Kaito's voice cut through the tense silence of the chamber.
"Don't worry. Just follow my instructions, and we'll defeat it for sure."
His calm tone carried a weight that none of them could deny. Even though the others felt unease gnawing at them, they still believed him. After all, this was the same man who had led them to victory against the Echo Flame Sovereign, a Lord-tier final boss that once made their blood run cold. If he said they could bring down this Wraith General, then there had to be a way.
Kaito turned sharply to the team, issuing his orders in quick succession.
"Hiroto and Daichi, follow my lead. When I strike, you strike with me. We'll anchor its attention."
He then swept his gaze toward Suzune and Raven Blade. "You two are on the frontlines with us. If the Wraith General breaks toward the mages Nina, Lucian, Kaede or Aika, you intercept and drag its aggro back. Don't let it reach the rear line." Then he turned to Mei Rin, "Mei Rin you stay on the rear and continue to deal damage."
"Understood," they replied almost in unison, tightening their grips on their weapons.
With the formation set, Kaito stepped forward into the mausoleum like room. The instant his boots struck the glowing circle, the Wraith General stirred. Its hollow eye sockets flared with eerie blue flames, its head snapping up with a sharp creak of armor. The creature released a piercing howl, the sound echoing through the chamber like a chilling dirge. Its shadowy, legless body glided forward, weightless yet crushingly fast, the greatsword trailing a wake of spectral fire.
"Here it comes!" Kaito barked, tightening his stance.
The Wraith General lunged. Kaito raised his sword and without hesitation unleashed one of his strongest techniques.
"Flame Arc Slash!"
A crescent of blazing fire tore across the air and smashed into the General's chestplate. The impact rang like steel upon steel. Blue sparks and crimson embers collided in midair.
–248
The number floated up before vanishing.
The Wraith General barely staggered half a step, its massive body bracing against the strike as if it were no more than a shove.
Kaito narrowed his eyes. "So that's how it is." Then he snapped his head back. "Aika! Use Purify now!"
Aika thrust her staff forward. A wave of radiant white light burst out, surging toward the towering knight. Holy scripture etched itself into the air, striking the General's armor and searing into its shadowy body. The creature let out a guttural roar, its movements slowing for an instant.
Under the wash of Aika's Purify, lines of weakened aura spread over the Wraith General's armor. The oppressive pressure eased a little, as if a heavy hand had pulled back from everyone's throat.
Kaito's eyes narrowed. Its stats dropped by nearly twenty to thirty percent. He lifted his blade. "Now attack."
Kaito moved first. Eight sword shadows flashed from his twin arcs as he struck in a clean rhythm, each cut angled toward gaps at the collar seam, the elbow plates, and the lower rib.
–112
–126
–119
–138
The Wraith General brought up its greatsword to block. Sparks scattered. The weight behind its parry sent a gritty tremor through the floor, yet Kaito did not yield. He stepped in again, blade turning on the flat for a quick feint, then a real cut at the wrist joint.
–152
"Hiroto, Dachi, on me," Kaito said.
Hiroto surged to Kaito's left, while daichi from the right with his anchor shot and Hiroto with his shield turning and catching the next sweep. The impact rumbled through the chamber. Aika raised her staff, a soft glow ready at her fingertips.
"Raven Blade, right flank. Suzune, careful of his step," Kaito said.
"Understood."
"Got it."
Raven Blade slipped into Phantom Steps, body blurring across the General's shadow. Twin daggers raked along the back seam of the cuisses.
–167
–174
Suzune matched timing from the other side, her dual blades crossing like scissors at the gap under the pauldron.
–182
Nina took a half-step back and thrust both palms forward. "Frozen Lance." A spear of blue light drilled into the breastplate, slowing the General's recovery just enough for Lucien to snap a shot.
"Infernal Arrow."
–356
Mei Rin inhaled, eyes narrowing. "Wind weaver Form." The bowstring hummed. The arrows curved in, riding thin currents that tilted around the General's guard and skimmed through narrow slits.
