NOVEL NEXT Chapter 142: One strike
Before he could stand fully, the ground trembled again—another dark shape fell from the sky.
He threw his body backward into another roll, just as a second orc crashed down beside the first, this one slightly larger and roaring upon landing. The grass flattened under the weight, and bits of leaves rained gently down around them like paper falling after an explosion.
The two orcs stood side by side now, their mouths stretching into wide, ugly grins as they spotted the small human figure before them.
Axelius stood still, brushing off his shoulder with a flick and frowning at the green smear on his sleeve.
"So much for peace and quiet," he muttered, his hand slowly reaching behind his back—ready to draw the hidden blade strapped beneath his coat.
While the townspeople screamed and ran in panic, Millie ran the opposite direction. Her long coat flapped behind her, and the wind brushed her cheeks as she pushed forward through the smoke and noise.
She turned a corner and came to a sudden stop when she heard a loud, panicked scream.
A man in adventurer gear stood frozen in the middle of the street. His legs shook, and he was stepping backward slowly, eyes wide with terror. His sword was still in his hand, but he wasn't moving—just staring at something ahead.
Millie's eyes followed his line of sight.
An orc, at least eight feet tall, stood in the middle of the smoke-covered road. Its green skin glistened with sweat and dirt, and it had a massive club raised high in one hand.
Right in front of it, on the cracked stone path, a mother had thrown herself over her small child, shielding the boy with her own body.
The orc was roaring, its weapon just seconds from falling.
Without thinking, Millie dashed forward. she grabbed the adventurer's sword straight from his trembling hands. The metal still had its scabbard—the cover used to carry it at the waist. She yanked it off and tossed the scabbard aside.
Millie gritted her teeth and channeled her mana into the blade, making the edges glow faintly with a soft silver light.
Her boots skidded slightly on the dirt, but she moved fast—5'4 against an 8-foot monster, yet her steps didn't falter. The orc lifted its club higher, ready to crush the mother and child in one blow.
Just before it could swing, The mana-charged sword cut through the air with a light hum.
Slash!
Her strike was clean and fast, slicing straight through the orc's thick wrist. The monster's roar turned into a painful scream as its hand, still holding the club, dropped to the ground.
Blood sprayed into the air like red mist.
The orc staggered back, clutching the stump where its hand used to be, howling in rage and pain.
Millie landed beside the mother and child, her sword still glowing.
Millie stood firm, Behind her, the mother clutched her child close, too afraid to move. The orc held its bleeding arm, rage boiling in its yellow eyes. Its green muscles twitched, and its sharp teeth gritted together as it roared at Millie.
Millie gripped the sword tightly with both hands. The silver glow from her mana pulsed along the blade, faint but steady.
"Stay down," she said over her shoulder to the mother. "Don't move until I say."
The orc rushed forward, even with one hand gone. It swung its other arm like a hammer, trying to crush Millie with sheer strength.
Millie waited.
Just before the orc's massive fist came down, she ducked low, sliding under the swing. The ground shook as the orc's punch slammed into the dirt where she had stood a second before, sending up a small cloud of dust and grass.
Using the speed from her slide, Millie turned and slashed at the orc's side, her sword cutting through the tough skin and muscle.
The orc let out another loud cry and turned, backhanding the air with its arm. Millie jumped back just in time, but the wind from the swing still made her hair whip around her face.
She didn't stop.
Millie rushed forward again, this time stepping on the orc's dropped club to launch herself higher. She jumped onto its arm, ran up its shoulder, and stabbed her sword deep into its neck.
Blood burst out like a fountain.
The orc thrashed around, trying to grab her, but with only one hand and pain clouding its mind, it couldn't reach. Millie pulled her sword out and kicked off its chest, landing gracefully on the ground with a light thud.
The orc stood frozen for a moment, then staggered... and finally collapsed forward, shaking the ground as it fell.
Millie took a deep breath, lowering her sword.
It was over.
The mother behind her began crying, not from fear this time, but from relief. She hugged her child tighter, thanking Millie over and over.
Millie smiled gently and said, "You're safe now. Run to the church, others are there."
The woman nodded quickly and helped her child up. They ran.
Millie looked around. The streets were still full of smoke and chaos but her heart was calm, She wiped the blade with a cloth.
Millie kept running through the smoky street, her boots kicking up dust and scattered debris. Screams and clashing steel echoed through the town. As she turned a corner, she spotted a adventurer, was struggling to stand his ground.
He had both hands on his sword, holding it up to block a heavy wooden club swinging down toward him. His knees were shaking and the club's weight was pushing him down more and more.
She dashed forward and just as she was near, she felt something under her foot—a man, lying on the ground, trembling and shielding his face.
Without hesitation, she stepped on his back, using him as a platform to launch herself high into the air.
"Hey—!" the man yelped, but Millie was already mid-air.
The orc looked up—but too late.
Millie raised her sword behind her and swung it down with both hands as she dropped.
The glowing blade sliced clean through the orc's thick neck and in one clean motion, its head flew off hitting the ground with a heavy thud while the massive body crashed backward, shaking the earth.
The adventurer collapsed to his knees, panting. The man she stepped on slowly sat up, still stunned.
Millie landed and stood tall, her chest rising with breath, but her hands steady.
"You okay?" she asked both of them.
The adventurer looked up, eyes wide with disbelief. "Y-Yeah… thanks to you."
Millie nodded, sheathing her sword. "Then keep helping the others."
The man on the ground gave her a dazed look, then bowed quickly. "T-Thank you, miss!"
Millie turned without another word, her sharp eyes already scanning for the next person in danger.
Behind her, people began whispering.
"Who is she?"
"She moves like a knight…"
"She saved him in just one strike!"