"Violet! Use [Purification] to dispel the [Poisoned] effect on Mira! After that, stabilize Lina's HP! Mira, prioritize self-preservation—use your control skills to suppress their backline output!"
Kiriya's voice was cold and sharp, without the slightest trace of panic. It was like a bucket of icy water poured over his teammates, who were about to be consumed by rage.
His commands were crystal clear, instantly pulling the nearly-collapsing team back around a solid anchor.
"Purification!" Violet gritted her teeth, enduring the pain in her arm and the weakness from her rapidly draining MP.
She instantly dispelled the [Poisoned] effect from Mira. Immediately afterward, a [Light of Healing] descended onto Lina, forcefully pulling her back from the brink of death.
Gritting her teeth, Mira abruptly cut off the large-scale incantation she had aimed at the BOSS, swiftly redirecting her staff to the ground. "Ice Rose: Thorns!"
The icy thorns did not sprout beneath the BOSS, but instead burst forth precisely under the feet of the sneaky archer and assassin!
Though they couldn't be completely immobilized, the 40% slow effect immediately took hold, severely disrupting their aim and buying Violet precious breathing space.
Yet the pressure on the frontline did not lessen in the slightest.
"Hahaha! Futile struggle!" Rok's manic laughter pierced their ears.
His fireballs rained down on Lina as though they cost no MP, while he barked orders at his knight: "Forget their tank! Push their backline directly! Priest, cast a Haste blessing on our knight!"
"Not a chance!" Lina roared, taking a searing melee strike from Garl—complete with a [Burn] effect.
Her shield slammed heavily into the ground with thunderous force, while her left hand snapped forward in a sharp gesture.
"Ice Wall Barrier!"
With her shout, a massive, towering wall of solid ice—radiating a piercing chill—erupted from the ground with a resounding crash.
It stood tall and unyielding, cutting off the enemy knight's charge and shielding her fragile mage and cleric like an impenetrable citadel.
Unable to halt in time, the knight crashed into the wall with a heavy thud.
His charge was forcibly broken, and a thin layer of frost clung to him, slowing his attacks, while a small collision damage number floated above his head.
This sudden ice wall perfectly neutralized the crisis aimed at their backline, and its sheer bulk even disrupted Rok and the archer's firing angles.
But the cost was immense—Lina's back was now completely exposed to Rok and the BOSS.
"Fool! Frost Barrier: Sacrifice!" In that instant, Lina made the most resolute, irreversible choice. She abandoned all offense and evasion.
Her MP plunged by 200 as a dazzling yet tragic azure barrier exploded outward from her!
[Taunt] Activated!Molten Colossus Garl and Rok's entire team had their aggro forcibly locked onto Lina!
Every attack—the BOSS's blazing fists, Rok's relentless fireballs, the archer's cold arrows, even the redirected slash of the knight—was drawn like magnets to Lina's absolute defense!
BOOM! CRASH!
The ice-blue barrier groaned under the relentless assault, fissures spreading rapidly. Yet it held firm.
Lina's HP remained stable under the shield's protection, but her MP drained at a terrifying pace. Her face turned deathly pale. She knew this ultimate defense could last only a few seconds.
But those few seconds… were all Kiriya needed.
"Now!" Lina forced the words through clenched teeth.
No further exchange was necessary. The instant Lina had shouted "Sacrifice," Kiriya was already in motion.
His eyes were as cold as ancient glaciers. Every shred of emotion—rage, urgency—was compressed into pure, calculated killing intent.
His MP stood at [1200/1850]. One clone's cooldown: [38 seconds]. [Blink Step] and [Phantom Thrust] had just refreshed.
That's enough.
"Blink Step!"
He did not retreat or dodge, but instead flickered forward in a ghostly blur—five meters ahead. Not toward the BOSS, nor directly at Rok, but behind the enemy priest mid-incantation!
The angle was perfect—within the knight and assassin's blind spot, yet distanced from Rok.
"What?!" The priest gasped as a chill grazed her neck, her incantation broken.
But she wasn't his true target. The instant Kiriya appeared, his sword thrust forward.
"Phantom Thrust!" Target: Rok's blazing fireball aimed at Lina!
-87 (Block)!
A tiny damage number floated up. But Kiriya hadn't aimed to harm—it was precision interference.
His sword's tip nudged the fireball just enough to alter its course. Using that momentum, he spun his body at an impossible angle, narrowly dodging the archer's reflexive arrow.
The fireball veered—slamming into Garl's massive arm!
-1 (Immune)!
No damage—but crucially, the system recalculated aggro priority. Kiriya's "interference" briefly drew Garl's focus from Lina's absolute taunt onto himself!
The colossus's fist swung with earth-shaking fury, narrowly missing Lina's faltering barrier as it redirected onto Kiriya.
