"Haa!"
Rei's footsteps pounded hard against the asphalt as she lunged forward. Her spear gleamed as it thrust ahead, the tip piercing a zombie's head with ease and bursting out the other side.
With a sweeping slash, she cut off another's head. Amid the blood and scattered brain matter, the blade traced a wide, gleaming arc.
The twist of her body added force, and with that motion she cut down several more at once.
It was the first time she'd used such a perfectly balanced spear. She could impale with it, and she could slash with it. And every time she added a little extra strength, bones and flesh gave way like tofu under a hot knife.
A smile appeared on her lips. Her heart raced as she struck down every zombie in her path.
With each one that fell, the shadow of fear inside her slowly dissolved. She could feel that Yuu was there, shining on her, erasing her fears and worries, making her feel light and free.
Her eyes fixed on the mutated zombie, and she thought that thing wouldn't go down so easily.
She decided it was best to clear out the regular zombies blocking her path before facing the boss. And just as the last head was skewered, the mutated zombie noticed her.
—Ruoooh!
It roared, black drool dripping from its mouth, and charged at her.
But…
"Lightning Step!"
As she murmured that, she felt her mana drain from her body.
A glow like electricity ran through her pupils, and in an instant, her figure vanished in a blue streak.
—Zzzt!
The world around her slowed down, reminding her of when she'd play videos in slow motion. Where she'd been a second before, there was only the mark of a crackling lightning bolt on the ground.
"…!"
In the next instant, she was right in front of the mutant. She'd closed more than ten meters in less than a second!
Lightning Step was part of her Exclusive Skill, Lightning's Wrath. It let her move at extreme speed in any direction for a few brief seconds.
It was ideal for moments when she needed to start a fight like now to catch her enemy off guard—or for times when she needed to dodge.
But it consumed a lot of mana, so she couldn't abuse it either.
Still, right now, she needed it.
"By this light, a strength to forge!"
Jin-ah's voice reached her.
A warm, comforting heat spread through her muscles, slightly boosting her strength.
"By this light, a swiftness surge!"
Fshhh!
Thanks to Jin-ah's buff, her perception sharpened even more, and she moved at a much higher speed.
In the slowed world, Rei turned her head. Far away, Jin-ah was on her knees, hands on her staff, panting.
She's pushing past her limits…
Rei worried for her. But she also understood that skills fed on mana. That sight made Rei think she'd have to be careful, because if her mana reserve ran out, she'd feel dizzy and be left vulnerable to enemies.
Maybe Jin-ah wasn't as affected since she was staying behind them, but both Rei and Saeko had to be cautious.
Thinking all that in less than a second, she tightened her grip around her spear. She kicked off the ground and, with that boost, leapt into the air until she was level with the mutated zombie.
Since she couldn't use two Effects at the same time, Lightning Step faded, and her perception returned to normal.
The mutated zombie turned clumsily, confused at not seeing her where she'd been.
"Thunder Spear."
An electric crackle reverberated in the air. Blue and white lightning slid from her arm into the runes carved into the spear, wrapping it entirely in crackling bolts.
"Take this!"
She twisted her body midair and thrust the spear forward.
—Fsshhhhh!
The spear sliced the air, leaving a blue streak in its wake. The mutated zombie barely had time to lift its head before the tip pierced its skull.
Lightning, like writhing tentacles, ran through its whole body, shaking it violently.
There was a flash, and the mutated zombie's head disintegrated instantly.
Death in a single strike!
×××
Not far from where Rei was fighting the mutated zombie…
Saeko twisted her body in midair, and the curve of her katana traced a dark arc.
—Kiiiieeehh!
Green-black liquid sprayed out. One of the giant mantis's legs fell, cleanly severed.
The mantis's shriek made the windows of nearby cars vibrate until they cracked. Saeko frowned as the piercing sound stabbed into her ears.
The mantis flapped its wings and lunged at her with both forelegs raised, the sunlight pouring down on them, making them look like razor-sharp scythes.
—Shhhh!
Blocking that would've been dangerous, so Saeko rolled to the side.
The mantis's dark-green exoskeleton was tough. The katana forged by Yuu, Kurokami, could slice through iron like butter if Saeko put all her strength into it. But this monster was even tougher than iron. Even if she went all out, the blade only left shallow marks on its body.
She needed more strength…
So the only option was to aim for its weak points.
