Way to be informative… what the hell is that supposed to mean?

“Unknown. These explanations are as vague as this place.”

Wait, aren’t you the one giving me this information?

“I draw it from a place I cannot describe. As I said, it is like a clouded memory. You should be thankful that you are getting any information at all.” Somehow, she could sense the sass in the System’s voice.

I… I can’t argue with that. Frost surrendered.

In between the munches and mental conversations, there was movement in the darkness once again. She instantly dropped her food and stood up with her weapon in hand but strangely enough; nothing was there.

“Forest?” Jury wondered what had gotten into her since she didn’t sense anything at all and continued to munch down on the rest of the Accuser.

But Frost could not believe that she was mistaken. Something was certainly there. Not just one creature or two, but three. She didn’t understand why she saw this and pinned the reason to her new ability.

However, before she could unravel the immense dread in her heart; 6 Accused suddenly charged for them in the nearby distance.

“AN ATTACK! JURY! THERE’S MORE OF THEM!” She cried right as 3 of the closest Accused swiped at her.

But Jury only looked on in confusion, tilting her head rapidly from side to side as though Frost was fighting a ghost.

She braced herself for impact, holding her stake out defensively to counter the swipe. Yet strangely… their attacks didn’t connect.

They just phased through her.

A-a feint!? What the hell is going –!

“– ON!?” She shrieked in immense shock.

All 3 attacks then suddenly met with the center of her stake, as well as Jury’s claws. If it weren’t for Jury’s sudden help, they would have shattered the weapon and sliced her in half. They had somehow managed to shield their presence from Jury’s senses, much like the first Accuser.

But looking at Jury now, Frost realized just how fatigued the woman was.

Shit…

The sheer force alone caused her to painfully skid backwards as 4 of the Accusers instantly dashed straight for her, while the other 2 remained fixated on Jury. She had no time to react at all as the onslaught began. The forwardmost two would always hit her with phantom attacks that she tried to dodge or defend herself against, only to be smacked aside by a following attack.

“D-AAGH!” Frost wretched having one of the wings bite into the side of her stomach, launching her straight into a tree.

 

HP : 130 | 190

 

Greater Healing and Prolonged Stasis were instantly used to prolong her life. But before she could even get her bearings straight; the two phantom attackers sent their wings straight for her chest. It hit nothing, but it activated the horrific sensation of when she was pieced by Iscario’s weapons.

She groveled on the ground and rolled away just in time before the ‘real’ wings swiped down at the exact same spot at the phantoms. The visceral thud, the impact of their sheer power and bone-chilling snap of their bones caused her to scramble back to her feet in a fit of panic.

“S-System! I think – I think I know what the ability does!” She yelled, seeing the phantoms, which she now realized were slightly transparent compared to the real Accusers, reel their wings back on either side like oversized scissors. “It can see the future! I can see what they’re going to do a few seconds in advanced!”

“That’s the power of the ability. You may have a fighting chance now. But your odds are still incredibly low.”

“Low but –!” Frost leapt out of the way and rolled, bruising her entire body as she watched her previous place get swiped by the massive bony blades. “– It’s not zero!”

She did not waste this opening and managed to get in a few stabs with her stake. It was hardly any damage, but if she could keep it up then victory was all but assured.

 

HP : 1,140

HP : 1,200

 

No. Who was she kidding? Victory? That seemed like a pipe dream without Jury’s help. She could hear the brawl behind her. The sound of tearing flesh and broken bones. In the face of these enemies Frost was but an annoying wasp that needed to be swatted down.

However, Frost could not allow herself to give in.

Swipe after swipe, lunge after lunge, and stab after stab, Frost gave it her all against the two Accusers. She employed hit and run tactics; dodging its encumbering strikes and attacking while they were vulnerable. But they were not slow by any means.

Also, her ability to see seconds in the future did not work if she was not regularly observing the two. So whenever she dodged, rolled, twisted or span away – the phantoms would disappear, leaving her to rely on visual cues and instinct alone.

She was no fighter. No hero or battle-hardened warrior.

She was only human that lived most of her life trying to heal others.

And that’s why –

“A-A… ck… Gwargh! Ngh! AAAAGH!” A blood curled cry left her lips in gargles as two of their wings found themselves lodged into her chest. In the end the feathers did little to protect her. “N-No… Please… N-Not… A… Again…”

 

HP : 25 | 190

MP : 50 | 350

 

She was lifted from the ground again by forces out of her own control. The exact same scenario played out when Iscario had first stabbed her. The sound of Jury’s yells could be heard as well as more of the flesh-tearing noises emerged.

There were likely more Accusers now.

“Frost…? Frost! Frost. Frost!?”

“Forest! Forest!? Forest…?”

Traumatic moments flashed before her eyes. She was going to die again. No. More than that. She was going to allow someone else to die again.

And there was nothing that could be done.

Blood spilled from her chest and dripped from her now bare feet. Her eyes steadily lost their light as her HP rapidly depleted. But there was something strange. Odd. Warm, yet cold.

“I… Will kill you… all of you…” She coughed with a lung full of blood.

The featureless faces of these Accusers agonized her. But soon enough, it was not just blood that began to salivate from the corners of her lips.

As her HP became lower, her senses became more reactive. The pain became nearly unbearable as the sound of her heart rallied like the drums of war. And with her heightened senses something else burst forth from the depths of her heart.

It was the final sensation courtesy of what she now was.

“I must… I have to eat… to survive… to get… out of this hell!”

 

HP : 5 | 190

 

< Will of the Amalgam has been raised to the first state >

< There are no defeated Monsoon or lower Corrupted to borrow Active or Passive Skills from >

 

< CONDITION : Insufferable hunger until combat has concluded. Will of the Amalgam state decreased by one level after condition is met. State may also decrease by one level when heightened emotional state lowers >

 

“You’re hanging on by a thread… Frost. Do what you must. Feed on your foes to survive. For our sake.”

Indeed. This sensation was hunger. Even in the face of death she could not think about anything else but to consume. These overpowering enemies became food in her eyes. In that moment the two Accusers momentarily froze as if they were inflicted with a negative status.

Frost, as defenseless and powerless as she was, had one trump card at her disposal.

It was her mouth.

She snapped her jaws onto the wings directly below her chin and replenished her MP with each bite, allowing her to cast another volley of Greater Healing upon herself until the bones of both wings snapped loose.

She fell with a mangled thud.

It hurts… it hurts so much… Stand… Stand. STAND!

“STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND! AAAAAGH! NNNRGH! Bwargh!” She vomited out blood.

Frost pulled herself up to her feet unsteadily, baring her teeth like a rabid animal as she growled in response to the agony in her chest. By some miracle she could still breathe. It was amusing in a way, and she would have laughed if it wasn’t so painful.

“I… can’t die. If my HP hits 0 I’ll just… get hungry… right…? Who the hell am I even talking to. Yeah. Why was I fighting defensively again when I can just… Just…”

Just throw myself at them.

Frost realized the horrific reality of her abilities, skills, and nature. They synergized almost too well for it to be used in any other way than what played out in her mind.

She could take the hit head on. Heal herself, and then, take bites out of her enemies to replenish her MP. Then she could rinse and repeat until nothing was left. The nature of this caused her body to lock up, but her heart would not allow her to go anywhere else but forward.

It was time for a change in combat tactics.

One that was truly fitting of that of a monster.