Chapter 13: The Arrival of the Four-Winged Angel

“Flora, hold it back with Extreme Intent: Crimson Lotus!”

Seeing their greatest threat neutralized, Brook and the others immediately erupted in excited shouts, shifting into an offensive stance. With the enemy’s attack power significantly diminished, excessive dodging was no longer necessary.

“Demon Taming Art: Light Dragon!”

“Fire Claws!”

“Lightning Serpent!”

He unleashed virtually every move he possessed upon the creature.

“Nine Heavens Volley!”

“Twin Torrent Arrows!”

Amos followed closely, his white arrows raining down relentlessly.

Yet, Minos, despite having lost its weapon, had not lost its defenses; its thick hide remained incredibly difficult to contend with. Even with so many attacks striking its form, they only managed to leave a few scratches, barely drawing any blood. My own ordinary attacks, however, seemed remarkably effective; almost every punch and kick sent Minos reeling, eliciting loud cries of pain. Nevertheless, fighting bare-handed inflicted little actual damage, and the creature was adept at dodging. Moreover, with each successive strike, my fists and legs began to ache intolerably.

This wouldn’t do. Though both sides fought unarmed, Minos could inflict far greater damage upon us. Even without its axe, no one could endure two or three consecutive blows from it. Our numerical advantage was the sole reason we could continue this prolonged engagement. It felt like a war of attrition, one that would ultimately be decided by whose stamina held out longest.

“Can anyone lend me a weapon?”

At my question, the two boys exchanged bewildered glances. Brook fought bare-handed, Amos’s bow was unfamiliar to me, Tiffany’s spear had long since shattered, and Sally’s staff was clearly useless. I even considered the enormous axe that had flown far afield—but it was simply too massive; even if I could lift it, I wouldn’t be able to wield it. Was there truly no usable weapon for me here?

“Do you want a weapon?”

Suddenly, a sweet, alluring female voice resonated beside my ear. Following the sound, I turned to see a tall, slender angel floating gracefully in the air not far behind me, her silver-white hair flowing freely around her head. She was clad in a form-fitting, one-piece armor, her upper body encased in a fabric that felt soft yet shimmered with a metallic luster. To allow for the full extension of her wings, the design featured an open back and shoulders, making her generous bust almost spill forth. Her lower half was covered by a knee-length skirt, its outer layer a rigid, pleated material, appearing both aesthetically pleasing and practical.

Another angel! And a four-winged angel at that, for two pairs of wings fanned gently on her back as she slowly approached me. I hadn’t noticed her arrival at all. Though my companions on the ground were bewildered by this sight, Minos, unable to reach us in the sky, could only target them, leaving them no time to concern themselves with our side.

Once she drew within a certain range, I finally discerned her features. She was truly stunning: a delicate, oval face, bright, clear golden eyes beneath slender brows, and sensual, luscious red lips, all contributing to an aura of mature elegance.

“Who are you?”

I asked, a strange note in my voice. She claimed to offer a weapon, yet her hands were empty, bearing no resemblance to someone carrying arms.

“If you desire a weapon, I can lend you one.”

As she spoke, she raised her right hand to her chest, her palm upturned in a half-clench. The very next moment, countless lightning-like flashes erupted from her palm, which seemed to liquefy, as a slender blade slowly ascended from within, radiating unsettling ripples.

“What is that?”

Never having witnessed such a phenomenon, I instinctively recoiled, flying backward to evade it. To be honest, I was somewhat startled by this sudden display.

“Why, it’s me lending you a weapon, of course!”

The four-winged angel smiled, grasping the longsword now fully manifest in her hand, then tossed it towards me. I caught it and, upon examination, found the sword to be almost entirely weightless, as light as a feather. The entire blade shimmered with a translucent, silver-white sheen, its edges intricately carved with delicate, intertwining patterns that spiraled all the way to the tip. The hilt, even more elaborate, resembled an angel itself, with six pairs of feathered wings fanning out on either side to form the guard. It was, quite simply, a breathtaking work of art! Yet she expected me to use it to slay a monster?

I cast a bewildered glance at the angel still hovering before me, but she merely offered a cheerful reminder.

“You should hurry; your companions are growing impatient.”

Snapping back to attention, I quickly seized the translucent sword and swung it towards Minos on the ground. Though I possessed no skill with a sword, nor any knowledge of swordsmanship, a simple cleaving strike was well within my capabilities. As I swung the slender blade, it suddenly pulsed with countless arcs of lightning. Yet, my strike met no resistance whatsoever, as if the creature had completely evaded it.

