Limit

"Push ourselves to the limit she said…" Lucian said in a low tone clearly heard by Althea.

In these few moments they felt the feelings of intoxication clear from their minds as they were completly taken over by a new and profound clarity.

"Right." Althea responded simply as a bow and arrow of light formed in her hand that she shot into the sky creating a small ball of light in the air illuminating the area allowing them to more clearly see the beast that surrounded them.

In total they were surrounded by 12 normal shadow panthers while the leader stood behind their forces observing the intruders.

Althea snapped her fingers and the ball of light broke apart forming into 13 smaller arrows they began to fly directly towards each panther.

Not feeling danger from this attack the panthers remained still seeing this Lucian clicked his teeth as he pushed off from the branch in the direction of the panther.

He disappeared and reappeared in his path each time a few meters ahead of where he had previously been, if one wasn't perceptive it looked as though there had become many of himself as he made a beeline to one of the panthers that was carefully observing the arrow of light.

Shortly after the arrow arrived Lucian arrived at the beast that noticed his presence immediately sensing danger.

Lucian used his forward momentum from dashing and spin in the air using his knee to slam into the side of the beast head.

The beast collapsed directly onto the ground after being slightly pushed back as Lucian felt the beast skull crack underneath his knee.

He had aimed for the beast eye socked catching it off guard allowing himself to deliver a lethal blow.

Seeing this Althea was determined not to be left behind as two balls of light appeared next to her slowly forming into humanoid shape.

In a short instance these balls of light turned into mirror reflections of Althea before all three disappeared before the panthers eyes.

In almost an instant from the when they disappeared blood splattered across the battle field as one of the panthers let out a howl of pain before it lashed out at the air next to it. Seeing this 2 other panthers pounced in the direction of their newly injured comrade while more rushed towards Lucian.

The howling panther was silenced in almost an instant from its cries as it collapsed onto the ground with blood spurting from its neck like a fountain.

Seeing this the leader of the panthers no longer remained idle, it let out an ear piercing howl as it rushed in the direction of Lucian while keeping a note of its comrades location.

Despite being much larger than its subordinated its agility was simply on a different level. Like a shadow it appeared before Lucian swiping its claw down in his direction.

Lucian was wrapped in the obscuring space again before he directly appearing on the beast leaders back with a fresh claw wound appearing on his chest.

"Tch" Lucian clicked his tongue recognizing he had been grazed by the attack before being able to activate his ability.

He jumped towards the beast leaders head to land a blow only to have one of the beast subordinates fly through the air with its jaws wide intending to bite off one of Lucian's limbs.

Seeing this Lucian quickly defended spinning a kicking the beast on the top of his head while the panther leader seemed to disappear from beneath him.

A loud thud could be heard as Althea appeared after being attacked by the panther leader her body slamming violently against a nearby tree before she turned into motes of light dissolving into the air.

Seeing this Lucian shouted "Regroup!" As he appeared directly atop one of the branches high above the panthers carefully taking not of Althea's direction in the space around him.

Quickly her and her remaining double arrived on the sides of Lucian. "Go to sleep." She said in a loud alluring voice resonating through the forest.

It was as if her words carried their meaning causing Lucian to stumble and buckle as he strengthened his mind to resist the instant onset of sleep.

His eyes cut sharply towards Althea who caught his sharp gaze with her own. The weaker panthers couldn't resist almost falling to sleep instantly while 3 were visibly fighting the intentions of these words as they shook their heads a howled in pain as their souls resisted.

The leader of these panthers observed this scene carefully before not giving the two much time to rest.

The panther jumped into the air swiping its claw at the tree they were standing in.

Seeing this the three split in different directions going for the three panthers resisting Althea's ability.

Lucian again aimed for the beast weak point at its eye socked while swords of light appeared in both Althea's hands before they both disappeared and almost instantly they had felled 3 more of the panthers.

Seeing this the panther leader became enraged releasing a roar that threw them all backwards as well as waking its sleeping subordinates.