“Fuuu…”

Aestrea exhaled slowly.

The moment his breath left his lips, the air froze.

Frost crackled beneath his feet, creeping outward, coating the blackened stone with a thin layer of ice.

The molten heat of the cavern hissed against it, creating a sharp contrast—the frozen breath of death against the burning lungs of a monster.

And yet, Aestrea stood still. Unmoving. As if the battle around him was nothing.

His glowing, cold blue eyes locked onto the fire golem, and then—

Without turning his head, without even looking at her—

“Heal yourself for now.”

Zeva blinked.

A moment of silence.

Then, her lips twisted into a scowl.

“Hah? The fuck are you saying, dumbass? We fight together!”

Aestrea didn’t react.

His face remained blank.

His voice—flat.

“Just do it.”

Zeva clenched her fists, gritting her teeth at his cold tone.

“Don’t fucking order me around, you—”

“Zeva.”

It was the first time he had ever said her name like that.

A single word, sharp as a blade.

Zeva’s breath caught in her throat.

For the first time in this battle, her crazed, unhinged grin faltered.

The air cracked between them.

She felt it.

Something had changed.

And then—

A snort.

A smirk.

Then—laughter.

“Fucking hell.” Zeva wiped the blood from her lips, a mad glint returning to her eyes.

“Fine, fine! I’ll do it. But you better not fucking die before I finish charging, or I swear I’ll drag your corpse back just to kill you again!”

Aestrea still didn’t look at her.

Instead—

He moved.

A sudden flash. A blur of motion.

In a single instant, he had vanished from Zeva’s side and reappeared in front of the golem.

His breath—calm.

His blade—steady.

And then—

『 Ice Generation (✦ 1st-Level Spell ✦) 』

The temperature plummeted.

A wave of frost burst from Aestrea’s feet, racing across the cavern floor, spreading in jagged, crystalline spikes.

The fire golem lurched back, its molten body hissing, cracks forming along its lava-coated skin.

Its core—glowing bright—shuddered at the sudden chill.

BOOOM!

Aestrea vanished.

The golem’s fist—a molten boulder of pure heat—obliterated the space where he had stood just moments before.

The ground shattered, magma splashing upward, melting the frozen patches Aestrea had created.

But he was already behind the monster.

His cold blue eyes glowed eerily in the darkness.

『 Mixed Ice Series: Frost Step! (✦ 3rd-level Spell ✦)』

His body flickered—another instant shift, cutting across the battlefield like a ghost.

Then—

『 Ice Series: Ice Fang! (✦ 2nd-Level Spell ✦)』

A burst of concentrated frost erupted from his hand, forming a jagged, serrated ice dagger.

With a sharp inhale—

He threw it.

SWOOSH!

The ice dagger pierced through the air, cutting through the thick heat waves. It embedded itself into the golem’s exposed side, just beneath its shoulder.

SSSHHHHZZZ!

Steam exploded from the wound.

The lava hissed, turning the ice blade into crackling shards, but—

Aestrea was already moving again.

His boots scraped against the ground as he lunged, his sword gleaming with deadly intent.

The golem twisted its monstrous form, molten cracks spreading like veins across its surface.

Its massive arm swung—a horizontal sweep, aiming to smash Aestrea like an insect.

His pupils contracted.

“Moonlit Ice Lotus Combat Technique…!”

『 Frost Reversal (✦ Counter Technique ✦)』

Instead of dodging—

He met the attack head-on.

With a precise step, he shifted his weight, twisting his blade just right—

And—

CLANG!

The golem’s punch deflected, skidding off his blade in a shower of sparks and frost.

BOOM!

The impact sent Aestrea flying backward, his boots skidding against the stone floor.

Blood dripped from his fingers.

His arms burned, the heat from the golem’s strike searing through his skin even though he had blocked it.

But his eyes never wavered.

Instead—

He grinned.

The golem recoiled slightly, its movements more sluggish than before.

It was slowing down.

The ice attacks were working.

Even though lava continued to course through its body, the frozen cracks were making its movements stiffer.

Aestrea adjusted his stance.

His breath came out cold, forming a thin mist.

His chest ached, the impact from earlier still fresh, but he didn’t stop.

Instead, he rushed in again.

A cold mist seeped out of his body—

『 Mixed Ice Series: Frozen Mirage! (✦ 4th-level Spell ✦)』

Aestrea’s body flickered.

Then—

He split into three.

