“Die, you damn mutt!” Richard shouted.
He swung his greatsword down with all his might. One of the umbral dogs managed to hastily jump to the side and evade the attack.
“You think you’re getting away from me, idiot?!” Richard yelled.
He swung his blade around, spouting vulgarities. The umbral dog began to tremble like a puppy. The monsters resembled canines, but their large bodies hindered their agility. All the while, Richard swung his sword around as he shouted without showing even an ounce of fear. This terrified the creature. The hunter was now the hunted.
“Yah!” Emma shouted.
She nimbly swung her blade around. The other umbral dog had assumed that the petite Emma would be easier prey, but when it bared its fangs to bite, it couldn’t land a scratch on her. Every time it tried, it was only met with a series of counterattacks that resulted in several injuries instead. Emma’s blade looked lightweight, but it easily sliced through the umbral dog’s dark fur. The small-framed girl was a dangerous opponent, contrary to her appearance. She was formidable, but by the time the umbral dog realized that, it was backed into a corner.
The other four orphans worked together to handle the two umbral dogs in the rear. They weren’t as strong as Richard and Emma and relied on teamwork to fight. Isabel and Oscar kept them at bay while Alice fired spells at every opportunity. Lewis also held onto his blade, but he focused mainly on healing magic.
The umbral dogs were at a disadvantage. Isabel and Oscar showed superb teamwork, and it was difficult to throw them off. If they tried to flee, they would fall victim to Alice’s magic. The monsters had thought that they would be on the offensive but instead found themselves fighting for their lives. Never did they imagine that they would be on the back foot.
Despite that, the creatures were intelligent. They desperately tried to think of a plan to turn the tables when they made a certain observation. Those humans are protecting that dark-haired human in the middle, the dogs thought. In truth, the orphans were more than willing to offer Serena as a sacrifice, but the monsters had no means of knowing that. If we take that human hostage, we might be able to gain the advantage.
The four dogs traveled in a pack, and a quick glance was all it took to convey their intentions to one another. Dogs at the front and rear baited out the orphans’ attacks while the others leaped toward Serena. Dogs pounced from both sides, ready to snap her up. The orphans immediately understood what the creatures were doing, but they didn’t react. While some held a sliver of hope for the dogs, the rest knew that Serena wouldn’t lose to these lowly monsters. Though the orphans held varying opinions, the consensus was that they didn’t need to protect her.
Serena pointed a hand at each beast. She was afraid of dogs, but these monsters were so large that they could hardly be seen as animals, so she treated them as beings that had to be eradicated.
“Begone,” she ordered.
Fire spewed from her hands and enveloped each dog, reducing them to ashes in mere moments. The annoyed Serena chanted a spell at the remaining two umbral dogs.
“May the burst of flames in my hand destroy my enemies and display its merciless power!” Serena recited.
The orphans hastily jumped away from the umbral dogs, knowing that Serena paid no heed to anyone who was in the line of fire. In the next instant, her spell activated and a powerful explosion erupted from her hand. Not a shred of the pitiful umbral dogs remained as they turned into dust.
“Aw…” Emma said.
She had tried to land a final blow against her opponent until the very last moment. She stood in astonishment as the monster exploded right in front of her. Though she managed to evade the blast, she became covered in the creature’s blood.
“Oh, how I hate foul beasts,” Serena said with annoyance. “It’s even worse that they resemble dogs.”
“Sir, Lady Serena,” Lewis said. “You’ve defeated all the umbral dogs, but what will happen to the special training, sir?”
He spoke gingerly, realizing that technically, no one had lagged behind since Serena had single-handedly defeated the monsters. He hoped that the special training was now off the table.
“Oh, don’t you worry about it, Lewis,” Serena replied. Her beautiful smile was as wide as a flower in full bloom and sweet enough to charm anyone who saw her. “Everyone shall receive the training. You forced my hand, after all. It shows that all of you are lacking.”
Serena conducted the special training against the orphans at a later date. She had wanted to test just how long a human could endure spells and proceeded to fire her magic at the orphans.