—Slash!
Another leg fell when Saeko cut as she passed its side. The mantis lost its balance and, staggering, tore up the asphalt with its remaining legs before crashing into a building.
"By this light, a strength to forge!"
"By this light, a swiftness surge!"
Jin-ah's reinforcement covered both Saeko and Rei at that moment.
Saeko glanced back for a second. Jin-ah was pale and panting, sweat dripping down her forehead. That state wasn't surprising, considering that using so much mana consecutively at her low level had drained what little mana she had.
Are there mana potions? Or could they be made…?
That was what they were missing.
Shaking off those thoughts, Saeko refocused. She saw the mantis crawl out of the crater, its tiny red eyes glowing.
A new shriek, even more grating, resounded as it lunged at her again.
"…!"
The scythe passed just a centimeter from her neck. Saeko had readied a counterattack, but the mantis was faster, managing to dodge while swinging its scythe diagonally.
There was no time to dodge or raise her blade as a shield.
—Clink!
Saeko suddenly raised her katana's hilt to block and, at the same time, kicked the insect's head. The impact sent her flying back. She flipped several times before landing and sliding across the pavement.
"Heh… this is troublesome."
This mantis was faster, tougher, and more dangerous than the mutated zombie she'd fought before. To be exact, it was at least three times stronger.
But precisely because of that, she wasn't going to use her Exclusive Skill.
After all…
"The best way to increase your stats is to push yourself to the limit."
She remembered Yuu's words quite clearly.
If she relied only on her special skill, she'd never go further.
Her lips curved into a cold smile.
"Let's go again."
Saying that, she launched her attack with firm steps.
The battle dragged on for several minutes.
During that time, Rei, who had already defeated the mutated zombie, wanted to join in the fight. However, Saeko stopped her, saying this was her prey. That's why Rei stood next to Jin-ah, watching with worried expressions.
After all, they saw that Saeko was already panting.
Sweat ran down her forehead, slid along her cheeks, and gathered in drops on her chin before falling to the ground. And not to mention, from swinging her katana so much against such a hard exoskeleton, her arms felt heavy and numb.
Even so, she'd managed to wound the mantis in several spots, making greenish blood gush from its body.
Then…
The mantis's body was covered in a green aura.
"What…?"
It suddenly disappeared, leaving only an emerald blur behind.
The air behind her shifted.
It was impossible to turn in time.
With two legs missing and it can still move that fast… they have skills too?!
She clenched her teeth.
"By this light, a guard to hold!"
A nearly transparent shield wrapped around Saeko just before the scythe came down. The barrier was round and made of light.
—Crack!
The scythe slammed into the shield, shattering it into hundreds of cracks before breaking apart.
The attack rebounded, and the mantis staggered back from the recoil.
Saeko, not wasting the chance, lowered her stance, pressed her foot hard against the ground, and stepped swiftly forward.
"Haa!"
Kurokami stabbed right into the joint of the exoskeleton under the abdomen. The blade sank all the way to the hilt.
The mantis shrieked and swung its scythe.
But Saeko smiled coldly, though excitement also burned in her eyes.
With a clean motion, she dragged the katana upward.
—Slashhh!
The mantis was cleaved in two from its stomach to its head.
Greenish-black blood gushed in torrents, soaking the ground.
And with one final shudder, the massive insect collapsed.
×××
[Status]
—Name: Rei Miyamoto
—Path: The Beginning and the End
—Rank: Pathstrider
—Level: 1
[General Stats]
Strength: I 0
Endurance: I 0
Dexterity: I 0
Agility: I 0
Magic: I 0
---
[Exclusive Skill]
—Lightning's Wrath
—Linked Path: The Beginning and the End
—Description—
Like lightning that splits the sky in silence before thunder breaks the calm, Rei's will becomes the descending wrath of heaven.
—Effects—
—First Effect: [Thunder Spear]: Rei concentrates lightning into her hand or weapon, releasing a powerful bolt that strikes a single target. The bolt can bounce once to a nearby enemy.
—Second Effect: [Lightning Step]: Rei moves at extreme speed in any direction.
—Third Effect: [Electrifying Field]: Rei strikes the ground, creating a circular zone of electrical energy. Enemies inside the field take continuous damage, and their movement speed is significantly reduced.
---
[Active Skills]
—None
[Passive Skill]
—Aegis's Blessing