In the heart of the city.
From his vantage point atop the public bathhouse roof, Damien witnessed the retreat of allies from every battleground.
To the north of the city walls, Evangeline lay injured and fallen. The remaining heroes were cornered by the Wolf King.
At the south wall, Lucas stood isolated, with a horde of werewolves charging at him from all directions.
Throughout the city, fierce battles raged between hordes of werewolves and people.
Even where Ash and Kureha were, Kureha had sustained severe injuries.
Which front should I support first?
The equipnt he had at his disposal consisted of three magic handguns, one magic machine gun, and a crossbow.
It was impossible to address the chaos unfolding in every part of the city. Damien gritted his teeth.
No, I can do this!
Damiens round brown eyes glowed bright, emitting a white flash.
"Its not a matter of whether I can do it. I must!"
Setting down his crossbow, Damien drew the twin handguns, Cerberus, with both hands.
The remaining magic power in ...
He had taken so ti to rest and recover, but it wasnt much.
Still, he did not hesitate.
Damiens [Far-Sight] shone brilliantly.
Target acquired.
He identified information about friend and foe alike across the entire battlefield using Far-Sight.
The influx of information piled up in Damiens vision, the rush of data sounding like the flipping of pages.
As hundreds of units of information poured in within monts, Damien felt his head throb with pain.
But he didnt stop; he ntally locked onto each target.
Click!
The two handguns in Damiens hands pointed forward.
Ultimate Skill, [Showdown].
He fired magic bullets at every target in his sight. Healing bullets for allies and offensive bullets for enemies.
A simultaneous heal and damage infliction on both allies and enemies, the ultimate skill activated by Damien, the Magibullet Marksman.
However, the effectiveness decreased as the number of targets increased due to the limited bullets and magic power Damien possessed.
Ill make up for the decreased power with my eyes!
Tears stread down from Damiens overworked eyes, but he didnt stop.
To the places where our allies are most injured, and the enemies weak points! Ill hit them all!
-Targeting complete.
Having selected all his targets, Damien began firing his handguns without pause.
***
At the southern wall.
Ugh... Ugh
Lucas caught his breath, panting heavily.
Leaning against the wall, with his blood-soaked sword gripped tightly, Lucass armor was a ss.
It was tattered and gruesoly torn apart from being scratched and hit by the monsters claws.
Before him, wolves surrounded Lucas, preparing for their next attack.
"Lord Lucas!"
A voice called out from above the wall. It was from the magic troops, Fox and Rabbit.
"Enough! Co inside the wall! Theres no need to continue this hand-to-hand combat!"
"Its safer to fight using firepower while staying close to the walls, isnt it?"
Of course, that would be safer.
Lucas wanted to do just that. He could no longer use his ultimate skill, and his transford beast form was nearing its limit given his depleted condition.
However, two white wolves stood before him.
Grrr...
Heh, heh.
Two White Werewolves.
Lucas hadnt seen the retreat, and even if he had managed to retreat, there would be challenges that followed.
With the imnse agility emanating from their powerful bodies, these creatures would have stord the ramparts in no ti.
That would an engaging in close combat atop the walls.
Currently, all the forces capable of close combat had been sent into the city.
On the walls were only the artillery, archers, and four mages responsible for firepower.
It might be better to hold them off here.
Holding them at bay here, while bombarding them with cannons, ballistae, and magic from the walls, would probably be more effective.
I just need to push a bit harder.
Whooosh!
Lowering his stance, flas erupted from Lucass longsword, the Karma Eater.
Although the Karma Eater was consuming his wild nature, Lucas felt it.
Despite that, he felt his wild transformation advancing further.
The more the transformation progressed, the closer he ca to becoming a beast. But the energy Karma Eater consud was consistent, causing this phenonon.
Even so!
Even if he was not halfway, but fully stepping into the monsters realm.
Even so, if I can just hold on...!
Then, in that mont,
Flash!
Magical projectiles shot from the city center poured down like a shower.
Lucas looked up in surprise at the streaks of light above him.
Damien?
Hundreds of magical projectiles, like shooting stars, stread down targeting various foes.
Thud! Thud thud!
Like a teor shower, the projectiles hit the werewolves hearts, eyes, and throats.
The ones already wounded got hit precisely at their injured spots.
Gurgle?!
Growwwwl!
Though each projectile wasnt that powerful, the problem was where they struck.
The wolf monsters, hit precisely at their weak points, either died vomiting blood, writhed in agony, or at the very least, were montarily stunned.
...!
A healing projectile hit Lucas.
Its effect was minimal, but like a drop of water to parched lips, it felt invigorating. Taking a deep breath, Lucas stood upright.
With this, he could fight a bit longer.
Haaaargh!
Mustering his energy, Lucas charged at the staggering werewolves, severing their throats and splitting their chests open.
In a matter of monts, about a dozen of the remaining werewolves were brought down.
I can definitely do this...!
As Lucas was catching his breath,
Whoosh!
Two white werewolves lunged at him simultaneously.
The two elite monsters showcased a perfectly coordinated joint attack technique, as if they had been training together for ages. Their strikes ca from all directions.
What the...?!
Caught off guard by their sudden precision, Lucas was taken aback.
