Heaving with heavy breath, Ranger continuously launched electrical beams at the monsters before him. He was soaring around the area, dodging the wide arms of the golem-like aswang.
He could already feel that his magic reserves were starting to deplete. He had been releasing magical attacks nonstop since he dropped Yule earlier.
It did not help also that there was a swarm of wolf-like aswang beneath him. The wolf-like monsters were all growling and snarling at him, looking for other ways how to pounce him from below.
Looking at the situation, the odds were definitely against him. But he had to endure it until Yule rescues Sanna.
Speaking of Yule, when Ranger was soaring higher to avoid the collision of the arms of the two golem-like aswang, he spotted his classmate from afar still searching for their missing friend and classmate.
Then Ranger noticed that there were tiny shadows nearing Yule - most likely strays level 1 aswang, and they were inching closer to him. Ranger was about to alert his friend when a massive hand made of stone grabbed his right leg.
Ranger's body was pulled and throwdown to the aswang infested ground.
Landing heavily on the ground, Ranger felt the full brunt of the throw. He almost fainted from the hit, but thanks to the superb body of a slayer he could still feel his body.
He could feel some pain also from other parts of him, but tolerable.
Two giant shadows loomed over him and on his sides hungry wolf-like aswang with saliva dripping from their mouth cornered him.
'As much as I want to help Yule, I have to help myself first,' Ranger thought dreadfully.
His swords started to glow brightly which made the wolf-like aswang pull back from their positions. The swords glowed more brightly almost blinding the aswang from the intense light emitting from Ranger's weapons.
"Die now, monsters!" Ranger shouted at his enemies.
A ball of light enveloped the whole form of Ranger. The light that covered the body of Ranger was actually made of electrical energies wherein a hum could be heard around him.
Then the ball of light exploded, releasing thousands of electrical energies around the area. The electrical attack hit the surrounding aswang, zapping them.
The horde of aswang just yelped in pain before turning to charred bodies.
After the eradication of the wolf-like aswang around him, the swords remained glowing, but this time in a normal state.
Ranger was gasping after releasing that kind of magic attack then he looked above him. The two golem-like aswang remained unscathed after that explosion of power.
He was expecting it. That kind of magic attack was just a scratch for them. At his current level, he couldn't defeat them - yet.
He just needs to distract them.
Gritting his teeth, he tried to stand up from his position, and then his eight swords behind him started to extend like bird-like wings preparing to fly.
He lunged his body and started to soar back in the air again.
The two golem-like aswang stomped their feet, making the ground shake from their heavy bodies.
They were preparing for another surge of attack from their tiny prey.
Then -
BANG! BANG!
Two gunshots were heard behind him. Ranger found the traces of the bullets since they were releasing trails of white smoke. The bullets were aiming straight at the giant monsters.
The two golem-like aswang simultaneously swung their heavy arms to deflect or swat the bullets. But the bullets never reached them.
Inches before them, the bullets exploded in mid-air.
The giant aswang halted their movements, surprised at the sudden explosion.
Nothing happened after the bullets exploded which made the golem-like aswang resumed their attention to Ranger.
Ranger noticed it too. His swords started to glow brightly, charging its power to release another electrical attack, when he heard another disturbance below him. He could hear someone was yelling his name.
"Ranger! Oy! Hey!"
He spotted a human running towards him. The human was also wearing the same white Academy uniform until he recognized the face when the human was approaching near him.
It was Jin-Yoo.
She was gasping for air after running several meters away just to get in time to this coordinate.
Jin-Yoo was crouching her body, holding her knees just to catch up her breath.
Descending his body down, Ranger approached his schoolmate on the ground.
But the giant monsters didn't give them enough time to catch up. They stomped their heavy feet again, making the ground tremble again.
Jin-Yoo almost fell on her ground after that shake, then Ranger suddenly grabbed her hand, leading her away from the watchful gaze of the aswang, despite having no visible eye attributes.
*****
Ranger found an abandoned RV parked beside the wrecked high way. They hid behind it and leaned their backs on the coldness of the van.
Both were catching their breath, still feeling a slight tremor on the ground due to the stomping of the giant monsters. Both monsters were searching for their lost prey.
