Chapter 897 (2/2)

Faster than Ed could follow, Regina stepped to the side and let the attack slide past her. With a deft gesture, she brought her hand down in a karate chop tower the extended drill arm that the obsidian man had aimed at her. “Flawless Incision.”

There was a sharp crack and a deep gash appeared in the obsidian armor that covered the arm. Regina frowned.

The obsidian man laughed. “Oh? You’ve got teeth-”

In a quick motion, Regina hopped forward and brought her hand down against the thigh of the obsidian man. “Emergency Amputation.”

This time, the obsidian man howled in pain as his leg was hacked off. The limb just seemed to… fall to the ground, the obsidian armor on it shifting into goop and bubbling away to nothing. Unfortunately, Regina didn’t get away unscathed.

As she sidestepped to create some distance, a dozen spikes shot outward from the obsidian man’s body. Several penetrated into her shoulders and midsection. It was with a pale face and unsteady gait that she backed toward where Ed was standing.

“You fucking bitch.” The foe hissed, and as he did so, Ed realized that a giant serpent was slithering up behind the obsidian man at a rapid speed. When it arrived, it stood straighter, lifting its sinuous body off of the ground. As it did so, Ed could see two rather small pairs of wings that dotted its back.

“Don’t waste time, proceed deeper,” The serpent hissed. “If we wait in one place for too long-”

“I kill who I want to kill. That’s how this fucking thing works.” The Obsidian man glared at the serpent for a second, then spat a mouthful of blood on the ground. Slowly, he began to spread his arms. From him, several long inky black tentacles grew. “The Ghosthound is gone; what is there to fear in Donnyton?”

Regina snorted. “Ignorant fools.”

“Hah. After you are begging for mercy, I want you to think long and hard about this moment-” The obsidian monster sneered, but then he yelped and hopped hurriedly backward as a spirit roc crashed to the ground in the spot where the obsidian man had just been standing.

With one leg, he was barely able to maintain his balance. The roc stalked forward, slashing with its talons. But now, the obsidian man brought his tentacles to bear. He blocked the blow and used the tentacles like spider legs, pulling him several meters backward.

Ed gaped at the new arrival that had so intimidated the obsidian man. It was almost transparent, but also as large as a small plane. The spirit creature raised its head and shrieked, sending a blast of sound out that knocked away the nearby cafe tables that remained. The plastic and wood skittered and slid sideways, clearing an area that the roc could beat its wings.

Suddenly serious, the obsidian man and the winged serpent considered the new arrival. And then the clicking giant lobster and brontosaurus spirits walked forward to stand next to their companion.

“Good timing, Glendel,” Regina said lightly. “Sweep through them.”

The spirits roared in acknowledgment. And then they surged forward toward the two foes that stood in front of them. Quickly responding, the strange winged serpent spat out cobalt bolts from its mouth that careened toward the spirit creatures. The brontosaurus surged forward, absorbing the attacks with its body. In a small area around where the bolts hit, the brontosauruses body slowly began to freeze. But because of its sheer size, it continued rumbling forward.

With a cry, the Roc leapt up into the sky and began to circle rapidly above the winged serpent. Underneath the cover of both of its companions, the lobster skittered forward with gleaming claws.

“Shit… fucking… I can’t believe I let my guard down,” The obsidian man muttered. Then he grunted, and the obsidian around his body pulsed. Quickly, some of that black armor on his torso flowed down to form a leg. He straightened just in time to block an attack from the lobster. Then his arms shifted into ax hands.

Quickly, the participants on the battlefield spread out, giving themselves space to move. Honestly, they had to; the strength of their collisions was enough to crack the ground and knock each other back several meters. If they would stay close to each other, it would be very possible to interfere with an ally without meaning to.

The serpent held both the roc and the brontosaurus at bay with its breath attacks and quick body while the obsidian man squared off against the lobster and a very quickly recovered Regina. However, this time the obsidian man kept his arms long to make sure Regina could come close.

To Ed, it felt like he had been watching this fight for almost an hour. But when the signal flare burst above his head and the bells began to ring, he realized that it was probably more like ten seconds.

From peaceful cafe to wartorn ground, it had only taken ten seconds. And from the look of things, these battles wouldn’t end-

But just as Ed began to think that, a huge shadow surged from the ground, bounding toward the battlefield. Blinking, Ed was just able to recognize a giant wolf before it smashed into the obsidian man from the side, sending hit rolling across the plaza.

“Shit-! Lu’elleth, call for backup,” The obsidian man snarled as he tumbled and popped back onto his feet. The wolf leapt forward again, but the obsidian man cut wildly back and forth with his axes, keeping it at bay.

The serpent seemed to consider this. The roc struck to pin its tail and it wiggled effortlessly out of the way of the strike. Then the winged serpent nodded. “Understood. It appears that your warnings about this Village were well founded. Commencing teleportation…”

CRACK.

The spirit roc soared downward to strike again at the winged serpent, but before it could do so, there was a loud noise and a flash of light. Abruptly, the winged serpent was not where it should have been. And in its place stood a flaming skeleton, larger than any two of the spirit beasts put together. Which was impressive, because each of those was as large as a shed.

This being was the size of a house.

“Chrysanthemum…” Regina mumbled, taking a few steps back. The skeleton bear’s burning eyes slid sideways, considering Regina. Then, almost casually, its paw flashed out and cracked the spirit Roc like an egg. Spectral energies dispersed in every direction as the apparition faltered and then ceased to exist.

Silence fell over the square. Then the giant flaming bear began to walk forward.