Earth's Alpha Prime

286  Coordinated Assault - 1 v 4

Henry and Kensei braced themselves, activating their abilities in preparation for the imminent battle. They both understood that the moment Min-soo teleported them into battle, there would be no chance for last-minute power-ups.

Henry shrouded himself in his Stage-4 Blaze Martial Aura, his body crackling with power, feeling the surge of Strength, Agility, and Endurance coursing through him, sharpening his every move by 30%. Kensei, on the other hand, infused his katana with Stage-4 Sword Aura for the upcoming clash with Yinad.

Dante, however, had a different approach. He reached for his growth-type equipment, the <Deck of Fate>, which he had meticulously upgraded to Epic grade over the last nine days. From the deck, four cards sprang into the air, hovering momentarily before seamlessly melding with his body, each imbuing him with buffs precisely tailored to the situation ahead. Together, those enhancements painted a clear path for Dante, revealing how he could best handle the formidable Yinad. With deliberate calm, Dante retrieved several arrows from his storage space, nocking three at a time before launching them into the sky, leaving his companions bewildered.

Min-soo, frowning at the seemingly erratic action, asked, "Aren't those the arrows Halbor crafted with size-expanding materials? Why fire them all at once—and from this distance?"

Without breaking his rhythm, Dante replied, "If I explain everything now, it won't unfold the way it should. Just wait for Yinad to leave openings in his defense. That's all I can say for now."

The others exchanged glances but refrained from pressing him further. They understood the nature of Dante's abilities—too much revealed about the future could shift the outcomes. Whatever Dante had in mind, it was clear it would all become apparent when the time was right. His actions, though unconventional, were undoubtedly aimed at one thing: defeating Yinad, an enemy far beyond their collective strength.

With his final arrow released, Dante watched as it soared high into the sky, climbing higher and higher until it vanished completely from sight. The massive arrows, now far above the battlefield, never descended, disappearing from everyone's view as though swallowed by the heavens themselves. Not a single one fell back to the ground, leaving his companions puzzled but trusting in his plan. Dante, calm and composed, placed a reassuring hand on Min-soo's shoulder, joining Henry and Kensei in readiness for teleportation.

Min-soo's spatial jumps could normally cover up to 10 kilometers, but with the added burden of transporting three others, his range was drastically reduced to about two and a half kilometers per jump.

Before they set off, Dante made one last request. "Drop me a kilometer away," he instructed, his voice calm yet resolute. "The rest of you can go straight in and engage him."

With a nod, Min-soo adjusted their course, and in a heartbeat, the four of them vanished, hurtling through space and reappearing near their formidable foe.

As Yinad prepared to unleash an arrow at the incoming group, Min-soo acted swiftly, teleporting Henry and Kensei beside him. The sudden arrival forced Yinad to pause, his bow still raised, but Henry and Kensei wasted no time. They leaped into action, their roles as main damage dealers clear as they launched their assault. Min-soo teleported a short distance away, positioning himself strategically to pull them out of danger if necessary, while keeping an eye on Yinad's every move.

Seeing the oncoming threat, Yinad's eyes narrowed. In one fluid motion, he separated his bow into two curved short swords, spinning them effortlessly in his hands. The swords retained the distinct arc of a bow, their curved edges sharp enough to slice through the air with a deadly whistle. Every time the two blades clashed against Henry's fiery fists or Kensei's katana, they let out a metallic ring that reverberated through the battlefield.

Yinad stood tall and imposing, his slim yet muscular frame radiating both strength and grace. His pale blue skin shimmered faintly, giving him an ethereal presence, while his sharp, angular features and elongated, elven-like ears enhanced his striking appearance. His blue eyes gleamed with calm focus, reflecting the precision of a seasoned warrior. Every movement was fluid and deliberate, his curved swords—formed from his bow—an extension of his lithe form.

As the fight raged on, Yinad's fluid fighting style began to change. His curved swords, which had been whirling in a deadly dance to parry and counter their relentless strikes, suddenly came together with a swift, seamless motion. The blades clicked into place, reforming into a fully functional bow, the very weapon he had originally intended to use against them.

In the blink of an eye, Yinad leaped backward, creating space between himself and his opponents. His fingers danced along the bowstring as an energy arrow materialized. Without hesitation, he released it, the arrow slicing through the air at incredible speed, aimed directly at Henry and Kensei. The two barely managed to dive to the side, narrowly avoiding the lethal shot as it exploded into the ground behind them, sending a shockwave of snow and debris flying in all directions.

