God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

Chapter 237: An Enchantment.

Cain stared at the chasm with darkness brewing in his eyes.

However, he wasn't granted enough time to think about what had just occurred. That was because he was suddenly attacked from all sides by the group of murderous girls.

"Leah! We have to apprehend this bastard fast!" Lin Lin, the girl with the raven cloak growled at the yellow-eyed girl with murder on her face.

"You... You better give us a good explanation. If you don't, forget angel, I'll gut you myself." Leah said with a cold measured look plastered on her features.

Inwardly, a different stream of thoughts coursed through her mind...

"Explain myself?" Cain said darkly.

Looking around, he realized that despite how strong he was, forget winning the fight, he would be lucky to escape with all his links still attached.

Underestimating people wasn't his ideal way of going into battle. After all, none of the girls had even activated any major skills yet. Due to his spirit sense and his affinity with mana and the elements, he was able to sense that these girls weren't simple at all.

And now, they were about to be his opponents...

Cain glanced to the side and saw that Li and Stan were still on the ground. They had been wounded badly by the abomination, and we're still unconscious.

'Susan, Steve, and Jenny must be making their way over. I just have to hold out!'

Dodging the sharp head of a spear, Cain attempted to move back to create space. However, he was unable to go anywhere as an invincible barrier stopped him from taking a step back.

'Damn it!'

He glared at a petit girl who held a staff with a multicolored crystal embedded at its tip, causing her to recoil a bit. However, his glare was not going to stop the others who were determined to end him.

Finally, the first one to snap was Kai, the bulky athletic girl...

Thrusting the tip of her spear to the sky, and animalistic growl escaped her throat. The white aura around her exploded even further...

"Beast Aura!"

The fur on her body grew even longer, and her animal features were even more pronounced. However, it did nothing but boost her alluring beauty. She looked like the king— queen of beasts, radiating an oppressive and royal air that pushed down on Cain.

Dashing forward in a mad sprint, she thrust her spear forward, this time nearly twice as fast as before. Her base strength was higher than Cain's, so he had no doubt that should the spear come in contact with his body, he was as good as dead, especially when his defenses were decreased by 90%.

Taking a look at his mana reserves, Cain realized that despite the {Burning Spirit} being a very powerful skill, its mana consumption was going to be the end of him.

'Damn it...'

Gritting his teeth, Cain dodged the spear thrusts as fast as possible. Although he was many times faster, he had to avoid attacks from nine other people as well. A single mistake would spell his doom. The group of girls was also extremely coordinated. Such that Cain was unable to launch a counterattack, and was caught up in just trying to preserve his life.

He suddenly felt a slight restriction in his movement. One of the girls had cast a spell on him. However, this spell was no ordinary spell. She was the only one who wasn't too actively involved in the battle, sometimes casting a spell at her own teammates to heal them up or boost their speed, defense, or attack power.

Now, her staff was pointed at Cain...

Despite his attempts to dodge the attack, he was unable to avoid it. It was as though as soon as it was locked onto him, he had no way of escaping.

His speed made a sharp decline immediately. The other girls didn't miss this opportunity. Pouncing at him from all directions, they bared their weapons, ready to skewer him.

'Ha...'

His eyes narrowed, then widened all of a sudden.

"Dark Dragon, Orbiting!"

A furious burst of gold and black erupted from the blades in his hands. The ethereal aura of a menacing black draconic being immediately wrapped itself around his blade. The golden blade was the star, and the black dragon coiled around the star, threatening to consume it.

The blades smacked the weapons and attacks of his attackers away and drove them back. However, the slender blade of a rapier managed to somehow sneak through the gaps of the technique and pierce at his heart.

Shifting his body a bit, the blade ended up only sliding through his side. However, that little bit of damage was terrifying for Cain. If her had suffered that injury in his normal state, he would have gotten away with just a surface wound.

But now, with his defenses lowered by 90%, even a random glancing blow could take his life...

Bits of torn flesh and blood were blasted out from the opposite direction. Jumping back, Cain held onto the wound tightly and coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood.

'I've been wounded. This isn't good...'

He immediately activated {Blood Regeneration}. However, the wound was extremely severe and would take a lot of time to heal.

"Let me show you why you've made a mistake."

"Roselle... Don't kill him." Leah, the girl with the yellow electric eyes who seemed to be the leader of the bunch said coldly.

