Hound stood his ground between the recovering twins and the rest of the battlefield, his spear moving in smooth circles as bursts of white light traveled along the shaft and tip.
The flashes weren't meant to intimidate.
They interrupted sightlines, forced hesitation, and kept the brothers focused on him instead of the others.
The twins gradually shook off the effects of the Flashbang and grinned as their vision returned.
"That was your chance to kill us, old fool," one of them laughed, spinning his short sword around a finger. "You won't catch us with that trick again."
His brother immediately copied the flourish, both of them launching into a ridiculous series of spins and flips that would've looked more like a circus act if their blades weren't razor sharp.
Then they both let go. The swords didn't fall. Instead, they hovered.
Steel rotated lazily around them before suddenly accelerating, circling the twins like hungry predators waiting for a command.
Hound's grip tightened. 'Telekinesis.'
That explained their confidence.
A short distance away, Quade exploded forward with his katana raised.
Eyes burning. "Where the hell is Lorenzo?!" he roared while charging the backline. "Did that little asshole really run away?!"
The bandits erupted into laughter.
One of the twins cupped his hands around his mouth. "Looks like your friend abandoned you, scar-face!"
The woman cackled. "Poor little thing. Left all alone."
The archer grinned while drawing another arrow. "Don't worry. We'll keep you company."
Quade ignored all of them.
His feet hammered against the ground as he closed the distance, weaving around incoming arrows while batting others away with his katana and sheath.
The barrage never stopped.
Every time he gained ground, another projectile forced him to dodge.
Every time he adjusted, another arrow appeared.
The support pair fought like a single unit.
Nearly a minute passed before the woman lifted her twisted staff again.
The Ether-cores embedded within it pulsed green.
A harsh chant escaped her lips. "Strength of the fallen, curse of the weak. Rise and strike. Make their blood leak."
The spell surged into the archer.
Immediately, the next arrow flew faster. Then another came faster than the one before.
The projectiles screamed through the air.
Quade blocked two.
Dodged a third.
Barely avoided a fourth.
Despite all his effort, the distance between them never changed.
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Every meter he gained vanished beneath the relentless assault.
On the opposite side of the battlefield, Zyon faced the bandit leader alone.
The brute rested his axe on one shoulder and studied him for a moment.
Then he laughed. "Got some fight in you, kid."
The man tapped his chest. "Name's Slicer."
The axe shifted slightly. "We're from a guild close by. We've got a nice little operation going on."
A grin stretched across his face. "We break shops at night and collect protection contracts during the day. We make roads dangerous, then get paid to guard travelers."
He chuckled. "Simple business."
Zyon's expression hardened. "You're parasites."
"Profitable parasites." The man pointed his axe toward him.
"Join us. We could use a glowing little shit like you to light up caves and such."
Zyon's answer came instantly. "Never."
Golden light spread across Zyon's shield.
Not enough to drain him.
Just enough to buy time.
That's all he needed to do.
Slicer charged. "Then die."
His hardened left arm swung like a wrecking ball while his right hand brought the huge battle axe down in a devastating overhead strike.
Zyon was faster. He dodged and weaved, staying just out of reach, using his smaller size and agility to his advantage.
The brute snarled and swung his hardened arm again.
This time, sharp obsidian-like shards exploded from the rocky surface, flying toward Zyon like deadly needles.
Zyon raised his glowing shield, blocking the shards with bright sparks and loud clangs. The impacts rattled his arm but held.
Right after, the battle axe came screaming down. Zyon rolled desperately to the side, the axe burying itself deep into the ground where he had stood moments before.
The ground exploded apart.
Before he could recover, the stone arm descended like a falling boulder.
Zyon barely got his shield up.
CRASH!
The impact rattled every bone in his body.
Pain exploded through his shoulder.
His knees dug into the dirt.
Slicer laughed.
A deep, ugly sound. "That's it, boy!"
The fist came down again. And again. And again.
Each strike hammered the shield like a blacksmith working metal.
Shockwaves raced through Zyon's arms.
His Heka drained steadily.
The shield held.
Barely.
Nearby, Hound's own battle was becoming increasingly dangerous.
The twins attacked from every angle, their floating swords constantly changing direction while their owners danced around the battlefield with infuriating mobility.
One blade came from above.
Hound redirected it.
The second shot toward his ribs.
The master turned the spear and knocked it away.
A twin immediately followed with a kick.
The old adventurer caught it on the shaft and forced the attacker backward.
For several exchanges, the fight remained balanced.
Hound's experience countered their speed.
His discipline countered their recklessness.
Then the first wound appeared.
A floating sword slipped through his defenses and sliced across his thigh.
Moments later, another blade cut his forearm.
The twins noticed immediately.
Their smiles widened. "You're slowing down, old man!"
One flipped backward while controlling both floating swords.
The other lunged low.
Hound blocked the strike, but a second blade slashed toward him from behind.
The spear redirected it at the last second.
The pressure kept mounting as attacks came from every direction. Floating blades slashed from impossible angles while the twins constantly shifted positions, forcing Hound to divide his attention between steel, telekinesis, and their relentless movement. They fought with unsettling coordination, like two bodies sharing the same mind.
A hard kick slammed into Hound's ribs and forced him backward. The moment his footing shifted, both floating swords shot forward to exploit the opening.
Steel flashed through the darkness, but Hound met the assault with a defensive spin, bursts of white light racing along his spear as he deflected one blade and knocked the other aside.
For now, it was enough.
Blood trickled down his leg while his breathing grew heavier with every exchange. The twins still looked fresh, still full of energy, whereas every cut and every dodge was slowly taking its toll on him.
'I need an opening.' Hound's eyes never left his opponents. 'And I need it soon.'
Ten meters away, Quade's situation had become even worse.
The archer and the woman worked together with terrifying efficiency.
Every arrow carried her power.
Every hit changed the battlefield.
Then an arrow grazed Quade's side.
Nothing deep, but the effect was immediate.
His body felt heavier.
Slower.
Like invisible chains had wrapped around his limbs.
"Damn it!" He stumbled.
"She can enhance and suppress!" The warning carried across the battlefield.
Everyone heard it.
A second arrow sliced through his thigh.
The sluggish feeling intensified.
A third followed almost immediately.
This one punched straight through his left shoulder.
The impact spun him sideways and blood erupted from the wound.
His left arm instantly went numb.
The sheath slipped from lifeless fingers.
A heartbeat later, his katana followed.
Both weapons hit the ground.
Quade staggered, and his vision blurred as pain flooded through him.
Then a scream ripped through the battlefield.
High-pitched.
Quade's head snapped up.
The scream hadn't come from him.
But Quade saw exactly who it was.