The Second Element Filling the Vessel

Azu's charging slash reached the Ent.

The Ent blocked with her two-handed sword, but the tremendous momentum carried through the strike and pushed her back significantly.

Thanks to the Sealed Sword Grungaus's effect, the sword was cut through, but the Ent herself dodged aside.

Azu landed and spun in place like a top, building centrifugal force before launching her follow-up attack.

The slash, enhanced by both the Apostle's power and centrifugal force, paid no heed to the Ent's defense.

She cut off the Ent's left arm along with the wall of vines.

But a counter-kick caught her in the stomach.

She tensed up reflexively, but the blow felt like it was gouging out her insides. Her knees nearly buckled.

Still, she held on.

Every second mattered now.

The Ent's left arm was already beginning to regenerate.

It would reset to square one in mere moments, so she had to press the attack.

Elza was helping disrupt the regeneration with her mace.

Azu broke into a run again immediately, coordinating her breathing with Elza to swing her sword without hitting her.

Despite the urgency she felt, her mind remained calm and assessed the situation.

The strain was intense, but she could deal damage by going all-out with the Apostle's power.

The problem was that no matter how much damage she dealt, it had little effect.

True to her title of Witch of Roses, roses kept healing the Ent.

Only her neck was heavily defended, so cutting it should be effective, but that alone probably wouldn't be enough to defeat her.

Should she just slice her entire body into tiny pieces?

She wished she could use fire magic like Alexia, but she couldn't do what she couldn't do.

Her heart pounded; her lungs desperately drew in air.

The Apostle's power took a heavy toll.

Through her experience as an adventurer, she'd grown accustomed to it and could now move at full power, but her stamina was draining at a frightening rate.

Elza was blown away by the Ent, leaving Azu in a one-on-one fight.

"… You're not much. Your vessel isn't that full either. So this is all an Apostle without special traits amounts to."

"I'm not finished yet."

"Even though you're already gasping for breath just standing here facing me? Justitia was cruel to give you this. Excessive power only destroys the one wielding it."

Azu glared at the Ent while steadying her breathing to conserve what stamina she could.

The Ent's left arm had already fully regenerated.

She had received this power by chance, through circumstances beyond her control.

Using it was exhausting and painful.

But she had never once thought she didn't want it.

Because of this power, she had been able to save her Master.

It had let her feel like she could be useful.

… She had never used the Apostle's power at full capacity for this long before.

Like the pain you feel when moving muscles you don't normally use, there was a sensation of being forcibly stretched beyond her limits.

A strange feeling of her vessel expanding.

But she didn't know how to fill it.

For now, maintaining it even a little longer was the best she could manage.

This next one would decide it. She took the Ash King's stance, pointing her blade at the Ent.

"Inheriting Justitia's power and using the Ash King's sword style. If that's coincidence, it's a bit too perfect."

The Ent readied her two-handed sword and glared back.

Azu felt Elza's blessing wash over her. Apparently she had provided support from a distance after being blown away.

Her targets were both arms first. Then the neck.

She exhaled.

Expelled every bit of air from her lungs, then ran.

She used the high-speed movement technique she had learned from Finn to circle behind the Ent.

The momentum was so strong she struggled to control it. Forcing herself to stop made the muscles in her legs scream in protest. But it was worth it; she had moved before the Ent could turn around.

She was in position to strike the neck, but if it was blocked, there would be no next chance.

First, she slashed upward at the Ent's right arm, then immediately swung down at her left.

Both of the Ent's arms flew through the air.

She swung her sword horizontally with everything she had.

The resistance was like striking incredibly hard ore; the recoil numbed both her hands and she nearly dropped her sword.

If it had been any other blade, she probably would have only managed to scratch the surface.

The Sealed Sword Grungaus's effect activated and severed the Ent's hardened neck.

The Ent's head fell to the ground, long hair whipping through the air, and rolled away.

She thought she had won.

No opponent had ever survived having their head cut off before.

Not even the most vitality-rich monsters.

They had said the curse would lift once the Ent was defeated, so she turned away to see Yohane's face.

Pain shot through her legs, but she tried to drag herself toward him anyway.

"Young ones are truly honest, aren't they. Pouncing on such an obvious weak point."

Her feet stopped.

She felt cold sweat break out all over her body.

Behind her came the sound of something squirming.

"Azu-chan, look out!"

The moment she heard Elza's voice, something grabbed her body.

She was lifted into the air.

Wondering what had happened, she twisted to look at the Ent, and there stood a girl.

She looked like a younger version of the Ent, her entire body drenched in blood.

The empty torso had split open.

Massive vines had grown from the severed arms, and they were what had grabbed Azu.

It looked like a girl had emerged from inside the Ent's body.

"Did you know? Early-blooming roses are the most beautiful. I'll give you credit for pushing me to this form. With that sword of yours, you might someday reach power approaching that of an Apostle."

It was still the Ent after all.

She crushed the severed head underfoot and watched Azu.

A mocking smile played on her face.

Her intent to crush Azu after forcing her to go all-out was plain to see.

Azu tried to escape the vine restraints, but she was completely immobilized.

No, worse than that, the vines were trying to crush her.

The Apostle's power was the only thing holding them off.

She didn't want to think about what would happen the moment that power gave out.

"You challenged a bit too early. It was reckless to attempt a divine tower."

Even as she listened to the Ent's voice, Azu's thoughts were on Yohane and the others lying collapsed.

What would happen to everyone if she lost here?

That single-minded focus squeezed strength into a body that should have been at its limit.

But it only bought her a little time.

"Azu…"

A small voice reached her.

Alexia had forced herself up, leaning against her battle-axe.

Her face was deathly pale, and she looked ready to collapse at any moment, yet her eyes still held their usual fierce determination.

"Use this."

Alexia grabbed her brooch, unclasped it, and threw it to Azu.

Then she mustered her last strength to unleash fire magic before crumpling to the ground.

The fire magic burned the vines holding Azu, and the restraints loosened.

She crawled free of the vines and caught the fire brooch.

This was something the Ash King had received after defeating an Apostle of the Sun God.

Since there had been no use for it, it had been given to Alexia.

She could see the Fire Elemental dwelling inside the brooch.

That spirit entered Azu's right eye.