Chapter 80: Joint Combat One

Chapter 80: Joint Combat One

Protected by the Magic Power Shield, Airael exhaled in relief as she watched the scene unfold.

Although the shield was now riddled with cracks and appeared on the verge of breaking, Sko’s latest attack was extraordinarily powerful, truly a full-force strike from him.

If she could withstand the first blow, she could manage the second, lasting until her magic reserves ran dry.

However, creating such a strong Magic Power Shield, despite the aid of magical equipment, was still rather strenuous for Airael and consumed a fair amount of her power.

Fortunately, she hadn’t been overly wasteful with her magic reserves from the start, allowing her to still have a fair amount left.

With the magic within her supporting it, the cracked shield was quickly repaired.

Naturally, Sko couldn’t accept this situation.

How could he allow the prize to slip through his fingers?

He raised his long axe high once more and swung down with all his might towards the golden shield.

“Boom!”

With a thunderous crash, the golden Magic Power Shield protecting Airael was again covered in cracks, yet, alas, it remained unbroken, still shielding Airael inside.

Inside the shield, while Airael was indeed protected, she wasn’t entirely unscathed.

The shield merely absorbed Sko’s attacks, but the shockwaves from the impact traveled through to her, causing her internal balance to waver.

Once the dust settled, Airael faced Sko, who was gearing up for a third strike, and she decided she wouldn’t continue to bear it, retreating behind her shield.

With his swing missing, Sko nearly stumbled to the ground due to his own momentum.

Seeing the disheveled state of Sko caused a twist of amusement to creep onto Airael’s lips.

With this Magic Power Shield guarding her, she no longer had to fear Sko’s attacks in the short term.

This meant she could search for an opportunity to strike at Sko’s weaknesses.

And when the time came, unleash her full force upon him.

However, after failing his third attack, Sko’s gaze turned frenzied once more.

His momentary clarity was lost again.

“Roar—!”

He bellowed with a feral intensity, charging once more at Airael.

Facing the oncoming Sko, Airael planned to meet him head-on.

After all, she now had her Magic Power Shield, so there was no worry about being struck by Sko.

With determination, she countercharged at Sko without hesitation.

Even in the face of Sko’s heavy-handed attacks, Airael didn’t stubbornly try to take them all on.

If she could dodge, she would. If not, she’d brace herself with her Magic Power Shield.

Thanks to her sturdy shield, Airael found herself able to hold her ground against Sko’s relentless onslaught for a time.

But due to Sko’s high-quality armor, some of Airael’s attacks were merely useless gestures.

Desiring to target Sko’s weak points, Airael found herself hampered.

Though Sko had lost his mind and was in a berserk state, it only made the situation more challenging.

In this frenzied state, Sko acted on instinct.

Upon sensing danger, he instantly went on the defensive, making it difficult for Airael to strike his weak spots.

Grinding her teeth in frustration, Airael knew every time she attacked, she sacrificed her own defense.

If not for the Magic Power Shield shielding her, Sko would have torn her apart long ago.

However, this stamina drain couldn’t go on indefinitely.

While her magical reserves were still relatively adequate, with the current rate of consumption, she couldn’t hold out for long.

That meant the situation was still dire for Airael.

She needed to find a breakthrough quickly.

The surrounding knights weren’t much help either.

Those who tried to assist were swiftly dealt with by Sko.

Thus, Airael was left in a quandary.

Just then, Airael’s performance began to redefine the knights’ understanding around her.

Is this a Mage?

This is truly a Mage?

The battle between Airael and Sko continued.

Both sides had defensive capabilities greater than their opponent’s output, resulting in a stalemate where no one could land a decisive blow.

At that moment, a figure wielding a sword suddenly joined the fray between Airael and Sko.

Both Airael and Sko were caught off guard, completely unprepared for this new opponent.

The incoming figure, cloaked in gray, immediately launched a series of fierce attacks at Sko.

And every strike aimed at the weak points in Sko’s defense, right at his neck.

In a panic, Sko quickly reacted.

However, faced with this unexpected barrage, he could only defend passively, unable to muster any offensive opportunity.

The long sword in the figure’s hands clashed with Sko’s axe, producing a sharp metallic clang.

Airael found herself sidelined for the moment.

She stood there, wide-eyed, watching the figure that replaced her in the battle with Sko.

It was all so sudden; she hadn’t quite processed it.

By the time Airael regained her wits, the gray-cloaked figure had already subdued Sko, controlling the pace of the battle.

In this scenario, even if Sko had the power to turn the tables, it would be difficult for him to do so now.

Airael observed the figure before her, turned away from her.

She recognized who it was almost immediately.

That cloak was one she had given him herself, just a short while ago.

Thus, the identity of the cloaked figure became painfully obvious.

He was Axi, who had gone off to scout earlier.

After the battle erupted, Axi hadn’t rushed to join right away.

He had been observing from nearby.

One reason was to see if the Orcs had any tricks left; the other was to find the perfect moment to strike.

There’s a saying that heroes always appear at the most critical moments to save the day.

So, when Sko targeted Airael, Axi knew it was his time to shine.

He had been stealthily moving closer to Airael, preparing to save her.

However, Airael’s performance had entirely astonished him.

Though her combat skills weren’t top-notch, she had stubbornly held her ground against Sko for such a long time.

This allowed Axi to wait in hiding, biding his time for the best opportunity.

Now, Axi finally emerged into the fray, and upon doing so, swiftly took control of the battlefield, subduing Sko.