PAID

Angels fighting on the side of demons—an ironic sight, even if they were mere statues.

Angels were said to serve the goddess. Yet now, as they displayed hostility toward us, there was only one course of action: destruction.

*Clang!*

My sword clashed against the Seventh-Tier Angel’s shield, sparks flying from the impact. Pushing forward with force, I swung my blade with all my strength. The angel staggered back a step before raising its stone sword and charging again, its swing aimed directly at me.

*Clang!*

This time, our swords collided.@@novelbin@@

In *Astria Online*, the swordsman class generally didn’t use shields. Even demon swordsmen like Death Knights fought without them. Once someone reached the level of mastering mana, their sword could serve both offensive and defensive purposes. The only warriors I’d encountered using shields were knights or heavily armored infantry who lacked mana capabilities and relied solely on physical strength.

But this Seventh-Tier Angel wielded its shield expertly. Even after spending more than a decade in this world, I’d never faced an opponent with such a distinct fighting style.

Sure, I’d fought named bosses like golem warriors who used shields as weapons, but this angel’s technique was more refined. It strategically raised its shield to block my attacks and immediately counterattacked with precise strikes from its sword.

A sword-and-shield combat style—it was foreign to me.

The angel’s buckler-like shield, held in its left hand, was larger than I’d expected. When in a defensive stance, the shield completely covered its body, rendering most frontal attacks useless.

If frontal strikes were ineffective, I’d have to target its rear.