Adventure of Astral Part 38.5: Ideals and Styles

Astral heard the sonic boom as he charged forward the first line of hybrids leaped out at him as he held his fists in the air at the ready. Grabbing the first one who reached him by its throat as he slammed it into the ground behind him. Their tendencies were very noticeable as they all threw themselves at him. Each one was trying to attack over the other. Each slash of their claws, each bite they stuck their necks out for and each kick they sent at Astral he was able to parry with no worries. They never were close to landing an attack on him.

'They knew of our plans, he snitched. As I suspected.' Astral grappled another hybrid wolf over his back into the frontline as he summoned Muramasa. They all held pause as they looked at his blade as he made a click from separating it from his saya. "You all have a death wish. I will make it swift." Astral crouched down as he held the blade in his right hand. He felt the rush of adrenaline from all sides sensing them. He flicked his wrist as the blade came outward and opened several wounds on many of the rushing hybrids. Their goals weren't to slow him down, it was to infect him.

Astral summoned a spear as he thrusted it into the ground, putting himself atop of it as the blood all rushed to the base of the spear. He looked carefully at the blood as it felt magically enhanced, but cursed at the same time. These two were not the standard hybrids. Astral jumped up and pulled his spear out of the ground with his hard light magic. His wings fired to life as he hovered for a moment. Looking at the ground around him, he slammed backwards to give himself room. He could only hold them off, killing them all would take too long and he would be the last of them all.

'Take your time.' His voice spoke within himself as he realized who it was. 'All you seek is to stop the queens, they won't stop until you are dead. Use that to your advantage.' Astral cracked a smile as he stood straight up. His armor firing to life as the spear fell to the ground. He grabbed his side as he fired all the rounds from his magnum. The bullets shredded through the front line as many of them fell over and collapsed on the ground. Those bullets were more than any of them have ever handled as Astral swiped the magnum on the underside of his left wrist as it reloaded.

He opened fire back into the field as three hybrids dropped from each round fired. 'How fast can I finish them all, oh this truly is a thrilling race now!' Astral giggled deep in himself as he laughed. They started to sprint at him as he put his pistol at his side once more. Holding his blade up as he sent a flurry of slashes forward. The pile of bodies only grew on the battlefield as they couldn't crack his defenses. He aimed his left wrist at the back line as they became marked by an invisible hand.

"Fire!" Astral shouted as two small cylinders appeared on his left wrist before they launched into the sky. Astral slashed to his left as a hybrid elk tried to ram him. He thrusted back right as a elephant hybrid tried to thrash him. He wasn't having it as the cylinders separated into several small balls. They saw the marked hybrids as they crashed into them. Causing a cascade of explosions that shattered the outer layer of the wall. Astral smirked as he summoned his paws. They were defending him from dive attacks from flying hybrids.

Astral charged deep into their line as he flicked his wrist and summoned his spear again. With one rotation in a circle he cleared a massive amount of them. He looked around as he started to dash and slice each and every one of them apart. He realized as much as they were enchanted to be more beasts than men. Their perception was still human and they couldn't react to his speed. Astral flicked himself into the air as he hovered above the field for a moment.

He landed onto the ground and smiled as he dashed forward, they couldn't see him or how fast he was, his sword was blinding as he encased it in hard light to gleam and disorient them. His slashes moved around as if he was a figure skater on a plane of ice. His movements became fluid as he let his armor vanish. Astral had more tricks he wanted to use. He slammed an icy ball of mist into the ground as the area around all of them became foggy. He moved faster and quieter in the shadows as each swing of Muramasa a new body hit the ground.

His aggression was to be used for their mercy. His speed to end their suffering and his skill to prove to himself he still was the same man of fabled pasts. He carved through most of them as the mist slowly faded. What once was an army of one hundred thousand stood a mere one thousand. Yet not a single one of them has left even the smallest of scratches. "You all tried valiantly, and yet your curse will free your souls. Do not be burdened or feel fear. You fought as well as you could."

Astral was rushed at by all sides. He held Muramasa up as he flicked his wrist. The few that charged all fell within seconds into chunks. They cascaded on the ground as Astral kept slashing, not a single drop of blood landed on him as he looked at who remained. 'Finish them and we finish the queens together.' Astral activated spector mode as the clone took the main body from deep within his soul.

Astral's clone gave a salute to the man as he floated above him for the view, he was upside down as the clone activated the armor and put a hard light sphere around his head. The hybrids charged at him as he let them get close. Ripping them apart as he laughed. Astral turned away as he floated adrift to where James and his forces were fighting.

He was right, they were more well armed, it led them to be slower and make mistakes for James' forces to capitalize and make them pay. He watched the infighting as it was a pain to watch. No one should have to fight their brothers and sisters for an ideological issue. He then looked to the center of the battlefield. Seeing Angel and James go attack for attack as James stepped ever so closer.

Sugar shook her head. "YOU ARE FINE WITH ASTRAL WALKING INTO A TRAP?" She shouted as James didn't break focus.

"More than okay with it." Astral hovered above James and Angel. Sugar was surprised as she has never seen anything like this before. She couldn't believe her eyes and was in a state of surprise. "My goal was to defeat them. Give them the advantage and they still will lose." Angel parried James perfectly as she thrusted her spear upward. Missing Astral as James took this moment to disarm her and tackle her.