16 Trial by Fire
Nephis and Echo navigated the ruins with Echo leading the way, they aren't in any dangers since Echo is familiar with the area.
While Nephis was following Echo she cant help to notice how graceful he looked with each movement he does while they navigated the dark city.
'Not a single waste of energy with nonsensical movement even with simple actions, I've noticed it before when we first met but it's further highlighted when we're here.' Her thought were interrupted when she heard Echo's voice.
"Are you ready?" Echo asked.
He led Nephis towards an Awakened beast. It's an abomination that has huge claws and a thick hide of fur and a grotesque and deformed 4 sets of eyes.
They are currently hiding in one of the ruined houses in the area observing the creature.
"Yes, let's go." Nephis didn't think twice before jumping out and rushing towards the Awakened Beast.
Echo soon followed, the plan was for Nephis to lure the enemy and Echo dealing a fatal blow since he knows the weakness of the creatures in the dark city. The beast noticed Nephis rushing towards it, in turn it also charged towards Nephis. When they met half way Nephis sidestepped and slashed her sword towards its body, but due to its thick fur the force were negated, but it did stop the Awakened beast's charge. Echo who was behind Nephis, while the beast was distracted stabbed it in the eyes four times in a second with precise stabs, sending it into a walling mess before Echo ended its misery by stabbing his sword through its skull one final time.
"Huh…" Echo took a deep breath before he looked at Nephis.
"Well that was relatively easy."
"It was, this will probably last us for a couple of days." Nephis said looking at the body of the dead beast.
"It can, we can skin it later, lets just hide it somewhere here and hunt some more." Echo said to Nephis and carried it on his shoulder and went inside one of the houses, hiding it there.
"Let's go then." Nephis said and waited for Echo to decide which way they should go.
While they are running towards another location Echo turned to Nephis and said.
"Say do you want me to be the bait this time?" Echo said expectantly, he wants to know how strong Nephis is currently, although it was continuously said in the novel that Nephis is undoubtedly strong it doesn't hurt seeing it in person.
"Sure." Nephis answered with a smile.
'It can also help her, since from what I remembered she gains half the essence of those she kills.' Echo thought as they arrive at a clearing, it seemed like a plaza before it was ruined, it's got a fountain in the middle with a couple of nightmare creatures occasionally passing by it.
"There are about 3 of them, 2 are Blood Spear Fiends both are Awakened Beasts, and the other 1 is a Blood Fiend an Awakened Monster." Echo whispered to Nephis.
The Blood Fiend is a skeletal, hunched figure, atleast 2 meters wall, wearing a torn shroud, it has long arms with vicious claws, and a head with a wide mouth full of razor-sharp fangs.
"Let's take out the Blood Spear Fiends first, you'll lure them in an alley quietly where its tight and I'll burn them with my fire., it would be a problem if the Awakened Monster were to join after all." Nephis said with a thoughtful expression.
"Sure, lets do that."
Echo quietly ran around towards the one of the two Awakened Beast to quickly throw a stone towards its direction. After being hit by the stone, the Blood Spear Fiend turned to Echo and ran towards him, Echo didn't bother to hide since he wants the Spear Fiend to follow him to one of the alley, it was enough to fit the Spear Fiend but wont be enough for it to properly fight, and it followed.
'It's a beast after all, it only follows its prey without a sense of thought whatsoever.' Echo thought and jumped up towards the roof of the building using the closed tight walls. That was when Nephis jumped on top of the beast shoulders with her sword in hand sending it through its skull, and then pure white flames immediately envelop the two. The creature didn't even get to scream since its throat were burned to ashes by Nephis's flames.
'It's too easy.' Echo smirking.
It was a given, since both are experienced masters of combat, Nephis being trained since she was little to face adversaries with her sword coupled with her deadly aspect, and Echo who has spent 3 years in the forgotten shore where only strong survives, on top of his fully saturated core. So it was a given they can kill Awakened Beasts who has no single thought inside their brain with relative ease.
Shaking his head for such thoughts, he went around to find the other Awakened beast. But it was too close to the Blood Fiend so he cant lure it like he did before. He returned back to where Nephis was— in the alley and said.
"They are too close at each other I don't think we can use the same tactics as before." Echo said plainly without any urgency towards Nephis as if expecting her to say something.
"Let's fight them at the same time then." Nephis said.
Echo's face lit up and said.
"I knew you would say that, let's go then." Echo said smiling.
Nephis followed Echo to circle around the two creatures they were about to face. The plan was for Echo to fight the Awakened Monster for Nephis to kill the Blood Spear Fiend. It was simple and easy to follow plan.
"I'll go first then." Echo said and dashed towards the Blood Fiend (Awakened Monster) with Nephis trailing slightly behind him.
The two abominations noticed them and screeched, the Awakened Monster reacted earlier than the Blood Spear Fiend and dashed towards Echo to meet him halfway.
Echo's sword met the Monsters Claws with a clang. Echo took a step back before he redirected the creatures arms up wards to send a stab towards its body but was met with its other arm instead, parrying his attacks, both sent precise strikes towards each other, not giving an inch of advantage.
Echo smiled, he haven't even used his aspect ability yet but his lust for battle continues to grow.
'This is fun.'
