104 This is War! 8 The Yuda crisis. (2/2)

As I neared the corner of the room I could see what looked to be a second wall, a layer of the wall that from afar would look exactly like its maroon counterpart. It was a walkway, the second wall was its borders as it led to a higher floor.

Seemingly made of a velvety carpet I walked upwards hoping against hope that nothing had happened to my crew.

*******

Fawkes rounded a corner as he ran, a defacto leader to the pod of misfits that ran away from the deranged women.

The farther they ran from her, the more shrill and cold her voice became, at this point her eyes seemed to have shifted into what looked like a yellow slit, very similar to that of a serpent.

At first her voice had been almost melodic but as the chase continued her voice seemed to hiss out from her mouth, her tongue often shot through and her movements became more reptilian.

At this point Fawkes had begun to form a sneaky suspicion that the women had eaten a Zoan type fruit.

As they neared the second floor, the high priestess began to flop downwards, the chase getting to her as her petite chest heaved. She kneeled unwillingly as she looked at Terrick who had been holding her hands.

”Go on without me-” She began huffing.

”Oh shut up! If I wanted to abandon you I would have done it a long time ago, don't spit on my decisions!” Terrick snapped as he looked over at Fawkes.

”What's the plan?” He asked as he looked over at his troupe of friends. Angella and Breta were incapacitated, while Rein was in as bad of a situation as the high priestess. Fawkes had his eyes heavy, a blood red gash on his side as he looked over, the high priestess had been unable to control herself and had ended up cleaving into his shoulder.

”We aren't in a position to leave them, and if we move any farther neither of us will be in a decent situation, we'll have to babysit these two along with those two. It's better to face off against her here.” Fawkes analyzed.

However fit the duo were, carrying four people as they ran would be a stupid idea, especially in treacherous halls like these.

Terrick nodded as he looked over at his charge. ” Stall for two minutes.” he said.

Fawkes nodded, if it was anyone else that he was facing, he would be confident in his ability to crush them solo, the women wasn't even as strong as Scipio for god's sake. But her devil fruit made her a pain to face, especially if he did not have a counter.

He steeled his gaze as he looked at the door way. A deep breath wracked through his chest, he would not breath in any air, that would save him from any stray fumes. That would have to do.

Then he did something that Sorren would have his hide for, for even though he was strong, the diminutive doctor's anger was something he still did not want to have to deal with.

He brought his finger to his shoulder and thrust it in, wincing slightly at the stream of blood that shot out.

He cupped the blood and flooded his nostrils with it, it dried in seconds and his nose was temporarily blocked for good.

He grasped at the dagger in the panting priestess' hands as he charged at the door, as if by divine providence as he reached the low archway a head bobbed through a sick hum sounding out as Merla walked in.

Or at least she tried to, yelping immediately as she sidestepped an annoyed and silent Fawkes.

The air around her seemed to sting at his skin, his eyes closing in response to the acidic fume. 'ITs ok, Observation Haki should do just as well..' he thought as he charged expertly stabbing downward at the psychopathic child.

The girl looked at him, surprise evident in her gaze. Her eyes sharpened as she caught sight of the descending knife. With a move that should not have been possible for a human she moved to the side. To be precise her upper torso moved to the side, her feet remained where she was, unmoving.

Fawkes twirled to the side in surprise as he backhanded with his left hand, it gleamed black with the look of Haki, nearing the women's startled face.

She looked at him again, her eyes now no longer human. With an intensity that would shock anyone she leapt at him, literally slithering past the black hand rounding on his back before biting at his exposed neck.

She shrieked as she felt the hard skin break through her fang like canines, her hand shooting for his shoulder, only to have to bend backwards curling in on herself as a foot shot at her face.

Fawkes looked furious, the girl did not know any form of Haki except maybe Observation, yet she matched him. He had been used to fighting at arm's reach, always having the freedom to swing something as heavy as an axe.

Now he faced an enemy whose modus operendi seemed to be extremely close quarters, more snake-like at every moment.

He growled as he upped the ante, his breath that hitched in his throat put him on a time limit, and his closed eyes forced him to fight depending on Haki alone. This along with the fact that he had to passively protect his body against the acidic fumes to prevent corrosion practically crippled him in direct combat, it was a miracle that he lasted this long.

She lunged at him, her face near centimeters away from his before his palm met it, slapping it away as his other hand droved to stab at her exposed torso. She shrieked as she kicked forwards, missing his hand but hooking around his fore arm to bring her out of harm's way.

He stabbed at his back, twisting his body to the side as he did so to make some distance between him and the constrictive fighter, only to have to face her leg that headed for his groin from his side.

he Jumped to the side as he attempted to axe kick her shoulder, she dodged bringing his feet down cracking at the floor, with the opening that that provided she lunged, attacking at his exposed nape with her teeth as well as at his exposed head with a knife hand. He twisted around as she did, trying to trip her, he didn't fail.

”Done!” Terrick roared, and with the distraction that his voice brought him Fawkes barreled forwards, his hands closing hard on her face as he threw her towards his ally. Then he collapsed, deep breaths wracking his body as he tried to make up for his lack of it for so long.

With a final shriek she gurgled out, as her hands cut into the silver thread that surrounded the corner of the room. She tried and failed as she attempted to get out cutting herself much harder in the process.

They didn't have too much time to gloat however, because as soon as she shrieked a second time, the room rumbled as a foul aura shattered through the air.

The world shook as the skies seemed to discolor. The stones cracked as the rumbling of a moving island shattered through their ears.

Merla looked up, passing out with a smile…