The unit of Enette reached the top of the slope, and down below lay five dismembered bodies. Enette had recognized only their captain his right arm was missing, and the entire left side of his torso had been torn off.
« Oh fuck… how could an entire unit end up like this? Enette said their target was a Tartare Qephraï, but maybe they didn't stand a chance against him… »
The unit descended toward the five corpses. It was indeed them, confirmed the remaining soldiers. Enette stared into the distance, his expression darkening. He unsheathed his sword.
"Over there, a hundred meters ahead there's a thick shadow. That's the Qephraï. He's lying down. They do that so they can leap at us. Follow me, but stay behind me. Don't interfere during the fight. If he killed an entire unit alone, then he's no ordinary opponent."
Enette advanced slowly toward the Qephraï, staying on guard, his concentration sharpened to an unnatural degree. If the creature so much as twitched, he would be ready to repel the attack. The four other members stayed ten meters behind him. The closer Enette got, the more prepared he became to strike.
But when he reached just ten meters from the Qephraï… it still hadn't moved.
"Alright, come. I think they managed to kill it. Strange… it's the first time I've seen a Qephraï dead without being assimilated. How did they survive long enough to mature it but still kill it? Damn it… the bastard I wanted is dead because some idiot killed it while dying. Guys, we came here for nothing. Now we're going somewhere Qephraï don't roam. I don't want to fight one at night. I don't know how strong they get in the dark. It's probably why these guys died. If a fight starts, I won't die but you will. So let's head to the closest town and get a hotel."
Enette examined the Qephraï closely and walked around it. That's when he noticed that the entire lower half of its body had been torn off. His eyes widened. He scanned the surroundings carefully, but nothing appeared.
"Is it me you're looking for?"
Enette stepped back twice just enough to get out of the Qephraï's striking range, and to protect his unit. The new Qephraï was tall and thin, with spikes jutting from various parts of his upper body. Less physically imposing than the dead one but the danger came from the fact that this one was alive.
"Listen to me carefully. Stay close, and don't even try to run. If you do, you're dead."
Enette turned his gaze back to the Qephraï.
"Very well. Let's begin. My name is Enette Yushitachu. I am a legionnaire of the Silver Needle troop. I will fight you and assimilate you. Give me your trial."
"Hahahaha!!! You humans… you're as stupid as those corpses over there. Those idiots saw me kill one of my own kin, but like you, they wanted to fight me. They were all weak except the one who also called himself a legionnaire. He wasn't strong, but killing him wasn't as simple as the other four."
"Shut up, monster. I introduced myself. Your turn."
"Fine. If I must. I won't tell you my name, but I am an Strangler, as you humans call those who dwell in the Nochthon. My trial is simple: pierce your blade through my heart."
In his mind, Enette thought exactly this:
« What? He's rank 3?! Shit… even though I possess a Strangler's power, I got it as a gift because I was considered a prodigy. I've never fought anything stronger than Tartare Qephraï. …Whatever. I never fought stronger because I never had the chance. Now I have to show my unit how fearsome their captain really is. »
"Tch. If that's all, then fine. I also have a Strangler's power. The only thing that can make me lose this fight is the night but you're dying tonight. I just have to find your heart. I'll stab my blade into every inch of your 'body' if I must."
« He looks confident. I can still support him. If this isn't his first time fighting a rank 3 Qephraï, then I can be a major asset. I just need to avoid interfering. I'll communicate with my Qephraï and step in when needed. »
Enette faced the Qephraï, sword in his right hand. His palms were sweaty. In the blink of an eye, the Qephraï vanished from his sight… and reappeared right in front of Abel.
"You… you have the aura of one of the Great Kings. How could a simple human have come in contact with a Great King? After I'm done with your comrades, I won't kill you. You're far more interesting than you look, human."
"Hey, Qephraï! I'm your opponent! If I die, you can kill them but until then, don't you dare let your guard down, bastard!"
With another blink, the Qephraï struck Enette, sending him flying dozens of meters.
« What? He's really that strong?! He tossed Enette like a leaf. Is he incredibly powerful… or are Qephraï truly unbeatable at night? How is Enette going to kill this monster? No he doesn't need to kill him. He just needs to pierce his heart. He can do it in one strike… »
Enette hit the ground hard. He got up no visible injuries, no broken bones, but a massive shock. He had barely managed to block the hit with his sword.
