As both factions' subordinates surged into combat, Sombravida initially believed the moment had arrived.
The perfect chance to reap the rewards.
But the battlefield unfolded differently than expected.
Atak did not send his subordinates to engage Gross's forces.
Instead, they gathered behind him in a straight, disciplined line.
Sombravida's eyes narrowed.
"Oh?"
He watched closely.
He wanted to see how Atak fought.
The Burst Begins
In the next instant, Atak's spiritual pressure exploded outward.
It surged past mid-tier Adjuchas…
pierced the threshold of high-tier pressure…
and continued climbing.
"Kill!"
Atak transformed into a streak of silver light.
He struck like a meteor.
A low-level Adjuchas at the front line didn't even react before its head vanished beneath the hammer's arc.
The second fell.
The third.
The fourth.
The fifth finally halted his momentum — a power-type Hollow bracing with reinforced hierro.
The first hammer strike held.
The second did not.
Bone and mask shattered as the Hollow was driven into the earth.
Atak's advance halted only long enough for him to fire a Cero amplified by fivefold reiatsu output directly toward Gross.
Gross Takes the Hit
Gross raised every tentacle to defend.
The Cero tore through them.
Even within the corrosive domain, the beam's density overwhelmed his defenses.
The acid mist weakened it—
but not enough.
The beam burned through his left arm and continued into the distance, annihilating an unfortunate low-tier Adjuchas behind him.
Gross's spiritual pressure plummeted.
"Damn you… it had to erupt now!"
His voice turned glacial.
Gross Counterattacks
"Charge! He'll weaken soon! Kill him!"
Gross's subordinates surged forward.
Cero beams of varied colors and dense Bala volleys rained toward Atak.
Atak's reiatsu was nearing collapse.
He shouted:
"Activate!"
Anti-Membrane Deployment
A pillar of orange light descended from the sky.
It enveloped Atak.
All incoming attacks were deflected.
Sombravida's eyes widened.
"Anti-membrane…"
This was the first time he had seen a Hollow other than himself deploy it tactically.
Understanding dawned immediately.
Atak's Formation Doctrine
Atak's strategy was brutally efficient:
Burst phase — Atak delivers overwhelming offensive damage.
Collapse phase — lieutenant deploys anti-membrane.
Protection phase — subordinates defend the membrane bearer.
Rotation — if the bearer falls, the next activates protection.
Recovery — Atak regains combat capability.
The earlier strike had:
crippled Gross
eliminated six subordinates
shifted the momentum
Atak now held the advantage.
But Gross had closed distance.
Acid mist crept toward Atak's formation.
Formation Shift
"Long Dragon Formation — Tail!"
Seven Adjuchas withdrew from the domain's edge.
The remaining members held position.
Simultaneously, they released reiatsu.
A linear barrier of membrane light formed before them.
Sombravida's interest deepened.
"Impressive."
Multiple anti-membranes layered into a defensive wall.
Those inside the acid mist would remain protected until Atak recovered.
If Gross attacked the rear…
positions could rotate instantly.
Losses were acceptable.
Time was victory.
Because if Atak regained strength—
Gross would die.
Sombravida's Observation
Sombravida rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"This one… may have been human once."
Very few Hollows retained enough tactical cognition to employ layered anti-membrane doctrine.
This was not instinct.
This was learned battlefield logic.
Sombravida watched with growing fascination.
Gross Escalates
"You! Harass from the rear! Others prepare Cero!"
Gross's rage burned.
His lost arm meant lost power…
lost expansion…
lost opportunity.
If he did not kill Atak today, the losses would be catastrophic.
He made his decision:
If necessary, he would conquer Atak's territory outright.
Acid Domain Compression
Gross withdrew from Atak and flew toward the tail of the formation.
His domain shrank.
Its density increased.
The mist thickened into near-liquid acid.
Hierro began to hiss and bubble.
Gross dismissed his subordinates and advanced alone into the membrane perimeter.
The acid devoured unprotected Hollows.
One membrane bearer remained.
Barely.
Then dissolved.
Sacrifice
The exposed Hollow turned to flee.
Gross's subordinates blocked its escape.
Seeing no way out, it reversed its spiritual pressure.
Light flared from beneath its mask.
Self-detonation.
A yellow-green Cero struck it mid-charge.
Its body liquefied.
The detonation failed.
The second membrane fell.
Another Adjuchas emerged.
He fired a desperate Cero.
The beam disintegrated in the acid mist before reaching Gross.
Tentacles crushed it.
"Lord Atak… avenge us!"
He reversed his pressure.
Self-destructed amid Gross's troops.
Several were injured.
A respectable end.
Gross sneered.
"A mayfly shaking a tree."
Atak Returns
"Return to formation!"
Atak's voice rang out.
His reiatsu surged again.
More than ten Cero blasts converged.
He leapt clear of the blast zone, though one strike burned his leg.
He ignored the injury.
"Gross! Die!"
He launched forward.
The hammer struck.
Gross was sent flying hundreds of meters.
A second amplified Cero followed.
The ground charred black.
Acid mist evaporated.
The explosion cratered the earth.
Momentum Shift
Using the smoke cover, Atak struck again, annihilating three of Gross's subordinates.
Then weakness returned.
Immediately—
another anti-membrane descended.
Perfect timing.
Gross's remaining forces regrouped.
Smoke cleared.
A shrill scream pierced the battlefield.
"AAAATTTAAAK!!"
Gross emerged.
His mask was cracked.
Reiatsu leaked from the fractures.
Advancement was now impossible.
He had suffered irreversible damage.
What began as a territorial dispute…
had become a fight to the death.
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