The pungent sll of blood stung her nostrils, and the sharp sound of air being sliced filled her ears.
Lyra looked into those mocking eyes, feeling a deep sense of discomfort welling up within her.
The battle was still ongoing, or rather, it was more like a one-sided slaughter.
The people on the opposite side wielded sharp blades and carried giant axes, while those beside her were a group of ragged civilians, weak and without proper weapons.
The only two armored knights had already fallen to the barrage of arrows.
The remaining people had no combat ability, either fleeing for their lives or kneeling in surrender, but the outco was the sa.
The sound of tal cutting through flesh was muffled, and the fabric was torn to shreds by the whistling blade.
Lyra watched as another surrendering person fell under the butcher’s knife, her heart filled with both fear and anger.
These were living people... not livestock to be slaughtered at will...
"...Please, I’ll do anything."
"Don’t touch her..."
"Kill ... kill ..."
A severed arm flew to Lyra’s feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the owner of the severed arm struggling under the feet of the assailant, tears and blood mixing together, staining the entire face.
Another series of cutting sounds followed, accompanied by the man’s exhausted wail. The person stepping on him sneered and spat casually.
The emotions within Lyra had reached their peak. Suddenly, she felt she could move. At the sa ti, the people wielding the axes noticed her presence.
Exchanging glances, they swung their axes down heavily.
In an instant, Lyra channeled her ntal energy into the knight’s sword, eting the axe with the blade.
On one side was a burly middle-aged man, and on the other was a petite pink-haired girl.
Judging by size alone, the forr should have had an overwhelming advantage.
However, this world had ntal energy, and through its training and enhancent, Lyra’s physical strength was not necessarily inferior to his.
The blade clashed with the axe. The knight’s sword, imbued with ntal energy, easily cut a notch into the axe. The burly man, only at the level of a peak knight, was clearly no match for Lyra. The impact numbed his wrist.
Without wasting words or considering how her ntal energy, which had been largely depleted from climbing the stairs, had been restored, Lyra raised her sword. Her azure eyes harbored sparks of anger.
Even on the battlefield, one should not end the lives of enemies in a mocking and playful manner, especially when they were unard civilians and kneeling captives.
Another arrow shot towards her. Lyra did not dodge but instead raised her sword and lightly swung it. The blade sliced through the arrow, splitting it in two.
The force applied to the side also altered the arrow’s trajectory, causing it to embed itself deeply in the ground half a ter away from Lyra.
In the distance, the black-haired man who had drawn his bow and shot an arrow narrowed his eyes, slightly retracting the disdain in his gaze, his thin lips tightly pressed together.
From their first exchange, Lyra could sense that the archer’s ntal energy was far stronger than the burly man she had just clashed with, likely reaching the level of an early Grand Knight.
Scanning the battlefield, besides the archer in the distance, three figures in gray-black armor were approaching her. Judging from the aura they emitted, they were all peak knights.
Including the one she had just defeated, there were four peak knights and one early grand knight...
Undoubtedly, from the mont Lyra chose to fight rather than flee, she was at an absolute disadvantage and likely isolated and without support.
A dozen ters away, a soldier who had just cut a civilian’s arm and was about to bleed them noticed Lyra. He put down his nearby prey, drew his axe, and started walking towards her.
Another fleeing civilian saw this and quickly pulled the person on the ground to their feet.
Though exhausted and in pain, the latter knew that if they didn’t muster the strength to flee now, they would surely die. Struggling, they stumbled backward.
Another one?
Hearing footsteps approaching, Lyra slowed her breathing, tightened her grip on the knight’s sword, and focused intently on her surroundings.
Even as a dual practitioner of magic and martial arts, escaping unscathed from six opponents of similar levels was no easy task.
Moreover, her original plan was to delay them for a while. Once a battle of attrition began, it would be increasingly difficult to escape.
She hadn’t even figured out the situation yet... and already she was facing all this...
As she pondered, several gusts of wind swept in. These people attacked simultaneously.
Sensing their intent, Lyra quickly channeled her ntal energy to strengthen her body and then began chanting a wind attribute spell.
