My pet

In another part of the relentless desert, where the scorching heat showed no mercy, a group of four battled fiercely against a pythonian beast that sought their blood and obstructed their path.

The remarkable thing about this group was their complete lack of fear; it seemed nothing more than child's play to them.

They fought in perfect synchronization, each member instinctively knowing where to attack and when to create openings for their teammates to land heavy blows.

Just like the Strogoi that Azrael had encountered, this was a giant python with spikes and rock-hard scales.

"Aro! Cover me!!" shouted a man wielding an oversized hammer, five times his body weight, yet he swung it as though it weighed nothing.

Aro, responding to his teammate, raised his uniquely designed bow.

He pulled hard on the string, nocking two triangular-tipped arrows, and aimed at the python's eyes.

The bow, crafted from the finest steel known to man, had a green hue and a string that was both nearly unbreakable and extremely flexible.

He released the arrows.

Both shot through the air with precision, effortlessly puncturing the snake's eyes, blinding it.

"I hope that didn't hurt?" Aro smirked.

From a distance, Mash leaped into the air, gripping his gigantic hammer with both hands.

As he soared, the hammer doubled in size, and he smashed it against the side of the python's head, sending it crashing in the opposite direction from the force.

The python quickly regained its composure and lashed its tail down in a devastating strike.

But, before it could land, the atmosphere condensed, forming a barrier of wind, and the tail collided against an invisible wall.

A blurry figure zipped through the air at incredible speed, appearing mid-air before the python, seemingly stopping time for a brief moment.

She stared at the injured beast, which hissed like a cornered animal.

In a flash, the python's head crashed to the ground, separated from its body.

Blood sprayed from the severed neck, pooling on the ground, and the figure landed softly without effort.

"Hm! You guys shouldn't be playing with your food," she said, spinning her two short swords before sheathing them on her back.

Her blonde hair was short, straight, and slightly curly.

She wore armor tight enough to accentuate her form while allowing full range of movement.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice she wasn't entirely human.

Her skin was covered in scales, and a thin, whip-like tail extended behind her, as sharp as her blades.

"Slicer, stop hogging all the kills!" protested Mash, the hammer-wielder.

"Yeah!" Aro added in agreement.

"You snooze, you lose," Slicer retorted, smirking.

Her words angered the two, their hands itching to draw their weapons, but a commanding feminine voice cut through the tension, instantly turning their attitudes serious.

"Enough. We were sent on an assassination mission, and you three are fighting over a kill."

A fierce, stunning woman stood before them, arms folded, with a distinctive golden wing tattoo on her forehead.

Her skin and hair were completely white, with no color but her piercing blue eyes and the golden wings tattooed on her brow.

"Pardon us, Miss Malaya!" the group responded in unison.

"Aro, scan the perimeter and locate any signs of civilization."

"Lord Zeus mentioned that the Dark Godslayer teleported somewhere near this area," Malaya ordered, her expression calm and unreadable.

"Yes, Miss," Aro responded promptly. The archer crouched, placing his hand on the scorching sand.

He quickly created an air barrier to protect his palm from the heat.

Gathering a large amount of aura, he sent out a massive shockwave, which extended across the desert like a gentle breeze until it detected life.

"Miss Malaya, two miles away, there's a city," Aro reported.

"Then that's where we need to go," Malaya said, ordering the team to advance.

'Hmm, I can sense two humans about a mile away, battling a Strogoi beast,' Aro thought.

'But they're probably just some pitiful souls. Either the Strogoi kills them, or they die from the heat.'

He dismissed them as unimportant, choosing not to inform Miss Malaya.

.

.

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{Sword Intent}

- {Devourer}

'Hm, the skills the system gave me are pretty useless in this situation.'

'The Python's skin is too hard. Even the Devourer ability can't penetrate it,' Azrael thought, sidestepping to avoid the heavy blow of the python's tail.

"You're playing with me, huh?! How dare you?!" Azrael shouted, his frustration growing.

For a while now, Azrael had been unable to bring the creature down.

He was trying to tame it, not kill it, so he avoided hitting its vital spots.

He only aimed to immobilize the massive beast.

"Don't get cocky, you bastard," Azrael muttered before launching himself off the ground and slamming his shoulder into the python's body.

The impact sent the python crashing to the ground, and Azrael seized the opportunity, gripping its neck from behind.

Unfortunately, his tactic proved ineffective. The creature was simply too large for him to make any real difference.

Even so, Azrael clung on as the python thrashed violently, swaying from side to side in an attempt to shake him off.

Its movements wreaked havoc, causing destruction all around.

Evan leaped back, barely avoiding the chaotic swipes of the creature.

A single hit from the python would easily break her bones, and she doubted she could survive that.

"What is this guy doing?! He's insane!!" Evan shouted, her voice filled with disbelief.

She had tried to help, but her claws couldn't even scratch the python's hardened skin. She felt utterly useless in this battle.

'If someone like him can charge into danger without a care for his life, how am I ever going to kill someone like him?' Evan thought, watching the battle unfold.

'Or… should I strike while he's distracted with the beast, attacking from behind?'

'No, it's better to stay with him, learn a few things, let him feel comfortable... and then I'll strike.'

Her hatred still burned fiercely. Azrael had killed the elders, the only ones who could have saved her village.

And Gray—he had wiped out her village, leaving her with nothing but vengeance.

Meanwhile, Azrael's grip slipped. The python finally flung him off, sending him crashing into the ground.

[Your legs have been broken.]

"Damn it!! Come on, heal!"

"Hey, Azrael! Use this!" Evan called out, tossing a sword toward him.

Azrael caught the weapon effortlessly, but instead of a look of relief, his face twisted with rage.

"You stupid mortal!!! You had a sword this whole time, and you didn't tell me?!!" he shouted, his voice seething with fury.

****