Before walls that towered above everything else with unparalleled arrogance, as was only fitting for a grand human construction, a blonde woman with crimson eyes moved across the battlefield like thunder, her golden claws tearing through flesh as if it were paper.
A massive creature rose before the woman. Its black fur was thick and bristling, and a pair of horns seemed ready to pierce the heavens.
It was a Corrupted Beast. At least, that was what Nero believed, judging by the pressure the thing emanated.
One of the creature's nine legs came crashing down, attempting to crush Nero, who leaped backward.
"I'm already exhausted, and now something like this shows up?" Nero complained inwardly.
Dodging another of the creature's legs, Nero twisted her torso and tore into its flesh with her claws, opening a massive, bloody wound.
However, the instant her claws ripped through the creature's flesh, another leg came hurtling toward her.
She felt the impact strike her arm before the force spread throughout the rest of her body. It was as if a runaway train had crashed into her. The impact sent her flying through the air like a rag doll, followed by another blow to her back as she landed, crushing another Nightmare Creature unfortunate enough to be standing where Nero came down.
"Damn it, that hurts!" Nero complained, getting back to her feet as blood trickled down her forehead and arm.
Fortunately, her resilience was among the best even among Ascended.
"Damn it, why did I end up in this hellhole?" Nero grumbled as she charged toward the Corrupted creature.
As she drew closer, she opened her mouth and unleashed hellfire.
Flames engulfed the creature's body, releasing scorching heat across the battlefield. Yet the beast charged toward Nero even as it burned.
Fire danced across its skin while its footsteps made the world tremble, as if a calamity itself were advancing.
Seeing that incarnation of destruction charging straight at her, Nero couldn't help taking a step backward.
"Sorry, but I can't die before I get married and prove him wrong," Nero thought, briefly glancing at the runes in her eyes.
[Flaw: Loneliness]
[Description: You are destined to die alone and will never be able to share your life with another.]
Nero dodged and continued tearing into the creature's flesh, using her claws and even her teeth. Truly, it was hard to tell which of the two was the beast.
A young man with long brown hair watched the two beasts tearing each other apart from the corner of his eye while focusing on his own battle.
The creatures emerged from the white mist only to meet their ends at Noah's blade.
Every creature he killed shared one characteristic: a thin layer of ice covered its body.
Noah unleashed cold and Nothingness, and thanks to Cyrene's enhancement, the two resonated with and strengthened each other. The more cold he released, the stronger Nothingness became, and vice versa.
Noah moved across the battlefield like a wraith. He was a cold, white mist that left death in his wake, brutally reaping the lives of Nightmare Creatures wherever he passed.
Yet even that fearsome wraith was already covered in wounds.
Drops of his blood fell onto the sea of corpses beneath him.
"Why do you only propose to other people?" Noah wondered, remembering Nero asking Samael to marry her.
"I've been waiting for that proposal for years, and yet..."
Noah recalled the time they had spent together.
They had known each other for years. They had been neighbors back when Noah was still in elementary school, while Nero was going through her First Nightmare.
Despite their considerable age difference, he still couldn't stop loving her.
Even though she saw him only as a younger brother and nothing more.
As those thoughts crossed his mind, Noah released even more Soul Essence, increasing the range of his abilities.
"This is so unfair..." Noah muttered.
"I'm so tired..." Samael grumbled as the claws of a Nightmare Creature tore into his shoulder.
It was some kind of giant rat with a bizarre wolf's head.
"Damn it, I thought I dodged that," Samael thought, feeling his shoulder burn with pain.
"Keep advancing, fight for your freedom, break the rules of your prison!" Samael sang.
Thanks to that verse, the battle had become more difficult than usual and deadlier than ever for both sides.
"The keywords in this verse are 'advance' and 'break the rules.' The rest is only there to connect them," Samael thought, deepening his understanding of his strange Legacy Aspect.
"This verse makes the perception of speed become alien."
"If I understand what each verse and each movement does, I can prepare myself for their effects," Samael thought.
His golden eyes fixed on the Nightmare Creature slowly approaching him.
In the next instant, the creature's head slammed into Samael's stomach.
"Damn it, it was fast!"
Fortunately, even the creature itself hadn't realized how fast it was moving, and it failed to react in time to bite Samael.
He retreated, trying to put some distance between them, but ended up moving much farther than he had intended, losing sight of the creature.
His limbs felt heavy, and the alien perception left his mind more exhausted than usual as he struggled to adapt to the sensation.
Even so, the effect of that ability in a war like this was terrifying.
All around him, Nightmare Creatures were slaughtering one another by the dozens without even realizing what was happening.