The Invincible Full-Moon System

"We've been searching non-stop for days! Is there really a Shapeshifter here?!", Evelyn cursed while slashing the bushes with the Resonation of Shadow, the sword that has been given by Rex earlier before their departure here.

It's been two days of searching and they didn't find a clue of the Shapeshifter's whereabouts.

Even though the forest they were in is very big they already covered the east and south parts of the forest, the green team alongside Liliya is sweeping the north and west parts of the forest. Evelyn is clearly in a bad mood as they have been walking around the forest aimlessly.

But the others didn't reprimand her as they were also frustrated in searching for the Shapeshifter.

Although fighting strong Supernaturals threatened them with death, at least they would be doing something unlike this where they can only walk around the forest. Even their armor is stained with dirt.

Despite already expecting a hard time finding the Shapeshifter, this is just out of this world.

With the rune created by Flunra that can single out Shapeshifters from the area, they should be at least getting more clues than they had right now. Out of their hazardous search, they only get one clue from the illusion sensing someone before.

The Shapeshifter should be in the area but turns out they were wrong for thinking that.

"If we already covered the place and there's no Shapeshifter around, then what is the figure that the illusion sensed before?", Adhara asks with a frown, they all thought that the figure is the Shapeshifter they were looking for.

Since there are no responses in the area using the rune, doubts started to appear in their minds.

Evelyn shrugs her shoulders while leading the group by hacking down the tall grass and bushes, "Nobody besides us and the Green Team is in the forest, so that must be the Shapeshifter without a doubt. Maybe it's just very fast..."

Once again they all sigh finding that if Kyran is here then everything would be much easier.

Following the direction heading to the center from the map, the four of them travel through the forest before they find themselves near the center of the forest. Unlike the edges of the forest, the center is quite muddy which added to their annoyance further.

Lifting her leg Evelyn saw her foot armor has been completely covered in mud.

"Should we just split into two groups? Just to cover more grounds faster, and also there's a possibility that the Shapeshifter is watching and avoiding us", she proposed while activating her elemental aura.

Under the heat from the dark red aura, the mud got wiped off rather easily.

But upon hearing this Gistella that is kept alert all the time since she's the protector replied, "I don't think that's a good idea, it's an eighth-rank Shapeshifter after all. No matter what we should stick together"

"I agree with Gistella, we stick together", Adhara added in agreement, splitting up is not the answer.

After they all agreed the illusion suddenly glances at them weirdly, even though the illusion is a real person it's still sentient. It's a part of the group but it didn't have any say, the illusion is annoyed because of that.

When Evelyn was about to say something, her ears suddenly perked up.

Even the others also heard the approaching footsteps and they reacted very quickly showing that they were very much ready for anything, Gistella created a blue barrier cocooning around them, the illusion stands at the very front while Adhara and Gistella are on its side.

They went into this formation in a matter of seconds, very fast and organized.

But when the footsteps are getting nearer they caught a scent that made them lower their guard, "A Black Hand...? Did the green team got attacked?", Evelyn mutters with a frown, the scent definitely belongs to a human.

Not long after, a man emerged from the dense trees with a couple of wounds on his body.

Upon seeing the wounds the four of them instantly suspect that the Green Team was attacked by the Shapeshifter, "What happen? Did you guys find the Shapeshifter?", Adhara asks while helping support the man.

Kneeling on the ground panting for air, the man tries to collect himself for a moment.

"Yes, we are being attacked and the leader managed to injure the Shapeshifter. But the Shapeshifter escaped not after brutally wounding the leader", the man explained before crouching on the ground tiredly, he seems to not be fit enough to continue fighting but he forced his body to move like this.

Adhara and Evelyn looks at each other before they nodded their heads.

"We're going to help them so you just need to find a safe place to recuperate, leave the fighting to us", Adhara said to the man while helping him lean on a tree, but the man tries to say something through his rough breathings.

With quite a bit of difficulty, he then said, "No, I need to get back and help them!"

"Where did the Shapeshifter escape to?", Adhara finally asked knowing that the situation has escalated, the Green Team without a doubt suffered heavily if this man decided to run off to them.

The man pointed in the direction before Adhara nodded her head and stands up.

Gazing at the other she then said, "Me and Rex will chase after the injured Shapeshifter, you and Gistella go to the Green Team and checked their condition. If they were in a very bad state then help them retreat to the edge"

After saying that they instantly made their move as discussed.

Evelyn went over to the man and helped him get up, she will be bringing the man back to the Green Team and sending them over to the edges where the UWO and SCO compound is located to have them treated.

With a nudge of her chin, Adhara and the illusion dashes away to chase after the Shapeshifter.

"How many casualties are there? Is Liliya alright?", Evelyn asks while helping the man get up, she supports the man by the arms. But Gistella from the side finds that the man seems to not be used to being supported by the arm from how he stiffened his arm.

Of course, this made Evelyn harder to help him get up but she didn't complain.

As the man finds his awkward foothold with the help of Evelyn, he then replied, "I don't know, all I saw is blood and a fight between the Shapeshifter and the leader. That's all..."

"Why didn't you use the communication crystal? It's faster than running here", Evelyn asks again.

