Six of the magenta wisps remained, with two bearing lethal injuries that would likely drive them to their graves within minutes.
"Is that all?"
Raphael's arrogant voice rang out through the foggy meadow, further invigorating the creatures who prowled around him cautiously.
Dormyrrs prided themselves on the ability to enter and copy the mental pictures within human minds.
If one had once seen a Sea King use a weapon, then the terrors could replicate it to a certain degree, foregoing the level of strength required.
As distant relatives of the Iktomi, their disguises were nearly perfect when within a Dream Patch, which naturally amplified the effects of the Sea of Dreams.
In the case of the white-haired boy, however, with the enhanced shield against foreign mind invasion, only snippets of information could be gathered by the creatures.
Weapons, attacks, and rudimentary spells were some of the tools they stole from the boy, changing their appendages to reflect them.
Krkkkk… Crrkkk…
The sound of cold metal digging into the damp grass echoed through the field, causing Raphael to turn his gaze.
Two of the Dormyrrs garnered steel implements, enchanted with extremely low doses of holy magic produced entirely through their own cores.
Interesting… I wonder how far a Dormyrr King could push their copy ability…
He paused, thinking of the best plan to counter the ominous circle of magenta whips that surrounded him.
Ah… This will work splendidly.
As the thought rushed through his mind, one of the creatures pushed its feet off the ground with such force that it shot rock and dirt into the air.
Its illusory body contorted into violent shapes impossible for a human to follow, splitting its arms into eight vile strips of flesh.
Each was a visceral protrusion of magenta blood and bone that sizzled and popped like a piece of meat over flame.
"How vile."
Slamming his staff into the cold grass, he felt a wave of mana explode forth, coating the area in light, irritating the Dormyrrs to a dangerous degree.
Another charged, then two more, each brandishing whips, branding irons, and gruesome blades out of flesh.
The attack from the first beast sliced past his neck, opening a tiny wound barely the depth of a paper cut.
Moving at frightening speed, he whipped his body around, slamming the butt of his staff into the creature's hind legs.
He smiled as the sound of bones crunching echoed amidst the screeches of agony that deafened the meadow.
CRACKK!
A sudden noise burned Raphael's ears, and he instinctively ducked, aiming his staff at the nearest creature without hesitation.
「Canis」
For a second, there was nothing—then, a brilliant flash of light exploded from the tip, summoning a magical cannonball from thin air that shot forward at the speed of sound.
BOOOOM!
Colliding with the Dormyrr's form, its flesh bubbled and baked, vaporizing its material form in an instant and sending it back to the ethereal light it was birthed from.
The boy scoffed, pulling back his staff-wielding arm into the pose of a pitcher, and threw the magical weapon at yet another terror, the one disguised as a snake.
Dodging quickly, the animal hissed with such veracity that the boy actually laughed in amusement, forcing his lungs to contract rapidly.
For he knew that while the creature had dodged his attack and his weapon was gone, the serpentine was still outmatched.
Rolling across the grass and launching himself upward with momentum, the white-haired boy floated into the sky for a moment and grabbed the beast in his hand, squeezing tightly.
Feeling its snake-like body constrict and crack from the pressure of his grip, the Dormyrr exploded into a burst of rage, spraying venom crazily.
One such drop landed directly onto the boy's head, weakening the mental barrier for just a moment.
However, it was too late for the creature, for as it tried to infiltrate his mindscape, its scales burst, magenta blood splattering in every direction.
Its fangs oozed with strings of excrement as it died a horrible death, deserving of a monster with such a vicious nature.
Raphael gripped his forehead for a moment, his veins twitching involuntarily as he attempted to repair the mental shield.
At the same time, the two terrors he had once burned with his spells surged back into the fray, their bodies fully restored.
Noticing the lapse in his defense, one of the Dormyrrs took the chance to dive deeper into the boy's mind, digging out a memory truly wonderful.
The boy's eyes rippled and waned as his vision was distorted by the creature attacking his subconsciousness.
Need to repair… The barrier…
He paused as he stared ahead at where the terrors had once been.
For the first time, fear gripped his heart as, instead of the wisp-like demons he had fought just a moment before, a face almost identical to his own appeared before him.
