"!!!"

  As the Grey disappears on sight, he also spawn equally fast in front of Mateo. Before Mateo and Beltrand even react.

  BLAM!

  Mateo find himself in the wall Claustrine created. The crash makes a huge hole and Mateo is lying flat alongside the debris.

  "Gwak!" Mateo spits blood.

  Inside of the wall are Shirna and Sophia looking at him surprised. Then they look at the huge hole, there they see the Grey.

  His long skinny leg strecthed and pointing at their direction.

  Beltrand and Claustrine attack the Grey simultaneously with their sword and earth magic but the Grey just flawlessly dodges each attempt before he jumps back, creating a distance between him and the opponents.

  "This is surprising. People like you should be an extreme rarity in the world. Last sightings of superhumans was during World War 1. But now, I'm fighting a group of them. Interesting." The Grey scratches his temple.

  "I don't know what you're talking about that there's one thing for sure. You gonna pay for that." Beltrand's bold declaration.

  Mateo, Sophia and Shirna joins the two. Now more aware than ever.

  "I got caught off-guard. I didn't expected him to be that fast." Mateo's annoyed words.

  The Grey stretches his body and banished on their sight again.

  CLANG!

  Mateo manages to block the Grey's hand with his sword.

  "Beltrand!"

  Beltrand dash forwards and assist Mateo. The two attacks the Grey with barrage of sword swings. All of them avoided with ease.

  Then with his long legs, he gives the two a powerful kick. They manage to block the attack that it still sent them few meters away.

  "Huh?"

  The Grey is alerted when he see that his other foot got ensnared by the solid earth. He looks at Claustrine with interest.

  "Tsk!" Claustrine's annoyed reaction as she's aiming to ensnare both of her feet, and then turn the earth into Iron which she did anyway.

  The Grey picks the rocks nearby and throw it to Claustrine who unfazed on the attack despite it being in supersonic speed. Knowing that there's someone that gonna protect her.

  A dim yellow barrier appears in front of Claustrine, all of stones disintegrates upon impact with explosive sound. Showing how powerful the rock toss are.

  "Ohhh?" The Grey sees the new girl beside Claustrine. Only to get distracted as theres suddenly someone below in front of his tall stature.

  Shirna didn't waste more time and proceeds to attack the Grey using his twin daggers. The Grey is surprised to the swiftness possessed by Shirna, a lot faster than Mateo and Beltrand. Still, he manages to avoid all of the slashes aimed on his limbs and neck while also sending numerous precise punches in a form of a boxer.

  The two both sending and avoiding each other's attack. But the burst of movement Shirna demosntrate is starting to fade away as he slowly recieving scratches on his body. Knowing the risk, Shirna leaps back but by doing so, his bonet slip out. Revealing his long elven ears.

  "Woah! Who are y-"

  "Claustrine!"

  "Good job Shirna! Thank you!"

  The Grey is curious in the two's interaction, his instincts telling him that an attack is coming elsewhere and the Grey finds his answer when he feels a tiny burning sensation on his shoulder.

  He looks above only to see a hail of salt spikes all aimed at him and rain of salt. Claustrine drops the salt spikes and the absurd amount causes a dust cloud blocking everyone's vision. Still they watch with intensity, hoping that the attack would land and considerable damage.

  But before the dust settles. Sophia is shocked to see the Grey directly in front of her barrier with his fist ready to punch the wall. She filled with uncertainty as she have no idea if the wall can block the attack knowing the power the Grey possessed.

  The heavy punch lands and destroyed the barrier with ease.

  "Kyaaaa!" Sophia is sent away due to the impact.

  "Sopha are you alright?!" Claustrine is worried.

  Beltrand, Mateo and Shirna quickly move and protects the two. The Gray, instead of following the attack. He backs away. There, everyone sees that he missing one of his leg.

  The missing leg in an instant grows back which surprised Grand Ecstasy.

  "So that's how he escaped it." Claustrine speaks as she help Sophia stand up.

  "I knew it. This is not gonna be easy." Mateo commented.

  "Atleast we know that even him is weak against salt. We can do it." Claustrine's confident words.