Since they were going to go against a very powerful Shapeshifter then they need to have strong communication that can relay messages quickly, and the SCO has given them a communication crystal to keep each other notified.

With that communication crystal, the man shouldn't run all the way here like this.

Pondering for a moment the man then said with a crooked smile, "I panicked from seeing the leader fighting the Shapeshifter so I forgot about that, a young mistake I must say. I'm new after all..."

"Hmm... yeah you must be stressed to see your leader like that", Evelyn added with dubious eyes.

Out of nowhere, Gistella pointed her palm at the man.

Cling!

"Eughh...!"

"What's the matter? Are you still hurt?"

"No... I don't think so"

The man suddenly groaned feeling a slight pang in his head, he then glances back to look at Gistella and finds that she was pointing a rune at him. It's a weird-looking rune that he has never seen before.

But once again, Gistella activated the rune before a ringing sound penetrate his ears.

Ring!

"Arrghh! What is that?!", the man exclaimed while covering both of his ears.

Upon seeing this Evelyn's expression turns fierce as she whispered to the man's ears with a mocking tone, "I don't know, maybe a rune that can help us in finding what we're searching for. Mr. Shapeshifter..."

After saying that Evelyn instantly jumps away to create a distance between them.

With another activation of the rune in her palm, the man shakes his head with a frown while covering his ears. Even his appearance started to blurred for a moment and exposes what kind of creature the man truly is.

It was none other than the Shapeshifter that is impersonating a black hand.

Finding that his appearance was disturbed by the high-frequency sound that can only be heard by him, the man glares at Evelyn and Gistella before his eyes turn from human-like into beast-like. Completely black eyes are exposed.

Evelyn activates her elemental aura to the utmost peak while Gistella also does the same.

Both of them went into their battle stance while holding their new weapons in hand and ready, the Shapeshifter is clearly annoyed by the rune that somehow can interfere with his transformation.

Something like this only exist back then, it never expected Evelyn and Gistella had it too.

Although they are currently standing in front of an eighth-rank Shapeshifter that is an absolute menace with its dark energy starting to sizzle around its body, Evelyn and Gistella don't seem to be pressured like others that encounter this monster of a man.

Under their fixed eyes, the Shapeshifter's arms turn into two long blades.

Without even saying anything the fight suddenly breaks out, the Shapeshifter dashed swiftly straight at Evelyn that just mocked it earlier but got intercepted by Gistella that is already holding the new shield she got in front of her.

Manipulating her blue energy, she imbued it into the shield as much as she can.

Clang!

CRACK!

The ground beneath her feet cracked from the power brought by the Shapeshifter's attack, but surprisingly Gistella holds her ground finding that the strength is strong but not overwhelming.

Knowing that she was fighting an eighth-rank Supernatural, she expected much more.

But turns out the Nether Warshield given by Rex that uses death energy as fuel proves to be very strong, it's a piece of eighth-rank battle equipment that can even allow a seventh-rank Werewolf like her to withstand an attack from an eighth-rank Shapeshifter.

Not stopping there, the Shapeshifter's dark eyes glisten brightly in anger.

Swoosh!

A black unseeable beam of energy shot from its eyes aiming for Gistella's forehead, but out of nowhere the Nether Warshield spat out enhanced blue energy that blocks the dark beam easily.

Clang!

Gistella smiled upon seeing this, it's one of the abilities of the Nether Warshield.

Not only does the Nether Warshield can amplify her energy to block a very strong physical attack, but it also can block mind attacks. The Shapeshifter tries to attack her mind right there, but it was intercepted by the Nether Warshield.

From the side, Evelyn is also surprised upon seeing Gistella managing to block the Shapeshifter.

'I think it's also injured, probably because of this Rowenna Awakened that it fought in the war before', Evelyn thought critically, she noticed that the wounds are still there despite the Shapeshifter already halfway breaking its human appearance.

But then her senses warn her something from below.

Boom!

Exactly as what Evelyn just sensed, she saw pale ashy tentacles protruding out of the ground trying to grab her legs. Since she already anticipated it, she managed to dodge it by twisting her torso before slashing it with the Resonation of Shadow sword.

The Resonation of Shadow sword is also a piece of eighth-rank battle equipment.

With each slash she managed to deflect and even cut the coming pale ashy tentacles, Evelyn's eyes then widened seeing the shadow sound her sword created. But her expression soon turns from surprise into a smile.

Activating her second element, Evelyn directed the shadow sound to the Shapeshifter.

Not expecting any kind of attack the Shapeshifter got hit by the shadow sound but it only rattles his mind a bit, it growled at Evelyn angrily but it then saw a wicked smile on Evelyn's face, "Hmm...?!"

RING!

"Akhh!!", the Shapeshifter groaned finding the shadow sound become even louder.

Falling to his knees the Shapeshifter feel a throbbing pain in its mind again, but not giving the Shapeshifter any chance Evelyn and Gistella started activating the rune on their palms repeatedly amplifying the ringing sound inside its head.

Soon enough, the Shapeshifter got stripped away from its human form and revert back to its original form.

Upon seeing the wailing Shapeshifter, Evelyn can't help but mocked it inside her head, 'Hmph! Can you be more obvious? Calling Liliya leader despite nobody calling her that, and even trying to make us split into two groups. Only a fool wouldn't be suspicious'