Nevius had ran away in order to protect his life multiple times before; but this, this situation was completely different and very new to him. He was escaping with the goal of preserving his life and body at the same time.
It was a new experience that needed to be committed to memory but it did not make it any more less life threatening than it already was.
He was surprised with how well the reds were running considering how one was carrying a heavy axe and the other who had the weakest body of all was keeping up with a bag that looked very heavy at that. But that was the miracle called mana which required no explanation.
"Kriiiiiiii!" A loud shriek echoed in the desert as hordes upon hordes of the long limbed horrors turned and gave chase to their common prey.
Nevius remained at the center position deeming it the safest place to be as compared to the back and front positions.
Was it despicable to try and use his somewhat allies as meat shields? Yes it was. Did he feel guilty about it? Of course not. He just met them and god knows he would never trade his life for those of people he met in a cave just recently.
In all weirdness of the ongoing night, lightning struck at the front of the group halting their movement and lighting up the desert.
Asla simply said,"FUCK" as she saw what was hot on their tail. At least a thousand or more of that nasty bastard they had killed.
Her friends shared her expression and thoughts, that is except for Nevius and Velena who were gobsmacked by what was ahead of them.
Nevius blinked multiple times and finally confirmed that the sandstorm he had been actively avoiding since the sun shone bright was in front of them and moving albeit in a very slow manner foward.
The incoming storm was composed of ash as far as Nevius could tell by the small bit that was falling from the sky.
He coated some ice on his palm and let a pinch of the ash fall on it and surprisingly it corroded the ice almost reaching his flesh before it died out.
He imagined himself at the centre of the storm and wisely chose the lesser evil by turning towards the horrors.
Framel hit the hilt of her spear on the ground raising a gust of wind which fulfilled its duty and captured her audiences' attention.
She wanted to take in a wide breath of air through her mouth but a timely warning from Velena saved her insides.
But she never broke character and said," Ladies, the time is now. We are killing these ugly bastards and after that we will complete our mission and go back home victorious." She was met with silence.
"Goddamit reply if you heard my orders."
"YES LEADER." They shouted. Nevius too was caught up in the moment and shouted too but no one really seemed to care.
Asla jumped upwards defying gravity, swung her axe around which was followed by her body that in turn spun horizontally and finally struck on the ground with the axe.
This created a large straight crater into which the first group of horrors fell but whose death remained uncertain.
After two seconds they did not reappear and considering the speed at which they were moving, they were probably dead.
Nevius wanted to know how the reds would attack but considering that they were mostly close range fighters he left his curiosity for Cecilia and Velena.
Velena was the second to make her move as she lit a small bright orange flame floating at the top of her palm which grew bigger and bigger covering them entirely from the top and then condensed it to a small ball that fit on her hand. She brought her arm backwards then released the ball in a pitching stance which blasted foward and exploded.
A big 'BOOM' resounded in every direction of the desert creating a big ball shaped beam of light that turned the night into day for a few seconds.
Nevius was impressed, and deeply so at that. The control and amount of mana needed to accomplish such a task would require a lot of talent and mana concentration in the body.
Now all he hoped for was that it reduced the number of horrors significantly and much more importantly, it did not attract more attention to them.
The horde was rapidly covering ground but the first two attacks had left the ones at the centre as the new frontline.
They dashed through the flames and continued on their journey for prey.
Nevius made his move by turning around a hundred or so horrors into grotesque ice sculptures that would not sell for any price.
Salum followed up by releasing about fifty arrows that shattered the ice skewered them to death and went on to kill more of the horde.
They had killed about a third of the initial amount and the rest would soon follow after.
It had become a free for all as Nevius and the red warriors dashed foward leaving behind Cecilia, Velena and Salum.
Framel was the first to make contact as her glowing spear ripped apart the horrors. Monique was pounding them to death whereas Asla's wide swings were wiping them out in large numbers.
Nevius bathed his blades in mana that turned into two curved ice blades which he joined together at the hilt and threw it foward which then rotated and decapitated the horrors it came into contact with.
After losing a bit of the initial momentum, it came back to its owner and were once again separated as Nevius met the horrors head on weaving theough their ranks killing them cleanly and efficiently.
Some explosions would ring out from the back of the horde, but being a free for all massacre no one seemed to care enough as they engaged in their own personal battle.
No horror passed them as they had strategically placed themselves while bathing themselves in dark blood of their enemies.
They had engaged in battle for approximately thirty minutes and had finally emerged victorious.
Apart from small injuries and scrappings in their armour the reds were relatively unharmed.
Nevius did a double take realising that they wore armour beneath their clothing. The only thing he had going for him was the enchanted ninja attire he wore, though it was more favourable than the armour.
He wanted to relax and praise himself for a job well done, but his danger sense went haywire as he blasted through the girls and deflected the claw that had almost beheaded Velena.
Framel sprung into action thrusting her spear at the unknown enemy, creating a sonic boom but unluckily missing her target.
Things had finally gotten out of control as they all encircled around Cecilia and got a clear look at the assailant.
It was of the same ilk as the horrors they has killed. But this one was leaner, stronger and worst of all smarter.
The situation grew tenser as another one appeared out of thin air beside it. Nevius had been unable to detect its presence which in all honesty increased their chances of dying.
He did not want to reveal all his abilities initially but the situation had turned dire and survival demanded extreme measures.
They stood there growling and menacing with those yellow and green eyes of theirs as they scrapped their teeth together in preparation for a meal.
The fast one disappeared from its position but Nevius' desperation proved to be faster.
By the time it was done swinging its claws, Nevius and the girls were floating with ice chains wrapped around their waists.
The green eyed bastard holered a scream at them rupturing their ear drums but instead of being shaken, Nevius stood horizontally on seeminly nothing, crouched on the air itself and flew with a bang to the only remaining safe direction pulling the girls along with the ice chains.
The two horrors screeched in joy and gave chase honoring the hunt.