  The Grey looks at the group. More confused and curious than ever. His desire to learn something makes him stop attacking and just maintain a safe distance and observation.

  "Serioiusly. Who are you people?" The Grey asked.

  "Does that even matter?" Mateo answers.

  "It matters a lot. You have no idea how much of a big deal this is.

  "We already know that." Mateo respond casually which only make the Grey sigh.

  "I'm feeling that we have a different perspective on this.

  The Grey points on Mateo and Beltrand.

  "You both superhumans which already extinct a century ago. The fact that there's still someone like you that exist today is absurd."

  The Grey moves his pointed finger to Claustrine.

  "A real magician. But your essence so much different than what I remembered. More potent and unrecognizable.

  Then he moves his fingered to Sophia. His expression shows disgust.

  "You... You using some sort of Godly power. But what confused me is your magic is completely different from the other gods. I can't recognize it at all. But, you still the same as those people who conquer this god forsaken country. Using powers granted by the divine. I hate you."

  "I don't know what you're talking about." Sophia is saddened by the unwanted hate.

  And then the Grey pointed his finger to Shirna. His expression now turned into disbelief.

  "And you... What are you?"

  "I'm an elf."

  The shakes his head slowly.

  "No no no... You're not an elf. I know what elf looks like. Don't mess with me."

  The grey scratches his temple as he thinks.

  "You're not even a duwende. What are you really? It's like your entire existence is made out of essence. I can feel your core."

  Grand Ecstasy disturbed as they watch the Grey slowly questioning their existence.

  "What we should do?" Claustrine asked.

  "We should let him finish." Mateo answers.

  The Grey is consumed by his own thought.

  "This doesn't make sense. Doesn't make sense at all."

  "You seems knowledgeable about this." Mateo initiates a conversation.

  "I already lived on this world for 800 years. I see everything, learned anything I want."

  "800 years?" Grand Ecstasy is surprised, they know he's old but they didn't realized that he's an ancient creature.

  "If you lived for 800 years. Why there's so few of your kind or the other supernatural beings? You talking like we're some sort of extinct animals." Mateo continues his inquiry.

  "Because that's the truth. Wait, why you have no knowledge about this? As if... you're all from another world?"

  The Grey clearly sees their shocked body language after his words. It gives him a dreading realization.

  "No way... That's the truth?"

  Grand Ecstasy didn't answer. But they know that the Grey Aswang manages to disect their identity by just critical thinking and observation alone.

  The Grey goes into his combat stance.

  "Change of plan. I'm not gonna kill all of you."

  "Guys. Prepare for another combat!" Mateo alerted his friend.

  "I now need you to bring me to that world you came from!"

  The Grey dashes forward with intense speed. The close-quarter combatants meet the Grey and engage in 3-vs-1 battle. Mateo, Beltrand and Shirna clearly giving their all but the speed of the Grey is so fast and refined that he manages to evade and deflect all of the attacks without getting any injury.

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  "What's that world look like?!" The Grey asked with excitement.

  "We have no intention of talking even further!" Mateo's response.

  "Well then! I just gonna force it out on you. I was planning to just ask politely but you all asked for this! I might break a bone or more!"

  "As if you're some benevolent being. You fucking monster!" Beltrand's mad laugh as he find the Grey's politeness absurd.

  Mateo, Beltrand and Shirna are experienced fighter but still, they struggling to fight the Gray who employs chains of different martial arts. Both offense and defense.

  Shirna reached the Grey closer and fight him. Only for his blades to get deflected and counter attacked by the Grey's kali maneuvers which make him score a few hit on Shirna.

  "Ack!"

  Shirna leaps backward after recieving few hits. He kneels as he waits for tje pain to fade away.

  The Grey feels the ground beneath his feet shaking and he jumps backwards dodging all of earth spikes created by Claustrine. He knows that he can't attack the mage as there's 3 fighters and a support with her barrier he need to dealt with.

  Beltrand attempted to flank him from above only for his face to recieve a kick from the Grey and his Taekwando. He manages to reach Beltrand first with his long legs then proceeds to give him few more kicks before sending him away with a powerful front kick.

  "AAAAAA!" Beltrand screams in pain. Struggle to move as her torso and face feel the sharp pain of the Grey's barrage of kicks.