Three identical figures—all moving at the same time, all radiating the same violet aura.

The golem roared, its molten body cracking further as it tried to find the real one.

But before it could react—

SWOOSH!

One of the Aestreas dashed to the left—

Another to the right—

And the last—straight ahead.

The golem hesitated.

And in that brief second—

『 Ice Fang Barrage! (✦ 3rd-Level Spell ✦)』

A storm of jagged ice spears erupted from the air—each one targeting the same weak point in its molten frame.

CRACK!

CRACK!

CRACK!

The ice stabbed deep, pushing through the lava-coated exterior, burying themselves into its body.

The golem lurched, its movements glitching as the frozen attacks locked up its limbs.

It tried to move—

But couldn’t.

For the first time in the fight—

It was stuck.

Aestrea exhaled.

Then—

“Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword Art…”

『 Third Move! (✦ Moonlight’s One Flash ✦) 』

He launched himself forward.

His blade arced downward—

A single, sharp, perfect slice—

Straight through the center of the golem’s chest.

The air shook.

The blade connected.

And then—

SSSSHHHHRRKK!

A violent crack formed—splitting the golem’s core open for the first time.

“…Damn it. That was a shallow cut.”

Aestrea landed—knees bent, sword dripping with frost and molten rock.

For a brief moment, silence.

Then—

“HAAAAARRRRGHHH!”

The golem roared madly.

Its body convulsed, magma boiling out of the wound Aestrea had just made.

Aestrea’s pupils shrunk.

It wasn’t slowing down—

It was going berserk.

THUMP!

THUMP!

THUMP!

The golem’s core pulsed.

A blinding, white-hot light erupted from its chest—its entire body igniting like a supernova.

And then—

BOOOOOM!

A shockwave tore through the cavern, throwing Aestrea like a ragdoll.

CRASH!

His body slammed into the cavern wall, a loud crunch echoing as his bones snapped from the impact.

Blood burst from his lips.

His vision blurred.

His arms—dislocated.

His legs—shattered.

The pain—unimaginable.

But—

He wasn’t dead.

He coughed, forcing himself up.

His entire right side was burned black, the smell of his own cooked flesh filling the air.

His breath ragged, his vision swimming—

But his eyes…

His cold, glowing blue eyes…

Never lost focus.

“…You’re really pissing me off.”

Aestrea wiped the blood from his lips.

The golem turned toward him, its massive body unstable, cracks webbing along its entire frame.

It was breaking apart.

But before it collapsed—

It wanted to take him with it.

Aestrea slowly, painfully gripped his sword.

Blood poured from his arms, his fingers barely able to hold the weapon.

And yet—

He smirked.

“Alright then, you big fucking bastard…”

He forced himself forward.

Limping—bleeding—half-dead—

Yet still standing.

The golem roared, raising its massive, cracking arm.

Then—

BOOM!

It swung down, a boulder-sized fist of pure lava aiming to crush him.

Aestrea’s mind raced.

If he dodged, the impact alone would send another shockwave through the cavern. His body wouldn’t survive another full-force explosion.

But if he stood still—he was dead.

So—

『 Mixed Ice Series: Frost Step! (✦ 3rd-level Spell ✦)』

SWOOSH!

He moved—but not backward.

Instead, he rushed forward.

Beneath the golem’s falling arm.

The searing heat burned his skin, the very air scorching against his flesh.

But—

He made it.

He slid under, twisting mid-air, his sword raised.

『 Third Move! (✦ Moonlight’s One Flash ✦) 』

SHRRKK!

The blade ripped through the golem’s exposed core.

A burst of cold energy detonated inside its body—

CRACK!

CRACK!

The ice expanded, freezing its molten insides, forming web-like fractures across its chest.

The golem staggered, its molten form twitching violently.

But it wasn’t enough.

The golem’s core started pulsating violently.

It was going to explode.

Aestrea barely had time to react before—

BOOOOOM!!!

The explosion erupted point-blank.

Aestrea was sent flying, his body spinning through the air like a ragdoll.

CRASH!

His back slammed against a jagged rock formation—SNAP!

His ribs broke.

Blood gushed from his mouth. His vision blurred, his thoughts scattering.

His right arm—gone.

The explosion had ripped it clean off.

SPLAT.

The severed limb hit the ground, still twitching.

Aestrea barely had the strength to groan.

“Fuck…”

He gritted his teeth, forcing his body to move.

