This Day Can't Get Any Worse, Right?

The Hunters of Asphodel.

An elite unit composed of the Shield's strongest Deathwalkers, created with a singular purpose: to confront Asphodel in the Commander's absence.

It was an insane idea that remained theoretical until Artemis proposed a battle strategy. Her plan was so ingenious that Kay put her in charge of the Hunters.

It was quite a straightforward strategy: ensure Asphodel remains within the confines of the Shield until the Commander returns.

Yeah, totally insane. But in Blood Valley, holding out for even five minutes can change the entire flow of the battle.

The Hunters are divided into different groups based on their roles in the battle.

The Vanguard consists of the strongest Spikers and Linkers who directly confront Asphodel. A Deathwalker of the Vanguard would unleash a powerful strike at Asphodel before immediately retreating while another would attack and retreat.

This hit-and-run strategy would continue repeatedly, ensuring the daemon gets no time to pull off any stunts while gradually accumulating damage from the attacks.

They have the most dangerous role, as a single wrong step or delay would mean a quick and horrible demise.

Vanis and I are part of the Vanguard, with a few members of our Units acting as support. From my Unit, the support is Carlo and Krystal.

After the Vanguard is the Artillery unit, composed of powerful Spiker archers and snipers, with their sights trained only on Asphodel; a team of Coders and Linkers specializing in long-range codes; and Deathwalkers manning the ardor rail guns and artillery in the Shield.

Ava is in charge of one of the main rail guns due to her uncanny aim that surpasses even Felix Valion.

Felix...

If he were still alive, he would be either an archer or manning a rail gun, boosting morale with his bright personality and terrible jokes.

Would I have walked this bloody path if Felix were still here?

I shook my head. This was no time to dwell on the dead.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the most important group of the Hunters: our life support, a team composed of the best healers in the Shield.

These guys use a powerful and continuous healing code that heals any injury inflicted on the Vanguard. As long as you don't die, you will be healed almost instantly.

The healers are the most important part of the operation. If they fall, the entirety of the Hunters is doomed.

So a team of powerful Spikers and Linkers are responsible for protecting the healers, along with a few Coders to use defensive codes and barriers over them.

"Does the Commander know of the situation?" I asked Vanis.

"Yeah, he's on the way," she nodded.

I frowned. "It took him three hours to reach Camelot, and he took a supersonic flight. Asphodel will destroy the Shield by the time he arrives."

"He's not arriving by flight. Merlin will teleport him," Vanis explained.

"That's good. Finally, there is some use to her powers," I remarked.

"But it will take fifteen minutes," she added grimly.

"WHAT?"

Vanis nodded. "Merlin is in Avalon and it would take her fifteen minutes to reach the Royal Palace."

"Can't she just teleport into the lobby?" I asked incredulously.

"The Royal Palace is a no-teleport zone," Vanis raised an eyebrow. "You're a High Prince and you don't know that?"

My eye twitched. "I was in the bloody Dawn Palace and isolated most of my life."

I turned my gaze back to the battlefield to see Asphodel turning a small group from the Vanguard into bloody decorations on its tentacles.

"If that's the case and he arrives in fifteen minutes... We'll be dead by then."

"True. That's why I have a plan," Artemis's voice spoke in my earpiece.

I looked ahead, beyond the battle and Asphodel, my gaze fixed on the massive rift of swirling darkness, its mysterious gravity pulling at me. "Pushing that rooty bastard back into the Tear," I guessed.

"Exactly! Did you read my mind, Captain?" Artemis confirmed, impressed.

"Did you forget that I am a genius?" I asked.

"Point taken. Anyway, you and Vanis are the biggest heavy hitters available right now. Minerva has come up with a simulation, and it's possible to push Asphodel back into the Tear if it's you two and with a lot of help," Artemis informed.

"I'll inform the rest of the Hunters to support you two," she added.

"Alright then," I hopped on my spot, crouched, and looked at Vanis. "I guess we have to go crazy."

She nodded. "Yep, I guess."

Particles of light surrounded her as she activated her Lux strand, her crimson and purple eyes glowing with power.

"Never thought I'd use Lux here," she remarked as her aura intensified, causing the ground to tremble.

"Wouldn't hurt to try, my friend," I replied and began to circulate ardor in my body.

Triquetra Overdrive.

The ground trembled and cracked under my feet as I gathered huge amounts of ardor.

I guess it's time to try out a new code I mastered.

{Haema: Blood Loop}

Blood swirled behind me and began to rapidly move around in a closed loop above my back.

As the blood loop spins, it rapidly takes in ardor from the surroundings, increasing the speed of the loop's movement.

As the loop spins faster, more ardor is taken, further accelerating the loop.

This means I would be getting a constant supply of ardor entering my body, enhancing it and boosting my attacks and my Haema strand.

A Blood Loop requires intense focus and will break at the slightest faltering. But if I can maintain the loop, I will have an endless and rapidly regenerating supply of ardor.

Blood appendages unfurled on our backs, each with a deadly barbed tip of crystallized blood.

The air shook, crimson snow scattered, and the rocky ground cracked as we got ready to attack.

I took a deep breath and announced, "On my mark, Vanis."

