An icy shiver ran down Adam's spine as he listened to Morgane's description of the Pontianak. 'At least she doesn't rely on curses. But why target men?!' He thought, his lips quivering.
Then, his eyes widened as the fatal beauty raced towards the unexpecting Julius, her hand ready to gut him. The temperature noticeably dropped as her satisfied snarl resounded, and her eyes glowed with satisfaction.
"NO!" He roared, materialising his Luminous Wildblade. With a swift movement, he sliced the air, leaving light and dark hues behind the weapon, and blocked the terrible strike.
Astonished by the ghost's interference, she released a blood-curdling scream as she pushed her arm onward, gaining the upper hand for a few millimeters and showcasing her abnormal physical strength.
However, a veil of light suddenly enveloped her adversary, causing her strength to wane incomprehensibly. "Leave the boy behind, or I'll devour your jewels after I'm done with you!" She spat through gritted teeth, her cold aura flaring and the mesmerising flowery scent she emanated intensifying.
'I don't have any jewels? What is she..." He thought, his brows furrowing before his luminous eyes narrowed dangerously as he understood what she meant. With an outraged yell, he gathered his strength and pushed the blade, regaining the upper hand against the weakened Pontianak. "No one will touch that, much less devour them!"
Then, with a final push, he sliced through the nails, breaking and engulfing them in purifying light. As the black nails disintegrated, the Pontianak jumped back, freeing herself from the light veil and intensifying her scent.
Adam floated before the stunned Julius and summoned his Blade of Adaptation in his left hand, ready to subdue the creature.
However, Morgane's voice suddenly rang worriedly, "She can mesmerise men if you inhale her scent!"
As the Pontianak's lips curled, revealing her jagged teeth, and laughed, worry veiled Adam's heart. Swiftly, he turned and noticed Julius' lightless eyes.
"Shit," he muttered, raising his hand.
A resounding slap echoed through the cave as he pivoted back to face the creature.
"Ouch! Why did you hit me?!" The boy screamed, patting his skull in pain and confusion.
"Protect Morgane, and don't breathe her smell!" Adam shouted back, his voice commanding as he floated towards his adversary, unaffected by the smell.
As he reached her, swinging both hands in a cross-motion to deal devastating damage, her body twitched and convulsed, causing his eyes to widen and his movement to slow down momentarily.
With a smirk unbefitting her new face, she pivoted, her golden hair fluttering wildly and her silhouette blurring as she delivered a kick at Adam's chest, knocking the air out of him.
"Argh!" He screamed, clenching his teeth to endure the pain as his body flew back a few meters before colliding with the ground. He scrambled to his feet, his face contorting in anger as he gazed at the familiar facade the evil ghost used.
"Don't wear her face!" He roared, three sharp and spinning arrowheads appearing behind him with a crackling hum. With a hateful glare, he propelled the projectiles and launched himself behind them. He wouldn't tolerate anyone staining her memory. It was now a personal battle to the death.
Startled by the unexpected reaction, the Pontianak's golden eyes narrowed. Usually, after she shapeshifted, other men lost their fighting spirits and stood frozen. So why did he seem more aggressive? 'Maybe he needs more to fall to my knees?' She pondered, lowering her gaze as an idea popped into her mind.
Acting on it, she swiftly ripped her white t-shirt, revealing her forms to the charging man with a devious smile. However, her eyes widened as his reaction deviated from her expectations again.
Adam's face contorted as he bit on his teeth hard enough to feel them sink. A guttural roar escaped his lips as he detonated the air behind him. His speed, boosted by the controlled blast, soared, exceeding the arrows, as he reached her in a flash.
He swung his right arm downwards, dodging her raised arm in a feint. Then, he pivoted his arm in an instant and struck upwards, taking her off guard.
The Luminous Wildblade pierced her stomach and continued its trajectory until it left through her right shoulder.
"AAAAAAAAAH." A pained shriek echoed as the Pontianak felt the terrible sensation of her insides burning.
An explosion of blinding radiance followed, consuming her negative energy. Yet, her pupils dilated as she saw the ghost's hate-filled gaze and his raised right hand.
Time seemed to stop for her as he swung his arm, and the dark blade closed on her neck. What had she done wrong? Her ability made her transform into a person cherished by her target. So, why did he become more ruthless even after she tempted him with her body?
She pondered the question as the blade approached dangerously until her eyes lit up with realisation. 'He must be an eunuch! That's why he wasn't tempted!' She exclaimed inwardly, happy to have resolved the mystery as her head flew into the air and her body collapsed amidst brilliant flames.
Fortunately, Adam couldn't hear her thoughts...
As her scarlet red frame dissipated in the wind, Adam turned towards Julius, his left eye twitching and ordered, "Forget what you saw and never mention it."
"Heee? Why?" He replied in confusion before seeing the narrowing eyes of his big brother. "Everything happened too fast, and I focused on guarding Morgan. I didn't see anything." He added, his back straight and a drop of sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Humph. Use the talisman on her essence." Adam said before cursing the evil ghost in his mind.
After Julius retrieved the ghost essence, Morgane stepped forward and asked emotionlessly, "Why didn't you use spells to end things in seconds?" A mage fighting in melee, blades in hand, made no sense to her.
"Because our expedition just started, and my mana is not unlimited." He answered, sighing at her inexperience. Conjuring a few mana arrows was fine, but Atom Blast consumed a lot already, not to mention his two new techniques.
"Let's move. I need ten more," Adam said, before raising a brow and asking the girl. "Why did you want to come to this place?"