Brandon exhaled, adjusting his stance so Astrid was shielded by his body.
The nearest B-rank aberrant, a quadrupedal beast with serrated bone protrusions along its spine, lowered its head and roared and the shockwave rattled loose glass from the nearby windows.
Astrid didn't even flinch.
Instead, she grinned "Alright, let's go, boyfriend! Show me what you've got!"
The aberrant lunged.
Brandon sidestepped just enough for its claws to carve through empty air, then his twin daggers flashed.
A precise upward slice severed its front tendon mid-charge and the beast collapsed to its side with a pained howl.
He pivoted without losing momentum, crossing his blades in an X-slash right under its jaw and blood sprayed as the head toppled.
Astrid whistled loudly behind him "Yeeees, boyfriend! You da best!"
Brandon ignored her tone and darted forward.
Another B-rank came at him with a gaping maw splitting its face into jagged halves.
