Woah...that was incredible. As a former assassin, I was in awe of the cold efficiency, accuracy and simplicity of what Prato just did. If I faced an opponent that was faster than me in the same proportion that this Fairy had been faster than Prato...I doubt I'd be able to pull off what he just did.
And what's more, this adds further weight to Jhin's suggestion of using our defeated enemies as fuel to strengthen ourselves...Prato is clearly extremely talented and skilled, and if his power level increases by a significant enough amount, he'll be a serious force to reckon with.
And he's far from the only one that applies to. There are plenty of others who are highly skilled but aren't powerful enough to make full use of those skills against more powerful opponents, and while consuming the life force of others is a slow process in boosting power, bit by bit, it adds up.
That said, we're not stooping to the level of The Valaque Empire, only defeated enemies will have their life forces extracted and channeled into whoever defeated them, we won't be using innocent people for that.
Now, then, I guess I should recall Prato's group, they've just regrouped. They've captured one of their two targets, but the survivor is on the verge of death, better heal her up a bit...otherwise, she'll probably die before Nezera can torture any information out of her.
On that note, I fully expect Nezera to fail, I highly doubt anyone from the other races would leak info on Sant or the Laus Domain no matter how much they get tortured, they're just not wired that way. So, once Nezera fails to get anything out of them, that's where I come in...and force the answers out of them using Chaos Magic.
And after that, Jhin's suggestion comes into play, and I'll transfer their life forces into those responsible for defeating them-...wait, what about Tearstrom? For Vampires, life force of any kind, be it human or from the other races, won't boost their power any.
A lack of life force can weaken them overtime, and then consuming some will restore their power, but no matter how many humans they consume, they won't actually gain any increase in power...guess the Vampires are all capped at their current power levels, that's kind of a bummer.
"It really is, at this rate, the Demons might get stronger than the Vampires," Sighed Lazarus wistfully.
"Only their host bodies," Pointed out Diablo, before adding, "And besides, that's how it should be!"
"Oh, don't sound so smug, as it stands, the Vampires have way higher power levels than the Demons do," Countered Lazarus with a huff.
"Hmph, after everything we've seen, you should know that power levels are bullshit," Argued Diablo.
"In a way, but they still have relevance, they're valuable indicators of what you may be up against!" Protested Lazarus.
By 'everything we've seen', are you guys talking about the anime you watch in my memories?
"...yeah, so? What's your point?" Responded Diablo, after they both fell silent for a moment.
I-...ugh, never mind. I'm gonna summon back Prato's group and then have a look at how the rest are doing. If you two are gonna argue, please do it so that I can't hear you, 'kay?
"...kay," The both replied in unison.
Much better...
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Point-of-View: Ekai Zabel
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"Which one do you want to fight?" I asked Siert, as the two enemies came into sight, "They both have similar power levels...the Fairy is just above 16,000, while the Halfling is at around 16,300."
In comparison, my maximum power level was approximately 18,000, and Siert's was a bit lower, at over 15,000.
"I'm fine with either one," He responded, as he unleashed his True Anima.
As I followed suit and also transformed, the two enemies frowned, looks of disgust on their faces...
"Filthy humans...using the powers you only obtained from the stolen genes of the Demi-Humans, how disgusting," Growled the Fairy, as shards of ice began manifesting around her.
"Indeed, we shall make them pay with their worthless lives," Replied the Halfling in agreement, as he put on a pair of gloves with long, sharp metal spikes for knuckles, lightning crackling around them.
"How about I take the Halfling, since he has the higher power level?" I suggested to Siert.
"Way to indirectly point out that my power level is lower than yours," He responded dryly, before adding, "But fine, I agree. I'll take the little one."
"You dare refer to me in such a disrespectful manner, you lowly human!? I have lived many times longer than you have, you cannot even imagine-!" The Fairy began angrily, before she was abruptly interrupted by Siert rapidly forming a narrow and long water whip and swinging it at her, which she just barely evaded.
"You talk way too much...shut up and fight," He remarked icily.
I noticed that the Halfling had slightly dropped his guard in surprise, and I was not going to let him get away with such a mistake. I shot forward at top speed as I fired a large fireball at him, a look of alarm appearing in his eyes as he leapt out of the way, narrowly avoiding the flames.
"I'll be your opponent...I am Ekai Zabel, a Warrior-rank of Abyss. And you are?" I inquired, as streaks of flames blazed around me.
"I see no reason to divulge my name to a lowly human such as yourself!" He snapped in reply.
"Is that so?" I sighed, before adding with a serious look on my face, "Very well, then...you will die a nameless death."
"I look forward to shattering that arrogance!" He exclaimed, as lightning violently crackled around him and he shot towards me rapidly.
He fired a barrage of lightning bolts at me, which I countered with highly intense fireballs, canceling them out. Hm, he's charging straight towards me? Is it a feint? Or does he really think that, at his slightly superior speed, he can finish me with such a lack of effort? It looks like that's the case. I feel insulted...I'm ending this right now.
I then evaded as he closed in on me and drove his fist towards my face, before rapidly lifting my knee up and slamming it onto his midsection, eliciting a gasp of pain from him, and as he stumbled back with severe burns at the point of impact, I swiftly formed flames all around him, rapidly swirling and spinning them as they rose up and converged before he could recover or react to them.
And just like that, within a matter of seconds, I had captured him inside a spinning cone of flames, and with that, the fight was effectively won on my part. He will run out of air soon and lose consciousness, no doubt about it...it's over...
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Point-of-View: Siert Huet
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"When I am finished with you, there will be nothing left of you! I shall kill you and feed your remains to wild animals!" Declared the Fairy, as she fired out water slashes and ice shards at me.
I batted away her attacks with my single water tail, not even bothering to form any more tails...this is painfully easy, she has speed and her attacks have decent intensity, but...each time, right before she attacks, she stops to aim before firing, and even then, her accuracy is a bit shaky.
Why would the Laus Domain send such an incompetent fighter on a mission like this one? Do they value her power over her skill? This is stupid...what a waste of time, I can't believe I transformed for this.
"What is the matter, human!? Are you unable to counterattack due to the speed of my attacks!? Hah, it serves you right, lowly...!" She laughed tauntingly, before I stopped listening to her ramble as I spotted a towering flame attack from where Ekai had been fighting the Halfling.
Oh, he's using that upside-down fire cone attack? Huh, then his fight will be over soon...I'll only end up keeping him waiting if I drag mine out, so I suppose I'll take this seriously and end this right now. Hm? Looks like she's still talking...does she not realize that I stopped listening?
"...disgusting creatures that deserve to die, every last one of you!"
"Are you quite finished?" I inquired with an exasperated frown.
"Do not look down on me, I am-!" She began, before I cut her off by slamming my water tail onto her from behind, striking her blind spot so that she couldn't even react, sending her plummeting down and crashing onto the ground with a bloody splat.
"Just shut up already...you're a joke," I replied, before realizing that she couldn't hear me, because she was dead...oops, I was supposed to capture her alive, my mistake...
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