Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 704

**"I'll cover you. Keep pressing forward, Shadow Puppet."**

Memory sighed dramatically. "You're a harsh taskmaster. But I suppose that's my role."

As Memory closed in on Johan, I swung my bokken in fluid arcs, unleashing a barrage of Slash Magic: Skyrend attacks. The air hummed with released energy.

Johan's eyes narrowed as he assessed the incoming assault. With a powerful leap, he evaded the first wave, his enhanced lion-form reflexes allowing him to dance between the slashes.

"Not getting away that easily," I muttered.

Memory placed both palms firmly on the training ground's packed earth. "Earth Manifestation: Barrier!"

The ground trembled violently as thick earthen walls erupted from the soil, cutting off Johan's escape routes with precise timing. Dust swirled in the moonlight as the barriers took shape.

Johan skidded to a halt, his golden eyes widening. "What the—?!"

"Sorry, but I'm not as soft as Ridd," Memory said with an unsettling smile. "Vine Binding Snare!"

The earth beneath Johan's feet erupted with thick, coiling vines that lashed toward his limbs with frightening speed.

Johan's muscles tensed as he batted away the grasping tendrils with his remaining tonfa. "Like I'd let these catch me!" His movements were a blur, each strike precise despite the overwhelming numbers.

I felt Memory's telepathic nudge. *Ridd, now's your chance! Finish this with Skyrend!*

Taking a steadying breath, I channeled fire-attribute mana into my bokken. The blade glowed crimson as I swung in a wide arc. "Blazing Skyrend!"

The fiery slash tore through the night air, its heat distorting the surroundings as it raced toward the cornered Johan.

For a brief moment, Johan's expression shifted from determination to genuine surprise. Then his features hardened with resolve. At the last possible instant, he twisted his body in an impossible contortion, hurling his remaining tonfa directly into the slash's path.

The resulting explosion shook the training grounds, sending a shockwave that made my ears pop. Smoke billowed outward in thick clouds.

*It's over,* Memory projected, his mental voice satisfied.

But my senses screamed warning. From within the smoke, a figure shot forward with terrifying speed. Johan's right hand gleamed with razor-sharp claws extended to their full length.

"That was close. Too close!" Johan's voice held an edge of exhilaration as he closed the distance to Memory in an eyeblink.

Memory barely had time to react before Johan's claws found their mark, piercing clean through the shadowy torso. "You took a direct hit?!" Memory gasped.

Johan grinned, his canines glinting. "Oh, I took the hit alright—with my tonfa." His chest rose and fell rapidly, but his eyes burned with undiminished intensity.

As Memory's form began dissolving from the damage, I felt the sudden drain on my mana reserves. My knees buckled slightly as the energy poured into reconstructing my ally.

Johan didn't miss a beat. He raised his remaining tonfa, channeling a visible surge of green-tinged mana into the weapon. "True Lion's Claw Strike! Shatter!"

The impact sent Memory's form scattering like mist, the shockwave knocking me back several steps. I barely kept my footing as the mana drain intensified.

When the dust settled, Memory stood half-reconstructed, his usual composed expression replaced by visible strain. *Ridd... regeneration will take time.*

I tightened my grip on my bokken. *Understood. I'll buy us time.*

Johan wiped sweat from his brow, his breathing heavy but his grin triumphant. "Hah... just as I thought! That puppet of yours—it matches your skills but demands enormous mana, doesn't it? Destroy it, and you bear the cost."

I didn't confirm his theory, but my hesitation spoke volumes.

With renewed vigor, Johan charged. I barely managed to erect another earthen barrier, but he shattered it with a single empowered strike, the debris clouding the air between us.

Through the swirling dust, Johan's glowing eyes locked onto mine. "This is what going all-out means!" His voice held pure exhilaration. "Incredible... This is everything I hoped for, Ridd!"

The sheer intensity of his assault forced me into full defense. Each of his strikes carried enough force to shatter stone, his movements blurring with unnatural speed. Our weapons clashed in a relentless exchange that sent shockwaves through the training grounds.

At some point, our battle had transcended mere sparring—this was a contest of wills, a meeting of two young warriors pushing their limits under the moonlight.

When we finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, Johan's expression turned thoughtful. "You know, I only recently started using tonfa," he admitted between breaths.

I blinked in genuine surprise. "Why take up a new weapon now?"

Moonlight cast dramatic shadows across Johan's face as he licked his gleaming claws. "Because if I fought you seriously with just these..." His grin turned feral. "I'd shred through your bokken—just like I did your Shadow Puppet."

The unspoken challenge hung between us as we prepared for the next clash, the night air charged with anticipation. This battle was far from over.