Chapter 112 : Advice & Counterattack (Part 2)

In the midst of a desperate battle, a single hope appeared in front of Fang's eyes, who was about to fight his enemy, who turned their body parts into monster-like.

*BOOM*

Something fell in between them.

A single man could be seen through the silhouette that appeared from the dust, and something familiar came out of it first.

A black sword that looks very similar to someone's belongings, and Fang recognized it.

Then he called his name, "Crim!...–son?"

When he finished calling his name, the dust began to dissipate and revealed that the one who stood there was not his leader.

"Don't worry..."

Fang was shocked to see a blond man, wearing neat warrior armor and holding a black sword in his hand.

"Since I, Albert Dragh Welford, had come to aid you!"

He revealed in such an extravagant manner where he stood there like a hero who arrived at dire time, but there's only silence that followed.

". . . . ."

And that made his cheeks reddened because no one was speaking

"U-ummm... please don't ignore me!"

Albert spoke to Fang, who was dumbfounded by his appearance.

"A-ah! Sorry, I blanked out." Fang replied.

"Isn't it rude to do that!" Albert shouted angrily.

"N-no...it's just that, why are you here?" Fang asked him instead.

"Heh, of course it's to help my dearest rival's friend."

'Rival? Does he consider Crimson as his rival? That guy?' Fang was confused by the fact he called him a rival.

"N-no! You are our client's brother! You shouldn't be here!"

"Who said I can't? And besides... this is my time to shine, since I have been waiting and waiting..." Albert clenched his fists as his eyes teared up.

"How dare you all ignore me!" Albert spoke while tears flowed down his cheeks.

"I was there! and there!" Albert reminded him of his existence from the following event where he stood beside them in the balcony together, when they had a meeting and even went to their assigned locations all the while forgetting he was there.

"Everyone left except for me! Think about how I feel!" Albert ranted at Fang, who somehow felt bad for forgetting this young man in front of him.

"Uhhh...sorry?"

"Sorry, do not excuse what you all did!–"

*SWOOSH*

When Albert and Fang had this conversation, Hera, who stood behind him, immediately launched her claw at Albert's back.

*TING*

Hera widened her eyes to see her claw being blocked by his sword, and Albert who immediately reacted with her speed.

"You think that would work against me?" The atmosphere changed. Albert turned from a pathetic figure into serious and cold with a flip of a switch.

Even Fang was surprised to see it.

And that put a smile on Hera's face.

"Ara~ when I look at you closer~" I recognized your face and that name~"

"Really? No one knows my name that well except in the academy." Albert spoke while swinging his sword aside, causing her claw to be deflected as well.

"Our organization has a lot of information, including the useless one as well~" Hera spoke while taking a step back.

"I see, I guess your organization [Blood Rose] has a lot of time to spare."

"Ohh, you knew our organization?~"

"Yeah, including the existence of you [Chimera]." Albert deliberately called her that.

Fang, who heard it was confused about that term, '[Chimera]?'

"Heh~ you even knew about that?"

"Of course, since my precious little sister got involved in such a mess in the first place, although I cannot believe such an existence exists in this world, until I was able to see one here right in front of me." Albert explained while pointing his sword at her.

Hera smiled upon that statement, "Hooo~, how did you know that I am a [Chimera]?~"

"Well, who wouldn't think that when your body emits a strong aura that only monsters could do? Not to mention your arms and legs turning into monster-like limbs."

"So that's your conclusion? How clever~, but you might be wrong–"

"Of course not. If you are saying that your beast-like arms and legs are the same as [Werebeast], then you got it wrong... since I saw them with my own eyes on how they fight and how they transformed."

Hera looked serious at this moment, "Heh~ to think you have such a strong observation skill like that~" I am impressed."

"Although... I am curious about something else."

"Ohh~" what is it?~"

"How did a [Chimera] like you can speak in the first place? Since there's no [Chimera] that can attain sanity from the report I received."

"Hmm~ that is true~ a [Chimera] a mixed creature between two kind of monsters…the experiment was a success but the hardest thing is to create an obedient one that listen to one's command~

"Just like what your sister saw in that facility~ that thing was the result of failure that could lead to a new success~" Hera explained.

"You don't mean..."

