The Infinite Blazing Strike

The second round concluded.

The moment the round ended, the nine [Stun] cards that had filled Sovenia’s mind silently dissipated, like morning mist, leaving not a trace behind.

Sovenia immediately felt refreshed and light on her feet.

The succubus clones continued their Enthralling Gaze, and several [Stun] cards cascaded into the draw pile. Naturally, with the effect of [Evolution+], this assisted her draw, allowing her to instantly pull her entire deck into her hand once more.

‘The cards truly are abundant,’ she thought.

The third round began.

Enraged, the Succubus Heavenly King burst through the shattered ice wall, intent on slaying Sovenia.

Wawalde’s combat instincts propelled him to make the optimal choice. He swiftly commanded his clone to attack the Succubus Heavenly King.

The clone, its features indistinct, stepped forward. Its ethereal greatsword descended with a ferocious sweep, aimed directly at the Succubus Heavenly King, unleashing a [Divine Slash].

A holy radiance flashed and vanished. The blade tore through the air, yet struck only an afterimage.

The Succubus Heavenly King drifted backward with inhuman speed, her form as light as a weightless feather, effortlessly evading the lethal blow.

Wawalde’s clone did not pursue. Instead, it continued to guard the doorway alongside Sovenia.

Concurrently, Wawalde’s main body charged, roaring like an enraged bull, directly at the Succubus Heavenly King.

“Go, great Hero Wawalde!” Sovenia cheered from behind the clone, urging him to decapitate her foe. “Use your Divine Slash and send her head flying, just like mine!”

Sovenia harbored no goodwill whatsoever for the Succubus Heavenly King, who had abandoned her companions and fled during the battle in the Throne Room.

‘Why did my head fly, but not hers?’ she mused.

Sovenia’s cheers echoed through the side chamber, grating harshly on the Succubus Heavenly King’s ears.

In a brief lull between Wawalde’s relentless, storm-like attacks, the Succubus Heavenly King even found the leisure to cast a disdainful glance at Sovenia.

Her form flickered, evading Wawalde’s sweeping strike. With a fluid motion, her slender, black-stockinged calf hooked around, precisely kicking Sovenia’s recently dropped helmet in her direction.

The helmet arced through the air, clattering as it rolled to a stop at Sovenia’s feet.

“Catch, my dear ‘kin’,” the Succubus Heavenly King’s voice dripped with mockery. “A fallen princess like you deserves only this tattered piece of junk, fit for a mere grunt! It’s truly a perfect match for your current state.”

Sovenia didn’t even spare it a glance. Her heart remained completely unmoved; in fact, she found the opponent’s assessment quite accurate. Her current body was pitiably weak, and without external protection, any stray projectile striking her head would instantly spell her demise.

Ignoring the helmet, she continued to shout, “She’s almost dead, you idio… no, I mean, Hero Wawalde, go! Cut off her head, but remember, leave the final blow for me!”

She needed to deliver the killing blow herself to gain cards; that was an ironclad rule.

However, the battle was not unfolding as smoothly as she had anticipated.

Within the side chamber, the clones, formed from pink dust, proliferated. Though they possessed no physical attack power, their dozens of eyes, continuously shimmering with enchanting light, acted like an invisible net, steadily weakening Wawalde.

Sovenia observed that Wawalde’s movements were becoming sluggish. Each swing of his sword seemed to contend with a heavy resistance. His gaze, once sharp, now occasionally flickered with confusion.

The effects of the Enthralling Gaze were continuously stacking, and his pursuit efficiency was visibly diminishing.

The Succubus Heavenly King had clearly noticed this. She no longer rushed to breach the doorway. Instead, she toyed with Wawalde like a cat with a mouse, effortlessly dodging his blade while her verbal assaults grew increasingly venomous.

“Damn it! Once I escape,” she cursed venomously, dodging another attack, “I’ll find my mother, and I’ll collect Jimi’s head like a stamp!”

‘Collect stamps? Oh, right, my head still has horns. That could be used for such things.’

A chill ran down Sovenia’s spine.

“…I’ll tie you two dogs—man and woman—to the pillars in the Demon King’s hall, summon twenty of the most lecherous Goblins, and let them properly! Take turns! Enjoying you!”

‘No! I can’t rely on this foolish dog any longer.’

Sovenia made an instant judgment. Under such a dense barrage of Enthralling Gazes, Wawalde’s willpower was rapidly depleting. His every attack slowed, and it wouldn’t be long before he was completely overwhelmed.

If the Succubus Heavenly King escaped then, the consequences would be dire.

