That must have been the Castle’s final order to it, kill.
Kaedros frowned. How had the Castle lost control of this thing Was it even a monster when they first sent it down here?
"We have no quarrel with you," Kaedros said, already shaping a formation in his mind. "We only want to ask the prisoners a few questions. We aren’t here to break them out."
The creature paused, hand going to the center of its head, as if weighing the words. For a moment, it seemed to understand, maybe even agree.
Then it laughed, the flames around its body flickering like mocking shadows. "No. You’re lying. You do want to break them out!"
The sharp, harsh command that followed cracked through the chamber.
The monsters answered instantly, as if waiting for the signal, fangs bared, growls rumbling deep.
An ape-like brute with a single horn and arms like twisted tree trunks lunged at Kaedros, claws sweeping wide. Gold’s whip lashed down with a sound like thunder, crushing the brute’s skull as if it were a clay pot.
"Most of these are low rank one," Gold called. "We should handle them easily."
Kaedros’s eyes weren’t on the swarm, they were locked on him.
Power radiating from him like heat from a forge.
"What about that one?" Kaedros asked.
Gold’s lips tightened. "Low Rank two... I’d say."
A grin spread across Kaedros’s face. Finally, a worthy opponent.
He drew deep on the silver stone, muscles hardening into steel as Flame blade roared to life in his hands. "Fight the others!" he shouted. "I’ll take the leader."
Without waiting for a reply, he surged forward, closing the gap in a heartbeat. His blazing sword came down toward all three heads, only to be caught in one massive hand.
The monster’s kick slammed into his chest, sending him skidding backward.
Kaedros rolled with the blow, coming up smiling, sword raised.
"That all you’ve got?"
The silver stone had turned what should have been a rib-shattering impact into a sting—but he had felt the weight behind it.
So this was a low rank three strength. Impressive.
An imp-like creature darted at him, blade flashing.
Kaedros didn’t even slow, his palm thrust forward, a burst of flame devouring it whole."Don’t interrupt."
Across the battlefield, Taria had joined the slaughter.
At first she didn’t even draw her spear, her fists, wrapped in essence, were enough. She crushed a monster’s skull with one hammering blow, blood spraying as bone collapsed.
Grinning, she lunged for a bear-like beast, only for claws to hook around her leg and slam her into the ground. Her head cracked against stone, vision reeling.
Only the cold, metallic power of the silver stone kept her conscious.
Gritting her teeth, she lashed out with her free leg. Her spear dug painfully into her back as she rolled, but she didn’t care. A wave of foul, dark energy slammed into the ground where her head had been a moment before.
She rose, spear in hand, its tip humming. Yellow essence flared, and with one thrust she sent a compressed blast tearing through her foe’s flesh as if it were paper.
Her silver stone was nearly spent. She plunged into the fight anyway, spinning her spear in wide arcs, monsters fell in screaming waves.
A dry, hateful hiss made her turn just before a scaled tail smashed into her ribs, knocking the breath from her lungs.
The blow hurled her into another beast, bones shattered, but not hers. She forced herself upright, silver stone gone now, pulling raw essence into her core until her eyes blazed.
The serpent-like monster before her was different, smarter. Stronger.
It lunged, spewing bright green acid meant to strip flesh from bone.
Taria spun her spear so fast it became a blur of yellow, deflecting the venom. Each rotation gathered more energy into the weapon, storing it like a storm before a lightning strike.
When she closed in, the spear lashed forward, releasing everything in one explosive thrust.
The serpent’s head burst into pink mist.
Panting, she leaned on her weapon. That last strike had drained her dangerously, her core now barely half full. But the fight was far from over.
The monsters pressed in from every side, their growls shaking the air.
How many had Joint Accord brought? And how had they gathered so many? How many still remained here?
She kept moving, her spear carving arcs of yellow light, heads falling, hearts pierced.
Most never saw her coming.
Some only glimpsed a streak of yellow light before dying.
Only the strongest matched her speed and strength and when they did, she pushed harder, her core patterns flaring like a blazing star.
Blood slicked the floor. Bodies piled high.
And still, the battle raged.
Gold was collecting heads, and he was enjoying himself. His Flow allowed him to manipulate liquid silver, drawn straight from his core.
He didn’t know if it was his own raw arcane power he was shaping, nor did he care. The Flow was too much fun. Stronger than steel, harder still when solidified, it was his perfect weapon.
His favorite form was a whip, half liquid, half solid, like the one in his hand now.
It flickered forward in a blink. A monster’s head spun into the air, rolling until it joined the growing pile. The body hit the ground with a thud.
"Really? You’re afraid to come forward? Don’t tell me my little whip scares you." Gold smiled at the monsters circling him, none daring to attack.
They’d learned from the others, learned that they couldn’t see the strike that killed them. Couldn’t even tell what was taking their heads.
The liquid silver, which Gold had named Siv, clung to his right hand so closely it looked like part of him. Between blinks, it became a whip, flicking fast enough to decapitate before prey even registered the attack.
A dark-furred hound tried its luck, lunging from behind.
Siv sliced it neatly in two.
"A shame we don’t have time. I’d play with you longer but..." Gold’s words cut off as he spun, raising his whip just in time to block a spinning metal ball. The impact rattled through him, forcing him back a step.
"What in the sun....!"
The ball was attached to a chain, gripped by a towering bull-headed monster, horns curved like scythes. Twice Gold’s height, it was a walking mountain of muscle wrapped in heavy chains, each ending in a massive spiked ball.
Gold backed away, one step at a time. His whip might not cut that thick neck. The thing radiated raw, crushing strength.
The smaller monsters, sensing an opening, growled and advanced.