The battlefield roared with the clash of steel, the hum of divine energy, and the scent of burning air as Mary and Lela met the hunters head-on. The moment the enemies activated Fallen Ascendance, their speed and strength surged, forcing Mary and Lela onto the defensive.
Mary barely dodged a strike from the first hunter, his sword carving through the ground where she had stood. She countered with Mist Blade, the three-pronged attack forming a prison of slashes around her opponent.
But this time, he was ready. His body twisted unnaturally, dodging two of the slashes while blocking the third with a sudden burst of energy. The runes on his armor flared, absorbing the impact.
They're not just stronger—they're adapting.
Lela, meanwhile, struggled against the lead hunter. His movements, once rigid, were now fluid, almost monstrous. Every attack from Gáe Bolg was countered with an equal force, sparks flying from the colliding weapons.
He feinted a thrust, then suddenly vanished.
Lela's eyes widened. Teleportation? No—
Before she could react, a blade carved across her side. She gritted her teeth as searing pain shot through her body. Her armor had absorbed most of the impact, but the force behind it was enough to send her skidding backward.
"Too slow," the hunter muttered, his voice distorted by the dark energy surging within him.
Loosie, who had been darting between attacks, barely avoided a fatal strike. "Guys, this isn't looking great."
Mary's gaze flickered toward Lela's wound. "We have to end this. Now."
Lela steadied herself, blood staining her side. "Agreed."
Unleashing Their True Power
Mary took a deep breath and focused, channeling everything into Saber of Mist. The air around her warped as her aura flared, pushing against the oppressive energy of the hunters. Lela mirrored her, divine lightning crackling around Gáe Bolg.
The lead hunter tensed. "They're going to—"
He never finished. Mary and Lela moved at once, their bodies flickering as they blurred forward. Mary activated Mist Blade, but this time, she didn't aim to trap—she aimed to kill. Her blade weaved through space itself, cutting through the very air around her opponent.
The hunter moved to counter—only to realize too late that he was already within the slash's reach.
Three simultaneous blades carved through him, bypassing his defenses. He staggered, his body trembling as dark energy bled from the wounds.
Lela, at the same moment, activated Angel Bolt. But rather than a simple strike, she thrust Gáe Bolg into the sky.
The heavens themselves answered.
A spear of divine lightning descended like judgment incarnate, striking the battlefield with a deafening boom. The shockwave sent even Loosie stumbling backward as raw energy exploded outward.
The lead hunter, still recovering from Mary's attack, could do nothing as the lightning consumed him. His body disintegrated within seconds, his scream lost to the storm.
The remaining two hunters, witnessing their leader's death, hesitated for the first time.
That was their mistake.
Mary and Lela struck in unison, their blades severing the remaining hunters in a single motion. Their bodies crumbled into nothingness, leaving only silence in their wake.
The Aftermath
Loosie let out a long breath. "Well… that was intense."
Mary and Lela stood amidst the destruction, their weapons still crackling with residual energy. The air was thick with the remnants of divine power and the fading scent of burnt ozone.
Lela pressed a hand against her wound, wincing. "Damn… they were stronger than expected."
Mary turned to Loosie. "You said they were hunters. Does that mean more will come?"
Loosie hesitated. "Most likely. If these guys were the advance team, then their leaders won't just let this go."
Mary exhaled, tightening her grip on Saber of Mist. "Then we need to get stronger. Fast."
Lela nodded. "And we need answers. Who sent them? How do they know about us?"
Loosie crossed her arms, deep in thought. "There's someone who might know. If we head to the Obsidian Library, we might find records on the Forgotten Hunters. It's risky, but…"
Mary smirked. "We like risky."
Lela chuckled. "Let's move, then. Before more of them show up."
With that, the trio vanished into the night, heading toward their next destination. Unbeknownst to them, in the ruins of the battlefield, a single rune flickered—sending a silent message into the void. Their fight wasn't over. It was just beginning