On the battlefield, I watched the demonic beasts racing across the frozen ground.
They approached — fast, savage — thrum, thrum, thrum — the earth trembled with every step, and the forward defense line was seconds from being overrun.
Boom!
A massive creature slammed into the magical barrier, making it shudder violently.
The war had begun.
— Advance! — Flávia shouted, rapier raised under the darkened sky.
Across the field, soldiers began to move like a living wave.
Advancing with them, I gripped my black spear and activated the Cloud Armor. With every movement, beasts fell before me — fast, weak, numerous.
I pressed forward with ease... until I found them.
The true enemies.
Five Second-Level demonic beasts surrounded me.
Two were Borugs, massive bulls with broken horns, steam hissing from their nostrils.
A third was Narvra, the Low Chaos Bat — hovering above with multiple eyes and torn wings.
The fourth: Vrosk, a giant spider with a rotting abdomen and webs reeking of death.
And finally, Skran, the winged serpent with purple scales — grotesque, venomous, nearly impenetrable.
They stared in silence.
The real battle had begun.
The Borugs charged.
Their shattered horns began to glow — then grow.
From each cracked stump, enormous golden horns emerged, pulsing with life force.
A heavy aura of earth surrounded them.
And with terrifying speed, they rushed me from both sides.
— Muuu!
Their bellow thundered through the field as they attacked from both flanks, trying to crush me between them.
My body trembled under the monstrous pressure.
— Damn it... what kind of strength is this?! — I thought, muscles straining to hold my ground.
BOOM!
Before I could react, Narvra let out a devastating sonic screech.
The sound exploded like an invisible spear.
I stabbed my spear into the ground to stay standing, but blood ran from my ears and eyes.
The true war had begun.
These beasts were here to kill me.
There was no room for error.
No mercy.
No pause.
I spun my spear, channeling Vitae along its shaft, and thrust at one of the Borugs—
But a corrosive web flew toward me, striking my arm.
— Sssssss...
It didn't just interrupt my attack.
It started melting my armor instantly.
Before I could recover, Skran, the winged serpent, whipped my back with her tail.
Agony shot down my spine.
I was thrown, barely keeping my footing, but the Borugs charged again — roaring like I could not be allowed to forget them.
With a roar, I gathered strength into my spear and threw a punch into the chest of one of the bulls, sending it back.
Pain surged through my arm, but there was no time to feel it.
Unleashing my wings, I tried to rise into the air for an advantage.
— RAWW!!
BOOM!
Narvra moved with blinding speed and ripped one of my wings off with her claws.
A sonic blast followed instantly.
My body crashed to the ground like a flaming stone.
Swish.
Before I could breathe, a web stuck to my remaining wing.
The pain of the corrosion spread violently.
It disintegrated the wing into pieces, like a sadistic game played with my flesh.
Fury burning, I spun the spear and lunged at the damned spider — Vrosk.
As I neared, I poured Vitae into the blade until it roared with heat.
I slashed diagonally toward her.
The spider spat another corrosive web, but my spear burned through it, slicing it apart.
Still, some of the acid splashed against my body.
Ignoring the pain and the acid eating through my armor, I kept attacking.
BOOOM!
I was thrown again.
A moment later, purple acid flew toward my shoulder.
My armor cracked and buckled, groaning.
Instinctively, I used telekinesis to tear the molten metal off before it pierced my flesh.
Skran was right there.
She lashed out again, aiming for my head with her tail —
And followed with more venom.
— Bastard... — I growled.
Just a little higher and my head would've melted.
What do I do?
Should I call Ignis and Astrel?
No.
That serpent and spider would kill them before they could react.
I had to get rid of these pests.
Especially that bat — the real support threat.
But... there was something about it.
A quiet danger. A silence that unnerved me.
No time to think.
Spear in hand, I charged the serpent.
But I was still just one.
No space to breathe.
Crack! Crack!
The Borugs rammed again, their golden horns screeching against my armor.
I clenched my teeth against the force.
— Many... — I thought, panting.
You've saved my life more times today than I can count, old gentle man... — I let out a smirk.
Without this armor, I'd already be a melted corpse.
At least the army thought to protect us for real.
My tattoo glowed.
And then — clank! — a chain attached to the armor shot through the air, hooking around one of the Borug's horns.
Even though I hadn't used them much recently, I never stopped training with them.
With telekinesis and Vitae, those chains were no longer support tools.
They were lethal weapons.
The chain held firm.
And then — it caught fire.
Flames spread across the beast's body.
But it barely seemed to notice.
It snorted. Roared. And kept charging — straight at me.
Not just him.
All of them.
They were closing in.
— Now what...? — I muttered, teeth clenched, chest heaving.
They moved too fast.
I thought. Calculated.
With the four beasts tightening a trap around me, I decided:
Create a Fire Veil.
I tried to pull back.
To breathe.
To flee.
Five directions. Five attacks.
From behind: a massive corrosive web.
From the flanks: the raging Borugs.
From above: a sonic blast from the bat.
From the front — the serpent, spitting venom.
BOOOOM!
An explosion engulfed my body.
All five attacks collided with my Fire Veil at once.
The world became smoke and darkness.