In the very instant of her contemplation, the tide of battle abruptly shifted.

The Succubus Heavenly King seized upon a brief moment of Wawalde’s immobility, caused by dizziness. Her body transformed into a pink afterimage, instantly breaking free from his pursuit, and with astonishing speed, she darted straight for the doorway.

Her objective, from the very beginning, had been to escape this place!

Sovenia, and the exit behind her, were the only obstacles in her path.

“Perfect timing!”

Sovenia did not retreat; instead, she advanced, a bloodthirsty glint igniting in her eyes. This was the moment she had been waiting for. With every card at her disposal, she would unleash her most potent strike.

[Double Strike]!

[Blazing Strike +3]!

[Reckless Charge]!

Without hesitation, she played her most powerful attack combination. The three cards instantly activated in her mind, and surging magical power flowed down her arm into the Moonlit Blade.

This time, she did not use a thrust. Against a rapidly charging enemy, a wide, sweeping slash was the optimal choice.

Gripping the sword with both hands, she twisted her hips and waist. The silver Moonlit Blade instantly ignited with blazing flames as she brought it down in a cleaving arc towards the Succubus Heavenly King.

This was a full-power strike imbued with 4.5 times her attack damage. Combined with the replication effect of [Double Strike] and the bonus from [Reckless Charge], the total damage amounted to a staggering 10 attack points.

Facing a sword capable of cleaving boulders, the Succubus Heavenly King revealed an eerie smile. She did not meet it head-on. Just as the blade was about to strike, her body sidestepped at an unnatural angle.

The burning blade seemed guided by an unseen force, grazing the edge of her body before heavily slicing through empty air. The flames from the sword burst forth, striking only the void.

The attack was deflected.

Fortunately, Sovenia arced her sword in a circle, otherwise the momentum might have fractured her wrist.

“You can’t hit me, can you?” the Succubus Heavenly King scoffed. “Guess why? Haha, it’s because your companion, that imbecile with a mind full of filthy thoughts, his desire for my body is constantly augmenting my power!”

Wawalde’s clone moved, and the Succubus Heavenly King retreated just in time.

Even as she withdrew, she continued to provoke. This retreat caused her already tattered skirt to ride up further, revealing two long, slender legs encased in black stockings that shimmered tantalizingly in the dim light.

The stockings were riddled with tears from the battle, large expanses of pale skin exposed through the rips. The interplay of black and white exuded a decadent beauty. Her calves were taut, her thighs plump and rounded, her ankles delicate—every detail seemed meticulously designed by a deity, crafted solely to ignite the most primal urges in males.

Sovenia knew this was the Succubus Heavenly King’s ability—’Supernatural Charm’. It could convert the lust generated towards her into her own defense, even deflecting enemy attacks.

Wawalde’s pursuit resumed, his greatsword whistling through the air. The Succubus Heavenly King sidestepped again, though this time it was less graceful. She scrambled, then elegantly sprang into the air to evade the attack.

The Succubus Heavenly King looked back at Wawalde, laughing so hard her body shook:

“How utterly ridiculous. To lust after my perfect body, yet fruitlessly try to kill me. Men, *hehe*, what contradictory and pathetic creatures they are.”

Sovenia gripped her sword, remaining silent. Her expression was grim.

The Succubus Heavenly King was mistaken.

No, or rather, she was half-right. Desire was indeed augmenting her defense, but the source of that desire wasn’t solely that foolish dog.

A portion of it came from herself.

‘Damn it, damn it all!’ All the past memories resurfaced in her mind: the Succubus Heavenly King’s every glance and smile, her swaying waist and ample hips when she danced…

“ROAR!” Wawalde, consumed by grief and indignation, let out an enraged bellow, shattering Sovenia’s recollections.

He swung his greatsword, pulverizing an obstructive succubus clone nearby.

The succubus clone shattered like a mirror, its fragments scattering across the floor and dissolving into motes of light. Yet, almost simultaneously, the Succubus Heavenly King flicked a finger, and an identical clone coalesced nearby.

“It’s useless,” the Succubus Heavenly King cackled. “As long as I am here, my clones are endless.”

This couldn’t continue. Wawalde’s stamina was being pointlessly depleted.

A flicker of resolve ignited in Sovenia’s eyes. She had to do something.

Taking a deep breath, she made a daring decision. She no longer hid behind Wawalde’s clone. Instead, she deliberately stepped forward, leaving her sole safe zone and fully exposing herself on the battlefield.

The fourth round began.

Thanks to [Evolution+] and the succubus clones’ relentless mental harassment, her draw pile was once again filled with [Stun] cards.

