Below me, people are lying on the ground from the aftermath blast of something that exploded somewhere in this city. Bewildered by the unexpected, I can’t help but gawp down below. Lily has the same expression as mine.

“What happened?” I said.

“...”

Lily didn’t reply, but instead, she grits her teeth while looking at the dire aftermath of women and children wounded by the blast. For that reason, I leap through the tall buildings, heading toward the root of this disaster, which is the explosion. It’s not hard to find since there’s a cloud of thick, black smoke near our location.

“Let’s investigate.”

Lily suddenly said right beside me, which surprises me because I thought I left her behind and didn’t expect her to follow me. Perhaps she’s worried about other people.

Regardless of her being spoiled, she’s a kind and good-natured person who values the lives of other innocent people; presumably, because she’s the chosen guardian to protect her kingdom’s people. It's a sense of duty.

“Yeah.” I nodded.

While leaping through the buildings; the violent throbbing of my heart became apparent once I got nearer the black smoke. At that moment, I grabbed Lily’s hand, halting our movements because of the unsettling feeling. Lily looks at me puzzlingly.

“What is it? Why are you stopping?”

“Something’s wrong. It’s better we just go back.”

“Huh? What are you saying?”

Narrowing my eyes and darts it to Lily. “Listen to me, Lily. I’ve been—”

My words got cut short because an ominous feeling envelops my chest, which I unconsciously toss Lily away from me. A dark figure suddenly emerges from the sky attacking me, which I cross-arms block it sending me flying a few feet away. After sending me a few feet away, I inspected what creature attacked me.

“W-What...”

I’m in disbelief at what kind of creature was right before my eyes. A tall shadow humanoid shape with its long upper limbs and neck that reaches around 10 feet, plus a glowing orange flame on the top of its disfigure head while slowly walking toward me, swaying back n forth; furthermore, its single eye was fixated on me, as if it wants to devour me. I'm gawping at the creature, a voice resounded from the creature.

“L-Li—gh... Lig—t... Ig...”

Soon after, the long arms of the monster extend in my direction. I leap back and fleetly run away as fast as I can, fleeing from the abominable monster who’s chasing me all the way, not leaving its eyes on my figure—Sending shivers down my spine.

“Solais”

After saying a name, a black falchion sword materializes in my right hand; the sword Master Irene gave to me on my 15th birthday. Pulling my sword out of its sheath with my trembling hands. I gathered my quintessence on it, red lines manifest in the blade of the sword.

(Diana, get ready.)

(Okay.)

Turning my body around to the monster, its arms are coming reaching towards me from different directions, so I fend them off with my sword while trying to slice it, but the skin was too thick for my blade to penetrate through nor inflict any damage. Next, I dash forward, closing my distance to the monster, and thrust my sword into its chest; however, my sword didn’t pierce through, so I thought of something else.

[Walpurgis Hollow]

On the tip of my blade, a dark violet flame combusts, burning the monster alive. However, it didn’t seem to be affected by it.

The monster’s mouth opens wide, lowering its eye gaze, staring at me deeply, then its head drives down to me. I spun my whole body, directly kicking its eye; the impact of my kick resounded indicating that I made a clean hit. But, it’s good to be true because the monster didn’t move an inch. It made me grimace.

“Tsk—!”

I then teleport away from the monster using [Shifting Point]. Teleporting behind the monster watching it getting devour by the dark-violet flames. Despite that, it's unscathed.

All of my attacks are useless and I can’t penetrate through. While watching it, it vanishes; and behind me, I heard a voice.

“Liv... Se... He—Ke...”

(Behind!) Diana yelled inside my head.

A chilling sensation slithers down my spine. I glance behind me; the face of the creature was literally in front of my face, its one eye was looking deep within my eyes.

As I was about to turn my head the other way to use [Shifting Point]. It abruptly whips its arm giving me a devastating blow on my side.

“Kuh—! Arrrgh—!” I grunted at the blow that I received.

It sends me flying into the air. While falling, the specter followed me all the way, and it’s now above me with its left arm winding up, ready to crush my body into the ground. Wasting no time, I glance on the sidewalk and teleport myself out of there.

[Shifting Point]

I flop to the ground, rolling a few times before I can finally catch a breath. That one blow on my side was too fatal. If I received a few more; I think I’ll die from it. Quickly standing up, limping away to least get some breathing air because my heart is pounding violently and the tightness around my chest.

