Chapter 189: Shadow Array

Monica looked at Howard and Necrolith fighting while sweat poured down her head along with her tears. 

Even though she had been trying her hardest to be cheerful earlier, deep down inside she was starting to feel her worst nightmare come true. For the last almost two years, she trained every moment she could so that Howard wouldn't surpass her. Yet, now, even with her top abilities considered, she was no where near Howard in strength. In fact, if he wanted to, he could probably kill everyone but Priscilla in three seconds! 

Even now, with her strength at the peak of the A rank, she was only surviving because of those around her. Priscilla, who recently had a breakthrough, had started to understand some of the concept of the S rank while Harley did what she always did! She didn't care!

However, what had to be the most terrifying thing of all for Monica was Howards new form! Whereas before Howard seemed impressive, he now seemed like a being that completely surpassed her imagination. Everyone besides maybe Founder Arista would not be able to beat him! Teacher Annibel, Guardian Reslan, would probably be crushed by Howard in battle!

It was just a year ago that she watched Reslan and Barabin crush him into the dirt! It caused every part of her being to feel like it was crumbling apart! So much so that when a Archelon Zombies hand got within inches of her, she almost forgot to dodge!

"What the hell are you doing?" Priscilla's fist turned into a spear of flame and destroyed the Archelon Zombie coming towards Monica. "We talked about this back at the East Branch! If we're fighting a large group of troops, keep the circle tight! Do you know how quickly these things can swarm us!"

Priscilla spun her arms and sent out a blast of Fire Ki while sweat tripped down her forehead. Her blonde hair spun in the wind while her beautiful frame seemed to ignite. Over and over again, Fire Ki and Ice Ki blasts shattered all the incoming zombies. 

This was insane! 

Both Priscilla and Howard were getting so much stronger than her!

'You-you didn't need to help me!" Monica said, summoning an ice spear in her right fist before she stepped forward. The ice spear bounced off the body of the Archelon Zombie before three more were tossed from Monica's hand at the same exact spot. She sighed, and wiped the sweat off her head before on one knee she sent out an ice spear that was three times larger.

The zombie in front of her, centimeters from her face, instantly burst into bits of blood while Monica struggled to get to her feet. The blood, covering her face, made her look exceptionally pathetic. Even the ice, which had made her previously look like a beautiful statue, had turned red! She-she wasn't only running out of steam, but soon the only person left fighting would be Priscilla!

"Come on! Just last one minute longer!" Monica activated the fourth layer of the Ice Mark before it surrounded her entire body. This time, when she attacked three incoming zombies, they were instantly pierced through. "Howard is over there risking his life, and you-you can't even defeat 20 Arhcelon Zombies! I-I'm going to make you break up with him, Monica, if you don't pull yourself together!"

"Take a break," Harley pushed Monica aside and smiled at her. "I'll cover two sides for a little bit. Rest up, this is a battle of endurance. Sort of like when we share Howard, right? We can't both tire out or he might end up unsatisfied on his birthday."

"Now is not the time for jokes!"

"Who's joking! I'm grateful for you letting me date him! Now get behind me!" Harley's body surged with a fierce flame before she began to rapidly attack. "You-you gave me something to live for! Now damn it! Rest for a minute! You're younger than me! I can at least do this for you!"

"I know-I know you didn't want to share Howard, but because of you I'm not sad all the time anymore. Sometimes, I even wake up and smile, and when I walk out of my room get embarrassed when people see me smiling! I-I'm just as in love with him as you are, but you're also my friend! Now rest for a minute! Catch your breath."

"Thank you," Monica grinded her fist into a ball. "However, in one month, I promise, I'm going to enter into the S rank! I'm going to show all of you what I can do!"

"Dreams are for when you aren't about to die!" Priscilla herself had only killed 30 Archelon Zombies! "Now damn it! Monica, you're missing the point! Now is not the time to get stronger! Now is the time to use your head! Build us two walls so they can't keep rushing at us from all sides! Do you think you can do that?"

"But… but we can't kill zombies as fast that way… Then… Then Howard might get attacked by zombies too. What about Howard?"

"Does he need help? Look at him!" Priscilla pushed Monica in the back while at the same time setting a Arhcelon Zombie a flame. "Now, get stronger later! Right now, if we die, you can forget about his birthday! And by the way! I'm-I'm still giving him my present first! Do you hear me?"

###

Howard sighed while Gorgolith and Necrolith both fought him at the same time.

He was getting tired of using the Silver Ki Flame. His body seemed to be shutting down, and he instantly realized why.

He only had one Silver Ki Heart, and it was the only Ki Haert that had the Ki Cells that could make the flame he was using to battle the Night Lords. That also meant, unfortunately, that the time he could use it was limited!

He felt like he was getting his rationality back, and also losing strength at the same time. He had to destroy one of the Night Lords now, and then get the other one to run away! There was only one choice! He had to attack Necrolith with everything he had and destroy him! 

Stepping back, he dodged hundreds of scythes from Gorgolith's hand, and slowly looked for an opportunity to attack.

'Necrolith, he looks like he's realizing I'm getting weaker fast! I can see it in his eyes. However, he also seems to be getting careless. Yet, I don't know how to take advantage of that! It's impossible to think when dodging hundreds of attacks!'

Boom!

Howard looked down and noticed a single scythe from Gorgolith's hand had broken past his defenses, and instantly he felt himself shoot back.

Sliding against the dirt, he could only turn and look in Gravanal's direction once he realized the ground around him was shaking. What the hell was happening?! A large explosion shot in the air and an entire mountain seemed to disappear when he turned to look in the distance. Howard could only do one thing, and instantly activated the last of his Silver Ki and shot at Necrolith. He had to do what he planned to do and wipe him out! He had to kill him now!

He activated Dark Oblivion and mixed in his Dark Ki and Silver Ki into a single attack. With Fire King Sprint shooting him forward, he looked like a missile heading towards two skeletons moving at a similar speed. Their endless skulls seemed to be almost laughing while Howard approached. What was so funny? He was about to wipe them out from the face of the earth!

"Die" Howard screamed, his fist soaring forward with a powerful sphere of Ki full of his hate. "Take this!"

"No You don't! Now Gorgolith, hahaha!" Necrolith said, turning towards Gorgolith, "Stall him! Just like we planned!"

"Like I'll let you do that!" Howard rocketed right up to Necrolith before a silver flame shot out of his fist and instnatly penetrated through Necroliths' black barrier. Yet, at the same time, Howard couldn't believe it. Suddenly, he felt frozen in space.

"Shadow Array, number 99, Stall, activate!" Gorgolith smiled at Howard while Necrolith tossed away his shirt and began walking into the distance. "Haha, you didn't know I was an expert of arrays, did you. Well, guess what! This one takes all of my strength in exchange for creating an SS rank barrier around someone I hate! Hahaha! Now, turn around! Watch Necrolith tear your girlfriends to pieces! Isn't this great Howard! Soon, you're going to be like us! Completely free of anything to hold you back, hahaha! And then, we can tear you to shreds!"