Reborn Regress Return: I Am the Heir of Shadows!-Chapter 35: Harpy Matriarch - Svela

[◊ Gale Harpy has been Slain ◊]

• Killed 6 Gale Harpy (Lv.10)

• Gained 300 Experience Points

• Gained Harpy Feather x 8 (Quest Item)

• Gained 30 copper coins.

"I'm sick of killing harpies!"

Sena stretched her legs, kicking the dirt as she squatted on a wooden stump, showing Julian glimpses of her thong. The movements carefree, almost juvenile, and a gleeful hum flowed from her lips.

Julian's gaze lingered on his partner, catching glimpses of Sena that he'd never known before.

Unburdened, and completely at ease.

In his fragmented memories of the past, she'd never let herself be this relaxed.

"Then should we leave and not finish the quest?" he asked, shrinking the game panel until only the objectives remained—just enough to stay informed without disrupting his vision during combat.

Sena tilted her head, eyes gleaming as she purred, "Do we really?"

'This girl loves using her beauty as a weapon...'

Her smirk deepened, dimples pressing into her cheeks. Julian's lashes fluttered at the sight before he exhaled, tapping his thigh with a wry smirk.

"We do, but since you don't want to, should I just log out and go home?"

"Ah? No!" Her yelp almost instant, almost panicked, before she caught the amusement in his gaze. Her lips pursed, cheeks puffing in a sulky pout.

The breeze stirred the hem of her outfit, the black fabric fluttering like a summer kimono with subtle edits that made it more striking. Even now, sitting cross-legged, her natural elegance catching his eye.

"She should appear soon," Julian murmured, lowering his voice.

"Do you know what to watch out for?"

Sena lifted her arms with an exaggerated flourish, her voice light and sweet. "I don't!"

Julian opened his mouth, ready to scold her—only to hesitate.

The way she looked at him, wide-eyed and playful, made it impossible. It wasn't just her beauty—though that was dangerous enough—it was the way she carried herself around him, so open, so different from the girl he had lost once before.

His fingers curled into a fist against his thigh before he forced them to relax with a sigh.

"—Forget it." He shook his head. "Just stay close and don't get grabbed."

Sena grinned, leaning forward slightly. "Julian, are you getting soft on me?"

His jaw tensed. Maybe he was.

Ignoring the heat curling in his chest, he turned his attention to the sky, scanning the cliffside where jagged rocks jutted against the horizon. A gust of wind kicked up dust and loose feathers from the corpses of lesser harpies scattered around them. The scent of iron clung to the air.

Then he heard it. A slow, rhythmic beat.

Wings.

"She's coming," he muttered.

Sena's teasing smile faded, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her blade.

A shadow passed over them.

The Harpy Matriarch descended with a screech that sent a shiver down Julian's spine.

Her massive wings unfurled with glossy white feathers as she perched atop a stone pillar, talons dragging and scarping against the surface. "Kwuu." The red sun glinted off the jagged, bone-like exoskeleton along her cheeks.

A vicious and predatory gaze locked onto Julian.

He exhaled slowly, the aura of this monster dwarfing everything but the massive devil that ended his life in the past.

Because the game needed to teach and train humans to fight monsters in reality, and the aura of monsters caused most of the earlier deaths in Julian's past life.

So the game created a pseudo aura for stronger monsters, a sort of warning device.

'This is the sensation of a level gap!'

"J-Julian... my body feels heavy."

"Yeah, this monster is strong, but let's crush her."

Julian exhaled, raising a hand. Dark energy coiled around his fingers like living smoke.

"Let's finish this."

Sena cracked her knuckles, lips curling into a grin. "Now you're talking."

The moment the pair stood up, a guttural shriek erupted from the Harpy Matriarch.

Terror washed over Julian. Every nerve in his body screamed danger—yet his heart raced with the promise of battle. His two conflicting emotions waged war within him, paralysing his muscles momentarily.

"Julian! Let's fight!"

"Yeah yeah..." An epic song started playing in their minds. Julian recognised the nostalgic orchestral background music appearing during boss fights.

The matriarch's feathers bristled, gleaming dangerously under the harsh sunlight. Then she lunged. Talons outstretched, she descended toward the pair like a meteor.

'Sena, attack her wings.'

