[Tin Burning: Polar Attraction], Kurogane's unique martial art, triggers the ignition of the metallic elements within his body. As his black armored figure is enveloped in a faint white-silver fire, a powerful effect emerges, drawing and channeling the emotions of those around him towards himself. By igniting the tin-metals, various emotions can be incited, such as anger, fear, love, horniness, sadness, and more.
However, the swarm-type beasts like the ants lack complex thoughts and individuality, limiting the scope of Kurogane's influence. He cannot attract their horniness or infatuation to the point of disregard for everything else around them. Instead, he focuses on inciting their raw aggression. Through the diffusion of his pure aggression, specifically tuned to resonate with the ants, it is as if he injects them with potent combat drugs. Their aggression skyrockets to its maximum, turning them into relentless and fearsome adversaries on the battlefield.
To others, attracting the aggression of hundreds, perhaps even thousands of beasts would be a perilous situation, but not for Kurogane. As the defender of Twin Helix, his role is to provide his teammates with breathing room while fearlessly enduring the onslaught of enemies. His body is adorned with complex body runes and his magic machinery armor is embellished with powerful magical runes, all of which are geared towards defense, damage mitigation, damage reduction and regeneration.
Clack! Clack! Clack! The pincers of countless ants in the area made threatening sounds as they focused their attention on Kurogane. The field was teeming with rank 1 soldier ants, but an even greater number of worker ants joined the fray. Despite the overwhelming odds, Kurogane remained undeterred, knowing he was well-prepared. His tower shield was firmly secured on his left arm, and his greatsword was poised in his right hand, ready to meet the approaching swarm head-on.
Kurogane addressed Mordred with a sense of urgency, "My sister's [Judgement Cut] can only be activated a limited number of times, and she's already used it twice in a short period." He gestured towards the surrounding area, "For now, the late-stage and mid-stage worker ants, as well as the soldier ants, won't pose a threat to you. Take this opportunity to regroup with the other apprentices and ensure your safety. Once my sister has recovered sufficiently, she will join you."
Kurogane didn't give Mordred a chance to reply, immediately launching into action as he wielded his heavy greatsword and shield against the swarm of ants. Unlike her sister’s blade which slices through ants like a hot knife through butter, the one in his hand is thick and heavy. He doesn’t use it to slash, stab, or slice the ants but smash them because the blade’s rather dull.
It needs to be said that metal-path has the greatest physical attack among all other elemental paths. If compared to other concept paths, then it is second only to strength-path.
The durable exoskeleton that shrugged Mordred’s armor-piercing rounds broke upon impact, the formic flesh inside turned into mush every time he swung his blade. Perhaps, it was due to trusting the magic machinery armor he wore, but he purposely let some attacks go through his shield in exchange for a lethal counterattack. The black armor quickly accumulates countless scratch wounds and battle scars due to that very reason, but Kurogane doesn’t seem to mind.
Surrounded by the relentless swarm of ants, Kurogane found himself restricted in movement, unable to maneuver as swiftly as the other hunters. The soldier ants, unable to reach him physically due to the workers surrounding him, resorted to spraying their formic acid. While the acid had no effect on the other ants due to their exoskeletons, Kurogane's armor began to sizzle and corrode under the relentless spit.
With both hands occupied fending off the seemingly drug-induced ants, Kurogane struggled to offer any meaningful resistance. The onslaught drastically reduced his killing speed as he found himself virtually immobile amidst the chaotic sea of creatures. Despite his formidable defenses and strength, the sheer numbers of the swarm posed a formidable challenge that left him temporarily overwhelmed.
Upon witnessing Kurogane's dire situation, Mordred decided to intervene and help. He swiftly generated and shed some blastscales from his legs, throwing them into the swarm of ants. The explosions rang out in rapid succession, but to the relentless ants, they were merely like balloons popping. The explosive force proved insufficient to affect the mid-stage and above worker ants, let alone the soldier ants that had trapped Kurogane in their deadly grasp. The blastscales seemed almost insignificant against the overwhelming number of ants.
To make matters worse, Mordred's actions had unintended consequences. The early-stage worker ants, initially affected by Kurogane's [Tin Burning], began to take notice of the apprentices' presence. Though weaker than the mid-stage workers, their sheer numbers posed a considerable threat. Despite this, the apprentices found them preferable adversaries compared to the mid-stage and above workers, as they were still within the range they could handle.
