Chapter 81 - Shatter

Lexa and Andria didn't pay much attention to the ongoing's behind them and continued their mad sprint to the barrier which was now just a few meters in front of them.

The Beast-Eyed Killer meanwhile was slowly walking towards the two and watched with glee as the two got closer to the barrier. 'Do they really think they can break through a barrier created by that man? Though I don't know the man's origins and I don't know much about runes, even I can tell that this man's rune work was far above his Stage and Rank, which seemed to be similar to my own. '

Lexa continued to charge at the barrier however, chanting a spell all the meanwhile. Andria followed behind her closely, just running as fast as her little limbs let her.

When Lexa's spell was activated, several metallic blobs started to form around the cat, nearly a dozen of them in total. They were all like a thick liquid as they began to stretch out and eventually hardened into the shape of long and thick bolts, one's you would expect to be used on a crossbow.

This was the trademark signature of the Second Stage of the 'Arrow Shattering Sky' Arts, the Duplication Stage. This stage required its user to be at the Early-Mid Stage of Major Rank and though the Art's Echo Stone had held back most information about the Stage's prospects, Lexa could garner a good imitation just from the stage's title alone. Sadly, she did not have the time to study the Echo Stone for now and could only attempt the magic with the little knowledge she had. This caused these magical bolts to consume more aura than she would like, but their strength should hopefully be more than worth it.

So without hesitation, Lexa sent the flurry of bolts rocketing through the air, wind screeching in their wake as they headed off in the general direction of the barrier, whose form remained ellusive.

BOOM!

Lexa's blurry legs screeched to a halt and Andria joined her as her feet skidded to a halt as well.

'No...' Lexa's brow furrowed in despair. 'Not even a single scratch?'

Indeed, despite the massive explosive clash, despite the incredible strength and speed behind the bolts, the barrier remained undamaged. She had failed spectacularly.

"What now?..." Andria mumbled, her cheeks reddened and puffy from all her crying as she looked deeply into her partner's eyes, searching for something... Anything.

"Kahaha!!" A burst of obnoxious laughter sounded behind the two, and Lexa begrudgingly looked over her tensed shoulder to see the boss of their kidnapper's laughing hysterically. "Now do you see how doomed you two truly are?! What's your next move, eh?! If you're done, then let me have my turn!!"

As he chanted a spell, a dark form began to coalesce around the Beast-Eyed Killer before forming around the entirety of his right arm, extending into a claw-like form, though its shape seemed fluid as it flowed like ribbons in the air.

"Let me show you the true strength of the 'Depths of the Dark' Arts!!" The Beast-Eyed Killer growled through a bright grin that reached from ear to ear, twisting his scarred features into a menacing and terrifying sight. "Feel the power of the Holy Element of Darkness!!"

Without further ado, the Beast-Eyed Killer charged forth, the wavy dark claw becoming restless and chaotic as it followed. With a giant leap, the Beast-Eyed Killer's amazing speed brought him upon the cat in a flash.

Lexa took a second to process the previous sequence before her pupils darted to her attacker's new position, shocked at his speed. She wasn't even able to see a single movement in between.

This horrified her.

Seeing that he was coming for her, Lexa chose to be cautious and sent a gust of wind that pushed Andria out of harm's way while simultaneously activating the second spell of her Crimson Iris Bangle, the Crimson Glaze. The limitations of the Crimson Glaze spell was not as stringent as its offensive counterpart, as it could be activated at any time. Its shortcomings were that it only activated for the shortest of moments, and required around a minute of time before it could be activated once more.

The Beast-Eyed Killer's dark claw came streaking down with a voracious cry, striking the red glaze that shrouded Lexa's full form. Unfortunately, the barrier could only hold a moment before it shattered at the claws great strength. Red dust glistened and scattered as it dissipated.

Lexa's eyes closed, embracing her defeat. It didn't take long before she was forced to let out a shrill cry as she was slammed against the hard floor. She was unable to avoid the claw's might. The attack coming too fast and the sheer size of the claw aided in its trap.

Lexa winced as she was held prisoner under the dark claw. It held most of her body, feeling brittle under the claws weight, only leaving her head poking out. One could feel Lexa's pain in every struggled breath and hoarse cry that escaped her lungs.

