After all the stage one Gastrea around them finally fell, Kayo lowered his Assault Rifle, breathing a sigh of relief. However, a curious expression was on her face as she fixed her gaze on El who was still standing calmly nearby.
"How come you suddenly disappeared earlier?" asked Kayo, her tone of voice full of curiosity.
The explosive emotions from earlier had turned into curiosity. Kayo tried to understand El's movements that were so fast and almost invisible on the battlefield earlier.
El only remained silent for a moment. Coldly, El observed Kayo. After a while, he finally replied in a calm and low voice, "I used the demon slayer technique. This technique makes my body achieve superhuman-like strength, while still retaining the human side."
Kayo looked at him with interest. "Demon slaying technique?" she murmured, her eyebrows raised as she tried to relate the concept to martial arts techniques she had heard of.
Kayo imagined that perhaps this technique was some sort of martial arts discipline that had never been taught or known to the average person, capable of increasing one's strength beyond ordinary limits.
"So... this is some kind of secret martial art, huh?" Kayo uttered that thought in an admiring tone, his eyes shining with curiosity.
El did not respond further, just gave a small nod without explaining more. To her, the breathing techniques she practiced as a demon hunter did feel like an art that she didn't need to explain in detail.
Looking at Kayo who looked at her with curious eyes, El smiled slightly. Slowly, she raised her right hand and gently placed it on the little girl's head.
Kayo's face instantly warmed, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. However, Kayo immediately brushed El's hand away, as if rejecting the attention. But this time, El's hand remained motionless, firmly in place, as if not the least bit affected by it.
"I'll teach you later. Because you are my responsibility." El said coldly but with no ill will.
El stroked Kayo's head gently, the movement of his hand full of warmth that contrasted with the cold impression on his face. Kayo lowered her head, a small smile appearing on her lips, enjoying the attention from the ice sculpture-like figure before her.
Meanwhile, behind El's calm gaze, there was a faint sense of inevitable nostalgia. In the silence, Kayo's image slowly overlapped with the figure of Ilya, his younger sister who had passed away.
There is a feeling of sadness that sneaks in, making El realize that his attitude that is always calm in the face of Kayo's ridicule is actually a form of escape from deep sadness.
Suddenly, El felt the distinctive scent of Gastrea approaching, breaking the warm atmosphere between them, bringing with it the heavy rumbling of each step and the crunch of trees falling in its path.
El immediately stopped petting Kayo's head, his eyes narrowing sharply in the direction of the sound. With a smooth motion, he exchanged his Metsu for a Varanium katana, preparing for the approaching threat.
Without needing words, Kayo, who was already on standby, immediately reloaded his Assault Rifle and pointed the barrel towards the forest where the sound was coming from, his breath starting to catch.
It didn't take long, from behind a grove of fallen trees, emerged a large Gastrea figure, in the form of a mutated and more menacing wolf, Stage 2.
Its sharp fangs flashed among the remaining light blocked by the overcast clouds. Without hesitation, the Gastrea immediately attacked with terrifying speed.
With a lightning move, El ducked, then carried Kayo in a princess carry, jumping to the side to avoid the attack and create a safe distance.
Kayo's face briefly flushed at the position, but her expression soon changed to shock and anxiety as she looked back at the charging Gastrea.
"Gastrea stage 2!" exclaimed Kayo in a panicked voice, her hands pressing the rifle tightly. "This is very dangerous!"
However, what emerged from behind the forest was not just one Stage 2 Gastrea, but a group of Gastrea wolves that continued to emerge one by one ferociously.
A group of Gastrea wolves as large as Nile horses emerged from the forest, their bodies covered in pitch-black fur that looked glossy under the dim light.
From their backs, sharp spurs made of bone protruded. Their mouths are split wide open, revealing rows of gleaming fangs, full of saliva ready to pounce.
Each wolf had four pairs of fiery red eyes filled with bloodlust, staring at their prey with gripping intensity. A low, terrifying roar sounded simultaneously, evoking a powerful aura of menace.
El quickly put down Kayo who was still visibly shocked by the sight, her heart racing in the face of a situation far more dangerous than she had imagined.
El looked straight ahead, and in a cold and firm voice said, "Kayo, leave. Find a safe distance or hide."
However, Kayo did not immediately comply. Irritated and recovering from the shock, Kayo was quick to launch her protest. "Are you really crazy?! You can't face them alone!"
El just stared at her with a calm look in his eyes, almost as if unaffected. "These are orders," he replied coldly, leaving no room for further discussion.
Kayo clenched her fists, still upset with El's decision, but she understood her position. Given El's previously impressive fighting style, to the point of being invisible to the eye, Kayo only felt that she would be a burden, whether attacking at long or close range.
Reluctantly, with no other choice, Kayo ran away, trying to find a safe distance while occasionally glancing at El who remained upright, about to face the threat of the Gastrea wolves alone.
El let out a long breath, as if making the air burn the entire space around his. "Hi no Kokyu," he said in a cold, calm voice.
Instantly, El's body moved so fast, it seemed to transcend the boundaries of time and space, distorting its surroundings. In an instant, he attacked a group of wolf-shaped stage 2 Gastrea with deadly precision.
Shing!
The Varanium sword in his hand shone, reflecting a faint light as El cut the neck of one of the Gastrea at the very front. "Enbu," he said in a flat, emotionless voice.
The Gastrea that was cut by his sword instantly fell, its body distended and shattered into pieces, spewing out a mixture of blood and flesh. El ignored the scene, his gaze remained sharp and focused.
However, not long after, one of the other Gastrea jumped at El from the side, with sharp teeth ready to tear El's body to shreds.
El, who had anticipated the attack, immediately moved to dodge nimbly. "Genchi ko," El said in a calm voice, while his body darted away, avoiding the attack, leaving only his shadow.
The three stage 2 Gastrea, who realized that El had only left a shadow of himself moving quickly, did not give his the slightest time to take a breath.
Without hesitation, they began to swarm El from all directions, leaving the sky and ground as the only safe haven.
Their mouths were gaping wide, ready to pounce on their prey. However, El remained calm, not showing the slightest sign of panic or loss of concentration.