  Using the opportunity. Mateo dashes forward to use the open side of the Grey to stab and cut his abdommen. But he failed as he also recieve a kick from the Gray. It doesn't end there as the Grey now using capoiera gives Mateo continious hard kicks while looking like he's dancing which make the Grey also dodge the earth spikes created by Claustrine. The unpredictable pattern makes Mateo struggle to block all of the attacks.

  The Grey elegantly backflips away and watch as the three struggles to stand up.

  "Surprised? I'm also amazed how humans are so good on creating these marial arts. Sadly, they're just too weak to use them at their full potential." The Grey speaks confidently as he stretches his body.

  Then dash forwards and appears in front Beltrand. His fist one inch away from Beltrand's chest.

  BAM!

  "Ugwak!" Beltrand spits blood.

  Beltrand is sent flying as the one inch punch almost break his rib cage but he manage to concentrate his mana to mitigate the damage.

  "Beltrand!" Sophia screams in worry.

  "You should worry for yourself first hija."

  Sophia eyes widen as she notice the Grey in her back. Her palm ready to strike Sophia.

  Ratatatata!

  The attempt fails as the Grey recieves numerous bullets coming from Shirna. He's holding a special Assault Rifle made from Elven Ironwood.

  The Grey spits out of annoyance then focus her aggression to Shirna. Shirna maintaining his cool, proceeds to focus and shot the Grey, emptying his magazine. The Grey smirks as he dodge all of the bullets and reach his hand to Shirna's face.

  A millimeter distance, Shirna manages to avoid death with his flexibilty while also cutting the Grey's hand to its surprise.

  Despite the shock, Grey makes a follow up with a kick. Only for it to get cut by Mateo who joins the fight. The Grey have no choice but to back down only for him to get sandwhiched by two earthen walls casten by Claustrine.

  The wall shake and shatters, revealing the Grey with its now regenerated hand and leg.

  "Fighting this many people is so annoying." The Grey sigh.

  "W-we should be the one saying that after dealing with your kin." Beltrand recovers from the attack earlier.

  The Grey goes from his combat posture and ready to pounce again.

  "But it doesn't mean I can't win."

  "Beltrand."

  "Yeah Mateo. It's time to use all of what we got."

  "Exactly. This is an opponent we can't defeat by holding back."

  The Grey leaps with a sadistic smile only for him to abruptly halt using his legs. On his sight, he watch as the two swordsman suddenly release and surround themselbes with thick and smoking blue aura. It's their mana being used at their 100%.

  But the surprise didn't end as he feels tingling pain on his skin. He looks above and see a dark blue glowing cloud blocking the night sky, raining flakes of salt to the ground.

  He sees a thin line of Mana and he find the source from Claustrine who casted the salt snow inside Sophia's barrier. Sophia also cast numerous orbs to better lighten up the surroundings. Illuminating the barely lit battleground.

  "You kids didn't care anymore huh?" The Grey commented.

  "If it means killing you and surviving. Then we can go all out." Mateo respond.

  He looks his arm which in constant small damage and regeneration due to the salt flakes falling from the sky. He takes out his disturbingly long tongue and have a taste. His tongue gets damaged but he doesn't mind at all.

  "Hmmm... So this is what salt taste like? I don't like it."

  The Grey then blinked out of their sight again and appears in front of Sophia and Claustrine. Only for him to got blocked by both Mateo and Beltrand.

  "Where do you think you're going? We're your opponent." Mateo speaks calmly.

  The two push the Grey away with their constant sword swings. The Grey didn't fail to notice the sudden increase of speed of his two sword-wieldong opponents.

  The Grey counter-attacks by striking both Beltrand and Mateo with precise punch and kicks in kickboxing form. The two feels the pain despite the mana coating on their body but they indure if it means they can land their swings.

  !!!

  Mateo is shocked as Grey suddenly changed form and reach a very close distance from him after dodging his sword swing. They Grey manages to capture his left arm and...

  CRACK!

  "AAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

  Mateo screams in absolute pain after the Grey dislocates his shoulder with a single push of his hand.

  "Mateo!"