"Yes~ our Goddess finally succeeded in creating us~ she selected us to be the chosen one!" Hera spoke while wearing such a joyful wide smile.

"And you can see the result here~." Hera spread the claws of her beast-like hands.

"Such madness, then if she has finally succeeded in achieving such experiments...why bother coming here."

Hera tilted her head, "Hmmm~ well, I guess it doesn't matter~, since I have been planning to kill you both, I shall answer it once and for all~"

"We are looking for someone with a skill that could see someone's soul~"

"See someone soul?"

"Yes~ our Goddess wished to get her hands on that eyes to perfect her experiments~, perhaps you know a thing or two about it~"

Fang and Albert looked at each other for a moment.

"We don't know such a person." Albert spoke while gripping his sword.

"Even if we knew...we won't tell you anyways." Fang stood up and took his stance.

"How brave~ but do you think by joining hands you both will be able to defeat me~?" Hera mocked with a wide smile, while her body was surrounded with her purple aura.

"Well...we won't know until we found out!" Albert prepared his stance.

*CLINK*

The two of them gripped their swords together, then they began to dash at Hera together.

******

On another place where the two invaders were facing off the Adventurers team.

Mira and Guld faced difficulty fighting against four opponents at once, as the Adventurers team had switched their positions.

Kagura and Wise facing off against Mira who was a [Swordsman] and her chimera power that turned her hair into a snake's head.

*SWOOSH*

Mira used her twin snake-like hair to strike Kagura from both sides.

With her small figure, she was able to slip in between the strikes and landed her dagger on one of the snake's heads.

Stabbing the right snake to the ground and then dashed towards the defenseless Mira.

*TING*

Mira lifted her sword, causing it to clash against Kagura's dagger as she was about to strike her neck.

"Kugh–!! You little–!!"

*TSSSKKK*

As their sword and dagger created a spark when Kagura pulled back, Mira took her chance to use her snake to strike her back.

'Caught–'

*THUNG*

Wise immediately appeared at her left side and used his shield to charge at her. It was a direct crash, Mira was hit flat by his shield right on her face and it sent her flying.

"Ack–!!"

On the other hand, Guld with the body of armored rock along with a giant axe in his hand was currently swinging it endlessly.

*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*

But his opponent was Erika who managed to dodge such an attack swiftly and effortlessly and when Guld found a weak spot, he immediately struck her from the side.

*SWOOSH*

But Erika managed to bend her body and dodged the axe in a hair's breadth.

*BAM*

And countered by striking his left stomach with her fist, but she didn't stop at that. She jumped at him and grabbed his head, then used her knee to strike him right in the face.

"Ugh–"

He swung his free arm to push Erika away.

*BZZZTT*

But it was followed by a lightning that fell at him from the sky.

*ZAPP*

"Ackkk–!!!"

Guld screamed in pain as his body got electrocuted from the lightning strike which came from one person.

Dahlia, the mage in this party was the one who casted [Lightning] magic at him.

Guld coughed out smoke from his mouth and fell on his knee to the ground.

Erika took a breather as her sweat drenched her forehead, even Dahlia who stayed behind was breathing heavily.

The same as Kagura and Wise who started to get exhausted over this.

Although the fatigue caught up with their body, they still couldn't believe such a strategy would work.

[Focus on your opponent's attack and dodged their attack with minimum effort to reserve your energy].

An advice for Kagura and Erika who faced such a deadly strike that could end their lives.

[Make sure to prepare your magic everytime your teammates are busy aggroing your enemy, use an image of what magic you're gonna use to shorten the casting time so your enemy won't notice you].

An advice for Dahlia who stayed on the back and used her magic to support.

[You are a tank but being a tank doesn't mean to take every attack of your enemies, you should know the best defense is also offense].

And finally an advice for Wise who used his shield to charge at his enemy while defending his teammates at the same time.

Every advice, every lesson they were given had taken roots within their minds.

'I did it...Crimson, I fought a [Swordsman] using minimum effort.' Kagura celebrated inwardly.

'To think I could weaken such opponents like him...ughhh, it's frustrating because it's a coward move but his teaching is right, I need to survive!' Erika somehow felt upset because her martial arts were being used to weaken her opponent but…it can't be helped since she could make him fall with such small effort.

