They all charged at him.
Catherine and Luna started with their prayers.
+100 Attack
+100 Defense
+100 Agility
Lilith summoned a few undead soldiers that took the first blows he threw at them.
Kana punched him upwards while Morgan struck his back, sending him falling.
Lola was busy trying to free the ones with their tails tied down.
"You're not invincible" Morgan hissed out.
"You think you're so powerful, but you're just a bully" Lilith added, her voice sharp.
Wanless sneered, brushing off their words.
"And yet, it's because I'm powerful that I can do what I want"
Morgan stepped forward, her grip on her spear tightening.
"No, it's because you're a coward who uses your power to bully others"
"A mere loser who--"
Wanless in a flash wrapped a hand around her neck.
"You know nothing about me"
Morgan gasped, her eyes widening as she struggled against his grip.
The girls tensed up, their eyes narrowing in anger.
"Let go of her!" Lilith and Freya screamed out.
Wanless chuckled, his grip tightening just a bit.
"Or what?"
Freya's hands clenched into fists, her eyes filled with fire.
"Or you'll regret it."
Wanless blinked.
He couldn't believe their audacity to threaten him.
But they must have had a reason to be so confident.
'Come to think of it, I felt the connection to Cthulhu cut off a while ago'
He looked at Kana who just pulled out her claymore.
"You girls are hiding something from me"
Morgan took the opportunity, and kicked him off, freeing herself.
"We could say the same about you" she retorted, rubbing her sore neck.
Wanless smirked, intrigued by their reaction.
"And what do you think I'm hiding?" he asked, crossing his arms.
Lilith crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed.
"You're clearly not normal. There's something about you that feels...unusual"
Wanless raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"Unusual, hm? And what do you think that means?"
"You're not just a human, for starters," Freya said, her eyes scanning him intently.
Wanless looked at her ears with disgust.
"As if you should be talking, what does a bloody elf know about being human?"
Freya's ears twitched her expression hardening.
"I know enough about humanity to recognize when someone isn't one"
Wanless rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed by their persistence.
"And let's say I'm not human. So what? It doesn't change anything"
"It changes everything," Morgan countered, her expression serious.
"You're not just some human trying to play god. You're something more, and that makes you dangerous"
Wanless sneered, a dark gleam in his eyes.
"Dangerous? You have no idea…"
In a flash, he was gone before they heard a loud crash.
Kana tried blocking his attack with her claymore but his attack broke through her defense.
She was thrown back, crashing into a nearby wall of the castle.
The girls gasped, rushing to her side.
"Kana! Are you okay?!"
She groaned, pushing herself up.
"I'm fine, just... winded"
They helped her to her feet, concern evident in their eyes.
"We need to be careful. He's a lot stronger than we thought"
Morgan scanned the area, trying to locate Wanless.
His speed and power were unnerving.
She clenched her fists, her mind racing.
They needed a plan, something more than just charging at him blindly.
Freya stepped forward, her brow furrowed in thought.
"We can't rely on just brute strength to take him down"
Lilith nodded in agreement, her posture tense.
"He's toying with us right now, giving us a bit of time before he acts again"
Kana shook off the dizziness, "What do you have in mind?"
Morgan bit her lip, considering.
"If we push him hard enough, we might catch him off guard... or at least get him talking"
A distant rumble interrupted the conversation, followed by the faint sound of Wanless's mocking laughter echoing through the hall.
The girls turned, eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of him.
"He's close enough to be heard but not seen," Freya muttered, her fingers resting on the hilt of her dagger.
"It doesn't matter," Lilith said, her voice low.
Freya looked annoyed, "Still doesn't it hurt your pride?"
"Of course it does but we need to use that to our advantage"
Suddenly, Wanless materialized before them, a sinister grin playing across his face.
"Still talking strategy? How quaint," he sneered.
His eyes glinted with that unsettling amusement.
"But it's too late for that. I'm done playing games"
With a flash, he lunged forward, faster than any of them had anticipated.
