Alpha Instinct-Chapter 92: "Baptism in Blood"

Leonard dashed towards Evelyn, activating "Ghost Steps." He became a blur of electric blue, a lightning bolt cutting across the battlefield. Time warped around Leonard, each second stretching into a tense eternity.

The Death Panther, still cloaked, but predictable to Leonard's Temporal Cognition, launched another attack. Claws sharp as razors sliced through the air where Evelyn had been just seconds before.

Leonard intercepted the attack at the last moment. "Absolution" screeched as it blocked the creature's claws, sparks flying from the brutal impact. Without hesitation, "Smiling" followed in an upward arc, a silver flash.

A guttural cry, a half-growl, half-shriek of pain, ripped through the air.

Fueled by rage and the desperation to protect Evelyn, Leonard channeled all his strength into the blow. "Smiling" met the beast's stomach with devastating force. The impact was brutal. The Death Panther was ripped in half, a gruesome and instantaneous end. Blood and guts rained down on Leonard and Evelyn, a macabre baptism.

The panther's body, destroyed beyond its capacity to regenerate, couldn't even trigger its explosive runes. Death was final and absolute.

"Shit..." Leonard muttered, the adrenaline starting to fade, leaving him panting and slightly trembling. He looked at Evelyn, needing to confirm that she was really okay, despite the gash on her arm.

Evelyn looked at him and started to laugh nervously. Both of them were covered in blood and guts. "What the fuck was that, Leo?" And she let out a laugh. "Thanks, by the way..." she said, wiping her face.

Leo gave her a sheepish, "Sorry about the mess" kind of grin.

Four Death Panthers still remained. The brief pause after the second brutal death was broken by guttural growls, reminding everyone that the fight was far from over.

Mikaela, seeing Evelyn's condition, rushed towards her, her ELEV glowing with healing energy. "Hold on!" she shouted, already conjuring holy healing.

Raviel, his shield still stained with the blood of the first panther, roared a battle cry, drawing the attention of one of the creatures. "Come on, you bastards! Fight like beasts, if that's what you are! WAR SHIELD!"

Xavier, keeping his distance, fired precise bolts. He was now aiming for the panthers' legs, trying to reduce their mobility, since the shot to the previous panther's chest wasn't very effective. "I can't take them down directly, but I can slow them down!" he yelled, reloading his crossbow with agility.

One of the panthers, ignoring Raviel, charged toward Silverin, who was preparing to cast another support prayer. Kaleb, realizing the danger, quickly activated his ELEV and used "Curtain of Fire," creating a barrier of flames between Silverin and the beast. The panther recoiled, snarling in frustration, its fur singed by the intense heat.

"Protect Silverin!" Mikaela ordered, as she finished healing Evelyn's wound. The healing was fast, but the blood loss and the shock left Evelyn a little pale.

Two panthers, now working together, charged at Leonard. He blocked the first attack with "Absolution," but the second panther hit him with a paw swipe to the back, sending him flying and rolling on the ground. The pain was sharp, but his armor absorbed most of the impact.

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The panthers pounced voraciously; he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the claws of the first panther, which ripped the ground where he had been a moment before.

Leonard got up quickly, anger replacing pain. He activated "Ghost Steps" again, and the forest became a blur. "I'm starting to get used to this skill..." he thought, noticing a clear improvement.

He attacked the first panther with "Smiling," a precise blow that cut the creature's front paw, making it roar in pain. Then, he spun and delivered a blow with "Absolution," which found the second panther's neck. The blow wasn't clean, but it was deep enough to incapacitate it.

Raviel, taking advantage of the panthers' distraction, charged with his shield, hitting the panther wounded by Leonard. The impact of the shield broke the creature's ribs, and it fell to the ground, unable to get up. Raviel, relentless, finished the beast off with a downward blow of his shield.

"Die, you piece of shit!" He shouted, delivering the blow.

Two remained.

One, recoiling from Kaleb's "Curtain of Fire," tried to flank the group, seeking to attack Mikaela and Silverin.

Xavier, alert, fired a bolt that hit the side of the panther's body, diverting its trajectory. The unbalanced panther was an easy target for Evelyn, who, recovered from the shock, used "Subterfuge" and appeared behind the creature. With a swift and precise movement of her daggers, she severed the tendons of the panther's hind legs, immobilizing it.

Continuing with a lateral dash, she ripped open the whole panther. Using subterfuge again to get out of the explosion zone.

The last panther, the biggest and strongest of them all, charged at Leonard with its enormous jaws. He blocked the attack with both swords, preventing himself from being bitten, but the creature's strength was overwhelming.

He was pushed back, his feet digging furrows in the ground. The great beast's drool splattered on his face as it roared uncontrollably.

"I... won't... lose!" Leonard growled through gritted teeth. Concentrating all his energy, he unleashed "Battle Aura." Both swords glowed with an intense blue light, and he delivered a cross-slash with all his might.

The impact was devastating. A sonic boom sliced through the entire forest, an X-shaped blade of energy extending for miles.

The panther was cut in two, head and all. The two halves of the body fell heavily to the ground, in a pool of blood and guts but without exploding. The battle was over.

The silence that followed was broken only by the heavy breathing of the combatants and the crackling of the fire conjured by Kaleb, which was slowly dying down.

The exhaustion was palpable. Victory had been won, but at a high cost. They were exhausted and injured.

Clearly, with all that noise, the two ursulus that were fighting each other now stared at the group with a determined intent to kill.

Mikaela felt the ground tremble beneath her feet and whispered, "They're coming, and way too fast."