'Fascinating...to think creating an image within my mind could shorten the cast of my magic...' Erika couldn't help but be surprised about it, she who's a "self-proclaimed" first-rate mage, didn't even know she could use her magic like that.

'So...offense is also the best defense...I never thought such a thing, Crimson...you are such a mysterious person.' Wise who always think wisely never thought such a method existed.

The four of them were enlightened by his advice and teachings during these six months they had been together.

And were able to reduce the enemy that they found to be hard to deal with, into this state.

Mira, who was sent flying and crashed at some sort of store, came out with her enraged looks.

"Dammit!!–"

Then Guld who was on his knees, slowly got up as well.

"Ughhh...how is your injury, Mira."

"This is frustrating and weird! I thought we had them cornered! But to think they were able to work it out just like that by simply switching sides!"

"It surprised me...and their teamwork is much more cunning while having such innocent appearances."

"It seems someone taught them to become like this."

"Someone? You think just by someone teaching them...it would make them strong like this."

"They aren't particularly strong but each individual here filled each other's roles." Guld explained, he was the second most rational person in this group that he was in, the first one would be Hera their leader.

"So what should we do?"

"Well...we just need to use our all." Guld suggested.

Then Mira smirked widely, "I see~"

******

At the Northern side of the wall.

*TING*

Where the second round began.

Fang and Albert were fighting against Hera the leader, clashing their swords and fists.

*TING*

Even after Fang and Albert joined hands using their sword to strike her from both sides.

Hera was able to keep up with both hands and stopped their strikes.

"Heh~" Hera snickered since she blocked their strike with ease.

Then she pushed their swords aside, but since there were two people now they wouldn't let her rest, so he decided on one thing.

A consecutive attack.

Fang immediately swung his sword from above after being pushed away.

*SWOOSH*

But Hera managed to dodge such a swing by moving her body aside.

Then it continued by Fang switching sides with Albert who came out from his back and swung his sword from her left side.

*SWOOSH*

Causing Hera to step back to dodge his strike and let it slip.

But it didn't stop at that, Albert switched his place again with Fang that swung his sword upwards from below.

Hera managed to dodge again and clicked her tongue from not having to take a break from their strikes.

'To think this is a team of two swordsmen who just barely know each other, but their strikes and timing was perfect! How did they do that!'

The secret that made all this happen came from one person.

It was Fang.

[High Sense], a skill which allowed someone to heightened their senses.

Unlike [Battle Sense], which was a skill that allowed someone to gain a sense that could help them in battle, which were vision and hearing. By heightening one's sense is enough to give them advantage towards their opponents by making decisions beforehand.

In Fang's case, he had this skill from birth and had unconsciously heightened his sense of smell that allowed him to discern someone's identity or location just with their smell.

But because of his training with Rei for six months, he was able to heightened other senses that made him able to discern and make decisions for the right timing to strike in battle.

His training had finally bore fruit.

'I see, if the sword came from above then I should go for her left side...no, from her side.'

When Hera dodged again, his sword met the side she dodged.

'Next..if he swings his sword from that side...let's do a complex one.'

Then when Hera dodged Albert's sword from her left side, Fang responded by swinging his sword upwards from below.

Albert on the other hand was surprised to see such a perfect follow up from each strike he gave to her since the consecutive attack didn't break at all.

And that made her annoyed.

When Fang switched places with Albert again while he swung his sword at her…

*TING*

Hera decided to grab his black sword with her right hand and stopped their consecutive attack with ease.

"Huh–?!" Albert looked at her with surprise.

"Caught you~"

Then Albert smirked widely.

"No...caught you~"

Just as he said that, his sword suddenly created a black flame, which forced her to let go of his sword.

"Ugh–you little–"

*SLASH*

"Ugh–"

And that moment of distraction was enough for Fang to take the chance and swung his sword, slashing towards Hera's body diagonally.

For the first time, she was caught off guard and got injured. One from her right hand and the other one on her body.

Hera immediately jumped away to gain a distance as she looked at the sword with surprise.

'A black fire? It doesn't look like a normal flame...since my hand that can withstand any heat shouldn't be burnt like this. My skin...is decaying, is it a corrosion effect?!'