“Hey, are you going to be okay?” Mordred nudged at the spearman youth while switching the bullets with the normal ones. The weapon that the youth picked up was a sword, but beggars can’t be choosers.
“The name’s Nagata.” He swung the blade in his hand, getting a feel for its weight. “If you’re still alive after this, I’ll treat you to a drink.”
“I’m very picky, but sure.” Mordred finished reloading. “I’ll cover your back.”
Nagata’s fighting spirit seemed reignited by Mordred’s promise. “Can’t ask for a better partner!” He wasn’t aware of the bad rumors circling Mordred, and he seemed like the type that simply doesn’t care. He took defensive actions while letting Mordred kill the ones that got too close to him.
The two’s synergy inspired the surviving apprentices to work together. At first, the weaker ones were doubtful since they were the ones who are more susceptible to rumors. But now that Mordred showcased his genuine ability, they were glad to have him on their side.
Naturally, Mordred wasn't being friendly from the bottom of his heart.
The more apprentice that survived until the very last moment of the battle, the more diffused the karmic retaliation he’ll have to endure. It’s as if more people will carry the ‘burden’ that he’s carrying. He merely considers these apprentices as mere consumables in his cold, dead heart.
Nevertheless, his actions of saving others are genuine despite the motivation aren’t. The early-stage worker ants began falling one after another as the apprentice mounted up resistance. The low number of surviving apprentices began to follow Nagata and Mordred’s lead, creating a defensive formation that allowed the ranged combatant to function, supporting the frontlines.
While the apprentices were beginning to accumulate merits by killing the early-stage worker ants, Kurogane was in deep trouble. If he deactivated [Tin Burning], the ant’s aggression would cease and he could free himself, but that’ll mean most of their attention would revert to the apprentices, something that he isn’t allowed to do. However, being locked in this ball of ants to the point of being incapable of moving a single inch isn’t productive either. He’s currently receiving numerous warnings from his magic machinery armor, so he can’t stay still and do nothing. At this point, his armor has already been breached and in some areas, his body is being bitten by the ants. The armor’s durability will soon break and his fleshy body would be fully exposed to the pincers of ants.
Every second counted as he weighed the risks and consequences of his next move. To break through this situation, he decided to activate another martial art, “Rank 1 metal-path martial art, [Radium Burning: Radiant Surge]!”
A strange radiance, tinted with a bluish-green hue, is slowly overshadowing the silvery white flames on his body. This offensive martial art does not grant him the supernatural physical strength expected of a metal-path cultivator, or the mystical effect of [Tin Burning]. Instead, it burns radium-metals in his body to produce a saturation attack.
Like short-range beta particle radiation, the sheer intensity was able to ionize the air. The gigantic ball of ants began releasing its tight grip. As the radiation washed over them, the worker ants started to suffer bizarre and devastating injuries. Their bodies bore strange burning wounds, and some even experienced their formic flesh melting away.
The attack was swift and ruthless, resulting in the death of some ants due to severe burn damage, while others succumbed to complete cellular destruction. The once formidable ball of ants locking him like a guillotine was now in disarray, and Kurogane seized the opportunity to break free from their clutches.
After breaking himself free from the ball of ant corpses, the wounds on his armor were visible. There’s no surface where his armor isn’t damaged. Curiously, his magic machinery armor is regenerating despite being a non-biological entity, as if constantly being healed.
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Fortunately, the radiation range isn’t too wide since the apprentices are fighting not too far from him.
He made a calculated decision to deactivate [Radium Burning]. In the first place, he doesn’t have many radium-metals in his bloodstream. As the bluish-green radiance waned, the silvery-white flames of [Tin Burning] returned, enticing more ants to venture into the lethal territory left by [Radium Burning].
The leftover radiation is still lethal to living beings, but it’s not like all the ants died in that ‘defensive’ measure. The soldier ants are quite resistant thanks to their sheer strength and size. Despite having their lifespan reduced by 90%, they can still fight. Moreover, other ants will take their dead kin’s place, not caring about the radiation. This ‘ant sea’ tactic washed the lethal radiation away with corpses.
