Chapter 465 (1/2)
Randidly moved rapidly toward the monster, feeling Alana follow close behind him. Immediately, two of the grey balls of energy exploded, shooting rays of strange, aging based death. Randidly had heard the basics from Rose and used pure speed to blaze past them, heading straight for the body of the beast.
Growling, it leaped forwards to meet Randidly, even while two more blasts shot out from its antlers, aiming for those behind Randidly. Annie began shooting arrows at its large, soft body, causing it to use one of its final two grey energies to intercept the arrows before they could land.
Rather than getting discouraged, Annie just upped her firing speed, the shafts shooting past Randidly to strike at the monster.
When he arrived before it, Randidly didn’t bother with anything special; he just lashed out with his spear. To his surprise, the Stagbat dodged, and then swung its head, aiming to hit him with its antlers. He casually deflected the blow but was forced to use Phantom’s Embrace to dodge when the final grey energy shot outward, aiming at him from close range.
Grimacing, Randidly reset his stance and moved forward to meet the monster once more. This would be… difficult. Most of the grey beams weren’t aimed at him, but as he was the closest, he needed to move the most quickly to avoid collateral fire as it used the beams to attack other people.
If this was the wounded version of the Stagbat, Randidly was glad he had hit it with an Inspired spell. It was hard to tell whether it was the combination of monsters, the Creature’s interference, or even the power of the Regalia, but this thing was tough. Its kit was too powerful against too many things.
However, had Randidly still had access to his Mana, this would be a much easier struggle. But as it was…
His eyes brightening, Randidly sent a message into the party chat, telling Rose and Clarissa to reposition themselves around the Stagbat, out of its range, but behind it. As they moved to do so, Randidly struck again, pushing his Yggdrasil Skills to their limit as he slashed towards the Stagbat’s side.
It danced out of the way, and another grey beam slashed diagonally from keeping Alana at bay to hitting Randidly in the temple. Snorting, Randidly spun away, his leg lashing out, striking the Stagbat in the side, sending it stumbling. As it did so, its grey energy beams fizzled, flashing and then falling out of existence, leaving it open.
Two of Annie’s arrows sunk into its flank, while Alana dashed forward and scored a long scratch on its side as it dodged as quickly as it could.
Its eyes began to glow, and now 8 grey balls condensed, causing Randidly to frown. But then Ace crashed into it from behind, knocking it off its balance again, the grey lights flickering out of existence.
The Stagbat recovered itself enough to kick back like a horse, slamming Ace backward into a nearby pile of molten rock, but by then Randidly and Alana had arrived. Before it could summon and use its grey time lights, Randidly slashed towards its throat, aiming for a kill.
When it dodged, he twisted his spear and caught its antlers, knocking its head to the side. Alana plunged her spear up to the crossguard into its side, then shoved it deeper, twisting and breaking off the shaft, leaving it within its body as she backed away.
Quickly scanning it, Randidly noticed the single grey eye on the bat’s face and the way the golden horns sparkled with power, especially as it summoned the grey bits of energy. Then, the brief off balance period ended, and the Stagbat screeched, using the bat’s mouth, 8 lights shooting outward, scything left and right, driving the party backward.
“Think that will kill it?” Alana asked with a detached curiosity, producing another spear.
Randidly grimaced, then shook his head. With his Aether senses, he could feel energy moving from the two Regalias hidden within the Stagbat’s body. “That might slow it down, but we need to cut out the Regalias. One is the antlers, the other is the left eye in that bat face. This is probably going to get worse before it gets better.”