Its eyes were not a pair.
A horizontal, "one"-shaped slit ran across the upper half of its entire face, stretching from its left temple to its right. Dark red light seeped from within the slit, as though something beneath its skin were burning. It looked utterly Eerie.
It smashed the barrel of the second cannon with one slap.
Leike and the Great Ascendant charged out at almost the same instant.
Leike's Swarm Insects pounced toward it. Dark red flesh-worms rolled into a mass, trying to entangle its body, while the Great Ascendant's mechanical legs launched him forward. His silver fists roared with Steam Gear as they slammed toward its flank.
But it was faster.
After destroying the second cannon, it did not go after Leike or the Great Ascendant. Instead, it darted sideways and lunged into the crowd of Night Watchers near the artillery crew.
Two Night Watchers.
One was carrying a Mithril crate, while the other had just set down a bucket of cooling water and turned around.
The figure passed between them, so fast that neither had time to react.
The first Night Watcher's chest was pierced through.
Its entire hand thrust directly into his body, sinking in through skin and Flesh. The instant those hooked fingers entered his chest cavity, the Night Watcher's body visibly shriveled. His skin caved in, his muscles atrophied, as though something had sucked him dry from within.
In less than two breaths, a dried corpse was flung to the ground.
The second Night Watcher was only halfway through turning when his neck was caught by its other hand. The same speed, the same process—within a few breaths, that young face became withered, grayish white, and covered in wrinkles. His entire body resembled a piece of fire-dried wood.
The corpse was tossed aside.