*Rustle* *Rustle*

A hand pops out among the sea of snow.

I pull myself out of the mess. My armour is crushed and gave in from the pile of rocks and snow. I rip out the metal from my body and throw it away.

"Huff huff...what the fuck..."

I inspect my body for injuries. Aside from a few bruises, I'm generally fine when I cover my entire body with my aura.

Never mind me, what about everyone else?

The howling wind echoes violently and little light penetrates the winter clouds, serving as a canopy over the sprawling mountains.

My gaze shoots up to an emerging hole from a mountain not far away. Threatening shivers run through my body, it's bigger and cleaner than I expected as if someone drilled the hole. That's where that creature came from.

Damn it, I couldn't grasp the creature's appearance just now, what attacked us?

For now, I do not detect its presence.

Then...

My hand lowers to the snow and sends ripples of mana.

Some mana contacts demonic mana, indicating death, while some clash with an abnormality obstacle.

A person alive!

Engulfing my fist in aura, I carefully dig through the snow and save the man.

His body is dragged out and laid on the floor. I pull his chest plate and clothes apart, spotting many purple patches and a stick protruding from his arm. I tear a portion of his top and tie it above the bleeding wound. Afterwards, I reach into my pouch. Most of my potions shattered from the impact but one stayed intact. I pull the stick out and immediately apply the potion.

"W-Who..." the man speaks through the helmet.

"Don't talk."

The wound closes just enough to stop threatening his life. I bring the casualty to the side and continue rescuing any survivors. As I find each of my squad members, I help them out. Fortunately, none of my squad members were severely injured.

"Sir, how many more...alive down there?" Issac asks, gazing at the snow.

"Only one more. How are the survivors?"

"Masoc gathered them at a small cave at the foot of the snow."

I nod and plunge my hand into the snow, pulling out a body.

"Uck!?" Gary comes flying out.

*THUD*

He lands his face into the snow.

"Huff...huff...what...I'm alive?" Gary mumbles.

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"Hey."

Gary turns his attention to me.

"...Report on the situation," Gary says.

"Everyone in your squad is either dead or incapacitated. My squad suffered no major injuries and is ready for battle," I reply.

Gary raises his brow. "How...is your squad..."

*sst*

!!!

I turn back at the far distance of darkness. I heard something move over there...under the large hole.

"G-Gary...we may be fucked."

"Pardon?"

"The creature was watching us, it's still there."

Gary glances around. "W-Where..."

I see a wide grin emerge from the shadows. Tremors rumble across the mountain once more. This time, the source is the sea of monsters pouring out of the large hole.

!!!

"Gary, you want to live, don't you? I do too. Let's put aside our differences for now, alright?"

"Yeah yeah, let's do that..." Gary pulls himself up and draws his sword, limbs trembling in fear. "But how are we...going to survive that?"

The original plan was to ambush the apex predator and injure it. Should we fail, we are to retreat immediately.

But there is nowhere to retreat; The terrifying power and intelligence of the creature transcends common logic.

"Gary, you are the commander of this operation! Make a decision!" I blurt.

"I-I don't know! Fuck! H-How are we...where do we run to?!"

...

"Gary, stay behind and protect the casualties."

I walk towards the incoming wave.

"What? Hey!"

"Squad, I will take on the leader, open a path!" I shout.

All four members leap forward without hesitation, unleashing a storm shredding the countless monsters and dye the snow red.

I run through the shower of blood. When several monsters leap at me, Kaden's dart rips the air, obliterating them to pieces. A giant wolf pounces from above but Masoc jumps above and intercepts, slamming it away before Aeon decapitates it.

Our movement is an unstoppable force, my subordinates tearing apart hordes of monsters as I advance.

"Alright! This is close enough!!" I say.

The burst of aura ignites beneath my feet.

*BOOOOOOOOOM!!!*

My body vanishes in an instant, unleashing a torrential eruption of snow surging forward and destroying everything in my wake with visceral crimson fury. The sheer momentum smashed half of the menaces present, leaving snow drifts intermingled with corpses.

With a deft strike to the creature, the impact unleashes a tempestuous shockwave that sends cascades of snow and monsters hurling as the immense discharge of mana inundates the atmosphere.

!!

The creature's arm directly absorbs my power, blocking my sword. However, what shocked me wasn't its power but its appearance. Standing tall like a titan, its humanoid form possesses four arms on both sides and alabaster skin cloaking its massive frame. While its ribcage protrudes out from the scrawny physique, its limb is tipped with razor-sharp claws. Yet the most grotesque aspect lies in its deformed visage marred by a wide malevolent grin stretching across half its face beneath eyes of sinister crimson gleam.

I've never seen such a bizarre monster!

It sweeps its hand, throwing me into the air. Despite its size, it instantly appears above me with every arm high.

*BAMMM!!!*

A swift slam down detonates thunders, the shockwave shattering mountains below.

"KRA-"

The creature's right eye abruptly notices a sharp tip.

My blade easily cut into its left eye, spraying demonic mana.

Demonic mana blood?!?

"KRAGH!!!" It screams in pain.

The aura engulfing my body glows so brightly and refined, carved into an ethereal shell. One powerful cut above sends the beast to the ground.

*BOOOM!!*

Inhumane recovery accompanies its physique when it's back in the sky after a second, throwing haphazard punches and scratches.

I zap around in the air to avoid every strike, each time thrusting the same spot at its chest. Eventually, my attacks juggle the creature mid-air, blasting devastating attacks at its shell.

*Crack*

After a series of relentless assaults, my blade has at last fractured its defence.

However, when I go for a finishing strike, something fast hits me.

*BAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMM!!!!!*

Ripples of shockwaves tear the air as I am thrown many miles away.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!*

My rough landing bombarded a mountain, unleashing cataclysmic force pulverizing its very foundation and sending shards of rocks and snow asunder.

"Ugh...*cough* *cough* fuck...what the fuck happened?" I mumble.

My gaze shifts to the creature from afar. His widened grin twists abnormally into an angry countenance.

Its speed...spiked exponentially, perhaps even faster than Marcus Levan Oscarion.

Still, wiping that fucking grin sends me some satisfaction.