Without missing a beat, Yinad spun on his heel and released another arrow—this one aimed at Min-soo. The archer's movements were precise, almost mechanical, as he manipulated his bow with uncanny speed. Min-soo, with sharp reflexes, teleported out of the arrow's trajectory just in time, reappearing a short distance away with a focused expression. But Yinad wasn't done. He quickly unleashed a third arrow, this one aimed at Dante, who was preparing another shot from his Great Titan Bow.

Dante, aware of Yinad's sudden shift, reacted instantly. As the arrow grew in size and sped toward him, Dante fired one of his own, a massive projectile enhanced by Arrow Gigantification. The two arrows collided mid-air, causing an explosion of energy that crackled through the sky.

Taking advantage of the momentary chaos, Henry and Kensei charged again. With a quick motion, Yinad separated the bow back into its two curved swords and met their assault head-on. Henry's blazing fist shot forward like a comet, but Yinad's curved blade met it mid-strike, deflecting the blow with surgical precision, sparks flying from the impact while sidestepping Kensei's lightning-fast strike. The curved blades whirled around Yinad's body, their unique shape giving him an almost serpentine fluidity as he moved.

Henry's fists, charged with Blaze Martial Aura, collided with one of Yinad's swords, and the impact sent sparks flying. Yinad used the force of the blow to pivot, bringing his second sword down toward Kensei, who blocked just in time with his katana. Kensei's Sword Heart pulsed through his weapon, but Yinad's strength was overwhelming, the curved blade pressing down with brutal force. Kensei gritted his teeth, his knees bending slightly as he tried to hold the line.

"Is that all you've got?" Yinad's voice oozed with contempt, his blue eyes narrowing as he looked at them with pure disgust and hatred.

Both of his curved short swords glowed with a menacing violet aura, signaling their Stage-4 power. There wasn't a trace of strain in his tone—only the cold disdain of someone who considered his opponents beneath him. The way he effortlessly shifted between swordplay and archery fueled the growing speculation that Yinad possessed dual-weapon innate talents, mastering both sword and bow with equal deadly precision.

With a sudden twist, Yinad broke the blade lock and swung at Henry with the other sword. Henry barely had time to raise his arm, his aura absorbing the brunt of the strike, but the sheer force knocked him back a few steps. Before they could fully recover, Yinad once again connected the blades into a bow, leaping into the air and firing another energy arrow, this time aimed at the ground beneath Henry and Kensei.

The explosion threw both warriors off balance, forcing Min-soo to teleport them out of immediate harm's way before they could be caught in the blast. Henry and Kensei reappeared a few meters away, panting but undeterred, their eyes locked on Yinad as he landed gracefully, bow still in hand.

Dante, seizing the opportunity, released another arrow from his Great Titan Bow, the projectile growing larger as it crossed the distance toward Yinad. This time, however, Yinad was ready. In one smooth motion, he split his bow back into swords and slashed at the incoming arrow, slicing it in half just before it could make contact.

Henry and Kensei didn't waste a second. They closed the distance in a blur of movement, Henry's fists blazing and Kensei's katana cutting through the air with deadly precision. Yinad responded with a rapid combination of slashes, each movement deliberate and efficient. He spun between them, blocking Henry's explosive strikes with one sword while countering Kensei's fluid attacks with the other.

For every punch Henry threw, Yinad's curved blades intercepted it, twisting and redirecting the force with practiced ease. Whenever Kensei's katana came dangerously close, Yinad's second sword would parry it with a perfect angle, turning lethal strikes into harmless glancing blows. Despite their relentless efforts, the advantage was still Yinad's. His ability to shift between ranged and melee combat kept them constantly off balance.

Occasionally, when Yinad created enough distance, he would reform his bow and fire another barrage of arrows. Some were aimed at Min-soo, forcing him to teleport out of danger, while others targeted Dante, who would meet them with his own massive arrows, creating thunderous impacts in the sky. And whenever Henry and Kensei found themselves in trouble, another of Dante's gigantic arrows would tear through the battlefield, forcing Yinad to defend himself and giving them a moment to regroup.

The battle continued in this dance of blades and arrows, Yinad always staying one step ahead, but not by much. His mastery of both short and long-range combat made him a fearsome opponent, but Henry, Kensei, Dante, and Min-soo's coordination was keeping them in the fight. The tide hadn't turned yet, but they were holding on, determined to find the weakness in Yinad's perfect form.

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Author Note: Exclusive artwork for every free chapter is now available on my PATRE0N page! You can find the link in my Discord server. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

I'm thrilled to share that I'm taking a big leap forward! Alongside Earth's Alpha Prime, I've launched the first sub-book for EAP.

ALTER REALITY: Online

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The first ten to comment for new chapter releases will get '1 ADVANCED CHAPTER' for free on Earth Alpha Prime's Discord server.

In the discord server, I opened a private channel for those Top 10 candidates, where I posted the respective Advanced Chapter.

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