-Night. Forest - Nefiru's POV-

A thin rain still falls from the dark cloudy sky hiding the stars in this humid night with a soft breeze inside a darkening ancient forest tens of miles deep into snake grounds on the west where a fight between beasts appears inevitable. I inspect my reserves to prepare for the snake's counterattack under cover of a big tree over dozen meters tall, and over a meter wide trunk where a serpent is recovering at the top which makes it difficult to rush at me with all the branches on the way.

Acha... compressing water is no joke. Water elementals are down to 15%, though increasing thanks to the rainy weather, and Lightning's are at 25% since I lost them after stopping the discharge on the tree. Light elementals 95% which might get a turn soon, and lastly Magic at 40% that is recovering thanks to the Mana crystals in my mouth. I confirmed my depleted resources before replenishing them after detecting no change in the opponent.

After a moment replenishing, noise is approaching through the foliage which Sister positioned on my left at south and brother on my right at north also noticed.

Hmm... let's step back to fight it away from the hiding place since it probably already knows all the lizards down here, and it will make it less cautious. I determined before slowly walking backward a few meters.

The snake slowly came out of the branches flickering its tongue, then stopped meters away, and turned to my siblings before intensely glaring at me.

Uhh... I can't tell if it's pissed or happy to see me... Ooh! It's an angry smile... probably. It must be laughing at the foolish creature standing still after harming its tail and happy to realize we couldn't do much damage even with an ambush. I analyzed the mood of the imposing serpent curving its body downwards from the branches without taking the eyes off me.

Erm... that glare... it was a legitimate strategy! ...Ok? I complained at the creature angry at the very thing it does to hunt. So, could you let us go? I pleaded as the snake lowers the front of its body to the ground slowly before the rest followed.

Yeah, didn't think so.... It probably concluded that it's dealing with the usual dumb beasts around my rank, and the scared siblings won't join the fight. So, it came out of the hiding place preparing to do what these fuckers do most of the time, lash out to bite! Well, it might be a common tactic but effective and saves them magic to run away or chase if need be. I assumed watching the snake coil up to initiate the general attack.

I'll need to be reactive to use my low magic reserves efficiently. I dismiss the idea of going on the offensive at the moment.

The serpent in front of the tree trunk disappearing into a shadow merging with the surroundings that look like a darker background even in night vision and without using wind magic for speed which indicates the preference for ambushes. Although it is possible to confirm the position using Magic to probe, the other party can block it when their Rank is the same or higher, and to be spreading the energy used for battle while risking Spirit leaks would be counterproductive.

Uwah! It does practice darkness!! I affirm recalling the capability of low ranked Darkness magicians to blend with obscured environments by absorbing from infrared to visible light which they are unable to reproduce. Not even using Wind arts to keep quiet, but shining bright light on it is pointless since it hinders my night vision and would be absorbed anyway. I call to mind the Elemental properties to absorb their element which has different degrees of difficulty when it comes to the two affinities ruling over electromagnetic radiation.

The absorption hurdle of Darkness increases with shorter wavelengths and the intensity it can handle from the lower end of the spectrum decreases whereas the ability of Light magicians improves in opposite phenomena creating a boundary that only Rank can surpass. Darkness is capable of absorbing up to low-intensity Blue, but Light Magicians can produce or absorb a high number of photons per second of that small wavelength which makes darkness users incapable of nullifying ultraviolet lasers and Light magic unable to repel microwaves.

However, it doesn't know I can use Light magic which is finally getting a turn... I confirmed before using ultraviolet-to-blue light conversion that allowed me to distinguish the cloaked darkness beast lashing from the left side towards the base of my neck.

Oh, SHIT!! I cursed at my slowness to react.

I quickly contracted the muscles in my legs tilting my body right and pushed the ground with enough force to feel my paws sinking before jumping right to dodge.

*WHOoshh...* The open jaws with foot and half-long teeth pass nearby with a strong wind pressure from the speed, and wind magic used.

The front paws of my airborne body touched down first in the dampened soil whereas my rear did so shortly after, sliding counterclockwise more than ninety degrees from my original position, then sank my claws into the ground to stop and stabilize.

"HUFF..." I exhaled observing the cloaked snake that missed its target curving away from me rather than retracting back to the tree trunk.