  Beltrand attacks the Grey in order to get it out from Mateo. Only for his attempt to get dodged.

  And the Grey aims for his now exposed right arm.

  "Fuck!"

  BANG!

  The Grey's head got blown out.

  BANG! BANG! BANG!

  Followed by his arms and leg being seperated. The Grey attempts cancelled while also recieving a huge horizontal slash from Beltrand.

  The Grey quickly regrows his leg and creates distance before regenersting his arms, head and also the slash from Beltrand. Beltrand and Mateo meanwhile regroups while maitaining their gaze to the Grey.

  "Are you ok?" Beltrand asked with worry.

  "Y-yeah. I can still fight."

  "Tsk! We almost got him."

  "It's fine. We just need to wait for another opportunity. Besides, thanks for Shirna and he prevented him for breaking your sword arm."

  As the two talk. The Grey scans the area, looking for the ones that shot him.

  "It's that annoying Elf." He whispered as he picsk stones.

  Meanwhile, in the darkness of the woods. Shirna repositioning himself while holding his handcrafted sniper rifle made of elven ironwood. He suddenly halt after sensing something and out of nowhere, a tree beside her recives numerous attacks. Stones embeded on its bark.

  The Grey failed to hit Shirna and unable estimate the location of the sniper as the gunner also moving quickly.

  With the salt snow, a elven sniper and two empowered swordsman. The Grey understands that the group now have the advantage against him.

  "Should I run away?" The Grey thinks.

  "I can just escape and recreate my village somewhere more secluded."

  But his mind got flooded by memories. Memories of his kin being hunted and killed by different people in the span of 300 years.

  Priests wielding the holy power.

  Warriors with their salt and stingray tail whips.

  Foreign soldiers with their guns and war machines.

  Even other creatures that should supporting them considering their situation.

  The world is evolving and sooner. There's no more place for them as it will eventually got industrialized by humans. And human progress requires to conquer more land, leaving his kind not having a place they can call home without worrying for their existence.

  His kind being put to brink of extinction just because of a single mistake they did in the past.

  But now, with the prospect of another world in front of him. Maybe... maybe there's a chance for him to rebuild his kin, his family. If he can only just enter that other world where his opponents came from.

  He knows that he also have no idea what kind of world they came from but if his opponents can refined and freely use their powers with disregard. Then it must mean that the world he aiming to reach is the kind that allowed the mystical creatures like him to exist.

  The Grey resolved himself and prepares to attack again. What he needs to do is to disarm the swordsmans, locate the elf and stop the mage. Leaving the priestess behind who seems doesn't have any offensive power. The lady with her new born child is completely ignored as the Grey filled with new mission in life instead of the monotone existence he leading before.

  The Grey dash as he zigzags the terrain, making the group disoriented. Shirna struggle to aim his scope while Mateo and Beltrand barely even manage to follow the Grey's movement.

  Mateo glimpsed that the Grey bypass the two of them and aim for Claustrine and Sophia who too occupied on channeling their spells. Mateo follows and aims to stab him from behind, but to his surprise. The Grey make a sharp halt leaving Mateo hanging in the air.

  The Grey grabs Mateo's leg but it's not easy as Mateo proceeds to kick the Grey with his free leg to Grey's head only for his attempt to get nullified as the Grey held on.

  The Grey swiftly prepares to snap Mateo's leg like a twig.

  SLASH!

  BANG!

  The Grey's arms got decapitated by Beltrand, making the Grey leap back and abort his attempt. By doing so, he also dodged the sniper shot of Shirna aimed to destroy his leg.

  Mateo falls to the ground with the decapitated arm of the Grey still grasping his leg. He removes them as he watch Beltrand follow the Grey and rain him down with barrage of slashes. The Grey kicks Beltrand and sent him flying to the air, it finally give himself time to regenerate his arms fully recreated within 5 seconds.

  Mateo and Beltrand group up and focus their gaze on the enemy.

  "You see it right?" Beltrand whispered.

  "Yeah... His regeneration slows down. The salt snow is having an effect on him."

  Claustrine and Sophia is visibly feeling fatigue as they remain casting their abilities, draining their mana in the process. But they both know that victory is close after watching the Grey regenerate.

