Monsters Uprising

The glass shards scattered all over the floor, and the other explorers stepped back. The attendant shielded herself under the table, but Sief could only stare at the figure in front of him, who continued to smile kindly.

Looking down, Sief saw that his clothes, though human, shone slightly like Astrad's armor. A sword was sheathed at his waist, and his eyes glowed as if he were using an ability, but still smiling, he spoke.

"I’m glad you’re so similar to how you used to be... I’ve been waiting for your arrival..." He laughed, amused, and closed his eyes slightly. "You have no idea how happy I am."

A purple glow appeared behind the figure, who remained with his eyes closed, and in an instant, a lilac slash crossed his face, nearly hitting Sief’s eyes.

Sief's eyes widened, realizing that what had been cut was nothing more than a residual image. His hands had been freed before he even noticed, and when he looked up, that man was in the air, still wearing a slight smile.

"How unpleasant."

Still smiling, he saw a shadow cover him, and when he raised his head, he saw a wide grin and a red aura surrounding an ax as large as the shadow itself.

In an instant, the blow came down, pushing the man below. The strike sent him to Sief’s side, and an impact hit the ground, sinking it and sending dust flying in all directions.

A scream echoed in the space, and the attendant stood up with a frightened look, seeing Sief wide-eyed and still frozen, slowly turning toward Ylda, who was pushing her ax against something, still with a slight smile.

‘All of this... and I couldn’t even react?’

His eyes widened again as he saw the dust clearing, revealing the image of the man, who was still smiling and blocking Ylda’s ax with his hidden sword.

The blade was rough and larger than his arm, but its entire form resembled a large stinger made of a black, aged mineral, sparking as it clashed with Ylda's ax.

"You're still alive?" The barbarian kept smiling.

"Don't be surprised." The figure touched his blade, which was soon covered in a bluish aura.

Ylda frowned, and Sief felt his throat dry up. The atmosphere had suddenly heated up, and the ax blade began to melt, leaving traces of iron dripping from the weapon.

Sief's eyes widened, and Ylda gritted her teeth, but before she could react, the weapon was shattered, and a slash reached the barbarian’s head, causing her to stagger back from the impact.

The blood in the air evaporated, and the man continued to observe, still smiling. But soon, another, much smaller shadow appeared behind him.

The man turned, keeping the same smile that only intensified when he saw Sief in mid-air, his blade glowing with a greenish aura. In an instant, the slash came, making the blood gush out, splattering Sief's face, who remained wide-eyed and glowing in a greenish hue.

'Did I cut him?'

As soon as he landed, he jumped back, his eyes wide and his breathing heavy, looking down at his clothes, which were burning to ashes just from proximity, making him look in disbelief.

"That was intense." Sief raised his head and saw the man speak, his hand on his head, seeming slightly dizzy. "I can see your essence, but it's incomplete..."

Sief continued to stare, frowning, and in the end, the man waved his hand, saying,

"Oh, please, don’t be mad." He continued to smile as the blood that had spilled returned to his body as if it had a will of its own, closing the wound in seconds. "You just weren’t properly fed. We were going to prepare a better vessel for you, but I think she’s been influenced by the human side and wanted you to be like this."

Still frowning, Sief noticed there weren’t even marks left from his slash, making him grit his teeth and conclude,

'He let me cut him... he could have dodged or blocked... but not only that... he wanted to feel my strike? Or my poison?' He gritted his teeth. ‘And... her?’

The air around them showed slight static, and a lilac glow appeared to the side, making both the man and Sief turn, seeing Astrad with one hand raised and a massive spectral lilac spear beside him, much larger than his own body and changing the colors of the surroundings.

"Are you done showing off?" The spear grew larger and emitted faint rays of the same color. "Get up, Ylda."

"I didn’t fall, moron." The two also turned toward the barbarian, who still had a slight smile, but her helmet now had a red glow in her eyes, and just like on the man's face, the barbarian's wound was closing, her blood returning to her as she smiled even more intensely, surrounding her body with a reddish aura, keeping a red light in the empty space of her eye. "We can continue."

"What an interesting toy you have." The man kept smiling. "Does it use your blood for that?"

Sief narrowed his eyes, remembering the draconian spearman, but Ylda continued to smile, intensifying her aura even more, sinking the ground beneath her feet and charging forward at an absurd speed.

Sief's eyes widened as the barbarian appeared almost beside him, stopping abruptly, the same ax as before reappearing in her hand, once again covered in the aura.

The man continued to watch with a smile, but a bolt struck the side of his cheek, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Astrad move his hand, firing the spear, which flew quickly toward the figure's abdomen.

Ylva struck, and the spear reached its target. Sief’s eyes widened as he saw both blows hit the figure's body, but something happened, and the body once again became a residual image.

In an instant, both heroes' eyes widened, and the impact caused a magical explosion, sending some of the explorers flying. The attendant hit her back against the wall and fainted, and Sief was thrown against the table.

He hit his lower back and once again felt his bones crack. The impact stopped, but as soon as he fell to the ground, the sound of another impact occurred, and he vomited blood.

Lifting his still blurry vision, Sief saw the man in the same posture as before, still maintaining the slight smile, turning toward him, laughing softly.

Sief moved his head with difficulty, but when he focused on the wall, his eyes widened as he saw a figure embedded in it.

It was Ylda, with most of her armor shattered, and burns were regenerating all over her body. Once again, the smile had disappeared from her face, and she was trembling, unable to move.

Astrad was still staring with his hand raised, but his eyes were wide, and finally, the man sighed, saying,

"Did you think cowards who travel in packs could even touch me?" For the first time, the man broke his smile and turned to Ylda. "Know your place."

However, once again, another shadow appeared to the side, with glowing green eyes. The man turned with a smile as the dagger approached, quickly blocking it, sending sparks from both weapons.

Once again, the man’s sword was coated in the bluish aura, and Sief gritted his teeth, advancing under his arm and striking again, only to be blocked once more.

"Are you worrying about them?" The smile on the man's face disappeared again. "But could it be?"

Sief spun and leaped, delivering another strike that was blocked, his blade already dented from the heat, making him frown and retreat again.

"I don't know who you are..." Sief pointed his dagger at the man and continued. "But when you spoke about her, you meant Beatrice, didn’t you? You’re the one who did that to her!?"

Still without the smile on his face, the man stared and sighed, saying,

"So it wasn’t just the weakened poison. I see." The man sighed through his nose. "I'll have to tear you out of there."

The man stared seriously, and Sief felt a chill run down his spine, until he saw the man's eyes glow red and his hand become enveloped in the same blue aura.

With a light touch on his own abdomen, Sief felt something echo through that space, and as the wave reached him, the man had already approached.

Sief's eyes widened, and his body moved, but it seemed much slower compared to the man, who raised his sword, still glowing blue.

In an instant, it came down, slicing through the dagger as if there was nothing to cut. Sief's eyes widened even more as he saw his flesh cut from the top left of his chest down to the right side of his abdomen.

Sief's eyes trembled from the shock, and a coldness spread through his entire body, until, in an instant, the cut opened, and blood gushed out, drenching the man’s face, who continued to stare seriously.

"That was holding you back."