Sir?"
Ayla looked at me.
"You are not wearing any armor! You shouldn't be here!"
This is where I am supposed to be you damn rookie!
"That hobgoblin is similar to that monster! He cannot win! We need to go!"
I saw fear overtake her eyes. She quickly shook her head.
"Can we kill it?"
Her voice was shaky.
"We have to."
She nodded and we rushed. Cutting down all the werewolves in front of us, we approached the boss monster.
"Captain Arda! We are here to help!"
Ayla called out. B ranked hunter called Arda. I knew him.
"Ayla, you shouldn't be here! Argh!"
I blocked the strike coming towards his neck.
"Show your true form."
I growled. I could see Arda looking at me with confusion in his eyes. But I was locked on the hobgoblin. Vampire blood in my veins told me to kill it. It looked at me and growled. Its mouth slowly transformed. It became taller than me. Muscles in its body bulged.
"Captain Arda! Ayla will cut its head! You will take care of the severed head! Make sure to destroy it! I will take its body!"
While Arda was stronger than me, I was confident I could fight a defensive battle due being able to read its movements.
"We'll open a way! Ayla be ready to use Mana Blade!"
"I don't know who you are! But fuck!"
We blocked now transformed hobgoblins attacks. I could feel the impact in my bones. I can't block. My arms can't take this much impact for long. Have to shift the strike. Parry it. Level of power it had was more than others!
"Don't block! Parry and dodge!"
I screamed.
"Already knew that!"
He used a white mana to coat his sword. Unlike me, who can't fight it on head on, he could hold his own even when it was transformed. But winning was something else. All the wounds he caused healed in an instant.
"Fucking cheat abilities! There! Binding of Light!"
White mana coiled around its body. Despite all the light mana created, its movements didn't stop.
"Ayla, now!"
I had to stop rest of its movements. I roared.
"Look inside."
I felt my veins burning. It was as if lava flowed through them.
"Control the heat!"
I felt like a long piece of barbed wire was inside of me. Despite the pain, I pulled it out. I could see the blood red mana covering my sword. My sword and its claws clashed. Shock waves shook my body. Yet, I stood tall. I could see Ayla coming from side. Her Mana Blade was brighter and bigger than before. While my sword held its two claws with help of Binding of Light, Ayla swung her sword towards its neck. My vision must be slowed down because I watched its head being severed in slow motion.
"Fuck yeah!"
"No! Get the head!"
Arda cheered. Ayla looked pale. She probably put all of her mana to this strike.
"Ay-Argh!"
Shit, not now! Blood started to come out of my eye. Thousands of heated needles were piercing my eyeball. I felt a blow hitting my mid section. I was blown away to back.
"What the fuck! How is it still alive!"
Arda swore.
"Captain, don't let it grab its head!"
Ayla's voice was weak. I could hear the fight. Yet, without my vision I couldn't join in.
"Open it! Open it!"
Immense pain that only got worse when I tried to open it. I had to open my eye.
"You are a hunter! Pain is just an old friend!"
I opened my eye. My vision was considerable worse.
"Still better than them."
I didn't dared to blink. If I closed it just a second, I wouldn't be able to open it again. Both Arda and Ayla fought against the body. Arda looked shaken. I couldn't blame him. One of the first things a hunter was taught is "Nothing can live without its head." We had a belief that if we were able to cut somethings head, we would win. It was something all hunters believed and put trust in.
"No matter how strong it is, you can kill it by cutting the head."
But this motherfucker just tore that belief apart.
"Heart!"
I screamed as I got up. My stomach was fucked up. I wanted to vomit.
"Cough!"
I coughed blood. My internal organs must be damaged. Some of my blood covered my sword.
"Come on! Just like before!"
I managed to use mana to strengten myself just a second ago. Now I needed to do it again. Pull that power from your body! I felt the same pain as before. I pulled it. It felt like my bones being shattered. My veins being ripped. Red mana burned from my body. When that mana was met with my blood on the sword something happened. All the mana was sucked into that blood. Handle of the sword felt hot. Despite the burning sensation, I held it. When the mana subsided, sword was changed. It was blood red now. It looked more stylish than before. While I didn't cared about its look, the mana coming from it was no joke.
"Wha?"
(Blood Reinforcement D was acquired.)
I felt weak and tired. Did it absorbed my mana? I felt like dying just standing up. I remembered Ayla's tired face after using Mana Blade. Did that also happened me?
"No."
I wanted to scream. Cry. I looked at two hunters fighting against headless werewolf. Both looked as if they were on their limit. I had to do something. If I didn't do something! If I…
"Burak. Survive."
"I am sorry."
My friend voice rang in my head.
Damn, you guys are frail."
His voice rang in my head. I growled in anger. I wanted to take a step. My legs felt like logs. I couldn't move them even one bit.
"Do something!"
Think! Think! You are a Sharpshooter! The role that takes care other hunters backs!
"Wait, I am a Sharpshoother."
I looked at the sword I was holding. I pulled my arm back. I had only one ammunition. I was going to make it count.