Hera thought while inspecting the injury on her hand and then she looked at the injury on her own body by Fang who finally landed a hit.

"You...dare...!"

Anger rose up within her.

It was at the same time when all the members of the invaders got injured for the first time in their fight.

And they began to release their full strength.

*SWOOSH*

Releasing their massive aura and creating a strong wind current around them on their own separate locations while the anger within them rose because their feelings of superiority had been tested and agitated by these simple Adventurers.

******

North-eastern sides wall

After he got injured on his shoulder to his chest, Kara immediately got angry, instead of falling on his knees. He released his strong aura and began his transformation.

"Damn you–pieces of shit–!!"

The black skin on his arms slowly crawled and spread throughout his body, while his horn grew bigger at the same time.

And the injury he received slowly closed up because of the transformation.

"W-what??" Andrew and Lena who saw his transformation felt that the fight was far from over.

******

At the Plaza Center.

Guld and Mira had begun their transformation as well.

Guld's body was slowly covered in some sort of rocks that covered almost his entire body while at the same time his body grew much bigger and bigger.

Mira on the other hand, her skin slowly turned green like a scale and her eyes and teeth changed sharper into that of a snake.

"What is this?" Kagura asked as she saw the transformation while the rest of them prepared for the worst.

******

Finally back to the Northern side.

Hera transformed herself as well, the fur on her arms and legs slowly spread widely throughout her body. She grew a tail and some sort of beast-like ear on her head and...

*SWOOSH*

A pair of wings grew on her back as well.

"Hah~ You are dead-meat!" Hera spoke as she was still transforming.

"You..."

"Fascinating isn't it?~ this is the power of the [Chimera]!~ and our Goddesses gave me a power from a certain monster~"

"[Griffon]~ a monster with beast-like body and sharp claws~ an eagle head and wings that could fly and rip out their enemy~" Hera explained.

Fang and Albert who heard those words couldn't help but get themselves ready since they couldn't move due to the pressure she was given while she was still transforming.

'I cannot jump at her...' Fang thought as he tried his best to move.

"My comrades out there have [Black Ogre](Kara) a Unique Monster that evolved from many battles~"

"Another one have [Golem](Guld) in them, a monster made out of rocks, it was impossible to create a [Chimera] with something without a soul to begin with but my Goddess was able to do it~"

"Finally~ there's a [Lamia] with a strong body and a little twist where our Goddess gave her the ability to turn her hair into a snake~"

Hera explained as she was laughing.

"I understimated you all, but now...[we] are gonna be more serious!"

"Cause [we] are going to rip you all into pieces and [we] shall bring your body as a gift to my Goddess!!"

"Now despair–!!!!—"

*BOOM*

Just right where her speech was nearing it's end as well as her transformation–no...

.

.

.

.

When all of their transformations were about to finish.

An arrow struck their body without warning.

All four of them at once.

No one knows, no one could see or tell what just happened as they all were injured during their transformation.

Kara got struck on his left arm, it ripped apart and made him lose his left arm.

Guld got struck on his abdomen part, resulting a hole in his armored rock body and revealing an unguarded abdomen through it.

Mira got her right arm struck and ripped off, resulting in her sword breaking as well from the arrow that was shot at her.

Meanwhile, Hera got struck on her left wing and shoulder, which gotten ripped off as well and made her lose her ability to fly.

"W-wha–?!!!"

"–?!?!?"

Everyone on the scene was confused after they saw what happened, and the one who recognized such skill that could create this situation was none other than...

"That arrow...it can't be!!–"

Fang immediately looked at the direction of the tallest building within this kingdom.

*THUNG* *THUNG*

A tower with a bell on it which rang through the whole kingdom, and it's located in the middle, far away from their current location.

On the tower, they could see one person standing there holding her bow, an Elf girl.

"Ruru!!—"

Yes, it was Ruru who did it with a green like creature floating beside her.

The creature was none other than the 2nd Rank of the Wind Spirit, [The Spirit Fairy, Sylph], which was the spirit that contracted with Ruru.

"Is this alright?"

Ruru asked herself while holding her bow after she interrupted their transformation.

"Yes, you did the right thing."

An orb was left on the ground right beside her, and the familiar voice coming out from the orb was none other than…

Crimson–Rei himself.

To be continued…