"Albert, are you okay?" the purple-haired girl asked her boyfriend. But anyone seeing them now would know they weren't fine. Their bodies were covered in blood—though it was from others. They'd barely survived the fierce beast before them using magical items. Now, they were at their limit.
The magical items were all gone. Their mana was nearly depleted. Standing was difficult due to exhaustion. No help for it—mages always struggled with stamina.
"I'm fine. Run away quickly. I'll cover you here. If we'd brought bodyguards today, we wouldn't be like this," Albert said. His first words told his girlfriend to flee alone, shielding her with himself. This proved they weren't together just because Muse was the Dragon Slayer Hero's sister. After all, Albert had been declared dead. A new Dragon Slayer Hero had appeared. He didn't need to stay with her.
"What are you saying? I'm your girlfriend. I'd never abandon you now. Besides, I'm the former Dragon Slayer Hero's sister—I won't run away disgracefully," Muse said. She forced herself upright and walked to Albert's side. They had no fight left, yet no trace of fear remained. Perhaps it was because he was beside her.
The fierce beast noticed its weak prey hadn't fled to amuse it. They stood ready to fight. A hint of human-like cunning flashed in its eyes. It raised its claw and swiped down.
In its simple mind, these humans would flatten into meat paste under its claw. It wondered if they'd still be edible.
Albert knew what would happen. Still, he immediately embraced Muse, shielding her with his body.
"Battle Aura Slash!" "Woof woof woof!" A meter-long Battle Aura Slash arrived just in time. It saved them and shattered the beast's front leg defense. The slash's remaining energy carved a deep wound into the leg.
"Screech!!" The beast screamed. Warm blood sprayed freely from the wound, splattering the two below.
"Woof woof woof (Take this punch!)." A figure dashed to the beast. An ordinary fist, unenhanced by energy, plunged with unstoppable force into the fresh wound.
Another scream echoed. But the beast didn't retreat. It raised its head and bit down fiercely on the strangely-speaking human.
The person beneath didn't dodge. They changed fist to claw, determined to make it suffer even in death.
Muse and Albert widened their eyes. They didn't want their savior to die before them. They tried to shout—but it was too late.
"Not a chance!" The person knew help would come. Without that confidence, they wouldn't have rushed to save others.
Whoosh. A long weapon, roaring with wind and wrapped in massive Battle Aura, flew to the beast's right side. With a *squelch*, it pierced the fur-covered body. The person about to be bitten was safe.
The beast's body was dragged over ten meters away, leaving a long trail on the ground.
"Woof woof woof. If you'd been a second late, I'd be a goner," the girl in front said. They hadn't expected their saviors to be a 1.6-meter-tall girl. Clearly, she spoke to her companion, not them. Now they recalled—the Battle Aura Slash user had sounded female too.
"I had to save some Battle Aura. How else could I save you all?" a pleasant voice sounded behind them. Unlike the first girl, this one was tall. Blood didn't cover her face, revealing her features.
She was quite beautiful. Without today's mess, she might have drawn admirers. But this ruined her chances.
"Are you okay? Can you walk?" the tall girl stepped forward. She stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the shorter girl, not looking back. She kept eyes on the beast ahead—still alive, spewing blood, roaring as it stood.
"If you can walk, leave now. My partner and I will handle this. If not, stay behind us. Don't move. We'll protect you."
Albert supported Muse, catching his breath after the chaos. He immediately thanked the strangers: "Thank you for saving us. We're fine—just mana exhaustion. We'll recover soon. Don't worry."
Muse added quickly, still in Albert's arms: "Truly grateful. We won't burden you—we can leave. May we know your names? We'll repay you properly."
"Yes. The Parker family will give a satisfying reward."
"I'm Alice. If you can walk, go now. Don't waste time," Alice said, a hint of displeasure in her voice.
The others turned to the shorter girl. Once she spoke, they'd leave—the two girls would face the beast alone.
"Woof woof woof." The girl barked suddenly.
Earlier, she'd barked before speaking too.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Sorry. Dog food splattered on my face earlier—it's a reflex now. Call me Lulu," the girl replied.
"Here it comes." The beast roared and charged. No more games. These humans had angered it. It wouldn't spare them.
"Go quickly," Lulu said, rushing forward with Alice.
Watching the girls fight for them, they knew not to stay and burden them. Albert carried Muse, running away with all their strength.
"That Battle Aura felt like my brother's. Why does Alice have the same aura as him?" Muse thought as they fled.
