Chapter 49: Drive Back Rosaria

"Hmph. We’re both first-tier Divine Chosen—who’s afraid of whom?"

Ashina blinked slyly, a playful glint flashing in her eyes. "Besides, if you’re feeling empty inside, my lord could always help you get pregnant."

If Phield had heard that, he would have smiled in satisfaction and praised Ashina for being so thoughtful. He truly hadn’t pampered her for nothing.

Boom!

Ashina felt no fear at all. The two figures crossed in a blur, spear and chain colliding as they exchanged positions at extreme speed. A piercing metallic screech echoed as violent energy rippled outward.

The woman closed in at once, swinging her greatsword down in a brutal cleave. It resembled the massive two-handed blades used by heavy infantry—capable of both offense and defense. Its sheer weight alone could crush heavy armor, and as a divine artifact, its destructive power needed no explanation.

The spear and greatsword collided, sparks exploding as shrill clangs rang out. From beneath Ashina, the Drakewolf lunged forward, unleashing a burst of dragonfire that forced Rosalia to dodge out of the combat zone.

Clang!!!

Rosalia braced the greatsword, gathered strength, and slashed again.

"This is bad... my strength is draining way too fast." Ashina grit her teeth as divine power was rapidly consumed with every clash.

Her opponent wielded a true divine artifact, while her own spear was merely infused with divine power. Trading blows head-on was a losing proposition. Worse still, the woman before her—despite her seemingly fragile appearance—possessed strength tens of times greater than any monster Ashina had encountered before.

Ashina’s Divine Gift was the agile Drakewolf. There was no reason to pit her weakness against the enemy’s advantage.

Their figures crossed again. Ashina abandoned the brute exchange. Her spear traced a bizarre arc, slipping past the greatsword’s guard at an impossibly sharp angle and stabbing diagonally into Rosalia’s snow-white shoulder.

Pshhk.

Blood sprayed freely.

"What a crafty little dog," Rosalia chuckled. Blood threads surged from her greatsword, knitting the wound closed.

Ashina fumed. "I’m not a dog! I’m a wolf—no, a White Wolf demi-human!"

"All the same. I’m starving. I really want to eat."

"Then go get pregnant!"

"You really are a dog!"

"Wolf!"

They bickered even as they fought, but soon Rosalia sensed something was wrong.

She was having increasing difficulty landing hits.

Ashina only closed in when forced into a corner, striking once before immediately retreating. At range, she let the Drakewolf breathe fire or drew her bow and fired arrows.

Pshhk.

An arrow pierced Rosalia’s pale neck. She didn’t even make a sound before collapsing, blood slowly seeping from the wound.

"Little wolf, give her a low flame for three minutes—no, roast her for thirty," Ashina said, arching a brow. She made no move to approach. "There’s no way she’s dead without even using a divine skill."

Energy in the air rapidly compressed into the Drakewolf’s jaws, the surrounding atmosphere seeming to hollow out. Tyrannical dragonfire swept forward. Just as Ashina predicted, the supposedly dead Rosalia attempted to evade.

Too late.

Forced to endure it head-on, Rosalia raised the greatsword to block the flames as blood threads poured out once more, desperately repairing her body.

Boom—boom—boom!

The dragonfire raged for a full three minutes. The ground split apart, soil reduced to ash. Only then did the Drakewolf stop—it simply didn’t have enough mana or stamina to sustain thirty minutes.

Ashina lifted her eyelids slightly as heavy footsteps echoed behind her.

"The greatsword is still there—so she’s not dead. But the corrupted giant scorpion found us. That’s troublesome."

As expected, eerie light flared within the eye embedded in the sword’s hilt. Countless blood threads surged forth, weaving themselves into a humanoid shape.

This time, Rosalia was noticeably smaller.

She had shrunk into a girl around Ashina’s age, dressed in a black gown. Her face was similar, but the seductive charm was gone—replaced by an almost pure, innocent look.

Ashina stared at Rosalia’s chest in disbelief.

"Huh? It got smaller?"

"Annoying food. You didn’t fall for it," Rosalia snapped. Failing to fake death and getting roasted for three minutes had left her furious. She gripped the greatsword, long pale legs crossing as she adopted a defensive stance.

