"Yuki! Dodge!" I urgently shouted through the radio, but my warning came too late. Yuki, unable to react in time, was struck by a slicing attack on her back.
I gritted my teeth, my heart pounding in my chest, as I watched the twins fall to the ground. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on my shoulders. I took a deep breath and made a quick decision.
"Plan B, Phase 2... Start!"
Saori and Alice swiftly launched their assault on Ryujin, their attacks fueled by their unwavering resolve. Atsuko and Shin provided cover, suppressing the enemy's movements and ensuring our attackers had the advantage.
Meanwhile, I focused my attention on the fallen twins. I controlled my drones, directing them toward Sora and Yuki. "Full Heal!" I shouted, activating my healing skill. The drones emitted a soothing green light as they worked to mend the twins' wounds.
My hands is trembling, I knew that time was of the essence, and every second counted. I poured all my concentration into healing the twins, desperately hoping that their injuries could be reversed and they could rejoin the fight.
Doubts and self-blame flooded my mind as I watched the intense battle unfold. If only I possessed combat skills, I could join my teammates in the fight. It felt like my lack of direct combat abilities made me a failure. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on my shoulders, and a sense of helplessness washed over me.
Suddenly, Hoshiko's voice crackled through the radio, cutting through the chaos. "Rei." Her voice was gentle and soothing, calming the storm within me. "You did a good job."
I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "But..."
Hoshiko interrupted, her voice filled with reassurance. "Your support is always invaluable to us. Your skills have helped us countless times."
Saori's voice crackled through the radio, filled with both annoyance and concern. "Is Arihara down? Sheesh... I never thought you had such a weak mindset!"
Shin's voice joined in, offering a different perspective. "Well, he just doesn't want his teammates to go down, that's all."
Sora's voice came through the radio, weaker but filled with gratitude. "Arihara, we're fine... for now... Thank you."
Yuki's voice followed determination shining through her words. "We still want to continue the assault. We're not giving up."
Atsuko's voice crackled through the radio, addressing me with an unexpected term. "Shikikan, what's your order?"
Despite my initial doubts and self-blame, my teammates believed in me. They saw me as their leader, the one who would guide them to victory. It was my responsibility to rise above my own insecurities and fulfill that role to the best of my abilities.
I stood up, a surge of determination coursing through my veins. As I swiped the air, the system panel opened before me, displaying the stats and effects of each squad member. With a swift motion, I accessed my inventory system and retrieved additional drones.
With focused precision, I controlled the drones, positioning them strategically above each team member. Assessing their individual strengths and weaknesses, I made calculated decisions on the enhancements to apply. Saori, with her impressive attack power, would benefit from increased health regeneration, a protective barrier, and enhanced speed. Alice, on the other hand, required a boost in attack speed to maximize her potential.
Taking a deep breath, I felt a surge of power emanates from within me. My entire body began to emit a radiant blue light. It was the activation of my skill, "Full Counter." As the skill enveloped my allies, they were imbued with the effects of increased health regeneration, heightened speed, enhanced attack speed, and improved critical hit rate.
I controlled one of the drones and positioned it directly above Ryujin's head. In a hushed whisper, I invoked the power of the "Quantum Shackles."
The shackles materialized around Ryujin, binding him and limiting his movements.
As the enhanced powers coursed through their bodies, Alice and Saori felt a surge of strength and agility unlike anything they had experienced before.
"My attack speed... increased?" Alice whispered to herself, her eyes widening in amazement.
Saori, feeling the heightened speed and warmth in her movements, grinned with excitement. She swung her dual katanas, the blades gleaming with newfound power.
Synchronized in their intentions, Alice and Saori exchanged a quick glance, their determination evident. They both stepped back, creating a small distance between them and Ryujin.
With a swift motion, Alice dashed forward, her Naginata shining with radiant energy. "Shinken Soujutsu!" she declared, utilizing her mastery of the Naginata. Graceful movements merged with precise strikes as she delivered devastating blows, maintaining a formidable defense.
Ryujin reacted swiftly, parrying Alice's relentless assault with his own skillful defense. However, before he could fully recover, Saori emerged from the shadows, striking with impeccable timing and precision.
"Rengeki: Twin Blossoms!" Saori exclaimed, embodying the beauty and ferocity of a blooming flower. She unleashed a rapid flurry of precision strikes with her dual katanas, combining elegance and deadly efficiency. The onslaught overwhelmed Ryujin, leaving him momentarily stunned by the breathtaking display of martial prowess.
The wounded Ryujin let out a desperate cry as it struggled to defend itself against the relentless onslaught of Alice and Saori.
"Atsuko!" Alice called out, her voice filled with urgency.
To everyone's surprise, Atsuko sprinted toward the Ryujin with a maniacal expression on her face, her tongue playfully licking her lips. As she closed in on Ryujin, she raised both her Kriss Vector and Mac-10, the guns radiating a dark aura.
With a fierce battle cry, Atsuko unleashed her skill, "Dual Inferno!" This high-octane submachine gun skill combined the rapid firepower of the Kriss Vector and the Mac-10, transforming her into a veritable storm of bullets. The relentless barrage rained upon Ryujin, making it struggle to defend itself against the combined assault of Alice, Saori, and Atsuko.
As the intense battle raged on, Sora and Yuki sprang into action once again. Their movements were perfectly synchronized as they activated their skill, "Setsugetsu." The daggers in their hands radiated a brilliant white light as they vanished from sight, seemingly disappearing into thin air.
In the blink of an eye, they reappeared behind the Ryujin, their daggers slashing with incredible speed and precision. Their strikes were swift and lethal, leaving a trail of shimmering light in their wake. Before the Ryujin could even react, Sora and Yuki had delivered a flurry of devastating slashes, their movements a blur of elegance and deadly efficiency.
Just as quickly as they had appeared, the twins teleported back to their original positions
Their assault had left the Ryujin reeling, its defenses weakened and its movements slowed.
As Shin called for his turn, I swiftly maneuvered my drone to hover above him, granting him a boost in speed and critical rate. His assault rifle glowed with a vibrant blue light as he prepared to unleash his skill.
"Primal Barrage!" Shin shouted, tapping into his primal instincts of combat. The skill empowered him with heightened accuracy, controlled bursts, and increased firepower. With the skill activated, he unleashed a relentless onslaught of bullets upon the Ryujin, maintaining a steady stream of fire while maintaining precision and control.
The barrage of bullets tore through the air, striking the Ryujin with unyielding force. The impact was visible, as the demon staggered under the onslaught, its defenses crumbling against the relentless assault.
"Phase 3," I announced over the radio, and my team quickly took their positions.
As Hoshiko prepared to unleash her attack, her sword emanated a dazzling pink glow. She whispered the words, "Hakai no Tsumi..." The skill she invoked tapped into the dark powers of the demon, granting her the ability to swiftly and mercilessly slice enemies into pieces, leaving a trail of destruction in her wake.
The team braced themselves as Hoshiko charged forward with incredible speed and precision. With a single stroke of her sword, she cleaved through Ryujin with unstoppable force. The battlefield was instantly transformed into a scene of chaos, as the enemy's body shattered into countless fragments.
Hoshiko stood tall, her blade still radiating a faint pink hue, as the remnants of the demon faded away.
"No way... We actually did it..." I muttered to myself, the weight of the battle sinking in.
Because... I had just come to a realization: the rumored level 20 demon we had heard about was none other than this bastard because of how much Ryujin dropped the experience.