These abominations pushing Skadi backward differed completely from any Seaborn Jeanne had encountered in the past. They bore a distinctly human physique, possessing recognizable limbs and structures that closely mimicked human heads.
Yet their strength was utterly grotesque. The reinforced subterranean walls fared no better than brittle curd beneath their blows; a simple swing of their massive arms pulverized masonry into fine dust.
Had there been only one such creature, Skadi could have handled it independently. But facing three of these grotesque entities simultaneously, even an Abyssal Hunter who had spent years clashing with the deep was forced onto the back foot.
"Living on the surface all these years has truly dulled your edge!" Ulpianus chided his former subordinate, even as he swung his giant weapon to step into the fray.
"Duck!" His voice rang out like thunder, and in the next instant, the massive anchor whirled through the air. The heavy metal cut through the subterranean gloom with a deafening howl, slamming straight into the lead Seaborn and hurling it backward.
"*Incomprehensible Seaborn screech!*"
Whether the captain's raw power surpassed Skadi's was debatable, but judging by the agonizing shriek echoing from the airborne creature, that blow carried staggering force.
The heavy impact crushed the creature's chest. Landing heavily amidst the rubble, the mutated Seaborn lay motionless, one arm visibly shattered and useless.
"These things couldn't possibly be the work of mere cultists," Ulpianus said, moving alongside Skadi to check her condition before letting out a quiet breath of relief. "Where on Terra did you run into these monstrosities?"
As he spoke, he noticed something amiss with Skadi's composure. She seemed shaken, her eyes clouded with disbelief as though she had caught wind of news she couldn't process.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked, unable to grasp her sudden hesitation. Yet before she could reply, a hollow voice echoed through the passageway, pulling his focus away.
"Why... do we slaughter... kin of the same tide?"
The Seaborn spoke in fluent Iberian, an unheard-of occurrence. A Seaborn articulating complex surface speech with perfect clarity!
This development boded ill. It signaled that the Seaborn were actively evolving intelligent individual units. Should this progression continue unchecked, facing them would prove vastly more treacherous.
"I share no kinship with the likes of you," Ulpianus declared coldly, adjusting his grip on his anchor. "If your mind is unraveling, go consult a doctor—assuming your kind even has them."
The instant his words fell, he coordinated with Skadi, unleashing a relentless, wave-like assault upon the nearest monster. Under their combined offensive, the creature was rapidly driven into a corner.
Meanwhile, Jeanne worked to intercept the remaining two beasts, preventing them from joining the fray. Yet to her surprise, these two creatures appeared utterly indifferent to their companion's plight. Rather than saving their fellow creature, their focus remained fixated entirely on Jeanne. They were openly willing to sacrifice their kin just to take her life.
"Our... mortal enemy!"
The two Seaborn uttered the exact same words in unison, their featureless heads locked on Jeanne. Though devoid of eyes, a palpable wave of raw hatred and deep-seated dread radiated toward her.
Jeanne instantly realized what was happening. Their primary target wasn't Skadi or Ulpianus—Hunters who shared their corrupted blood—it was her!
These three Seaborn were deploying a strategy identical to their own: one unit stalling the troublesome interference while the remaining two eliminated the core threat as swiftly as possible.
Rather than a coincidence, these monstrosities had deliberately sacrificed one of their own to isolate and crush Jeanne through sheer force of numbers.
Engaged in his own struggle, Ulpianus picked up on the shift. The creature facing them wasn't fighting to win; it was employing every evasive tactic imaginable purely to stall them from reinforcing Jeanne.
What makes that girl so special? Ulpianus thought, completely baffled by the unfolding situation. Why would creatures that normally operate on primal instinct lay an engineered trap specifically for her?
Unaware of Jeanne's true nature, Ulpianus found the situation deeply baffling. Having fought the deep for decades, this was the very first time he had seen Seaborn execute tactical coordination.
Yet he doubted such strategy originated from the hive mind alone. It was far more likely this articulate individual had communicated with leaders of The Deep Sea Church, orchestrating a targeted hit to claim the girl's life.
A sudden realization struck Ulpianus like a bolt of thunder. If his deduction held true, when had this trap been laid? Was it the moment those two stepped into the city, or the instant he uncovered their secret hideout?
He realized he had walked straight into a calculated snare. What weighed heavier on his conscience was that his actions had drawn an outsider into extreme danger—a severe failure of his duty as a commander!
Then, Skadi spoke, her words clarifying why the hive had engineered such a targeted ambush, and revealing the true gravity of what was at stake.
"Jeanne and I went out to the open ocean before," Skadi murmured softly. "She sounded a single horn, and every Seaborn within fifty nautical leagues—and far beyond—was instantly wiped out. Given the right conditions, that power could sweep across the entire ocean."
The revelation caused Ulpianus' heavy swings to falter for a fraction of a second. Everything clicked into place. He finally understood why the Seaborn would ally with surface fanatics to set a targeted trap for a single girl!
Her safety was paramount. She wasn't just a powerful ally—she was the absolute key to ending the Seaborn threat once and for all!
Pouring immense force into his strikes, Ulpianus called out to Skadi with growing urgency. "Pick up the pace! Put this creature down and get over to support her!"
"Why... must you betray the tide?!" the trapped Seaborn hissed, unable to comprehend why kin carrying the same essence would raise weapons against their own flesh and blood.
They were of the same origin. Why would anyone align with an outsider to bring about the destruction of their own kind?
At its core, its cognition remained bound by the fundamental logic of the Seaborn. A Seaborn could not process the concept of kin turning against kin.
In the past, such conflicts were rationalized as the overarching mandate of the We-Many. Every individual existed to serve the collective, where even culling served the greater progression.
Yet this betrayal defied all logic. The collective will of We-Many would never permit an act that threatened the survival of the hive, nor would it ever tolerate an existence capable of erasing their species!
These Hunters had severed their bond with We-Many! Realizing this truth, the Seaborn descended into a manic frenzy, attacking the two Hunters with wild, unbridled fury.
The battlefield fell into a tense, tangled deadlock. Both sides had units pinned down; both sides needed to break through to reinforce their primary targets; and both sides were intent on slaying the isolated obstacle standing in their way.
Yet the scales were tipping in Jeanne's favor.
It was a two-on-two engagement. Though Fafnir was small in stature, the young dragon possessed terrifying combat capabilities!
With Fafnir providing covering fire and fierce lunges, the two Seaborn rapidly lost their tactical advantage. One of the monstrosities locked its blind face onto Jeanne, its voice dropping into a raspy, ominous murmur.
"Bringer of Ruin... no matter what comes to pass, We-Many will purge you from existence! No matter what sacrifice the collective must bear, we will make you fade into nothingness!"
With that declaration echoing off the stone walls, the two abominations lunged forward once more, throwing themselves into a final, desperate assault.