloves, Buer’s Lady Boots, and—cute bear underwear… no, scratch that.
Every piece of armor, equipment, and accessory she wore was an incredible treasure.
What to do? The war was still ongoing, but things had quieted down for now. And with gear this powerful, it was well worth taking the time to recover it. Better to have it in my hands than risk someone sneaking off with it.
With that in mind, I began slowly stripping off her armor. Eldora’s dazed eyes suddenly snapped open.
“Stay still.”
“W-what?!”
“Lulu, Lulululu…”
“N-no! Don’t! Stop!”
Damn. I thought she was out of strength, but suddenly she struggled fiercely, resisting.
“Help! Somebody, please help me!”
“Stop! Don’t touch me!”
She kept shouting for help, and then an angry voice rang out. Glancing over, I saw the fake Shin Jaeryong—or rather, the black guy—charging in. The man who had fought Ansol one-on-one before the battle. The so-called Knight of Judgment.
“Feel the wrath of heaven!”
He came swinging a mace, but I didn’t flinch. Lightning like that couldn’t pierce my anti-demonic power. No matter how many times he struck, I remained unfazed.
Still, it was annoying that he charged in so recklessly…
SWISH!
In a flash, a blood-red arrow sliced through the air, piercing the man’s head with deadly precision. It looked like Seon Yuun had fired it.
The giant collapsed with a crash, and Eldora screamed:
“Edward!”
Good. Let more come. If they keep getting picked off on the way, all the better. And if they lose morale seeing their leader in such a sorry state, that’s fine too.
As I stripped off her gear piece by piece, Eldora’s resistance grew stronger. Eventually, it became almost unbearable, so I struck her hard in the stomach with a fist. Only then did her body go limp enough for me to remove the armor.
Since I’d started, I didn’t hold back. After reclaiming her necklace and rings, I took the clothes she wore underneath as well.
Finally, as I scraped off the last piece of her underwear, stripping her completely bare, her pale, naked body was laid bare for all to see. Her delicate shoulders trembled faintly, her pink breasts stood out prominently, her firm thighs curled shyly inward, and even her still-unripe womanhood was fully exposed.
Was the shock just too much? Or had she never faced such a humiliating situation before?
“Ugh… sniff….”
Eldora was already trembling with fear, quietly sobbing. The confidence she’d shown at our first meeting was gone without a trace, her eyes dull and brimming with tears like any ordinary girl’s.
“Please… stop… please, please…”
“I was wrong… please forgive me…”
Her voice wavered, choked with shame as she mumbled incoherently, then—
“Eugh… Melinus… waaah…”
She finally broke down, bursting into tears.
I grabbed Eldora’s hair roughly, like a child throwing a tantrum, and hoisted her high toward the direction where the users from the Southern Continent stood, as if to show her off. I wanted to see their reaction.
Would they rush in, wild and furious? Or would they lose heart and flee?
“Waaahhh…”
Her wailing echoed mournfully across the stunned battlefield.
And in that moment—
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Episode 3 has finally crossed the halfway mark.
There are still two battles left.
One in Episode 2, and one in Episode 1.
In terms of scale, it goes: Episode 1 > Episode 2 > Episode 3.
But by length, it’s more like Episode 3 > Episode 1 > Episode 2. (The series will wrap up around July or August.)
I expect the story to pick up pace outside of the battles, at least until Episode 1, so I appreciate your understanding in advance.
It’s already almost 5 a.m.
Wishing all my readers a lively and energetic Wednesday. :)