Dante didn’t know what he expected the Huntress to look like, her name had been spoken with more fear than either of the dragons, but the woman above them was not what he had been expecting. He didn’t think she was human given her size, she was so large that it stretched believability. Likely, she was a member of that painted race of giants he had seen around camp. However, that would make her the largest member of that race he had seen by far. The Huntress was dressed primitively in animal hides, which seemed ill protection for a battlefield. If it weren’t for the familiar black spear in her hand, he would have questioned why everyone feared her.

  As soon as she had been identified, a veritable hail of abilities was launched towards her. In stark opposition to the level of firepower leveled at her, the Huntress leisurely stood up and stepped off the roof she had been standing on. Dante could not even call the move a dodge, she fell straight down.

  Yet somehow every single one of the attacks missed.

  If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would not have believed it. There were no distortions, deflections, or deviations in their trajectory. Explosions did not touch her, shrapnel just missed her, and arrows just missed her like some circus show. The Huntress had simply picked a path that happened to be safe.

  She hit the packed dirt, sending a scatter of cracks through the ground and shattering any illusion that she was anything but highly leveled. To the closest Empire soldier's credit, they attacked her without any hesitation. For the good it did.

  The Huntress leaned out of the way of the first spear strike, allowing it to pass so close that it caressed her flesh but failed to cut. She leaned into the strike, shifting it to the right and into the shoulder of a soldier behind her. The spear wielder let go in shock and stumbled back, tangling up the soldiers behind her who were trying to get into the fight. In a smooth motion, the Huntress kicked backward into the spear, causing it to sink deeper and for the woman to fly backwards. She impacted a mage mid-cast and impaled her as well. The spell went wild and a metallic web snared an entire cluster of soldiers.

  It was a wonder to watch, like an orchestrated dance. Anyone who neared the Huntress became a part of it. Attempting to hit her was futile and an invitation to become her weapon. The only hitch came when a black robed mage near them began to cast. Dante never got to figure out what the spell was, because the Huntress flowed through the crowd like it wasn’t there and brushed past her. The mage immediately ceased casting and screamed in agony. Dante could see a small cut in her robe and a black, already necrotizing wound underneath. She reached for a bag, but her fingers met air as the Huntress had snatched it in the same maneuver. Other cries rang out and Dante was horrified to see that all she had passed collapsed and began to writhe on the ground.

  “What are you doing, you fools! Retreat!” Shouted some officer — You could always tell them apart because they wore the same armor as Sūnva. At the same time, another officer commanded: “Charge! Overwhelm her! She attack all of you!” The pair broke off and looked at each other with disbelief. In the meantime, the conflicting orders caused absolute chaos in the ranks, which the Huntress took full advantage of.

  “Empress's breath, this a mess! All because of that god’s damned traitor!” grumbled Sūnva. Their leader studied the situation with flinty eyes and a face that looked as if it could have been carved from marble. The only thing that betrayed her tension was her white knuckled grip on her sword. She was pissed. Dante prayed that she would not send them in. There was absolutely nothing he could do against something like that.

  “Sūnva,” Pauwna spoke up, hesitated a breath, then said gently. “Rhea, my friend, even I couldn’t touch her. Don’t try it, or else we will lose people. Let’s back off for a moment, alright? We can come back when we have a good plan.”

  Sūnva locked eyes with her and something unspoken passed between them. A burden seemed to leave Sūnva and she sagged, looking so tired. There was some history there, Dante felt.

  “Alright. Ok. Let’s find who is in charge and stop that foolishness. Come, we need to break through.”

  Pauwna, I could kiss you right now. I think you just saved all of our lives

  Sūnva reluctantly turned and stalked over to where the fighting was thickest and they all trailed behind her. What had first been a steady climb towards victory had instead become a pitched battle since the Huntress's intervention. A state of affairs that had also transferred to the battle up above.

  No longer threatened by the Empire’s mages, scores of Ahsmati flocked to the sky. They attacked Ahzi from afar, forcing her to devote precious time to negating them. Even though each individual attack was insignificant, quantity has a quality all its own. Hardly visible through the volume of attacks striking her, the princess was forced on the defensive.