During that, I can hear people screaming and running away from the monster. I took a quick glance at what’s happening around the street. On the street, my eyes caught Stephanie with her friends; all trembling in fear.

I cursed my own luck because of it.

“Claude!” Stephanie screamed.

“Ahhhhh! A monster!” the red hair girl twin screamed.

“Hol... Ca...”

“God fucking damn it! This motherfucker really wanted me! Fuck—Overload!”

After hearing the specter once again, I activate [Overload] which can release the seal on my soul that’s containing my quintessence for a certain amount period of time, a precautionary skill created by Diana in case something like this happens.

Deep within me, a surge of quintessence erupt, creating a suffocating pressure, also blasting away the specter and all the surrounding people; obviously, Stephanie and her friends were caught by it, but I got no choice. My heart is pumping rapidly, adrenaline rushing through my veins. I lock my gaze on the specter.

I then dash in the monster's direction, gripping the hilt of my sword tightly, planning to send it to hell because I could feel veins popping on my head. The specter recovers exceedingly fast it then rushes forward, facing me head-on.

Currently, I’m in a disadvantageous situation because its long arms could easily reach me, and it is fast. But I evade all of it by using my speed, so I had begun counter-attacking by striking its neck, every limb, and head as fast as I can while using my [Shifting Point] along with [Walpurgis Hollow] even spear the of Diana that she summons are all useless against it.

(What is this?) Diana said irritably.

No matter how heavy my strikes are, the skin of this bitch is too thick for my blade to penetrate through. While at it, I’m getting hit by the whip-like attacks from its arms from time to time; however, that didn’t stop me from attacking, clenching my teeth as I’m enduring all the pain.

“*Cough* *Cough* *Cough* *Cough*“ I’m coughing up blood because my body started showing signs of the side-effect from using [Overload]. I can't use it for a long time because it takes a toll on my physical body.

(Don’t force yourself anymore, find an escape route. Or just go all in.)

(Can’t, it’s clearly targeting me. I got a feeling that it’ll catch me no matter what. And, we have no idea how many of them still lurking around the city. Even if we managed to kill it, if there's another one of its kind that wanted me then death awaits me.)

I’m hesitating on calling Diana’s name here because there are too many people who are watching my fight, instead of fucking running away or helping me, and if I go all out it'll be a one-time-only. Like, what the fuck! I’m on my wit’s end already.

During the exchange of blows in the city streets, the buildings are all destroyed, partially because of the fight between us.

A savior from heaven came down, saving my ass. From below the monster, a magic circle manifests, freezing it entirely. Seeing that, a vast sigh of relief got release out of my chest and leap away to get some breathing room.

As I was about to fall on the ground, someone grabs my back and dropping me on the sidewalk.

“Claude, you’re so lucky to have me in your life.”

Hearing the voice, I smiled and said. “Yeah, thanks. I owe you one.”

"You tossed me too far, Claude."

"Sorry."

"It's fine, I'm late too. I'm evacuating the people."

However, before we could even take a room to breathe; the ice that Lily created is showing signs of cracking. Naturally, Lily extends her towards the specter, creating more ice around it, solidifying it.

I sigh in exasperation. “Haah... Where are the guards of the city and adventurers?”

“T-They’re... Dead...” Lily said, dejected.

“What?”

“I’m not lying, Anya told when I sent her just right now. She saw countless lifeless bodies lying around the street, wearing guard suits and some armed adventurers.”

“How unlucky are we? It wants me, Lily.”

"How do you know that?"

"Got a feeling."

Standing up with my wobbling body that can even barely stand right now, but I must, because the specter was clearly targeting me. The monster’s eye glance at me once again breaking the ice in forcibly.

In a blink of an eye, Lily got blown away instantly, as the monster was already in front of me, whipping its arm directly into my face, sending me crashing into the building once again. Broken mask, wetness on my head, vision becomes hazy and my ears are hissing in high-pitch—I didn't have a chance to least react to it. I got caught off-guard.

The monster walks unhurriedly in my direction with its arms raised in the air, ready to slam it down on me then I saw a red light illuminating just now behind the dark unknown creature, of what looks like a fire.

“Diana...” I mumbled.

(Paradigm Ascension initialization.) Diana said calmly.

[Arcana]