"Flowing wind, please drive away the enemy trying to approach ."
With a fierce slash, she parried the man lunging at her, then spiraled her blade to force back the others who were trying to sneak attack.
Not giving them a chance to launch a second attack, wind elents rapidly gathered around Lyra, and a powerful wind field scattered all the attackers.
This was the spell Reneth had used during their duel, a beginner-level spell: Retreating Wind Field.
Back then, she was the one trying to avoid close combat, but now the roles were reversed.
Before Lyra could catch her breath, an arrow glowing with a cold light pierced through the wind field, heading straight for her left chest.
Although the residual wind had significantly weakened its kinetic energy, giving Lyra so reaction ti, its speed was still incredibly fast.
So fast that she could only twist her wrist, using the blade to block.
The arrowhead struck the tal with a crisp sound. What should have been a perfect defense instead sent Lyra reeling as if she had been hit by a cannonball.
Her shoes scraped the ground, kicking up dust, and she had to plunge her sword into the ground to barely steady herself.
This arrow not only carried the force of its launch but also retained a portion of the archer’s ntal energy, allowing it to penetrate solid rock and tal.
If Lyra hadn’t reinforced her knight’s sword with ntal energy, this arrow could have easily pierced through ordinary iron and pierced her heart.
She had to neutralize the distant threat first, or she wouldn’t last long.
Having trained with Elise for so long, besides the basic muscle mory, when to do what had long been ingrained in Lyra’s bones, allowing her to instantly devise the most rational tactical plan.
Stopping her retreat, Lyra channeled ntal energy into her leg muscles, cald her mind, and began chanting the spell for the Light Body technique.
The next second, while the peak knights were still regaining their footing, Lyra dashed out like a ghost, her knight’s sword hanging by her leg like a streak of pure white light.
As an Early Grand Knight, both the explosive power she could unleash and her control over her body were far superior to that of a peak knight.
Combined with the Light Body technique, it was nearly impossible for them to keep up.
As long as she could suppress this sniper and give the civilians enough ti to escape, her goal would be achieved.
As she thought this, arrows ca at her again. But this ti, it wasn’t just one but two in quick succession, aid at her chest and head.
The dual approach significantly reduced the ti to evade, but Lyra still managed to dodge the first one with her reflexes.
As for the second, as it approached, she felt the deathly aura emanating from its surface and sharply veered to the right, increasing the safe distance.
Sure enough, as she sidestepped, part of her soft pink hair not yet following the movent to her back, the arrow exploded violently.
A wave of scorching heat rushed towards her, but fortunately, the distance was far enough to avoid burning her skin.
What a troubleso guy...
Just as she was about to chant the Fla Jet spell, she realized the attack range might not be sufficient.
Lyra decisively abandoned this half-baked plan and instead cast a wind spell to further increase her speed.
The direction from which the arrows ca was where he was hiding.
ntal energy could be concealed, and auras could be masked, but the wind elent particles split by the arrow in the air couldn’t be faked.
On the other hand, seeing Lyra rapidly approaching, the man drew his bowstring again, aiming at his prey.
Before the bowstring was fully drawn, the exposed knuckles on his glove suddenly felt a chill. Instinctively, he ducked, and several transparent wind blades whistled past his head.
Such fast casting speed...
The man’s pupils dilated slightly. Before he could think further, he felt a slight tremor of earth elents beneath his feet, realizing the enemy was close, and imdiately drew his bow and shot an arrow.
Looking at the cold, sharp tal arrowhead before her, Lyra, who had already closed in on her target, lightly pushed off the ground.
Her sword, wreathed in flas, descended from the sky towards the man.
Having lived long on the battlefield, everyone had their tricks. In his panic, the man didn’t release the bowstring nor randomly fire the nocked arrow but instead aid along Lyra’s trajectory in mid-air.
Seeing the sunlight reflecting on the arrowhead gradually being overshadowed by her own shadow, Lyra felt everything around her slow down.
She could even see the fingerprint lines on the man’s hand as he released the bowstring, from indentation to rebound, and the arrow shaft shaking violently left and right.