That... was too close.... Hurray for light magic! I rejoiced at the effectiveness of the rarely used magic arts. However, I must save light elementals to see the attacks since smell won't register in my brain before the bite because it travels slower than the source, though it helps to track the general direction of the target and the shadow it's visible when it moves around. I affirmed deactivating Light magic in my eyes

Still, I felt like a Mice there for a second... The way it went past me with a significant portion of the body looked like it planned to bite and knock me over before constricting. I gaze at the beast circling counterclockwise while staring my way. Huh? It's not attacking again... Ah! He's probably analyzing why I dodged but won't come up with good reasons other than a fluke or cloaking in the open which could have alerted me to the incoming attack. I determined about the creature maintaining the advantage cloaked.

In any case, I missed an opportunity to do some damage because the lack of preparations, and it's probably getting ready to launch another assault already... at my left flank this time huh? I assess gazing at the long shadow coming together in one place.

Let's see... how to attack it? If I rush towards the black shadow, it will notice the stealth is not having effect and switch to wind magic which is really troublesome for me, but at least the big trees are quite separated at more than ten meters which allow maneuverability. The best way to inflict damage on the serpent is during its attack which is slower without wind magic, but there is no time for my magic to take effect when it doesn't stop moving, and even lightning on the ground will make it retreat, so my priority is to get it to stop for a moment closer to my body. Although snakes hardly stop their bite in midair, this one is already cautious after taking damage, and throwing something to the open mouth could get it to slow down enough for me to hold it somehow. I think of ways to immobilize the creature long enough for my attacks to land.

Hmm... Things I can throw far... a regular icicle which would probably just scratch it with the angle, then a lightning net to get it to full stop, but it will retreat after that using wind, so failure is not an option. The snake thinks it has the advantage using Darkness, and the worse-case scenario is stopping too far since a bite won't be too deep because of the interruption, but it will allow me to electrocute its brain like before too. I plan a risky course of actions that could get me bitten like before, then used Light Magic conversion again.

Hello there! I peek at the snake from the corner of my left eye while looking in the general direction it went after the initial attack.

I start my preparations building a hardened ice lance from the ground up to almost two meters long and thick as a human arm with four rows of spikes to throw at the snake's open mouth, then set up an electric net a meter away from my body. The magical beast prepares to lash at me once more cloaked, but perhaps seeing me unmoving with an ice javelin erected next to me, made it hesitate for a moment and executed a different type of Darkness magic.

Ngh!? Argh... annoying buzzing in my head... high-intensity radio waves huh? I reckon it doesn't have as much effect as it would have on other beasts, but it realized something was wrong because I looked too abnormal standing still while the typical reaction is looking around scared like the siblings or it saw the bright ice lance and deduced that's what it had on the tail. I conjecture the reasons for the beast taking precautions while acting disturbed by the attack to lure it.

After confusing to make sure I wouldn't dodge again, the snake attacked my neck as predicted, but I endured the annoying magic and threw my ice lance into the incoming maw which made the beast retreat using wind magic before getting closer. Having realized his cloaking was not having a full effect somehow, the serpent appears to have tested me doing a feint before removing stealth and used wind coat to retreat at high speed.

OH, COME ON!! You son of a bitch! I complained at the creature back on its original position with an ice rod coming out of the closed mouth before it disappeared into it. Oii! Don't eat my magic just like that! I retorted at the beast acting arrogantly after tricking me, then deactivated light magic as the enemy is not cloaked anymore. Ugh, I failed... it seems I threw lance when it was too far away which didn't even hurt it, but water Elementals are very low now, and I can't spread magic outside the body to recover since the battle still hasn't ended. I concluded collecting Elementals from the portion of magic inside my muscles and essential body parts. Well, I still have 30% Lightning Elementals, and 35% Magic, but since he desisted the idea of ambushing and biting, I won't be able to catch it off guard anymore, so let's just rush to bite. I resolved myself to go on the offensive using my claws and fangs since Magic reserves are small and the target stopped using darkness magic.

I take a pouncing stance holding the mana bottle under my tongue and did lightning boost in my muscles before sprinting towards the coiled serpent under the shade of a tree tens of meters southeast of my position. However, the animal wasted no time when eighteen cloudy balls with almost a meter in diameter appeared around its body before contracting to the size of a tennis ball which looked more like water, and threw them at my chest as I cover half the distance.