The first son of the Steinfeste Dynasty and the rightful heir to the patriarch, Alaric von Steinfeste.
Raphael's heart jumped at the sight of his identical twin, with his mind blanking at the most important moment of the battle.
SKRRRUNCHHHH!
His chest bent in as a punch warped his bones, shattering three ribs instantly and bruising his intestines without mercy.
Blood dripped out of his mouth as he leaped backwards, eyes darting everywhere, only to be met with visions of his brother.
Tktktktk…
Nearly slipping on a cylindrical object below him, he looked downward, realizing with joy that his staff sat underfoot.
N-Need too…
Another explosive strike struck the side of his head, sending him flying backwards under the sheer pressure.
The Dormyrr, wielding a branding iron, appeared beside him with the poker blazing with heat, striking his neck hard.
FSSSSSSHHHHHH!
"AGH!"
Raphael's scream ignited the field, and a burning red emblem appeared engraved into his throat, lit to life.
His eyes watered with pain, echoing throughout every inch of his body as he was assaulted again and again by the relentless creatures.
With his senses on the verge of collapse, the boy realized that if he didn't focus now, it could be the end for him.
The four remaining creatures prepared a final assault from a distance as the boy stumbled around aimlessly, night blind and suffering from a concussion.
Fiery welts appeared on his collarbone as the burning hot mark incinerated the top of his shirt and layers of skin.
Opening his mouth, blood dripped from the corners, with only larger clumps appearing as his voice, less than a gurgle, echoed out.
「Holy Rain」
As the words were spoken, the effects were immediate, with all light disappearing from the world faster than the terrors could blink.
Thousands of majestic flashes of brilliance illuminated the clouds high above, with thunder booming in the distance.
A storm had begun to brew, and one not formed by natural means.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Scattered drops of golden rain began to fall to the earth, gracefully landing on the grass and brightening its appearance like a million little fireflies.
The magenta wisps were confused for a moment as to what a spell that summoned rain could do to them.
Turning their illusory heads upward, one of the creatures—the one who was hit by the Explosis spell before—felt a droplet land on its face.
"...?"
Making only a confused grunt, the terror's body immediately began to seize, popping and oozing with radiant rays of light.
The others, witnessing the dreadful scene, tried to dodge the rain, changing their appendages into shovels and burrowing into the earth.
It was a worthwhile effort, one that might've worked if given a minute more; however, as they began to tunnel, each was struck with multiple golden droplets.
Horrifying death groans echoed out from the dirt as the Dormyrrs collapsed onto the ground, feeling each cell of their body being ripped apart from the inside.
Fingernails ripped off, revealing magenta colored flesh that lay raw beneath, which turned to dust as it was exposed to the light.
Flesh peeled back as their bodies disintegrated, with follicles of hair falling out in droves with the destruction of their scalps.
Brain matter popped out of every crevice of their skulls as their minds comprehended the divine and holy energies flooding into their bodies.
Gruesome black pustules filled with magenta liquid on their arms popped systematically, releasing a strange, smelly substance that radiated death.
Truly a disgraceful spell… How pitiful of me to have been pushed to this extent…
Raphael stood atop a small hill, bending over with his vision slowly returning while grabbing his staff.
Three ribs had been broken, half of his skull was shattered to pieces, and his vocal cords were burned to shreds.
His condition was terrible and would quickly result in his own demise without immediate medical attention.
That was, unless he could utter one final phrase.
「Heliotidius」
It was the second most powerful spell in his arsenal, with the only one stronger being the rain he had summoned before.
All mana in his core was drained without even a drop left to fight even a rabid dog.
He was in a state of complete vulnerability where a single Dormyrr could finish him off in an instant.
The spell he had cast slowly began mending his bones and throat to a form in which he could survive with minor permanent damage.
Father will see the scar as shameful; however, the Guild will see it as an honorable mark of a warrior… How troubling…
Twitching his lip ever so slightly, he sat down, resting his legs as he stared downward at the carnage he had wrought.
Five neatly arranged piles of bones lay sprawled across the field, with the remaining three having been completely dissolved.
How rudimentary.