  Nothing Dante could do about that, so he focused on the oncoming fight. Although, given that he was out of crossbow bolts, he wasn’t sure if he could even do that. He had kept an eye open for replacements since arriving at the camp but couldn’t find any. He eyed the various weapons strewn about but decided against taking any. [Martial Arts] wouldn’t work if he picked one of those up. He was forced to watch as everyone but him fought against a screeching cloud of Ahsmati. It burned him to sit there. There had to be something that he could do.

  I have to have something useful here in all my abilities. I guess I could try punching them with [Martial Arts], but it’s untested and I would rather not use it for the first time here. I could also try to shield them more with my aura, but it would also hurt their movements. Wait a moment. Maybe there is something I can try.

  He focused inward, the best he could manage in these conditions anyway, Dante took control of his aura. First, he pulled it close and then stretched it up and over his team. A swarm of flying Ahsmati entered the area and squawked at the unexpected turbulence, lost their balance, and pinwheeled into different directions. Some hit the ground, where they were easily dispatched by Pauwna. She smiled back at him, a grin made vicious by her numerous large incisors.

  “Whatever you are doing, keep it up! I missed having a disabler.”

  Well, who was he to disappoint a lady? Dante stepped closer to the fighting and kept manipulating his barrier. Unfortunately, most Ahsmati quickly caught onto the trick and began avoiding it or even using it to boost themselves.

  I need to do more, be better.

  Dante began changing the shape of the field, trying to catch them offguard. It worked somewhat, but the Ahsmati began folding their wings and dive bombing. At that speed, his field simply didn’t act on them long enough to have an appreciable effect. Worse, it seemed to assist them in escaping, pushing them away from his team faster.

  If I can’t be reactive, then I must be active.

  Retracting his aura, Dante waited for a target. He didn’t have to wait for long, a wyvern-like Ahsmati about the size of a cart swooped low, obviously looking to grab someone. Its path put it just outside the established range of [Overloaded Warding Flesh], which he was sure was not a coincidence. Not his first choice, but he wasn’t going to let it attack without doing something.

  As it neared them, he used a charge and pushed out. Hard. It stretched further than ever before and intercepted the drake when it was about ten feet away. It lurched in the air, obviously surprised, but had enough mass to push through it. Not giving up, Dante chased after it with the tendril of aura and pushed on it from above. It wasn’t a huge burden for the drake, but it was enough.

  With a roar, Svōl leapt up and wrapped his arms around its neck. With an effort, he forced it to the ground. Sūnva and Pauwna piled onto the drake and dispatched it in short order. Though it had been mostly Pauwna. Her armor now completely coated her torso and was creeping up her neck. Pauwna had always been fast, but strength had not been her forte. Now, he watched her tear a wing off the drake with seemingly little effort. That armor of hers was incredible and it didn’t look like it had hit its upper limit yet.

  Level 11 [Drake Ahsmati] has been slain

  Calculating participation: 36%

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  [Aura Manipulation] has advanced to Level 3

  The level-up came not a moment too soon. It was like bonds had been loosened around his aura, allowing it to snake through the air with unmatched swiftness and flexibility. He directed [Overloaded Warding Flesh] like a conductor, inflicting any who dared to move close to his team with its effects. The feeling of tangible improvement was intoxicating. Dante could understand how one might get addicted to it if they weren’t careful.

  After dealing with a particularly dense cluster, there were no more enemies in front of them. Dante spotted the officers who had ordered a retreat and a charge simultaneously arguing safely behind a line of soldiers. A nasty gleam entered Sūnva’s eye and she walked towards the pair as if entering battle again. The rest of the team followed her, with Dante at the end of the pack. Pauwna was just ahead of him and he nearly walked into her when she stopped. A snide remark died on his tongue as he realized she was frozen, ramrod straight with her long ears twitching.