But Morgan swung a nearby weapon she had grabbed in her desperation.
A long, jagged blade, and clashed with his, sending a shockwave through the water.
Wanless laughed, his strength almost knocking her off balance.
"Is that all you've got?"
"A hopeless attempt to stop me?"
Before she could respond, Freya and Lilith flanked him, each taking a strike.
But they found their blows effortlessly dodged.
Kana raised her claymore high, aiming for his back.
Wanless twisted mid-air, vanishing from sight once again with a sharp, mocking chuckle.
As he escaped back into the walls.
"Fucking coward," Kana said, gritting her teeth.
"He's playing with us, drawing this out," Morgan said through clenched teeth.
"We need to trap him. Draw him into a corner"
"How do you suggest we do that?" Lilith asked, not sounding optimistic.
Morgan's eyes narrowed, a dangerous gleam entering her gaze.
"We make him think he's winning"
Freya mumbled under her breath, "He is winning but let's not focus on that"
Morgan turned to Freya, her expression clearly annoyed.
"You got something you want to say?"
Everyone turned to face the two; the tension was clear, but they were all on Freya's side.
"You heard me," she turned to Morgan, "He is winning, so what bullshit plan do you have next?"
Morgan glared at Freya, "Do you have a better idea?"
Freya crossed her arms, and her expression hardened.
"No, but I'm damn sure yours isn't gonna work"
Morgan scoffed, clearly irritated.
"Then why don't you offer something instead of just criticizing?"
Freya chuckled… no, it was a full-blown laugh.
She floated over to Morgan and pointed at her tail.
"Remind me whose domain this is because how does the hero also possess the blessing of the ocean? Unless someone gave it to him"
Morgan scowled, her eyes glaring at Freya.
"That's... not your business"
Lilith chimed in, "I think it is our business because we can breathe underwater thanks to the blessing you gave us"
"Does that mean you gave the hero the blessing as well?"
Morgan tensed, clearly uncomfortable with the question.
"I...yes, I did. It was necessary"
Catherine crossed her arms, her expression skeptical.
"What could be so necessary that you had to give him your blessing?"
Kana shook her head.
"No, the real question is how did the hero even arrive in your kingdom in the first place?"
Morgan looked away, her expression guarded.
"That... is also not your business"
Kana grabbed her by the throat, pinning her to the wall.
"Look, Yuto may trust you, but we don't; you're hiding something"
Morgan struggled against Kana's grip, her eyes flashing with anger.
"How dare you! You have no right to question me. I didn't have a choice!"
Kana tightened her grip, "What do you mean you 'didn't have a choice?'"
Before she could answer, they all heard a scream.
"Lola!" Luna screamed out.
They had forgotten that she was busy helping the others escape.
Kana looked at Morgan, her expression still suspicious before letting go, she turned to the others.
"Let's go!"
They all nodded, their focus quickly shifting to the immediate threat at hand.
Morgan hesitated for a moment, still seething from Kana's grip.
But ultimately, she nodded reluctantly, "Yes"
—
Wanless held Lola up by her shirt, his blade near her neck.
"What's a beast folk doing here?"
Lola struggled against his grip.
"Let go!" she shouted, trying to free herself.
Wanless chuckled, clearly enjoying her fear.
"I don't take orders from beasts like you"
Skill: Speed Blitz
Kana used the pressure of the water along with the flap of her wings to shoot herself at him.
In a flash, she tackled Wanless, freeing Lola from his grip.
But Wanless didn't even flinch.
He chuckled, amused by her attack.
"I expected more from you"
Before smacking her with his right hand.
Kana crashed against a nearby pillar, the impact leaving her breathless.
She gritted her teeth, pushing herself off the pillar.
"Damn it..." she muttered under her breath.
The force of Wanless's blow still lingered, the impact striking deeper than she expected.
Despite the pain, she knew she had to hold her ground until Yuto and Mizuki returned.
"You're resilient, I'll give you that," Wanless taunted.
