Three Spheres

Chapter 40 - Grootslang

Almost 100 Golems appear and charge in, chaotic. Some members of the District are slow to regain control of their actions after the shock. However, it doesn't take long before the fight starts. Gamila takes her megaphone and yells:

_ District staff!! DO NOT engage with the Grootslang!! Focus on the others!!

Johan and Mooya exchange looks and advance towards the biggest of the monsters. Gamila bites her lip, pointing one of her arrows at the creature. "Our mines in the forest are useless now", she thinks and shoots. "It's a Grade 4 threat. We should declare immediate evacuation", she concludes. The shot misses. Gatsumiya throws one of the bombs into the hole, blowing up several creatures, but not causing any damage to the Grootslang. They keep on firing.

Amadeo remains in deep silence, his eyes fixed on the field. It takes a few moments for the Rangers to understand what he is doing: Small barriers are formed around the 7 individuals battling, defending them from attacks that arise from multiple directions. Without distracting himself, he thinks "Thanks for drawing the symbols in their armors, Vanessa!".

Mooya and Johan finally get close enough to the Grootslang to start a counterattack. The Paladin says:

_ The weak spot's in the neck! I'm going to hold it down and you'll rip its head off! But don't let it grab you with the trunk at any cost!!

Johan agrees. He throws his halberd at the creature, but it deflects it with its ivory fangs. However, it was enough to get its attention. The monster attacks the boy with its huge tail. Instead of dodging, Johan chooses to receive the blow, to prevent it from hitting his colleagues nearby.

Simultaneously, Phil and Yago kill monster after monster, running side by side across the field. Melissa fights the Golems that approach with a spear, however, she is also dedicated to retaking some of the explosives that they had spread in the vicinity of the forest. Penan takes on grotesque forms to destroy enemies who escape the others. Manan, in turn, becomes a crow and enters the fort, leaving a few moments later. Gamila concludes that she gave instructions for evacuating the city.

Johan firms his feet on the ground and gets ready. However, in the moment of impact, a golden barrier forms, slowing down the tail, which allows him to embrace it with one arm, while tearing it from one end to the other. The Grootslang is agitated, furious. Amadeo smiles.

As soon as it turns its front legs to Johan, Mooya makes a brutal gesture with his arms, freezing the air around the creature's torso. Johan hurries to climb it, but, when he pulls the blade to hit the weak spot behind the ears, his leg is captured by the giant trunk. He is shaken in the air frantically as he strikes the enemy multiple times. He is thrown towards the fort. Amadeo screams:

_ Nurikabeeeeee!!

The deep growl of the invisible wall means something like "Leave it to me". When Johan is about to collide, the wall moves backwards with him, slowing him down. Johan slides back to the ground, unharmed. Placing a hand on the Fabulare, he thanks it and moves forward again. Amadeo sighs in relief, which makes his barriers disappear for an instant. He tries to regain focus, but notices Melissa surrounded. He squeezes his fist which gradually becomes brighter. A fireball forms in his hands and he throws it. When it is close to the target, Amadeo raises the barrier around Melissa and clenches his fist again, causing the sphere to explode, quickly burning several Golems. Gatsumiya exclaims:

_ Paragon, watch out! If that fire touches any Vampire, they'll get badly hurt!

_ Right! Sorry!

He changes the color of the flame and shoots again. The explosion was less effective this time. Gamila just watches carefully, but never stops firing her arrows. She calculates in her mind the likelihood that one of them will come out of that situation alive.

By that time, the Grootslang had already shed the ice and was trying to hit Mooya with its powerful paws. With agility, the Paladin dodges, still taking advantage of the monster's strength to destroy some of the Golems that try to attack him.

Johan climbs onto the creature's back, sticking his fingers through the scales, and keeping the dagger between his teeth. He struggles to climb up. Mooya turns one of his weapons into a large metallic chain and uses it to wrap one of the elephant's tusk. He pulls with all his strength, causing the creature's head to leans closer to the ground. However, three Golems jump towards him. He avoids a bite, but another creature's immense claws scratch against his ribs. He keeps the chain tense. Suddenly, Manan pulls the enemy away from the colleague and destroys it with her jaw. The other two she tears off with her huge nails.

_ Thank you, Gaan...!

Mooya says, pulling the chain again, now with Manan's help. Finally, the Grootslang lies close to the ground and Johan sinks the blade into its neck... But the chain breaks.

The monster shakes and knocks over Johan; simultaneously, it dashes towards Mooya and Manan. The Paladin flees from the ivory prominences, but Manan can't avoid them. She is launched a few meters away and lands motionless on the ground.

Soon, the creature turns to Johan, still lying on his back. It raises one leg and lowers it towards the boy. Johan receives the impact and feels his back sink against the floor. However, he resists the crushing.

Amadeo hears Penan's voice echoes across the field when she sees her sister being hit. The scream of the Vampire attracts several Golems that run at her. He slams his fists on the soil and mutters a spell. Penan then sees the ground under her feet rise a few meters; enough as to not to be reached by the monsters. She turns into a bat and flies towards Manan, still fallen. Amadeo takes advantage of the stone pillar he built to crush the surrounding Golems.

Johan remains pressed against the ground. However, suddenly, the weight decreases. He sees Mooya, beheading the Grootslang with his halberd that was laying around. The monster falls with a huge crash.

Phil celebrates when he sees the big victory of the day, while taking Yago, seriously injured, behind the Nurikabe. Amadeo goes down the hill to help both of them. Melissa, with blood dripping from her forehead, takes advantage of the distraction to throw some explosives at the enemies that followed the pair of Weremens.

Mooya pauses for a moment to heal the wound on the side of his torso. Johan gets up, feeling severe pains to breathe, but quickly heads towards Manan. Penan supplies her with her last bottle of bloodly potion, but still the laceration in her abdomen doesn't close. Mooya tries to help, but is approached by tireless Golems.

_ I'll get some more blood, sis! Hold on! （ＴДＴ）

_ Hey! _ Johan exclaims, kneeling close to the two _ Go help, Mooya. I'll take care of her.

Johan loosens his shirt collar. Penan bites her lips, choking with envy, but doesn't reply. Manan breathes slowly and shakes her head negatively. Johan growls:

_ You need blood and I have it! Don't complain.

_ So... I'll give you a reward for the help... _ The Vampire says, with a half-smile, as she approaches the boy with her huge fangs.

Johan feels the bite like a prick, but the discomfort soon subsides. Manan's wounds begin to heal concurrently. However, suddenly, she retreats with her mouth bloody. She looks at Johan with a confused and delighted expression: "It tastes so... strange. It isn't like any other...", she thinks.

_ Tsk...! _ Johan gets up, covering the wound with one hand. In that instant, he realizes that breathing has become easier; his body feels lighter.

_ Manan's special poison: A potent pain-killer. Enjoy.

Few enemies remain and Johan advances against them, voracious.