Wind Protection.
The arrow pierced through Lyra’s body, and a spray of blood burst from the left side of her abdon.
At the sa ti, her sword struck the bow the man had hastily raised. The collision of mixed tals sparked in the air, and the blade slid along the bow’s curve.
The flas lted the ice, and the sharp weapon instantly severed the man’s bow-holding fingers.
Feeling a burning sensation in his palm, the man instinctively reached out with his other hand, channeling all his ntal energy into his palm, aiming at Lyra’s fair and delicate neck, attempting to kill her with this strike.
Lyra also realized the man’s intent. Without hesitation, she withdrew her hand, abandoning the sword stuck in the man’s elbow joint, and shifted her body to avoid the fatal blow.
Being adept with a bow indicated that this man was stronger than the average warrior, an elite in the team.
However, even as an elite, soone who had long relied on archery for ranged combat would inevitably be slightly lacking in close-quarters combat.
There were still pursuers behind her; she had to deal with him as quickly as possible.
After a beautiful exchange of injuries, Lyra grabbed the arrow at the man’s waist, reversed her grip, and turned it into a dagger, stabbing towards his eye.
Blood splattered. Under the intense pain, the man kicked out. Lyra blocked with her arm, her body flying like a kite and crashing heavily to the ground.
Her internal organs felt as if they had been displaced. Besides the wound on her side, her back was also bleeding from the friction. Lyra looked at the dim sunset above, struggling to her feet.
The civilians in the village had already fled.
Thanks to that last strike, she had gained so distance from the pursuing peak knights. Now, all she needed to do was survive.
Too bad... she lost her sword...
Before Lyra could think further, her perspective shifted again, and she found herself back in the radiant Sanctuary of Purity.
The wounds on her body had vanished. Lyra looked at her clean dress, the cream-colored stockings on her legs not even stained with a drop of blood, her expression slightly dazed.
Was that an illusion just now... it felt so real...
Stretching her fingers, the lingering pain quickly disappeared. Lyra looked at the Sword of Light, still half a ter away from her, her brows slightly furrowed.
Where was she now?
As she pondered, the Sword of Light embedded in the ground emitted a faint hum, its dazzling light seemingly drawing Lyra closer.
Was she supposed to pull it out again?
Feeling this strong attraction, Lyra hesitated for a mont but ultimately stepped forward and placed her hand on the hilt.
This ti, the originally gentle Sword of Light instantly beca scorching and blinding upon contact with her body.
Lyra felt as if she were holding a sun, the heat capable of burning her spreading from her fingertips to her arm, then covering her entire body.
It was as if she had been drenched from head to toe with boiling water. Lyra felt every cell in her body screaming in agony.
This searing pain not only affected her physically but also burned her spirit.
Clenching her teeth, Lyra tightened her grip on the hilt.
The Sword of Light, shining like the sun, seed to be establishing so kind of connection with her soul.
Her vision was completely covered in white light, making her head slightly swell.
Her tightly pressed fingers instinctively wanted to release the sword, but a voice in her heart kept telling her that if she let go, all the pain she was enduring now might be for nothing.
anwhile, outside the barrier, in the library of the Elizabeth Academy of Magic.
Astrid stood where Lyra had disappeared, her long, slender legs straight, arms crossed, waiting quietly.
The trial of the Sword of Light consisted of four parts. The first was to test the sword-puller’s physical fitness and ntal strength, ensuring that only those at the Sorcerer or Grand Knight level had the qualification to step onto the sword-pulling platform.
The second was to use an illusion to preliminarily determine if the sword-puller possessed the qualities needed to wield the Sword of Light, such as compassion, humility, and sacrifice.
The third was an advanced version of the second test. The Sword of Light would communicate with the sword-puller on a soul level, tempering their resolve with fiery light and heat, discerning their character, and ensuring they had the necessary fortitude of will.
And the fourth, the most crucial part.
The Sword of Light would, through a fair judgnt, have the trial-taker make the decision they believed to be right, using this as the final criterion for whether they could gain the sword’s recognition.
All of this had to be faced by Lyra alone.
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