Vale drifted in darkness, agony searing through his body—until his senses finally returned. His vision was still half blurry, pain clawing at his mind.
His eyes flicked upward—Dain was still standing, locked in a brutal clash with the monstrous creature.
A relentless fury of strikes erupted between them. Dain fought with everything he had, his blows as swift and precise as his body allowed.
But Vale saw the truth.
The massive student was barely holding on. Deep wounds marred his flesh, each brutal strike from the fiend driving him closer to death. Yet, despite the pain, despite the odds, Dain fought on—unyielding and unwavering.
There was no hesitation in his eyes.
Vale gritted his teeth and pushed himself up, ready to charge back into the fight.
Then, a familiar clang of metal stole his attention.
A coin spun through the air, glinting before it hit the ground.
The moment it landed, Dain's strength surged back. His wounds knit shut in an instant. A wide grin flashed across his face.
His strikes became faster—each blow heavier, each swing carrying newfound force.
Vale leapt into the fray, his blade flashing as it struck the four-armed devil. More cuts appeared across its body, but none seemed to slow it down.
The monster fought with the same ferocity as before, its movements unhindered.
Just as it was about to drive its claws into Dain's torso, Vale activated Vine Bind, immobilising the creature for a split second.
Seizing the moment, he raised his weapon high. Flames surged along the blade as his enchantment ignited once more.
He swung his blade down.
But before he could cleave through the monster's torso, his ability gave out under the monster's immense strength.
The creature twisted, using its arm to block the strike.
A heavy thud shook the ground as a severed limb fell at their feet, dark blood spraying across the battlefield.
The creature went into a frenzy. Its attacks grew wilder, its once-composed demeanour shattered. Only one thought seemed to remain in its mind—kill.
Vale and Dain struggled to block the relentless onslaught. The sheer force behind each attack threatened to overwhelm them.
Using his ability and enchantment twice had taken a heavy toll on Vale's core. He gritted his teeth, his movements growing sluggish as he fought to keep up.
Dain wasn't faring much better. Even with his recently replenished core, he was burning through his essence too quickly. Every clash with the monster drained him further.
Then, an arrow whistled past them.
It struck the creature's torso.
A few more arrows followed suit.
Unwilling to just sit by and cast the debuff, Klein joined the fight. His focus shifted between debuffing and firing precise shots.
But the arrows did almost no damage. The fiend barely noticed as its attacks grew more ferocious with every second.
If they didn't act now, they were going to die.
Then—faster than their eyes could follow—something tore through the air and struck the monster's shoulder.
The force of the impact sent the creature stumbling backwards.
A dark dagger was embedded deep in its flesh.
Above them, a small figure descended from the sky, falling gracefully toward the creature.
Her dark violet hair whipped through the air, and her piercing purple eyes locked onto her target.
Before her feet even touched the ground, the air around the monster shifted—growing exponentially heavier.
In an instant, the four-armed devil was slammed into the earth, as though something had yanked it down by its injured shoulder.
The ground trembled from the sheer force of the impact.
The group stood frozen, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Then, just as she was about to land atop the monster, her second dagger ready to strike—the creature vanished, dashing away and putting several meters between them before coming to a halt.
The girl landed smoothly, her gaze never leaving the target.
"Ayla?" Vale stared in disbelief at the familiar girl.
She wore iridescent white armour that seemed to have a hint of purple colour to it. Two dark daggers lay in her hands, and her posture screamed nothing but pure confidence.
"Need help, Vale?" She asked, giving him a quick glance, her lips curved slightly upward.
"…Sure," he replied, still struggling to process her sudden appearance.
"Was that her Unique Ability?" he wondered, his eyes flicking to the blood seeping from the creature's wound.
"What is she doing here? Was she in the ruined city this whole time?" A flood of questions rushed through his mind, but the answers would have to wait.
The fiend charged, rage emanating from its massive form.
Ayla sidestepped effortlessly, her daggers slicing across the monster's torso as she moved, cutting deep into its flesh.
Vale didn't hesitate. Lunging forward, he slashed at the creature's leg, his blade carving through muscle.
Now, with three opponents against it, the monster struggled to keep up.
Its movements slowed—its attacks growing sluggish.
Ayla, on the other hand, moved with effortless precision. She danced around the beast, evading every strike while her daggers carved deep into its flesh.
Each time she swung, something shifted. The air felt heavy—almost suffocating. The force of her strikes sent trembles down the monster's body.
Vale wasn't sure what it was, but he was almost certain now—this must be her Unique Ability.
Her strikes were simply beyond human.
Then—after failing to evade another one of her strikes—the monster lurched backwards.
A deafening shriek tore through the air, shaking the very foundation of the ruined city.
Its body convulsed violently.
Bones snapped and twisted in grotesque angles, the sound of cracking and grinding filling the air like a chorus of agony. Its torso stretched unnaturally, its frame growing leaner—yet more frightening. Veins bulged beneath its darkening skin, pulsing like molten lava coursing through its body.
Then, its arms ignited.
Dark red flames erupted from its limbs, licking hungrily at the air. The heat was suffocating, radiating in waves so intense that even from a distance, the air shimmered with distortion.
The four-armed monster transformed into something far more menacing.