He twirled his blade casually, clearly enjoying the fight, or rather the feeling of dominating a dragon in battle.
Kana wiped the blood from her lip, the red slowly diffusing in the water.
"And you're a pain in the ass," she growled.
Wanless chuckled, his grin widening.
"The same could be said about you, you overgrown lizard"
She tightened her grip on her claymore.
Without warning, she launched herself at him, propelled by a powerful flap of her wings.
But just as she was about to strike, he vanished, his speed a blur.
Kana twisted, searching the water, her heart pounding.
There.
She saw him, a shift in the water's current, a fleeting distortion.
Before she could react, she felt the cold bite of a blade aimed directly at her back.
Then, Freya appeared beside her.
She seized Kana's arm and pulled her out of the way just as the blade swept past.
"Got your back"
Kana let out a breath, her chest tight from the near miss.
"Thanks." She turned to face Wanless.
"Not today"
Wanless smirked, watching them with a lazy, almost bored expression.
"How sweet"
Lilith and Catherine moved to flank him.
But Wanless wasn't intimidated.
He merely chuckled, not taking them seriously.
"Three little monsters against me? You're a brave bunch, I'll give you that"
Freya sighed, her ears flicking.
"We're not monsters, you bastard"
Wanless turned to face her, his eyes shining red from blood lust.
"No, you are monsters, such creatures that shouldn't even exist"
"Excuse me!? Are you calling us a mistake!?" Lilith shouted.
He chuckled, "You are an abomination. The very existence of your kind is an affront to nature"
"And I'll make sure to correct it"
Catherine clenched her fists around her necklace.
"You have no right to judge them. Look around you. What part of this screams hero?"
Wanless sneered, his amusement fading slightly.
"I am a hero, I fight to protect humanity, to rid the world of monsters and anomalies like you"
Luna chuckled, and so did the rest.
"You're so blinded in bloodlust, yet you can't tell that she and I are humans"
Wanless rolled his eyes, unimpressed.
"You call yourself a human? You're no different than the beasts you surround yourselves with"
They all looked at each other and back at him.
Kana spoke up, amusement in her tone.
"Hypocrite, look at you, covered in blood from head to toe. Whose blood is that? The innocent folk you slaughtered?"
Wanless growled, his expression darkening.
"They were no innocents!" he snapped back.
"They stood in my way, they got what they deserved"
Morgan stepped forward, her expression seething.
"They were innocents, simply doing their jobs! And you killed them without a single ounce of remorse. You're a monster, no better than the beasts you claim to fight"
Wanless laughed, a cold, dark sound.
"Remorse? Why would I feel remorse for insects squishing under my foot?"
"You're insane," Morgan muttered.
Wanless smirked, clearly enjoying the back and forth.
"Insane? No, I'm just doing what needs to be done. I am a hero, after all"
Swordsman Ship: Sentry Aura
His sword started to grow in size.
The aura he gave off was already hard to breathe around, let alone move, but now the feeling he was giving.
Death.
He had reached the state where he could manipulate the battlefield with just a single flap of his wrist.
No wonder Yuto had warned them; this man was a monster.
"He's not human, not by a long shot," Kana muttered under her breath.
Luna's voice broke the tense silence, her tone sarcastic despite the danger.
"Hero, huh? You've got a funny way of showing it"
"You don't understand. The world needs purging. The so-called 'monsters'—they've poisoned it"
"I'm simply doing what needs to be done"
"You sound like a damn psychopath," Lilith spat, her voice dripping with disdain.
"Purging who, exactly? Us? Who the hell made you the judge of what's right or wrong?"
Freya stepped forward, "You're no hero. You're just a murderer with a sword"
Wanless's gaze shifted to her, his red eyes narrowing.
His smirk faded into something darker.
"Murderer? No, I'm a savior. I cleanse the world of filth—those who corrupt it. And you… you're all part of that corruption"
His sword pulsed with energy, now several times larger than before, glowing with an ominous, unnatural light.
