This time, it's Toki's showcase of dominance. After all the insistence that he's not a cheat character, here he goes, completely overpowering the opposition.
But hey, what can I say? Toki moves on his own! ...Just kidding. Let's get into it.
"One for All"
Weapons clash, and the sound of metal rings out. A battle among humans erupts.
The Hermes Familia faces 16 opponents against a mysterious robed group whose numbers are more than double. Yet, by shifting their midline fighters to the front, the Hermes Familia compensates for their numerical disadvantage.
Though outnumbered, the Hermes Familia's superior coordination and raw potential turned the tide, allowing them to overwhelm the enemy despite the odds.
Amid the chaos, Toki stands slightly outside the main formation, taking on three enemies at once.
"Haah!"
"Take this!"
6"Uoooh!"
Ducking under a sword, sidestepping a spear, and evading a staff, Toki closes in on the swordsman, only to pass by without striking. As the bewildered man turns to look, a black tendril pierces his heart with a dull thud.
Seeing their comrade fall, the remaining two attack in unison, timing their strikes with precision. Toki, still showing his back to them, waits. Just as one swings their staff, the other is pushed into them from behind.
"What the!"
Losing their balance, the pair collapse to the ground. Before they can rise, a black tendril skewers them both. Watching their lives fade, Toki exhales calmly.
(At this rate, I should be fine.)
Raising his gaze to find his next target, an explosion suddenly fills the edge of his vision.
"...Huh?"
The heatwave blasts against his body. It had come from where the Hermes Familia was fighting.
"Bless this foolish vessel!"
This time, he sees it clearly. Members of the robed group strap crimson gemstones to their chests, pull cords on small boxes at their waists, and detonate themselves.
"Asfi, these guys are suicide bombers!"
Lulune's panicked voice reaches Toki's ears.
Suicide bombers, individuals willing to sacrifice their lives for their mission. They are the worst possible adversaries for a group reliant on precise coordination.
"Seil's down!"
"Somebody get a healer!"
"Stop them! STOP THEM!"
One after another, his allies are engulfed in explosions.
"Comrades, do not fear death!"
A voice suddenly rises above the chaos. It belongs to a man clad in a robe of a different color.
"Our ultimate goal lies beyond this mortal coil!"
However, Toki hears another voice echo in his mind, a distant memory of advice given long ago.
"Listen, Toki. The method for dealing with suicide bombers is simple:, "
"Kill them before they can explode."
Toki's decision is instant. With his tendrils, he shoves an enemy reaching toward his allies. Stripped of their [Status], they stumble backward and detonate, taking nearby comrades with them in the blast.
Producing a black dagger from his hand, the only weapon he can manifest beyond his legs, Toki sprints toward an enemy pulling their cord. A slash as they pass, and their throat is cut.
He dives into the fray of suicide bombers. Knocking one aside before their device triggers, severing the arm of another, impaling the next. Tendrils lash out while his dagger slices through the chaos.
Inevitably, his actions draw attention. The robed group shifts its focus entirely to Toki, advancing on him as one.
(Just as planned.)
This was precisely what Toki intended, to draw their gaze away and give his comrades time to recover. Moreover, one-versus-many is where Toki excels. He manipulates his foes, forcing mistakes and creating opportunities for simultaneous takedowns.
Sssslither.
Suddenly, a sound like a snake dragging itself across the ground reaches his ears.
"Toki, get out of the way!"
Asfi's shout prompts him to leap into the air instinctively, narrowly avoiding a man-eating flower lunging past.
From all directions, more of the monstrous plants emerge.
"Tch!"
Toki presses his shadow footholds, bounding higher into the air. His shadows, extensions of his magical energy, materialize briefly beneath his feet, providing leverage.
Sheathing his black dagger, Toki draws his waist-blades and slashes at the man-eating flowers. Each movement precise, he leaps, spins mid-air, and eliminates two more before landing in a controlled roll to dissipate the impact.
Now surrounded by both suicide bombers and monstrous plants, Toki engages them simultaneously.
The members of Hermes Familia are left speechless. They knew Toki was strong, even as a Level 1. But the display before them exceeds anything they had imagined.
"What are you standing around for?!"
Asfi's sharp command jolts them from their stupor. She can see what others cannot, the strain etched on Toki's face as he fights. Despite his versatility, managing both the bombers and the flowers is pushing him to his limits. Proof lies in his lack of spellcasting thus far.
