Unorthodox Gods were a cheat!
Especially a devotee who worshipped the Vampiric Lord of Blood. They not only can advance normally, but they were able to temporarily boost their strength - thus "advancing" - and surpass their current Grade.
Exhaling a breath, Grace's face contorted as he shot up, hoisting his blade in the air and narrowly deflecting a swirling tide of blood that threatened to consume him whole. Rolling to the side, Grace planted his hand on the ground, an eruption of flames spewing from underneath.
His figure was obscured and he moved out of the way in quick fashion. His feet swayed on their own, his body like a flash of lightning that came and went. Alice and him had been split apart, a surge of blood throttling in every direction.
Standing still at the center of the village, Benjamin was motioning his arms all over the place, instinct and "feel" having taken total control over him.
Did his mana reserves expand that much?! Grace jumped up, grabbing onto the ledge of a balcony. Hoisting him up, his body entered the air, a majestic flip soaring up and the down.
Bam!
Blood erupted from underneath and had Grace not been quick enough, his face would have been mangled and pure brain matter. His perception upside down, he caught whim of Benjamin.
His head turned, a deranged grin plastered on that stupid, bloody face of his. In doing so, their eyes met. A certain chill entered Grace'e spin, drilling upwards. In an instant, Benjamin shot himself towards a nearby building.
Not too far behind, Grace saw Alice emerging from a building, a tidal wave of blood destroying the infrastructure that she had previously inhabited. Landing on top of the building, Grace kept his heart steady.
Before Benjamin even took another step, Grace bolstered his arms out, an intense surge of mana expelling from his palm. Six profound daggers of light glowed violently. Grace jumped back, his back meeting the wind.
Spacing and relentless attacks were the key to victory!
Enough space between us so I can pull the Magic Amplification Circle off! That was the only way to fully incinerate this bastard to the point where he could not longer even mutter another sentence.
No--
"I'll make sure you don't see another night!" Grace spewed with conviction.
Landing on the ground, his body ran on adrenaline. The six daggers flew up as Benjamin shot down. And behind him, Alice was manically following all the while slaying the coils of blood that shot her way.
"Those eyes of yours!" Benjamin yelled. "They do not have an ounce of fear in them!!" He let his body be drowned in cuts and stabs--it did not matter to him in the slightest! The difference in durability and strength between them was nearly night and day.
Nearly.
Crashing on the dirt, debris shot from all directions, obscuring Grace's vision. But from above, Alice could see clearly. Intending to help Grace in order for him to not gain a fatal injury, Alice closed her eyes, a brief wave of tranquility washing over her.
Only for a moment it remained.
What was left--
Technique.
Her arm pushed forward, her iron sword glistening under the moonlight. Her eyes focused on the figure of Benjamin drilling forward within the debris that obscured Grace's vision.
"Thousand Layer Series: 5th Layer!"
Benjamin was stopped, a total of five slashes planting itself on the ground in front of him. Had he taken another step, a fatal injury may have been a possibility for him. Unfortunately for him, this allowed enough time for the debris to full clear.
"There you are." Grace flung himself back, throwing his arm forward and sending a series of daggers of light forward. They moved in all directions, their glimmer fling from above, to the sides, from behind--
Everywhere.
A wave of blood erected from the ground, rotating around Benjamin, covering his body from all sides in order to protect him. Grace saw this as an opportunity and turned around and ran.
I'll keep searching for it--our advantage! Grace thought.
But he did not have much long. He's been doing his best to preserve his mana reserves all this time and did not carelessly use six daggers all at once for more than a few moments.
Behind the sphere of blood, Benjamin's eyes peered. His gaze caught sight of Grace's back and a flurry of red bombarded his vision. Before he could move again, however, Alice appeared from the side, her eyes steeled with intent.
She has never killed before.
But she knew--
This would be a possibility now!
Gnashing her teeth, her obsidian black gems stared int the putrid crimson. Not another word was uttered between the two combatants as she poured power into her sword.
Fwoosh!
Flames erupted, the flickers dancing and swaying under the moonlight. They coiled in strength, urging her to to do one thing.
KILL!
"Thousand Layer Series: 10th Layer!"
A scream and a single swing of her blade. Flames curved and a thin line appeared diagonally. Benjamin widened his eyes, a certain of feeling finally crossing his heart.
A dash of fear!
One slash.
Two Slash.
Three.
Four.
Six.
Seven.
Nine.
Ten.
A total of ten slashes had all appeared consecutively from a single swing of her blade. The wind blew as dozens of gashes appeared on his chest and face. But none were deep enough to kill.
But--
"I'll continue," Alice snarled, a blazing fury erupting from her heart. "And bury you to the ground." Benjamin scoffed, his face contorting. He regained composure and dove forward.
"Running away... sneak attacks... cheap tricks..." His body pulsated in power as tears of blood escaped his sockets. Benjamin's hair danced back as blood became to gather from all ends of the village.
A feat only possible due to the abundance of blood that lingered all around them.
"This," he muttered. "Will ensure you do none of that!" A tsunami of blood rose in the air, destroying everything. Grace, who had been preparing the Magic Amplification Circle had been caught in the wave of blood and was now back to square-one.
How delightful. Grace thought scornfully. Getting off of the ground, Grace saw Alice do the same. Their bodies were bathed in the blood of something but they did not put much thought into that idea.
Thump!
Benjamin strode forward.
In video games there were oftentimes the moment during a boss fight where the boss' attacks and demeanor shifts when bringing it down to a certain health level.
"Phase 2," Grace grimaced. He did not know how he would be able to create the Magic Amplification Circle if Benjamin would be so conscious of their whereabouts.
No--
There is a way.
"Alice," he called out, wiping the blood and sweat that coated his face. "We press and press and press him." His eyes sharpened.
Yes--
This plan was the only way.