Chapter 109: Three Bodies, One Mind (Bonus - )
The Derat Thorn’s body rippled once again.
The space around it twisted. Another figure stepped out.
Then another. Three identical Derat Thorns stood before Reiji once more.
His expression didn’t change.
’Again.’
He moved first.
SHING!!
The Long Bone Sword cut through the nearest Derat Thorn, carving a deep slash across its chest.
Dark crimson blood sprayed across the stone floor.
The creature staggered but it didn’t disappear.
’So they’re real this time.’
The second Derat Thorn was already upon him.
CLAAANG!!
Its claws crashed against the Long Bone Sword, sparks erupting between them.
At that exact moment…
SLASH!
A searing pain ripped across Reiji’s back.
The third Derat Thorn had slipped behind him.
Blood splattered through the air as the force drove him forward.
’Mana flow… two behind me.’
Without panicking, Reiji twisted on his heel.
SHING!!
The Bone Sword swept outward, forcing the second Derat Thorn to retreat.
Before he could press the advantage…
BOOM!!
The first Derat Thorn slammed into his side like a battering ram.
CRACK!
Pain shot through his ribs as his body skidded across the ancient stone floor.
The instant he regained his footing…
SLASH!
Another claw tore across his shoulder.
Then….
BANG!!
A heavy kick crashed into his abdomen.
The impact hurled him backward, a cloud of dust exploding where he landed.
“Reiji!”
Aoi’s voice echoed through the chamber.
The three Derat Thorns didn’t rush in.
Instead, they spread out in silence.
One circled to the left.
Another drifted to the right.
The last remained directly in front of him.
They weren’t attacking at random.
They were cornering him.
Reiji wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
His breathing remained even.
His mind was already piecing everything together.
’Three separate mana signatures.’
’Three different movements.’
’Three different intentions.’
For a brief moment, his eyes lingered on each of them.
Then understanding flickered across his face.
’They’re sharing information.’
His grip around the Long Bone Sword tightened.
The corner of his lips lifted almost imperceptibly.
’Interesting… So this is the true ability of an Anomaly.’
The three Derat Thorns moved.
Not together.
Not separately.
But as though they shared a single mind.
BOOM!!
The one on the left disappeared first.
Reiji didn’t chase it.
Instead, his Mana Manipulation followed the disturbance in the surrounding mana.
’Above.’
He raised the Long Bone Sword.
CLAAANG!!
A claw crashed against the blade.
The impact shot through both of his arms, making his muscles tremble.
Before he could recover…
BOOM!!
The second Derat Thorn appeared behind him.
Reiji twisted his waist.
“Hardening.”
Dark amber mana instantly flowed across his back.
SLASH!
The claws ripped through the hardened skin, carving four deep gashes into his back.
The attack didn’t cut as deeply as before.
Demonic Essence reinforced the Hardening the instant the claws struck, stopping them from reaching his spine.
Even so…
Pain spread through his entire body.
The third Derat Thorn appeared directly in front of him.
Its jaws slowly opened.
Mana rapidly gathered inside its mouth.
’Flame.’
Reiji immediately stepped to the side.
RRAAAARRR!!
A crimson beam erupted from the creature’s mouth.
BOOOOM!!
The beam scraped past Reiji before crashing into one of the enormous pillars behind him.
The pillar exploded into countless fragments.
Stone rained across the battlefield.
The entire chamber trembled.
The first Derat Thorn gave him no chance to recover.
Its claws came crashing down once more.
CLAAANG!!
Reiji barely managed to block.
The impact forced him backward.
The second attacked immediately.
SHING!!
Its claws grazed his thigh, opening another wound.
The third swung its tail.
BOOM!!
The heavy blow crashed into his ribs.
Reiji was thrown through the air before flipping once and landing on one knee.
Blood slowly dripped onto the ancient stone floor.
Inside the vine barrier, Aoi’s breathing became uneven.
