Ex-Rank Awakening: My Attacks Make Me Stronger-Chapter 93: EX . Into Enemy Territory

With Wind’s Grace still coursing through him, Harry danced with death. His greatsword cleaved the air in wide arcs, each swing fluid, fast, and filled with purpose. The green aura surrounding him flickered with every movement, amplifying his strength, sharpening his reflexes.

CLANG!

SHHRRANG!

He brought the blade down from above, then swept sideways, then jabbed. But no matter how aggressive or precise his attacks were, the demon blocked each one with ease. Its four arms moved like blurs, intercepting every strike with a clack of chitin and a spark of steel.

Harry gritted his teeth, sweat flying off his brow.

"Why won’t you fall...?!"

Suddenly, a wave of dense aura swept through the air.

From the side of the room, Snape’s voice cut through the chaos.

"Shadow Blind!"

A pulse of black energy erupted from his body. Instantly, the room dimmed, shadows blooming like ink spilled across the battlefield. Everything was shrouded in darkness, the core, the walls, everything except Harry, who could somehow still see through it since the skill didn’t effect him.

Harry didn’t hesitate.

He lunged forward through the veil of shadow, his greatsword arcing toward the demon’s neck, a perfect strike, one aimed to end it.

But just as the blade was about to connect

FLASH!

The darkness vanished. The shadows peeled away like smoke, and the blinding brightness of the core-room returned. Simultaneously, the wind around Harry dissipated, Wind’s Grace had vanished.

"Wha...?" Harry managed, confusion flooding him.

He didn’t get to finish the thought.

CRACK!

As the demon’s claw slammed across his face, sending him flying like a ragdoll. He crashed into the far wall with a sickening BOOM, the stone cracking from the impact. Blood burst from his mouth as he collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain.

His insides burned. Organs... ruptured...

Groaning, Harry forced his blurred eyes to look toward his squadmates, and what he saw shattered him.

"NO!!!"

Across the room, Snape and Natasha were both impaled through the chest, their bodies raised in the air by two more demons, nearly identical to the first. Blood streamed from their mouths, and their limbs hung limp.

Natasha, her eyes dimming, barely turned her head.

"H-Harry... run..."

"NOOO!!" Harry roared, his voice broken, shaking the room.

His blood-red eyes filled with fury, not just pain, but blind, soul-rending rage. Without thinking, he grabbed his sword and charged.

"I’LL KILL YOU!!"

His form was erratic, his swings wild and emotional. There was no technique now, just raw hatred.

But before he could even reach the demons holding his friends,

The original demon appeared in front of him.

SHHHNK!

In a single, effortless motion, it swung one claw like a guillotine.

Harry’s head flew through the air, eyes wide with the final realization.

As it spun slowly, he saw beyond the three demons.

More.

Dozens more of the same kind, stepping silently out from the deeper shadows of the stronghold.

’We... we’re doomed...’

That was Harry’s final thought.

As his head hit the floor with a dull thud. His body collapsed a heartbeat later.

No one screamed. No one wept.

There were no survivors.

As the demonic creatures gathered the fallen bodies, their exoskeletal limbs clicking with eerie rhythm, and dragged the corpses deeper into the stronghold, vanishing into the abyss, where the true horror waited.

****

Leon led his squadmates through the towering steel corridors of Base 01, until they arrived at a massive hanger bay. The sound of machinery echoed through the space, mechanics working on transport carriers, hover-trucks being inspected, and the hum of power cells charging. But amidst all that noise, the sleek Raider Bikes lined up in neat rows stood out like predatory beasts ready to be unleashed.

Leon approached the counter confidently and spoke,

"We need four Raider Bikes."

The receptionist, a short-haired woman in Federation gray uniform, barely looked up as she replied,

"Name, sir?"

"Leon Kael."

That made her pause.

Her eyes darted up toward him, wide for just a second, then quickly returned to her screen. The name Leon Kael had already swept through the base like wildfire. A direct promotion to Combatant on the day of arrival, followed by rumors of him disrespecting the other combatants, calling them weak, even pathetic. The stories might have been exaggerated, but they all had one thing in common: they centered on him.

After a short silence, she nodded and said,

"Your order has been processed. That’ll be 400 credits. Any damage done to the bikes will be deducted from your account directly."

Leon winced slightly.

’I felt that one in my soul,’ he thought, as he paid the amount. The receptionist handed him four silver tokens, each engraved with the Federation’s crest.

"For the Federation," she said, a little more carefully this time.

Leon gave a crooked smirk and nodded.

"For the Federation."

He returned to his squad, tossing each of them a token.

"Alright guys, let’s roll."

The hangar was filled with all kinds of vehicles, from heavy personnel carriers to mounted railgun trucks, but Raider Bikes were the most common. Each one was a beast of a machine, a heavy-duty motorcycle built for speed, endurance, and warfare. With a reinforced titanium-alloy frame, thick black armor-plating, and dual oversized tires, one in front and one in back, they looked more like war mounts than bikes.

Designed to cut through demon territory with minimal protection and maximum aggression, they were the vehicle of choice for any soldier heading beyond the walls.

After selecting their bikes, the squad pushed them to the departure platform. A nearby soldier eyed them before asking,

"Purpose of departure?"

Leon responded,

"Stronghold elimination."

The soldier nodded, tapped something into his wrist device.

"Name?"

"Leon Kael."

The soldier blinked, then checked again to be sure. Then pressed a button on his walkie.

"Unit 01 requesting departure."

A voice crackled back over the comm:

"Roger that. Authorization granted."

The metal floor beneath Leon and his team began to descend with a heavy rumble, lowering them into a launch tunnel beneath the hangar. A narrow, reinforced passage stretched ahead, bathed in blue light, and at the far end of it, a barrier gate shimmered, preparing to open.

The officer who had joined them below spoke,

"You’ve got a 30-second window before the barrier re-engages."

Eden swallowed hard.

"What happens if we don’t make it?"

The officer stared him dead in the eye.

"Just make sure you do."

That was all the motivation Eden needed.

Each of them mounted their Raider Bikes, sliding the tokens into the ignition slot. The moment they did,

VRRRRRROOOOOOOM!!!

The engines roared to life like thunder erupting in the tunnel, the floor vibrating under their feet.

Leon revved his engine, grinning.

"That’s the stuff."

Eleanor adjusted her gloves. Adrian cracked his neck. Eden’s hands trembled slightly, but he tightened his grip.

"GO!"

the soldier shouted.

VRRRROOOOOOMMMM!!!

VRRROOOOOOOMMMM!!!

The four bikes tore down the tunnel like bolts of lightning, tires screeching, exhaust flaring. The dashboard timer lit up as they moved:

30... 29... 28...

Their surroundings blurred as they accelerated. The blue barrier ahead shimmered, closing fast.

"Faster!"

Leon yelled.

They leaned forward, squeezing out every ounce of speed from their Raiders.

7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2...

WHOOSH!!!

One after another, they burst through the barrier just as it sealed behind them, the sound of compressed air and arc-energy locking it shut.

As they exited the tunnel, they were greeted by the wild, jagged terrain of demon territory, a wasteland filled with crimson skies and scorched stone. The protective light of the barrier faded behind them, now blending in with the outer federal wall.

Leon looked back once, smirked at the closed gateway, then faced forward.

"Alright guys," he called out, "let’s make this fast. We’ve got a lot on our hands."

He revved his bike again, leaned back slightly, and performed a clean wheelie, the front tire slicing through the air.

"Try to keep up!" he said as he roared ahead, his squadmates trailing close behind, their engines howling into the heart of enemy territory.

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