THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"This is really interesting, human. You really have interesting ways of using Angas."

"Hey, this thing can freaking talk. How awesome is that?"

It seems not all of the other mercenaries are paralyzed by fear. The muscular woman seems to be fine, so does Davy, Willhem, Hendrick, the priest woman, and Lanuvel's double.

"Awesome? Do you mean scary?" The priest doesn't look too afraid.

Willhem even smiles and advances to the Longinus.

"It's time for the slaughter!!"

He launches a bolt at the Longinus. That bolt is imbued with Angas and looks really powerful.. Yet, the Longinus simply sends it away with his blade-like hand. Like he is just sending off an annoying fly.

"It's not over yet!!"

Willhem drives his rapier to the Longinus but the guy just blocks it once again. I use that instant to strike as well. I use Disperse and right as I appear behind the Longinus, I aim for its head. But before I can reach, the other blade comes and clash with my raizen. The shockwave sweeps the whole hall as I step back. Willhem does the same and the other mercenaries finally start moving as well.

"Encircle him!! He can't-"

"Encircle me?"

The Longinus speaks and the next moment, he disappears and a head falls. A guy from Davy's group just died. Just like that, without warning, without a sound, without nothing.

"Jacob!!" Blood spurts out from his headless neck and splashes around.

I couldn't follow the Longinus's movement even though I can feel his crystals. That can only mean one thing, I can't rely on my eyes to fight this guy.

"Are you guys possibly hoping to catch me?" The Longinus speaks while hanging on the hall's wall. He is now above us all.

"Shit!! Let's-"

"Calm down!!" After my scream, the tension somehow decreases. Even the Longinus seems surprised. "Those who can follow its movement, stay back and fight. The rest, move forward. Davy, you lead them."

"Oh…Human, do you think I will…" The Longinus disappears once again but as it is about to strike the muscular woman, I emerge with Disperse, and our weapon clash. Once again, there is a shockwave that sweeps the room and the woman has her head forcefully thrown away from it. Still, she is alive as I see her landing while using her hands.

The Longinus opens his completely black eyes wide. You weren't hoping for that, right?

"Let's move!!" Thankfully, Davy isn't a slow thinker. He immediately reacts after that and other mercenaries start taking both paths downstairs. But this time, the Longinus doesn't even look. He is focused on me.

After roughly two minutes, there are only seven people inside the hall, excluding K'nor, and the Longinus. Willhem, Hendrick, the muscular woman, the priest, Lanuvel's double, a guy with a spear, and the last one with two small axes. The Longinus didn't even try to move the whole time. Could it be that there are more powerful ones downstairs? Then sending them ahead was a mistake. A huge one.

"Why didn't you pursue them? Aren't you afraid that we find whatever you are protecting?" Let's see if I can acquire some intel from him. I can feel several more Longinus downstairs but none of them seem to have the same level as this one.

"Don't worry. We are more than able of handling you, humans. But you are particularly interesting so I want to see how far you will go before you die."

"Hmph! That's the exact same thing that your friend from Litlon said. And guess what happened to him?" I bring the crystal of the Longinus I defeated during my infiltration of the city four months ago and show it to him. Once again, I was forced to give them all to the church, but I kept one for emergencies like this one. "He is dead now."

"I see. So you are the Dragonroad. SHE told us to be on the lookout for you since you seem to be growing annoying but as I thought, you are overestimated."

"So Veronica told you about me then…" The others have moved around the Longinus while I was speaking to him. We are now more or less encircling him. Though, with his speed, it is no use. "You should listen to her, you know."

"Veronica?" Just like that, he disappears once again and I block his attack. Even so, I am pushed back on a few meters, with him applying his weight as he stroke. How can he be so heavy when he is as small as a child? "Ah, the fear-smelling woman. Well, I have never spoken with her since she smells too much."

Fear-smelling woman? That's one good nickname for her? I will make sure to write it down just in case. But more importantly, he has never spoken with Veronica? Then who is the 'she' is talking about?