« Damn it… he sent me so far. I need to get back quickly or he'll massacre them. Even I can't handle him. I just have to pray someone comes to help while I stall the fight. If I see an opening, I'll strike. But I need to find where his heart is… »
The young man sprinted back to his unit. When he arrived, the Qephraï looked mildly surprised.
"Oh? You're not dead? The legionnaire from the other unit died after that hit, you know. A single blow tore off his entire left flank. You humans are so pathetic I don't even see the point of using my power on you."
"If you don't use your power, that makes the fight easier for me. Now get back here and let's continue what we started."
« Good. Now I can use my main power my Strangler Qephraï ability. I never got the chance to use it properly in combat, but between my two powers, this one is my priority. I can also read his thoughts… maybe I'll find his heart that way. Alright I'll use wind manipulation to slice his body from a distance. Maybe I'll hit his heart. »
Enette kept his distance and activated his power. He controlled the air around him, making the wind sharp and piercing. He could even create tornadoes, increase his speed by removing air resistance, and propel himself forward. Versatility was his strength.
But the Qephraï was still too fast.
Enette focused the wind to make it razor-sharp, and on the first attempt he managed to cut across the Qephraï's torso but the cuts were shallow. Barely effective.
"Really? These scratches? At least you managed more than the others they couldn't even touch me. You seem strong. You might even have potential. That's why I'll enjoy killing you. Because someone among you intrigues me far more… the child over there. The one with the aura of a Great King."
"Keep dreaming. I'm the strongest one here, and one day I'll be the strongest in the world. Your so called Great Kings will tremble before me."
"Insolent brat. You'll regret those words."
The Qephraï dashed toward Enette, but before the hit landed, Enette was already airborne.
"My power isn't as useless as you think. I can propel myself upward and downward!"
Enette launched himself down and slashed from the shoulder to the solar plexus. Still no heart. The Qephraï seemed amused.
Enette, however, realized it clearly: the Qephraï wasn't fighting seriously. He was toying with him.
"You know… I know the Qephraï whose power you wield. I fought him before. He never beat me. And unlike you, he had full access to the ability. You barely wield a fraction."
"That may be true. But power isn't the only factor in victory. Look at you you're not even using your own. And you think you can beat me?"
Enette resumed his assault, combining physical and magical attacks. The Qephraï effortlessly kept up. He intended only to exhaust the young legionnaire.
« Damn it… no matter how many mixed attacks I throw, he keeps up with the rhythm. I'm burning mana and stamina fast. I really can't win. He isn't even fighting seriously he's not using his power at all… »
The Qephraï suddenly closed the distance, grabbed Enette by both shoulders, and hurled him into the ground. Enette landed on his feet, but the Qephraï attacked again immediately.
Each blow sent Enette flying several meters. Before he could regain balance, another strike followed. Wounds started to appear all over his body.
The Qephraï was about to strike again when Enette raised his trembling hands to protect his face.
"S…stop… please… it hurts… you broke several of my bones… I can't fight anymore… so… if you have to kill me… kill me and get it over with…"
"Huh? Seriously? Even that other guy didn't cry like a little bitch when I tore his arm off. Pathetic. Here let me show you why people cry for real."
The Qephraï rushed toward the four unit members behind Enette. Enette tried to shout, but blood erupted from his mouth, preventing him from speaking.
The Qephraï reached them instantly and ripped Quentin's arm off. The boy didn't even realize it at first but then…
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!! IT HURTS! IT HURTS SO MUCH!!!"
He fell to his knees, screaming and crying at the same time. The rest of the group froze in horror.
"Well, I was wrong. Your unit really is just a bunch of crybabies. Fine I'll finish off the kid now."
The Qephraï raised his arm above Quentin. No one moved fear had paralyzed them.
The strike fell
but Enette blocked it.
Despite his condition, he could not allow a member of his unit to die before him. That would be a disgrace.
Enette unleashed a powerful gust of wind, pushing the Qephraï back, and forced himself to resume a fight that was hopeless from the start.
They faced each other again. Enette was in terrible shape. The Qephraï, annoyed, prepared to finally kill him.
His punch shot forward
and stopped.
His fist had collided with a blade piercing into his knuckles.
"Hmm… I see. So you leave me no choice. Let's see if you're really as unique as I hoped."
Abel Verdalys stepped into the fight.