  In a blur, she grabbed him and Ren — who was also at the back — and dashed back the way they came. They accelerated so fast that Dante’s vision shrank to a pinprick and he nearly blacked out. [Temporal Reactions] activated, which was the only reason he saw what happened next.

  Right where they had been standing, a craggy tail slammed into the ground and turned the battle line of soldiers into gristly jelly. There was no sign of Sūnva and the rest of the team. The tail whipped back towards them. Pauwna leapt, soaring dozens of feet before impacting the ground so hard that Dante bit his tongue.

  Pauwna set them down on a rooftop. Dante immediately bent forward and wretched. His vision spun and he felt like death. As soon as he was able to stand unassisted, he looked back.

  The Black Wind had landed, creating a sizable crater from the impact. Black blood was scattered throughout the area and turned the mud into a creeping black corruption. Hundreds of beings, Empire soldiers and Ahsmati alike, had been squashed underneath its bulk.

  In the dragon's claws, struggling violently, was Ahzi. Her attendants were nowhere to be seen, though lightning rumbled through the clouds by Lightbringer. The Black Wind brought Ahzi up before it and curled its lip, smiling in the same uncanny way a dog might.

  “Caught you, little mouse!” gloated the Black Wind. “Not so brave now, are you? You have lost and doomed all of your kin here. I will add your strength to my own and devour the Empire you hold so dear.”

  The Black Wind opened its maw wide enough that it could swallow a small boat and its jaws began to close around Ahzi. Dante heard a sharp intake of breath and looked to the side at Pauwna. In rapid succession, shock, joy, frustration, and finally acceptance passed over her face. With a single motion, all of the blood accumulated in her flowed to her palm, where it coalesced into a ball. The crimson sphere pulsed, glowing with red light more vivid than it had any right to be. Pauwna cocked back her hand and the blood solidified into a crystalline spear.

  Dante caught motion in of the corner of his eye and some instinct caused him to look. Soaring through the air was the Huntress. She was looking right at Pauwna and in her hand was a black javelin. She threw it at Pauwna.

  He could not let that happen.

  As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the Huntress's head snapped to him. Black, pitiless eyes met his green ones and the world seemed to freeze. Those obsidian orbs pierced him to the core as surely as one of her javelins would. They widened, and an expression of pure shock spread across her face. For the first time that day, the Huntressed moved with supernatural speed and brushed her hand against the base of the javelin before it left her reach, altering its trajectory by a hair.

  The moment ended and Dante jumped in the path of the javelin. He activated all of his charges and shaped his aura to catch it. Dante slanted his barrier, hoping to turn the javelin aside.

  It did not seem to help. That javelin entered his aura and was entirely unaffected. It approached him and tried to deflect clumsily it with his forearms. The javelin parted his flesh like it wasn’t even there. He had failed.

  [Martial Arts] has advanced to Level 6

  Dante turned with the javelin, dreading what he might find. It soared right past her cheek, taking a few strands of hair with it, but Pauwna otherwise seemed unharmed. Pauwna didn’t even blink and cast her spear. It whipped through the air so fast that he felt a small pull forward as it formed a momentary vortex. The spear struck true and buried itself in one of The Black Wind’s fingers. The dragon’s grip relaxed and Ahzi broke free.

  Kicking off the hand, she dashed forward and slashed the dragon’s eye. A waterfall of blood spilled forth and the Black Wind unleashed its loudest roar yet. At this proximity, it struck Dante like a hammer blow, causing him to stumble and for his dizziness to redouble. It was almost a relief when his ears popped and his hearing disappeared for the second time that day.

  Before he could recover, Dante was spun around and pushed to the ground. Pauwna kneeled over him with a knife in her hands. She brought the blade down towards where the javelin cut him. Dante could already see veins turning black around the gash. With the precision of a surgeon, she flensed the afflicted flesh from his arm.

  Dante screamed so loud that his voice instantly went hoarse and morphed into a wet cough. It was the second worst pain he had ever felt, only topped by burning to death. It only lasted a few seconds, but to him it was an eternity. By the time it was done, a large chunk of his forearm was gone. It was deep enough that he could see bone.