"Orah!" Willhem attacks from behind but the Longinus just counter it with his foot without even looking at him. He is really fixated on me. That's a good point, I think. Then, he receives an arrow from the side, at the ribs' level.

It came from Lanuvel's double from what I saw. The Longinus looks at it and since he is distracted, the muscular woman has jumped. Willhem and I jump back and I fire another bullet that the Longinus cuts in half easily. Still, the explosion that occurs should pins him down enough for that woman to strike.

"Smile for me!!" As she unleashes a script that looks a lot like Tremor, she utters something completely unrelated. Is that how she decided to name her script?

The impact releases a shockwave and a loud sound that make the ground and the walls vibrate. Still, it seems she didn't go all out.

"That was weak." Cutting through the smoke, the Longinus cuts her hammer down as well then…

"Argh!!"

A wound appears on the muscular woman's body that goes from the right shoulder to the left ribs' level of the stomach. Blood profusely comes out as she falls backward then the Longinus once again hangs himself on the roof of the hall. He licks the blood on his blade until it is all clean. What matter of pervert is he?

"Argh!! Shit!" Still, the muscular woman is alive. She is really sturdy.

"Hang on!" The priest runs to her, covered by Lanuvel's double.

"It seems you aren't the only interesting one here. I was sure I had killed her but she can still scream like that. That is-" Before he can continue, he receives a bolt on the cheek. Like a punch, he throws him to the ground far ahead and he lands brutally on the floor.

"Fuu…Finally landed one." Well done, Willhem.

***

"You…" Yeah, go on, snap off. That's the best way for us to defeat you. The Longinus stands up, removes the bolt on his cheek with the blade, then his bluish skin turns red. Oh yeah, we are in for it now.

"Stay extremely focus-" Before Lanuvel's double can finish warning us, the Longinus has disappeared and reappeared before her already.

"Woof!" Thankfully for her, K'nor followed the movement of the Longinus and launches a wind ball right on time. The Longinus cuts it down without looking but it was just enough time for the woman to escape. She jumps back as I fire a bullet on the Longinus. He is too focused on the girl so it hits him in the back.

"Kriekk!!" Finally, a delightful scream characteristic of a Longinus in pain. I was waiting for this. I launch my raizen at him and jump to him.

"Willhem, cover!!"

"On it!!"

He fires bolts at the Longinus but the others also do the same.

"Fireball!!"

"Waterball!"

The others assist as well and when I reach the Longinus, there are two bolts and two scripts by my side.

"You…insolent pests!!"

The Longinus releases his aura and raizen is pushed as well as everything that was shot at him. Still, I get through after using Sphere.

"Ahhh!!" I materialize Raizen then slash through.

"Kriekk!!"

The Longinus screams while backing away, a crystal falls between us as well. Still, this is not the time to stop. I slash once again but he evades me. Right before he disappears, he is hit from behind.

"Don't let up!! He has to stop when he attacks and needs some time to accelerate!"

Lanuvel's double gives us good information and I feel like the tension in the air fell down right after that.

"Kriek!! Puny insects!!" The Longinus still manages to accelerate but when he stops, I shoot bullets at him. He slices them but then receives bolts from both the double and Willhem.

"Kriek!" No other crystals fall but he is immobilized so now, I can strike. I reach him rapidly by using Disperse then strike him with Tremor.

"Don't under-Kriekk!!" Since I am using Raizen, he thought I was attacking normally even though it was a mighty blow. Raizen was glowing with a stronger light though.

I get past the blade that he put to block my attack and my weapon runs down his body, liberating another crystal again.

"You vermin!!" His red skin returns to the bluish color and the guy disappears again.

"Block him off!! Don't let him escape!"

I shoot as many bullets as I can and the others are trying to hit him as well but before we can do anything, the Longinus escape outside. Was it out of confusion? Those we left outside still haven't reached us. Are they waiting outside.

"Let's pursue-"

"You crazy?! We just barely escaped from it! Let's join the others and find whatever they want us to find!"

Another mercenary has the same idea as me but somehow, hearing that from him makes me realize it is a stupid one. I hope we won't regret this decision later on.