’Reiji…’
She had already lost count of how many times he had been hit.
Every exchange left another wound.
Another trail of blood.
Yet…
He was still standing.
His expression hadn’t changed.
Not even once.
There was no frustration.
No panic.
No anger.
Only those calm eyes quietly observing everything around him.
She couldn’t understand it.
Any other Awakener facing monsters like these would have already lost control.
But Reiji…
It was as though the battle itself could no longer shake his mind.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened.
’Please don’t die…’
Back on the battlefield, Reiji slowly rose to his feet.
Fresh blood continued to run down his arm.
His shoulder throbbed.
His ribs protested with every breath.
His back burned where the claws had torn through Hardening.
Even with Demonic Essence constantly reinforcing his body, the accumulated damage was beginning to take its toll.
’I can’t keep trading blows.’
His Mana Manipulation quietly spread through the chamber once again.
The mana flowing through the Derat Thorns was strangely synchronized.
Whenever one moved…
The other two adjusted almost instantly.
No hesitation.
No delay.
It was as though each of them already knew what the others were about to do.
’A shared awareness…’
The realization settled in his mind.
That explained why every opening disappeared before he could exploit it.
The moment he attacked one…
The other two had already predicted where he would move next.
BOOM!!
The battlefield erupted once again.
The left clone attacked.
Reiji blocked.
The right clone followed immediately.
He ducked beneath its claws.
The third came from above.
He rolled across the ground just before both claws slammed into the floor.
BOOOOM!!
The ancient stone shattered.
Dust swallowed the battlefield.
Reiji didn’t stop moving.
His body flowed through every attack with the smallest movements possible.
His tranquility wasn’t making him stronger.
It simply allowed him to waste nothing.
Every dodge.
Every step.
Every swing.
Each movement was more precise than the last.
Even so…
It wasn’t enough.
The moment he tried to counterattack…
CLAAANG!!
Another claw intercepted the Bone Sword.
’Tch.’
They were covering each other.
Reiji immediately retreated.
The three Derat Thorns regrouped in silence.
Their crimson eyes never left him.
One let out a low growl.
Another lowered its body.
The last slowly flexed its claws.
Then all three smiled.
The sight made Aoi’s stomach twist.
’They’re… enjoying this.’
She had seen intelligent monsters before.
But none of them had ever behaved like this.
These creatures weren’t simply hunting.
They were learning.
Every minute that passed…
Their coordination became cleaner.
Their attacks became sharper.
Even their timing continued to improve.
’Reiji has noticed it too…’
She could tell just by looking at him.
His eyes were no longer focused on the monsters themselves.
They were following the flow of mana around them.
Watching every tiny fluctuation.
Watching every connection.
The chamber fell silent.
Neither side moved.
For several long seconds…
Only the sound of blood dripping onto stone echoed through the hall.
Reiji slowly adjusted his grip around the Long Bone Sword.
His breathing remained slow.
Steady.
Calm.
’Three opponents.’
’Three bodies.’
’One pattern.’
His eyes narrowed slightly.
’No…’
His Mana Manipulation spread even farther.
The invisible flow of mana brushed against each Derat Thorn.
Then…
It brushed against something else.
Something much thinner.
Much fainter.
Hidden beneath the overwhelming mana radiating from the three monsters.
Reiji’s expression didn’t change.
But his thoughts came to a halt.
’What… is that?’
The sensation lasted for less than a heartbeat.
Then the strange fluctuation disappeared completely.
As though it had never existed.
The three Derat Thorns suddenly roared together.
RRAAAARRR!!
Their mana erupted at the same time.
The pressure flooding the chamber instantly doubled.
Cracks spread across the stone floor beneath their feet.
BOOM!!
All three vanished.
This time their mana signatures scattered in completely different directions.
Reiji’s calm eyes tracked each one.
Then, for the first time since entering his tranquil state…
He realized he couldn’t predict which one would strike first.