  "W-we just need to hold a little longer." Sophia's soft words.

  The Grey casually dodges a headshot from Shirna. The two swordsman reach a conclusion after observing their situation.

  "We should all-in and attack him all at once. Not giving him a chance to regenerate." Mateo speaks.

  "Aye brother."

  And from that command. Mateo and Beltrand dash forward and as they planned, the two gives a hail of slashes and stabs to the Grey who dodge and parry them.

  But everything is according to plan as the two doesn't give time for the Grey to recollect itself. Not even a window to counter attack is available as the two's non-stop flurry makes him stay in defensive.

  "No Penelope. It's dangerous to go outside." Shiva tries to warn Penelope who despite her tired body, walks outside. Shiva follows as he gently carried her child.

  From the hole on the wall created by Mateo crashing on it. She see the harrowing scenery.

  The ground is filled with bloods and guts of the aswangs. The same villagers that treated her kindly who also tries to kill them all.

  She also see the salt falling like snow and on the middle of the carnage are Mateo, Beltrand, Sophia and Claustrine fighting a disturbing monster. She barely even managed to see Mateo, Beltrand and the Monster fighting as they're so fast for her human eye to see. But she can feel the intensity of the combat due to the gust of wind.

  "Wow... So this is the full extent of their power? Unbelievable." Shiva's amazement as he only hear stories of the power of his brother's party but seeing it completely with his very own eyes is a sight to behold.

  "W-who are you guys?" Penelope's awed question to herself as he watch the battle and fantasy unfold.

  Penelope is engulfed with wonder and sense of worry. And guilt as she basically bring them to danger, but now despite that, the group still choose to save her when they can just leave her there.

  .

  .

  .

  BANG!

  The Grey Barely dodged a sniper shot from Shirna. Destroying his ear which he didn't even regrow. The Grey is fully aware that he's reaching his limit due to the constant damage from the salt rain and the injuries his taking.

  !!!

  The Grey finds a sliver of opportunity. He block and parried both attacks of Beltrand and Mateo then he swiftly move to left side of Mateo. With his left arm dislocated, there's no way for him to block his liver blow.

  But Mateo clearly knows what the Grey is aiming for so using his inch of control to his left disabled arm. He use it to block the punch. Preventing him for getting a grave internal injury. But...

  "GUAKH!"

  Mateo still feel the intense pain. All of the force the Grey use got absurd by his left arm that got bent grotesquely despite the amount of mana he used to protect it.

  Beltrand gritted his teeth as he needs to ignore Mateo's excrutiating pain and focus on using the opportunity to slash the Grey's right hand, the one used to punch Mateo.

  Mateo also gritted his teeth to resist the intense pain. Holding his sword on such ferocity that veins popped on his arm, Mateo decapitates the left arm of the Grey.

  Seeing his arms rendered useless. The Grey attempted to escape and regrow his limbs.

  BANG!

  The Grey suddenly lose his balance. His right leg got destroyed by Shirna's sniper shot. Before he even falls to the ground Beltrand also cut his left leg.

  Completely rendering him immobile.

  The Grey lies down facing the sky. He feel the lingering flakes of salt creating minor injuries on his face and skin but he's not worried at all.

  With his power, he tries to regrow his limbs.

  SLASH!

  SLASH!

  His attempt halted by Mateo and Beltrand who quickly cut his barel grown arms and legs.

  The Grey tries again only for it to fail . Mateo and Beltrand are clearly had enough. The Grey chuckle, it's still distorted and monstrous but there's a hint of regret and defeat on its tone.

  "Hehe I guess this is really the end. You two doesn't even want to give a another chance."

  He see the blue clouds slowly disappear. It seems the mage finally reach her limit. But the Grey truly understand that without her magic, there's no way for the other two to kill his kin easily and the salt rain weakens his abilities which lead to him getting defeated.

  Shirna reappears, holding his sniper. The weakened Sophia and Claustrine walks closer to see the Grey who now surrounded by Grand Ecstasy.

  "Checkmate." Mateo's declaration of victory. The Grey makes a satisfied smile.

  "Yes. Checkmate. Well done."