His left hand—his only remaining hand—trembled as he picked up his sword again.

He looked up—

And saw the golem standing.

Barely.

Its entire torso was split, lava leaking out, its core flickering like a dying sun.

Yet, it still stood.

It raised its arm one last time.

It was preparing a final, desperate attack—

To take Aestrea down with it.

Aestrea chuckled, his vision spinning from blood loss.

“Shit…” he whispered.

His legs barely supported him. His lungs burned with every breath. His body—a mess of broken bones, burned flesh, and missing limbs—was at its absolute limit.

And yet—

His aura still flickered.

Weak, unstable—but still there.

He gripped his sword tighter, staggering into a stance.

“One more, then…”

His left hand trembled.

One last attack.

The golem swung down.

Aestrea moved.

『 Fourth Move! (✦ Lunar Collapse ✦) 』

His blade—

A blur of violet ice.

The two clashed.

BOOOOOOM!!!

The impact sent shockwaves tearing through the cavern, cracks splitting across the stone floor.

The force ripped through Aestrea’s body, his bones groaning under the pressure. His remaining arm shook violently, muscles screaming as the golem pressed down.

But he didn’t let go.

Instead, the ice spread.

Ssshhhkkk!

Cracks raced up the golem’s arm, crawling toward its core like veins of frost.

The heat fought back.

SIZZLE!

Aestrea’s skin burned, his flesh melting under the intense heat radiating from the monster’s molten body. The smell of charred skin filled the air.

But he gritted his teeth and kept pushing.

“BREAK!”

CRACK!

The golem’s entire right arm shattered.

Massive chunks of molten rock exploded outward, crashing against the cave walls like meteorites.

But it wasn’t over.

Aestrea forced his battered body to move.

With a final step, he launched himself forward—straight at the golem’s exposed chest.

‘Just one more time…’

『 Fourth Move! (✦ Lunar Collapse ✦) 』

His sword blurred.

A single, perfect strike.

SHHRRRKKK!

The blade pierced deep into the golem’s core.

For a moment—silence.

Then—

BOOOOOOOM!!!

The explosion ripped through the cave, a pillar of violet ice shooting into the ceiling, freezing everything in its path.

The golem let out a deafening screech, its body convulsing violently as ice devoured its insides.

CRACK!

CRACK!

Its entire torso shattered, breaking apart in chunks of frozen magma.

But Aestrea—

Didn’t move.

He stood there, barely holding onto his sword, his legs trembling violently.

His vision blurred.

His body—ruined.

Blood poured from his mouth, soaking his already-drenched clothes.

And then—

He collapsed.

His knees hit the stone floor.

His breath rasped, barely escaping his throat.

But his job—

Wasn’t finished.

Because as the golem fell apart, its core—

Still glowed.

Still burned.

Still lived.

And at that moment—

Aestrea knew.

He couldn’t fight anymore.

His body wouldn’t move.

His fingers wouldn’t tighten around his sword.

The golem’s core pulsed violently—

Preparing to detonate.

‘…HEY, HEY! WE’RE GOING TO DIE!’

Aestrea let out a weak, bitter laugh.

“Hah… don’t worry about it..”

‘What do you mean?!’

The core’s light intensified—a blinding, fiery glow ready to engulf him.

And then—

FWOOOOSH!

A wild gust of wind.

A flash of silver and red.

And a mad, crazed laugh.

“OI, OI, OI—!!”

SLASH!

A streak of blood-red energy tore through the core, slicing it clean in half.

Aestrea’s tired eyes barely registered—

The woman standing before him.

Her two swords gleamed, her wild grin stretching across her bloodied face.

Her body—just as broken as his.

And yet—

Her eyes burned with manic excitement.

“CAN’T BELIEVE YOU ALMOST TOOK ALL THE FUN FOR YOURSELF, PARTNER~!”

Zeva.

She had arrived.

Blood dripped down her arms, trailing from deep gashes across her stomach and legs. Her clothes—torn, burned, shredded.

But her grin never faded.

Her eyes burned, locked onto the still-pulsing remains of the golem’s core.

It had been sliced, but not destroyed.

Not yet.

It pulsed. It burned. It fought to survive.

FWOOSH!

A sudden shockwave burst from the core, sending molten chunks exploding outward.

Zeva moved.

Her blades blurred.

Fwip!

She danced between the falling debris, her twin swords carving a path of destruction. Each slash left behind a trail of red light, cutting through the air with unnatural speed.

