"Hiss..." A stream of crimson blood flowed down Merka's forehead.

He was pinned down by a massive cat demon. The snarling cat demon was as powerful as a thousand pounds, making it difficult for Merka to breathe.

The surrounding land and trees were all marked with cat paw prints, and there were sharp cuts everywhere.

However, compared to the devastation around them, the cat demon was also heavily injured. Its lower body had been pierced by Merka's flames, leaving a large hole, and its abdomen had been torn open by Merka's arm.

Did it show mercy?

Mulang, who was riding on the cat demon, truly looked like a fierce warrior. With a wand in his left hand and a spellbook in his right hand, he forcefully suppressed Merka with the ferocious cat demon.

But even at this moment, he did not draw the large sword engraved with the words "fierce warrior" on his back.

Somehow, Merka could sense a hint of confusion and -- pain from his frenzied expression.

"Mulang..."

"You didn't obtain the artifact from the humans, did you?"

Merka took a deep breath, using the last trace of magic from Joan in his earring to infuse his limbs.

White flames of panic spread to Merka's limbs. The tender flesh buds swayed on his broken wounds like angelic tendrils, rapidly expanding into organs.

A trace of astonishment flashed in Mulang's eyes. He waved his wand, summoning several cat claws.

The cat claws, brimming with captivating blue brilliance and sparking with electricity, instantly arrived in front of Merka.

Merka stared at the flying claws and erupted with astonishing magical vortex.

While forcefully pushing back the cat demon's massive arm, Merka violently swung his magic-infused hand, annihilating all the claws.

"The hand of the mage that the mage uses is their imagined hand."

"But what you used were cat claws."

"I heard... that there was a musician named Bastet in the city of Alexander."

"Even though it was a small cat."

"It could speak human language and understand human minds."

"In the end, it died. I heard it was because it sheltered Curseborn."

"It has something to do with you, doesn't it?"

Mulang stopped his attack, and the large-sized cat demon instantly retreated several steps, disappearing into the shadows of the jungle.

Countless cat claws abruptly appeared behind Mulang, surging with blue electric arcs, converging into a blue ocean.

They were like arrows, fully prepared, waiting for Mulang's command to fly towards Merka at lightning speed.

The dazzling sun shone on Mulang's pale face, as if it wanted to puncture his moon-like skin.

"... Why do you say that?" Mulang furrowed his brows, placing a hand on the large sword behind him.

Seeing that Mulang stopped his attack, Merka finally breathed a sigh of relief and slowly healed his limbs, then spoke slowly.

"Because what you're holding is actually a music book, right?"

"I saw it from the very beginning. I use detection magic to observe the world all day long, and I wouldn't miss this detail."

"After all, I also like doing this sort of thing."

Merka smiled helplessly and said.

"You embedded the music book in a magic book."

"Are you trying to pay homage to Bastet, the goddess who made you a sub-mage?"

"The gold-rimmed font on the music book gave you away."

Merka straightened his posture, fully embodying the state he had reached, his body clad in a seamless layer of flames.

The flickering flames in the wind created long trails of fire, and Merka truly looked like a flaming train, as if he could be unstoppable and invincible as long as he started running.

"...You're wrong."

"I don't want to pay homage to Bastet."

The fury between the two continued to rise in the cold atmosphere, but it came to a halt with Mulan's words.

"Maybe it's the influence of the teacher's relic."

"I just can't let go of my dream of playing the piano."

Mulan gladly unsheathed the massive sword on his back.

The serrated metal spikes on the sword reflected the dancing sunlight that streamed through the trees, accidentally catching Merka's eyes.

"Tedious trivial matters and never-ending hardships have long extinguished my hope of realizing my dreams."

Mulan put the magic book on top and placed it in his embrace.

Gently lifting the sword, Mulan tenderly wiped every edge and corner of it as if caressing a lover.

"The bottomless despair is the end for idealists."

"Can you do better than me?"

"Blind."

Unexpectedly, Mulan swiftly pointed his sword towards Merka.

Sharp cat claws instantly formed layers of fierce storms around Merka, swiftly assaulting him.

With a grim expression, Merka watched the demonic claws fly towards him like a swarm of locusts. Dodging their edge, he ascended the branches in two or three steps, taking advantage of the speed boost from the flaming train, and initiated a guerrilla attack using the complex three-dimensional terrain and those cat claws.

While evading their sharpness, Merka also continuously released pure magical flow, destroying the scattered cat claws.

"Meow!"

A piercing howl came from behind Merka as a gigantic cat creature, swinging its long tail like a silver hook, lunged at him.

In desperation, Merka reached his hand towards the cat creature's big head, and the terrifying surge of magical energy dispersed the densely packed cat claws that formed the creature.

The cat head melted in Merka's hand like butter, revealing Mulan, who had long been prepared inside...

Mulan.

Wrapped in arcs of electricity, Mulan had already appeared in front of Merka in the blink of an eye, fiercely driving his sword into his own body, surprising Merka.

A vigorous bloodline spurted out from the gaping wound on Merka's body.

Merka could no longer endure the overwhelming signals sent by his body and instantly lost his strength, falling from the air.

Mulan glanced at the fallen Merka, stepped on the tree, and landed on the ground, riding on the azure breeze.

"How pitiful."

"It reminds me of my blood-red past."

Merka lay on the ground, the corners of his mouth twitching as blood foam bubbled out. The wound on his chest indicated that Mulan's strike had nearly shattered all the ribs on his left side.

Mulan lowered her gaze and her tone became solemn.

"Let me tell you the story of this sword, alright?"

"While it is strength and comfort,"

"It has also been the source of pain that has constrained me throughout my life."