The shadow figures, who looked vicious and moved at a quick pace, were attacking us without mercy. I quickly pulled out my sword and swung against an incoming claw, only to end up getting sent a few steps back by the force.
These guys are powerful! Probably around the 8th or 9th stage in terms of strength alone. However, seeing how they melted away with just a single hit, their endurance was less than paper.
"Fang, Igni! Go!"
Knowing that they're weak against attacks, there's no need to wait for them to approach. Fang, using a mix of [Shadow Skip] and her claws clad in darkness, solidified, cleared all the nearby shadows—let's just call them Shadow Soldiers for now—and created enough breathing room for all of us.
Igni, after Fang cleared everything around us, used her flaming sword to mow down the approaching Shadow Soldiers in front. She paved the way towards the edge of the chasm that we needed to cross to reach the other side.
"But there's no end to them!"
After slaying around a hundred or so Shadow Soldiers, more and more came forward from the surrounding shadows. It was as if there was an endless supply of them! Even with Fang and Igni working hard to push back the enemies, I and Namia were already forced to fight too.
Ember was assigned the task of creating our method of crossing the chasm, but we still need to approach the edge a bit more. The swarm of enemies effectively managed to halt our advance completely.
"Damn! At this rate..."
If we dally any longer, Noir might end up getting the gun! Right now, there are two solutions that I have come up with. However, both are extremely risky, and honestly, I don't want to try. Regardless of my emotions, the situation was forcing me to choose.
"Namia!"
I shouted as I fended off three attacks that came at the same time, feeling the vibrations of their strikes in my bones.
"Namia, hold them off here! I know you can do it!"
It's not really the best choice, but we have no choice but to leave someone and hold back the Shadow Soldiers. Namia, who should be as powerful as a 9th stage, would surely be able to push them back. Leaving her behind wouldn't endanger her life at all.
We'll probably end up fighting with Noir again, and having Namia there would be a great help. However, the other girls are not yet able to trust her, so taking her along would be riskier. It's just the right person for the right job.
"..."
Namia didn't reply, but she turned around with her back facing us. With a wave of her hands, a powerful red wave was sent forward, crushing everything along its path. She sent a quick glance back, as if telling us to hurry and go on.
"Thanks!"
With the swarm behind us handled, the rest was easier to clear. It only took Igni a few swings before we managed to reach the edge at last.
"Master, please move away a little!"
As soon as we did, Ember touched the edge of the landmass we were standing on and focused. The other landmass was several hundred meters ahead, a little too far to be within jumping distance.
Several clones of hers dropped to the ground and rushed to her hand before forming a long bridge spanning several hundred meters and connecting firmly to the other side.
"It's done!"
Before she could even speak, I was already rushing. The bridge she made was pretty narrow, but it was enough for two people to stand side by side without bumping into each other. As we ran ahead, something moved on the other end of the bridge.
"...!"
My senses tingled once again, making me instinctively tilt my head to one side. As I did, something long and thin went past my face at blinding speeds.
"Enemy attack!"
Fang belatedly shouted as she moved on ahead with faster steps. Using [Shadow Skip], she vanished in front of us and reappeared on the other side. Igni stood before me and raised her flaming sword, ready to receive any and all forms of attack head-on.
Fang was slaughtering the Shadow Soldiers that appeared on the other side; however, their numbers wouldn't lose to the ones that Namia was holding back. For reference, Namia, even with her strength, wasn't able to completely clear everything and was now completely surrounded.
Fang was actively moving around, so she wasn't surrounded like Namia, but the number of enemies didn't decrease at all despite how many she killed. As soon as we reached the other side, Igni used her wide-area skills to clear away swathes of enemies.
Now, just like on the previous side, our group was once again stuck in the middle of the enemies. We couldn't move from the edge of the bridge, not even by a single step.
As I was wondering what to do, Fang shouted from within the crowd of Shadow Soldiers.
"Leader, leave this side to me and go on ahead!"
As she said so, a black tornado swept across the waves of Shadow Soldiers and sent them tumbling around, creating a clear path toward the exit on the other side.
"Be careful, alright?! If you can, catch up with us together with Namia!"
I shouted back to her somewhere behind me as the three of us who remained ran forward. Although I couldn't hear Fang's reply, another wave of the black tornado swept across the enemies, scattering them away.
With our speed, it didn't take long to get past the swarm and reach the exit. It was a glowing door, similar to the portal that Zeta opened before. I confirmed the faces of Ember and Igni and saw that they were ready.
With me as the scout, Igni with the highest firepower, and Ember as a versatile support, we should be able to handle anything sent to us flexibly.
"Let's go."
I took a deep breath before touching the portal. As soon as I did, another flash of light robbed me of my sight. Then, when the light faded, I doubted my eyes.
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