The groin, after all, was universally known as one of the most sensitive and vulnerable spots in any male, regardless of species. And fortunately for Akira, every single one of these werewolves was male. He usually wouldn't use dirty moves like this, but they were the ones who played dirty first, so all is fair here.
As predicted, the werewolves chose to protect their balls instead of their eyes, and three more werewolves got shot in the eyes.
"Eight, nine… ten. So, you guys really chose your balls. I can actually understand that. Alright, ten down, seven more to go. So, who's next?" Akira asked with a smug expression.
But deep down, he was a little relieved that they chose to protect their balls instead of their eyes, since his magic was rapidly being absorbed, and he couldn't afford to waste any mana on ineffective spells.
"I can still conjure eight more ice needles… Not bad, considering the circumstances. Seriously, where did they even find a barrier like this?" His eyes scanned the battlefield, calculating angles, movements, distance, everything.
Around him, the werewolves were beginning to circle again, more cautious now, but no less bloodthirsty. The sky remained covered by the black barrier, absorbing his magic at a terrifying speed.
Akira narrowed his glowing purple eyes. His Mystic Eyes of Reason, always active, allowed him to trace the flow of mana being siphoned from his body.
"At least I figured it out. Every bit of magic it drains is being funneled straight to him… the big guy in the back." His gaze shifted to the werewolf leader, who stood motionless like a statue. "No wonder he hasn't moved since the battle began. He's stockpiling it."
"Don't just stand there! Kill him! He's just one guy! Rush him together, he can't kill all of you at once!" The werewolf leader barked at the remaining pack.
But Akira had already seen through the plan. The leader was sacrificing his own men. The barrier wasn't only feeding on Akira's magic; it was also draining the remnants of power from every fallen werewolf. From what Akira could tell, these ones were smaller and weaker than the ones that had attacked Iori, just expendable pawns.
His Mystic Eyes followed the pulsing streams of energy running through the barrier. "Seriously? He's using them just to charge himself up."
"The structure's clear now. Once the barrier finishes absorbing all of my magic, it'll collapse, and all that energy will flood into the leader, supercharging him."
Akira exhaled slowly, cold mist curling from his lips. "And when that happens, the barrier comes down too." A faint smirk tugged at his mouth. "That's my real chance to win."
His eyes shifted back to the battlefield. Six werewolves remained, growling and circling.
"But first… I need to deal with them before my magic runs out."
Akira watched the remaining werewolves spread out and move around him. They seemed more guarded than the ones before, so Akira had to let them get close before making a move.
He waited, allowing the werewolves to close in. As they reached a certain distance, Akira noticed the blood pooling beneath the fallen.
With a swift motion, he channelled his mana, freezing the blood on the ground. The slick ice caused three of the charging werewolves to slip, their momentum sending them crashing to the ground.
Seizing the moment, Akira dispatched them with precision, ice needles to the eyes.
"Eleven, twelve… thirteen," Akira counted coldly.
"Three down. Mana usage is higher than expected. Remaining mana is approximately 6%. Two more ice needles left. Time for some creativity."
Only three werewolves remained, approaching cautiously before rushing in to attack.
Akira combined the remaining ice needles into a single, more potent shard. Drawing inspiration from Deadpool's cinematic moment, he launched the needle to the side. It curved gracefully, passing through the ears of all three werewolves in a straight line, dropping them instantly.
The last three werewolves fell to the ground, their heads shattering just like the others. Only the leader remained in the back, unfazed by the death of all his minions.
"…and that's fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen. Sigh. I'm finally out of mana," Akira muttered, exhausted after killing the last of the mob werewolves.
Suddenly, the barrier surrounding them shattered, releasing the absorbed magic. The energy surged into the werewolf leader, who had been observing from a distance. As the magic poured into his body, he began to transform. His form grew larger, muscles bulging, eyes glowing red with newfound power.
Akira knew it was best to attack enemies mid-transformation for maximum effect, but now he was out of mana and had no choice but to watch the leader complete his transformation.
Howl.
The werewolf leader stepped forward, now fully transformed, bigger and stronger than before, pulsing with the magic he had absorbed.
"Well… I guess it's finally time for the boss fight," Akira smirked, getting ready for the final phase of the battle.