Clash of the Apostle and the Divine Beast (1)
Clang!
Every time the two swords crossed, a piercing noise ripped through the warehouse, shaking the air inside. The shockwaves were so intense that the building trembled, cracks spiderwebbing across the walls and pillars holding up the ceiling.
This was on another level entirely from the clashes between Eunhyeon and Ashton earlier. The warehouse, barely enduring the tremendous aftershocks, teetered on the brink of collapse as the fight dragged on.
But before the building could reach its breaking point, the weapons in their hands hit their limits first.
Crack!
The Gumiho's rapier—mere ornamentation emphasizing flashy aesthetics over substance, much like Ashton's sword—finally shattered under the blade infused with the divine beast's mana.
As Eunhyeon's sword broke, unable to withstand the excessive strain, a stalemate returned between him and the Gumiho.
"Tch!"
The Gumiho glared at Eunhyeon with clear annoyance, the soft white fur of her nine tails bristling like spines, betraying her foul mood.
"I'm impressed. You seem quite adept at human swordsmanship."
"I learned it from that loathsome Ortus. I hate using it now, of all times, since it brings back memories of that bastard."
The Gumiho's current state wasn't good. She hadn't recovered even a tenth of her original power as a divine beast. Even with the mana absorbed from Ashton, the reserves in her body were woefully insufficient to take on the apostle before her.
If she could unleash her full might, she possessed the capacity to engulf the entire capital in flames—a being on the verge of godhood, a demigod. The reason Eunhyeon could hold his own against her was largely because she was severely weakened.
Having lost her demigod body and the source of her power, the shattered Fox Bead, her options were limited now that her weapon had broken too.
'I wanted to preserve what little mana I have left... but no choice.'
Her decision was swift. Mana surged forth in an instant, her lush nine tails all pointing skyward, bristling.
The deployed mana gathered in the tails, glowing blue. Blue flames began forming atop them.
The flames grew, expanding to human size, gradually taking humanoid shapes. Flickering blue flames formed Gumiho soldiers clad in armor and wielding diverse weapons—swords, shields, spears, axes, clubs, bows.
Fox Clan Immortal Art
⟨ Hundred Ghosts Night Parade ⟩
These summons, each boasting the might of mid-to-low-tier demons from the past and famed for one equaling a million, couldn't fully recreate their former glory due to the Gumiho's weakened state. Still, they were far from negligible.
The Gumiho's immortal arts drew not from innate mana but from ambient natural mana, resembling mage spells yet fundamentally different.
'This is the power of a divine beast that has ascended to demigod status...'
Even at less than a tenth of her strength, the spectacle was awe-inspiring, leaving Eunhyeon quietly impressed.
My child. This is no time to stand slack-jawed!
'I know.'
Verdandi's urgent cry, laced with tension, drew a calm nod from Eunhyeon.
"Go."
With the Gumiho's curt command, the hundred ghosts—armed blue flames—charged at Eunhyeon. This was no longer something he could ignore. He invoked his authority, summoning new swords in both hands.
Thought Acceleration
Time Acceleration
He immediately expanded Detection around himself, analyzing every position and movement of the hundred ghosts.
The nine ghosts fell into three main types. First: four melee tanks-cum-dealers charging with brute force and speed.
Second: two ranged dealers—a bowman and spear-thrower—sniping from afar.
Third: skirmishers balancing the group, supporting from between the front and back lines.
Though varied in weapons and styles, the absence of a mage-type among them was a small mercy. If they were humans, they'd form a perfectly balanced expedition party. From Eunhyeon's perspective as their foe, it was a nightmare.
Clang!
"Tch..."
He'd targeted the ranged bowman ghost first as the biggest nuisance, but it was cleanly blocked. He'd planned to slip through the front and mid lines to pierce the bowman's neck, yet the adjacent spear-thrower deflected his blade.
The ghosts moved with ruthless precision, no hesitation. As his attack failed, the rear-line bowman and spear-thrower leaped back with astonishing agility, widening the gap.
His reckless push had left him surrounded. The fastest melee ghosts—a three-sword fencer and assassin—struck first from his flanks, unleashing a barrage of afterimage-speed strikes.
He parried one by one, but as the attacks surpassed ten, the accumulating shock from clashing weapons strained his arms. Each block lowered his hands slightly, until rigidity set in, creating a brief opening.
Seizing it, a massive greatsword-wielding ghost swung to cleave his skull.
Eunhyeon twisted free of the stiffness, barely backstepping to evade.
Boom!
The greatsword pulverized the floor with a harsh grind. Blocking with his dual swords would've crushed his head alongside them.
"Hoo..."
Even if he'd blocked, the ensuing power struggle would've left him vulnerable to the others. Choosing evasion over defense was correct.
But it wasn't over. Detection blared warnings.
"Hup!"
A shrill whistle split the air toward his landing spot. He leaned back sharply.
The arrow that nearly pierced his head streaked past in a line of light.
'This is insane. For real.'
My child. Are you alright?
'Not at all. This is bad.'
He answered Verdandi's worried query honestly. No room to catch his breath. No chance for counterattack.
Even with accelerated body and mind granting several times normal speed, the ghosts denied him any opening to think or retaliate.
Their seamless coordination and tactics felt like decades of teamwork—not like mana-born soldiers. One certainty: they possessed egos.
Without it, their restricting, baiting, cornering tactics—textbook party play—made no sense.
'Honestly, facing tens of thousands of magic beasts alone was tough physically but mentally easy.'
He recalled single-handedly slaughtering tens of thousands in Mirvabilla Empire's palace.
Beasts driven by instinct: charge, claw, bite. Overwhelming numbers bred despair, but predictable patterns needed no deep strategy.
The hundred ghosts? They held formation, roles, rational judgment. Systematic assaults wore down body and mind.
Fewer in number—nine versus tens of thousands—but far trickier.
'Can't back down here, though.'
Parrying the relentless chain, Eunhyeon thought coolly amid accelerated cognition. How to break this damn party?
Against one-vs-many, eliminate rear supports or heavy firepower first—like mages.
No priests or mages here. Just potent ranged bowman and spear-thrower. Harder to reach.
One attempt failed already; spear-thrower's melee prowess was no joke, and mid-line guards complicated it.
Perfectly balanced unit.
'Guess I have to grind through the front...'
Target the vanguards: start with speedsters fencer and assassin, then spearman, then mids.
His only edge: speed.
'Alright.'
Decision made, action swift. He doubled Time Acceleration's multiplier via authority.
The bodily strain was unimaginable, but securing this spot came first.
As before, fencer and assassin flanked, thrusting. Before strikes landed, the assassin stuttered, its blue flame crumbling.
"...!"
The fencer halted, rigid in shock. The assassin's severed neck extinguished its form entirely.
Eunhyeon had slit its throat before they could react. Flawless, no afterimage.
Witnessing his markedly faster moves, the ghosts grew wary.
He gauged how long this heightened acceleration would last.
Calculation done, he raised his right sword, pointing at the motionless, staring ghosts.
"Come on."
Now it was a chicken game: topple them all before his limit hit and he fell.