Not-So an Extra

Hector's smirk vanished abruptly, replaced by a grimace of intense pain as a wave of excruciating agony surged through his abdomen. His eyes darted downwards, and there, he saw an earth spear impaling his body, its sharp tip protruding from his stomach.

Frustrated, Hector forcefully flung Nathaniel's body sideways. As the boy's body hurtled through the air, multiple layers of barriers enveloped him before he ultimately collided with a tree trunk.

—Boom!

The impact was thunderous, shattering the tree trunk into pieces and dispersing a cloud of dust billowing into the surroundings. Blood spurted in the air as Hector pulled the sword from his chest and yanked the stone spear from his abdomen. The wounds emitted smoke and began to heal themselves.

He tossed the weapons aside and turned toward the duo, who had positioned themselves at a considerable distance. A Magic Circle emanated from their location, releasing a relentless barrage of wind bullets towards him, forcing Hector to leap backward to evade.

If it was Nathaniel or any other attacker, Hector would allow them to strike him, knowing that his regeneration would instantly heal any wounds. However, when it came to the white-haired boy's magic, he couldn't afford to ignore it. The power of his magic was so terrifying that it could effortlessly create a gaping hole in his body.

—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!

Debris and clouds of dust swirled around the area as Hector touched down. Reacting swiftly, he instinctively ducked, and a sword whizzed past him. Lowering his body and bracing himself with both hands, Hector spun and executed a sweeping motion with his legs, targeting Nathaniel's legs, causing the young man to lose balance and fall to the ground.

"Urk!" Nathaniel groaned as his body collided with the floor, but he quickly rolled to the side upon seeing Hector looming above him, his fist ready to strike.

—Boom!

The ground burst, sending rubble flying and clouds of dirt billowing into the air. Nathaniel, who narrowly evaded the attack, swiftly rose to his feet and leaped backward to create some distance.

"Tsk," Hector clicked his tongue in annoyance, realizing that he had missed his target. Sensing a multitude of wind bullets rushing towards him, Hector attempted to jump to evade. However, before he could move an inch, he suddenly experienced vertigo, his vision distorted, and he became paralyzed. His eyes widened as he saw the wind bullets already in front of him.

—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!

The ground erupted once more, unleashing a symphony of thunderous explosions. Debris soared through the air, and dense clouds of dust engulfed the surroundings the moment a relentless volley of wind bullets rained down upon Hector.

"Arrrrghhh!!" His anguished wails pierced through the chaos.

Meanwhile, Simone and the others, locked in their fierce battles against the monsters, caught a fleeting glimpse of the commotion from the corners of their eyes. Their attention quickly returned to the task at hand, brandishing their weapons once again.

—Whack!

An Uxing was hurtled backward, its head shattering into a pulp, and fell to the ground with a thud. Ralph stood panting heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly. The green blood of the fallen monsters splattered across his armor.

"There's no end to them!" Ralph exclaimed, his voice strained as he caught his breath.

"Screecchhh!!"

"Rooarrr!!"

The air was filled with a cacophony of terrifying sounds, creating an eerie atmosphere. However, just when the monsters closed in, a sudden twist of events unfolded. All the creatures let out a collective roar and as if driven by an unseen force, they turned tail and fled, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

The abrupt silence that followed left Simone, Péréz, Ralph, and Rhea standing in confusion, their weapons still tightly clutched in their hands. But before they could process the situation, a blood-curdling scream pierced through the air.

"Aaarrrgghhh!!"

All eyes turned towards the source of the sound, and the moment the dust settled, a gruesome sight unfolded before them.

There, they saw the man standing, his body mangled and barely recognizable. His legs, body, and head were almost destroyed, leaving only a few remnants of flesh clinging to the bones. The ground beneath him was saturated with his own blood, and chunks of meat were strewn about in disarray.

"All of you will pay for this!!" Hector bellowed, his words reverberating through the trees. A cloud of smoke billowed from his body, swirling around him as the remaining flesh began to regenerate, rapidly covering the exposed bones.

Wasting no more time, Nathaniel, Simone, Péréz, Ralph, and Rhea immediately rushed toward Hector, eager to put an end to this battle.

Adrian shifted his gaze from the man to Sylvina and voiced his thoughts, "Can you do something about his regeneration?"

"I'll try." With that, Sylvina began to chant, and Adrian followed suit.

However, the sound of numerous galloping horses reached their ears, causing them to halt their steps.

"Enemy reinforcement?!" Rhea exclaimed, her voice filled with worry.

"I have no idea!" Ralph replied urgently, scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger.

The group stood on guard, their weapons at the ready, prepared to face whatever new challenge awaited them.

Amidst the mounting tension, Adrian's attention was drawn to a familiar presence in the distance. He whirled around and saw numerous cavalry units approaching, their banners fluttering in the wind. Among them, he spotted his grandfather and Asher. But what caught his attention the most was a man with striking white hair standing on the second line.

Adrian couldn't help but feel dumbfounded upon locking eyes with Arthur's piercing magenta gaze. 'What the hell is the Emperor doing here?'

"Ian, I managed to slow his regeneration down!" Sylvina's voice broke through Adrian's thoughts, snapping him back to reality.

"Arrghhh!!" Hector's guttural groan caught everyone's attention, the once-rapidly recovering flesh now slowing down its growth.

"Fire!" Graham's shout reverberated through the forest, prompting the Elementalists and the Archers on horseback to unleash a barrage of wind bullets and a volley of arrows toward Hector.

—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!

Reacting swiftly, the Knights swiftly dismounted their horses and formed a protective barrier in front of the Princes and Princesses with their swords unsheathed, they stood as a shield.

Arthur descended from his horse and approached Adrian, their eyes locking in a silent exchange. Adrian knew all too well that Arthur's nagging would soon follow, as it often did in moments like these. However, he said nothing and shifted his attention to Nathaniel, who quickly averted his gaze, a mix of guilt and defiance in the young man's gesture.

When the debris settled and the dust began to clear, a distorted monstrous voice reverberated through the air. "YOU WILL ALL PAY FOR THIS, YOU WORMS!!"

Within the dissipating clouds of dust, Hector's silhouette suddenly expanded at an alarming rate, growing taller and distorting into a form that bore no resemblance to a human structure.

Without bothering to wait for Hector to fully transform, Graham lifted his hand in the air, prompting the archer to prepare their arrows while the Elementalist began to chant their spell. Swinging his hand downward, Graham shouted, "Fire!"

Following the order, the archer and Elementalist immediately released the second wave of a volley of arrows and a barrage of wind bullets.

—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!

Once again, the ground erupted, sending rubble and dust flying in all directions, obscuring the view of the battlefield. However…

"RROOAARRR!!!"

Amidst the chaos, a deafening roar pierced the air, causing the ground to tremble and sending chills down the spines of those present. The sound of the monster bolting away in fear could be heard in the distance.

—Flap!

The sound of massive wings flapping filled the air, accompanied by a powerful gust of wind that prompted everyone to shield their eyes. As the dust settled, a massive shadow cast itself upon the battlefield, causing their eyes to widen in astonishment and trepidation.

A colossal creature stood before them, towering at approximately 15 meters in height. Its golden scales shimmered under the moonlight, reflecting an otherworldly glow. With five heads lifted high, it let out a furious bellow, "I WILL TURN YOU ALL INTO DUST!"

Hector was no more; he had transformed into a fearsome Hydra with five menacing heads.