Chapter 159: Light of Spears
In the center of the forest filled with a tense aura, Yuri's small figure floated swiftly, like a graceful shadow dancing among the dark trees.
The small sword Yuri wielded, made from her ghostly Yin energy, emitted a faint blue glow.
Although tiny, the sword possessed incredible sharpness, cutting through Gastrea's body like a hot knife through butter.
Every movement was so elegant, like a little fairy dancing on stage. With lightness and mesmerizing spinning movements, Yuri finished off Gastrea without hesitation.
Yuri's slashes were not only effective, but also beautiful, making it seem more like a dance than a fight.
El stood at a higher and safer place, watching Yuri intently. His eyes were glued to those graceful movements.
While standing quietly, El opened the small bottle containing the stamina-restoring potion, taking a quick sip.
The liquid gave a warm feeling in his throat, soothing the body that was starting to feel exhausted.
The effects of the potion began to be felt immediately, providing a surge of energy that extended the period of Kuchiyose Animal Path's use.
Inside his storage ring, El still had three other stocks of stamina-restoring potions left, ready to be used anytime in battle if things got critical.
These resources gave him peace of mind, knowing that El had the reserves to last longer if needed.
Moreover, the side effects of using Animal Path, including Eye of Insight, Hypnotic Eye, and Hell Path, were not as severe as abilities such as Deva Path, Amaterasu, and Susano'o.
Especially Amanotejikara, which until now has not been used due to its much greater stamina consumption.
This gave El more flexibility in strategy, though he still had to be careful not to exceed his physical limits.
"The sword moves are... amazing," El muttered under his breath. "More beautiful and powerful than any breathing technique, even the Sun Breathing Style. I wonder... what's the name of that style? And, maybe I can ask her to train me?"
However, El's attention was not fully on Yuri. Part of his consciousness was divided.
Rinnegan who was glowing slightly due to his mystical powers was controlling the Kuchiyose Animal Path bird a giant mystical creature that hovered above the battlefield.
Through the Bird's divided vision, El observed the entire situation in detail, despite not being on the battlefield directly.
"The number of casualties is growing... But there's still plenty of Gastrea," he muttered in a cold yet serious tone. His face hardened as he observed the battle from a distance.
Between his split vision, he caught the figure of Gado Nagamasa who was fighting fiercely against Aldebaran, one of the high-class Gastrea.
Aldebaran's massive body towered over the field of battle, each of his attacks like missiles destroying the surrounding terrain.
El narrowed his eyes, harboring a hint of frustration. "Gado Nagamasa... he fights well," he said quietly, but there was a note of determination. "But that Aldebaran... I won't let him die at the hands of anyone but me."
The Kuchiyose Animal Path bird streaked across the sky at high speed, piercing through the clouds and scanning the chaotic battlefield.
From his position, El watched intently, until suddenly his eyes caught a streak of dazzling light, like glowing spears appearing from an unexpected direction.
At the same time, El smelled a very pungent scent. It was a strange smell, like a mixture of dangerous chemicals that made his head a little dizzy. He felt his body's instincts giving a strong warning.
"What is this scent?" he muttered with a frown. "My body... this feels very dangerous. Something's not right."
The barrage of light spears shot out with tremendous destructive power, firing indiscriminately at the battlefield.
Explosions occurred everywhere, destroying not only Gastrea but also the hapless human warriors.
Screams of casualties could be heard from afar, illustrating how chaotic the situation was. However, although these brutal attacks hit many targets, the number of Gastrea on the battlefield still did not decrease.
Suddenly, one of those spears of light aimed directly at the Kuchiyose Animal Path Bird. The light pierced through the mystical creature's body and wings with terrifying accuracy.
The bird let out a guttural scream before its body lost control and flung into the forest. In an instant, El's vision connected through the bird was cut off.
"I lost contact?" El said in a cold tone.
He clenched his jaw, Rinnegan's eyes glowing dimly purplish. "Is this possibly a planned attack? Or is there another Gastrea supporting Aldebaran?"
El pondered for a moment, his mind moving quickly to analyze the situation. The sudden appearance of the light spear, the strange pungent scent, and the uncontrolled chaos all felt like part of a larger scenario.
"This cannot be allowed," he hissed, suppressing the anger that was beginning to burn. "My original plan of using that bird to ram Aldebaran after Gado Nagamasa died... has clearly failed."
El cast a cold gaze toward the battlefield, preparing to intervene directly if the situation worsened.
El stood still for a moment, then slowly turned his body around, watching Yuri who was still busy finishing off Gastrea behind his.
The petite girl floated nimbly, as if dancing in the air, while the small sword made of her Yin energy cut through each Gastrea with ease, as if their bodies were only paper thin.
"Yuri," El called out in a cold tone, with no emotion showing on his face. "Can I leave all this Gastrea to you?"
Yuri did not turn her head, remaining focused on her graceful yet deadly movements. She replied in a calm yet confident voice, "Hmm."
Another slash of his sword, slicing through a Gastrea that was trying to attack him from behind. Relentlessly, Yuri continued to fight back with mesmerizing elegance.
"Are you going to start your plan?" she asked casually while floating in the air, as if this fight was just a game to her. "Fight all-out, without weakening Aldebaran first?"
"Yes," El replied shortly, the six tomoe on Rinnegan turning slowly, signaling his seriousness.
El reached into his storage ring, then pulled out a Metsu that radiated a dark, threatening aura.
"This cannot be allowed to go on any longer. Otherwise, my mission will fail because there are other probability factors that start to interfere."
Yuri smiled a little, as if El's answer had been expected. "Take it easy," she replied casually, swinging her Yin sword at the approaching Gastrea group.
In a single slash, the large bodies were split in two, falling to the ground without a fight. "I can take care of them. You focus on Aldebaran. I'm sure you know what to do."
El just nodded, then turned around, leaving Yuri who continued to fight with the graceful movements of an elf.
The sound of sword slashes and the screams of the fallen Gastrea became the background as El prepared to face greater challenges on the battlefield.
***
El stood at the edge of the cliff, his body erect despite the strong wind carrying the scent of blood and death from the battlefield below.
His eyes that shone with Rinnegan stared coldly at the tragedy that lay before his.
El saw humans and Gastrea slaughtering each other mercilessly, blood soaking the ground like a living painting of hell.
However, there was no trepidation on his face only the calmness of a warrior who had accepted the darkness of the world.
Suddenly, a burning sensation spread across his neck. In an instant, a flame-shaped mark appeared, burning brightly with a golden red color.
The mark seemed alive, pulsing as El's heartbeat quickened. Incredible energy exploded from his body, traveling through the veins that were clearly visible on his skin, towards his left chest.
The Demon Slayer Mark spread like a lava flow, forming intricate patterns until it reached his shoulder.
El's body began to tremble, not from fear, but from the overwhelming surge of power.
The air around him seemed to heat up, creating distortions that made his figure seem like it was surrounded by invisible flames.
His heartbeat pounded loudly like battlefield drums, pumping blood that felt like it was boiling, exerting a power beyond human limits.
El raised his right hand slowly, grasping Metsu's sword tighter.
In the momentary silence, El felt every beat of his heart bring a new rush of strength, every breath he took getting heavier yet full of energy.
His eyes sharpened and he said in a flat voice. "Satomi and the others aren't done yet, but no matter... Time to put my plan into action."