Listening to Hilda's whispers, a cruel glint flashed through the eyes of the giant Slaughter Wolf Demon.

  It let out a harsh growl, and all the Wolf Demons scattered. Three of them lunged toward the heavily wounded Crystalith Serpent, while the remaining four, along with the giant Wolf Demon, surrounded Hilda.

  The battle near the Crystalith Serpent erupted quickly. Severely injured, the serpent was no match for the three Gold-rank Wolf Demons. Like a tiger fallen to a pack of dogs, it was clear it wouldn’t last long.

  Meanwhile, the four Wolf Demons encircling Hilda, led by the giant one, launched their attack.

  A cold glint flashed in Hilda's eyes as magic power rippled outward.

  Snow as thick as swan feathers began to fall from the sky—best not to lick it.

  For that might be the sword light of the Swan Blade Maiden.

  As the snow danced in the air, each flake concealed a razor-sharp sword intent.

  In an instant, dozens of slashes rained down, slicing one Wolf Demon into pieces on the spot!

  But the giant Wolf Demon's counterattack followed immediately. Its blood-colored claws tore through the air with a piercing screech, aiming straight for Hilda’s back.

  Without even turning her head, Hilda pushed off with a powerful kick, dodging swiftly. The ground where she had just stood was shattered into a massive crater several meters wide, showcasing the terrifying power of the giant Wolf Demon.

  She couldn't afford a direct confrontation!

  Hilda quickly reached this conclusion.

  She had to rely on her superior agility to eliminate the Gold-rank Wolf Demons first before dealing with the largest one!

  With that thought, she landed, her toes barely touching the ground before she sprinted toward one of the Gold-rank Wolf Demons.

  But at that moment, a foul wind surged toward her. Hilda’s pupils contracted as she instantly executed the Combat Technique—Golden Flash—turning into a streak of golden light that shot away from her original position.

  "Boom!!!"

  A deafening explosion rang out.

  Perched on a tree branch, Hilda gazed at the spot she had just been standing, her expression heavy as she locked eyes with the giant Wolf Demon.

  That speed… it was even faster than she had expected!

  But that wasn’t a reason to retreat.

  If that was the case, then she would simply be even faster!

  Flicking her slender sword, magic power surged once more.

  Golden Flash!

  A zigzagging golden light streaked toward the giant Wolf Demon at lightning speed. The demon immediately raised its claws to swat it down.

  Yet, just as it was about to make contact, the golden light reflected like a mirror, veering off and forming a sharp triangle, maneuvering behind it.

  Snowflake-like sword lights rained down again, leaving fine sword marks across the giant Wolf Demon's back. But Hilda's true killing move wasn’t directed at it—it was aimed at the Gold-rank Wolf Demon behind it.

  Just like the first one, this Wolf Demon was sliced apart in an instant!

  In the blink of an eye, another one fell!

  She didn’t stop, weaving across the battlefield as a golden streak of light.

  The giant Wolf Demon roared in pursuit, and from afar, it seemed like a gold and black flash darting across the battlefield.

  But each time, Hilda effortlessly and elegantly evaded the giant Wolf Demon’s attacks while cutting down the Gold-rank Wolf Demons with her slender sword.

  Through her relentless hit-and-run tactics, the three Gold-rank Wolf Demons were soon all slain.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Still, she did not stop and instead charged toward the three Wolf Demons attacking the Crystalith Serpent.

  The Crystalith Serpent was barely clinging to life, its body being ruthlessly torn apart by its assailants.

  Suddenly, a roar rang out. The largest of the three, likely nearing Platinum rank, lifted its head.

  But what greeted it was a golden sword light.

  Its head was severed from its body!

  "The fourth one…" she murmured, looking every bit the golden huntress—calm, precise, and elegant.

  From his hidden vantage point, Caius couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement.

  Goodness, no wonder she was granted the title of Swan Blade Maiden at the Platinum rank. She was far from just a pretty face.

  "Does she really need our help, Meow?" Kiki couldn't help but ask.

  Caius focused on the battlefield before nodding. "She does."

  "Why? She's almost wiped out all the Wolf Demons, Meow… The fifth one now! So strong, Meow!"

  But Caius shook his head. "She is strong, but her sword won’t hold."

  "And that giant Wolf Demon—you haven’t noticed, have you? It’s still smiling."

  "Tsk, what a twisted creature. It's treating this as a game."

  Kiki stiffened, her expression turning serious.

  If it saw this as a game, that meant it hadn’t even revealed its true power yet.

  Watching its kind being slaughtered one after another, it remained entertained rather than enraged. Just as Caius said—it truly was a vile creature, Meow.

  But...

