After Ember shouted with frustration, she felt a violent urge to cough before she spat out some blood.
Evidently, the last hit from Fallen Witch Elvira had wounded her internally.
She quickly took out an expensive Rank 3 Healing Potion from her Magic Domain and drank it before she started to feel better in the next moment.
At the same time, Astoria replied to her, “Vaan Raphna… Vahn Cadieux… and Van Helsing! Don’t you see, Marquis Ember? They are all the same person!”
Her sixth sense strongly told her so.
It was natural for someone young yet blessed with peerless intelligence like Teacher Raphna to become a little arrogant.
No, even if he became very arrogant, it was still understandable because he had the right to be!
Although she couldn’t understand how Teacher Raphna survived a punctured chest and ruptured heart without any immediate medical treatment, she was beginning to guess his thoughts when he chose to use such close-sounding first names as his aliases.
It was as if she could hear him saying, “Even if I use these names, no one would think they are the same person.”
After all, a normal person wouldn’t match someone who was already dead and possibly had his body reduced to ashes in the monthly wasteyard incineration to someone still alive, just because their first names were a little similar.
Furthermore, most fugitives would use a different name. No one would consider using a name that hit close to home. It was the same as announcing themselves.
However, it was precisely this kind of train of thought that also made the alias a great cover. It was a power move that involved reverse psychology.
Even she couldn’t have guessed—if not for the fact that she was so fixated on him that everything that remotely reminds her of him made her suspicious.
‘It has to be him! No, it must be him!’ Astoria continued to convince herself.
From the bottom of her heart, she strongly wanted the person to be alive.
…
Nevertheless, Ember and Astoria’s verbal exchange across such a large distance was easily heard by every wolf-man on the other battlefield nearby.
As Silver Hawk continued to pursue Lord Helia, his expression abruptly changed along with several other wolf-men.
“Van Helsing, is Vaan Raphna? What? That same fucking Vaan Raphna, who is the very reason why the Battle Maiden was hunting us down like we were her archenemies?!” Silver Hawk exclaimed loudly.
He abruptly paused his pursuit of Lord Helia and scanned the area for the person that the Rank 3 Aura Grandmaster called Van Helsing.
Before long, his eyes locked onto Vaan’s figure in another part of the battlefield, being chased by Lethal Dagger.
In the same instance, Vaan had also seemingly glanced back at Silver Hawk with a half smirk, half rueful smile.
Silver Hawk’s anger immediately spiked.
“All members of the Assembly of Silent Night, listen up! I want you all to forget your current opponents and hunt down that mother fucking Van Helsing! That bastard is the sole reason for our present predicament!” Silver Hawk barked.
“Kill that fucking bastard! He is a black star, the scourge of all our misfortunate!”
“Kill him!”
Silver Hawk’s voice resounded far and wide, reaching every wolf-men scattered across the battlefield.
Everyone’s fury quickly ignited as they directed all their hatred towards Vaan.
“Well, shit,” Vaan smiled ruefully.
Shortly after seeing all the wolf-men rushing over from every direction, he immediately fled the area to reposition himself and avoid a complete encirclement.
At the same time, Astoria’s expression paled, realizing she had screwed up and put the man she was looking for in danger.
“No!” Astoria cried.
She immediately turned around to rush over to Vaan’s side and protect him. But that left a big opening for Fallen Witch Elvira.
‘A chance!’ Fallen Witch Elvira’s brightened.
The moment she saw the opportunity, she immediately took it as she fired an especially powerful and large black water lance at Astoria’s back.
‘Danger!’
Astoria immediately sensed the danger.
However, it was too late for her to evade the attack. All she could do was block the incoming black water lance to the best ability.
She raised the defense of her light barrier to her limit.
Puchi!
Alas, the black water lance still broke through her light barrier and struck her back armor.
Even Astoria’s silver armor made of Rank 3 alloy did not stand a chance against Fallen Witch Elvira’s water spell, which was much stronger than her previous attacks.
The black water lance continued to shatter the back armor and reached Astoria’s back.
Astoria concentrated all her mana and tightened her back muscles to the limit to prevent the attack from penetrating straight through her.
Although she barely succeeded, the impact sent her flying forward in the direction she headed like a comet, crashing into the ground not far from Vaan.
Numerous bone-crunching sounds were heard as Astoria’s body dragged and rolled along the ground.
After such a heavy crash, most people would have been completely paralyzed with such a broken body.
However, Astoria still stood up, albeit with much difficulty.
Her body shook like a fragile stalk of grass swaying in the wind as she struggled to her feet, putting most of her weight on her greatsword.
Cracks, scratches, and dirt filled her armor, and blood dripped down her face, body, and loose strands of messy hair.
In a single attack, Astoria transformed from an elegant blonde beauty in shining armor into a bloodied and broken mess.
Nevertheless, she still forced her back straight and raised the greatsword above her head.
“Leave now, Marquis Ember!” Astoria roared with bloodshot eyes.
Great Heaven Decimating Earth!
She immediately swung down at the incoming wolf-men rushing over from one direction, causing more blood to spurt out from multiple points of her body as it wasn’t in a state to endure the recoil of her attack.
Boom!
The ground quickly shattered under her powerful attack, nonetheless.
At the same time, Ember overheard Headmaster Astoria’s cry from a distance and bit her lips. She knew the situation had taken a major turn for the worse when Headmaster Astoria took such a big hit.
After a brief hesitation, she immediately turned around and fled toward the exit.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Fallen Witch Elvira furiously roared.
She was forced to chase after Ember and stop her from fleeing, even though she wanted to finish off Astoria.