SWNOVELXO Chapter 15: A Cripple’s Fury
Valeria's sword descended.
A flash of silver death tore through the air, moving with lethal precision.
The demon's instincts screamed—move or die.
With everything it had, it twisted its body at the last second—
SHRRRRK!
A sharp, wet sound echoed as the blade sliced clean through its left side.
A spray of black blood followed.
The demon roared, its body recoiling as half of its torso was nearly severed, its flesh peeling apart from the sheer force of the strike.
But it wasn't a clean kill.
It had dodged, barely escaping with its life.
Its clawed feet scraped across the ruined earth as it skidded back, its monstrous form trembling from the impact.
For the first time in the fight—it looked at Valeria with something other than amusement.
It was a mixture of shock—and something dangerously close to fear.
But Valeria didn't care.
She had one goal—her brother.
Without hesitation, she moved.
Her body screamed, her cursed legs felt like they were being shredded apart from the inside, but she didn't stop.
She pushed forward, toward Lucien—toward the one person she would never let be taken from her.
Lucien's golden eyes widened as she stumbled toward him.
"Valeria—"
Before he could say another word, her body jerked violently.
A burning pain erupted from deep within her core, her muscles seizing—
And then—
She vomited blood.
The warm, coppery liquid spilled from her lips, splattering onto the cold, broken ground.
Her knees buckled.
Lucien was there instantly, catching her before she collapsed.
"Valeria!" His voice was sharp, filled with raw concern. His hands gripped her shoulders, his warmth grounding her.
She could feel his panic—his desperation—as he scanned her body for wounds.
She tried to speak, to reassure him, but more blood dripped from her lips, her breath shuddering.
Lucien's hands tightened around her. "You forced yourself…" His jaw clenched, his golden energy flaring in barely restrained fury.
He knew what she had done.
She had broken past her limits—forcing her cursed body to move through sheer will and mana control.
And now, she was paying the price.
Before he could say anything else—
A dark, twisted laugh echoed through the battlefield.
The demon.
It was grinning.
Even as its left side bled profusely, even as its body trembled from the damage, it grinned.
A low, mocking chuckle escaped its lips, growing louder, filled with twisted glee.
"Well, well," it purred, its voice thick with amusement. "The cripple actually dares to attack."
Lucien's entire body tensed.
Valeria ignored the demon's words, swallowing the taste of iron in her mouth as she held onto her brother.
But the demon wasn't done.
Its crimson eyes gleamed as it stared at them like prey already caught in a trap.
"Look at you," it sneered, taking a slow step forward. "Coughing up blood, barely able to stand. Did you really think you could change anything?"
Lucien's aura spiked, but Valeria weakly squeezed his arm, silently telling him not to waste his energy on words.
The demon smirked at her struggle. "Pathetic."
Its wounds were closing.
Slowly, but surely—its unnatural regeneration was kicking in.
And it knew it had the upper hand.
Its claws flexed, the air distorting around it as it gathered its power.
"This little game has gone on long enough," it mused, stepping closer, its voice dripping with cruelty. "You should've stayed broken, little girl."
Lucien's grip on Valeria tightened.
The demon's killing intent surged as it raised its claws, preparing to end them both.
And then—
It froze.
A sudden, unnatural shiver crawled down its spine.
The demon's body locked up, its instincts screaming in terror.
Something was wrong.
Something was very, very wrong.
Its breath hitched. Its eyes darted around, searching—
For the source of the overwhelming dread that had suddenly filled the battlefield.
Because for the first time since the fight began—
The demon felt fear.