“Ah! Hu! Ah! Hu! Ah! Hu!”

The five survivors ran with all their might. The battle had drained much of their energy and with the sudden appearance of these enemies who could evade their senses, their minds ended in a state of disorder.

Upon reaching the cave Albella bent down to steady her breathing. When the others caught up with her they started to imitate her casting nervous glances back. She grabbed the small backpack she carried on her back and turned it over. Turning on the light of her helmet she began to search through her things.

" I can only give two pills to each of you, " said Albella, throwing two gelatinous spheres at the quinoids.

“What is this?” Asked one of them catching the two pills that corresponded to him. This Multrow had the appearance of a glaukus. Its body was white and blue, with several tentacles at its extremities.

“Young mistress!” Arum and Enokitake protested.

“Those are bio-exoskeletons. They will cover you with calcium gluconate gel” Albella explained, stopping the protests of her followers with a wave of her hand.

“It will protect you from the hydrofluoric acid of the sanc flowers.

“Mmm! Thank you” he answered unconvinced, but seeing the reaction of the other two flower people it was easier for him to accept the pills. The moment he was going to use them he was interrupted.

“You must only use one at the time.” Warned Arum jumping on his arm.

“The exoskeleton protects from the acid, but it will get holes when it does. The second bio-exoskeleton is for when the first one its breached in some vital area. Only use if absolutely necessary.

The two multrows nodded, each crushing their respective pill. Like a slime beast devouring its prey, covering the bodies of the multrow. The viscous liquid of color between transparent and white took the shape of their bodies and after a few seconds it disappeared as if it did not exist.

“Remember, the other sphere is the last measure,” said Albella looking towards the ceiling of the cavern.

The place was so high that the light of her helmet could not illuminate it. Aurom and Enokitake also turned on their helmets lights looking in the same direction. Although they could not see, they knew very well the nature of their enemies.

“Why don't they attack us?” asked the quinoid glaukus.

“Fortunately they are still animals. Right now they are waiting for their leader and will not attack until he arrives or until we strike.” Arum explained.

“And what should we do now?” Asked the other multrow with fear, his hands had not stopped shaking since they reached the cavern.

This multrow had the appearance of a nudibranch, with his body a little like his companion, but orange and blue.

“Kill every single one of them,” said Albella with a cold voice that showed a side of her that very few knew.

Most people around her did not know her in this way not because she intentionally hid it; rather, it was due to the great patience and calmness with which she generally dealt with all situations. But, in the very strange cases that only her parents and Fusca knew about, Albella's personality turned into what could be sadistic. This very strange situation that only happened when Albella got mad ended only when the other party lost its life, had suffered in an unimaginable way or as his parents solved it: when she lost consciousness.

“Zooom!”

Albella swung her sword super-fast making about six wide movements in two seconds. When she finished, the flames of her sword blossomed in such a way that they began to grow at great speed illuminating the enormous cavern. The sanc flowers withdrew their gazes reacting to the sudden illumination.

“Now!” Albella shouted moving her sword to control the six petals that were beginning to reach the walls and ceiling of the cavern.

Arum and Enokitake immediately made their most powerful area attacks. Arum buried his sword in the ground invoking a bakuhatsu-tekina elemental, a creature that takes physical form for a very short time but uses all its energy to explode against some target. Enokitake swung his sword like a whip, and all the pieces of crystal and rock that had adhered to it shot out like projectiles from a firearm.

They did not necessarily have to kill all plants, wounding as many as possible would gain them the advantage in this first attack.

“Boom!” As Albella's fire petals covered the cave the other two attacks hit their victims.

The sanc flowers were decimated, several of them fell dead. The two multrows were not far behind, moving immediately to finish off those who had only fallen to the ground with injuries. The twenty creatures that were left unharmed immediately launched themselves at their attackers.

The interior of the cavern turned into a chaotic battle, the six survivors were surrounded by the enormous plant like creatures. Fortunately, fighting beasts and fighting people was diametrically opposite.

The difference between the basic intelligence of the sanc flowers and the rational beings that dominated Almawarth could be simplified enough in this situation to explain it in a few words: the sanc flowers fought with the force with which they were born and with which they grew in a natural way; Rational beings that dedicated themselves to combat not only used their natural characteristics and advantages in battle, they were in a constant search for more power, training to exceed their limits.

Now that the sanc flowers weren't in an advantageous position or had the element of surprise, the five warriors began to slay them, taking care not to touch the acidic blood that was splattered with each wound they inflicted.

Unlike her companions, Albella did not take advantage of the opportunities that appeared to end the life of these creatures, she took her time, injuring them as much as she could, until one of her allies killed them or the creatures stopped moving due to the accumulation of wounds.

“Breathing masks!” Arum exclaimed seen that the level of toxic gases, caused by the corrosion generated by the blood of the creatures on the floor and walls, had increased enough to hinder breathing techniques.

Breathing techniques varied depending on the anatomy of different species, but if they have one thing in common, it was the optimization in how the different energies in the body, the internal energy, are circulated by the organism. In the case of humans, these techniques also specialized in the distribution of oxygen and nutrients thru the blood.

Enokitake used one of the tumors on his shoulders to check the backpack on his back as he continued to fight. He took out the box that kept the berthing mask cards and taking out three cards he unfolded one and attached it to his face, and gave the multrows the other two.

This simple action, that one of his tumors performed only required a little of his conscience. But that was the only thing the nearby sanc flowers needed to find an opening in his defense.

“Zap!”

One of the creatures slapped him with its huge hand. The acid running through the tips of its leaves, which were used as fingers, removed the bio-exoskeleton from the left side of his face. Not only that, the blow destabilized his stance so all creatures that could hit him in that instant did it.

“Zap!”

“Zap!”

“Zap!”

His bruised body fell to the ground. The exoskeleton had accomplished its task of protecting it from acid but not of the hits.

“Enokita ...!”

Arum's scream stopped mid-way. A giant hand, much larger than anyone present, including the sanc flowers, grabbed the unprotected Lepiot between its petals.

“Crack!”

After the shuddering creak with which the hand closed. It disappeared as it arrived, without anyone noticing.

The leader of the sanc flowers had been watching the combat without protecting any of his lackeys, waiting for an opportunity like this one. Now that there were only four prey left and seven of his own it was time to intervene. Otherwise, if all of his followers died, he would have to submit to one of the other two sanc leaders. He would rather die than lose the second territory with the most abundant resources in the cave system.

“Poof!”

“Poof!”

The heavy steps of the leader of the sanc flowers echoed in the cavern. When he emerged from the tunnel his body straightened stretching ten of his arms. The intimidating creature was several times larger than any of its followers. And from above, his eyeless face was focused on the prey that emanated the most dangerous aura: Albella.