In another area of the battlefield, Mada was being faced with ten beasts at once. At first, he thought he had the battle under control, but he was wrong. What he believed to be an opportunity was nothing but a trap, and before he realized it, three of the beasts had successfully lured him into an ambush.
One of the beast’s jaws snapped wide open, its fangs glinting with bloodlust as it aimed straight for his head. Mada braced himself, ready to defend, but then he felt two more powerful auras surge from behind. The beasts had timed it perfectly, deciding to pounce on him from the rear, locking him in a deadly crossfire.
"F*CK." He cursed under his breath, his eyes narrowing in irritation.
The jaws were closing in faster and faster, while the killing intent of the two behind him pressed down heavily on his senses. The air seemed to crackle with danger, yet rather than despair, a strange grin tugged at Mada’s lips.
"Kek." Mada suddenly smiled widely. His grip tightened on his blade as he twirled his sword and, without hesitation, slammed it forward into the jaws lunging for his throat.
The sword sliced cleanly through flesh and bone, splitting the beast’s mouth open and tearing down into its neck in one smooth arc. Blood sprayed in a violent fountain as Mada leaped into the air with explosive force, rising so high it looked as if he were floating for a brief moment.
The beasts that tried pouncing on him tumbled awkwardly to the ground, their claws swiping nothing but empty air as their prey vanished above their reach.
While airborne, Mada’s mind raced. A thought struck him, bold and reckless, but he quickly decided to act on it. His Ki flared around his body like a raging storm, rushing through his veins as he infused it into his internal organs and limbs. Then, without pause, he bent his body downward and shot headfirst toward the earth, spinning wildly like a deadly arrow.
The heavy whistling sound of his descent caused every beast to snap their heads toward the sky. Their instincts screamed danger. As if understanding exactly what Mada planned to unleash, they scattered and leaped back just in time.
A moment later, Mada’s fists slammed into the ground.
The impact thundered across the battlefield as the earth caved in violently. The ground cracked apart and a massive crater spread out beneath him, dust and debris exploding into the air while a shockwave rattled the surroundings.
The beasts stumbled, momentarily disoriented by the sudden quake. That brief second of imbalance was all Mada needed.
He infused his feet with Ki and shot forward with blinding speed, his figure becoming little more than a blur. In an instant, he appeared in front of one of the remaining nine beasts. His sword sliced through the air in a clean, decisive strike. The beast’s head was severed instantly, its lifeless body collapsing while its skull rolled across the ground with a dull thud.
Before the others could even regain full balance, Mada spun around sharply. His Ki surged again, wrapping tightly around his weapon as he gathered his strength. With a guttural shout, he hurled his sword forward with all his might.
The blade ripped through the air with a deafening bang, almost like thunder, before driving itself deep into another Lycan’s skull. The impact was brutal, and the beast froze in shock before collapsing to its knees with a heavy crash, lifeless before it hit the dirt.
Unfortunately, the respite was short-lived. The remaining seven beasts had regained their footing, their glowing eyes burning with fury. They charged at the young descendant with renewed aggression, claws slashing and fangs snapping.
One particularly vicious Lycan swung its claw straight for Mada’s neck, the strike sharp enough to cleave stone. Mada’s response was swift. He leaped back with perfect timing, narrowly avoiding the strike as the claws tore through the air, leaving trails of wind in their wake.
Landing smoothly, Mada’s expression remained calm, almost cold. Then, in one fluid motion, he punched the air. Once. Twice. Three times. Each strike detonated with invisible force, creating loud explosive bangs that echoed across the battlefield. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NovᴇlFɪre.ɴet
Invisible yet heavy shockwaves burst forth, slamming into two of the beasts directly. Their bodies convulsed as the unseen force crushed into their abdomens, hurling them backward violently. Their eyes rolled up, the breath leaving their lungs in painful gasps, before they crashed to the ground, their limbs twitching in disarray.
’I...I...I need to make brother proud. If I don’t show promise, I would be left behind by him and wouldn’t amount to much anymore. I need to show them why I’m the youngest son of the Slade family!’ Mada roared internally as the remaining five beasts bolted for him.
Two of them leaped into the air, aiming to crash into him with full force, while the remaining three darted toward his sides with every ounce of speed they could muster.
Mada, seeing this, simply chuckled loudly. Then, with ease, he leaped a metre back, avoiding the two Lycans soaring past him in the air.
The three Lycans appeared in front of him with their fists rocketing toward his face. With practiced ease, Mada lifted his hand and blocked the first punch, then parried the next.
Soon enough, everything became a blur as the direct descendant moved fluidly. He was dodging, twisting, and avoiding the rapid succession of punches and claw strikes with the elegance of someone who had drilled these movements thousands of times. Just then, he heard loud growls rushing in from his flank.
Spinning on his heel, Mada’s leg snapped out like a whip. He landed a firm kick into one beast’s abdomen, sending it hurtling backward. Before the creature even struck the ground, Mada leaped into the air, flipped, and landed on his hands, using them as a springboard. He pushed off with explosive force and landed directly in front of one of the Lycans he had previously killed by hurling his sword.
Without wasting a second, he yanked his sword free from the dead Lycan’s skull. Immediately, his instincts screamed, and Mada swung the blade backward without looking, impaling a beast that had attempted a sneak attack. The dark blood spilled as he spun with precision, slamming his foot into the already skewered beast and hurling its body into another Lycan. The impact was bone-crunching, and their bodies bounced and tumbled across the ground like ragdolls.
Now, only two beasts remained, circling him with feral eyes, their movements tense and predatory. Tilting his head slightly to the side, Mada glanced at his companions. Rivock was easily overpowering his share of the beasts, moving with raw, brutal efficiency. Noelle fought elegantly, her whip cracking through the air like lightning, striking and restraining her enemies in a dance of lethal grace.
And naturally, Mada’s gaze fell on Grey. The warrior mage was struggling slightly at first but, much to Mada’s dismay, he was quickly regaining control over his fight, adapting and pushing back against his opponents.
’No! I can’t let that peasant take down his share of beasts before I finish mine.’ Mada thought furiously, his pride bristling. The two Lycans in front of him, as if reading his hesitation, lunged forward at once to take him down.
"I don’t have time to play around," he muttered, crouching low, his sharp eyes locking onto the closing beasts.
Channeling his Ki, Mada swirled it toward the soles of his feet, compressing and holding it there with precision. His body leaned forward, palm resting on the hilt of his sword, the blade angled sideways and hungry for blood.
A deafening crack split the battlefield as Mada shot forward, successfully executing the Flash Step skill. In less than a heartbeat, he blinked into existence before the beasts. His sword lashed out, cutting through the air with a clean, merciless arc.
The next moment, he was behind them, skidding to a halt as the beasts staggered forward. Their bodies swayed left and right like drunkards for a few seconds before crashing lifelessly to the ground with a heavy thud.
Mada exhaled sharply, his frown deepening as he flicked his sword upward, sending arcs of black blood splattering to the dirt. The blade gleamed under the light as though demanding more, while Mada’s expression remained hard and unyielding.