Chapter 33: Who?
Ethan sliced the air with his sword once again, this time unleashing multiple swings in rapid succession. The crescent moon of mana descended, glowing crimson as it tore through the night sky before striking the orcs.
The impact was sharp, brutal; green blood splattered across the cobblestones as the wounded ones collapsed lifelessly. The ones who had already taken damage earlier were now sprawled on the ground, their bodies twitching faintly before going still.
Only fourteen orcs remained alive. The moment they saw their companions fall, rage overtook them. Their guttural roars echoed through the narrow streets as they rushed at Ethan once again, their heavy footsteps shaking the earth beneath them.
But Ethan didn’t stay rooted in place. His knees bent, muscles coiled, and in a swift motion he leaped onto the roof of another house. Tiles cracked under his landing, but he didn’t waste a second.
His sword rose once more, mana surging violently through his veins as he swung downward. Another crimson crescent moon slashed outward, cutting through the air with a shrill hum. It struck three more orcs, slicing across their torsos. They staggered, blood spilling from their wounds, but they were still standing furious and far from defeated.
The aftermath of using so many slashes began to take its toll. Ethan’s heart hammered inside his chest, beating faster than he could control. Sweat drenched his body, dripping down his face and soaking his clothes.
His mind felt hollow, emptied of thought, while his muscles screamed in agony, threatening to give out at any moment. His grip on the sword trembled, his fingers slick with sweat.
He tried to compose himself, forcing his breaths to steady, but his body betrayed him. His knees buckled, collapsing beneath his weight, and he fell hard onto the roof tiles. Pain shot through his legs, his chest heaved violently, and his vision wavered. Thoughts rushed into his mind at rapid speed, chaotic and merciless.
’Fuck... I can’t stop here, or else I will die.’
His jaw clenched, teeth grinding as despair clawed at him. ’My body wasn’t prepared to use this many Aether Slashes at the same time... I don’t have endurance, I don’t have stamina, and I clearly messed up thinking I could take on eighteen B-rank monsters alone.’
The words echoed inside his skull, louder than the roars of the orcs below. His breathing grew ragged, his chest tightening as if the air itself refused to enter his lungs. His muscles twitched uncontrollably, drained of strength. His sword slipped slightly from his grasp, the glow around its blade flickering faintly before dying out.
Before he could continue his spiral of thoughts, his brain began to shut down. His vision blurred, colors fading into a dull haze. His eyelids grew heavy, fighting to stay open but failing miserably.
The world around him tilted, spinning out of control. His body slumped forward, collapsing onto the roof tiles. His sword clattered beside him, its metallic ring echoing faintly in the silence between the orcs’ growls.
With the last ounce of strength left in him, Ethan muttered under his breath, voice hoarse and broken. "Fuck..."
His consciousness slipped away, darkness swallowing him whole.
The orcs below roared in triumph, their guttural voices shaking the night air. They had seen him falter, seen him collapse, and now their bloodlust surged higher than ever.
Their eyes gleamed with murderous intent, their tusks glistening under the faint moonlight. The crimson glow of Ethan’s mana crescent still lingered faintly in the air, but it was fading fast, leaving only the scent of blood and sweat behind.
The roof tiles beneath Ethan’s body cracked slightly under his weight, his chest rising and falling weakly. His mind drifted in and out of consciousness, fragments of thought clawing desperately to keep him awake.
But his body refused to listen. His muscles had reached their limit, his mana reserves drained to the core. The Aetherblade Ascension Art had pushed him beyond his boundaries, and now it demanded its price. His veins burned, his bones ached, and his spirit trembled under the weight of exhaustion.
The orcs began climbing, their claws scraping against the walls of the house as they tried to reach him. Their shadows stretched across the ground, monstrous and distorted under the pale crescent moon above.
Each step they took sent shivers down Ethan’s spine, even in his half-conscious state. His ears caught faint echoes of their growls, his fading vision glimpsed their hulking figures drawing closer.
His lips parted slightly, whispering words that barely carried into the night. "I... messed up..."
The world around him grew darker, the sounds of battle fading into silence. His sword lay beside him, its once-glowing blade now dull and lifeless. The crimson crescent moons he had unleashed earlier were nothing more than fading memories, their brilliance extinguished by his own weakness.
The roof trembled as the orcs climbed higher, their claws digging into the wood and stone. Their snarls grew louder, closer, hungrier. Ethan’s body remained motionless, his breaths shallow, his consciousness slipping further away. His last thought before the darkness consumed him entirely was a bitter one.
I should’ve known... eighteen B-rank monsters... alone... was suicide.
And then, silence. His body lay still, his mind swallowed by unconsciousness, while the night carried on mercilessly around him.
But less did he know that someone had already come there. Maybe to save him, or save the people living there.
A loud screaming noise of a woman echoed through the air. "Ethan!! Who told you to fight these many orcs alone, you absolute idiot!!"
A tall woman with her hair tied behind her shoulder, colossal longsword strapped across her back landed with a loud THUD on the same roof where Ethan had just collapsed.
She crouched down, lifted Ethan in her arms, and took him further away from the battlefield because if not, then he would create an unnecessary variable for her.
Gently, she placed him on the ground. His back was resting next to the roof’s railing; his eyes remained closed as he lay there weakly.
"I’ll handle the rest." She said.