"Got it," she leaned forward.

I looked ahead at the clash between Asphodel and the Hunters. As I watched, Asphodel swiped at a Deathwalker who barely escaped with his life and suddenly its head turned toward me.

Its unholy grin widened as my eyes fell on its featureless black visage.

"Now," I said, and we took off.

The ground shattered beneath our boots, a powerful shockwave ripping through the air as we launched ourselves at Asphodel.

The Vanguard moved out of our way as we appeared before Asphodel in a blink.

Blood and ardor swirled around our fists as we unleashed a barrage of powerful punches.

The Abnormal crossed its arms, tanking our hits, each impact creating shockwaves.

Black roots shot toward us from its rippling body.

Our blood appendages intercepted them, but the black roots shattered the crystallized tips and ripped through. The appendages regenerated, and we launched another barrage of attacks.

Asphodel went on the defensive. Vanis and I continued to pummel the daemon, slowly pushing it back.

Vanis ignited the blood swirling around her fists, a flash of crimson and black flames. She unleashed powerful strikes infused with blood fire.

I accelerated my Blood Loop, a surge of power coursing through me.

Cranking up my Transcendence, I avoided life-deleting black roots and aimed my strikes at vital points.

But Asphodel remained on the defensive, getting pushed back closer to the Tear.

Is this creature still playing with us?

Our appendages lashed out, suppressing the black roots. Ardor swirled around our fists as we entered a stance for a devastating strike.

Suddenly, sharp roots shot toward Vanis's stomach. She had no time to react and the Abnormal's attack blew her away.

"Vanis!" I yelled as Asphodel caught my attack, releasing a powerful shockwave as energy and ardor dissipated.

Its grin widened as its grip tightened on my fist, black claws digging into my flesh.

Agony and cold spread through my arm. Asphodel spun, still gripping my fist, and threw me across the battlefield.

The force of the swing was so powerful that my entire right arm was torn from my body.

I crashed into a boulder, blood trailing from my ripped stump. Pain engulfed me, especially in my shoulder where my arm was torn off.

I gritted my teeth, activating partial blood reconstruction.

A shadow fell over me. Asphodel loomed, holding my severed arm.

It grinned, and my arm turned black in its grip, crumbling into ash.

Ashes of what used to be my arm rained over me, and it stoked the burning rage in me toward this creature.

"You're fucking dead," I declared, rising despite the agony.

I used Haema to close my stump and took out my dagger. A blood appendage gripped the second dagger, fusing the two daggers into my white sword.

Holding my sword in my left hand, I faced Asphodel and entered Triquetra Overdrive.

The daemon raised its fist to obliterate me.

Not going to happen.

Transcendence: Absolute Nirvana.

Time stopped. Everything froze. Even Asphodel moved as if through syrup. But its movements quickened with each passing second. I needed to act fast.

Streaming ardor along my sword's edge, I sharpened it to the utmost limit. Accelerating my blood, I stepped forward, cracking the ground.

Ducking under Asphodel's fist, I aimed my sword at its heart.

"You are so much fun, little prince," a deep, distorted voice echoed in my mind.

My sword stopped inches from Asphodel's chest. I looked up, seeing its grin widen despite my Transcendence state.

Did the daemon... just talk?

A flash of light nearly blinded me. Asphodel staggered away from me as numerous light swords sprouted from its back.

"Mordred!" Vanis yelled, landing beside me.

Her eyes glowed with power, hundreds of light swords forming a mechanical wing over her left shoulder.

Along with the blood appendages, light runes, and the Blood Loop over her head, she looked like an angel of blood and light.

"Your arm," she noted, concern flashing over her cold facade.

"I'll get a prosthetic," I shrugged, focusing Haema on my stump.

Blood swirled, elongating into a blood arm with claws lined with crystallized blood. I flexed the clawed fingers.

This will do for now.

Vanis looked impressed. "Even I can't construct an arm out of blood or even light. You and Iris are the only ones who can."

I switched my sword to my new arm and swung, releasing a gust of wind laden with ardor.

"I haven't reached Iris's level," I noted the stiffness in my blood arm.

"I can see that," Vanis agreed, looking up. "I didn't expect Asphodel to throw you here."

"Yeah," I said, gazing at the Tear. An eerie purple glow accompanied the swirling darkness.

"This is the first time I'm this close to the Tear. And now I want to be as far away from it," I said.

"Your light swords did some damage," I nodded.

Asphodel loomed in the distance, its grin gone, replaced by a smooth black canvas.

"Let's stop playing, shall we?" Asphodel's distorted voice rolled over us.

Vanis froze her cool facade breaking. "Did that creature just... talk?"

"Yep. It or 'he' did," I nodded, looking at my sword and then at her.

"I'm going to use 'that'."

Vanis's eyes widened. "You'll destroy yourself, Mordred. I taught you that for extreme cases."

"It has, and it's flying everywhere," I held my sword in a reverse grip. "I've destroyed my body countless times, Vanis."

"This is different! You might never recover," she warned. "It might turn you into a monster. Don't make me hunt you down."

I smiled. "You worry too much, Vanis. I'll be fine. You've seen it. I'm not affected much by it."

"This day can't get any worse, right?"