–98
–101
–95
–98
Kaede lifted his staff and sent a short burst to cut between swings. "Lightning Chain." The arc danced across the General's helm and shoulder, a stutter that forced its next strike to miss by a hand's breadth.
–214
The Wraith General snarled. The runes on its sword flared. It met Hiroto's shield head-on with a crushing vertical slam.
The blow crashed like a falling gate.
–1,340
Hiroto's HP plunged and his knee buckled. Aika's eyes widened.
Hiroto rasped.
Daichi did not brace him from behind. He pivoted in, planted his foot, and swung hard across the General's helm to pull its eyes away.
"Flash Palm."
–244
The General's burning sockets snapped to Daichi. Aika's heal washed over Hiroto in the gap that strike had bought.
"Heal."
Hiroto's bar climbed in a steady line, breath returning to him.
"Thanks," Hiroto said, setting his stance again. "I am good."
"Keep your angles," Kaito said. "We chip it down."
The next exchange was tight and sharp. Kaito used footwork to shave the arc of the greatsword, letting steel pass an inch from his shoulder while his blade flicked twice at the elbow seam.
–127
–143
Raven Blade cut low to force a shift in balance. Suzune crossed high to punish the tilt.
–172
–188
Lucien rode the window. "Flame Serpent." The coil of fire slid up the armor like a living rope and burst at the helm seam.
–329
Nina layered control. "Frozen Domain." Frost sank into the floor, turning the General's glide a fraction heavier.
–88, –88, –88 ...
Mei Rin's next arrow split into two mid-flight and threaded the eye slit a moment after the wind effect took hold.
–110
–113
The General roared, and the chamber trembled. It spun with frightening speed for a creature its size, cleaving a wide horizontal arc. Hiroto brought up the new Mysterious Iron shield and met it square.
The edge screeched across the face of the shield, showering sparks.
–920
Even reduced by Purify, the force was brutal. Hiroto slid back half a step. Aika's second heal landed just in time, the glow thickening around him as his HP steadied.
Kaito slid in on that backswing. "Aerial Cross Slash." He leapt and cut thrice from above, all the edges raking the helm ridge.
–266
–271
The Wraith General staggered one pace. Its HP dipped a little faster now. Around the circle, everyone felt the shift and pressed harder.
Kaede raised his staff high, lines of lightning sketching a circle around the General's feet. "Storm burst Field."
The floor erupted into standing pillars of thunder. Arcs climbed and wrapped the General, shredding wisps of mist from its form.
–856
The number snapped everyone's attention. The General's head tilted toward the rear line at once, and the blue fire in its sockets blazed hotter.
"It is going for the mages," Mei Rin said, voice tight.
"Raven Blade, Suzune, intercept," Kaito said.
Raven Blade slipped in first, daggers drawing three quick grooves across the thigh plates to halt the angle of the charge.
–168
–171
–160
Suzune met the mass head-on with a crossing parry from her dual blades. The metal sang. Her heel scraped back, but the deflection tipped the General's sword just enough for Kaito to cut in from the side.
Kaito lifted his blade and called out in a steady tone that filled the room. "Odin's Wrath."
The air tightened. A ring of pale lightning formed around the Wraith General's body.
First strike. Kaito stepped in and cut straight down the center of the helm. The blow cracked with thunder and stunned the General for a heartbeat.
–428
The HP bar dipped, the blue fire in its eye sockets flickering.
Second strike. Kaito slid his foot and slashed across the guard hand, knocking the rising greatsword off line. The interrupt halted its counter.
–473
Third strike. He turned his wrists and thrust along the seam of the neck ring. Power gathered at the point, piercing part of the armor's defense.
–652
Final bolt. The three strikes linked. A wide surge of lightning burst out from the General's body, a two‑yard ring that crawled over the armor and hammered into the floor in bright branches. Stone hissed. The General shook under the shock.
–812
The stun faded. The Wraith General roared.
Kaito did not pause. Eight sword shadows flashed from his blades in a tight rhythm, each cut aimed at a joint or gap. Collar seam. Wrist. Lower rib. Inside elbow.
–132
–147
–138
–156
–149
–142
–161
–168