CRASH!

She landed in front of Aestrea, her bare feet skidding against the cracked stone.

She flicked her blood-soaked blades.

“Heh—” Zeva exhaled sharply, her body trembling from the strain.

Then, she tilted her head toward Aestrea.

“You still breathing?”

Aestrea forced himself to grin through the pain.

“Barely…” he rasped.

“Good,” she whispered, licking the blood off her lips.

Then, her eyes snapped back to the golem’s core.

Her grin stretched wider.

“I hope you’re watching, because this is gonna be fucking beautiful.”

The air around her shifted.

Heat rose.

The ground beneath her cracked.

And then—

Her swords ignited.

『 Dual Blade Art—Final Sequence! (✦ Blood Execution ✦) 』

FWOOOOOM!!!

A scarlet vortex erupted around her, twisting into a cyclone of raw killing intent.

Aestrea’s breath hitched.

She’s serious.

The cave shuddered as the pressure of her attack reached its peak.

The golem’s core, sensing imminent annihilation, pulsed violently.

A warning.

A challenge.

And Zeva—

Accepted it with a laugh.

“Time to fucking die.”

FWOOOOOSH!

She vanished into thin air.

The molten air split apart, her presence warping the battlefield like a phantom of death.

SHIIING!

A scarlet arc tore through the cave, blindingly fast, slashing through the molten rock as she reappeared above the core.

Her twin swords gleamed.

Her body—ragged, torn, burned—yet her stance unshaken.

The golem reacted.

BOOM!

A volcanic surge of magma burst upward, trying to swallow her whole.

But Zeva—

She was already gone.

『 Second Rend—Eclipse Severance! 』

SLASH!

Her blades screamed through the air, carving through the molten surge in a flash of crimson light.

The wave split.

The flames shattered.

The golem roared.

It’s core pulsed—panicked.

Aestrea, watching from below, felt a chill creep down his spine.

“This crazy bitch… she’s actually overpowering it,” he muttered, barely able to keep himself standing.

The cave shook violently, the lava on the walls boiling over, reacting to Zeva’s monstrous presence.

She wasn’t just fighting.

She was dominating.

And then—

She spoke.

“Holy fuck, Aestrea…”

Zeva twisted mid-air, avoiding another surge of lava, her swords slicing through falling debris like butter.

“The damage you dealt to this golem… t-this…! You… you’re fucking perfect!”

Her wild laughter echoed through the cave.

“This! This is what I wanted! A partner who can actually keep up! A partner who doesn’t fucking drag me down!”

SLASH!

SLASH!

She cut through the air, her movements too fast to follow.

“You’re my type, Aestrea! And you know what that means?”

Her grin stretched, blood dripping from her lips.

“That means we’re gonna be fighting like this for a long, long fucking time.”

Aestrea groaned, dragging himself upright.

“You’re insane…”

“And you love it,” she cackled.

The golem lunged.

A final attack.

Its lava-coated arm crashed down, shaking the entire battlefield, cracks splitting the cave walls.

But Zeva—

She was already there.

A blur of red.

A flash of steel.

『 Final Rend—Eternal Decapitation! 』

FWOOOOOM!

She disappeared into a storm of slashes.

Aestrea couldn’t even see her anymore—only dozens of crimson streaks tearing through the golem’s body.

SPLURT!

Chunks of molten flesh erupted in every direction.

SPLAT!

Blood—her blood—splattered across the battlefield as she pushed her body beyond its limits.

CRACK!

The core split.

The golem froze.

Zeva landed, her back to the monster, her blades dripping molten gore.

And then—

She turned her head slightly, whispering one final word.

“Die.”

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The golem exploded.

A wave of pure force ripped through the cave, sending Aestrea skidding backward as molten debris rained down from above.

The cave trembled.

The flames flickered.

And in the center of it all—

Zeva stood, her swords buried in the stone, blood covering every inch of her body.

Her chest rose and fell heavily, her arms twitching, barely able to lift her weapons anymore.

She turned her head, looking at Aestrea.

And she smiled.

“Told you it was gonna be fucking beautiful.”

“Haah…”

Aestrea’s light blue eyes returned to their normal glowing red ones.

“I guess it was…”

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[Beep!]

[The two souls have been successfully combined.]

[All the limits implanted before are now broken.]

[You have received a new title!]

[The Moon’s Darling.]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep