"No survivors... huh?" Ritsuka stared at the ground in disbelief.
Bloodstains were splattered everywhere at the gate, even stretching far into the distance.
Amber felt nauseous. Though she had honed her skills by hunting demonic beasts before, the scene before her was on an entirely different level of gruesome.
If her previous experiences were like a messy tomato sauce splatter, this was a living hell.
Especially with her heightened senses, the thick metallic scent flooding her nostrils made her frown in discomfort.
Fu Hua hadn't expected a simple evacuation mission to turn into this. She was a strict mentor, yes, and she did want Amber to face some hardship to temper her spirit, but that didn't mean she wanted to force the growth.
This scene was still too much, too soon for Amber.
"Nippur should still have over two hundred residents..." The soldier accompanying them, his voice trembling, could barely get the words out.
"Let's just... follow the blood trail for now..."
Merlin's tone was grave. He felt strongly that they needed to investigate, to find out what happened to these people.
The soldiers had no better ideas. Or perhaps, they clung to a sliver of hope—what if the grey-haired woman was wrong? What if survivors were still hiding in the buildings?
Following the grisly path, the Chaldea team arrived at the town square.
"You are..." A figure with long green hair stood in the center of the plaza. Around him were widespread drag marks, stained, naturally, with human blood.
"Welcome to Nippur, esteemed members of the Demonic Beast Front Line." Kingu greeted them with a malicious smile. Upon seeing Fu Hua, his grin faltered for a split second before quickly returning.
"Where are the residents!?" Ritsuka shouted, staring hard at Kingu.
"Can't you tell?... Ah, right. You're still in the dark, aren't you."
Kingu let out a cold laugh. "Human beings hold significant value as nourishment for the birth of demonic beasts. Put it that way, and you should understand."
"You bastard!" The soldiers' angry cries rang out as they formed ranks and charged at Kingu.
"Old humans are, in the end, nothing but reckless, weak insects." Watching the enraged soldiers rush him, Kingu didn't give them a second thought. These obsolete creatures held no value in this world, not worth his attention.
His focus remained entirely on the Chaldea group. "No matter. Mother's awakening is still some time away. I suppose I can spare a moment to play with you."
As his words faded, several of the simian-type demons they'd seen earlier in the city—the ones capable of scaling walls—burst from behind the buildings, pouncing on the soldiers approaching Kingu.
They were fast. Far faster than the ones they'd dealt with inside the city!
But Amber was faster. In the blink of an eye, she was beside the soldiers. Facing the demons about to strike them down, she pulled one hand back in a loose fist. The demons' movements stuttered, then they were violently yanked toward her.
With a punch from Amber, an invisible shockwave erupted inside one demon, then transmitted to a second, and a third, each touching the last.
In mere moments, four demons were dead, their bodies slamming hard into a distant building.
"Hmph. You certainly have your share of tricks." Kingu's wary gaze settled on Amber. "However, after so many encounters, I can see your movements clearly now. This time, I'll collect the debt for your previous insolence, 'Guardian of Old Humanity'."
No sooner had he spoken than more demons emerged, surrounding the Chaldea group. The ground itself split open, and a massive lion-like demon burst forth.
"Be careful! These are different from last time! They're among the highest rank of Tiamat's children! Don't let your guard down!" Merlin warned, his eyes also tracking Kingu's movements.
Thinking you can see my moves isn't because you've seen them before, it's because I've gotten worse, you idiot.
Amber mentally scoffed at Kingu's boast.
The first couple times were with the 'navigation system' assisting. Now she was fighting on her own—of course there was a gap.
Kingu had no intention of waiting for a reply. A multitude of chains shot from the ground instantly.
While he claimed to see her movements, there was no reason not to restrict her mobility. A pity she possessed no Divinity.
Chains erupted not just from the ground, but also from Kingu's sleeves, all lancing toward Amber.
Against those demons, her own rudimentary, barely-grasped sword intent worked fine. But against an opponent of Kingu's caliber, it was pointless.
Ink-black flames ignited around Amber, swirling like an ink-wash painting, yet radiating a startling heat. The chains aimed at her dissolved before they could even make contact.
Kingu's face immediately darkened. She hadn't used this move last time.
He didn't think he couldn't win, though. Those were indeed Chains of Heaven, but not all Chains of Heaven are created equal.
The true Chain of Heaven was his very self. The ones he'd shot at Amber were merely magical constructs formed through his innate skills, imitations possessing only a fraction of the true concept.
If that level was ineffective, he simply needed to increase his magical energy output and create higher-quality constructs.
Following his will, the ground abruptly sank, forming a sizable basin as the entire plaza depressed. Absorbing such a vast amount of magical energy, Kingu forged only three chains this time, shooting toward Amber from different angles.
But this left his front wide open.
Without a moment's hesitation, Amber shot forward, fist aimed straight for Kingu's face.
Kingu, unperturbed, infused his arm with high-density magical energy, transforming it into a cyan blade that met Amber's punch head-on.
"I told you, I've seen through your movements!" A smile finally broke on Kingu's face as the magically generated chains caught up to Amber, stabbing toward her body.
Thwump!
The blade, sharp enough to slice through lapis lazuli like tofu, met her fist and fared worse than a toy knife against concrete.
At least a toy knife might leave a scratch. Amber's fist didn't even show a white mark.
Of course. Though invisible to the eye, Amber was actually wearing her gauntlets, they were just concealed.
With the chains right behind her, Amber kicked Kingu away. The tremendous force made him cough up another mouthful of blood. Her hands then flowed like silk, tracing arcs that diverted the three oncoming chains away.
Seizing the opening, Amber closed in on Kingu again.
"Damn it!" Kingu felt his pride shattering. He swung the cyan blade down fiercely.
With a body forged by the gods, even a simple swing was enough for most foes. But before Amber, his blade work seemed as full of holes as a toddler's. After two nights of Fu Hua's brutal training, Amber almost suspected he was leaving openings on purpose.
Easily dodging the blade and sending Kingu flying with another punch, Amber couldn't help but find it all very strange.
No wonder he always relies on projectile spam. His close-combat skills are just this bad.
Partly out of a twisted desire to be helpful, and partly to show off, Amber spoke up:
"Form without form, intent without intent. You need more practice."
"Gah!" Kingu spat out another mouthful of fresh blood.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.