"Always barking bothersome orders...!"
Whish—!!!
".....!!"
'S-So fast!!'
THWACK—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gros was caught completely off guard by Bete's speed, which allowed him to close the distance instantly despite the Xenos being airborne. Helpless against the devastating kinetic transfer of the kick, Gros was sent plummeting toward the ground.
BOOM—!!!!!!!
"K-Gwaaaah!!!!"
Dash—!!!
"Stop barking! This isn't a place where you mutts get to run wild!"
CRACK—!!!!!!!!!!
Gros attempted to lunge back into the fray, but he failed to even register Bete's follow-up kick before being slammed into a nearby building once again.
Clang—!!!
Cling—!!!
"Kh...!!"
'S-Strong... He's on a completely different level from the other adventurers!'
Whish—!
'But... I won't go down that easily!'
Snap—!
On the other side, Lyd was equally stunned by the sheer power of Tione, who was relentlessly swinging her twin kukris. Sensing he was being pushed back, he steeled his resolve and whipped his tail in an irregular arc, successfully disarming one of her blades.
Clatter—!
"!!"
'The monster used its tail with such unorthodox precision...!?'
"Uooooh!!!!!!"
Grab—!
"!?"
"I suppose you aren't just an ordinary Lizardman."
CRASH—!!!!!!!!!
However, such a trick was insufficient to bridge the fundamental gap in their stats. Tione seized Lyd mid-lunge and slammed him into the pavement with enough force to shatter the stone beneath him.
"Haaaaah!!!!!!!!"
Thud—!!!
"Guh!?"
Bang—!!!!
"Sigh... A Goblin, but maybe Level 4?"
Nearby, Let was sent flying by a single punch from Tiona. To buy time, the other Xenos rushed toward her in a desperate swarm.
"Kyoo!!"
Patter-patter-patter—!!
".....Huh?"
Flick—!
"Kyooooh!!!!"
Even Alu, the Al-miraj, charged at Tiona, patting her with her front paws in a futile attempt to stall. Tiona responded with a resounding flick to the forehead, sending the rabbit-like monster tumbling into the distance.
Fortunately for Alu, her resemblance to Bell Cranel had softened Tiona's heart, sparing her from anything more lethal than a physical correction.
Catch—!
"Kyoo...?"
"I suppose I should help out!"
"!!"
Startled by the hands that caught her mid-air, Alu looked up to find Akumo smiling down at her.
Patter-patter-patter—!!!
"Kyoo! Kyoo!"
"I know, I know~"
Alu's tiny fists rained down on Akumo's face as if demanding to know why he had taken so long to act. Akumo chuckled and handed her over to Helga, the wolf Xenos, before slowly stepping out into the center of Daedalus Street.
Schwing—!
"Shall we begin?"
A sharp wave of killing intent flooded the street.
"This is bad. At this rate....!"
'I don't want to cause any more of a scene, but...'
"Forgive me, Ouranos! I must use it—"
Seeing the Xenos being overwhelmingly suppressed, Fels prepared to summon her hidden golems to engage the Loki Familia.
Rumble—!!!!
"!!"
'This presence....!'
But she felt it. No, nearly every adventurer on the scene felt it.
".....Tione!!"
'This one is no ordinary foe....!'
"Right!!"
Thump—!!!
Tiona immediately exchanged a look with Tione, slamming her weapon, Urga, into the ground as she took a defensive stance.
'So, it's [Jormungand] and [Amazon] first?'
Grin—!
""....!!""
'This guy... he's strong!'
Schwing—!
'I don't particularly intend to kill you lot, either.'
Approaching without a word, the robed Akumo drew his blade and leveled it at Tiona and Tione.
Whoosh—!
'An enchantment....?'
Water swirled around his blade with such intensity that the sound of crashing waves filled the air. Tiona instinctively compared it to Ais's [Ariel].
"Attack together!"
"Got it, Tio—"
Crack—!
"...Huh?"
BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Before Tione could finish her response, Akumo's fist buried itself in her abdomen, sending her hurtling backward.
"BETE!!!!!!!"
Whish—!!
"I know!"
'I couldn't even track his movement...!'
Tiona's shock lasted only a fraction of a second before she shouted Bete's name. Moving in perfect sync, Bete launched a surprise kick aimed at Akumo's back.
Clang—!!!!!!!!!
"..."
'Not bad.'
Grab—!
"He blocked it!?"
CRASH—!!!!
The sneak attack was effortlessly parried by Akumo's sword. In one fluid motion, Akumo seized Bete's leg and slammed him face-first into the ground.
Zip—!!!!!!
"Ais!! We're launching a coordinated assault now!"
'I never imagined a monster of this caliber existed...!'
"Yes!!"
Finn and Ais charged simultaneously. Finn, realizing he had underestimated the monster's prowess, thrust his spear with lethal intent, while Ais swung her sword in a surgical arc aimed at Akumo's head.
Clang—!!!!!
Boom—!!!!!
"....."
Screeeech—!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yet, even their combined might failed to reach him. Finn's spear was deflected by a subtle tilt of the blade, and Ais's strike was met head-on, the sheer physical pressure forcing the Sword Princess to yield ground.
"....."
'He should be arriving right about now...'
THUMP—!!!!!!!!!!
"""!!!"""
At that moment, a massive tremor shook the earth as another warrior intruded upon the battlefield.
"UWOOOOOHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Rumble—!!!!!!!!!!!!
"...."
'Starting off with a Howl, are we?'
Thump—!! Thump—!! Thump—!!
Asterios approached Akumo.
Wielding two massive, ornate axes, his eyes burned with an insatiable hunger for battle.
"Grrr!!!"
Pshhh—!!!!!
He snorted a cloud of steam, seemingly annoyed that Akumo had started the fight without him.
"Sigh....."
Tap—! Tap—!
'One for me, and five for you.'
Swipe—!
Akumo tapped Asterios on the side and gestured toward the Loki Familia members standing before them.
Asterios looked at the five elites—Bete, Tione, Tiona, Finn, and Ais—and then back at the robed Akumo. He immediately understood the distribution of labor.
"A black... Minotaur...."
"Not one, but two wild cards...!"
Swipe—!
"Akumo! I'm counting on you!"
Faced with two powerhouses beyond his expectations, Finn immediately formulated a plan. He would have his most reliable asset, Akumo, tie down the robed man—whose movements were difficult to predict—while the rest of the team focused on bringing down the Minotaur through coordinated strikes.
Schwing—!
"I've got it."
Whish—!!!!!!!!!
".....!!"
CLANG—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Responding instantly to Finn's command, the surface Akumo drew Balmung and Gram, charging at the robed man.
"You.... who the hell are you!"
'I've never seen a Xenos like this before.'
".....Who knows?"
Grin—!
'Finally, the real game begins...!'
Beneath his robe, the other Akumo couldn't stop smiling at the prospect of finally clashing with his surface self. He surged with power as they collided.
Clang—!!!!!!!!!
""...""
Whish—!!!
THUD—!!!!!!
""!!""
Clash-clash-clash—!!!!!!!
Slash-slash-slash—!!!!!!!
The two Akumos exchanged silent, lethal blows, each aiming for the other's throat with absolute spatial awareness.
Screeech—!!!!!!!
'This guy, could it be...!'
'Haha!? This one's a Magic Sword user?'
Through dozens of exchanges, they gathered data on one another, only fueling the intensity of their clash.
Clang—!!!!!!!
Slash—!!!!!!!
"Go after Wiene now!"
BOOM—!!!!!!!
"I refuse! They can handle themselves!"
'If I intervene, the growth becomes meaningless!'
THWACK—!!!!!!!!
""Kh...!""
Gram's flames were neutralized by the crashing waves, failing to ignite properly. Every time the water surged toward a throat, a black shadow would lash out to parry it. The cycle repeated endlessly.
Ultimately, they both landed a punch on the other's face, breaking the rhythm and sending each other crashing into opposite buildings.
Crumble—!
"Is fighting right now really more important to you...!"
"I'm sure you understand the feeling better than anyone, don't you?"
"...."
Tighten—!!!!
At those words, the surface Akumo knew the immediate crisis had passed, but the gnawing worry in his heart refused to fade.
"I get that you're worried, but....."
Chills—!
"Aren't you going to focus?"
To a warrior, such hesitation was a grave insult.
"I came here because they said you were the strongest, but this is disappointing."
"Do you really think I can fight properly in this situation...!"
"Heh.... You're quite the funny one, aren't you?"
The surface Akumo tried to argue that Wiene and the Xenos' lives were still at risk, and that fighting his own self was a confusing ordeal, but—
"[Part, O my waves.]"
Whoosh—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"!!"
"If you're so reluctant to get serious, I'll just have to drag it out of you personally...!"
Excuses held no weight for a true warrior.
"[O dense forest, O sacred nature.]"
Crackle—!!!!!!!!!
"[Annihilate the enemy before me, and sweep them away like the tide!]"
Crackle—!!!!!!!!!
Two chants unfolded simultaneously. Both men sheathed their masterpieces and blades, manifesting new weapons in their hands.
Grab—!
"....That!"
Rumble—!!!!!!!!!
At the same time, Asterios faced the five elites. A smile spread across his face, reminiscent of his first battle with Akumo.
Grin—!
"UWOOOOHH!!!!!"
"A Magic Sword!"
"Riveria!"
As he raised his axes to the sky, the clouds above darkened, swirling with an ominous energy. Sensing the danger, Finn and Ais immediately called for Riveria's support.
"[Light of the Great Forest, become a barrier and protect us.]"
Hum—!!!!!!!!!
"[My name is Alf]!"
Riveria, who had begun her chant the moment the clouds gathered, successfully deployed her magic just in time.
"[Via Shilheim]!!"
Whoosh—!!!!!!!!!!
"Everyone, brace for impact!!!"
Screeech—!!
BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Asterios brought his massive axes down, unleashing a colossal sphere of lightning. The sphere exploded with a roar so intense it left their ears ringing.
FLASH—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A blinding light engulfed the area, leveling buildings and raining down a baptism of lightning on everything in sight.
Zap—! Zap—!
"Nngh.....!!"
Tingle—!!!
'My body is numb.....'
"Paralysis...!?"
Riveria's magic had mitigated the worst of the destruction, but the attack had clearly crossed a line.
".....Capture is no longer the priority."
Glare—!
"Ais, finish it."
At Finn's command, Ais gripped her sword tight and leveled it at Asterios.
Step—!
"[Awaken, Tempest.]"
Swoosh—!!!!!!!!!!!!
A strike laden with the intent to sever Asterios's life-thread surged forward.
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