They were already pretty annoying to fight when there was just one but add in a whole pack of them and I don’t stand a chance…

I’m outnumbered, I thought while stepping back against the wall.

Had it happened again? Was I too sure of myself and gotten into another bad situation I could’ve avoided?

The Howlers growled and their black paws drew closer—one step at a time they began to close the gap between us.

My mind raced trying to think of how to handle it, but I couldn't seem to come up with any answers. I might as well have been signed off on my chances at winning just standing there like that.

Do I attack short range and try to tear them apart like I did before, I mean it did work on a one-on-one but I don’t know with a group of them. Those tails can stretch out pretty far…it might be better to keep a distance.

Still in thought about it, the Howlers took the opportunity to strike.

Two of them came at me from the sides while the rest charged at me from the front. My eyes glanced to the sides at both Howlers leaping through the air to the height of my chest. They moved quickly, far swifter than I was able to make a decision.

Don’t think—move!

I reached out to the monsters ahead.

“Zephyr Burst!”

A burst of air pushed back one of them back while the ones behind it vanished into clouds of smoke. There was a gap in their attack so I raced through it. The Howler that I had knocked back was still recovering from its daze when I raced over it.

My foot hadn’t even gotten a meter away from the wall when suddenly three large shadows grew out from under me.

I didn’t have to look back, I could feel it. They were behind me and their bloodlust was still as strong.

I turned around to block it, I expected three large Shadow Howlers to be there waiting for me but instead, I was alone.

The three wolves were still nowhere to be seen while the three I had left at the wall watched me from behind. They didn’t chase after me, it was as if they weren't interested. No, that look in their eyes was still glaring red beams…it was safer to say that they were waiting for something.

“Where did they—”

Suddenly black spikes erected from the ground and in a matter of seconds, I was caught in its snare. The spikes radiated a black powder from their mass, the same misty substance that fell from the Shadow Howlers' bodies.

Below me was a pool of pure black, a large shadow that covered the floor around me. The spikes were sprouting out from there. Each one was as thick as an arm and about as sharp as a sword.

I had managed to avoid most of it luckily but my leg and arm were scratched up pretty badly. My entire right side was covered in scratches and tears. I wanted to break away but I was stuck. For the most part I was okay, luckily the armour took a lot of it. As for the small section between it all…that was obviously pretty bad.

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So many spikes had risen that they were pinning me in place, with more on the way. I glanced down at the drops of blood falling into the endless black pool beneath me. It looked as if I could fall through and be lost in it at any point.

I grit my teeth and tried to pull myself out using all my energy, but I was stuck tight. Then as I was struggling I felt the pain of another spike pierce my foot from behind—then my shoulder—once more in my side.

I had no way to move and I couldn't break away from the spikes.

“I can’t—”

“Hyaaa! What are you stressing about, I’ll cover you!”

A strong wish of air struck into the mass of spikes and shattered them in one blow. Arga had delivered the attack with her sword and brought it around for what looked like another go.

That attack managed to break away a small section of the spikes in front of me, which freed up enough room for me to wriggle out from. After shattering the spikes, the remaining few lowered back into the pool and it moved away from under my feet.

My body was free and each hole that it opened in my limbs and side was hurting all over again. I fell to my knees and my eyes went down to the floor.

Two pairs of gleaming red eyes I knew all too well were staring back at me from within the black pool below. The eyes and pool of black all moved together, forming back up into another mass out from the ground. The shadowy mass stood up into two Shadow Howlers, probably the two that escaped before.

“So it was those things after all.” Arga stated with a stunned expression.

“What?”

“I saw them jump into the ground as if it were water, and then those spikes happened. It looked like things were only gonna get worse so I jumped in to help.”

I’m glad she jumped in when she did, I don’t think I would have lasted too long if she hadn’t. I’m really happy I got a teammate for this.

I rested my hand on the open wound below my chest plate and winced. It stung with a warm burn but felt better with my hand pressed against it. It was hard to breathe but trying not to think about it seemed to only make it worse though. I couldn’t get my mind to focus, I was all over the place.

I reached over to the silver vial on my belt filled with red liquid and flicked the cap off. I dropped the empty vial to the ground after finishing it in one massive gulp.

“Gah—I feel better!”

My wound was in the process of sowing itself shut. A dim green glow resonated over the wound on my belly as well as the scrapes and cuts on my right side. The holes were closed but some small marks and bruising remained over the area.

As for the smaller cuts and tears—

“All healed!” I slammed my fist into my open hand and glared at the five growling Howlers ahead of us.

My body was ready to fight but one thing was still keeping my mind jumpy, I hadn’t seen Alice anywhere. Wasn’t Arga watching her last, if she’s with me then where’s Alice?

Arga noticed my restless face and placed her sword into a fighting position and assured me that she was fine.

“She’s hiding somewhere so I could come help you. She told me to tell you, “Don’t worry—I’ll never get caught.”

I nodded back in agreement and decided to trust in them.

Arga’s eyes suddenly shifted to the thin whip cracking through the air. It rushed to her face with a swift cut but was blocked by the edge of my Chakram.

I managed to knock it away but my hand was still hit back pretty hard, hard enough to feel the power of what those tails could do. Still though, they weren't as hard as the Basilisks strikes.

The fact that they went for Arga first means that they have some indication of our stats. Targeting the weaker member maybe? If that’s the case then we’ll have to tread carefully.

Arga let out a nervous sweat. “Nice save, Rei.”

“Stay awake dummy, they’re fast!”

She held out her sword and nodded.

I get it now, neither close-range nor long-range will work on these guys. I have to switch between the two and never stop moving. I can’t stop, not even for a second!

I burst forward and drew out my other Chakram, with both weapons at my side I raced ahead.

“I’ll group them up, so make sure to hit 'em hard!” I called out.

Arga rushed in with her sword and called out in agreement. “Right!”