An arrow was sucked into Jared’s right flank, piercing him.
Intense pain assaulted him, his abdomen burning hot.
Shot through the shoulder, leg, and abdomen, Jared was bleeding but could barely move, his body devoid of strength.
Though not fatal, he needed immediate treatment. More importantly, if things continued like this—he would be defeated.
If he fell, Olivier and the others would be killed.
Jared finally realized how foolish it was to have thought of capturing Pfeil rather than defeating him.
He was a formidable opponent. Even without using magic, he was as strong as a magician. Jared was ashamed of the arrogance that had made him unconsciously believe he was safe because he wasn’t a magician.
But it was too late for regrets.
Pfeil, drawing another arrow from the flames, approached.
“Still alive? You’ve trained your body remarkably well for a magician. I underestimated you a little.”
Pfeil lowered his bow, not releasing the arrow, and stood beside Jared, pulling the arrow from his abdomen with force.
“Aaaah, Gaaaaaaah!”
Another wave of intense pain washed over him as blood flowed out.
Subsequently, the arrows were pulled from his shoulder and leg, intensifying the agonies and causing more blood to spill.
“Arrows can certainly kill if they hit vital points, but if they miss, the bleeding is minimal unless the arrow is removed, making it difficult to kill the enemy.”
As Jared’s vision blurred from the pain and sudden blood loss, he saw Pfeil draw a knife from his belt and ready it.
“A knife is easier for killing. Like hunting, piercing with an arrow and then finishing off the immobilized prey.”
Without hesitation, the blade swung down, and Jared instinctively grabbed Pfeil’s wrist.
“I’m honestly surprised you still had that much strength.”
Seen up close, Pfeil was as injured as Jared. His clothes were scorched by flames, and much of his exposed skin was burned. While shattering the obsidian spear with explosives was impressive, he was covered in lacerations and bleeding from everywhere, likely from the fragments as he destroyed it at close range.
The grip on the knife held below his eyes seemed weak. Even the injured Jared could restrain him, suggesting their exhaustion was comparable.
However, being tackled with his whole body, Jared bore the greater burden. He didn’t know how long he could hold Pfeil back.
He wanted to use magic, but he had no room to divert his attention.
Just as he thought time was being wasted,
“What are you doing!?”
Olivier burst from the mansion in her nightclothes.
“Don’t come closer!”
“Jared!? What are you…?”
“Just stay back!”
Olivier noticed Jared pinned down but stopped as instructed.
She might have realized from the explosion that he was fighting, but Jared couldn’t understand why she was there. Yet, he had no time to think.
“It’s a low priority, but a new target has appeared. I’ll deal with you later.”
“Hah, don’t joke! You think I’ll just let you do that?”
Jared grabbed an arrow that had fallen to the ground and plunged it into Pfeil’s side, who was vulnerable with his knife drawn.
“—Guh.”
Pfeil let out a short groan, but his grip on the knife, still aimed at Jared, did not loosen.
“I am an assassin. Pain does not slow me down! I’ll finish you first, Jared Murphy!”
The balance of strength shifted, and the knife slowly moved closer to Jared. The tip of the blade touched his throat. If he eased his resistance even slightly, death awaited.
Strangely, he felt no fear of the death looming before him. He had faced death many times before, perhaps his heart was numbed. However, the thought of not being able to protect Olivier and the others brought a trembling fear.
“This is the end, magician—Gah!?”
As Pfeil put more force into the killing blow, his body was ripped from Jared and rolled onto the ground.
“I… I won’t let you kill my fiancé.”
Olivier had shoved him from the side.
Neither Jared nor Pfeil noticed Olivier approach them stealthily. They were too focused on their immediate opponent.
That was how they were saved.
“Jared… Oh no, your blood… how, this much…”
“Olivier, please go back inside the mansion. Quickly.”
“No, I can’t leave you like this. If you go, I go with you.”
Bravely, Olivier had shoved the assassin, but upon touching Jared and seeing the flowing blood, she began to tremble uncontrollably, clearly shaken.
He repeated his plea, wishing she would abandon him and stay inside the mansion, but Olivier stubbornly refused.
Just then, the sound of wind cutting through the air could be heard.
Jared focused all his consciousness on the sound, his hand moving.
“—Huh?”
Olivier let out a foolish sound.
“Impossible… My arrow, he caught it?”
Pfeil’s voice, tinged with shock, followed.
Jared’s right hand had caught the arrow shot towards Olivier, right before her eyes.
A moment of intense concentration enhanced Jared’s reflexes, saving Olivier from the unexpected arrow.
He broke the arrow and threw it away, then glared at Pfeil, who, despite his surprise, was preparing another arrow.
“Pfeil—I will never forgive you.”
He struck the ground in anger, and as if echoing his emotions, the earth rose. Numerous earth spears emerged from the ground.
The earth spears attacked Pfeil like a wave.
Pfeil leaped sideways to dodge, but the spearheads caught his left arm, left leg, and flank. The spear that had destroyed his bow had already done damage. While he twisted to avoid a direct hit, the earth spears gouged his body, causing him to bleed profusely.
“Still… this much power…”
Pfeil glared hatefully at Jared while clutching his wounds, but Jared returned the gaze with an even fiercer one, spreading one hand to shield Olivier.
“I will not let him inflict even the slightest wound on her.”
“…Jared.”
“I won’t allow you to touch her. If you lay even a single finger on her, I will tear apart not only you but everyone associated with Waalthe!”
Jared and Pfeil glared at each other for a while, but Pfeil was the first to break eye contact. He leaped backward and stood atop the wall surrounding the mansion.
“I’ll withdraw for today. You, Jared Murphy, are a more formidable threat than I imagined. I now recognize you not as an obstacle to my mission, but as an enemy I must defeat. I will return tomorrow night to kill. Next time, I will kill you all. In the name of Waalthe.”
Then, as he finished speaking, he leaped even further over the wall and fled.
“To say whatever he wants.”
Feeling the presence rapidly receding, Jared collapsed to the ground, relieved that the immediate threat had passed.
“—Jared! Hey, why, what’s wrong! No, you can’t be, don’t die!”
Olivier desperately called out and shook Jared’s body as he lay on the ground, but he couldn’t respond.
Even breathing was difficult, and he was aware of his labored breaths.
His body felt cold, perhaps from blood loss.
Most of all, he was sleepy.
Unable to resist the encroaching drowsiness, Jared lost consciousness.
