--<3rd PoV>--
As a pale blue concentration of energy shot out.
The whole sky was filled with bright light, making wind rise and leaves of trees to be pushed back.
But even when the attack directly impacted, only 3 out of 14 Green Hornet Guards feel.
And there was the Green Hornet Queen with a circular shield covering 360 around it providing it with maximum protection.
But seeing they survived the monsters still became vigilant.
The mob monsters angered by attack on their queen charged mindlessly with the intent to kill, all of them spraying poison some self destructing even from a distance.
Doing every desperate action to punish the humans who not only killed their children but also dared to attempt killing their queen.
But unlike before this time their only their charge was mindless, their attacks were all well executed, without any error giving maximum performance.
And that was understandable, after all there were 11 Green Hornet Guards to guide them in their conquest making a well prepared army like setting.
But those weren't the only factors, all the Hornet Guards had also joined the battle and Queen was there with with her buffs.
And a few of Horner Guards were carrying a rather annoying ability, an mental interference type skill.
Thankfully Ray's innate domain was capable of resisting most of its effect but when multiple of such skills targeting one entity it was still somewhat effective.
With situation forcing them to act, even being on defensive was hard.
With Seraphina as occasionally offence and main defense, Lilia as the ranged damage dealer, and Ray with his one shot sure kill sniping, they had managed to drag it to settlement.
But with time passing the monsters were changing patterns.
Always trying different ways to attack to see what is the most effective.
Though most of the changes were quick to adapt and some even easier than before.
But time was passing and monsters were unending.
Ray was okay with his super regeneration being a passive but Seraphina and Lilia were seemingly tired.
Maybe he even wished for his ability to be effective on other people as it is on him just the active part.
But that was only wishful thinking.
Though he had killed 8 of the hornet guards, the rest have learned to hide knowing he is about to target them.
The one who are alive have illusion skills similar to mental interference kind.
This allows them to create afterimages, even project illusions and even turn invisible.
It is the thing which had allowed them and queen to be safe till now.
"What now? We can't kill the remaining once like this."
"Even my spirits can't sense where they are... B rank monsters are to hard to sport."
"So, what now?"
"I will listen to master."
Covered in dirt and grim, with faces laced with exhaustion, both of them turned their head towards Ray.
Offense or Defense.
Both of them were hard decisions to make.
Lilia and Seraphina both had signature trait of demihumans. They could bust out the strongest of their attacks but, the side effects would last for a long time.
And Ray will remain as the only working member of their group
In case of defense, maintaining the current status quo, there is even more uncertainty of success.
No matter which choice, they had to call it fast.
24 hours.
A day had passed being in the same situation.
Faced with the hard choice, Ray decided to chose the third one.
"Escape?" x2
Under the strange gaze of both of them, he directed the Hyper Blaster Aura Canon downwards, making a diagonal shot.
"!!!"
Under the shocked eyes of both of them as they saw the effectiveness of the canon.
Which made the earth split and sky to open up, make them feel one with wind as they made their way out of the blinding light which lingered above.
...
The world spun.
Air whistled past their ears.
The sky, the trees, the light—it all blurred together into a tunnel of motion and color.
They were falling.
Lilia's eyes remained tightly shut. The afterimage from that blinding cannon still scorched her vision.
Her body, aching from near a full day of non-stop exertion, screamed in protest at every movement.
Even opening her eyelids felt like trying to lift iron weights.
So she didn't.
She simply surrendered.
The rushing wind around her was loud, but the pounding in her chest was louder. And as her senses drifted, a warm melancholy settled over her thoughts.
'At least... in the final moments of my life... I got to feel something like happiness... something I never really had for the rest of my life...'
Her lips curled into a soft, sad smile as her heart clenched painfully.
A forgotten corner of her heart stirred—lonely, tired, but finally warm.
She wasn't thinking about the forest anymore.
Not the monsters.
Not even death.
Just Ray.
The sun which brightened her life.
The one who brought her out of darkness.
Even providing the undeserving one has herself a place beside him.
Cured her, taught her.
His image came unbidden, vivid in her mind.
His indifferent gaze. His calculating tone. Annoyed. Amused. The occasional rare smile he offered her, usually when she managed to surprise him. All of it.
And just like that, her somber thoughts brightened slightly.
'If only... If only I could've progressed more with Master... trained just a little longer… Then… even death wouldn't be so bad.'
Then it hit her.
'…Master?'
'Right! Master is also… here!'
Her eyes widened, or tried to.
Panic surged.
Ray was falling too. If she died, that was one thing… but letting Ray be hurt?
No. Never.
She forced her body to act—but the light, the impact, the stress—they still hadn't fully faded. Her eyes burned, her limbs felt heavy. She couldn't see anything.
Constant use of her skill had made even operating mana harder for her.
Even her spirits were unsummoned.
She despaired.
Until—
A firm arm suddenly wrapped around her.