BOOM! The ground erupted in molten stone. But Kiriya was already gone, [Blink Step] whisking him aside.
Exactly as planned.
"The BOSS's aggro shifted! Focus the swordsman!" Rok barked in alarm.
Arrows, daggers, and fireballs rained down toward Kiriya. He seemed cornered—midair, without escape.
But he wasn't alone. His remaining clone, already instructed, [Blink Stepped] into position beneath him, sword raised.
CLANG! The clone deflected the assassin's lethal strike, flickering weakly.
Kiriya used the clone as a springboard, pushing off with both feet. His body twisted midair, slipping past the barrage with hair's-breadth precision. An arrow grazed his cheek—
-15!
Blood welled, but he pressed forward. His trajectory locked onto Rok, whose smug expression had twisted into shock.
"Protect me!" Rok shrieked, hurriedly conjuring a flame shield.
Too slow.
"Phantom Slash!"
Kiriya became one with his blade, unleashing a brilliant crescent slash.
SWOOSH!
-1255! (Critical Hit!)
The arc tore through Rok's shield and body, leaving a blazing golden number. His HP plummeted.
"Damn it!" Rok cursed, scrambling back. "Priest! Heal—"
His words died.
Because Kiriya hadn't stopped. [Blink Step]'s cooldown had just ended.
Fourth blink.
He appeared at Rok's retreat endpoint, blade poised like death's scythe.
"Phantom Thrust!"
-1058! Weak Point!
Rok's HP is halved again. Terror replaced arrogance on his face.
"Bastards! What are you waiting for?!" he screamed at his teammates.
The knight and assassin finally surged forward.
But [Clone Summon] was ready. Two shadows burst into existence, intercepting their charge.
"Hold them." Kiriya's command was absolute.
The clones leapt without hesitation.
Kiriya himself never broke eye contact. His HP: [1520/3300], ticking down under [Burn]. MP: [850/1850]. Almost every skill is on cooldown.
But he still had his sword. And his will.
Rok staggered up, roaring: "Great Fireball! Die!"
At this range, it's impossible to dodge.
Kiriya didn't dodge. He advanced, stepping into the fireball, sword thrusting with suicidal resolve.
"You madman!" Rok's pupils shrank.
BOOM!
-788! (Elemental Weakness!)
The explosion engulfed him, charring his [Shadowweave Cloak] black. His HP plummeted to [423/3200], and agonizing pain nearly blinded him.
But his sword struck true.
-901!
Rok's HP bottomed out—barely clinging to life.
"No… impossible!" He staggered, fumbling for a potion—
Too late.
Kiriya, reeling from the blast, hurled his [Reinforced Bronze Sword] like a spear.
THUNK!
-15!
A pitiful number—but the blade impaled Rok's throat. His eyes dimmed, his body collapsing into fading white light, scattering gear and potions.
[System Notice: Your teammate Kiriya has slain player [Rok] (Lv. 24)]
Silence. A suffocating silence fell.
The BOSS still roared. The [Burning Aura] still seared. But the arrogant core of the ambushers now lay dead.
"Guild Leader?!" The four remaining Flame Wing members froze in disbelief.
Kiriya knelt, nearly spent. His chest blackened, HP ticking down under [Burn]: 395…370…345… He could barely lift his weapon.
"He's out of HP! Kill him for the Guild Leader!" The enemy knight broke free of the clones, charging at the defenseless Kiriya.
But then—
"Your opponent is me!"
Lina's furious shout split the air. Her [Frost Barrier: Sacrifice] had ended, the ice shield shattered—but she didn't hesitate.
"Frost Domain!"
The ground froze solid, an arctic storm engulfing the four enemies. Their speed plummeted, frost clinging to every limb.
At that same instant—
"Ice Rose: Bloom!" Mira's chant is completed. A colossal rose of ice erupted among them, detonating with a thunderous blast. Her passive [Frost Thorn Ring] triggered, amplifying the carnage.
-1200! -988! (Freeze Bonus!)
The assassin and archer were frozen solid, then shattered, slain instantly.
The knight and priest, panicked, tried to flee—only to be slowed by Lina's [Frost Thrust] and rooted by Mira's [Cold Current].
Violet's healing light descended on Kiriya, stabilizing his faint HP.
Gasping, Kiriya lifted his head. He saw Lina like a true Valkyrie, shield-bashing the desperate knight. He saw Mira's frost freezing enemy after enemy. He saw Violet's sacred light shining unwaveringly.
He knew—the crisis had passed.
Slowly, he pulled his sword free from Rok's corpse. His gaze shifted back to Molten Colossus Garl, whose fury now turned once again toward Lina.
The battle wasn't over.
Wiping blood from his lips, Kiriya's eyes burned with unrelenting killing intent.
His voice was low, sharp as ice:
"Now… It's your turn."