The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 76: Cruelty of the Gods, Part Two

The Heroes covered their ears as the Beast let out a metallic shriek, it's massive twin swords glowing red hot as the metal heated like boiling magma. The Second Yin brandished his katana, motivating the troops. "C'mon! We dealt with this thing before, we can do it again!"

"I never fought that!" The Second Vao protested. "I fought Weiss's armor thing when you chased me through Vale, but never anything like that!"

"I agree with the moron!" Winter shouted. "That thing, just looking at it I can tell it's more advanced than what even the Second Atlas has here! And didn't King Iris say your magic wouldn't do anything!?"

"Bluffing," the Second Yin growled. "He has to be bluffing!"

"He, uh... Seemed pretty confident," Cardin tried to say. He was interrupted as the machine guns mounted on the Beast's shoulders began to fire, forcing the armies and Heroes to take cover in the buildings. The massive machine stomped forward, making the ground tremble with each step. The Second Timeline Heroes left the temporary safety of their hiding places as the machine guns began to break down the walls, the Second Yin sprinting around its legs. The Second Sasha met up with him as the Beast raised its heavy foot and brought it down on top of them, the two Heroes struggling to hold it back as they caught it in their hands.

"Vao! A little help!" The Second Yin screamed. The Second Vao and the dullahan shared a confused look before deciding both of them were the right choice, running to join in holding back the Beast's immense weight.

Salem and Yin dove away as King Iris maniacally pounded on the controls, the swords cleaving through the apartment complex they had been hiding in.

"What are you doing!? Flip it like last time!" Salem shouted. But when she looked over to the four, she knew something was wrong. They were struggling, even when the First Sasha and their own Sasha joined.

King Iris burst into a fit of laughter, his voice echoing from the intercom. ["Not this time, you cyborg bastard! I've made a few improvements! Such as increasing my ride's weight! Worth every fucking penny!"]

CRACK...

Their feet began to sink into the ground. The Beast was going to crush them flat, and if they tried to get out of the way then they'd be crushed for certain. The Second Yin shot a desperate look at his brother, his eyes pleading. "T-teleport! TELEPORT!"

"I-I can't! I can't teleport when I'm scared out of my bloody mind!"

Verde raced past with her broom, the Second Raven balancing on the back behind the witch. The warrior professor slashed open a portal as they passed, pulling them through from the ground. Dust and debris flew into the air as the Beast's foot slammed down, breaking the street, but narrowly saving their lives.

The Maidens of the First Timeline climbed the buildings and threw their magic at the weapon of mass destruction, King Iris pressing a few buttons. In an instant he erected force fields, sending their magic right back to the senders. Velvet and Cinder managed to dive out of the way just in time, but the First Raven was ripped to pieces and the First Weiss's arms were frozen solid, shattering into bloody chunks when she fell.

A squad of Cultist tanks rolled through the streets, firing tank shells at the Beast's legs. But with another press of a button, King Iris sent out a shockwave that threw the shells back at the armored vehicles, blowing them up with the Cultists inside.

"Boss, do something!" Jasper screamed. Mono nodded, her pupils warping into the shape of a clock dial.

"[Time Stands Still]!"