Cards cascaded through her mind like a waterfall. In an instant, her entire deck once again appeared, fully stocked, in her hand.

She disregarded the main body of the Succubus Heavenly King, which was eyeing her menacingly from a distance, and locked onto the nearest clone.

“Die!”

She let out a low growl, activating a card.

[Blazing Strike +3]!

Fiery red flames erupted on her blade once more. Sovenia lunged forward, unleashing a swift sword strike.

The succubus clone had no time to react before the blazing blade severed it at the waist. Its body did not bleed; instead, it shattered like glass, exploding into countless pink motes of light that dissipated into the air.

A single, fatal blow.

“Oh?” From a distance, the Succubus Heavenly King, still parrying with Wawalde, let out a cold scoff. “It seems you’re not entirely useless. But surely, that move is your trump card, isn’t it? It must have drained quite a bit of your magic. I wonder how many more times you can use it.”

Sovenia ignored her taunts. Without [Blazing Strike], she would rely on pure swordsmanship. Although this body was frail, Jimi’s battle-hardened instincts remained intact.

Wielding the Moonlit Blade, its light flashing, she charged towards another clone.

The Succubus Heavenly King, effortlessly dodging Wawalde’s attacks, mocked her, “Save your strength, my little princess. Your sword takes ages to even cut through one of my clones.”

Indeed, this was true. Without card enhancements, Sovenia’s normal attacks against the clones felt like striking tough rubber. They merely swayed a few times, some even dodging her blows.

Sovenia had to chase it with several more strikes before finally dispatching it.

However, the moment the next round began…

The [Blazing Strike +3] card, having been shuffled from the discard pile, returned to her hand.

Without hesitation, she activated it again. Fiery red flames erupted, and another succubus clone disintegrated into dust beneath her blade.

And so it continued.

Round after round, she used [Blazing Strike +3] in every single one.

Her speed in eliminating the clones gradually began to match the Succubus Heavenly King’s summoning rate. Within the side chamber, the shimmering pink figures started to diminish at a visible pace.

The Succubus Heavenly King’s expression finally changed. Her smile vanished, replaced by a mix of surprise and fury.

“You *b*tch*!” she cursed, her words a desperate outburst. “Can you use that move infinitely, just like your belly constantly getting pregnant with bastards?!”

Sovenia retorted without a second thought, “This princess is still a virgin!”

The words had barely left her lips when she paused, startled by herself. ‘Why… did I call myself “princess”? And with such a righteous tone?’

‘Never mind, I can’t worry about that now. This must be my lying skill improving again, allowing me to subconsciously maintain a persona and deceive the enemy even in this life-or-death situation. Yes, that must be it.’

As the number of clones sharply decreased, the mental pressure on Wawalde abruptly lessened.

His movements regained their swiftness and ferocity. His greatsword whirled with powerful gusts, and as he pursued the Succubus Heavenly King, he simultaneously dealt with the succubus clones, once again forcing her into a frantic scramble.

Seeing the tide about to turn, a ruthless glint flashed in the Succubus Heavenly King’s eyes. Seizing an opportunity, her body once again dissolved into an afterimage, breaking away from combat with a clear target: Sovenia.

This assault was faster and more vicious than any before.

However, Wawalde’s reaction was equally swift, like lightning. He seemed to have anticipated her desperate move, and almost at the exact moment the Succubus Heavenly King launched her attack, he abruptly hurled his greatsword.

The greatsword spun rapidly through the air, like a flying windmill of death, generating terrifying wind pressure as it accurately struck the Succubus Heavenly King’s flank.

The Succubus Heavenly King was forced to make a wide evasive maneuver, but was still grazed, sending pink blood splattering.

Though this strike did not critically wound her, it successfully disrupted her momentum, causing her charge towards Sovenia to pause and veer off course.

This single instant determined life or death.

The Succubus Heavenly King’s sharp claws, shimmering with a pink magical aura, were already extended towards Sovenia.

Sovenia could even detect the sweet, dangerous scent emanating from her fingertips.

But she did not dodge.

[Please select a hand card to delete, to gain double defense bonus.]

A cold, mechanical prompt echoed in her mind.

*Buzz—*

A translucent, curved ice shield, without warning, erupted from the ground, firmly blocking her path.

[Shield of Fortitude].

With a sharp *crack*, the Succubus Heavenly King’s claws slammed heavily against the ice shield. The shield shattered instantly, dissolving into a myriad of ice crystals, but the lethal impact was entirely negated.

“You still have magic?!” the Succubus Heavenly King gasped, astonished.