*PSSssh...* The balls splashed on impact with the big scales on my chest spreading under them and falling to the ground before creating a white cloud after coming in contact with rain water.

I felt my chest harden along with an intense cold reaching inside which made me stop in my tracks at a couple of meters away, and dodge left as the snake waited for that opportunity to launch another regular bite from my right. Having failed to sink its reflective fangs on my scaly body, he retracted and started producing another row of balls while I take some distance to examine my rigid chest getting closer to brother behind me.

Da fuck?? That shit was liquid nitrogen!!? I inspected the affected area under my scales with Magic. This snake is full of surprises, and I should have known better than to get hit by an attack made by a rank 6... I asserted thawing the frozen tissue using a meager amount of water elementals as the big scales make creaking sounds.

I get it now... Magical beasts don't have a whole repertoire of skills, but they do discover or master effects they can apply to attacks like this snake finding it can compress nitrogen and the green wolf made vacuum balls. However, a nitrogen cloud big enough can even displace all the oxygen in the area when there's hardly any wind like now which would make creatures feel tired before realizing something is wrong, but snakes can hold their breath a really long time. Well, even if it lowers the oxygen in the air which would only make me a little sluggish given my endurance, and I can also produce it in my lungs, but that's a hassle, though it can use the smoke curtain to hide I Analyzed what I'm facing before using light magic and enhanced my vision again to look behind the raising clouds hiding the snake.

Noticing the enemy approaching through the white cloud with more balls, I spread magic outside and collect water elementals which are abundant.

"BROTHER! Flap Wings!" I growled loudly leaving no room to argue.

I looked back at Reylus from the corner of my eye, and the gray dragon hesitated for a moment in confusion at the strange request in the middle of a fight but didn't question it.

*SHUuuk!* He quickly unfolded the long wings reaching fifteen meters and flapped until his front body lifted from the ground while standing on hind legs.

*SHOooO....* The wind blew southeast exposing the snake who was surprised for a moment but continued approaching.

At the same time the wind gusts blow on my body from behind, the target reached seven meters away from where the air current lessened because of the blue lizard and launched the spheres at me, but this time I was a little prepared.

*TSss....* The incoming projectiles intercepted with water balls burst into white clouds that were blown away right after.

I was able to negate dozens of incoming projectiles with water balls, but due to low elementals and multitasking control, some managed to hit my body in the left wing, neck, and right foreleg. However, I was forced to ignore the freezing parts as Reylus's wing flapping revealed the snake was rushing towards my right side at high speed coated in the wind, but this time there wasn't enough time to dodge to the left completely...

"GHAA!" I yowled in pain feeling the right fang of the snake pierce the scales of my right shoulder from above.

My body stopped moving left as the tooth lodged, and knowing venom would come next, I used the opportunity to bite the snake, but it created a wind blast pushing my jaws away before tearing the shallow flesh apart from the top as it yanked its head away. Although the fangs were not coated in venom nor it had time since the exchange happened in a blink of an eye, the deep wound appears to be over a foot long judging by the extent of the pain. Nevertheless, the beast wasn't done yet when it ignored the gray dragon to my right then rushed once more to finish me off as my body completed a hundred and eighty-degree turn retreating further southeast while facing northwest trying to avoid the fangs.

"GRRR!" I growl in anger as Reylus stopped what he was doing and rushed to bite the middle of the serpent that's closer.

ARGH! I'm getting tired of these stupid snakes biting me... My anger reaches its peak preparing two streams lightning on the sides of the enemy chasing me.

I backpedaled like a cornered prey losing the battle until I tripped and fell on my right side getting mud on my wound, then terror overtook me showing fear in my eyes as the open snake jaws approach the base of my neck.

Well, time to reincarnate... I remarked using lightning to improve my reaction time. Well, it's the snake's turn to miscalculate an outstanding acting... I imagined being eaten, and almost leaked again. I observe the serpent fall for my act before electrocuting the wet ground that's making contact with it.

*BZzzrrrrzZT~!* Tens of thousands of volts generated in an instant after dumping almost all magic into half the total lightning elementals which produced several purple-white electric arcs of different sizes rise from the ground and illuminate the night while reflecting on the wet ground.

