Chapter 367: Fighting The Spirit [2]

"You better make it count."

But there was no time to dwell on that matter. The spirit was glaring at him with cold, burning hatred. Its grip on the dagger had perceptively tightened, and its body was coiling to strike.

She charged forward to meet the spirit head-on. Their weapons connected with a sharp cling that echoed across the vicinity. The spirit’s dagger caught the shaft of her staff, and for a brief moment they were locked together.

Isabelle flew backward, her feet leaving the ground entirely before she hit the dirt and tumbled several meters. She caught herself on one knee, coughing, her arms shaking from the impact.

Despite complaining, Isabelle charged right back into the fight.

~Clash~

It was barely anything, a half-second of breathing room.

~Clash~

The blow connected, but the spirit barely flinched.

"Move!" Moon shouted.

Moon released the Thunderclap Raiju.

The spirit did not dodge the attack, or retreat into a defensive stance or brace itself for impact. It did something neither of them expected—

Before she could get clear, the spirit caught her from behind and wrapped both arms around her torso, locking her in place. It pressed its body against her back, its chin resting beside her head, and stared directly at Moon with cold eyes that dared him to strike.

Moon cursed under his breath, as much as he wanted to wipe that smugness from its eyes, he couldn’t risk the life of a person that was helping him fight, he wasn’t that cruel. His hands moved instinctively, redirecting the Raiju upward at the last possible moment.

Isabelle thrashed against the spirit’s grip. "Let go of me! Let go, you filthy—"

Moon’s jaw clenched, he was holding the Raiju in a wide orbit above the two, but every second of control drained his mana at a vicious rate. He could feel it bleeding out of him like water through a cracked vessel.

Isabelle’s struggling stopped. Her eyes shrank as she processed what he was asking her to do.

Her teeth ground together so hard the sound was audible. The spirit’s blade dug deeper into her side.

"Just do it!" She screamed. "Kill this bastard with me! I have an extra life!"

Her voice cracked on the last word.

Moon brought the Thunderclap Raiju down.

Isabelle lasted two seconds. Her body convulsed violently, her mouth open in a silent scream, before she disintegrated.

Before she respawned, Moon used his wind element to cast a wind gush that pushed the Spirit away from its position. Moments later in the same spot, gasping for air, the attack was still very much memorable in her mind.

"Thank you," She immediately thanked Moon as she created distance between herself and the convulsing spirit. Had Moon not pushed it, Isabelle would have also been struck by the lightning once more, transferring to her from the spirit.

But it was already half ruined.

The spirit’s life was approaching its end.