"Dante, run with full speed. It's a Rank 5, so it can catch up to us. Keep running—"
I never finished the sentence.
A blur cut through the trees.
The ghoul appeared right in front of me, only a few inches away.
All I saw was death.
Dante shifted his stance. His body tensed as he was about to release his Combat Form.
"Don't use your Combat Form!" I shouted.
I couldn't let him waste it. Not on this thing.
Ghoul Valen could kill us easily, but he wasn't the main threat inside this domain.
The danger that came next would be far worse, and Dante's Combat Form was our only hope for a counter.
Ghoul Valen raised his hand.
A tiny blob of blood formed near his finger as he flexed it like he was preparing to flick.
The attack looked small, almost harmless, but my instincts screamed that I would die if it hit me.
I began preparing to create a portal to deflect it.
No "human" was near, and I could use my true abilities without holding back.
