Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 288

Chapter 288 68.1 - Another perspective

While Astron was fighting with the demon inside the cavern, Irina was not staying idle either. Facing off the entirety of the Phantom Horde that was continuously pouring down, she raised her hand.

"Burn."

The flames at her fingertips danced with a ferocity matching her determination. The heat emanating from her attacks formed a protective barrier, creating a zone of controlled chaos where the phantoms were met with an inferno.

–SWIRL!

The relentless onslaught of phantoms, however, seemed to be never-ending.

Irina fought with unyielding vigor, her movements becoming a whirlwind of destruction. Torrents of fire erupted from her hands; each controlled burst aimed at engulfing the malevolent entities in searing flames.

'Why are they not stopping? Where does this energy come from?'

She couldn't help but ask herself as she was continuously faced with phantoms. The amount of phantoms was certainly abnormal, and there were many of them that weren't simply in the form of humans.

There were some animals, some monsters, and even some hybrids. It was as if there was something that didn't add up.

Yet, she didn't have the time to ponder about all those things.

–SCREECH!

She had yet to end the fight, as the pouring phantoms constantly pressured her. As one of them attacked her right behind her head, she tilted it to the side, evading the attack. Even as an heir of a mage family, when she was a young child, she was educated in close combat. She could even use a sword, though she found it rather vulgar than elegant.

Though she was sure talented at it, at least, that was what she thought.

–SCREECH!

Amidst the fiery dance, a sudden screech signaled the appearance of another phantom right behind her. Reacting with ingrained combat instincts, Irina bent her body to the side, narrowly evading the claws of the attacking phantom. Her irritation grew at the constant barrage of foes.

"Enough of this!" she muttered to herself, her annoyance fueling her determination. Suddenly, another phantom materialized behind her, throwing its claws in a swift attack. Without thinking, Irina instinctively used her telekinesis.

"Die."

The phantom froze in mid-air as Irina's telekinetic grip took hold. With a focused expression, she crushed the ethereal core of the phantom, dissipating it into nothingness. A surge of satisfaction washed over her as she marveled at the unexpected development.

Yet, following that second, she couldn't help but think of herself.

"When did I get this proficient at telekinesis?" she wondered, a momentary lapse in her thoughts. The answer eluded her, lost in the chaotic nature of Phantom's Land and the mysteries it held.

'Well, I can't ponder about that for now.'

She thought as she threw a wave of fire to her right side.

–SWIRL!

After all, even if she was used to multitasking, it wasn't an efficient way of defending. For some reason, that guy was taking a bit long inside, and she had a hunch that keeping her mana for a while would be a lot more important.

Pushing aside the confusion, Irina seamlessly transitioned back to her relentless assault.

'But, this…..Should I combine them?'

It was a simple question, yet she thought of it. Whether it was because she felt like she could use her 「Telekinesis」 like her other limb or another reason, she wanted to utilize it more in combat.

SWIRL!

Deciding to test the idea, she closed her eyes and focused on the upcoming phantoms. With her mana sense, she was able to visualize where they were, and imagining another limb formed by her telekinesis, she grabbed them and brought them together.

-–BOOM!

Following that, she immediately blasted the area where she had forcefully gathered the enemies.

'Ho? Would you look at that?'

She couldn't help but marvel at the process. Even in the initial stages of her thoughts, she was able to display this amount of power and what would happen if she were to master such a combat strategy.

Flames and telekinetic force intertwined as she faced the phantoms with a combination of fiery magic and unseen psychic prowess. Her movements became a spectacle of both elegance and power, a testament to her prowess as the Fiery Demoness.

'I am allowed to have a little fun, as well, right? I hope so!'

Thinking that, she smiled. Whatever happened inside that place, like a cave, she had full faith in him. Where did this faith come from? She did not know. Maybe it was not that she wholeheartedly believed in him, but rather, she wanted to believe.

From the moment she woke up, she herself had been rather strange. A bunch of strange emotions occupied her heart, as well as those thoughts that she could partially recover.

"NOOO! NOOO!"

Especially the part where a young voice continuously screamed.

"I am going to kill you! I am going to kill you no matter what!"

The scream came from the heart so much that, even now, she could feel the shivers on her spine. Yet, she had yet to think about those partial fractures in her head, though she was incredibly curious.

'Was it Astron? Was this his memories? Did we even enter a dream?'

There was also a small fracture where she was mumbling a 'parallel world.' What did it mean? She still couldn't find it.

–SCREECH! ROAR!

Just as another screeching sound echoed, coupled with the sound of a roar, Irina's attention returned to reality.

'Now, let's not think about all those things.'

She thought to herself and looked at the source of the roar. There, she could see another monster and a phantom different from a human.

'Raksha and Dark Elf.'

They were the ones that Astron had fought at the start. It seemed the definition of phantoms not being able to be extinguished was true. Even if she had smashed or burned their cores, they were returning back.

–SWOOSH!

Focusing on the immediate threats, Irina found herself challenged by the combination of Raksha's agility and Dark Elf's magical abilities.

The agile phantom eluded her attacks while the Dark Elf, a formidable mage, protected Raksha and posed a significant threat.

Amidst the chaos, an idea sparked in Irina's mind. The relentless assault from the monsters pushed her to think creatively. Also, she was kind of utilizing the theories that they had thought before. Now that her head kind of returned to its normal, she was working it at full capacity.

–BOOM!

As one of the old trees fell to the ground with a loud noise, Irina couldn't help but flinch.

"Cough…Cough…."

With an awkward cough, she looked at the result of her own flames.

"I guess I went a bit overboard."

She exclaimed. Well, that wasn't certainly her first time doing that, so she was more of a professional at dealing with the aftermath of her actions.

Turning back to survey the area behind her, Irina found a moment of respite.

"AAAARGHK!"

Yet, in that silence, a hearty scream pierced the air, a rough voice distinct from Astron's.

"Huh? What was that?"

The urgency and unfamiliarity of the voice sent a chill down her spine.

'That wasn't Astron, right? Right?'

Concern etched on her face.The fact that such a scream came from that side and the feeling of the enemy's power….Irina couldn't help but think of some extreme scenarios in her head.

'No, no, no. There is no way. He said nothing would happen.'

In an instant, Irina sprinted towards the source of the scream.

The worry for Astron flashed in her mind, but the distinct pinch of the voice hinted at something different. Regardless, she couldn't ignore the uneasy feeling that gripped her heart.

Rushing through the cavern, Irina's heart pounded in her chest, anxiety gripping her as she rounded a corner. The sight that awaited her was beyond anything she could have expected. There, in the dimly lit cavern, stood Astron, his face smeared with blood, surrounded by an incredibly foreign aura.

"Astron! What happened?" she exclaimed, her voice edged with concern.

–SPURT!

Before she could comprehend the situation fully, the humanoid monster's body, the demon, shone on the ground. Its body exploded with an otherworldly sound, and at that moment, the entire Phantom's Land began to crumble.

The once foreboding atmosphere dissipated, and the fog that shrouded the surroundings lifted. Irina stared in shock at the unfolding scene before her, unable to grasp the sudden turn of events.

"Ah…."

As Astron turned to face her, Irina noticed he seemed to be rather shaky.

"Cough….I guess I pushed myself a lot….."

Saying that he staggered.

–THUD!

Though before he could fall to the ground, Irina managed to hold him.

"You did well; you can rest now."