Turning to two other girls, she pointed at Stan and Lu's bodies,

"Take those two away..."

"Fine..." Roselle stared at Leah and said, although her reply didn't sound convincing at all.

Turning back to Cain, two different hues of light burst out of the rapiers she held in her hands.

On her right hand, the blade took on a very terrifying metallic sheen, while the weapon held in her left hand was enveloped in a torrent of water that began compressing itself onto the surface of the blade until it became another layer of sharp death. Strems of water also wrapped around her body, splitting the air around her and pushing it away.

"Let's end him together!" The girl with the pistols had a wild grin on her face as she twirled her guns and pointed them at Cain. The runes and complex patterns on the barrel and stock of the gun lit up with a bright orange light, and the muzzle of the gun lit up like the eyes of a creature that lurked in the darkness.

Ariea glanced at the girl but didn't say a word...

Then, she dashed at Cain even faster than she normally was. She was the one Cain was the most wary of. Her speed wasn't the most impressive of the bunch, but her skills with the sword made him feel as though he was constantly staring death in the face.

Seeing the situation he was in, panic immediately appeared in his heart. Although he was strong, he wasn't the only strong person around. He had also challenged all ten of them at the same time. He still had a few trip cards up his sleeve, but he was hesitant to use them.

He readied his swords and prepared himself to face the two girls.

'Just when I thought today was going to be a good day. What luck...' Cain let out an internal sigh.

He couldn't allow these girls to take Stan and Li for obvious reasons, but every second he spent fighting here meant a second more for something bad to happen to Hunter.

He had already made his mind up to be responsible for every single one of his teammates. He couldn't leave him behind. It wasn't because he was a hero or a savior, or wanted to do the right thing. Hunter was just too valuable of an asset...

Therefore, he had to make drastic steps. Even if he had to sacrifice one of these girls in the process...

Before he could even execute his plans, a voice suddenly called out, making him pause in his tracks. He suddenly let out a sigh...

"Boss!!!"

'Took you long enough...'

The wind surrounding them suddenly picked up, and the girls approaching Cain we're kept back by its ferociousness.

A figure suddenly dropped from the sky...

"Boss, you aren't looking so good. Hahaha!" Steve said as he lightly stepped on the ground and stared at the pale-faced Cain with a toothy grin.

"Just help me out here, bastard!" Cain said through gritted teeth.

Letting out a laugh, Steve moved toward Cain and raised a hand to touch him.

However, the wall of wind was suddenly broken through, and a few figures broke through the gap in it.

"Well that can't be good." Steve said as light radiated from his fingertips and fell onto Cain's body, filling him with strength. His wounds were not being healed, but his mana was being retired, rapidly.

"And then some!"

His other hand glowing a bright purple, Steve smashed it down on Cain's back, activating another skill.

Cain immediately felt his mana capacity explode into two times its total...

His mana pool was doubled...

Just before the gang of violent females crashed down on them, a shield made of light blocked their path. The shield had many runuc engravings, and was held by a two meter tall construct of light that was completely covered in armor of light from head to toe.

Susan suddenly appeared out of nowhere and held her hand out with a pale face. Jenny rushed out as well and grabbed Li and Stan before rushing to their side.

Staring at Cain with a deep, measured look, Susan said, her voice filled with concern and worry,

"Are you okay? You're... you're..."

Cain put a hand up to stop her, "I'm fine. This is just a scratch..."

'This isn't a scratch, damn it! Hurts like hell!' Keeping his inner thoughts to himself.

He then stared at Jenny who was staring at his open stomach with eyes full of mixed feelings and emotions.

'Ha...' Letting out a sig internally, Cain turned forward to face the group of girls who were now furiously attacking the guardian of light that was obstructing their path. Althiughb8t was obvious the being of light wouldn't last very long, it bought them a few seconds of respite.

Susan suddenly turned to him, her hand still outstretched,

"They are under an enchantment..."

"I figured..." Cain mumbled out as he concentrated his mana on hearing as fact as possible. Taking out a HP potion from his inventory, he formed it with one swig.

"What type of enchantment, how the hell did it happen and how do we break it." Cain said, his eyes still watching the girls like hawks.

"I only have one answer to those questions." Susan said grimly.

Raising a brow, Cain looked at her with a question in his eyes. Turning her gaze back to their opponents, Susan gritted her teeth and said the thing Cain didn't want to hear at all,

"I don't know..."