  Through red-tinted vision, he saw Pauwna rummaging through his bag. She came out with his healing potion, then unstoppered it and doused the cut with it. It immediately started itching as if a hive of ants had crawled into it. Flesh began growing back at a visible rate and hearing returned. Through his muddled thoughts, an idea struck him. Dante released his hold on the buffer for [Mana Body Fortification]. Burns instantly sprouted on his skin, then were washed away. At the end of it, he was completely healed, though thoroughly exhausted.

  [Mana Body Fortification] has advanced to Level 2

  He hadn’t even time to take a breath when a new wave of noise washed over him.

  “You!”

  Looming above them was the Black Wind. Now that it was this close, Dante realized just how big the dragon truly was. A single one of its teeth was larger than him. His only consolation was that it wasn’t looking at him, but Pauwna.

  “How dare you! In my moment of victory, you strike me? Betrayer! I shall inflict every manner of suffering upon you and your — raagh!”

  The last part of the threat was cut off when Ahzi delivered another slash to his flank. The Black Wind turned to snap at her, forgetting them for the moment. Taking advantage of the distraction, Pauwna picked up his weak body and sprinted away. She was noticeably slower without the armor and rapid breaths beat down upon him. Dante looked over her shoulder to continue spectating the fight.

  Whereas the balance between Ahzi and the Black Wind had been touch and go during the course of the battle, the ball was now firmly in Ahzi’s court. She took advantage of the dragon's newly blinded side and rained blows down upon it. The Black Wind was powerless to resist and Dante watched with bated breath for the finishing blow to be struck.

  Alas, an enormous shadow fell over them and Ahzi backed off. Lightbringer hovered protectively over the Black Wind, dispassionately scanned the scene, but otherwise made no other moves. Ahzi’s two attendants soared from the sky to stand shoulder in shoulder with her and a staredown ensued. Lightbringer was the first to break the silence and his voice was melodious, like a choir sang with him.

  “A fine mess of things you have made here, Black Wind.” Lightbringer eyed the injuries with a sneer. “To think that lessers could have brought you to such a state. You disgrace us all. Now come, we have played our part and the jaws of the trap are set.”

  “But Brother!” Protested the Black Wind, sounding like a petulent child, “We can’t flee! I still need to —” From Black Wind’s blind side, Lightbringer struck him with a large coil and sent the other dragon reeling. Recovering quickly, the Black Wind arched its back and hissed.

  “Enough of that. You have brought enough shame upon our noble kind this day. Now come along before I leave you to their mercy. We have taken too long as is.”

  Lightbringer took to the sky, flying away parallel to the great barrier. The Black Wind followed after one final hiss at Ahzi, followed by the few remaining Ahsmati. The plains were silent, then the army broke out into cheers. Teams embraced, tears were shed, and Dante even saw a few couples kissing.

  Dante did not join in and neither did Ahzi or her attendants. They gathered together and seemed to be frantically conferring, likely sharing the same concerns that Dante had. What was the last line Lightbringer had said?

  The jaws of the trap had been set?

  Those were not words spoken by a defeated enemy. Senses alert, Dante scanned the horizon and looked for anything out of the ordinary. He did not immediately see anything, only the now ruined camp, numerous bodies, and the low hanging clouds. He was about to dismiss his suspicion as paranoia when an usual cloud directly opposite the great barrier caught his attention. Dante squinted, shadowing his eyes, then activated [Overloaded Senses].

  Were clouds supposed to move that fast? Or be that purple? Dante realized that the aberration had grown larger. It was spreading across the horizon.

  Dante walked over to Pauwna, who had sagged against a wall and had her eyes closed, and elbowed her. When she opened one of them, he pointed towards the horizon.

  “What is that?”

  The orb slowly panned to the horizon, where it narrow in confusion. Pauwna opened her other eyes and straightened up. She studied the phenomena, growing more tense all the while.

  “I have no idea.”