From the moment I had been able to recognize the bastard, Yami, I had a sinking feeling that things would end up this way.

There was just no way a predator like him would happen upon a small group of dominants out in the open in this realm and not attempt to claim us for his "collection."

Still, a desperate part of me had hoped he would just let us be.

…One hour earlier, after the others had retired from the fireplace, I found myself alone with Celeste.

Although I didn't explain much, I did quietly tell her that if anything were to happen tonight, she should waste no time in fulfilling the condition to use her powers if she wanted to survive.

Which was why, in this moment, she had just tragically fulfilled that condition.

…Yami tilted his head, narrowing his eyes as he studied Celeste's dead body questioningly. "Mmm… I can still see her soul in that body. So, she isn't really dead. Is she trying to pull some kind of power move? Is that… a requirement for a skill?"

As he spoke, he raised his staff and pointed it to her.

[The character Yami Natsugo has activated the exclusive skill: Soul Eater.]

Instantly, a massive figure slowly began to pull itself out of Yami's shadow, unfolding like a giant banner behind him.

The grotesque figure looked vaguely humanoid, with matte black fur covering its entire body. Large chains were bound around its arms, pinioning them to its body, and its massive head had two large horns protruding outward.

The creature slowly began to split its massive jaws. Before it could fully open, a massive hand ripped its way out through the stretched flesh of its mouth, and immediately lunged towards where Celeste lay.

"Protect her!"

I had barely given the order when Dion who was closest to the corpse, vaulted forward. He snatched Celeste's body from the ground and tumbled away.

The hand slammed noiselessly into the empty ground where Celeste had been, before retracting back into the mouth of the creature.

Just after the creature's mouth snapped shut, I yelled urgently to the party, "Be careful. That attack can't be blocked. No matter what, don't let the hand touch you!"

"What?!" Dion turned with wide eyes to the spot the hand had struck.

Meanwhile, the smug look on Yami's face vanished, replaced by a mix of confusion and sudden wariness. He looked to me questioningly, arching a brow. Then he pointed his staff, and three of the hollow dominants beside him immediately lunged in my direction with their weapons raised to strike.

Two of the males were broad and burly, while the dominant on the left was a slender athletic female with a rapier.

At that moment Gamer Privileges activated.

[Activating Combat Tutorials…]

I gripped the hilt of my katana tight, exhaled a deep breath to set aside my fear, then braced myself.

The first dominant approached and brought down his longsword in a heavy vertical strike. But before it could reach me, I swiftly raised my katana, deflecting the strike to the left.

In the same breath, I raised the katana again blocking the axe of the second dominant closing in on my right.

The moment the blades recoiled from the clash, I then dropped my katana low, intercepting the piercing strike of the female dominant aimed at my left side.

But before I could recover, the dominant on my right swung his axe to take off my head right at that moment.

[Duck Low!]

Acting purely on reflex driven by the alert, I immediately dropped into a crouch and the blade of the axe whipped over my head.

But I didn't slow, because the sword of the dominant in the center descended right at that moment. I pivoted and spun left, dodging the blade. Gritting my teeth with all the energy I could muster, I simultaneously met the rapier of the girl.

The force of the impact made her stumble back onto the ground. I couldn't follow up while she was down, as the other two attackers wouldn't give me the chance. However, I pointed two fingers at her and shot out a bolt of Flames of Decay.

She immediately rolled out of the way, and the flames scorched the grass where she had been.

At the same time, I cursed inwardly, already spinning to deflect the axe of the other male. My blade connected with the head of his axe, and I forced it down toward the earth. Before he could recover, I spun quickly and drove a hard jab into his jaw with my elbow.

[Block the blade behind you!]

I immediately turned behind me, blocking the blade of the swordsman.

For a moment, our weapons locked and we were now frozen in a contest of pure strength. But then it seemed that he would overpower me as his level was higher than mine.

Grunting, I gritted my teeth and delivered a hard kick to his gut. The blow caught him off guard, causing him to gasp and stumble backward, his hold on my blade finally breaking.

I then went to immediately follow up with an attack while he was down.

Behind me, the other dominant was already raising his axe up to deliver a killing blow while I was looking away.

However, before he could bring it down, Aika lunged out of my shadow. She caught him completely by surprise, delivering a brutal kick straight to his crotch.

The boy doubled over instantly.

Aika didn't give him a chance to recover; she immediately balled her fists and raised her hands like a boxer. In the next instant, she was a blur, driving a rapid succession of blows into the boy's stomach and face. Then, she leapt and spun, delivering a crushing kick to his temple. The boy crashed to the floor, his axe slipping from his grip.

Before the boy or his bond could even register what was happening, Aika snatched up the fallen axe. With a fierce battle cry, she raised it high and brought it down upon his head, sending blood spraying all over her.

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