Young men and women with human appearances emerged one after another from the blood mist.
Some wore defiant expressions.
Others looked cold and merciless.
There were even traces of anticipation.
Soon, however, all their expressions turned grave.
Within the blood mist, they saw figures that seemed humanoid, yet some were transparent, some had two heads, and others had split bellies and spilling entrails.
Some had lost any semblance of human form altogether.
There were those with pointed ears and sharp teeth.
Those with wings sprouting from their backs.
Those with fins on their arms.
It was a veritable gathering of monsters.
The mere sight sent shivers through them.
As these Variants saw the Anomalies, the Anomalies saw them as well.
Already swallowing hungrily under the stimulation of the bloody scent, the Anomalies began salivating even more.
In the outside world, the Darkmoon Pact made it difficult for these "orthodox" Anomalies to taste human flesh and blood directly.
But the Winter Night War was different.
Here, they could attack with abandon!
They no longer had to follow any rules!
Some Anomalies had even joined the Winter Night War specifically so they could openly savor human flesh and blood.
Especially...
Variants!
That flavor was even more unforgettable!
It was not just the taste. Eating them also provided immense benefits.
Thus, some of the creatures that could no longer restrain themselves charged straight at the Variants upon spotting them.
There were plenty of similar individuals among the Variants.
They met the Anomalies head-on without yielding an inch.
But these were only a portion of them.
The rest watched their surroundings warily and slowly withdrew from the chaotic battlefield, while the Shepherds who had arrived first began scattering the moment shadows appeared in the blood mist.
The sudden battle had inflicted heavy losses on