The Author's POV

"Oof."

Liam felt his arm go numb as something struck them. He was barely able to react in time, and he felt himself being thrown toward the ground at an alarmingly rapid rate. The speed at which he was traveling was terrifying.

Boom—!

Just before he touched the ground, lightning crackled around him, and he was just barely able to twist his body and position himself in a way that helped him land on his feet rather than on his back.

Bang—!

The ground began to crack beneath him, and rocks began to fly past him.

'That was close.'

He thought, looking up at the bulky figure that the Pillar Mater of the House of Gluttony was.

After only a few encounters with her, he realized that he was no match for her. Without a doubt, she was one of the most powerful individuals he had ever faced.

Even so…

Bringing his hand toward his shirt, Liam clenched it and felt the beat of his heart.

Ba...Thump! Ba...Thump!

It was beating wildly.

Cracka. Cracka.

As lightning exploded all around him, he could feel excitement coursing through his entire body, and his grip on his sword became increasingly firm.

Boom—!

Another explosion went off above him, and the elven queen suddenly materialized directly above the Pillar Master. She had a complicated magic circle materialize on the top of her palm at the same time.

It glowed a green hue.

The surroundings started to twist, and long and thick vines erupted out of the magic circle, flooding the surroundings. The momentum carried all the way toward Princess Adephagia, who gazed at it with a serious expression.

She, too, couldn't take it lightly.

The attack was strong, and even Liam felt troubled by it.

But just as he thought the attack would land, Princess Adephagia suddenly opened her mouth.

WOOOOM—! As if there were a powerful vacuum inside of her mouth, the vines abruptly changed their direction and headed directly for her mouth as she swallowed them all at once.

"…"

The scene left Liam stunned. The sight... It most definitely wasn't the most pleasing to look at.

He was only able to concentrate on the scene for a short period of time before he became aware that the power that emanated from the Princess's body was beginning to increase.

"Not bad."

The Princess muttered, her gaze turning toward Liam.

'Not good!'

Craka! Cracka!

Immediately, Liam's expression changed as the lightning around him crackled even more fiercely, and he took two steps to the side.

area where he had been standing exploded into smithereens,

in the direction of where he previously stood before looking

were able

voice, though soft, echoed powerfully

voice, Liam's expression changed, and he pressed his hand against his

"Wait."

his shoulder just as he was about

"Don't attack."

that had arrived beside him, and as a result, he was not

his head, he

"Why?"

you're not

her hand in front of her, a magical circle materialized once more. This time, it was

she was, and opened her mouth as

a reaction didn't go

Haven't you noticed

out while looking at

doing it again? Did

"I know."

it didn't seem like Maylin

"Then…"

"I'm just buying time."

"For?"

"For you."

as if it were the most

"Huh?"

her words, and he looked at her with an

She explained further.

you can take that chance to leave. I'll buy you as much time as possible,

"Oh."

head, completely

she wants me to leave, and attack her from

"I see."

that

nods, Maylin smiled, and the magic circle before her burst with power and headed directly for

opened her mouth, and the attack ended up landing directly in her mouth,

"Go!"

from the back, and lightning started

Cracka! Cracka!

blurred on the

was unable to tell where he had gone. When she managed to

"This bastard!"

right behind the demoness, Liam thrust his

sword cracked and twisted, and a

attack was unlike any he had ever thrown, and the Princess, who was halfway through digesting the force of Maylin's attack, could

Spurt!

still able to land on her body, and a large gash appeared on the side of her abdomen. Black blood leaked down, and the Princess's expression

and he appeared right behind her, sword thrust directly at her left

core is in her

his sword at her armpit. He wasn't

air around him started to twist, and his sword bent to the side and his attack completely missed

"huh? ...I missed?"

clear that his attack was going to miss, the demoness

able to react in time and dodge her large hand, but he wasn't lucky enough to dodge her leg, which hit him directly by the side of his

Bang—!

"Ukh."

but before he even had a chance to catch his breath, as if something were sucking him in, he felt