"Get ready," Morgan warned, her voice low.
"This is where it gets ugly"
He swung his sword casually, and the water around them twisted violently as his aura expanded, pushing them back.
Lola growled.
"Is that supposed to scare us?"
Wanless didn't respond with words, he didn't need to.
With a single, swift motion, he flicked his wrist, and a shockwave of raw, destructive energy shot out from his sword, forcing the group to scatter, their bodies nearly shoved back by sheer force.
The water roiled around them, churning in every direction, and Kana barely managed to stabilize herself in time, her wings flaring to push against the current.
"You're not leaving here alive," Wanless hissed, his grin returning with madness.
"Not until I've cleansed this place of every last one of you"
The group gritted their teeth, their minds racing for a plan.
Catherine struggled to maintain her footing as the current swirled around her.
She and Luna raised a holy shield, the shimmering energy cracking as it pushed back against Wanless's aura.
But the shield was only a temporary reprieve, the shockwaves from his blows making it tremble under the strain.
"We can't keep blocking like this!" Luna shouted, her voice strained.
"We need to attack, or we're done!"
Lilith didn't hesitate.
She lunged forward, aiming straight for Wanless's chest, but with a sudden twist, he blocked the attack with a single motion.
"You think you can land a blow on me?"
"You're all so predictable"
Before Lilith could react, Wanless spun, the shockwave of his movement slamming her backward.
She collided with the wall of the castle, her breath forced from her lungs as she struggled to stay upright.
"Dammit..." Lilith grunted, her hands clutching her blade.
Freya didn't wait for another second.
As she darted through the water, her sword flashed through the water, targeting Wanless's neck, his legs, and his midsection, all the while dodging his counterattacks.
But Wanless wasn't caught off guard.
He parried every blow with a chilling calmness.
Freya's eyes narrowed in frustration.
"Why won't you just fall?!"
Wanless's smirk never faltered.
"You're out of your league, elf"
With a sudden twist, he swung his sword again, and the shockwave sent Freya spiraling backward, her body tumbling through the water like a ragdoll.
She managed to catch herself with a quick maneuver, but the damage was done; the momentum left her disoriented.
Kana gritted her teeth, her patience running thin.
The group was being torn apart, unable to land a single hit on him.
Her wings snapped open as she shot forward, propelled by the water's currents.
She moved faster than ever before, her claws gripping her claymore tightly, ready to strike.
With a single motion, she aimed for his exposed side, there had to be an opening.
But as she neared, Wanless's eyes locked onto hers.
With a flick of his wrist, the water surged violently in front of him, creating a barrier of rushing currents.
Kana barely had time to react before the powerful wave of energy collided with her, knocking her back and sending her spiraling away, gasping for breath.
Lola charged forward with a growl.
Her claws slashed at the water, carving through the currents as she closed in on Wanless.
But he was faster, his sword a blur of movement as he parried her strike with ease.
The impact sent her skidding back, her claws scraping against the hard stone of the ocean floor.
"You're all nothing but distractions!"
Wanless spat, his sword pulsing with dark energy as he swung it in an arc, sending another shockwave of deadly force toward them.
The group scattered, barely managing to avoid the full brunt of the blast.
They had no choice but to regroup.
"We can't keep taking hits like this," Catherine said, her voice tight with tension.
"We need a new plan"
They nodded, agreeing with Catherine.
They were being pushed back, their attacks ineffective against Wanless's overwhelming power.
Kana, despite being the most wounded, stepped up.
"The plan is to hold on till Yuto and Mizuki arrive back, that's all"
Freya raised an eyebrow, her expression skeptical.
"That's it? Just stall?"
"Unless you have a better idea," she said with disbelief.
Freya sighed, not having any better suggestions.
"I suppose it'll have to do then"
The others nodded in agreement, albeit reluctant,ly at the fact they had to stall for God knows how long.
"Okay, then let's just stall," Morgan said, her eyes focused.
The others nodded, bracing themselves for the continued onslaught.
