Hilda possessed a keen ability to read people through her battles with them.
She had a knack for understanding them on a personal level, deciphering their motivations and aspirations based solely on their auras.
Her unique sixth sense for reading people through their mana signatures was an invaluable skill. She had employed it when first clashing with Eren, allowing her to discern his true nature. By observing his body language and paying attention to his every subtle action, she had unraveled him like an open book.
This time, Hilda used the same sixth sense to assess her enemies. As a former Ranger, she excelled at observing foes from a distance.
She could simultaneously monitor multiple adversaries and target them with her barrage of arrows. Anticipating their movements and actions, she countered them in advance, breaching their defenses and eliminating them with precision.
She could target them individually whenever she found their defenses lacking. She could attack them in groups and prevent them from attacking her allies effectively. She supported Ashton's advances, covering for him as he advanced.
On the other hand, Ashton adopted a more direct approach. His fiend form had endowed him with a substantial physical boost, and a nearly impenetrable mana shield enveloped him. His fiend skin was protected by demonic scales that made him look like a reptile creature.
Regardless of how the enemies attempted to harm him, his fiendish body, pulsating with demonic power, remained largely impervious to serious injuries. It had basically turned him into a Tank while allowing him to retain his agility and explosiveness as a spear wielder.
The bald elf leader observed in disbelief as his subordinates fell victim to Ashton and Hilda's relentless attacks. He questioned their incredible strength and pondered if they were indeed cultists.
However, it became evident that they were something entirely different. Their actions defied logic, challenging the very essence of being a Ranker in their fiendish forms, prompting the old man to realize his mistake in identifying their true nature.
Regrettably, by this point, it was too late to rectify his error.
***
"Here, my dear. The "precious items" you asked me to collect," Ashton appeared beside Hilda, placing something in her hand. They were the forcibly removed organs from the foes they had vanquished together, specifically the gallbladders of Rankers that Ashton had gathered for her. Coated in blood, these organs looked menacing.
"Thank you, darling. Just what I needed," Hilda smiled at her partner, then elegantly held the cluster of gallbladders in her palms, almost cradling them.
With her fiendish powers, she conjured a corrosive mist that transformed the gallbladders in her hands into a pure liquid essence.
Hilda wasted no time absorbing this corrosive essence. When she finished, she flashed a smile at her fiendish boyfriend. "Let's put an end to this," she declared. Shen then placed her crossbow into her storage, preparing herself to cast an area-of-effect spell she had last used on Eren.
In her fiend form, Hilda's powers as a Ranker had significantly amplified. She could now cast the forbidden spell without any consequences, utilizing the gallbladders of her adversaries as a medium. This was the most significant benefit she had gained from her transformation into a fiend.
It was as if the gallbladders collected by Ashton had transformed into an even more potent and logic-defying corrosive essence. This was the advantage of harnessing demonic might – it allowed practitioners to disrupt the balance established by the concept of Cause and Effect.
In her past life, this forbidden spell had been the cause of her demise. Eren hadn't needed to personally end her life; he had turned her own powers against her and her boyfriend, essentially compelling her to commit suicide.
However, this time around, Hilda had no reason to dread the adverse repercussions of her forbidden spell. It was as if the restraints on her individuality had been shattered, enabling her to express herself to the fullest.
"Hehehe. I think I'm starting to enjoy being a fiend."
Hilda remarked with a grin.
She lifted her hands above her head, and the mana and moisture in the surrounding air began to converge at a single point. Gradually, a colossal dark green water sphere, boasting a 100-meter radius, took shape in the air.
It emitted a demonic mana pulse that far exceeded the conventional standards of an E-Rank spell. This dense water mass hovered ominously, pulsing from within as if it teetered on the brink of losing its form and plummeting to the ground.
***
"This... they're demons... They're all demons! We must alert the Anfang Alliance. Run... Get away from here."
The bald elf couldn't endure any longer. He ordered his remaining subordinates to retreat, intending to escape from Hilda and her companions. He could sense the sheer power of the forbidden spell summoned by Hilda.
He knew that her impending rain of acidic arrows would be so potent that no defensive spells or artifacts would protect them. His clan was already devastated by Eren; he couldn't allow his subordinates to die at the hands of Eren's demonic allies as well.
Hilda chuckled softly as she watched her enemies flee. Her superior control over her demonic powers gave her confidence that her acidic arrows wouldn't harm her allies, despite their proximity to their foes. She didn't instruct them to retreat but rather to block the enemy's escape route, preventing them from getting away.
Unrestrained screams and curses echoed in the vicinity as Hilda unleashed her acidic arrows, invoking a hellish rain with her demonic abilities. Yet, these screams did little to deter the fiend as she harnessed her demonic powers to their fullest.
"Hehe. Farewell, old man."
Hilda bid the enemy Ranker goodbye before unleashing her area-of-effect forbidden spell on her foes. She released the arrows that originated from the massive green water sphere.
The arrows shot upwards before descending at incredible speeds, cutting through the air with distinct "whoosh" sounds. Thus, it appeared as if a green arrow rain was pouring onto the battlefield.
Arrows that struck the ground began to melt it or anything they touched. They dissolved Rankers' artifacts, seared through their clothing, and melted their entire bodies, leaving them as fleshless skeletons. A mist enveloped the battlefield as the flesh of the enemy Rankers turned into billowing white smoke due to the acidic arrows.
The old elf, too, fell victim to these arrows. His exposed limbs felt the burning sensation as the projectiles struck them, releasing a noxious odor. Soon, the rest of his body followed suit as more arrows found their mark.
"Awww… you poor pumpkins. Don't feel bad for them. You will join them soon," she chimed in playfully, before once again raising her hands.
Another torrent of arrows was released at this time, taking the lives of Layos Rankers who had unfortunately decided to play witness to the event.
===
AN: Hilda had first used her forbidden spell in Chapter 306: Rain Of Acidic Arrows.
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