Am I a Healer? You'd Better Think So!-Chapter 18: Used Everything

On one side stood a woman with a long yellow tail and feline ears. Floating to her right was a figure with small wings, less than a meter tall—physically a perfect replica of an old Earth fairy tale sprite.

The image of the fairy was the same as in a book Darian had read. Now, seeing the Spiritual Guardian of the feline woman, he was sure she was someone from Earth. She was a companion of that ice eagle and Ceug, even though she knew many people from Earth would be killed in that nest.

On the other side, there was a male Summoner with a pair of white wings. Next to him stood a man dressed in black, his face and body almost entirely covered. He was a Spiritual Guardian who had chosen a humanoid form, but his full appearance remained unclear.

They stopped ten meters from Niara, staring at her coldly.

Now, both Niara and Darian were certain of one thing—Ceug and his allies had some method to track them down exactly.

Their last attack had been ridiculously precise. The moment they threw the second batch of pills, that elf and his Summoner vanished from their trail.

Darian had Niara throw the pills from a distance so they could bolt without being chased. The enemies wouldn't be able to focus on them or hunt them down. The sudden change had caught them off guard. On top of that, the enhanced Risen had attacked immediately.

Once they were done throwing all the pills, they retreated to the area between the first and second lines. Then Darian set up, positioning himself somewhere isolated and far away.

So how the hell did those guys from the frontlines, right in the middle of all that chaos, find them so fast?

They could barely fight. No way they'd sacrifice two people just to go searching without absolute certainty they'd be found.

Another clear sign—Niara only noticed their presence when she was already surrounded and they were right on top of them. This wasn't some random encounter. They had come straight for them, already knowing exactly where they'd be.

Now, they had no choice but to fight and survive.

Niara clenched her fists. Could she take down a Summoner with just one ring? Hell no. Let alone two, with three rings.

'Only attack when I say so,' Darian reminded her mentally. 'It's gonna work... I think.'

Darian focused. Then, through the gap in Niara's clothes, he observed the ground ahead.

The feline woman spoke coldly:

"Which Lord sent you?"

"Hm? No idea what you're talking about." Niara replied emotionlessly. "If you wanna fight, come at me. Killing without seeing blood is boring. Finally, some fun."

"Oh, it'll be fun, alright. I have plenty of ways to make you talk." The fairy beside the feline woman grinned, her smile twisted.

The feline woman stepped forward, licking her lips and clenching her fists, the air around her subtly distorting.

"I've heard a lot about you. It's rare to see another woman who fights purely with her body. Don't disappoint me... just take one punch from me."

A smirk full of mockery crept onto Niara's lips. She scoffed, and the scales covering her body gleamed faintly.

The fairy watched, unimpressed—she'd let her Summoner have her fun with a single hit. Breaking someone's mind and leaving them half-dead made it easier to get information. She wasn't going to kill her. So what could possibly go wrong?

The two fighters blurred forward.

Blades of wind tore through the air. They closed the distance, only a meter apart, fists clenched, about to collide.

"Hehehe..." The feline woman chuckled, taking a step forward.

But—

No one had noticed the thin black line slithering along the ground, linking itself to Niara. It hadn't been there before. It had appeared out of nowhere, as thin as a strand of hair, almost invisible.

The moment the feline woman's foot landed on a specific spot, a hidden figure emerged from within the Dragoness's clothes, gripping a crystal.

"Earth crystal?" The fairy behind her noticed but barely reacted.

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*CRACK!*

The ground split open with a sickening snap.

*PIERCE!*

Blood gushed like a crimson fountain.

"NO!"

The fairy's scream was drowned out by the wet, tearing sound of flesh being ripped apart.

The feline woman felt her body freeze. Her foot didn't find the ground, and the world tilted in a completely absurd way.

Then came the pain—

No, it wasn't pain. It was something else. It was like her insides were being crushed and shredded.

Her eyes dropped.

A black, pulsing void was expanding in her abdomen, where there used to be flesh and guts. The invader was a cylindrical crystal, pitch-black, solid, and wide enough to pierce her from side to side, tearing through her body like paper.

Blood poured from her mouth.

"How boring."

Niara's voice was indifferent. Inside her chest, the slug squirmed.

*Squelch!*

An explosion of flesh and guts filled the air.

Now Niara waved, much more satisfied.

But inside, her heart pounded like a drum.

She hadn't done anything. Her partner had guided her, faked the attack. And then... made it happen.

How?

Darian watched everything, equally surprised at the success.

He'd planted the trap the moment they fled after throwing the pills. They'd come exactly to a region full of Chaos Crystals, so he used some Earth Crystals to get rid of them quickly.

It was so fast that Niara didn't even have time to understand. If Chaos Crystals could absorb miasma and corruption, they could also absorb Darian's black power.

In seconds, he picked a large enough crystal for a piercing attack and channeled his power into it.

He positioned it and made Niara bury it in that place where they met the enemies later, flapping her wings so the sand covered everything perfectly. Then, it was just a matter of walking in circles and luring the fish into the trap.

Finally, he used the Earth Crystals again, adding them to his own power to make the trap emerge. He was getting better at using his white power, but after some practice, he also started manipulating his black power more efficiently.

It came from underground. No one would expect an attack like that. Plus, the feline woman hadn't even used her Spiritual Guardian's power to attack. Did she trust in another strange blessing? Maybe. It was hard to tell.

It was a sudden, unexpected, and incredibly fast strike. One second she was attacking, the next, she'd already been hit.

Against black power, nothing resisted—not even the Risen, let alone the feline woman.

"NO!!!"

Suddenly, the fairy hit the ground, screaming. Her whole body began to crack. From the fissures, her yellowish energy escaped. Three rings appeared on her forehead and shattered with a sharp sound.

Then, her entire existence broke apart into white particles and vanished. She lost pathetically, not even having the chance to use her blessing or power.

'Someone like that didn't deserve to just wake up on Earth without memories and power. How many people did she hurt?' Darian murmured dryly.

But... the situation was far from over.

Niara backed off to the side, still alert and ready for combat.

The surprise attack had been a success, but that's all it was: a surprise attack. It wouldn't work again.

The second big enemy was still there, serious.

The humanoid Spiritual Guardian moved his hands, and two daggers appeared in his fists. His whole body pulsed with a yellowish aura—he'd activated all his power to the max. He'd used everything he had, without hesitation, in the face of these enemies.

Niara took a deep breath and focused, waiting for her partner's orders.

Darian, on the other hand, was deep in thought. He definitely didn't have another plan like that. His only survival tactic was...

His eyes shone as he stared at the figure ahead.