Published at 6th of October 2026 6:49 am

Chapter 2076 Support and Attack

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The Winter Blade connected, and Sanguina was sent hurling into the distance.

Luca's feet touched the ground. He had a light frown on his face as he looked in the direction of the monster.

"She blocked it," he murmured.

At the last possible moment, before the Winter Blade could slice through the monster's neck, Sanguina had erected a blood barrier.

"Naturally," Adam said with a scoff. He got to his feet, stretched his body, then arrived beside the Paladin.

"She's most likely a Saint Magus. Or used to be, anyway," he continued. "She's considerably weakened at the moment. Even then, her strength is equivalent to a Transcendent."

Luca hummed in acknowledgment.

Adam arched a brow at his casual response. "What? You ain't scared?"

With his gaze glued to the rising figure of the Mistress of Blood, Luca answered, "I've sparred with beings stronger than this monster."

Adam couldn't help but turn to the Paladin and silently judge him again.

"Anyway," Luca continued. "You support. I attack, yeah?"

He turned to look at the sky. A few more gaping tears streaked across the heavens.

"We need to leave the secret plane before it completely collapses," he concluded.

"Alright then." Adam bounced on his feet and flexed his shoulders. "Keep pressing her. I'll create opportunities for you."

With that, his figure vanished like a mirage.

Luca could not sense him anymore.

Even the illusion he cast earlier, the one that had allowed him to sneak up to the monster and attack her at the last moment, was so intricately crafted. So insidious. So sneaky. So effective.

Adam always claimed he was a Summoner. But if his illusion magic was already so good, then how exceptional is he in summoning magic?

He didn't have much time to ponder. The moment Luca saw Sanguina get to her feet, he vanished. The earth beneath his feet exploded as he shot forward. The Winter Blade swept through the air.

Clang!

Sanguina raised one arm. The blade struck something invisible.

A massive [Wall of Blood] erupted before her, hardening into a crimson barrier.

Sanguina raised one arm. The blade struck something invisible.

A massive [Wall of Blood] erupted before her, hardening into a crimson barrier.

Earlier, the Mistress of Blood hadn't taken the two seriously. However, when she gazed at the greatsword in Luca's hands, she instinctively felt danger from it. If she wasn't careful, things could turn out very bad for her.

Luca roared, and the Winter Blade tore through the [Wall of Blood]. Sanguina's expression turned grim as the barrier shattered. Luca was already inside her guard. He reverse-gripped the blade and swung again. And again. And again.

The Winter Blade moved like a storm of sharp winds that seemed to originate from the poles of the coldest worlds. Every strike carried enough force to shatter stone. Luca pressed forward relentlessly, his attacks resembling a blizzard.

There was no hesitation in his attacks. Every opening was exploited. Every retreat was punished.

Sanguina twisted her body aside. The greatsword passed within inches of her neck. She felt a chill crawl down her spine whenever the blade neared her. She couldn't tell what it was, but the weapon posed an imminent threat to her life. She didn't know how it was even possible.

Of course, how could she know that the Winter Blade was specifically forged to kill her?

It contained the magic of the secret plane's spirit. It also contained the spirit's wrath and hatred. After all, the owner of the secret plane had been killed by none other than Sanguina in the past.

The moment the Winter Blade missed her vitals, she countered immediately. Swift hand seals guided a [Spear of Blood] toward Luca.

Luca quickly jumped back. The crimson spear missed him by a hair's breadth. But more crimson spears appeared. Dozens of them. The battlefield near the ruined castle was transformed into a forest of blood.

Luca roared and swung the Winter Blade in a wide arc. A wave of frost exploded from the weapon. The blood spears froze instantly. Then shattered.

But by the time he had dealt with the spell, Sanguina had already disappeared.

Luca's eyes narrowed. His instincts screamed at him. Behind him!

He quickly spun around and brought his blade up to defend himself. But it was too late.

Sanguina's hand was already reaching for his chest!

But suddenly, Adam appeared behind her with a manic grin.

The Mistress of Blood felt his presence. She hesitated for the briefest of moments, thinking what if Adam, too, had a weapon similar to Luca's. Instead of pressing the attack on Luca, she quickly retreated to the side.

It was only belatedly that she realized that the figure who had appeared behind her was an illusion…

"Damn you!" She growled.

Luca was already upon her once again and brought the Winter Blade down.

Boom!

Sanguina barely escaped. The blade slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave through the ruined land. She landed several meters away. She stared at the empty space where Adam's illusion stood.

"Troublesome," she murmured.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Adam's voice came from somewhere behind her.

She abruptly turned. But nothing. She saw nothing. Another illusion.

She couldn't help but frown. If she was given just a bit more time to observe, she was certain she could see through Adam's illusion. After all, she had just woken from a very long slumber, so she needed some time getting used to battles. Moreover, Luca hardly gave her a chance to wait and observe.

He was already upon her again. He arrived from the side. The Winter Blade swept toward her waist. Sanguina wove quick seals and raised both hands. Blood poured from her palms. The crimson mass expanded instantly, forming a gigantic shield.

Clang!

The impact sent a shockwave through the air. Luca was pushed backward, his blade ringing, and his arms numb. But he did not stop. His feet dug trenches into the ground, and he let out a roar.

"Come on!"

He surged forward again, the Winter Blade descending. Luca unleashed a fury of strikes. Sanguina's blood shield cracked. It held on for several long seconds, enough to buy her time to prepare her next spell.

And then, with a deafening crash, the shield exploded.

At the same time, the Mistress of Blood had a feral look on her face as she thrust her hands forward and cast her spell.

The crimson fragments of the shattered shield rose into the air. They transformed into rapidly spinning spikes and converged toward Luca.

Just as the blood projectiles were about to hit him, Adam appeared before him like a ghost.

[Hand of Doom: Great Barrier]

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