…
Kana took the lead, her injuries barely holding her together, but her pride would not allow her to fall.
They moved in unison, dodging and parrying with every ounce of their strength.
Kana used the massive weight of her claymore to block Wanless's heavy swings.
Every strike from his sword sent shockwaves through the water, and Kana's body was bruised and battered with each deflection, but she gritted her teeth, not giving an inch.
She had no intention of letting him get close to any of her comrades.
Freya evaded most of Wanless's attacks, but even she was struggling to land any blows.
Instead, she focused on distracting him, darting from one side to another, leading him away from the others just long enough for them to catch their breath or regroup.
Lilith charged at him repeatedly, her blade flashing through the water.
Every attack was blocked or deflected, but she kept pushing, keeping the pressure on him.
Lola charged, claws outstretched, at Wanless's exposed sides, but each time she came close, his blade would swing in a wide arc, knocking her back.
Still, she was relentless, never letting him gain ground, always coming back for more, distracting him just enough to give her allies an opening.
The group was exhausted, the pressure of their constant defense draining their strength.
Every attack from Wanless was like being hit by an explosion, and their efforts to hold him back were beginning to show.
They kept pushing forward, using their skills and abilities to stall for just a little longer.
Minutes turned into what felt like hours, and their bodies were starting to feel the strain.
The water felt colder with every passing second, their shields were weakening, and the space between each dodge, parry, and strike was growing shorter.
But they didn't falter.
They couldn't.
Catherine and Luna reinforce their defenses, casting their holy magic to erect barriers whenever Wanless's shockwaves overwhelm them.
They would fortify one another, allowing their allies just enough time to recover and keep the fight going.
But they could feel their holy magic running low; shielding a single blow already cost them a heavy cost.
"Is this all you've got?" he taunted, clearly enjoying the battle.
"Shut up," Lilith growled, charging once more.
But as expected, Wanless simply deflected her blow, sending her crashing into the ground of the ocean once again.
The group was weary, but they kept moving.
They knew they couldn't last much longer.
The fight was taking its toll, but they couldn't let Wanless sense their exhaustion.
He was far too dangerous.
Wanless's blade was raised high, prepared to deliver a fatal blow.
He was focused on Catherine, who had been forced into a defensive position, her holy shield faltering under the strain of his unrelenting attacks.
In a sudden movement, Wanless grabbed Catherine by the throat, lifting her higher, his eyes blazing with bloodlust.
"The fun is over, I'm already sick of seeing all of you delude yourselves into thinking you could win against me"
"Catherine!" Luna screamed out.
She tried moving but felt the weight of mana loss finally set in.
Lilith dragged her and Lola back up to the surface.
Kana and Freya tried again to stop but were launched into the air with a swing of his sword.
"Stop!" Morgan screamed out.
Her voice was like a slap to the face, and for a moment, he paused, his attention turning to her.
But his expression twisted into a sneer as he tightened his grip on Catherine's neck.
"You think your pathetic pleas will work"
Morgan's jaw tightened, anger and desperation burning in her eyes.
"You have so much hatred in you. Why?"
Wanless's eyes narrowed, his expression turning cold.
"You wouldn't understand"
Catherine, despite being on such an unfavorable side, chuckled.
"You... are pathetic"
Wanless's grip around her neck tightened.
"What did you say?"
But Catherine wasn't intimidated.
Despite not being able to talk properly, she pressed on.
"You heard me. You're just a pathetic person. That's all you are"
"Our Leader has been through so much and yet he isn't as pathetic as you"
The whole ocean shook.
The color of his eyes no longer even seemed human, if that was even possible.
Catherine and Morgan could feel it, this man had finally lost it.
He raised his sword higher than before, fusing so much aura and magic that it was about to break.
"Hero," he mumbled.
"I am… the hero"
Catherine sighed.
"No… just a cold-blooded killer"
"I'M THE HERO!"
Before he could deliver the final blow, he felt a stronger presence behind him, grabbing his arm.