"Lexa, Nooo!!" Andria cried out as she landed from being thrown earlier. She was on her bottom as one of her hands hovered over her shaking mouth, looking on in horror at the scene in front of her.

Her horror quickly changed into one of anger though.

"Let her go, you bully!!" Andria screamed and quickly went into chanting some sort of spell as she looked on with deep hatred at her partner's capturer.

The Beast-Eyed Killer tilted an eyebrow, finding her actions rather futile and humorous. "What has the little noble girl got? What sh*tty magic did your precious daddy teach you, huh?!"

"D-don't make fun of Daddy!!" Andria screamed out upon completion of her spell, which shockingly seemed to unleash no effect to the confusion of the Beast-Eyed Killer and his followers.

This was until the Beast-Eyed Killer suddenly felt the pressure beneath his dark claws give way suddenly, almost tripping him up.

"This b*tch!!" The Beast-Eyed Killer growled with wide eyes.

Lexa was also just as shocked when she found the earth beneath her give way, sinking down and creating a small crater under her. She automatically understood her partner's plan and didn't dare waste this precious chance.

Drawing out aura to her greatest opacity, Lexa enforced her four limbs, empowering them to her limit. At the same time, she used the element of wind to lessen any wind resistance. Using all means available to her, Lexa darted as quick as she could before those dark claws could grasp her once again.

Having been blindsided by this maneuver, the Beast-Eyed Killer's reaction was delayed, actually allowing Lexa to escape the claw's grasp when he finally swiped its great length at her in an attempt to grab hold of her smaller form.

"No you bloody don't!!!" The Beast-Eyed Killer was furious with rage. Even if in his eyes, these two brats could never escape no matter how many times they slipped from their grasp, each time it did happen was a slap in the face that added onto the shame. How could he demand people's respect when he couldn't even hold a damn Magical Beast at the Major Rank prisoner? A mere beast two whole ranks below him!!

He couldn't let her escape.

"Don't underestimate me, b*tch!!!" The Beast-Eyed Killer's voice was becoming rather shrill and maddening in its pitch at this point as his jagged eyes became bloodshot in the intensity of his sheer anger. With a great thrust of his right hand, the black claw extended to a great length and morphed shape. "Nobody escapes the Abyssal Snake spell!!"

In conjunction with his screaming words, the black, coalescing darkness that had taken the form of a five-fingered claw twisted cruelly into the shape of a massive snake that extended like a rope as it chased the retreating form of the fleeing cat.

"Nooo!!" Andria cried as the dark snake bared down on Lexa, its arrival seeming inevitable.

Except, it was at this moment that a roaring, reverberating crashing sound resounded loudly, demanding the attention of everyone.

"HOW. DARE. YOU!!!!"

The Beast-Eyed Killer's eyes turned into saucers as he suddenly felt a great pressure grasp his shaggy head. The pressure was so unbearable that he couldn't hold back the visceral scream that escaped his lungs at that moment. His jagged eyes scrunched up and blood began to leak from his nose. At first, it was but a drip, but quickly it was pouring, not only from his nose but from every other orifice in his head as well.

His shrill and croaky scream only croaked to a stop when his limbs became limp and the colour in his jagged eyes dimmed. Seconds later, his large corpse was dropped unceremoniously onto the gritty earth below.

The Beast-Eyed Killer had died just like that...

All of the Beast-Eyed Killer's follower looked on in shock as a deep-rooted feeling of despair bloomed, even more so when they the person behind this savage maneuver was revealed infront of them.

Lexa tripped in her hasty retreat, unaware of all this until she had looked back from the ground, still expecting her incoming doom. Only, her eyes opened in shock at the scene before her as her countenance turned into one of great relief, a feeling of relief stronger than she had ever felt prior.

Behind her, Andria's eyes assumed the same expression, even more so than Lexa. Tears sprayed with her shaking head as she let out a large shout filled with grievance, relief, and affection.

"DAAADDDY!!!!"

"Don't worry little An, Daddy's here now." Alexander gave her a comforting smile as he stepped beyond the now broken confines of the elusive barrier.