ra gasped for air, her vision blurry as the chaos of the battlefield began to settle around her. Her staff ttered to the icy tform as she slumped forward, her trembling hands catching her just before she copsed entirely.


    The serpent''s retreating roar echoed in her ears, though faintly as if muffled by a heavy veil. Then, she heard it—a voice, clear and steady, cutting through the haze.@@novelbin@@


    "Looks like you needed a hand."


    ra''s eyes flicked upward, and she saw him standing there—the figure who had leaped in to save her. His coat billowed slightly in the breeze, his dark de humming faintly with residual energy. For a moment, she didn''tprehend the face, but then the familiarity hit her.


    "Luca?" she murmured, her voice hoarse. Her hearing was beginning to recover, the muffled roar of the battlefield fading into sharper rity. She winced as the pounding in her head persisted, a reminder of the serpent''s devastating screech.


    "You know my name?"


    "...Ah….Well….I heard it when we getting briefed."


    "I see…."


    Luca nced at her briefly, his sharp eyes assessing her condition before turning his attention back to the retreating serpent. "In any case, it appears that, you''re awake. Good," he said, his tone casual yet somehow grounding. "Get yourself together. It''s not done yet."


    His words stirred something in her—a reminder of her training, of the resilience she was supposed to embody as an Awakened. ra took a shaky breath, forcing herself to sit upright. Her hands found her staff, the cool wood anchoring her amidst the lingering dizziness.


    ''I''m still alive,'' she thought, her pulse steadying as she gripped the staff tighter. Her body ached, her ears still ringing faintly, but she could feel her strength returning. It was slow, but it was there. Even as a mage, her body had the natural resilience of the Awakened—a gift that kept her from sumbing to the damage she had endured.


    "You''re still shaking," Luca said, his gaze flicking toward her again. His tone was matter-of-fact, but not unkind. "Stay low for a minute. Let your head clear."


    ra frowned, frustration bubbling up despite her gratitude. "I''m fine," she said, though the slight wobble in her voice betrayed her.


    Luca smirked, tilting his head as he regarded her. "Fine, huh?" he said, his toneced with yful skepticism. "Sure doesn''t look like it. Unless wobbling like a newborn deer is part of your usual fighting stance?"


    ra''s cheeks flushed as she tightened her grip on her staff, using it to steady herself. She shot him a re, though the effect was undermined by the lingering dizziness that forced her to blink and refocus. "I said I''m fine," she retorted, her tone sharper than she intended. "And I don''t wobble."


    "Right," Luca replied, his smirk widening. "And I''m the king of Andelheim."


    ra huffed, the frustration bubbling just beneath her exhaustion. "Shouldn''t you be focusing on the monster instead of making jokes? Or do you just like hearing yourself talk?"


    Luca chuckled, a low, easy sound that grated against her nerves. "Oh, I''ve got my eye on it," he said, jerking his chin toward the serpent, which was still circling warily in the distance. "But you looked like you needed a little… encouragement. You know, to get back in the game."


    She narrowed her eyes, unwilling to admit that his presence—and his confidence—was, in a way, grounding. Instead, she straightened her back, ignoring the dull ache that radiated through her body. "I don''t need your encouragement, thank you very much. I''m perfectly capable of handling myself."


    Luca raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Of course you are," he said, his voice dripping with mock seriousness. "That''s why I had to step in before you became serpent food."


    ra''s grip on her staff tightened, her annoyance overriding her lingering unease. "I was just caught off guard. That''s all," she snapped. "And I didn''t ask for your help."


    "Didn''t need to," Luca replied smoothly, his smirk still firmly in ce. "I''m just that considerate."


    ra''s lips pressed into a thin line as she exhaled sharply through her nose. "Well, thank you, your majesty," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I''ll be sure to remember your heroic efforts the next time I''m writing a bad."


    Luca grinned, clearly enjoying her irritation. "See? Now you''re getting into the spirit of things. I knew you had it in you."


    Before ra could deliver another sharp retort, the serpent let out a guttural roar, drawing their attention back to the battlefield. Its glowing eyes burned with renewed intensity, and it began surging toward them once more, its massive form cutting through the icy terrain like a storm.


    Luca''s expression sobered, though the hint of amusement never entirely left his eyes. "Guess it''s back to work," he said, his de humming with ck starlight as he prepared to meet the serpent''s charge. "Try not to wobble too much, mage."


    ra gritted her teeth, channeling mana into her staff as she squared her shoulders. "Just watch me," she muttered under her breath, her frost magic ring to life.