  Kiki glanced at Caius, who was hiding in the shadows, enjoying the show with interest, and asked, "Then why aren’t we helping her now, Meow?"

  Caius chuckled and shook his head. "She’s a proud girl. That confidence of hers is palpable even from two hundred meters away. Otherwise, she wouldn’t take such risky evasive maneuvers, narrowly dodging the giant Wolf Demon’s claws just to strike down the nearby Gold-rank Wolf Demon."

  "If I step in now, this proud Little Swan might just turn her blade on me."

  He smirked and shrugged. "She’s a genius, and she’s strong, but she’s too young. So we wait until she learns her lesson. Only then will our assistance be truly effective."

  "Oh~" Kiki looked as if she had learned something valuable and nodded.

  Strangely enough, despite Caius claiming to be eighteen when he was actually only sixteen, when he called an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old girl "too young," Kiki didn’t find it odd at all.

  Perhaps it was because Caius exuded the air of a seasoned mercenary.

  With both his past and present lives combined, he had forty-eight years of experience. His way of speaking and mannerisms were nothing like those of a sixteen-year-old.

  And of course, neither was his muscular physique.

  "I just don’t get why she’s not using Magic. Could it be she doesn’t know how?" Caius muttered.

  "Impossible. As the Student Council President of Hydis Magic Academy, not knowing Magic would be a joke…"

  Just then, a sword hum echoed through the air. Hilda stepped onto a tree trunk and leaped away.

  In the next instant, the tree, thick enough to require an adult’s arms to encircle, was cleanly bisected by the giant Wolf Demon’s claws!

  Landing softly, Hilda’s chest rose and fell slightly, her high-speed maneuvers and relentless slashes having taken their toll. Her Magic reserves were down to less than a quarter.

  But her eyes held more excitement than exhaustion.

  Seven Wolf Demons had been slain. Now, she only needed to take down the biggest one!

  She raised her sword once more.

  Sensing her intent, the giant Wolf Demon’s grin grew more sinister.

  It spread its arms wide in a welcoming gesture, claws fully extended, gleaming coldly.

  A single leaf drifted down.

  The moment it touched the ground, gold and black streaks clashed in a violent collision.

  The golden light moved faster, more agile, weaving around the massive Slaughter Wolf Demon, dodging its attacks with precise movements. Every time she evaded a strike, she retaliated with multiple slashes, seizing every opportunity to leave wounds on the creature’s body.

  Those wounds seemed insignificant compared to the massive frame of the Slaughter Wolf Demon.

  But what if there were a hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand?

  Enough to cut it into tiny pieces!

  Hundreds of golden sword arcs danced faster and faster as thick snowflakes filled the air. Hilda's face gradually lit up with excitement and confidence.

  An opening!

  A chance to strike!

  As the Wolf Demon’s claws swiped through empty air, her sapphire-blue eyes turned gold, perceiving a golden trajectory.

  If she followed that line with her blade, she could sever its head!

  That was her thought, and that was her action.

  The Wolf Demon, with its back to her, had no time to defend.

  She believed she could do it.

  Yes, she could.

  But her sword could not.

  With a crisp snap, Hilda spun through the air before landing steadily on the ground.

  However, the smile on her face vanished as she slowly lifted her sword.

  The elegant rapier was broken.

  The shattered blade was lodged in the vertebral gap at the back of the Slaughter Wolf Demon’s neck.

  This strike had failed to behead the creature—and had cost her her weapon.

  The Wolf Demon turned around, reaching back with its claws. It tore at the wound, ripping away flesh, fur, and the embedded fragment of the broken sword in one brutal motion.

  Its twisted grin disappeared, replaced by a hollow, expressionless gaze.

  Its eyes widened, staring at Hilda—not baring its fangs, yet exuding an overwhelming pressure that made her feel as though she were suffocating.

  Its eyes glowed red.

  The next instant, a thunderous roar erupted, sending waves of terrifying energy outward. Within a few hundred meters, crimson light surged from the corpses of fallen Wolf Demons, streaking into the body of the massive Slaughter Wolf Demon in the blink of an eye.

  The creature's dark fur turned blood-red. Its half-meter-long claws extended to a full meter, while its towering six-meter frame shrank to around four meters with the crackling sound of shifting bones.

  Yet its muscle definition became even more pronounced, and its aura grew exponentially more menacing.

  A wave of pure brutality swept over Hilda, turning her face pale.

  Was this thing... really a Wolf Demon?

  She had never heard of a Wolf Demon possessing a second form...

  If Holan were here, he would have told her exactly what she was facing—a superior variant of the Wolf Demon.

  A Slaughter Wolf Demon!