From under her left armpit, across her chest, locking tightly across her body.
'This…'
Her heart skipped.
This touch. That warmth. That pressure.
It was far too familiar.
The same firm grip. The same shameless positioning.
The same pervert who never changed.
Even while falling to what could be their deaths, this hand never forgot to grope.
It didn't hesitate, didn't flinch.
Didn't evolve.
She felt the arm settle more snugly across her chest, cupping generously—naturally—as if it had every right to be there.
'Well... I guess one more good deed before dying isn't so bad...'
She sighed, shoulders relaxing.
Melting under his touch.
Her fingers crept up toward Ray's chest, trailing softly all over his body.
A gentle smile bloomed on her lips.
A smile which morphed into something more.
Warm, lewd, entranced and completely out of place.
She adjusted the position of his hand to her left side, helping him get a better grip, as if telling him to be comfortable.
Then she snuggled closer, her head pressing against his neck.
Slowly her hands become more and more shameless, exploring every inch of his body.
Her hand slid lower.
And lower.
Her fingertips tingled as they neared their destination—
Her mind fully detached from their situation, indulging in the warmth that could very well be her last memory.
Until—
POW!
"Ow!!" she cried, a sharp pain blossoming on the top of her head.
Her eyes flew open in reflex.
She came face-to-face with Ray.
His eyes—wide, exasperated, full of disbelief.
Not a single word escaped his lips.
But they weren't needed.
His expression screamed.
'We're literally falling to our deaths and you're doing this?! Do you want us to fall? Whose side are you even on?!'
Lilia froze.
Just then, she caught another look.
To Ray's left, Seraphina was also being held in his other arm.
Her expression?
The same.
Amused.
Slightly bored.
Judgmental.
A little bit jealous.
Pitying even.
But above all, it said:
"Really, Lilia? Really?"
The shame hit her like a punch to the gut.
A bright red flush surged from her neck to her forehead.
Steam practically erupted from her ears.
No amount of mana control could hide the emotional damage.
Now the closet pervert inside of her had been completely, utterly exposed, Lilia did the only thing she could.
She hung her head low and shut her eyes tight, pretending to faint.
Though the constant stream of steam rising from her face told a very different story.
And neither of her companions missed it.
...
Lilia's shameless act could very well be called a shocking for Ray.
To disregard even place an occasion even...
Like they were literally in sky at least 1200 meters above the ground.
Never did he expect the one and only assistant of his to be this kind of pervert.
Is this the side effect of evolving one's race?
'The species called Demon elf is really something.'
Ray thought but didn't let it bother with what he had to do.
Though Lilia's act were much more than just a minor distraction.
It has been fully prevented so, they had evaded the most dangerous situation.
Now they have solved the internal problem, now it was time for more challenging external one.
The last attack from the 'Hyper Blaster Aura Cannon' of his was different from before.
Though it was directed 20 degree below the horizonal line, he had morphed it's shape and specification at the last moment, making the attack more like a strong flash bomb than a canon.
The ground only broke cause they were already at the very end of it, with how the cliffs generally are, it was very easy to fall with just a stomp if you do it right.
Anyway the argument was that the effect of light on the monsters were greater than what Lilia had just experienced.
You can even say that it will possible for them to remain blind for at least 1-2 more minutes.
But this much time is not enough.
Just like Lilia, Seraphina was also tired.
With her working as the main defense against the monster's invasion, the toll on her was hardest of them all.
Ray was regretful for not being able to help her at critical time, and even if he wanted he could not.
At a certain point she had entered a trance like state, allowing her to fight and progress simultaneously.
But being able to corporate with others was not part of that deal.
Still toll on her was the greatest.
Though being a high levelled aura user just a bit shy of attaining master rank and being born with Kijin physiology, she had much higher recovery and endurance, but it was still taxing enough.
So both of them were not in any condition to fight.
So hiding in the forest was not an option.
But don't they say that if there is a cliff, a valley and a forest, there is also a river of lake.
So what was the plan?
Of course to dive inside a river!
Without wasting a second, Ray's martial spirit morphed into a vest which had weight tied around it.
Soon the weight changed it's shape to that of a missile facing downwards.
It's size in turn it's weight keep on increasing as to increase the rate of decent.
But not all things go as planned.
Just as Ray thought it will be just a few more minutes.
Buzzz!!
The buzzing sound of wings reached his ears.
Just a Gaze upwards and Ray knew that those were the Great Green Hornet Guards followed by the Hornet Queen which had appeared behind him.
Solution right in front of him ray was unwilling to let this opportunity go.
But the enemy behind him rapidly closing the distance said otherwise.
No choice...
He had to fight them off.
_______________________________
To Be Continued:
[Word Count: 1985]
A/N: As you would have expected all spirit skill of Lord of Domain will be domain type.
Tell me what do you think MC's next domain should be?
Though I have planned them all, I would still like to hear.