The quickest among the group was Jasmine Lei
As the Winged Terrors plunged down from the canopy, the young Lancer instinctively entered a lai stance. With great fluidity, she unsheathed her sword and launched a swift, arcing slash. The strike cut through the air so fast it left a faint shimmering trail, like a miniature comet streaking toward the charging creatures.
The leading Terrors collided with her attack and scattered like sparks as they were sliced apart midair. Some tumbled helplessly toward the groud, while others twisted sharply to evade the devastating blow. But it was for naught.
Blood flew and bodies fell one by one.
With just one single strike, Jasmine had already reduced nearly half of the Monster numbers.
'Wow.'
Kevin had known Lancers were formidable, but the sheer difference in power between the Winged Terrors and their leader was staggering. If Jasmine could cut through them this effortlessly, he couldn't help but wonder how the other Lancers measured up.
And then there were the Saints, far higher-ranking individuals whose strength far exceeded even the most elite Lancers.
A chill ran down his spine.
Forget the players of the Deathmatch, just crossing paths with one of those powerful individuals was a guaranteed way to hit the grave fast.
Helpless, he could only watch as Jasmine pivot and strike again.
The Winged Terrors had numbers on their side, but it didn't matter. Each one that lunged toward her was met with a deadly arc of steel, dismembered or sent spiraling to the ground, unmoving.
Standing beside him, Noah wore a grim expression.
"How scary~ If this is the gap between a regular Fissure and a Lancer, I shudder to think what the Saints could do."
"Tell me about it."
A few moments later, the clearing had turned into a bloody mess.
The amount of slain creatures was quite shocking to an inexperienced person, with carcasses of fallen terrors littered left and right, and would only continue to increase some more.
I have to keep up… I can't afford to be left behind.
From the treetops, more pairs of glowing eyes reflected the chaos below. The remaining Winged Terrors sensed the sheer difference, but desperation kept them in the air.
Jasmine shouted after a swing, "Focus on the ones diving toward us! Don't give them an opening!"
"Leave that to me."
In response—
Multiple arrows streaked through the air and struck down a handful of Winged Terrors mid-flight.
A bit surprised, Kelvin turned his head and noticed Noah standing there, bow in hand, drawing and releasing a precise volley after volley.
Where did he even get that bow? He hadn't been holding one before. More importantly… he's an archer, not a support?!
Wait… why did I even think he was a support in the first place?!
Shaking his head, he swept his gaze around and noticed Mikoto fending off a group of terrors.
The masked gunslinger ha d pulled out two revolvers instead of the massive weapon hanging on her back which he assumed to be a sniper. She was incredibly fast and landed a few powered shots, each bullet finding its mark. The Winged Terrors that dared approach her fell in midair. Even from a distance, Kelvin could see the cracks of light along her revolvers, signs of enhanced rounds capable of piercing through multiple targets at once.
But it was immediately obvious that Mikoto wasn't built for close combat.
One of the Winged Terrors had slipped past her defenses, exploiting a blind spot in her personal space. Its massive talons clamped around the sniper strapped to her back, lifting it, and nearly her, with terrifying force into the air.
…Not good.
Noticing the situation, Kelvin made quick work of the Winged Terrors heading his way with a barrage of Dismantles. The creatures screeched, flailing uselessly as they plummeted, shredded beyond recognition.
Seizing the moment, he dashed forward.
The massive talons holding Mikoto swiveled as the Winged Terror tried to resist, but Kelvin's momentum and augmented speed allowed him to leap upward and strike with a well-placed kick to its chin. The force sent the creature staggering away, loosening its grip on the sniper.
A few second later, accompanied by a piercing sound, something flew towards the appalling creature and cleaved its head cleanly from its body.
Mikoto twisted in midair, using the brief freedom to land lightly on her feet.
"Thanks."
Before the words departed from her lips, she was already turning to fire a rapid succession of rounds at another pair of Terrors.
Kevin barely had time to catch his breath before more of the winged creatures began diving from the canopy.
Generally, there were two primary ways to utilize mana:
Tracing (强化) and Lapse (顺转).
By circulating mana through the body's internal pathways, it could be reinforced, greatly amplifying all physical attributes. On the other hand, to activate the Innate Ability of the Soul, an individual would direct their mana in a forward flow in order to manifest their ability.
Of course, both ultimately depended on the individual's output.
And in Kevin's case, having trained in the demonic species' pseudo-domain technique, his overall output was far from something to scoff at.
"Dismantle."
Kevin pointed upward at the approaching creatures with two fingers and launched a concentrated burst of mana.
A thin, invisible line shot through the air faster than the eye could follow and several Winged Terrors froze mid-dive, then their bodies split before scattering into pieces of meat and blood, as though cut by an industrial water cutter.
That seemed to be the last of them.
Beheading the last ariel creature, Jasmine sheathed her sword and examined the state of the group.
"Report."
"I'm good," Noah replied first, lowering his bow as he scanned the surroundings for any lingering threats. "Minor strain, nothing serious."
Mikoto gave a small nod.
"No injuries."
Jasmine's gaze shifted to Kelvin.
He shrugged his shoulders as though it didn't matter.
"I'm fine."
On the surface, at least.
The aftermath of the battle was… unsettling.
Carcasses of Winged Terrors littered the ground, twisted and sprawled in unnatural positions. Feathers stained dark with blood drifted lazily through the air, while the metallic scent of iron clung heavily to the atmosphere.
What a gruesome sight. Kelvin thought with a hint of distaste.
There was too much blood. Even if it belonged to beasts and monsters, it still bothered him, much like the instinctive disgust one felt when faced with swarming cockroaches.
And yet…
Beneath that discomfort, something else stirred.
The act of cutting down his enemies, of overwhelming them with sheer force, sent a strange thrill coursing through him. It wasn't just adrenaline.
An intoxicating sense of satisfaction…
…and something far more troubling.
Joy.
He felt joy at the slaughter.
'…What the heck?'
Only then did Kevin truly notice it.
Something within him had stirred an unholy bloodthirst, likely a byproduct of his awakening.
Or… perhaps it had always been there.