By the time the sun went back down allowing the stars to fill the sky once more Anput was done assimilating the crown into her body which caused a very noticeable change on her skin in the form of a golden veil draping across her back all the way from the top of her head
"Do you feel like you need some rest"
"Wu wu"
"No? Then your up for some fights?"
"Awu!"
With excitement Anput agreed, it was no question that she was no stronger but just how much stronger would depend on her talent with the sand
'She has the scarab queen's bloodline in her, that should give her a boost toward the sand affinity'
Every being had some sort of affinity toward certain energy types, some species were born with matching affinities that couldn't change while some others had a wide range of choices, the more in tune you were with a certain type the easier it was to make use of it
"Let's head out once again, we will be testing Anput's new power for today"
Putting their clothes on they exited the longest bath time ever causing the maids waiting outside to give them a few weird glances, but the new appearance of Anput caused their wandering minds to focus as they tried to guess what the golden fur was
Nothing came to mind though which made them note yet another unknown incident to report back to the commander, she might as well not have ordered them to keep an eye on him as it only added to her confusion
The trio quickly made their way out of Hortus and back into the Terrace where they started the hunt for practice targets once again
"Shes still following?"
He sensed eyes staring at his back once more not long after he started the hunt, it bothered him that she was chasing him even after he ever so clearly warned her
'Perhaps I should start breaking her seekers?'
He debated, it was an unfriendly gesture but she was pushing his buttons
Suddenly the feeling of being watched disappeared like it was never there to begin with
'She left? Why would she-!!'
Murderous intent was boiling from their rear, one clearly directed at their group, it was so blatant that even Ellis and Anput felt it once its owner came close causing all three of them to stop and turn back
"Pui , found!"
A massive grey dog leapt out of the trees and spat an object from its mouth before happily announcing its success
pαndα noνɐ1,сoМ "?"
YuJu directed a confused look at the dog who he believed to be a member of the Genus Insania, this bloody atmosphere around him could not be mistaken
'It was the one to break Latvia's seeker? Why would it spark such a fight with our order, and it seems to be looking for me, does it bear a message?'
Since the events changed from his plan he couldn't predict what exactly was going on thus he could only ask
"What did you follow us for"
"Food!"
The dog said before charging at them with its maw wide open
Before YuJu could react to the attack Ellis's aura spread to the surroundings bearing pressure on the big dog, it wasn't anything it couldn't handle but something in that aura made it stop dead in its tracks, reluctant to go forward yet unwilling to leave after the long chase
"Are you keen on losing your life?"
He asked the big dog while crunching his brain for ideas on what the el was going on
"Grrr eat! Want eat small dog!"
It answered with broken words and a hungry stare aimed at Anput, its intentions were finally clear
'It wants to eat Anput? But why? No, that's the wrong question, how did it arrive here in the first place? There is no way they are still hunting for new blood'
"What are you doing outside your floors mutt"
He tried to pry answers out of it while looking intimidating
"Muff no mutt! Muff sneak out! Muff search for you to eat dog!!"
The hunger in its eyes intensified and it started to slowly step toward them despite the aura around it, its desire was overwhelming the rationalized fear
'Sneak? Bullshit! Your dumb ass cant sneak through five entire floors!'
It wasn't the time to think about what really happened though he needed to get away from this rabid dog before it went totally mad
"Graar!"
'Too late!'
The dog charged at the with insane hunger clouding it eye, logic and feelings weren't going to register with it anymore, he had to flee or fight
"Go!"
He ordered the two while waving his causing daggers to be sent flying through the air heading straight toward the unknowing dog's eyes
Just as he was about to blind it the dog seemed to sense the attack and tried to dodge causing the weak dagger to bounce off its tough skin
'Damn, it's much higher levelled'
Not only was it higher levelled it was also a member of the Genus Insania, a group which only accepted creatures with superior bloodlines, this lowered his chances of escape greatly
"Send for help I will stall it as much as possible"
He didn't care about his image anymore and decided to enter a dogfight with this bloody idiot, though that meant ripping whatever protection his reputation managed to gain he had no choice but to ask for help
"Awwuuuu"
The rabid fellow jumped at him fiercely with the intent of ripping him apart, and it just might have if not for the staggering howel that permeated through its mind
"Grrar grrrr"
It growled and shook it ahead trying to get back into the fight but walls of sand rose to stop its advance
"Awu!"