‘Huh, did I miss?’

“┗|｀O′|┛ Aoww~~” Minos let out a wretched howl, and to my astonishment, its entire arm was gone, severed by a single stroke, the detached limb flying far into the distance.

“This…”

This was simply unbelievable. With just one strike, the monster we had been fighting for so long had lost an arm. Yet, for a Minotaur, the loss of a single arm was not a fatal injury. In its frenzy, it retaliated, swiping at me with its remaining hand. Seeing this, I immediately raised the sword to block… And then, I watched as its other severed arm flew off into the distance… ‘This… this is practically invincible, isn’t it?’ ‘Has my cheat finally arrived?’ ‘Oh, no, I’m using someone else’s cheat.’

I was utterly dumbfounded. Minos, now deprived of both arms, instantly began to gush blood, quickly losing its balance amidst pained howls and collapsing to the ground.

“Flora, that weapon of yours…”

Everyone present was stunned into silence. Brook and Amos swiftly rushed over, questioning me once I had landed.

“Finish it off quickly; deliver the final blow.”

As a seasoned adventurer, Amos, despite the rarity of such a spectacle, was not hindered from making the correct judgment and prompting me. I turned to Minos, the Minotaur, now disarmed, writhing in agony on the ground, emitting continuous, heart-wrenching wails. While I had felt no psychological burden when striking it earlier, the current gruesome sight made me feel as if I was witnessing my own self being disciplined by my parents. My hands began to tremble uncontrollably, and I found myself utterly unable to deliver the finishing strike.

“No… I can’t do it…”

“Perhaps I can assist you with that.”

The four-winged angel descended from the sky, then walked to my side and took the translucent sword from my hand. With a swift motion, she hurled the sword like a javelin towards Minos. A flash of white light erupted, piercing the Minotaur’s head in an instant and definitively ending its life.

“This…”

Although it was an expected outcome, I was still slightly awestruck by the elegant precision of her action. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the silver-white translucent sword suddenly levitated, slowly tracing a white arc as it gracefully returned to its owner’s hand.

“That’s incredible.”

I couldn’t help but offer a soft compliment to the angel beside me, only to witness the sword suddenly shatter into countless crystalline dust motes, dissipating into the air.

“You flatter me,” she explained, “this weapon is merely an extension of my own abilities, condensed into form. It has no true physical substance, so when it’s no longer needed, I can simply make it vanish.”

What an incredibly powerful angel! Are all true angels like her? Compared to her, I felt utterly like a novice—though, truthfully, I was indeed one.

“You say that was a magical weapon you condensed?” Sally asked, her expression one of utter disbelief as she slowly approached, supporting Tiffany. “But I distinctly sensed the aura of a divine artifact from that sword—a wind elemental divine artifact, no less.”

Tiffany, now conscious beside her, had largely recovered from her injuries, though her demeanor remained quite listless and her spirits low.

“I’m not lying; I truly made it,” the four-winged angel replied, shrugging her shoulders with a hint of helplessness that inexplicably struck me as familiar. “If you don’t believe me, I can create another one right now. However, whether it utilizes the wind element you mentioned, I cannot say.”

“Uh, no need.”

I hastened to express my gratitude.

“Thank you so much. Without your help, we don’t know how long we would have been fighting.”

“Haha, not at all. I merely happened to hear the sounds of your battle nearby and came to investigate.” The angel before me recounted her experience with a remarkably casual expression. “Actually, there were many more monsters like this around here previously. I’ve already slain several of them.”

“What? There are many more Minos like this?”

All of our faces instantly paled at her words.

“Not necessarily just Minotaurs,” the four-winged angel mused, then added, “There are also flying lions with scorpion tails, enormous lizards, and more besides. This particular Minotaur, in truth, isn’t very formidable; it pales in comparison to those lions.”

“Those… those are all higher-tier demonic beasts…” Tiffany’s already bloodless face grew even whiter.

Everyone present was deeply shaken. However, recalling her earlier display of skill and the immense power of her weapon, a clear understanding dawned upon them. After all, she was a four-winged angel; her strength was simply on an entirely different level.

“Uh, actually, all of you, including this little angel sister, are quite formidable. It’s just that you don’t possess a ‘Spirit-Condensed Blade’ like I do, which is why your fight was so arduous.” Perhaps sensing the somber mood, she quickly offered words of comfort.

So, she had named the weapon ‘Spirit-Condensed Blade’.