    Luca surged forward, his de humming with ck starlight as he intercepted the charging serpent. The ground beneath him seemed to shudder with the sheer force of his movements, and when his de struck the monster''s scales with a resounding CLANG!, the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the icy tform.


    ra''s breath caught in her throat. She''d seen strong warriors before—mercenaries, adventurers, even Cedric—but the raw power Luca disyed was different. Each swing of his de shed against the serpent''s strength, the monster retaliating with its massive tail and snapping jaws, the air vibrating with the force of their exchange.


    The serpent roared, its tail whipping toward Luca with blinding speed. He dodged, his movements precise and efficient, the ck energy surrounding his de ring as he parried the attack with a sharp THUD-CRACK!.


    ''He''s holding his own against that?'' ra thought, her eyes wide as she watched the sh. The serpent''s immense size and ferocity should have overwhelmed him, yet he met each strike head-on, countering with an unyielding intensity that seemed almost effortless.


    But awe wasn''t why she was here.


    ra shook her head, gripping her staff tighter as she turned her attention to the approaching monsters on the nks. Smaller, faster creatures with glowing eyes and jagged ws were darting toward them, their movements precise and deadly.


    ''You''re not here to admire someone else''s strength,'' she reminded herself, her master''s voice echoing in her mind. Prove your worth, ra. You''re more than just potential.


    She straightened her back, the ache in her limbs pushed aside by the determination rising within her. Frost began to swirl around her staff, the air cooling rapidly as she prepared to cast.


    ''If he''s going to keep that serpent at bay, then I''ll make sure nothing else gets in his way,'' she thought, nting her feet firmly on the icy tform.


    「Frostveil Barrage」 (2-star spell)


    ra thrust her staff forward, and a volley of crystalline ice shards erupted from its tip, arcing through the air with a sharp WHOOSH! The shards struck the first wave of monsters with precision, freezing one in mid-leap and impaling another that was darting toward Luca''s nk.


    She pivoted, already channeling another spell as more creatures rushed in from the sides. Their glowing eyes locked on her, sensing her as the next threat.


    ''Good,'' she thought, her grip tightening on her staff. ''Thene.''


    「cial Barrier」 (3-star spell)


    She raised her staff high, tracing aplex sigil in the air. Frost surged outward, forming a jagged wall of ice along the edge of the tform. CRACK-SNAP! The barrier erupted, halting the advancing creatures and funneling them toward the center where she could pick them off more easily.


    The monsters snarled, their ws raking against the icy surface as they tried to break through. ra didn''t wait. She focused on the weak points in their formation, her frost magic ring with purpose.


    「Frostbite Lances」 (2-star spell)


    A trio of icy spears materialized in the air around her, each glowing faintly with blue mana. With a flick of her wrist, she sent them hurtling toward the monsters. WHIRR-THUNK! Thences struck with deadly uracy, pinning two creatures to the ground and forcing the others to hesitate.


    She exhaled sharply, sweat beading on her brow as her mana reserves dipped lower. The creatures were relentless, but so was she.


    ''No distractions,'' she told herself. ''He is holding the serpent. I''ll make sure the rest don''t get close.''


    Her determination only deepened as she nced toward him. Luca was locked inbat with the massive serpent, his de striking with precision as he dodged and countered its ferocious attacks. Every movement was calcted, his strength and speed weaving together seamlessly. It was awe-inspiring, but it also pushed her to prove herself.


    ra turned her attention back to the monsters, her frost magic ring to life once more.


    "Let''s see you try this," she muttered, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her.


    「Frozen Tempest」 (3-star spell)


    She spun her staff in a wide arc, unleashing a spiraling storm of frost and wind. WHOOOOOSH! The icy tempest engulfed the monsters, freezing their limbs and slowing their movements as shards of ice battered them mercilessly.


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    The battlefield began to shift. The smaller monsters faltered under her relentless assault, their numbers thinning as her frost magic carved through them. The tform was hers to control, and she wielded that control with everything she had.


    ''This is my fight too,'' she thought, her confidence growing as she saw the creatures fall. ''And I won''t be outdone.''


    Behind her, Luca''s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and confident. "Nice work, mage! Keep it up!"


    ra smirked faintly at that.


    "Heh…."