It was hard to tell if Astrid was really worried about the situation she was in.
However, she was in fact having a hard time navigating through the increasing count of monsters. There were all kinds of sizes blocking her view and halting her advances, but they all seemed to move sluggishly and predictably to her. To Equinox, it was like she was a flower in a pond, while the monsters were stones being thrown in attempts to sink that flower— her movements were too fluid and graceful just to conclude with her brutally rolling her huge sword into the sides of the unfortunate creatures.
Camille could hardly keep up. He was all around the forest, tossing the poor Seer Equinox away right before Astrid could run him through a couple of trees, then summon the Seer to his side when Astrid switches target.
"Tch! You darn glow stick!" Camille cursed, summoning the Seer to his side when the man suddenly twisted his body to strap himself onto Camille's back.
"How much do you want me?!" Ikky yelled.
"What?"
"How much... blergh... do you want me.. My stomach ish don't feel too... good."
"The hell?!" Camille started to panic at the thought of this weird guy about to puke on his body.
With force, he ripped Ikky off himself and flung the man away for the last time. Unfortunately for him, Astrid had already gotten close enough to thwack him into the distance with her blade.
Astrid suddenly disappeared and then appeared to hold her sword in front of her face, blocking Camille's punch. She had been subjected to his teleportation ability.
"Why do you hinder me, Timofey?" Astrid asked, pushing him back."
Camille showed a look of surprise, but then he chuckled lightly in understanding."Of course you were able to figure it out, you witch."
He dusted his body clean. "Not even I know the essence of this man's Virtues, but I'm sure you do. Which is why you could tell us apart.
And as for why I am standing in your way right now, I'm afraid if I revealed it, you would want to kill me as well."
Astrid struck her blade into the ground, standing straight. "If you had really feared my wrath, you would not be here in the first place. Don't tell me you decided to act like a real emissary of the heavens and save that Seer, rather than be just a fore-seer of calamities you truly are."
Timofey snickered at Astrid's definition of a Prophet. Turning to his side to find the man Astrid had been chasing, he realised the strange person was now alone in the middle of the hoard of monsters, fighting for his life.
Astrid's blade made a heavy slicing sound in the air, forcing Timofey's attention back at her.
"I am done with these games. If you continue to stand in my way of delivering justice, then I will deliver it to you as well."
A jagged line ran down from Timofey's head according to Astrid's swing, and a rift opened right at the back of his head, knocking the vile creatures out of their home.
———
It took Equinox quite a while to figure out how to use the charm on his arm. And as such, he had no time to decipher the meaning of the Night Chant, and what it does.
Even now that he thought about how helpful it could be in this situation — a Virtue with a Virtuous name, the prophecy of that virtue did not leave any easy hints. At most, it attempted to explain the Virtuous name that had come about as a result of that Virtue.
Eternity? The finale of something? Those two already contradict, yet describe the same Virtue.
But as Yaga had explained to him— when he realises the essence of that Virtue, its meaning would come to him on its own.
And by essence, she was talking about the traits that he possessed that made that Virtue what it was. Equinox did not believe he possessed any special traits.
Ikky leapt back, avoiding the hug of a fat sleazy-eyed green creature. Another of these goblins ran at him from behind, however Ikky's feet quickly left the ground as he did a back flip, landing right on that grey goblin's face before jumping off it, spinning his body mid air to dodge a round blob creature that had bounced up to swallow him. He landed with his palms on the ground and his legs in the air. Pressing down on his hand, he pushed himself into one of the crying monsters, his legs smashing into the creature's head like a metal staff.
Again, not giving the monsters time to react between his different actions, his movements flowed into another attack. He stretched out his arm, holding a small knife he'd summoned from his talisman and stabbed down into a yellow wolf's skull.
Well, on the bright side, Ikky did know what Izel's charm does. He liked it more for its practicality though. Because using that thing would truly mean he was at his last leg and suffering a great deal.
But while he saw its use, few other people would be able to.
For now however, there was no need for the weapon to function. The mindless creatures barely stood a chance.
———
"His fighting spirit is not too bad." Karma admitted.
"According to Gefyra's report, Nox was only a timid outcast and Equinox had never injured anything other than the wild spirits he hunted to eat..." The young looking Lord of the Sumeru lotus read out loud.
"One becomes a different person after experiencing power. However, it could be that Equinox had simply just maintained his former clarity even in the face of evil spirits— the ability to distinguish the humans from animals he should cut open." Dharma added, lying ever so relaxed on her slanted chair.
"I hope you are right about that 'clarity', Dharma." Samsara said. "Because the last time we let a young soul with no repulsion from taking life, run around as she pleased, she grew up to become something not even prayers could subjugate."
"Not to mention..." Karma looked down in thought. "Those from the Cyprus are all made to be used as simple tools but with the body and mind of humans for 'efficiency'. What if the tool he was created to be was some sort of weapon, like a knife for example?"
Dharma grumbled. "Ah. The Gardens of Olympus truly are a sick bunch! I'd nearly forgotten that's what 'that kind' were made for." Her dark expression suddenly vanished.
"Imagine if he was a spoon-person. Or a fork?! Ha! Hahaha!"
The others watched the not-so-old looking old lady fall off her seat from laughter.
———
Ikky grunted in pain as the creature bit down on his arm like a rabid dog. Clenching his fist, he proceeded to bash the wolf's head in, forcing it to let go. When the beast took away its mouth, he straightened his palm and dug his claws into the creature's neck before ripping out its throat and smashing its head in again.
These monsters seemed quite sentient as their eyes shone at the bloody scene. But they were perverted themselves, so it brought them more joy than fear.