The heart tightened. Ed subconsciously sensed the danger, but didn't see any movement from Kopas - no spells, no gestures, Ed could cast spells like this, but only with a few less powerful spells.

There aren't many people left standing. Borena rushed to the nearest caster, and the young priest had to abandon his original goal to deal with the magic sword that stabbed straight at him, while the other priest seemed to be completely blind to his companion's plight, and still threw spell after spell at Is.

Ed was a little confused, but didn't have time to think too much about it—Iss resisted all the attacks and swept past him like a gust of wind, knocking him aside unceremoniously.

His whole body was photographed on the stone wall, and he almost hit his head and broke the bloodstream. The next moment, a terrible scream tore through the air.

Is's razor-sharp claws struck at breakneck speed in succession, easily breaking through the young priest's defenses, digging a large hole in his waist and abdomen.

Broken internal organs mixed with blood poured out, but the poor creature did not die immediately, and even seemed to forget that he had a healing spell in severe pain and fear...... Or maybe the fatal wound was beyond his ability.

A few steps away, even Borenna's opponent retreated pale at the sight. Borena shook her head and rushed over to stab the dying man in the heart.

He had seen even more terrifying scenes on the battlefield, and he couldn't help frowning at this time, but Iss didn't even look back.

He rushed straight at Copass, the priest who saw it all happen, didn't even move.

Ed stared blankly, chilling.

A strange voice approached behind him. He jerked his head back, and saw nothing but the figure of Ante slowly approaching with heavy footsteps...... But that was not Ante's voice.

The sound was thin and crisp, like the scales of a dragon grinding against a rock, slow and almost elegant, but it made the hair stand on end and the spine shivered.

Isis suddenly rushed back...... It's not because of anger.

“...... Borena!" Ed shouted, "Run! Run!"

Borena glanced back at him, dazed and helpless, but still obediently ran towards the stone hall they had just left.

Ed runs like a rabbit, faster than ever before – and always unexpectedly unleashed when you feel a giant mouth behind you spewing fishy air at you.

But he wasn't fast enough. Or rather, the slow-sounding and elegant-sounding voice is actually surprisingly fast.

Something pressed down on him, cold and sticky, like some kind of beast that had just emerged from the water, but it was impossible to see or touch.

He staggered to the ground, trying to turn back, his vision still empty, but he could clearly feel the weight of something running over his leg inch by inch.

His defenses were not breached, but they seemed useless. The sharp pain made him break out in a cold sweat in an instant, gritting his teeth and slamming his backhand.

The force of the massive impact crashed uselessly into the air, as if nothing had hit.

Not invisible...... What the hell is this?

Ante has come closer. Ed ignored the mocking and maniacal smile on his twisted lips, trying to stay awake - the thing was clearly not attacking Ante, because they were a gang...... Or is it because Ante is undead?

The cold, formless beast had run over his calves. Ed forced his fear and looked back, but he didn't see any bloody and terrible sight - his leg clearly seemed to have been crushed, making him tremble uncontrollably in pain, but it seemed that he was not hurt, and he couldn't even treat it.

Borena turned around and ran towards him.

"Don't come back!" Ed roared, the last word involuntarily changing its tune and twisting into a scream.

The other figure rushed back at an even faster pace.

In the blink of an eye, Iss had rushed up to him, chanting incantations he had never heard before. The ancient dragon's voice sonorous, condensing another power in the darkness, swooped down.

The beast stepped back a little. Ise reached out and grabbed Ed, and quickly retreated like a dead dog, straight through Copas Fenton's body and back into the stone hall.

- The priest turned out to be just a phantom.

Ed breathed a sigh of relief and almost burst out laughing—for his own stupidity, and for Eth's unexpected move.

Even if he couldn't wait to throw him far aside as soon as he rushed into the stone hall, he still saved him in the end.

"What the hell is that?!" Borena roared.

The strange voice was close enough that even he could hear it.

"Snakes. ”

Copas smiled and replied, "...... 'god' from another world." It was supposed to be our sacrifice, powerful and precious, trapped in this dark underworld for thousands of years until it was awakened by Scott...... Most of the souls in the dead fog were originally part of it. ”

“...... Hades Serpent. Ed muttered, "Soul Eater." ”

Thanks to Ikabard Beria's all-encompassing library and his intense curiosity about these beasts...... He didn't learn much, but he knew a lot of very obscure things.

The Serpent, meandering between the two realms, is neither spirit nor entity, and can travel between objects without hindrance—air, water, and even rocks. Although it is called "Soul Eater", the soul is not its food, but its flesh and blood...... It itself is made up of countless souls, but it cannot be considered a pure undead.

As far as Ed knew, this thing couldn't be killed...... It was true that it had been regarded as a god by ignorant humans for a long time.

He was vaguely aware that the dwarves had abandoned the pit probably not entirely because "all the deposits had been exhausted" and that the orcs had died here...... Perhaps not entirely because of the great force of human beings.

"Don't worry. Copas still smiled softly, as if he couldn't hear the screams of those who could not flee behind him: "It is enraged, but it is very weak. ”

Ed silently performed a healing spell on himself, the corners of his mouth twitching—he was already feeling the "weakness" very definitely.

The shredded sound flooded into the stone hall and then vanished.

It's here. Ed could feel the chill that still lingered in his legs, lingering in his marrow. Enraged but patient, it was entrenched in a space they couldn't see, and its body might envelop their little prey.

By the time Ante's figure appeared at the entrance, Copas had vanished like a mist, leaving only a sarcastic blessing:

"Good luck to you all. ”

.