—Mana Enhancement

The dark magic flickered around his wand.

Julian's eyes focused on the Matriarch, knowing to look out for three attacks.

The moment her eyes glowed, she would create a tornado around her body. Then she would shriek and create brutal wings like the smaller harpies that would slow and confuse the entire party for several seconds.

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Every so often, she would dive into the sky for high damage, creating a shockwave upon impact.

'The last attack, I can't remember.'

"Sena, if her eyes glow, run to me!"

A single flap of the wing sent Sena off balance as the harpy thrust her talons towards her midair.

Julian snapped his wand towards the harpy, and a surge of magic burst forth. It arced through the air with blinding speed, catching the harpy on the side of her head. Her massive form wobbled, disrupted by the unexpected blow.

His shadows bolt dealing 105 damage.

"Haha!" Sena growled her sword slashing the bird's talon creating a flash of silver sparks dealing 16 damage.

The matriarch reared back, beak agape, before unleashing another blood-curdling shriek.

Sena stumbled backwards, barely avoiding the deadly reach of those razor-sharp claws. Julian's wand flicked a dark bolt at the harpy's beak for 20 damage.

'Sena watch yourself, avoid to the left!'

'I got it—!'

The harpy launched herself high into the air before plummeting at Sena at breakneck speed—the impact tearing her shoulder as she rolled away.

Even with his command-enhanced orders, she barely dodged to the left with a deep cut in her shoulder. A shockwave followed, shaking the air, which staggered Sena dealing 20 damage bringing Sena's health down by 25 percent.

"Ugh... damn bird."

Blood pooled beneath her, painting the earth with its scarlet hue. She pressed a palm over the wound, teeth gritted against the agony pulsing through her veins. "It hurts..."

This wasn't normal, and Julian couldn't do anything to heal her.

Sena needed to level up, or get a healing skill. Potions didn't appear like in most games and were a rare item that cost huge amounts of gold. Though she would slowly heal over time, it would be dangerous to let her take too much damage.

"Damn it, Shadow bolt!"

A second bolt of show magic flung from his wand, empowered by his quick cast and Mana Enhancement doubling the damage, but the costing 15 Mana instead of 5.

Vwoom!

The harpy lunged at Sena who set up her blade, prepared to block the attack. Even with her defence, the attack would create more damage through bleeding.

"I won't let you!" Julian's nose bled as he clenched his fist.

—Shadow's Grasp

With an explosion of magic, shadowy tendrils erupted from the earth. They slithered like black snakes, entwining the bird's limbs. Dark chains wrapped around her ankles and wrists, binding her to the very soil she avoided, dealing 29 damage.

The matriarch struggled, screeching and flapping her wings, to break free.

"Don't worry, there's plenty where that came from!"

Julian's lips curled into a distorted smile. He didn't like seeing Sena injured, anger like a dark flame growing inside his chest.

—Quick Cast!

—Mana Enhancement!

Woosh!

He flung his wand before casting a Shadow Bolt in the next instant.

The dual bolts streaking at the monstrous beast, both detonating like black bombs. The Harpy shrieked under the bombardment, shadows licking at her feathers, blue blood and flesh spraying from the wound, suffering 125 damage combined.

Her wings beat furiously as she ascended above their heads, but the claws dragged her down, causing Svela to shriek violently.

"Haa... fuck... Sena?"

Julian noticed the harpy was preparing to cast Storm Reaver, its most deadly attack. The harpy's eyes shone, causing Julian's spine to tingle.

But out of the corner of his eyes, Sena with her blade shining blue in her sheath as she dashed towards the harpy, rapidly drawing her blade.

"Mocking Blow!"

"Get back!" He cried out, as the winds around the harpy exploded.

For a terrifying moment, time slowed.

The world became a kaleidoscope of azure feathers and silver steel. Sena's blade slashed diagonally across the matriarch's face, a blinding arc of blue-white light slicing through the air for 29 damage, before her body flew out, smashing into a wall as if catapulted.

The moment the winds settled, and the dust cleared, the harpy loomed large again, its yellow gaze piercing into the depths of Julian's soul, before snapping towards Sena because of her using the skill Mocking Blow.

"Sena!"

Her health flashed, the damage from a close ranged Storm Reaver dropping her health to below 50%.