"Leave the bombers to Toki! Focus on the monsters!"
Spurred by their captain's orders, the Familia members rally. Spellcasters begin their chants, drawing some of the monsters' attention.
Finally granted a reprieve, Toki starts his incantation.
["This vessel is filled with the abyss."]
Hearing his voice, a Familia member cries out.
"Don't, Toki!"
["All that touches it is dyed black. All that is reflected falls into darkness."]
But Toki does not stop. As the man-eating flowers converge on him once more,
"Scatter the magic stones!"
"We dropped them all on the way here!"
"Damn it!"
["Eternal night's capital, new moon's embrace. I am a wandering harbinger of slaughter."]
Everything he did was to annihilate the enemies threatening his comrades.
["Manifest, O power of judgment."]
["Infinite Abyss."]
Eight black serpents emerged, pinning down the man-eating flowers, while the remaining four devoured the suicide soldiers.
"What the, no, no, no, "
Total annihilation. Only a few managed to self-detonate. The rest were completely wiped out by one boy, not defeated but slaughtered. Though they did not fear death, the sheer dominance of the scene left the man in the differently colored robe speechless.
Toki's gaze shifted to the man in the different robe, and then he charged straight at him.
The man hastily raised his sword, but a black blade appeared from the side, slicing through both his arms.
"Arghhh!"
Bleeding heavily, the man collapsed, and Toki rushed past him toward a man dressed in all white.
"You should have quietly let yourselves be devoured by the man-eating flowers…"
With a smirk tugging at his lips, the man in white descended from the quartz monolith where a female embryo resided, preparing to intercept Toki.
The distance between them closed in an instant, but it was clear that the man in white was faster. Toki abruptly slammed on the brakes, conjuring a shadow in front of him to block the man's vision.
"Hmph."
The man in white punched through the shadowy wall… only to have something unexpected fly out at him.
It was camouflage fabric, initially intended for use during the mission.
"What, ?"
The man found himself tangled in the cloth.
"Clever trickery!"
He hurriedly tore off the fabric and scanned his surroundings, but Toki was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is he?! Man-eating Flowers, find the boy!"
The flowers twisted their heads in confusion, glancing around aimlessly.
"What's wrong, Man-eating Flowers?! Find him, now!"
The man-eating flowers lacked traditional eyesight, relying instead on detecting magic power. But now, the area was shrouded in dense magical mist that Toki had released, leaving them unable to discern Toki's location or even which direction to face.
"Useless creatures!"
The man in white clicked his tongue in frustration. Suddenly, he sensed killing intent from behind.
He spun around, taking a quick backstep. A split second later, something swept past where his neck had been.
Toki had used the magical mist to conceal himself, donning the "Hades Head" artifact from Asfi, which rendered him invisible. He circled around the man in white for a surprise attack.
However, even the invisible ambush was merely a distraction. The real attack came from a shadow striking from further behind.
This shadow wasn't heavily infused with magical energy, making it almost indistinguishable from the mist. But Toki's Infinite Abyss didn't require significant energy to kill. It only needed enough to pierce through a body. The skill's effect rendered physical defenses irrelevant.
(This is it!)
Toki's decisive strike,
Clang!
But the attack was deflected the moment it connected with the man's body.
"What?!"
"There you are!"
The man in white retaliated with a fierce punch. Toki quickly conjured a double-layered shadow shield, crossing his arms and leaping back for safety.
The Infinite Abyss shadow nullified the opponent's physical strength, reducing his blows to ordinary strikes.
Yet, the enemy's punch effortlessly pierced through the shadows and struck Toki's arm, sending him flying.
"Gah!"
Toki rolled across the ground, immediately regaining his stance upon stopping.
(Damn it.)
Despite the unstable positioning, his invisibility remained intact. But even with dual-layered shields, his left arm had been broken. The blow had landed on the forearm, fracturing the bone.
The opponent's potential far surpassed his own. However, retreat was not an option. If this enemy reached Asfi, she wouldn't stand a chance.
(I have to take him down.)
Magic wouldn't work. He had to kill him another way. Fortunately, the invisibility hadn't worn off yet.
With determination, Toki charged toward the man in white once more.
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Note: The interpretation of the man-eating flowers' senses is my own. If you think it's off, feel free to leave your thoughts.
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