Even the great Lucas, exhausted to his core, found it challenging to fend off a perfectly tid combined attack from two elite monsters.
Rip! Rrrrrip...!
His worn-out armor completely shattered, ultimately leaving his body vulnerable to hits.
A monsters claw brutally slashed Lucas, and a sturdy werewolf leg kicked him squarely in the chest, sending him flying back.
Crash!
Ugh!
Lucas, pinned against the fortress wall, coughed up blood. He tried to use his longsword as support to get up, but...
...
Hed dropped it.
The [Karma Eater] hed let go of rolled away in the distance. Lucas stared blankly at it for a mont before bursting into a smirk.
Clink. Clunk.
It felt like the last safety chanism had just shattered and fallen to the ground.
Leaning bloodied against the fortress wall, Lucas twisted his mouth into a grin.
"Got it, I got it. Ill play by your rules."
The knight, who was already treading into the beasts domain,
Took another half step.
Sssssizzle-!
Heat wafted out like mirages from behind Lucas.
Almost crouching on all fours, Lucass blue eyes flickered like flas as he drew his longsword.
"Co on in-!"
He looked even more like a wolf now.
***
Front of the northern wall.
Kehehe. Heh heh heh.
Lunared laughed lowly, gripping Kuilans collar.
"The taste of victory is always sweet, descendant."
...
Bloodied and battered, Kuilan dangled limply in the Wolf Kings grasp.
The sa went for the rest of the party mbers.
Not just the Penal Squad, but the Shadow Squad too. They were all brutally scattered and defeated.
Only Saintess Margarita was desperately healing and shielding, managing to keep everyone alive, but it felt like a candle in the wind.
...
Kuilan stared at his distant ancestor through blood-soaked eyes.
Too strong. Overwhelmingly strong.
The gap was too wide, and his fists felt futile...
"After all, arent you too weak, descendant? To think you share the blood of this Lunared."
...
"Do you know why youre weaker than ?"
Lunared sneered.
"Youre suppressing your true nature."
"...True nature?"
"Yes. Arent you hiding the wolfs blood you inherited from ?"
...
"Now, accept yourself, descendant."
A strangely affectionate smile played on the Wolf Kings lips.
"Lets beco wolves together. Then Ill take you with on my path of human annihilation."
The Wolf King drew his sharp claw across his own hand, dripping his blood into Kuilans open mouth.
The blood of an ancestor.
His very own.
Lunared naturally assud that with his blood, Kuilan would quickly reveal his true form. But...
...Hmm, even after mixing so much of my blood, you still maintain a human appearance.
No change.
Kuilan remained human. Lunared clicked his tongue.
Soone must be suppressing your wolf instincts. And quite strongly at that."
"What are you..."
"Soone has taken on the wolfs curse that was bestowed upon you."
Looking up at the moonlight, Lunared chuckled.
"They must have really not wanted to turn you into a wolf, judging by the extent theyre sacrificing their own soul."
...!
Just as Kuilan, who seed to realize sothing, was about to speak,
Thud thud thud!
From the city center, magic bullets rained down like a downpour, released by Damien.
Healing magic bullets struck the ten heroes.
As if jump-started by a defibrillator, the heroes who had been lying motionless started to violently cough and slowly get up one by one.
And then, toward Lunared,
Thwack!
"Huh?!"
Straight to his eyes.
While looking up at the moonlight, two needle-like magic projectiles narrowly grazed Lunareds red eyes.
Lunared barely managed to turn his head to dodge a direct hit, but the skin around his eyes tore, causing blood to spurt.
"Who dares...!"
Misjudging the strength of the incoming magic projectiles, he had erred in not reacting in ti, placing too much faith in his formidable physique.
In pain, Lunared staggered, while Kuilans eyes widened in shock.
This is my chance!
A fierce red energy gathered in Kuilans right hand.
Lunared was blinded for only a few seconds.
In that brief mont, he must die...!
Kuilan thrust his fist forward with all his might. His full-powered punch was aid directly at the werewolfs heart.
For so reason, Lunared didnt try to block it.
Smash!
The fist connected cleanly with the werewolfs chest.
Unbeknownst to Kuilan, the [Lucky Strike] charged in his right hand showed the numbers 6, 6, 6.
A jackpot just short of 777.
Taking advantage of his opponents lowered guard, he had delivered the most powerful blow he could muster.
It wouldnt have been surprising if Lunared had dropped dead on the spot, coughing up blood.
"Hmm, so thats all?"
Lunared remained unfazed.
Suddenly, he opened his red eyes wide, gazing intently at the mark on his chest.
There was a clear imprint of a fist, but the damage seed minimal.
"If thats the best you can do, theres no point in letting you live."
What... how...
Kuilan asked shakily.
Im certain I hit your heart directly...?
"Its unfortunate, but I have two hearts."
The Wolf King sneered.
"My first heart was already taken by my king."
...?!
"I thought of keeping you alive, to make use of you since you share my bloodline. But if you cant transform into a wolf and your martial skills are subpar, theres no reason to keep you alive."
With his other hand, the one not holding Kuilan, Lunared unsheathed his claws.
"Farewell, descendant. Well et again... in hell."
Splatter!
Blood spewed in every direction.
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