"Even your voice sounds younger now. Interesting. Still, that garbage deception wouldn’t fool anyone," Ashina said casually. Her left hand quietly slid an arrow from her quiver as she spoke in a coaxing tone. "But tell me—why attack the Nightfall Domain? Corrupted creatures are everyone’s enemy, aren’t they?"

"As a noble, do I need to explain myself to a lowly creature like you?" Rosalia sneered. "The Nightfall Domain is my territory. You are the intruders. And not just you—every invader. Humans, orcs, brainless goblins. Even that trash lord you mentioned. All of you belong in my stomach."

Ashina’s killing intent flared instantly. She rarely lost her temper, but hearing Rosalia explicitly name her lord as prey ignited her fury.

"If your belly’s empty, the animals of the Nightfall Domain can help fill it," Ashina said coldly. "They’ll make sure you give birth to plenty of babies."

"That’s even worse than letting your lord do it—n-no, wait, nobody’s allowed!"

Ashina smiled slyly.

"You filthy, vulgar savage!" Rosalia snapped, face flushing red. "I’ll slaughter all of you!"

"Then try."

Ashina drew without hesitation and loosed the arrow.

In her youthful form, Rosalia was much faster. A slight tilt of her head let the arrow pass as she tightened her grip on the greatsword and counterattacked.

The two figures collided like high-speed trains, terrifying energy waves warping the air itself. Corrupted creatures nearby were shattered by the shockwaves alone.

The greatsword flew from Rosalia’s hand. She seized the chain instead, dramatically extending its reach. Wrapped in air-shattering force, the blood-red streak struck the Drakewolf’s hind leg.

Boom!

Several black scales exploded outward as blood poured freely. Divine power ravaged its body, and the Drakewolf let out its first cry of pain.

"Hit," Rosalia smiled coldly. "Now let’s see you scurry around like a rat. Kneel and beg for forgiveness—or suffer."

"Hmph. That’s not certain."

"Ashina’s voice rang out. "Drakewolf—charge!"

Azure energy erupted from the wolf’s limbs. As a Divine Gift—and a rare living divine artifact—it would not be crippled by a single blow. With violent tremors, the Drakewolf became a blazing comet, trailing blue light as it slammed into the girl.

Like a massive cannonball, Rosalia was hurled deep into the forest, flattening everything in her path and carving a vacuum through the undergrowth.

Barely three seconds later, a slender jade-like hand braced against the greatsword as she pushed herself upright.

"You hurt me. Looks like I’ll have to get serious."

Ashina stared into the settling dust.

"Tough as hell."

The Drakewolf’s injured leg trembled slightly.

Divine Chosen were already notoriously hard to kill. This one had clearly invested everything into defense.

Boom—boom—boom!

A massive figure crashed into the battlefield.

The corrupted giant scorpion screeched, gray eyes flickering with madness and agony. Its enormous iron pincers snapped toward Ashina like indestructible shears.

"So it followed us. That’s troublesome." Ashina urged the Drakewolf back as it spat fireballs infused with winter divine power—flames that burned corruption and inflicted severe slowing effects.

A third-tier corrupted creature was classified as a disaster.

Wherever its pincers passed, twisted plants, corpses, even solid rock exploded into fragments.

"I need to pull away from the scorpion before dealing with that woman," Ashina calculated calmly.

But Rosalia shouldered her greatsword and turned to leave instead.

"Wait here. After I finish my meal, I’ll come back for you."

The chain snapped out, dragging two sluggish corrupted corpses forward. The greatsword flew, shredding them as pure life energy was absorbed into the blade.

"So that’s how it works," Ashina murmured. "Killing to fuel the artifact, then using it to heal. When she says ’eating,’ she means slaughter."

Rosalia vanished into the smog, impossible to track.

When a Divine Chosen chose to flee, pursuit was nearly impossible.

"Damn it. Then you’ll do," Ashina snapped, turning toward the rampaging scorpion. "If it weren’t for you, I could’ve finished her and gained another divine artifact for the domain."

She weaved through the snapping pincers, evading every strike. Spear flashes poured forth like starlight, relentless, all striking the scorpion’s mouthparts.

Unable to endure the assault, its pincers shattered, exposing grotesque wounds.

The Drakewolf seized the opening, tearing into the soft flesh and pouring dragonfire straight down its throat.

The inferno burned inside its body, soul-deep agony ripping through the corrupted beast.

Clop—clop—clop.

Hoofbeats thundered closer as the gray mist was driven back.

Phield arrived with the cavalry.