Hedin stepped back, keeping his eyes on the approaching wolgrams.
The raven overhead split apart into seven different forms, four heading to the mansion and two to the village, while one continued to fly above him. The dog held in his hand remained still, unnaturally so. Trees stretched into darkness on either side and the hundreds of glowing eyes amid them did not go unnoticed by the children.
They screamed.
Hedin felt his stomach churn as he held onto the dog. The more he thought about it, the more the beast's aura began to seem like corrupted mana.
He did not like that.
Everything was silent. Even the wind howling amid the trees had fallen silent. Hedin continued to back away. The wall of trees was a few steps away, the children further still. They had not moved, Hedin realized.
Just then, an abrupt shift went through the air.
The dog in his grasp began to struggle. His grip on it's neck tightened, a grip that would have snapped the neck of any lesser animal. Instead, his grip began to grow wider.
His eyes widened as he realized what was happening. And in the split second that he did-
Bam!
Crack!
The dog's body crashed through the trees as light burst out from Hedin's body, bathing the forest in the glow of a thousand mornings. Just then, hearing gasps of horror behind him, he turned to the kids and shouted at the top of the lungs, "There's witch beasts! Alert everyone in the village! The barrier is failing!"
His words, as if holding a tangible effect on reality made the kids stiffen in surprise. As if mechanically, they broke into a sprint towards the village - shouting at the top of their lungs.
And all hell broke loose.
He felt something moving through the trees. Unnatural, fast, mowing through the landscape like a natural disaster. The trees parted and he felt as if his back had been pierced with icicles.
Death.
Swooooosh!
Shiiiing!
His eyes widened and his heart seemed to leap out of his chest. He ducked, feeling a blade of wind swipe past his skin. Hedin felt himself get swept off his feet. The world felt like it had been reduced to a blur. Until everything came to a standstill with a large crash.
Crash!
Boom!
He slammed right into a house, the wood giving way under his frame. His back felt as if it was lit on fire and his bowels churned - right before it was all pushed back by the rising light from the recesses of his body. The thing was on him again. With the same velocity, unnaturally fast.
He grabbed a hold of the ground and pushed himself horizontally. He slid under the beast's legs and hopped to his feet. Now, he took a look.
It was a large creature, two times as large as him and almost four times as long. It looked predominantly like a lion, a majestic white mane resting over it's sensitive neck that dragged floating appendages with unknown function and jagged teeth like daggers resting in it's mouth. Each of it's feet was thin for it's body and shaped like a goat's, with hooves black as obsidian and seemed as if it could punch straight through steel. It's violet fur held a silver sheen as it moved in complete silence. Finally, a long snake-like tail dragged behind it.
"And what manner of creature are you?" Hedin asked, not expecting a reply. He had not yet read about mabeasts. His knowledge about Wolgrams stepped from the fact that the village had settlements of them around.
He had never heard such a peculiar beast be mentioned.
"Whatever, all the same to me." His eyes, gleaming like miniature suns gazed at the lion shaped beast.
He reached into his coat and pulled out a brass dagger - a ceremonial knife which must always be carried by a hunter. It was symbolic of the first hunter cutting himself while being crucified, ridding himself of blasphemy in the process and dying a normal man.
"Come on, then!" Hedin yelled.
Boom!
...
Shopping was always a way for Rem to relax. Resupplying the mansion with food and fiber was one of the best expressions of her ability and one of the times when she felt free. It was just her and the products.
Alas, today, it seemed that it was not going to be so.
Boom!
Rem's ears perked up as she looked towards the far end of the village. The villagers beside her instantly became alert and began to scramble.
In the sky, two ravens approached with haste.
"Mabeasts! Mabeasts!" They croaked.
Her eyes widened and strength instantly filled her legs. She dropped the basket on the ground and the ground splintered below her feet.
Boom!
Whooosh!
Air brushed past her uniform, the world blending into a monotonous blur as she sped past the houses. Instantly, her nose picked up scents.
Hundreds upon hundreds of different scents.
Witch beasts.
And in no small numbers.
The forest all around them seemed like a death trap. And they were the sitting ducks.
Why did the barrier fail?! Rem screamed in her mind but the answer eluded her. For a moment, her mind drifted over to Hedin. What was the chance that the barrier failed just when the new visitor started coming to the village?
And just as quickly that thought arose, she squashed it then and there.
The ravens had alerted the village and the explosion from before symbolized conflict.
He might have been trying to repel the witch beasts.
Rem clicked her tongue as she felt the mabeasts moving into the village from all angles.
"Tell the able bodied to arm themselves! Do not be defenseless! Rest of you get inside!" She yelled at the villagers and moved towards the forest.
A wolgram pounced on a villager, a middle aged man.
Clanking!
Rattle!
A sound rang in the air, the rattle of metal - the sound of chains.
Splat!
A heavy object slammed into the wolgram's head, crushing it to death in a heartbeat.
The man was frozen on the ground as Rem landed before him.
"Go!" She yelled some sense into the man who immediately began running.
Rem turned to the forest.
Red eyes gleamed from the darkness, accompanied by growls of hunger and malice. She flexed the chain in her hand, the morningstar dragging behind her, furrowing out the soil.
"Filthy witch beasts..."
Woof! Woof! Woof!
Snarl!
Rattle!
...
The ravens flew straight to the mansion and two crashed right into the window to Hedin's room. One of the ravens crashed right into the bed and the other flew to the corner to take the sword in it's claws. It's body began to mold itself like wax, splitting apart into three, each holding onto the blade.
