"I am not going to let you attack first this time." The mage tried to keep his emotions in check, but the trembling of his pupils and his clenched fists didn't lie. " This time, I'm going all out at once."
Right after whispering those words, Hojosa ran towards the monster. While running, he pointed his opened palm at the monster and launched several fireballs the size of his own body. When he was only a few meters away from the monstrosity, He jumped over it's hand as it tried to grab him, a burst of flames pushed him further and allowed him to move behind it. He then used another burst of flames, this one coming out of his hand, to dodge it's sudden chop attack. He didn't know how to attack it and had to devise a strategy. However, he was doing great at dodging every of it's attempts, soaring through the air like a bird, a fiery bird.
'This damn thing is faster than it's size implies....But it doesn't know how to fight against small enemies. If it did it would be trying to flatten me. You don't go after a small enemy with a horizontal chop attack.' Those were Hojosa's inner thoughts as he landed on the beast's head. It's head was full of messy black hair that was so thick and slimy they felt like tentacles disguised as actual hair.
He clasped his hands together and slowly pulled them apart, a blue spinning ball of fire appearing between them. It grew in size the more he moved his hands away and it got to a point where it was two times bigger than his body.
He was ready to crash it right on the beast's skull, but something moved around his feet.
He looked down and roared. "AH DAMNIT ! HEALERS GET READY !" Those were his words before the hair circled around his left leg and grabbed it. It then threw him at the ground with enough forced to encase him once more in the stones.
This time, however, he quickly removed himself and right on time at that. Just as he jumped away and moved towards his teammates, using his fire to boost himself, a huge foot crashed on the stone ground.
The beast turned it's head to look at Hojosa and it's lips began to move. It seemed like it was speaking, but Hojosa couldn't understand anything it said. This wasn't the case for the female healer who responded to the question all the team members had in their minds.
"I can translate this....It said something like ' Your movements are smooth, fire demon. Unfortunately, you will not dodge my strikes forever.' " She explained as a savage grin appeared on Hojosa's face.
He got ready to launch another round of fireballs at the beast, sadly for him, it moved faster than he thought it would. The tank was on it only a second after it dashed towards the team, a war cry leaving the hulk of man's mouth. A red aura washed over the beast and it roared back at him.
It's hand came down on the tank who used his iron gauntlets to block the strike, but the force behind the attack was enough to shatter both of his arms. The leader immediately started to heal him as the man screamed like a bear that had gotten shot by a hunter.
Now that Seneos actually took a good look at the man, he did have an animalistic look to him. Not only did he not have a top, but he also had unkempt black hair and a body covered in scars.
He looked much less intimidating at the moment though, what's with his bent arms and the bits of metal from the iron gauntlets sticking into his flesh. A river of scarlet liquid ran down his broken gauntlets as he kept his arms down.
The beast wouldn't give him any time to rest and tried to kick him away. A sudden figure shot towards him and he finished in the arms of his much smaller fiery colleague.
" The way I see it, our dear healers aren't going to be able to heal your wounds for now. If they can't have a direct link to you, they can't do shit about those T-Rex arms of yours. " Hojosa warned his teammate who nodded at him.
They both landed a few meters away from the beast and rolled over the ground. The tank turned towards Hojosa and spoke with a faltering voice, the veins on his face looking ready to pop off. He couldn't very well ignore the burning pain in both of his arms.
" How should we do this, Hojosa-Hyung ?" The wincing tank gulped and looked at Hojosa with a pleading look. (Hyung is a term used by men or boys to speak to older men they respect. It means older brother. )
Hojosa chuckled and ruffled the tank's hair. It was at that moment that Seneos started to actually understand the relationship between those two.
"I told you not to call me like that, I ain't older than you, fucker. Anyway here is what I think we should do." Hojosa looked at the beast and then at his slightly younger teammate who looked like he really wanted a plan that would result in him getting healed as soon as possible. " I keep attracting his attention with my attacks and then you run straight towards the porter. Our healers can't do shit, but we didn't bring those potions that taste like putrid bodily fluids for nothing. "
The tank nodded although he looked a bit apprehensive. Meanwhile, the shadow mage was the only one who could defend the healers so she had redirected her cloud and sent it straight at the beast's eyes.
The same tendrils appeared and slashed at his burning orbs before it could swat them away, though it did close it's eyes in an instant. It roared in pain and grabbed the cloud, wringing it in his it's hand, before glaring at the mage with it's bleeding eyes.
"RAHHHHHHH !!"
It's roar made the entire throne room rumble and sent shockwaves that hit the healers as well as the shadow mage. While most of them went flying against the pillars, the female healer collided with Seneos whose bones made sickening noises as he took the hit. He had just received the body of someone who weighed nearly as much as he did and who had been launched at a speed easily rivaling that of a sports car.
The result wasn't pretty for the girl that was sure, but for Seneos.....He was left groaning and puking blood while the girl panicked and crawled towards the haversack full of potions. She searched the bag and found the two healing potions left, their purple glow making her smile weakly.
"It's going to be alright, M-Mister Porter" She said before getting hit by a coughing fit. She quickly wiped off the traces of blood on her mouth and looked behind herself to see how her teammates were faring.
She saw the tank but then also heard the beast speak once more. Seneos looked at her and coughed some more blood.
"W-What did it say that time ?" He asked as she paled. She answered his question whilst her eyes went to one of her teammates.
"It said....'Your corpses will be good to dress up the dining table'"
Seneos cursed under his breath and she couldn't help but agree. Though her attention was still on her teammate.
The tank was running towards her desperately, his gaze fixated on the last healing potion which she had in hand. She threw it at him when he was close enough, right as the beast's hand swept the ground and grabbed Hojosa. He squirmed in it's big dark blue hand and recoiled at the scaly feeling of it. That thing was really a mix of lizard, human, and moose.
'The fuck kind of monster is that ?! I don't remember hearing about a gigantic humanoid with scales and goddamn antlers.' Such were Hojosa's heated thoughts as he tried to burn the Beast's palm. It barely so much as winced and brought him closer it's face. It's big head created a shadow over Hojosa who could only gaze into those two burning suns that served as it's eyes.
The fiery mage then heard the Tank roaring in the distance.
"[ Steel Guardian ] !!" The tank voice carried over to the beast who looked at him with interest gleaming in it's eyes.
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