Chapter 514: The Black Golden Wings on the Brink of Extinction

Ankh was dying. 

He was coughing blood from his mouth as well. But after coughing it all up at once, he gave a warning to Tauro, who was standing beside him.

“Cough… Leader, that guy is the hero from Marquis Haragura’s place…! Be careful, he’ll hit you with wind magic as he slashes…!”

With that, Ankh lost consciousness.

“…Ankh, good work. Leave the rest to me.”

Throughout the whole thing, Tauro never took his eyes off his opponent.

And yet he took out potions from his magic storage and accurately poured them onto the Ankh to heal him.

“…I thought you was just a kid and I’d deal with you later, but you’ve got no openings. Speaking of which, what happened to your other companion?”

The Hero Alexa said this while healing the wound on his stomach, where Ankh had stabbed hi., with magic. Both were immobilized, each in their own way.

“What about it?”

Tauro feigned ignorance.

“Could they be with the other two? Heh… it’s already too late, you know?”

Tauro reacts sharply to those words.

“…Please don’t underestimate my friends.”

“Ku-ku-ku…! I’ve given fatal wounds to both of them and carried them to a secluded place. I confirmed that the little brat died from a stab to the heart. The other one seems to have fled in a hurry, but she won’t survive with those wounds. That man over there also suffered a fatal wound to his stomach. A cheap potion won’t save him. And you, too, I’ll finish you here, and the girl who went to help will be killed as well.”

While speaking and buying time, Alexa the hero continued healing his own injuries.

Tauro knew this, but treating Ankh’s was the top priority.

I can’t move.

“You, I’ll finish you off here. I won’t let you go to Aeris and the others.”

“Ha. This fight will be decided in an instant.”

The moment Alexa said that, he vanished.

And in the next moment, he was behind Tauro and thrust a sword into his waist.

But Tauro reacted to this and used “Spatial Transfer” to move behind Alexa.

For a moment Alexa lost sight of Tauro and looked back, eyes wide with shock.

Tauro then used “Spatial Transfer” again to return to Ankh’s side, grabbed him, and used “Spatial Transfer” several times to carry him to the corner of the square, where he laid him down.

“It doesn’t seem to be the same kind of ‘teleportation’ as mine, but I didn’t know there was someone else who could do such a feat.”

The Hero Alexa judged that he couldn’t let his guard down when it comes to Tauro’s abilities and readies his sword.

　Tauro is standing at the corner of the square with his back to the wall and Ankh.

　He decided that this way he wouldn’t have to worry about being caught off guard by 『Teleportation』.

“So, you think you can win? After all, you’re just a kid, even if you have great skills, you can’t overcome a physical advantage.”

Alexa declared and mercilessly swung his slashes at Tauro, the same ones that had put Ankh on the defensive.

Tauro quickly pulled his pride-and-joy, the Guardian Doll-Form Round Shield from the Magic Storage, and effortlessly repelled the strike.

It was the very shield that had withstood the attacks of the mighty Minotaur in the dragon people village’s ‘Beginner Dungeon’.

Moreover, this shield was imbued with ‘Strength Boost (Strong)’. 

It was more than capable of withstanding even the mighty attacks of the hero Alexa.

At the same time, Hero Alexa attacks with a slash from his wind magic “Kamaitachi”, but Tauro paid no heed even as his thigh was cut.

This is because his ability “Super Recovery Regeneration” keeps minor injuries in check.

That extraordinary strength and recovery astonished Alexa. 

His eyes were filled with disbelief.

“Who the hell are you…?”

“I’m Tauro, Adventurer Tauro. Leader of the team ‘Black Golden Wings’!”

Tauro attacked Alexa with the short sword “Tauro Kai.”

The hero Alexa reacted and tried to block it with her sword, but the blade split in two.

From the tip of the sharp short sword “Tauro Kai,” a blade of light extended and sliced Alexa’s body along with the sword.

The cutting edge of the light sliced through the Hero Alexa’s clothing, sending blood flying in its wake.

“Gah! No way…!” 

 Alexa looked as if he couldn’t believe that he had been cut, but he probably thought that he would be defeated if he continued like this.

He tried to escape using 『Teleportation』.

　But Tauro won’t let him get away.

　At that timing, he activated his ability 『Skill Killer (Weak)』.

　Hero Alexa’s “teleportation” ability is temporarily sealed and cannot be used.

“What!?”

“It’s over…”

Tauro replied, stabbing the light blade of his short sword, “Tauro Kai,” into the chest of the hero Alexa.

Aeris arrived at Zion’s side on horseback, leaped off, and calmly rushed over to the on the verge of death Zion to treat her.

Aeris intended to give everything she learned under the True Saint.

She began by sealing the wound near the heart.

 This is because that is the most fatal wound

“Zion… you treated yourself on the spur of the moment, didn’t you? It’s okay, I’ll help.”

Aeris spoke calmly to Zion, who was in a state of suspended animation with a barely beating heart, while continuing the treatment. One by one she sealed the wounds from within.

There was a lot of bleeding, but the healing magic would come later. 

Even after sealing all the major wounds, Zion’s magical power could no longer be felt.

“!? Wait, Zion! Don’t go! Our adventure is just beginning!”

Aeris quickly used the True Saint’s blood-boosting magic to generate and make up the blood she had lost, but Zion’s heart had stopped beating.

“Don’t go, Zion!”

Aeris hurled a lightning spell at her heart to shock her, then began chest compressions.

“Move, Zion!”

Aeris begged as she continued the heart massage.

Then several silhouettes appeared. They did not look like allies.

Each held a sword in their hands.

Aeris had no time to deal with them and continued the heart massage.

She briefly removed one hand to check if the heart is beating.

“It’s not moving…”

She struck the heart again with lightning, then continued the massage.

“Go join your friends, young lady,” the men said, and all attacked Aeris.

But the men did not bring their raised weapons down upon Aeris.

No, they couldn’t bring them down.

Instead, they were impaled by an attack too swift for the eye to follow  by Pella.

The men died right there on the spot.

Aeris had no time to think about their deaths; she  desperately kept repeating the chest compressions.

“Zion, come back!”

She pressed an ear to Zion’s chest. A slow had heartbeat returned.

“…! You’re back…”

The moment Aeris felt Zion’s heartbeat, relieved, she lost all strength and collapsed next to her.

The dying Ragune had moved via the Dimension Corridor to Marquis Vandyne’s domain.

There, True Saint Maria immediately sensed her presence and rushed to Ragune’s side, and treated her.

Thus, the Black-Golden Wings survived their greatest crisis to date, without a single member lost.