The other raven got up and held the revolver in it's mouth.
And without wait, they flew out of the mansion and towards the village again.
The other two headed straight for Emilia's study room.
They crashed right through the window, alarming Emilia who was engrossed in her studies.
"Raven!?" She exclaimed, running over to see what was happening.
"Mabeast attack! Mabeast attack!" The ravens croaked collectively.
The colour drained from Emilia's face, realizing what the words meant.
"But how?! Wasn't there a barrier around the village!?"
"Tampered! Tampered!" The reply came without missing a beat. The lifeless red eyes stared at her, waiting for a response.
Behind her, blue light bloomed.
"Hedin is there at the village." The voice said. "He might be able to hold off the witch beasts for some time.
"We should make Ram aware of this." Puck's disposition was serious and his tone carried a strange wait. In the first place, it was rare for him to be out so late. In fact, it was almost time for him to sleep for the day.
"Right!"
Not wishing to waste time, she ran out to find the other maid.
...
Boom! Boom! Crash!
Hedin crashed through the trees, uprooting dirt and wood alike. Debris flowed up and buried him beneath as as tail swipe struck the ground.
He suppressed a groan as the light continued to flood his body. His strength, he felt, soaring as it always did. Far beyond anything possible for normal humans.
Heat began to bloom all around him and his body flew up!
Boom! Shaaa!
The debris flew into the air and fell like meteorites. Hedin landed atop the trees, the brass knife in his hand and looked to the beast.
Whatever it was, it was strong, fast, and unbelievably tough.
It moved below the canopy and the tree fell. Hedin landed on the ground and the jaws of the beast were around him, threatening to split his body into two!
Bam!
The beast staggered and Hedin wasted no time in pummeling it with more blows. He held the knife in a reverse grip and started hacking away at it's hide.
It's tough...
He sensed a wolgram behind him and ducked. It passed above him, meeting the lion who split it apart with a wack from it's tail. The light around his body intensified and wrapped around the knife.
"Fuck you." Hedin smiled and leapt into the air. The lion, sensing danger retreated into the trees.
"El Jiwald." He whispered and cast out his hand. His mana, bubbling due to glory began to surged out from his gate, transforming into magic through the use of words. Light beams shot out from his fingertips and moved in a claw swipe!
Fwiiish!
Shaaa!
Booooooom!
The destruction was obvious.
It's hide is too thick to pierce with normal attacks and it's using the trees to hide from magical attacks. I can overtake it in physical blows up that'll take too much time. He exhaled. He did not yet have the power to use Al and Ul Jiwald. Using magic, as he had come to find, required more nuance than just uttering the phrase. The wolgrams must be attacking the village at this point. I'll finish this quick. He decided. Feeling three wolgrams pouncing upon his back, he swiped his knife.
Light surged out and wrapped around his weapon. The surrounding forest, bathed in darkness instantly lit up from the attack!
Shiiii!
The wolgrams died in an instant, their necks cut from a quick attack. The wound had signs of being withered.
Hedin stood his ground, still feeling hundreds of eyes watching him. As he observed them, another question arose in his mind.
Why were they so coordinated? They were beasts, were they not? There was no way for them to be like such. Unless there was a governing power over them.
Is it the puppy? Hedin had no time to linger on that thought. He sensed movement to the right and he responded in kind. The spirits around him jumped up and down in joy as glory continued to fill the environment.
His senses expanded to cover a vast area, sensing the individual blades of grass fluttering in the wind, the wolgrams rushing through the forest, the trees getting toppled over. And between them, himself and the lion.
The beast had sustained some injuries but nothing substantial.
Hoooooo~
"I'll make this painful for you." He chuckled darkly and rushed upon the beast.
Zoooom!
The ground beneath his feet spiderwebbed with splinters as he moved. The lion wasted no time in countering with it's own frightening speed.
They moved through the forest with deadly grace, drawing further from the village. No wolgram was able to intervene in the fight anymore. If they interfered, they would be killed instantly by either party simply as the collateral.
Hedin jumped atop it's hide, barely escaping getting caught in it's terrible jaws and drove his knife right into it's left eye.
Roaaaar!
The lion roared in pain. It was the first time it had roared since they had started fighting. Pressing the advantage, Hedin stabbed it over and over again in the same eye.
Blood spurted like a fountain, bathing his form red. The lion stopped, brushing and slamming itself against trees, the ground and rocks - anything to rid itself of the human that clung to it's body. In just a few seconds, it's strength began to wane and the left eye began to show signs of withering.
The fur around it's head began to turn grey and fall off and the mane became wilted.
Eventually, the lion laid silently on the ground, unable to even roar out in pain. Hedin stood over it, his eyes unimpressed and cold.
He did not say anything. Only drove his knife into it's chest - and this time, he pierced it.
Withdrawing his knife, he looked back to the village. Wolgrams were blocking his path.
He looked to the sky where ravens were approaching. With his weapons.
Out of nowhere, he could not help but think back to the first words Lord Malison, the current Master of Arms, had told him after he had finished his training.
'Just go out there and kill a few beasts will you?'
He ran a hand through his hair. Somewhere along the line, his hat had fallen off.
"No rest for the wicked."
...
I am currently on a short vacation. I had a small time off at night and didn't want to upload a purely notice chapter so I uploaded one of the advanced chapters.
Hope you enjoy it.
Normal uploads will resume from Monday.
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(Image Here)
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A/N: Read upto 10 advanced chapters on my patreon: patreon . c o m/Yesnth Just remove the spaces from between.
Cheers~