Chapter 66: Battle For The First [ 2 ]

The death of one of their own immediately agitated the surrounding herd.

Several mountain bulls raised their heads and released furious bellows, while others began charging toward the source of the disturbance.

The beasts nearest the eastern riverbank surged toward Odin, forcing him to retreat several steps as their enormous bodies crowded the narrow passage.

Across the valley, Tristan descended from his position along the western ridge and intercepted a bull attempting to climb the slope.

He struck its leading foreleg with a precise slash, cutting through the softer tissue between its armored plates before stepping inside the creature’s reach and driving his sword beneath its neck.

As the beast stumbled and collapsed, another attacked from behind, forcing Tristan to pivot around its horns and strike across its shoulder.

His blade broke through the protective hide, and he followed with a thrust that penetrated the exposed wound, bringing the second creature down before it could recover its balance.

Near the southern entrance, Astrid had already engaged three mountain bulls attempting to escape the fighting.

The first charged directly toward her, but she slipped outside its horns and struck the joint of its front leg, causing the enormous creature to stumble against the rocks.

Rather than finishing it immediately, she turned toward the second bull and intercepted its charge with a powerful diagonal slash that shattered part of its shoulder armor.

The third attempted to pass behind her, only for Astrid to reverse her grip, pivot, and drive her sword into the vulnerable opening beneath its jaw.

By the time she withdrew her weapon, the first beast had regained its footing and was preparing another charge.

Astrid faced it with an impatient expression, waited until its head dropped, and stepped forward to finish what she had started.

While the others concentrated on controlling the herd’s movements, Kong had apparently decided that the most entertaining place to fight was directly in the middle of it.

He charged between two enormous bulls, ducked beneath a swinging horn, and smashed his staff against the side of the nearest creature’s head.

The blow twisted its neck violently, giving him enough time to leap onto its back and strike the base of its skull with both hands.

Bone cracked beneath the impact, and the beast collapsed as Kong launched himself toward another opponent.

A smaller Demonic Beast attempted to escape past him, but he landed beside it, swept its front legs with his staff, and struck its ribs before it could rise.

"Where do you think you’re going?" Kong laughed, watching the creature tumble into a boulder. "We’ve only just started having fun!"

Sigurd entered the fighting from the northern slope, where several bulls had begun forcing their way between the scattered rocks.

He moved directly toward the nearest creature, his sword already drawn, and watched the movement of its shoulders as it lowered its head to charge.

The moment its weight shifted forward, Sigurd extended his Gravity Authority beneath its front legs.

The sudden increase in pressure disrupted the beast’s footing, forcing its head downward and exposing the vulnerable underside of its neck.

Sigurd crossed the remaining distance with astonishing speed, drove his blade through the opening, and withdrew it before the bull’s enormous body struck the ground.

He was already turning toward the next opponent when a second creature came charging through the dust, its horns sweeping toward his waist.

Sigurd stepped inside the arc of the horns and allowed the beast’s momentum to carry it past him.

His sword followed in a swift horizontal stroke, striking the creature’s flank with Severing Line.

The technique tore through its protective armor and opened a deep wound across its side, but Sigurd did not give it an opportunity to recover.

He accelerated after the staggering beast, severed the tendons behind its foreleg, and finished it with a thrust through the throat as its body collapsed.

Blood splashed across the stones beneath his boots, yet his attention had already shifted toward a third bull approaching from the left.

He adjusted his stance and advanced to meet it, his movements carrying the ruthless efficiency of someone who had spent years learning how to kill dangerous opponents without giving them an opportunity to retaliate.

Across the pass, Cassian was demonstrating an equally formidable command of his swordsmanship.

He had positioned his four companions near a cluster of large boulders, where the terrain prevented the beasts from surrounding them completely.

Whenever one of the Ironhorn Gorgons approached, Cassian intercepted its charge and redirected its momentum toward the rocks, creating openings for his companions to attack.

When a particularly aggressive creature broke through their defensive formation and charged toward an injured applicant, Cassian crossed the distance in several rapid strides and struck its horn with the flat of his blade.

The impact turned its head just enough to send it crashing shoulder-first into a boulder, fracturing the armor protecting its neck. Cassian immediately stepped forward and drove his sword through the exposed opening, ending the creature’s life before it could recover.

"Move toward the northern rocks and maintain your spacing!" Cassian instructed his companions, withdrawing his sword from the carcass.

His gaze swept across the approaching beasts as he continued, "Don’t let them force you into the open. If another one charges, draw it toward the boulders and attack its exposed side."

The four applicants obeyed without hesitation, repositioning themselves while Cassian intercepted another bull attempting to break through their formation.

Their coordination allowed them to hold the northern approach, but it also attracted the attention of several vassal descendants who had entered the pass after hearing the sounds of battle.

Those newcomers had little intention of risking themselves against the herd when other applicants were already doing the difficult work. Instead, they began circling the battlefield, watching for opportunities to seize Demonic Cores from fallen creatures.

One boy spotted Odin withdrawing his spear from another Ironhorn Gorgon and immediately rushed toward the carcass, believing the spear wielder was too occupied with the remaining beasts to notice him.

He had barely crouched beside the corpse when Odin’s spear struck the ground inches from his hand, its golden lightning scorching the surrounding stones.

"Take your hand away," Odin warned, turning toward the boy with an expression that made his intentions unmistakable. "If you want a Demonic Core, kill something yourself."

The applicant immediately retreated, but the interruption had already created an opening for another bull to charge toward Odin’s exposed side.

Sigurd noticed the movement from several yards away and extended his Gravity Authority toward the creature’s front legs, increasing their weight just as it committed to the attack.

Its footing faltered, allowing Odin to turn and drive his spear directly through its skull.

The enormous beast collapsed between them, and

Odin glanced toward Sigurd with a brief nod.

"Appreciated," he said, wrenching his weapon free.

Sigurd withdrew his authority and replied with a faint smile, "You can return the favor later."

Kong appeared beside them moments afterward, carrying two freshly extracted cores in one hand while resting his staff against his shoulder.

He had apparently found the time to collect his prizes despite the fighting still raging around them.

"Are you two finished chatting?" Kong asked, grinning as he pointed toward the northern passage. "Because there’s a rather large one coming this way, and I’d hate for either of you to miss it."

His warning came just as an enormous roar echoed between the cliffs, drawing their attention toward the largest mountain bull they had encountered since entering the pass.