Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Sound waves accompanied by pitch-black ripples spread outward, causing the nearby audience outside the arena to feel a chill in their bodies, while Ahmed, who bore the brunt of it within the arena, felt a coldness rise from within his body. Although he wasn't clear about the effect or its function, he was certain it was neither a blessing nor something auspicious.

In response to Valeria's actions, Ahmed slowly drew the broad sword edge from its scabbard, the sound of metal friction seemingly magical, dispelling the coldness inside him. He then threw down the sword scabbard and, with a fierce lunge forward, charged towards his opponent.

The howling spectral wolves didn't have time to block him before they were sliced apart by the sword edge aglow with a floating golden radiance, turning into smoke and dissipating. However, Ahmed was quickly met with new adversaries in front of him.

Towering ghostly serpents, their bodies twisting rapidly, lunged at him with open venomous fangs. A normal person might have trembled in fear at such a sight, but Ahmed simply glanced at them, then raised his sword edge, cutting directly through and shattering the illusion-like ghosts.

Watching as her opponent easily breached the defenses she had set, Valeria's brow furrowed. Although the engraved spirits under her command weren't very strong, they were definitely not to be taken lightly. It could only be said that the "Holy Sword's" cleansing ability was too much of a counter to the Withering Sequence.

"Annoying," she spat out, before retreating and then maneuvering again, commanding other ghosts to block Ahmed's path.

Facing relentless ghosts attacking from all directions and angles, Ahmed felt his speed slow down after dealing with and slashing through them for a while. He shifted his gaze to locate Valeria's position. His sword's radiance flared tremendously, swiftly clearing the surrounding ghosts. He then leapt skyward, rushing directly at Valeria, who hid in a corner, like a line drawn through the air at high speed.

"You've kept me waiting."

Valeria wasn't panicked, seemingly having anticipated this turn of events. She stamped her foot, and the soil beneath her turned over and loosened. Pale ivory burst from the ground as a gigantic bone mammoth, with the breath of ice, rose from the earth, its raised head and tusks blocking Ahmed's way.

The sword edge struck against the sturdy white bones, creating fierce sparks as it cut into the mammoth's tusks, severing them completely. But by then, the mammoth, radiating a cold freezing air, had already risen, its huge form imposing a great sense of pressure. In the skull's eye sockets, a glimmer of soul fire flickered, followed by a soundless, intense howl as the lower jaw opened.

Many spectators in the arena felt a wave of sound wash over them, their hearts tightening and their bodies involuntarily falling backward or retreating, a sensation of panic rising within them.

The massive hooves churned the soil of the arena, trampling the dirt-covered white bones. Accompanied by a trembling of the ground, the huge bone mammoth began its charge, its lowered tusks filled with intense killing intent as it rushed towards the small human not far away.

Ahmed was surprised, but not overly so; after all, he had encountered various types of opponents over the past two years.

Although the charge of the bone mammoth was threatening, compared to Ahmed's speed, it was somewhat slow. The blonde young man easily shifted his stance to avoid the charging path, continuing his approach towards the somewhat exhausted Valeria.

After cutting down a few bone warriors and ghosts guarding her, they finally clashed. Valeria had already thrown down her tome with a metal case, drawing a short dagger to engage in combat.

The dagger's edge narrowly deflected the Holy Sword, and Valeria utilized the opportunity to disengage and disappeared in an instant, causing Ahmed's follow-up strike to miss. She then reappeared on a patch of grass ten meters away, gasping for air.

"Phasing teleportation, huh?" Ahmed recalled the Withering Sequence's ability to phase one's body and slightly admired the usefulness of such a skill. However, given Valeria's condition, she wouldn't be able to use that ability many more times.

Almost all ghosts naturally possess phasing ability, but for living beings like humans to enter a phasing state is not a simple matter. Usually, only mid-high rank Transcendents can employ it, and it also consumes a considerable amount of energy.