Seating on the cold ground, Jin-Yoo looked at Ranger. She found him dirty. He was covered by dirt and dust already which was understandable since he'd faced a horde of monsters plus two giant aswang.
She quickly pulled something from her academy coat. It was a compact mirror which made Ranger rolled his eyes. In reply to him, Jin-Yoo stuck her tongue out at him.
Jin-Yoo looked at herself in the mirror and was impressed that she still looked fresh despite everything. She tried to hand comb her blonde-dye hair. The length of her hair reached her waist with some pink highlights at the tips.
She also fixed her bangs which covered her forehead and eyebrows.
Ranger was looking at her in disbelief. And Jin-Yoo looked at him expectantly.
"What?" she asked in an irritated tone.
"You know we're in mortal danger, right? And your main concern is how you look before dying?"
"Who said we're going to die? I was sent here to assist your team. By the way, I haven't heard a single 'thank you' from you." She said nonchalantly.
Ranger was at a loss for words after making that kind of announcement. But he regained his composure quickly.
'There's another time for this. But right now, he has to find ways to trap those giant monsters,' he thought.
"You've mentioned that you were sent her to support me. But all I saw was failed gun shooting," pointing at the scene earlier where the bullets exploded in mid-air inches away from the aswang.
"Excuse me! I'm not even done with my spell yet!" She suddenly rose from her sitting position and exposed herself to the aswang.
"H-Hey!" Ranger tried to grab her, but she was too fast for him.
The two giant aswang noticed the girl in a white uniform and turned their gazes toward her.
Jin-Yoo just snorted at them and raised her arms in the air.
"Kumiho!"
Her chest started glowing and a ball of light flew out from her. It soared around her until it descended to the ground. The light extended its length and shape until the light started to dim revealing a white fox with nine tails behind it.
The nine-tail fox turned its red eyes on her master and looked at her expectantly.
"Weaponize!" Jin-Yoo ordered the fox.
The fox nodded at her and transformed again into a ball of light. The ball split into two in mid-air and flew straight to her waiting hands.
Glowing brightly, the two balls of light transfigured into twin white handguns on Jin-Yoo's hands. She gripped the handguns and pointed at the giant monsters before her.
"Release!"
For a moment, nothing happened around them, even Ranger was looking around him expecting something grand or explosions will happen, then -
Two giant magic circles appeared beside the two golem-like aswang. The magic circles had snowflakes symbols around it where the symbols started glowing in cerulean light.
After glowing, the magic circles released from within a cool arctic winds straight to the giant monsters.
Even from afar, Ranger could feel the cold current of wind, making him shiver despite the hot temperature in the area.
Then Ranger started to hear a crackling sound. He looked at the source and found a massive amount of ice begun spreading around the arms of the aswang.
"See!" Jin-Yoo interrupted Ranger's thoughts and looked haughtily at him. "That was the purpose of the bullet explosions earlier to set a trap beforehand."
He raised his arms as if surrendering to her in reply to her statement.
Two huge bulk of ice stood from where the two aswang were earlier. The ice trapped the giant monsters inside.
Then Ranger's earpiece begun crackling.
"Ranger! We've found Sanna! What's our next move?" Yule said in a hurried tone.
"We?"
"Oh, yeah. Haruto came and help me. By the way, I saw giant magic circles near your area. Is Haruto's classmate with you?"
Then Ranger heard from the background another set of voice - Haruto probably, telling Yule the name of his classmate.
"Yeah, Jin-Yoo is with me. We better move now while the aswang are still enclosed by those giant icebergs. I'll be sending the coordinates in your mobile device for the rendezvous point."
Yule said his confirmation to him and ended the call. Ranger turned his gaze at his companion where she was looking at him, waiting also for his orders.
"Let's move now!"
Jin-Yoo nodded at his order and begun running.
They haven't run very far from their previous location when both of them heard a cracking sound. A similar sound where hundreds of people break a glass at the same time.
It was all coming from the two huge bulk of ice and cracks started to spread around the ice until it shattered to millions of pieces, making it as if there was hailstorm in the area.
And the two giant aswang were released from their ice cage.