RE : OVER

9 || Kill or Be Killed (1)

Mayu spared most of the night to hunt on purpose. Soon they were about to kill their first intended target.

The Lesser Wraith shook in agony, but it was unable to let out any sound. Mayu Saito looked at the pair of student and teacher who wore deep concentration on their taut faces.

Daisuke Adachi could hold his power for about ten seconds long, freezing the Lesser Wraith mid-air in a form of spatial distortion. Daiki Fuse's power was more destructive, capable of dealing damage, but he could only hold it for two seconds maximum. Yet, the combination of their mind power could effectively incapacitate the Lesser Wraith.

With the darkness of the night, as Mayu had mentioned to her companions before, there were less monsters roaming around. However, the most annoying creatures they should worry were the worst of all: the Lesser Wraiths. Lesser Wraiths were stealthy and dark in nature. Hidden behind the cloak of the night, it was almost impossible for an untrained human to notice their presence. For new trait users especially, by the time they felt the chilling frostiness in their bones, it would already be too late.

Mayu had brought over her [Ira] from her first life's [First Kill], retained her [Caritas] as her innate trait, and had obtained [Superbia] from her current life's [First Kill]. The [Superbia], combined with her [Caritas] were two necessary traits for a ruling lord. In her first life, although she did not have it, Lou had [Superbia] as one of his traits, hence the two of them complemented each other in fighting monsters vulnerable to their abilities. Now, she had both traits to herself.

Monsters were innately attracted to trait users that had abilities to be lords. Most of the time, they would usually target the Caritans or Supras. Mayu just had to focus and combine her two traits to let her aura be disperesed to attract the Lesser Wraiths. In short, she was a bait. 

Then, to temper Daisuke's and Daiki's [Industria], she let them deal with the Lesser Wraith as soon as they caught sight of it.  Compared to Yumiko who had gained her second trait, Daisuke and Daiki were considerably weaker in their physical attacks. However, the two were really suitable to be Indies. With their mind power, Daisuke would render a Lesser Wraith immobile, Daiki would instantly kill the creature. Daiki's power instantly sought the creature's weakness and immediately used it to his advantage. 

If usually a Lesser Wraith was one that would catch a human off-guard, this time, it did not even know how it had died. A Lesser Wraith was innately cold and empty. Daiki just had to counter its existence's inner substance with the complete opposite: heat and the power of gravity. 

Yet, after two Lesser Wraiths were killed, Daiki began to bleed from his nose and Daisuke's face was as white as a piece of paper. Mayu then knew, they should stop. However, she did not stay idle either. By using her [Ira]'s perception, the group avoided the colder areas where Lesser Wraiths might roam. During the time, she and Yumiko crafted a bunch of arrows off the newly grown mutated plants they came across. 

"Come the next day, we can hunt for a few Hellhounds or [Sun Arachne]. Their teeth will be suitable for the arrow heads," Mayu said while putting the long thin sticks they had shaved with their swords into Yumiko's quiver.

[Sun Arachne] was a kind of monster with a spider-like body that only roam during the day. Similar to the Woms, their size was that of an adult man. Their teeth and bones were hardy and would still be one of the more preferred materials to make projectile weapons in the future.

"I still don't get how you are able to know all these things, yet I don't," Yumiko said with a frown, "I mean, I can feel myself getting stronger after awakening my [Humanitas], but my foresight is nowhere near your knowledge. And how did you even get to have three traits?"