The tension peaked as they found themselves encircled by transformed Aqua Variant Genea. Their slick, shimmering bodies dripped with water, and their glowing yellow eyes pierced through the dim light. Deep growls mixed with the splashes of water, echoing ominously from the fearsome creatures. It was a chilling prelude, a promise of the chaos to come.
Grido adjusted his glasses, his expression grave as he assessed the situation. His sharp mind raced, calculating their next move, but beneath his stoic exterior, a flicker of unease gnawed at him. "This isn't right," he thought. "The reports said this dungeon was manageable. But this… this is a slaughterhouse." He clenched his fists, the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. If they didn't make it out, it would be on him.
"Alright, listen up!" he yelled, his voice cutting through the strained atmosphere. "Akira, you and Anna. Stick together. Your task is to keep them distracted and create opportunities for us. Throw everything you've got at them, but never enter the waters!"
Akira scowled but nodded. "Got it."
He glanced at Anna, who was already crouched and ready, her daggers glinting in the early sunlight.
Grido turned to Victor, his tone firm. "Victor, I have just one thing to say: go wild and kill as many as you can."
Victor smirked, cracking his neck. "Now you're speaking my language."
Akira couldn't help but frown, a question nagging at him. "Wait, isn't Victor a close-combat Star too? What can he do from afar?"
Anna laid a firm yet reassuring hand on Akira's shoulder. "Don't worry," she said with a playful smile. "Just wait and see."
Victor stepped forward, his sword already poised for battle. A palpable shift occurred as his energy surged, an electrifying aura enveloping him. He activated his skill: Battle Zone.
A soft glow surrounded Victor as he raised his hand toward one of the Werehyena Aqua Variant Genea, pointing a single finger at it. In the blink of an eye, Victor and the targeted monster vanished.
"What the—where did they go?" Akira exclaimed, scanning the area frantically.
Anna giggled. "Victor's Battle Zone is a special skill," she explained. "It creates a closed, white area where he and his chosen opponent fight one-on-one. The skill continues until one of them dies."
Akira blinked, processing the information. "Really?"
Anna shrugged. "In this world, almost anything can happen. But..." Her expression turned serious. "It's a very dangerous choice. Each time, Victor risks his life using it."
Before Akira could respond, a deafening screech filled the air, and a massive shadow loomed overhead. Akira's eyes widened as a grotesque beast came into view. It was a monstrous bird-like creature with the face of an eagle, its sharp eyes scanning the battlefield. Its muscular legs ended in long, razor-sharp talons, while its mouth, filled with jagged teeth capable of crushing bone, resembled that of a tiger. Its ears twitched like a wolf's, and a long, whip-like tail sliced through the air.
"Geez, what in the world is that?!" Akira exclaimed, his voice rising in disbelief.
"What do you think of my familiar?" Grido asked, riding atop the beast. The creature was none other than the small bird that had always perched on his shoulder, now transformed into its true, majestic form.
"It fits you," Akira said, his tone a mix of awe and disbelief.
"Hahaha, isn't that right, newbie?" Grido replied with a grin.
With a wild scream, the beast dove, its talons snagging a Werehyena. The creature struggled and scratched but couldn't break free. A terrible crunch echoed as the Werehyena was torn to pieces, its lifeless body dropping into the ocean.
"Don't worry," Grido said confidently. "Victor never loses a fight in such a situation. Not on this level."
As if to prove him right, Victor reappeared moments later. Emerging from the wavering air of the Battle Zone, his form was bloodied but victorious. His sword dripped with fresh blood, and behind him, the lifeless body of the Werehyena fell into the yellow ocean. His eyes gleamed with triumph, and a smirk spread across his face as he rejoined the group.
"One down," Victor said casually, swinging his blade to flick off the blood. "Who's next?"
Akira couldn't hide his admiration. A slow smile spread across his face, his dark eyes sparkling with excitement. "That was amazing," he said, his voice filled with genuine wonder. "Fucking amazing."
But the victory was short-lived. As the other Werehyenas saw their fallen comrade, they let out screams of rage and agony. The air grew thick with the stench of blood and carnage. The once-calm ocean had turned into a grim battlefield, littered with the lifeless bodies of Werehyenas.
Suddenly, a horrifying roar of fury erupted from one of the creatures as more Werehyenas appeared, their cries filled with grief and rage, echoing like monstrous howls. Their numbers doubled, then tripled, as reinforcements arrived, their misshapen forms surging forward.
"More of them?!" Anna breathed deeply, her trembling hand gripping her daggers. Her movements, once fluid, now faltered as her body grew heavier with each passing second.
The Werehyenas retaliated with jagged spears of water, hurled with inhuman precision. Anna dodged as best she could, her agility saving her for now, but she knew she would tire far faster than the enemy.
Victor staggered back into the group, his armor battered and bloodied, his sword dragging heavily behind him. Blood smeared across his face, a gruesome mix of his enemies' and his own. His energy flickered like a dying ember, perilously close to extinguishing.
"I've taken out six more," he gasped, sweat streaming down his brow. "But I'm done. I'm tapped out—barely any mana left, and my body's giving in."
Grido crashed to a stop beside them, his massive beast wheezing, its talons cracked and feathers slick with gore. Normally stoic and calculating, Grido now looked worn and grim. Wiping the gore from his face, his voice trembled with disbelief.
"How… how is this possible? It's been a long time, and they just keep coming! Where are they all coming from?!"
Victor leaned against his broadsword, his smirk replaced by deep frustration. "If these were normal Aqua Genea, I could've killed twice as many, and we would've been done with this long ago. But this—" He weakly gestured toward the oncoming horde, his fingers trembling. "This is not normal. They're all so strong, capable of long-range attacks, and there are just so many of them. There's simply no escaping this."
Anna's resolve wavered, her knuckles white as she clenched her daggers. Despair crept into her voice. "What's left to do now? Grido-san, what do we do?!"
Grido said nothing. His face was set, fists clenched, as his beast let out a weak, labored screech, teetering on the brink of collapse.
Akira, who had been silent throughout the chaos, stood a little apart from the others. His face was masklike, his tanned features unreadable, and his black eyes fixed intently on the storming horde of twisted, snarling beasts.
"Tch," he growled, clicking his tongue in impatience. For a moment, his eyes flickered to his team: Anna, reaching her breaking point; Victor, drained of every ounce of energy; and Grido, whose moment of surging power had been spent. The Stars were seasoned, stubborn veterans of impossible struggles, but Akira saw the truth.
"This is all they can do. At the start of the raid, I doubted their ability and wondered why this kind of team was appointed for this dungeon. But they proved me wrong. They're strong—indubitably strong. But against this horde, this type of enemy..."
"They said this is one of the easiest C-Rank dungeons because the monsters can't attack us on this tiny island, giving STARS a huge advantage..." Akira's face remained stoic, but a thin-lipped smile played on his lips. His fists clenched as if the air itself hummed with anticipation, swelling from him in one huge, terrible tremor.
"Funny how 'easiest' turned into 'deadliest' real quick... But I've seen enough."
His voice was low, almost a whisper, yet it cut through the chaos like a knife.