Yuto had returned, his eyes burning with rage.
His usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced by pure rage.
He had seen his party bloody and beaten.
Lilith and Kana explained the situation, and it only served to anger him further.
The power in his gaze alone seemed to stop time for a moment.
His hand was clenched around the hilt of his sword, and with a single motion, he thrust his sword forward, and the water around them exploded, sending a shockwave of energy surging toward Wanless, knocking him off balance.
Catherine, freed from his grip, floated down before Yuto caught her in his arms.
He bit his lip as he saw her bruises and cuts.
"A-are you okay?"
Catherine weakly smiled, her voice hoarse but filled with relief.
"Yeah... I am now"
Yuto cupped her cheek, planting a small kiss as Mizuki returned to her human form.
He turned to Mizuki.
"Take Morgan and Catherine out of here and back to the surface"
Mizuki nodded, casting a spell to transport them away.
"Good luck"
Swish
Yuto turned back to the destroyed castle, cracking his knuckles.
"No need for it"
Wanless slowly got up, his expression changing from surprise to annoyance.
"So you're the one they've been stalling for"
Without a word, Yuto lunged, throwing a right hook aimed at Wanless's jaw.
The impact was brutal, but Wanless managed to twist away just in time, the punch grazing his cheek.
Wanless sneered, wiping the blood away.
"You think you can win with your fists?"
Yuto didn't respond, his gaze fixed on Wanless with burning intensity.
Seeing them hurt made him realize once again that this was no game but a war that could have gone south.
Had he come late, he wouldn't even want to think of such a future.
He threw another punch, this one faster and sharper.
It landed directly on Wanless's ribs, the sound of impact echoing through the ocean.
Wanless staggered back, breathing heavily.
"You've got some fight in you, I'll give you that," he hissed before narrowing his eyes.
"But you're out of your league"
Yuto cracked his neck and smiled coldly.
"Funny. That's exactly what I was going to say to you"
Wanless chuckled, "You think you can just walk in here and talk like you know me? What could you possibly understand about me?"
Yuto's eyes flashed, and his voice grew colder.
"I understand enough"
Wanless laughed bitterly.
"Is that so? What do you know, exactly?"
Yuto's voice was sharp as he stepped closer.
"Rosalind dumped you. She left you, didn't she?"
Wanless froze, his eyes widening slightly before narrowing in rage.
"How do you know about her?" His voice was low, threatening.
Yuto didn't answer, the silence hanging heavy between them.
Wanless's fists clenched tighter, his teeth grinding.
"You don't get to talk about her"
"Oh, I get to talk about it," Yuto shot back.
"Because you're the one who thought you could have everything. Power, control, Rosalind's love…"
"But you were too blinded by your ego to see she didn't want you anymore"
Wanless's face twisted with such rage that his face didn't even look human.
"You don't know anything about us! You don't know what I've done for her—what I've done for anyone!"
"Yeah, I do," Yuto retorted.
"You took everything from everyone around you. You hurt people because you couldn't stand being weak"
"And in the end, Rosalind saw through all of it"
He stepped closer, his fists ready.
"She left you because you couldn't even see yourself for who you are. And now look at you"
Wanless was shaking with anger now, Yuto's words hitting him hard.
The truth hurts, which is why he refused to hear any further.
"Shut up!" he snapped.
"You don't know anything about me"
Yuto's expression hardened.
"I know enough. You're not a hero, Wanless. You're a sad, lonely man who can't face the truth"
Wanless lunged forward, his eyes blazing with the intent to kill, but Yuto was ready, his eyes focusing on his sword.
He sidestepped the attack, grabbing Wanless's arm as he passed and twisting it behind his back.
Wanless grunted in pain but quickly regained his balance and tried to kick Yuto.
Yuto jumped back, avoiding the kick, and retaliated with a kick of his own, landing a blow to Wanless's chest.
Wanless staggered back while Yuto created some space between them.
One was going to live and one was going to die, this was it, their fatal meeting.