The cool temperature of nightfall felt like it had dropped several degrees lower as the beast approached. The sword saint watched, her eyes tracking its every step. She let out a cold sigh, her breath fogging in the frigid air. The grip on her sword tightened; there wasn't a need to find the other war grade. The monstrosities had come together.
The vines drew back, hovering over their originator. The beast looked like a hybrid between a feline and a plant. Its lean feline frame was wrapped in explosive fibrous tissues, with several lesser vines coiling around its body. Its tail split into countless parts, each one hovering above its head, which was shaped like a bunch of closed petals after they had retreated from attacking the sword saint.
Elaine didn't focus on the beast itself, but its rider and companion. The other war grade looked less like a beast and more like a person. Its physique was human-like, lean muscles rolling under pale whitish skin like corded cables. Snow-white hair cascaded down to its torso, and cold icy blue eyes stared ahead, lacking only the intelligence of emotion.
The vine beast stopped in its advance, allowing its companion to dismount. The humanoid beast stepped down, its abnormally long fingers caressing the vines with a cold touch. A low sound bellowed from its chest; the sword saint couldn't tell whether it was a purr or a growl.
The humanoid beast turned to face her. She braced herself, ready for a confrontation. But the attack never came. Instead, she heard a voice—inhumanly deep and primitive.
"Human… let us pass."
The beast could talk. This was an anomaly, and a dangerous one at that.
Humanoid beasts were seen as the peak of every rank of mana beasts. These beasts possessed a deeper understanding of the mana that surrounded them, a natural talent for wielding their affinities, and a near limitless potential when it came to comprehension.
For this one to be capable of speech, then how long had it been sentient?
"Why should I?" the sword saint retorted, not allowing her inner shock to surface.
"We do not wish to fight you," it replied quickly. It paused for a moment, as though piecing together its next sentence. "The amount of mana that emanates from your being proves your strength. We do not wish to shed blood."
A cold laugh escaped from the sword saint's lips. "You do not wish to shed blood? Look around you. You caused a massacre. The only reason you avoid confrontation now is the risk that the blood might be your own."
A cold mist began to swirl around the humanoid beast, dropping the temperature further. Elaine felt the chill seep through her armour and bite at her skin.
Hundreds of foot-long ice shards began to form above its head. There was no longer a need to negotiate—the human had chosen bloodshed. At its command, the ice shards shot forward toward her position.
The sword saint didn't stay idle. Another wind vortex formed in her palm as the beast completed its attack. She dashed to the side, the ice shards raining down towards her. She shifted her footing, allowing dozens to miss and crash into the ground, while her palm shot forward, releasing the wind vortex that destroyed the rest.
She changed direction and continued her sprint forward, the silver blade in her hand raised to meet the approaching attack head-on. The vine beast sent a barrage of its thorned tails forward while its companion prepared another assault.
The vines rushed toward her, but just like before, she took a sharp stance, cracking the earth beneath her feet as she swung her blade. A fierce gale erupted from the silver sword, tearing forward with astonishing speed. The vine beast recognised the danger, but it was too late—the wind blade sliced through the mass of vines.
Elaine moved immediately. She felt, from a slight disturbance in space, that the main threat had completed its attack. She drew back, creating distance. Even without immediate danger, she couldn't forget, these were town-level threats. The slightest mistake could cost her everything.
The attacks came.
The same hundreds of ice shards descended once more. This time, the vines followed, multiplying the pressure she had to face. She dodged the shards while cutting through the vines when openings appeared, but even she knew it was futile. The assault was overwhelming.
She shifted her weight, narrowly avoiding a shard that sliced through the air beside her. Its icy surface reflected her golden gaze—just before a vine struck her blind spot.
The impact sent her body flying.
The force rattled her bones. The taste of iron filled her mouth, and her vision spun for a moment. The vine beast seized the opportunity, sending its vines surging forward. Gritting her teeth, the sword saint invoked her space element.
The vines struck only fading blue fragments, her afterimage.
Her real body rematerialised in the distance.
Her mind assessed the situation quickly. The vine beast remained the primary threat. Its regenerative ability had become far more dangerous now that she was dealing with two coordinated attacks.
She needed to kill it first.
She kicked off from her position as ice shards struck where she once stood. Her mana reserves were running low. Her previous use of the space element had drained more than she could afford.
Now, she gambled.
She was about to pour half of what remained into her next attack.
If it worked, the vine beast would die.
If it didn't…
She was about to find out.