Hmmm!
Tumko's isolation array had been enhanced with other features. A distinct mana pulse was spread as the feature activated.
The golden runic chains sprouted from the ground and bound Kirin as soon as Eren finished declaring his intentions. Her arms and legs had been tightly secured in these chains, making her unable to move.
The same thing was about to happen with Alephee as well. But she got away from the chains and just flew in the air. She used the Solid Spark as her weapon to defend herself from multiple chains trying to trap her.
Eren came to realize Tumko's team didn't want to fight off with Kirin or Alephee. Tumko had kept Jaad Ugar, Teer Maar, Kavach, and Hath Oda placed at the four corners of the isolation dome to serve as the operators for the array eyes.
Kirin was being tied to her spot by Jaad Ugar and Teer Maar controlling the runic chains through the array eye. Whereas Kavach and Hath Oda attempted to incapacitate Alephee.
"Just tell us what you found inside, will you? And this can be avoided."
Tumko spoke finally while he observed Eren's group split up, leaving only Kirin to remain. Kirin frowned at her trapped state but she wasn't too worried. She could only blame herself for letting her guard down and trying to admire her husband.
Eren didn't like to rely on such questions verbally. He retrieved his Rigor Mortis set and approached Tumko from a different angle.
Blitz Steps
Blitz Bolt
Wind-fire Wings
Tumko saw Eren trying to approach him at 4 O'clock and felt an immense threat. Meanwhile, Bhaa Laah proceeded to chase after Kaal who was approaching the positions of Jaad Ugar and Kavach.
Kaal was trying to free Kirin from her bindings by attacking the operators of the array eyes. Bhaa Laah wanted to fight the guy off. As loud-mouthed and battle-seeking she was, she knew that Eren wasn't someone she could handle even with her Adept-ranked liquid stage mana core.
Bhaa Laah preferred to deal with Kaal, who seemed to be in the initial stage of the D-Rank. She would prefer if her opponents were a bit weaker than her. That way she could mess with them and enjoy the battle to its fullest without worrying much about her well-being.
Kaal had been told by Eren to keep his mouth shut. He wasn't used to speaking in a human tongue yet. So it was better he followed Eren's steps when he had shapeshifted into an Orc.
Kirin was becoming proficient in the human tongue, thanks to Eren's constant talks with her. But she still had some polishing to do. So when she saw that a strange team had tried to ambush them, she followed Eren's advice and kept her mouth shut.
"No matter how strong you are as a fighter, Eren. Fear will humble you."
Tumko commented as he observed Eren only a few meters away from him. In the next moment, his black iris occupied the white sclera completely, turning his eyes pitch black.
Fear Firdos!
This was Tumko's Ability. It allowed him to induce fear into his opponents' psyche, making them remember the dreadful moments of their life. Just like Eren's, Tumko's Ability was activated through his eyes.
Tumko had activated this Ability when he had broken through into the Adept rank. He had managed to refine it further after its activation, allowing him to influence and affect multiple opponents.
Eren suddenly found out that he was in front of a smiling Eliza. She raised her hand and twisted it in the air, coating it in the Enderflames. These Enderflames quickly took the shape of butterflies and flew around Eren in swarms.
These green butterflies attacked Eren all at once, causing him to melt in an instant. He suffered a great deal of pain in a fraction of a second.
Tumko saw that Eren had stopped in his tracks after being influenced by his Ability. He still had a bit of diligence but most of his mind was occupied with the illusion that was created through the Ability.
Tumko drew two pitch black daggers and held them in either hand. He cast his movement spell while clutching onto the hilts of his daggers. He wanted to incapacitate Eren, making him unable to fight. Thus, he was aiming for his non-vital organs.
However, suddenly Tumko felt like something was amiss. He saw Eren smiling while his eyes were closed. In the next moment, Tumko halted his steps before jumping high in the air. That's because Eren had sent a bunch of Purple Reaver flying slashes his way.
'My Ability failed?'
Tumko couldn't believe that Eren had snapped out of the Ability's effect without any apparent side effects. Earlier, when he had used his Ability on his opponents, some of them had indeed been able to snap back to reality with their sheer will. However, they would suffer from mana deviation in their mana circuits, affecting their ability to use spells.
But with the way Eren had easily sent two flying attacks his way, it looked like Eren's mana circuits were not affected by Tumko's ability. The fear induced by Fear Firdous was not strong enough to make Eren lose control over himself.
"It's my turn now.
Sedating Gaze!"
Tumko heard Eren speak while fixing his eyes on him. To his surprise, he found out that Eren had his own Ability as well. As if serving as a counter to his Fear Firdous, Eren's eyes turned completely white and allowed him to achieve exceptional agility.
Eren's Sedating Gaze affected Tumko as well. He suddenly found out that his perception of time had been affected and he couldn't move his body the way he wanted while he was in midair.
Tumko still had a mask on. Therefore, nobody was able to see the surprised expressions he made under it. He had thought that he was one of the elites for possessing an Ability in the Adept rank. But he couldn't have imagined that there was someone in the same rank with a more potent Ability than him.
Eren had overcome his fear of Eliza when he managed to unlock his soul sense. There was still a part of him that wanted him to stay vigilant against her.
However, that vigilance wasn't enough to make Eren feel helpless and scared any longer.
