Strongest Among the Heavens
Chapter 297: Learning to Protect

Chapter 297: Learning to Protect

Kenzo was torn between helping his friend and focusing on his own battle. He swung his sword and attempted to threaten two of the Booas in front of him away.

"Gah!"

He was tackled by surprise and fighting for his life. Immediately, he pressed his blade to the throat of the hungry hyena biting at him. Pushing, pushing, pushing, as the hyena snapped its jaw open and shut, open and shut, wanting the same taste of flesh its comrade had. It succeeded and snatched off two strips of flesh from both shoulders.

Kenzo grit his teeth. He tried to kick it off and failed.

"Radiant Blast!"

Sarah blasted the Booa in the back before Kenzo could be ravaged. The Booa growled and in that moment of weakness Kenzo finally kicked it off.

However, all three of the Booas that Kenzo had been dealing with had turned to the ladies.

’Three against three,’ Pauline noted. ’Sylvia still needs time for her magic circles...!’

Was this what it felt like to see death? Her legs were shaking and her stomach churned. She wanted to fucking vomit.

’I-if I had increased my stats, if I hadn’t been such a scaredy-cat about being perfect...!’

Sarah, standing her ground despite her fear, cast another series of Radiant Blasts. The Booas dodged and charged at them.

"Light Barrier!"

Sarah summoned a spherical yellow barrier protecting the twenty Yumboes, Sylvia, and Pauline. It was much bigger than the Magic Barriers given in the Mage and Wizard Classes. Durable too as the Booas tackles only caused a crack.

"We have to hold them off until the Yumboes can regroup," Sarah shouted. "T-this is only going to last–!" Claws slashed! Heads butted! The Booas were hungry! "For ten more seconds...!"

Sylvia was drawing magic circles with her staff. Too slow, too slow. The barrier was going to break.

’The Yumboes...!’ A sorry sight. All twenty miniature elves were gasping for air. Some couldn’t stand. ’Out of energy! They don’t have regen like us so their stamina is very limited.’

She had to think. Think!

Behind the attacking Booas were Akihiko and Kenzo. Akihiko was fighting two Booas and on the defensive. Kenzo was on the ground, both shoulders bloody. Expecting him to wield a sword was unlikely.

Kazi wasn’t here. Emma wasn’t here. Jackson wasn’t here. Kibiwott wasn’t here.

’If only we had one more person...!’

Kazi misjudged. They couldn’t do this. The barrier shattered and—

"Radiant Blast!"

"Fire Dart!"

Pauline tried anyway because she had to. Sarah too.

Two out of the three Booas were pushed back. As for the last...

Crunch! Squelch!

Pauline jumped in between and let the third hyena bite her torso. She saw its teeth disconnect her flesh. Her legs gave out.

"Fire Dart!"

A bright orange light swallowed her vision. She fell anyway, feeling an open cold in her stomach.

’Am...I...dying?’

"Luminous Mend!"

That was Sarah. The hole that made her world oh-so cold clenched like fire.

"Luminous Mend! Luminous Mend!"

Pauline was starting to feel, starting to see. Turned over by a pair of shaky hands, she saw Sarah. The brunette’s hair was done in a sleek mid-length, rather light in colour, and she had a small nose. A beauty mark lay right under her left eye. Her black robes were similar to Emma’s but less fancy.

’So ordinary,’ she thought with full sincerity and respect.

Pauline weakly blinked and heard another voice.

"Don’t you dare give up! Not yet!"

"Sylvia..." Pauline opened her eyes and tried to keep them that way. Tilting her head back, she saw the two remaining Booas.

With a seamless switch between wand and sword, Akihiko struck one Booa in the chest with a fire spell. "Equip. Unequip.." His wand switched to his sword. Bouncing to the second Booa, using all his momentum, Akihiko’s sword pierced its chest.

To deal with the last monster, he switched weapons again, blasting it with two rapid Fire Darts. He was doing it! He was winning.

Until suddenly, Akihiko stopped and lurched over.

"Akihiko...!" Pauline muttered. The two women above her glanced over. The teen in question used up all his mana and was in massive trouble.

The last Booa charged, claws forward. Someone screamed.

Drip, drip, drip.

Akihiko’s weak sword plunged itself into the Booa’s neck. Out of desperation, he had gone close range, a gamble that paid off. Choking on his blade, the Booa went limp.

The pap hill village remained standing.