216 Night Visit

On-route to Goddesses' Fountain

Night

Currently, the entire company was within the confines of their small encampment. Whilst Asai volunteered for first watch for the humans. The elven knights maintained their own careful watch.

The journey so far had been uneventful and boring. Thus, Asai took the chance to stretch his muscles. Entering the nearby woodlands alone to practice his swordsmanship.

Alone, the man slowly practiced his forms. Etching the muscle memory into every fibre that required it. Remembering and recording down the motions, the tension and rotational possibilities of each strike. 

[Decimate: Full Moon] !

A full circle of radiance sliced the falling leaves in two. A clean gust of wind clearing the attack range.

"Both half moon, and full moon takes too much time to cast. Using this skill in a 1v1 setting won't be a good idea after all."

The skill, [Decimate] required large amounts of mana to activate. The more he supplied the blade, the greater the area of effect. 

The gentle aroma of rice once again field the winds. Tickling and teasing Asai's nose. Sheathing his blind, he reset his posture before addressing the dhan.

"Who's there, and what do you want with me?" Asai waited in silence. No reply.

Filling his eyes with divinity, he enhanced his perception of the world. Greater amounts of visual information flew into his brain. Although he couldn't cancel stealth like Robin, Asai could at least notice the inconsistencies upon the world. Certain areas around him simply didn't make sense. 

"There's around 5 of them. I can't see them, but there's areas where the wind simply evades."

He gazed directly at the closest. That was half covered by a tree.

"I can see you." He couldn't. However, to further amplify his bluff, he threw a [Knife Throw].

[Haku: Lvl 70]

A man with black hair tied into a ponytail materialized. In his hand, he spun the little knife that Asai threw. Grinning at the cute act. 

"Which generation suicide squad were you deployed in? I don't remember your face at all brother."

"Well fuck." "The second."

Before he knew it, 4 more dhans appeared, encircling him. All adorning their katars that glistened upon the moon's illumination.

"Wrong answer!"

The five dhans all vaulted

"At least tell me the right answer damnit!"

[Psychic Phantom] [Psychic Phantom] [Psychic Phantom] [Psychic Phantom] [Psychic Phantom] 

Asai responded with his own skill. 

[Decimate: Full Moon] !!

The semi charged skill had laughably small range, due to the lack of mana.

However, Asai had timed it perfect, the sudden burst of both kinetic and mana energies traveling in synergy repelled the five [Psychic Phantom]s. "Fucking hell, I hope these guys aren't friends with Kozumi."

The five dhans immediately leapt back to create distance, all entering [Hide]. "Two can play this game!"

[Sealing Square] !

[Phantom Menace] !

[Hide] !

[Sealing Square] being influenced by [Lingering Shadow] enhanced the skill's effect, creating a 30m range sealing arena that managed to capture all 5 hostile dhans within before they could potentially run. 4 phantom clones appeared and immediately began their own hunt. Whilst the original Asai dived into his own stealth. 

"I'll show you guys why the beasts call me Monster!"

Asai wasn't aware of this but one of his passive skills. [Bloodthirsty] was emitting bloodlust, the killing intent sent shivers down their spines. The fear crept upon their will, they know believed this to be a victory or death fight. This lone dhan must be one of the traitors who abandoned their current patriarch, Xian Par'Talucca. And for such treason, there was only death.

Due to their sudden anxiousness, the dhans made mistake of actually focusing down the phantom clones. Easily dispatching them. The clones were so easy to kill that their fears began to subside, but that didn't last long as another four phantoms quickly emerged again.

A long battle of attrition began, and whenever a dhan became careless, forgetting the presence of the original target.

[Death Call] !

The sudden paralysation would strike them before Asai mercilessly cleaved his torso in two.

[Bloodthirsty]

+20% damage against [Living] targets. Kills regain 10% of missing stamina.

[Endurance]

Stamina, health points and endurance increased +10

The two worked in great synergy. Thus, ensuring that Asai's stamina outlasted his five opponents.

Twenty minutes later of this night-hunt, and their adrenaline no longer fuelled their muscles. Their mana quickly bottomed out as they couldn't handle the tenacity and aggressive suicidal attacks from the phantoms, who constantly forced them to exert their utmost.

[Decimate: Full Moon] !  "Dodge this you cunts!"

A fully empowered Decimate shot forth its golden brilliance, cleaving the darkness of the night apart as it travelled and slammed into a friendly energy signature. [Sealing Square]

4 Dhans collapsed as two. Mouths wide as they couldn't believe they'd lost to someone so young.

The last remaining dhan, appeared out of stealth. His eyes filled with will.

His stance changed to one Asai was very familiar with. Thus, the duke also copied the stance.

[PSYCHIC PHANTOM]!

[ANNIHILATION]!

The golden radiance crashed and devoured the abyssal energywave. Cleaving both the hostile mana and the enemy behind it.

Haku flew backwards, slamming into a tree. Quickly bleeding out, his hands relinquished his katars as his energy left him. Asai Trichia quickly approached and splashed a HP potion onto his wounds.

Confusion immediately spread through Haku's eyes. "Is he letting me live because we're brothers at the end of the day? Or does he desire me to send a message for him to King Xian!?" His eyes fluttered with hope and admiration for Asai's honour.

That was, until Asai impaled all four limbs into the ground with iron daggers.

As a trained warrior, the man wouldn't scream or wail, but tears of agony and pain quickly fell upon his cheeks.

"So, I'll ask again. Who are you, and what do you want with me?" Asai kneeled closer to the man. Two golden fangs within his hands slowly sliced thin lines of crimson upon his legs.

"M-MONSTER!" Haku gazed in horror as the man smiled, seemingly enjoying his blood loss.

"Nice, I levelled up finally. And it seems I was wrong, [Decimate] works pretty damn well in close combat."

[Asai Trichia: Lvl 81]

[HP: 125 MP:115]

[Title: Monster]

Shortly before Haku perished. The man shared a few crucial details to him.

The former prince of Par'Talucca had challenged his own father to a duel for the throne. Blaming the stalemate, and the loss of lives against the dekans upon him. Half of the kingdom trusted the prince Xian who now became King and Patriarch of their kingdom and clan. The population that swore loyalty to the man finally achieved peace as the two species came to a temporary non-aggression-pact. 

The other half who felt disgusted upon the prince's actions for slaying his own father. Were currently considered traitors to the kingdom, fleeing the lands of their ancestors and entering hiding. Rather than allow their clans' secrets to be revealed, hundreds of squads were deployed to hunt them down.

The dekans were preparing for another war, to invade the southern kingdoms. King Xian was quick to jump on the wagon, offering their assistance and contribution. Hoping to end the hostility and becoming allies. United against enemies.

Now, Asai just had to figure out where Kozumi and Mizumi stood. If possible, he wouldn't want to fight them.

"Fuck, I need to tell Lucas to send a message back to Del Lagos. To prepare for war."