The ambush was seamless at first. However, with the new face on the scene, Eid and Toko found themselves in a troublesome situation.
Soullesses is an organization hidden from the public, only known by the higher-ups of society. But even those who knew about their existence have no idea what kind of creatures the organization is composed of- the Hollowcores.
Although their existence is a mystery, their strength is very well known. A hollowcore could decimate Prince Frederick's escorts. Their strength is inhumane as if they've received multiple physical-enhancing Gifts.
Unlike members of the escort having one to two Gifts like Daras who could only summon devastating bursts of strength and agility, the stout man that can strengthen his skin, and the vanguard that has his overall strength enhanced, all hollowcores seemed to possess all of them. Their speed, agility, brute power, senses, combat abilities, and reflexes are high above that of average humans.
However, it is known that hollowcores are not connected to Allknow, making their existence mind-boggling.
Beyond that point, everything about them is unknown. So, really, they seem invincible. And now, not having yet received his Inaugural Gift, Eid faces one such being. He and Toko had only defeated Daras with the help of preparation. However, against this unknown beast, their chances of victory are that as well- unknown.
Furthermore, the prince is not a total pushover. Although Prince Frederick is not as strong as Daras or even the stout man due to his lack of combat experience, his brute power might pose a threat if the injured Toko makes a big mistake.
Thus, Eid had to keep the hollowcore away from Toko. In this battle, the hollowcore just has to ignore Eid for a while and help the prince in defeating Toko first so the tide could turn into two against one.
Thus, with his quick hands, Eid charged at the hollowcore with his dagger. As expected, the hollowcore deflected it easily, repeating the earlier scenario. This time, though, Eid was prepared and had his distance from the hollowcore before it could retaliate.
It seemed that the hollowcore wasn't interested in Toko, fortunately, and chased after Eid.
Nice!
Eid kept a troubled expression though. Even though this being has no eyes, Eid felt retains all its senses as if it's a normal human being. Thus, it can be deceived!
The hollowcore easily reduced the distance between it and Eid. To impede its advances, Eid executed one of his many needle-string techniques. His left hand flickered twice in quick succession. A pair of needles swiftly whistled through the air toward the hollowcore's direction but not accurately toward it.
The hollowcore thought that Eid just missed. However, what he didn't notice was a string between those two needles. The two needles missed the hollowcore's legs but the string did not. It quickly wrapped around the hollowcore's pair of legs. But before the hollowcore could fall, the string snapped.
As expected of its strength!
However, Eid wasn't disappointed. Although that attack failed to make the hollowcore fall, it made it tumble forward, greatly reducing the being's speed. And Eid was far from being done. Pairs after pairs of needles were sent out like webs from a deadly spider.
Strings wrapped against the hollowcore's arms, legs, and neck. Before the being snap the first string, another two were added. Eid overwhelmed the hollowcore with the sheer number of attacks!
However, his needles and string were not infinite, so Eid couldn't do this indefinitely. Once the hollowcore's movements almost came to a complete stop due to the sheer number of strings restraining it, Eid followed with his dagger.
Seeing danger arrive, the hollowcore opened its mouth and eyelids wider than any normal human could do. Black gases exploded from the hollowcore's orifices. With Eid's combat experience, he knew that this gas is dangerous. After all, it was a response to an attack.
Eid halted and kicked the ground away as the black gases surrounded the hollowcore like mist. Humanoid faces filled appeared to form from these black gases.
Only now did Eid "sensed' the aura of the hollowcore. It was dark, it was evil...
This triggered something within Eid, making him more vicious against the hollowcore. Other than this, Eid noticed something peculiar.
The black gases with despairing humanoid faces, as if they came from hell itself, are familiar.
"You... made me release my ghouls during the time they hide."
The hollowcore sounded angry.
"Ghouls...?"
Eid frowned.
Ghouls are the opposite of fairies. There are demigods who side with living creatures in Deiterra. One of them, the Demigod of Stars, Astra blessed humans with the fairy, Allknow. On the other hand, there are demigods that are against life itself and cursed living creatures with ghouls.
Most of these ghouls are harmless during the day as they hide from the sunlight. But when night comes, they either haunt victims to possess or return to the victims they already possessed.
That's why the night is dangerous. Only the Great Sanctuary had come up with a solution against the darkness using a rare mineral called Solar Stone. Solar Stone emulates the sunlight as if it was daytime and protects anyone within its reach against ghouls and possessed victims of the ghouls.
However, Eid never once heard that one can be conscious while being possessed by a ghoul, or even multiple ghouls!
With this discovery, Eid began theorizing about the mysterious existence such as the hollowcore.
'Is that possible?' he thought of something.
Noticing Eid's expression, the hollowcore snorted.
"I commend you strength but no one can know about the secrets of Soullesses," the hollowcore, with its true power unleashed, began snapping one string after another.
"What secret? Sorry, but I'm too dumb to understand what you're saying."
Eid tried bluffing but the hollowcore either didn't care or believe him.
"It's too bad. Too bad. You have peculiar skills, utilizing strings and needles in a battle so efficiently, but today, you die!"
'This is bad...' Eid nervously gulped...
...
The battle between Toko and Prince Frederick has long reached its climax. At first, Toko tested the waters by trying to hit the prince's vital spots. However, the prince's fast reflexes and supreme sword techniques only taught to royalties made him dodge or parry each strike.