Facing the weakened Valeria, Ahmed charged again, intending to quickly resolve the fight, but unexpectedly, the sound of a rumbling charge returned from behind him, as the bone mammoth circled back.

Ahmed had no choice but to adjust his direction to avoid colliding head-on with the gigantic mammoth. Meanwhile, Valeria took the opportunity to leap up, placing one hand on the mammoth's long tusk and climbing atop it.

With the help of the mammoth's charge, Valeria temporarily distanced herself from Ahmed's pursuit. Then, she moved swiftly, climbing onto the mammoth's back and leaping into its huge sunken eye socket before sliding into the skull of the mammoth.

"This is what you forced me to do," Valeria muttered as she drew on her most powerful ability.

Standing inside the mammoth's skull, she chanted a curse spell while slowly touching the azure soul fire with one hand, pouring her magic power into it and helping it build a new Transcendent Core.

The burning soul fire expanded and boiled at that moment, twisting and transforming until it suddenly contracted and solidified into a human-sized chunk of sapphire, enveloping Valeria within it, fusing them into one entity.

At that time, from the outside, the mammoth appeared to bellow skyward, its movements becoming erratic as it tossed and turned. Its tusks flailed, its limbs stomped chaotically. Faced with this spectacle, Ahmed did not press the attack; instead, he stepped back to avoid the frenzied assault.

Shortly thereafter, the skeleton mammoth quieted down. Then, the bones on its body began to extend and grow, becoming increasingly dense and sturdy, like a layer of white bony spiked armor was being added onto its base. And the gaps between its bones closed up. Where there were once empty eye sockets, now white bone covered them and fierce azure flames appeared in their place, ever so violent.

Stomping its massive hooves, the bone mammoth once again located Ahmed's direction and charged at him, but this time its steps were noticeably heavier, and its speed was not as fast, conveying a sensation of a slow, rolling crush.

"Is that so," Ahmed murmured seriously in response to the mammoth's renewed attack. He raised his sword edge, softly reciting the prayers from the scriptures, soon followed by pure white and gold mist rising from his body. The air above his head also shook, distorting the viewer's line of sight.

"Ten Swords Oath - Bramble Slash"

He abruptly opened his amber eyes, which shone brightly, and with a roar, the Holy Sword in his hands surged with light, shooting up into the sky before swiftly slashing downwards.

This blow sliced open a major part of the mammoth's sturdy and thick skull and also snapped the shoulder and front limb on one side, causing it to kneel and topple to the ground with a thunderous fall.
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From the wound where the Holy Sword had struck, golden mist swept across, thinning and weakening the mass of white bone which was then crushed and shattered by the weight above. Not long after, the entire skeleton mammoth broke apart on the ground, revealing a huge blue crystal inside.

Wobbling, the soul fire burning on her side gradually dissipated, Valeria held her dizzy head and slowly stood up. At this point, she was completely drained, and her brain, washed by the afterglow of the Holy Sword, was dizzy and clouded, unable to concentrate and cast any spell.

Soon after, a slightly warm sword edge rested on her shoulder, bringing her a bit more clarity, and then she could see the tall, golden-haired young man standing in the converged light.

Handsome jawline, amber eyes, and slightly curled light golden short hair, the golden mist from using his skill had not yet completely faded, which dazzled Valeria, making her body feel weak.

"How can there be such a good-looking person…" she murmured to herself as she slowly fainted due to exhaustion.

That's when Ahmed couldn't help but reach out to support her; after all, letting the girl fall on a pile of broken bones was just too impolite.

This scene was also witnessed by countless girls at the venue, leading to a resurgence of screaming. Some praised Ahmed's gentlemanly demeanor, saying he was as handsome as ever tonight, but there were also a few voices cursing the fainting Valeria.

"How can there be such a girl, who gets lovestruck at the sight of a handsome man, pretending to be frail, it's too cunning."