Kurogane diverted some of his attention to get a distant glimpse of the ‘head’ of the formation while engaging three ant soldiers. In his mind, he was expecting Shirogane to arrive already, helping him protect the apprentices. However, he also knew that if Sumire delayed Shirogane’s dispatch, then there must be something happening in the head of the formation.
Internally sighing, he prepared himself for the worse. “Rank 1 metal-path martial art, [Copper Burning: Alloy Frenzy]!”
His body began producing copper-colored sparks as copper-metals were being consumed to activate his method. Swoosh! Although his movement could not reach half Mach speed, it was still very fast in the eyes of apprentices. With no hope of reinforcement in sight, he changed his defensive stance into offense.
…
The situation is as Kurogane had expected, the ‘head’ of the formation really couldn’t afford to divert manpower.
Right now, Kenji’s body is caked with laceration wounds. The black nanom armor is seemingly useless as the Slayer Ant’s blade limbs were too sharp for it to handle. “Isn’t our situation kinda bad?” He slammed a Slayer Ant with his warhammer, but the assassin was able to block it with their two pairs of blade-limbs. He also quickly dodged to the side as another Slayer Ant was going for his neck.
< We are in the worst situation. The Darkshroud Formic Lord has committed her forces to this ambush, > Sumire's telepathic message resounded, reaching everyone near the first carriage, which was being protected.
This wave of assault is led by merely four Slayer Ants. While their Soldier escorts are currently occupied by Sumire’s mutant kobolds, each Slayer is capable of handling Shirogane and Sakuya on their own. With the lack of manpower present, Kenji is forced to handle two of them at the same time, which is the primary cause of his body being laced with wounds.
Kenji complained to Shirogane, "Can't you do something about this?" His raw physical attacks are being diffused by the non-newtonian fluid underneath the Slayer Ant's exoskeleton. At most, he could barely produce 20% of the damage he usually inflicts.
The best way to counter the ants is by using sharp or piercing weapons, like the one Shirogane has in her hand. However, the woman is breathing heavily, severely weakened after unleashing two [Judgment Cut] in succession. Right now, she's suffering the backlash. Long-range support is not her forte in the first place.
Not having the energy to bicker, she focused her attention on the Slayer Ant in front of her. Most of her attacks are deflected by the ant’s blade-limbs, as if they had learned the official hunter’s attack pattern. It's likely that this isn’t the Darkshroud Formic Lord’s campaign against the Hunters of the association.
Thus, Twin Helix’s core member’s hands are being tied by the four Slayer Ants.
< The backline is being shredded, we must provide support and regroup before the Formic Lord escalates this battle further. Shiro, don’t hold back your method. >
With a mental nod, Shirogane silently prepared herself. Pushing back the Slayer Ant for some breathing room, she activated her method. "Rank 1 metal-path martial art, [Silver Burning: Reforged Breath]!"
Shirogane's armor shone in brilliant silver light for a split second. The radiant argent glow caused her fatigue and the backlash from successive [Judgement Cut]s to vanish. Her telepathic martial will seemingly recovered in an instant, and her katana glinted with a dangerous glow. She had regained the ability to produce swordlight. "Rank 1 sword-path martial art, [Truesilver Slash]!"
Her blade extended to twice its original length by silver swordlight. The sudden change of her weapon’s length caught the Slayer Ant off guard. Schwing! The sharp sound of a blade slicing through the air resounded as the Slayer Ant that took significant effort to kill was sliced vertically, its body quickly dropped into two halves. Before the remaining Slayers were capable of registering that their allies had fallen, Shirogane used her [Truesilver Slash] in succession, decapitating them without too much of a hassle.
She had just showcased the full power of a sword-path cultivator.
Just as Sakuya and Kenji were about to offer their thanks, Shirogane experienced an intense bout of seizures. Her whole body spasmed uncontrollably, and she was forced to kneel to stabilize herself.
"Shit! This early?" Sakuya quickly went to her side and took out vials of tubes from her dimensional storage. "Shiro, open up," she urged, tapping her armor softly, but her gentle tap didn't seem to work.
Just as she was about to resort to forceful methods, Shirogane pulled off her helmet, revealing her pale and strained face. Coughing intensely, she puked bright red blood mixed with copious amounts of silver granules, a sight that alarmed Sakuya even more.