He was only able to accomplish this to some degree because, Toko's speed fell down due to the injury Daras gave her. However, she was still able to overwhelm the prince with a flurry of attacks over time.
Prince Frederick felt like he was fighting someone with four arms. Blades seem to come from every direction that he didn't even have the opportunity to counterattack.
'How am I this useless with all the training and scriptures I received!?' Prince Frederick fumed. He thought he was one of the most talented among the youths in the Iron Kingdom. However, thinking about it, his lack of combat experience comes from his young age- the age of 21.
Thinking about how he must be battling against assassins in their thirties, the prince regained his pride.
'Stall the prince, you say? Let's see who will be at a disadvantage with that plan!' Prince Frederick internally laughed.
Although he's losing, at least he's not dying. He fully believed in the hollowcore. That beast is something only a priest could hold off. Thus, he was sure that it was only a matter of time before the hollowcore finished off one of the two dark figures and helped him with this darn witch.
In the back of his mind though, he was scared of the thought that these dark figures had more allies about to respond. Fortunately for him, Eid and Toko had no such allies. If not for the hollowcore, the two of them were enough.
Back to Eid and the hollowcore's battle, the latter had become domineering on the battlefield after the release of the black gases.
Every time Eid flicked a needle, the hollowcore would wave it off together with the strings. Knowing Eid's tricks, the hollowcore now knew how to counter it with its faster reflexes.
'Tsk, I have no choice!'
Glancing at Toko and her fight, it seemed that there was still time. Thus, Eid entered the woods which the hollowcore followed, making him relieved. If the hollowcore thought about it for a second, turning back and helping the prince was a better choice. However, it seemed that it was too enraged by Eid to think.
It was faster now so Eid only had mere seconds before he got caught. Once caught, he would be done for!
When the hollowcore closed the distance once more, it laughed as it finally got hold of Eid's clothing.
Eid immediately slid off his black clothing, leaving him topless with his pants. His upper body was slender yet muscular. It also shows signs of his many battles of the past manifested as battle scars.
"Gr!" the hollowcore growled in annoyance from how slippery its opponent is.
Eid didn't miss this opportunity by spinning around and thrusting the dagger into his jacket. He wasn't affected by the black gases with the piece of clothing in between. The hollowcore only noticed the thrust when it pierced the jacket and into his neck!
"Gah!"
The hollowcore grimaced but it just removed the dagger with slight pain a moment later. No blood dripped from his pierced neck. This further proved that this being is no longer a human. Eid had already expected this. The hollowcore didn't even bother removing the strings wrapped around its neck.
When it removed the dagger along with the jacket on its face, the hollowcore saw Eid escape into the shadows with a lowered stance.
"Once I grab you again, are you going to shed your skin next!?" the hollowcore followed suit but when it was about to reach Eid once more, it noticed a flash in front of it.
Knowing its opponent's way of fighting, unlike Daras who had his head detached from his body, the hollowcore slowed down and bent backward with its fast reflexes. This made the hollowcore slide on the ground but dodged the string. That moment the hollowcore's chase stopped, Eid was nowhere to be found.
The hollowcore was dumbstruck at how a person can disappear from its sight. Looking at the footprints that faded like they were from a ghoul, it took the hollowcore a while to conclude its sneaky opponent had climbed the trees.
Then, suddenly, a series of pricks was felt on its nape. The hollowcore turned to see Eid crouching on one of the thick branches of a tall tree.
"You pest!" it roared.
"Well, you dead!" Eid replied as he jumped off the tree branch and pulled several strings with him. The hollowcore's neck tightened. The series of pricks it felt earlier were needles which pierced its nape in a way that they were tied to the strings on the hollowcore's neck. This is only possible with the needles' strange bent trajectory.
When the strings tightened, they pulled the hollowcore from the ground. Black gases come out of its neck.
When Eid landed on the ground, he groaned and pulled the several strings down with all his might.
The hollowcore struggled, its legs helplessly swung, while it tried to pull itself up and bite the strings, but it was harder now that it formed a thread with how they wrapped with each other.
Eid stepped onto the strings with all his weight so that he could free one hand and flick a series of needles toward the hollowcore's wrists. Fortunately, he was heavier than the hollowcore as it's even doubtful if it had internal organs.
When the strings captured the hollowcore's wrists, Eid released his foot and slammed it against the tree. One hand holds the thread of strings that were wrapped around the hollowcore's neck and the other on the strings that captured its wrists.
As Eid established his foothold onto the tree, he pulled with all his might!
"ARGHHHHH!!"
His muscles reddened and bulged, veins popping out.
The hollowcore was stronger but with its neck being pulled up while its arms pulled down, the more it resisted, the more it helped Eid in severing its neck.
Thus, checkmate!
"N-no...!"
Black gasses gushed out from the hollowcore's neck as its wound got deeper.
"I will... NOT DIE!!!!"
It shrieked before its head finally snapped from its body. Black gas exploded out of its severed neck.
Although Eid was extremely tired that he could fall unconscious at any moment, he knew this was not the time to rest. His skin felt like they would rot when further exposed to the black gases!
Thus, Eid garnered his remaining strength and got as far as possible.
In the fight against a mysterious being called the hollowcore, Eid had come out victorious!