Taking a step forward Anput stood in front of YuJu in a protective manner, it seemed she wanted to take this aggressor, alone
The sand walls burst apart as YuJu assumed how much stronger this little guy has become, the much bigger dog was rushing without rhyme of reason once again
"Retreat Ellis, let's see if she could handle this"
"Yes Master"
She got away from the commencing battle while he stayed close enough to retrieve Anput out of danger in case something went wrong but far enough to give her space to go all out
"Grrr" "Awuu!"
Howling once again she sent another attack at the fellow, one aimed directly at the soul, the weak point o this flesh defendant enemy
Wit its soul being held in place she took the chance to produce spikes of sand under it, they weren't hardened though thus it couldn't pierce its skin and only left a scratch
'You can't harm it this way, attack the eys, shoot into its maw, do whatever it takes and don't play nice you can't afford it'
He guided through their shared thoughts knowing she didn't have enough energy to sustain such consuming attacks too often
"Wu wuu"
Nodding in understanding she used the sand to propel herself into the air until she sat on a high branch forcing the angry dog to start jumping from one tree onto the other, avoiding the random sand spiked trying to hit it until it was able to take a big chomp at her
"Awuu!"
Another howl came but its body was already moving to attack so even though it was now dizzy the attack couldn't be stopped, exactly what was needed, for Anput that is
Sand shot from the hound's legs going straight into the big beast's maw while she herself was shot into the other side avoiding the chomp with room to spare
"Kegh pui pui"
Spitting out red-stained sand the dog further plunged into madness, if that was even possible, chasing the hound again around the multi-coloured jungle that was quickly turning into a sand playground
"Yip, grrr"
Producing a yelp the dog buckled its legs together after receiving yet another attack to the rear, it growled at the absolutely shameless hound who didn't leave it a shred of dignity, every attack tried to stuff sand harshly down, or up, whatever hole it could find
'This is taking too long, she can't beat it like this'
Clearly, Anput's control over sand was great even though it was her first time, but that was all there is to it, she could control it but would remain unable to cause any significant damage over a short period of time with how weak her sand was
"Ellis, she will cover for your attack, put everything you've got into slicing its stomach open and I will retrieve you"
Readying her sword she nodded and entered an attacking stance awaiting the opportunity
'But first'
Turning his sight toward the hiding seeker that joined mid fight he guessed it was about time he got rid of the unwanted audience, it was alright for Latvia to analyse Anput's fight and see her struggle against a foe of this calibre but she couldn't see Ellis who was supposedly stronger barely slice open its stomach, and surely not witnes him having to interfer
Waving his hand he had the knives travel through the air, bouncing against each other before hitting the seeker from their blindspots, unlike the dog these things were objects that didnt have any sense and thus couldn't actually avoid the attack even if they ha the required speed
'Cover his senses, leave an opening to attack its stomach'
"Awwuuu!"
Anput complied instantly by disoireinting the dog with her Soul Imprisonment skill followed by stuffing sand into its ears and nose as well as covering its vision, all this garuntead the leaping swaordswoman could get a sure hit on its stomach
"Haa!" Slice-Slice! Slice-Slice!
With a low shout, she spun in the air twice slicing the same place with two two swrods each time, but what shocked the red head was the shallow wound caused even after she put in everything she cold into that attack
That was all she could do though before two hands gripped her anekl and threw her back, barely avoiding the kicking giant leg
'Not dep enough'
"Tch"
Annoyed he intervened further in the fight by slcing at the stomach himself, sure he didnt posses Ellis''s strength but his sheer speed and its already wounded status finally made it bleed
'Kill it, now!!'
"WU!"
Sparing no energy into a soul attack she channelled everything she had into one large sand attack aiming straight, not at, but into the open wound
"Yip wuu"
The big beast yelped in great pain, clearly, it was being heavily injured, this made its crazed state finally lessen and so it tried to escape and leave this unwinnable battle, sadly this was the point of no return and there was no hope for survival
"Grrar!"
Realizing that death was imminent it decided to fight till its last breath, perhaps taking the enemy with it, thus it turned to attack that persistent hound but a trace of it it could not find, it was nowhere in sight and neither was the redhead or that mysterious man, all of them looked like they up and disappeared
"Awuuu!"
Despairing it howled, no revenge and no life, what a sad end it was, then again this was the expected end of most of them, no one could live long enough to die old in this world, you either get stronger or die in battle, if anything it just regretted not dying honourably but by becoming a sand stuffed animal
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