"SHAAAGH!!" The snake hissed and started closing the mouth before reaching my neck.

With the world in slow motion from the temporary lighting boost, I extended my left forearm towards the retreating jaws and grabbed the left fang before rapidly freezing my paw making contact with it.

Whoooh! I can't believe that worked! I rejoiced firmly holding the thin Fang in my paw, then commanded all available water elementals into the mouth of the snake.

The serpent pulled back after being startled at the unusual happenings with even more force, dragging my resisting body forward as tracks are carved in the dirt while looking at brother getting up from the ground as he was affected by the discharge.

Ah! Poor Reylus got electrocuted again, but he'll be okay... I affirmed the toughness of the gray dragon then commanded the siblings into action.

"NOW!" I ordered before pulling the snake towards me while extending my neck from the right side as Sister rushes to the tail and brother already reached the belly.

The beast took action blasting the wind to separate us and keep our teeth away from its body, and then I lowered the temperature inside the animal's mouth trying to freeze its brain but noticing the danger, it twisted the head with a jerk.

*PRAAH!!* The foot and half fang broke like a toothpick, and the two of us separated.

Da fuck? Where are you going? Get back here! I complained at the creature sacrificing its own tooth to escape. Although I also received frostbite from the sloppy magic performed in a hurry, the snake is in worse condition with the left part of its mouth frozen and must prevent it from leaving, but the only thing left are light elementals... I affirmed watching the retreating snake that my siblings are trying to hold down.

I used Light magic shining the brightest beam of light I can make to blind the serpent then sank my claws into the ground and pounced at the beast turning around to run east cloaked in a wind shield. However, I slammed into it with my whole body which toppled the snake over and interrupted its concentration weakening the magic art right before the three of us went past the wind barrier and sank our fangs through the scales.

"SHAAAH!!" The snake hissed and thrashed around with the three of us latching on.

As per practice, Reylus whos the heaviest holds the middle, then Raiga pulls the tail towards the south to avoid them from coiling up, and I latch onto its head from above using my body to press it on the ground.

"""GRRR....""" The three of us growl as the snake blast us with wind throwing mud everywhere which smeared our bodies black until its magic drained, then lost the strength of its body.

This thing's still alive!!? Well, I could probably swallow this snake, but it will be tight, it's way too big to fit in my stomach, and I don't have any magic left to kill it. Though I'm curious what it feels to have it wake up when I'm swallowing it... will it pull back or go further in towards my stomach? I imagine weird things deciding what to do with it.

"HUFF!" I breathe slowly losing my grip and lifting my left forearm.

*THUACK!* I drove my claws into the snake's brain until I felt the remaining Mana rushing out.

Ah... I forgot that mana from a creature this high rank could impact the siblings temporarily, though it was practically empty when it died. I turned to look at the well-being of the two dragons feeling a little Mana recovery

Brother is upside down holding the snake in his belly, and biting into it from the side without knowing its dead. Then Sister started munching on the tail already since she knows the mana wave means a magical beast died.

Hmm... Well... you guys are having fun... are you cats or something? I retorted at the behavior searching for the mana bottle that dropped in combat.

"Good hunt, big brother." I praised the largest lizard who let go of the serpent and threw it to a side before getting up.

"Yes, little brother." He replied and looked towards sister. "Eat?" He asked looking back at me on the other side of the corpse.

I nodded then spotted the lost object northeast of my position and limped there to recover it it before heading over to sister happily chewing.

"Do you see now how weak creatures can kill stronger ones? And humans are even more prepared with nets that entangle you like vines. The only way you could triumph over a group of prepared people is that you have a decent rank and use brother to keep them busy while you exterminate them." I declared hearing Reylus rip the tough hide apart.

"Yes... But, aren't you hungry? You are hurt..." Raiga affirmed lifting her head chewing to look at me approaching from her right side. "Little brother, another snake!" She warned looking behind me.

Oh? I looked behind to exchange gazes with a curious snake attracted by the battle before it slithered away. Hmm... low rank, but no magic left to chase... bummer. I lamented the escaped prey, then curved my neck and stared at the gash on my right shoulder with blood leaking out. Well, I'm in enough pain as it is... I just want a meal, lie down, and take it easy for a few days. I affirmed then approached the head of the dead snake.