Everyone cursed under their breath as they instinctively tried to defend themselves from these grenade-like spheres.
Ran, of course, wouldn't let himself or the group just suddenly get bombarded like that so he immediately activated his sigil, the entirety of his left arm glowing with runic chains.
A translucent barrier that only Ran can see appeared, covering a diameter of over a hundred and fifty feet. As soon as any of the bombs entered the barrier, they were stopped as the squirrel juice inside was replaced with Ran's. As such dozens of them fell silently in this area, surprising those who weren't in the know.
But, as always, things didn't go quite as planned. Just as the people within the barrier were rejoicing, a particular bomb entered the barrier. It appeared the same visually, but when Ran attempted to steal the bomb, he was met with intense resistance. Considering it's Ran we're talking about here, the only possible conclusion was that this bomb was a wolf. A rank-5 bomb amongst rank-6 bombs.
However, just like what he did with Ann, he was still able to steal a portion for himself, turning the bombs into duds. Because they ran on rune formations, a three-quarters complete formation will not activate.
Fortunately, there was also a safe way to get rid of these bombs; by throwing them back at the enemy of course!
By this time the enemy had made themselves visible as the swarm of humanoid squirrels ran towards the city.
However, before they could even reach the defending army, they were greeted with the sight of their own bombs returning to sender.
The shock they received from this was no less than the actual shockwave the bombs made when they landed. Yet, despite this only stopping the enemy for a second, for those defending, it was like a signal went off and they began flinging their own attacks at them.
Very soon, all hell broke loose as both armies met.
As for Ran and the rest, except maybe Bob, this was almost an entirely new experience. This, I know, is a bit weird to think, but this world is predicated on the principle of strength.
However, before they could even find an opponent, a shockwave covering several hundred feet blasted them from above. As it was, it was clear that two parties had attacked each other and collided above the backline of the defending army.
Luckily, it was just a shockwave, so almost no one sustained injuries, but this served as a reminder to the group. They were no longer in the lower-layer; this place was not bound by rules, especially "special" rules. Literally anything such as this can happen.
Immediately afterwards, the group encountered enemy squirrels. Yet, before they could do anything, Ann slaughtered them with a single laser beam.
"I'll leave first guys, but I'll always be near when you'll need me. Especially you," and she pointed at Ran mockingly. It was as if she was saying Ran was a magnet for trouble… oh wait.
But, it made sense for Ann to distance herself, especially since her battles would inevitably affect those who were weaker than her; this was basically everyone in the immediate vicinity.
Thus, three are left.
After Ann left, the sounds of battle seemed to lessen before ramping up again. And as if to respond to Ann, Bob grabbed Ran's shoulder. Ran, however, knew what this meant.
"Wha? Bob, not you too man; you said you were the ultimate support role! Were you lying to me!?"
Yet, Bob only shook his head while his pearly white smile hung on his face.
"Brother, I never said I would be your support role. Plus, you dont really need my support right," said Bob. He even chuckled a little. After all, the thought that Ran needed support was ridiculous and if anything, the reverse was true.
Thus, only two are left.
Ran was about to get emotional at this point as everyone around him left.
What about moral support?
What about emotional support?
You know mental health is just as important as physical health right?
Alas, even Fluffy rubbed against his leg and chirped at him. She too desired to fight her own fight.
Even though she wasn't an apex predator, as a cheetah, the competitive spirit flowed through her veins and the thrill of the hunt shone in her eyes.
Although she was lazy at heart, after being cooped up for multiple days, her body ached to awaken from its slumber.
Ran, on the other hand, had been looking forward to engaging in some group activities. Group bonding, after all, can lead to a more cohesive front where everyone helps each other.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, individualism took the dub today, leaving collectivism to hold that L.
Thus, only one was left.
Ran, seeing no other choice, could only face the enemy alone. Then again, why couldn't Ran face the enemy alone? After all, he's so far shown he could even put up a fight against a rank-5.
Logically, within the same rank, he would decimate the enemy, which I know is my fault okay? I'm sorry, I just can't help myself making overpowered characters.
Fortunately, this is exactly what happened as Ran once more activated his sigil, allowing him to perceive every single juicy squirrel within his barrier. Immediately, the dozen or so squirrels felt the juice in their bodies move on their own.
They tried to regain control, but the dense will that powered them was like an impenetrable wall. Very soon, the juice crawled into their skulls, enveloping their brains before turning them into mush. The harder they tried to fight back, the more juice they added to Ran's arsenal. The end result was the same for all.
The scene of these humanoids dropping dead all of a sudden shocked many, but none knew the cause.
Now, all Ran had to do was walk.