The realm seemed to boil over night. Monsters charged to the middle of the realm as if answering a beckoning call. All of the various forces did their best to regroup and move to the middle of the realm, with some being truly close. That however brought about battles that shook the realm. Blood oozed on the ground like an ever-expanding stream.
Ash, Grim, and Pocket slept that night in the armory none the wiser.
Grim's little eyelids twitched rapidly as a foreign dream played in his head.
"Get the crystals!!!" A young man screamed as attacks flew everywhere like a battlefield.
The dream skipped to a girl using what looked like a forbidden technique in order to stop a creature that seemed blurry. Yet it provoked a feeling of distaste in Grim that he'd never felt. Screams and blood, a blender of meat and lives. Until it all grew quiet. A deep and powerful voice spoke.
"Get ready."
"Grim, hey.... are you good?" grim awoke flustered and shaken. Ash looked concerned while Pocket munched on some silver coins as if to test their hardness.
Ash squinted his eyes and tried to feel out what was going on with Grim through the link, only to be hit with a searing pain. Only the last words, 'Get Ready' were conveyed. Confusion littered his mind but Ash couldn't understand what was happening.
"Hey Grim, no matter what happens, we're in this together. You're my family now, if there's an enemy, we face him together." Grim looked at Ash as his rapid breathing calmed to a steady rhythm. Ash pet Grim while smiling, yet he felt another peculiar emotion, emitting from Pocket's link.
Tapping into it, Ash could feel it. 'Is that jealousy, goblins have feelings too huh.' Ash grabbed Pocket, and Grim pulling all three into a hug as he laughed.
Slight warmth emitted from Pocket's link while Grim's link shone with a warm light. The goblin's serpentine eyes looked at Ash with strange eyes, a familiar feeling came to him but it didn't involve money.
Ash set them down and decided to leave the armory. Both creatures in tow, they went through the hole only for an intense sensation to flow through their bodies. Blood smelled far more prominent than it ever had. The moon in the 'sky was sanguineous while the trees stood as if guarded.
'Something happened while we were in the armory.'
Slowly moving out of the hole the trio moved carefully.
'Grim, take point from above. Pocket get ready to dig an escape tunnel at any time and provide ranged support with [Soil Toss], stay behind me and make sure to check behind us every once in a while.'
Saber at the ready, Ash got serious seeing blood splattered in various locations. Dead creatures littered in different locations, dead bodies in different locations, the creek from before now flowing a greenish red color instead of blue.
"Haaaaaaa", a scream broke the studying trio as clashes could be heard.
"Hahaha, damn it's my lucky day. A bastard like you must not have any followers, hahahha pathetic."
"[Citric Blast], fucking kobold, aim better."
A male's voice was repeatedly heard while a woman's grunts could be heard coming not far away. Ash and duo moved closer as quiet as could be, coming behind some foliage.
The trio observed a boy with a lean figure using a whip and dagger combination. A sickly yellow kobold dashed around spewing a similar yellow substance at it's opponent, a blue heron.
Dead bodies littered the surroundings as individuals of different backgrounds laid in rest, presumably at the hands of the girl.
However, the heron was heavily wounded, a blade wound down it's back, a few dents in the beak, a limping leg, a broken wing, and small wounds on the chest that were now covered in the kobold's yellow fluids.
It looked haggard, but still held on. It's tamer on the other hand was much worse. A jagged cut across the face still oozing blood, remnants of a weapon still lodged in her thigh, and both hands shook intensely as though holding the estoc in her hands was too much of a burden.
"Crane art, [winter wind]."
Hands raised a blue frosted wind swept the area. The heron unaffected while the young man himself dodged around rapidly, still getting hit by it.
"Urghhh, just give up. Hahahaha, bet your sisters will pay me for your head... well, after I enjoy your ass." Covered in a small layer of ice, his movements became less refined.
Utilizing his whip, the boy continued to try and attack the girl while occasionally attacking the heron, causing smaller wounds to appear on the body. The kobold, having dodged the attack kept applying pressure to the heron.
Blood seeped out the girl's nose as she raised her hand for another attack. "Shame about your mother, wish I coulda fucked her too.
A shame that her only daughter has fallen to this extent, bet she woulda flipped in her grave knowing all the times she was getting raped was just so you could end up in my hands."
This time, Ash saw rage light the girl's fading eyes. Hands still up, she shook as did the heron.
"Crane Art, Shredding Hail."
Both tamer and bond had conjured a ball of ice with small holes that flew into the sky only to break into small pieces. Ash watched in fascination as the shards of ice flew down at incredible speed the closer they got to the ground.
"[Bulk Barrier]"
The boy made a barrier in shimmering yellow light that he and his bond held behind. The hail of ice rained down with such intensity that the barrier started to dissipate.
The boy grunted and the barrier held but sweat flowed down his face faster and faster. The girl kept her hands raised as if using all her energy, Blood seeped as her heron guarded in front of her, launching spears of ice at the barrier.
The hail didn't stop, and even focused solely on the barrier, causing no damage to the surroundings.
The kobold then started to charge an attack, a sulfuric smell starting to come from it. A ball of dark yellow energy glowed as it's snout twitched incessantly. The boy was focused on maintaining the barrier but directed on of his hands to his bond as the ball went from yellow to green.
" [Fried Egg Bomb]"
'Pocket, Grimm, retreat now, and try to maintain silence.'
The three retreated as fast as they could seeing the head sized ball of green launched at the girl and her heron.
The heron was quick in that it put up an ice barrier, but once the attack touched it, the ice melted. The ball passed through and exploded not far in front of the heron.
A nasty smell permeated the surroundings. A bang erupted that caused dirt, leaves, blood, and ice to fly everywhere.
Ash pressed his body over Pocket and Grim. All three surprised at the lethality of the attack.
Coughs rang out. 'That guy is stronger than he looks.'
"Hahaha, princess, ya shouldn't have been so stubborn. You should still be alive right?" His kobold panted as he slammed his fist on the creature's arm.
"Damn thing, do better at preparing your attacks. You take too long."
Ash looked around him, face forming a frown. 'Both that guy and his bond are unassuming but they're strong. That kobold may be able to launch that attack one more time. Fuck, I'm just trying to get out of here. Where's that girl and her bond?'
As if on que, "Cough, Hel-..... p" Her body heavily injured and consciousness fading.
The girl had been blown a few meters away from him. Unfortunately for Ash she not only caught sight of him but announced his presence.
"There she is, and of course there's a rat skulking around her. Trying to be her white knight." The boy looked at Ash for the first time.
"Or maybe I should say black knight. Hahahhaha, man that one was funny."
"Hu-Hu... ry. He's stall-"
Ash's eyebrows raised before gritting his teeth and moving.
'Pocket give me cover. Grim you're with me, handle the kobold.'