Chapter 38

Early in the morning, Louise and Yuuji woke up and headed to the city gate, waiting for the person the princess had sent.

"Hey, Louise, long time no see! Still as cute as ever," greeted a middle-aged man.

"Viscount Wald," Louise acknowledged politely.

"Don't look away like that. I'm your fiancé, after all." Just as Wald stepped forward to greet Louise, Sousuke calmly stepped in front of her, blocking his path.

"I'm not mistaken, are you Louise's escort? Isn't it a bit rude to interfere without reason?" Wald glanced at Sousuke with disinterest, clearly unimpressed.

Sousuke's right eye suddenly shifted, the pupil becoming vertical—a silent warning. Though the strange look vanished in a blink, it was enough to unsettle the Viscount.

"Louise, don't be so tense," she tugged at Sousuke's sleeve before letting him step back.

The Viscount greeted Louise with a smile, then mounted his griffon, intending to escort her.

Unexpectedly, Yuuji scooped Louise into his arms, leapt into the air, and summoned a bone dragon beneath them to fly away.

"Clever, just like your intelligence," Wald muttered, mounting his griffon to follow at a distance.

During the flight, Louise experienced riding a dragon for the first time and found it strangely fascinating.

"Hey, Yuuji, how did you summon this dragon? It looks kind of… slimy, but it's still a dragon."

Yuuji was amused by her odd first impression and explained, "It's a native of my hometown—very obedient."

The frost dragon from the prestigious garden was more of a mount here, which was a little disappointing.

The bone dragon and the griffon flew faster than expected. They soon reached Albion's border—and encountered their target.

On a royal family airship, they came face to face with the Prince of Wales and his father, the old king.

"Albion's been captured?" Yuuji asked, surprised by the prince's tone.

"Yes. We held out as long as we could, but a few days ago, treants and elves of unknown origin joined the rebels. We were swiftly defeated. Luckily, they spared our lives, or we might not have escaped."

The prince's eyes darkened.

"Elves? I didn't expect the entire Azeroth army here. The enemy is formidable." Yuuji recognized the threat and remained calm.

"So, Yuuji, what's the plan now?" Louise recalled the princess's instructions and the prince's words, turning to ask Yuuji.

Before he could answer, Yuuji's gaze shifted outside the cabin door. Everyone noticed a green-skinned orc standing there, watching them silently.

"Just as the dragon said—that's the Lich King's power," Yuuji murmured. The orc wore a string of round beads and carried a massive sword that radiated a chilling light.

"That's Sword Saint, Samuro." Yuuji transformed into his demon form, eyes locked on the Sword Saint.

"He's a skilled swordsman. Fighting in such a tight space won't be easy. Let's go down."

"I'm ready."

The two stepped out.

"Alright, I'll go first." The Sword Saint vanished into a green light, then four sword warriors appeared before Yuuji.

They rushed at him together. Though Yuuji sensed that three were illusions, he couldn't tell which ones, so he prepared to block them all.

Luckily, his instincts were right—the four attacked with equal strength.

"Surprised? My avatars can attack too," one said, pressing their assault.

Yuuji, in demon form, was pushed back steadily.

If he could attack with sword qi directly, things might be easier—but every time he tried to gather energy for a strike, the four accelerated and intensified their attack, breaking his focus.

"I heard from Illidan, if you don't get time to gather energy, you can't hurt me," the Sword Saint taunted, relentless.

After resisting the assault, Yuuji noticed one attacker was missing—too late. A blade sliced at his back. Without his demon defenses, he might have been cut in two.

"Cut deep. This is tough." The Sword Saint revealed himself, having just used a wind-step behind Yuuji.

"So strong." Seizing the chance, Yuuji retreated and eyed the four from a distance.

"I'll try this." He conjured a giant magical hand, aiming to strike the Juggernaut from afar.

But the Juggernaut's agility made it impossible to catch. Instead, Yuuji's bold move left him open to a flurry of sword strikes.

Finally, a surge of magic forced the four to back off, letting Yuuji catch his breath.

"What's wrong? No solution?" the Sword Saint mocked, watching Yuuji withdraw.

"Not at all." Yuuji gathered energy for a wide-dimensional slash. "Judgment's Slash!"

A wave of sword light surrounded him.

"No problem for me." The Sword Saint gripped his greatsword and spun, creating a storm of sword aura and wind, shattering Yuuji's attack.

"Blade Storm." Yuuji dodged but was drawn into the whirlwind, forced to brace for the onslaught.

"Yuuji!" Louise watched nervously from afar as he was engulfed in the deadly storm.

When the storm ended, Yuuji was thrown against a tree, his demon form fading and body wounded.

"Partner, if it weren't for the Fantasy Killer's ability protecting you from magical damage, you wouldn't have lasted," Bai Ying said, unable to lend more power.

"That enemy's strong. Not just magic, but swordsmanship too," Yuuji said bitterly as the Sword Saint approached.

"Come on, guardian of the world. Give me some fun," the Sword Saint challenged.

"There's no choice, Bai Ying. What can I do now?"

"Try the weapon. I don't know what it'll do, but use it."

"My master, leave it to me."

"Alright, Bai Ying, lend me your strength."

A dazzling white light enveloped Yuuji, blinding everyone.

"Bai Ying, don't hold me back."

"You're the shadow—be careful not to get cut."

A black-and-white figure appeared before them. Aside from their eyes being completely opposite, the figure was an exact mirror of Yuuji.

Meanwhile, Yuuji's real body lay unconscious nearby.

"Bai Ying, be careful. This enemy is formidable." Soi Ying transformed into a demon, wielding Yan Mo's sword against the Sword Saint.

"Hei Ying, be careful too—don't get cut." A golden cloak appeared on Bai Ying's right shoulder as she gripped the Athena Excalibur, ready for battle.