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Grimjaw stared intensely at the four great generals. They were the only ones entirely unaffected by his magic, and that told him all he needed to know about them. But his patience was wearing thin; he desperately wanted them to make a move to reveal the extent of their power.

Unable to contain himself any longer, he attacked with a speed uncommon for a beast of his size, his massive claws barreling down on Augustus. Augustus deftly dodged the strike, his cloak fluttering away in his quick movement, revealing the attack he had already prepared.

"Acus Glacialis!"

A ball of ice energy exploded, embedding needles of ice into Grimjaw's thick skin. Just then, Theodore struck, using his enhanced strength to deliver a blow to Grimjaw's unguarded lower back. The attack seemed to have gotten his attention but nothing more. Eleanor followed suit with a swift kick to the back of his knee.

Grimjaw swung at him, but he vanished in an instant, carried away by his magically enhanced speed. Edmond watched dizzily as they circled around Grimjaw, clenching his fists in anger. He felt ashamed to be among those affected by Grimjaw's magic.

He was acutely aware of the difference in strength between himself and the four great generals, but this? It was ridiculous to say the least. He looked at the other mage soldiers lying on the ground with contempt. Never had his disgust for them been so great—not even when they were raping and killing.

Grimjaw's eyes darted back and forth at the great generals circling him, a small smile creeping across his lips. He plucked one of the ice needles embedded in his skin and used it to draw a strange symbol on the palm of his hand. Then, with his palm facing the ground, he spoke.

"Come forth, my Pride."

A swarm of white smoke enveloped the ground in front of him. The four generals watched intently, their eyes locked on the smoke as they prepared to launch their attacks. In their focus, they failed to notice the shadow hyenas crawling out of their own shadows behind them.

The Shadow Hyenas, the very creatures responsible for their sleepless nights, attacked while their backs were turned. None of them had anytime to react before the beasts sank their teeth into their flesh, ripping and tearing off a mouthful of flesh.

After their assault, the hyenas retreated beside Grimjaw.

Eleanor suffered the worst; while the others merely drew blood, the beasts bit through bone. His half-chewed-off hand dangled from his wrist, and his horrified scream filled the air as he sought help from the only white mage available.

The other three great generals looked on with indifference. They knew better than to show weakness on the battlefield. Grimjaw regarded Eleanor with annoyance and with a speed that surpassed anything he had shown before, he lunged at Eleanor. The attack happened in the blink of an eye; Eleanor couldn't react.

Grimjaw plunged his claws into Eleanor's stomach, the sound reminiscent of a wet rag hitting the floor. The moment Grimjaw went in for the kill, his magic reached its climax paralyzing them where they stood. For a split second, it felt like they were the one getting butchered.

 Eleanor's cries for help were muffled by the sound of him gagging on his own blood. With the ferocity of a wild beast, Grimjaw yanked out Eleanor's intestines, holding them in his hands like a child clutching a handful of noodles.

Eleanor's mouth gaped open, his innards spilling out as the ground beneath him turned mucky with blood. He toppled over lifelessly, and in an instant, the shadow hyenas were on top of him, devouring whatever remained.

Grimjaw, still holding Eleanor's remains in his hands, sunk his teeth into them and began to feast. While his shadow hyenas were chomping down on Eleanor's corpse. The battlefield was filled with the sickening sound of bone and flesh being devoured.

The others looked on with utter disgust. Joffrey was the first to react, his hands pointed at Grimjaw like a gun. With his index finger extended forward and his thumb raised, the remaining fingers—middle, ring, and pinky—were tucked in, mimicking the shape of a firearm.

"Telum Tenebrosum!"

A magical blast erupted from his index finger, the size of a small projectile. The attack struck Grimjaw squarely in the center of his head. While it didn't penetrate his skin, the sheer force of the impact caused confusion, giving the others an opening to attack.

Theodore lunged at Grimjaw, preparing to strike with his fist encased in magical energy. Just as he was about to make contact, a ghostly creature materialized. Dressed in a tattered black gown, its skin was ashen, and long, curly black hair cascaded down to the ground. Its teeth were as yellow as gold, and its long, twisted fingernails were a deep shade of purple.

Panic settled in Theodore's eyes as he realized what it was.

"A Wraith!!"

Before he could react, the creature plunged its emaciated hands into his chest, draining him of all life until he was nothing but a hollow husk. When it was finished, it hurled what remained of Theodore aside. His body, carried by the wind like a deflated toy.

With a satisfied look Grimjaw approached the wraith and placed his hand on its shoulder. "Thank you, Martha,". Its lifeless face seemed to light up at his words.

Seeing their interaction, Joffrey couldn't help but gag.

"Disgusting! Don't tell me you're actually fucking a wraith!" Joffrey exclaimed, covering his mouth in revulsion. His stomach churned at the thought.

Grimjaw turned his attention to them, his face covered in blood and chunks of flesh belonging to Eleanor. His expression was almost remorseful.

"This sure ended quickly. Now there are only two of you left."

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Joffrey began to harness all the magical energy he could muster. His body trembled and his mind filled with only one thought-run. This was the first time he'd been in a situation where his life was actually in danger.

"He's right; we should retreat," Augustus suggested.

"If we turn our backs to him, we're dead!!"

The fear was almost too much for him to handle. Joffrey wanted to run with every fiber of his being but thoughts of being killed from behind tormented him.

"I'll hold him off while you make your escape with Sir Edmond and the others. You're too valuable to die here." Augustus then turned his attention to Edmond. "Make sure he returns safely to the city of Dhon."

"Kukuku, go ahead and run. The hunt is always more thrilling when the prey is running for its life," Grimjaw said, amused by their conversation.

"Aetas Glacialis!

Architectura Modalis!"

The entire structure of the battlefield began to change, towering walls of ice rising up to separate Grimjaw and Augustus from the others.