"She needs immediate treatment, but time is not on our side," Sakuya urgently relayed the message over the team channel.
Shaking his head while kneeling, Kenji’s fingers traced the ground as he reported his findings, "I sense seismic activities, the Darkshroud Formic Lord is sending her large-class rank 1 Hulking Ants. We need to administer the captain's spinal fluid."
"Tsk," Sakuya frowned. There's no time for bickering or disagreements with each other, but injecting the captain's spinal fluid, which is no different than nanoms, could have similar effects to what Kenji had experienced. "Her genetic collapse episode is worse than usual. I estimate it'll take her more than one dose to stabilize her condition. Are you willing to take responsibility for her well-being after this?"
Sakuya wasn't fully aware of what 'the captain's spinal fluid' contained, but she knew for a fact that despite its miraculous restorative effect, using it carried a significant risk. After all, it was the spinal fluid of someone else. The captain who bestowed them with this solution had also warned them that it should only be used as a last resort.
“Fuck!” Kenji's frustration was evident as he almost slapped Sakuya for talking back in such a critical situation. "We don't have time for this! I'll try to delay the Hulking Ants before they break through the kobold's defensive line," he declared. With determination in his eyes, he rushed towards a direction where tremors could be felt from a distance. As he expected, a large ant, standing at a colossal 4 meters tall and almost 10 meters long, was slowly boring its way through the ground, attempting to emerge on the surface. The pressure it emitted signaled that it was infinitesimally close to evolving into a rank 2 beast, making it the very peak of rank 1.
Although Kenji's nanom supply was less than 40%, he remained confident that he could, at the very least, delay the advances of the large-class beast. Fighting it alone was out of the question, but he was determined to buy enough time for the others to find a solution for Shirogane's condition.
“Shit. Sumire, what to do?” Sakuya panicked. “That fucking pussy left me so that he doesn’t have to take that decision.”
< I’ll take responsibility. Do it. > The vice-captain’s green light saved Sakuya from the impending crisis.
With deft fingers, Sakuya tapped several buttons on Shirogane's armor interior, which became visible after the helmet was removed. As the nape of her magic machinery armor opened up slowly, it extended downwards, following the contour of her spine. Multiple slots were revealed, perfectly designed to accommodate the tubes that Sakuya held in her hands. Carefully, she inserted two 'spinal fluid' tubes into the designated slots on Shirogane's nape, making sure they were securely in place.
As she worked, Sakuya received additional instructions from Sumire, almost breaking her concentration.
"You want me to inject her with more liquid metal even after all of this?" Sakuya frowned. Shirogane's genetic collapse episodes were a result of the conflicting elements within her body. Unlike her brother, who was a bonafide metal-path martial artist, she lacked metal-path talent. Her clan had used some kind of genetic engineering to address the issue, but the result was less than optimal, leaving her flawed not only in her body but in her mind as well.
Unlike Kurogane, whose body is chock-full of heavy metal elements, Shirogane's body can only hold so many before it rejects them. This limitation is not optimal for her, considering her bloodline and metal-path martial arts both depend on the amount of metal present in her body. As a result, injecting her with more liquid metal, even in dire situations, carries significant risks that Sakuya is well aware of.
Sakuya's hesitation lasted only for a split second before she decided to act. With determination in her eyes, she swiftly took out spare liquid metal solutions and lodged them into the slots on Shirogane's back, letting them sink into her body.
A faint squelching surge, the sound of liquid metal being injected into her spine could be heard as the volume of each vial visibly decreased with each passing second. It was like seeing one’s friend being injected with mercury, Sakuya suffered from conflicting emotions.
Clank! The empty glass tubes were automatically ejected as Shirogane's armor closed up, returning to battle configuration. In an instant, the woman stopped her spasming episode and swiftly put her helmet back on. "I think activating [Violet Sword Blaze] is possible..." she reported, her tone carrying a faint trace of arrogance. It was as if a different person had replaced her; the spasming episode seemed like an illusion now.
Sakuya blinked blankly as she was taken aback for a brief moment. “Well, how about that?”
< Approved. Let’s start the activation sequence. > Sumire’s telepathic reply arrived instantly.
“Very well, let’s begin.” Sakuya started to take out a copious amount of spell catalyst and began painting Shirogane’s silver armor red.