Aaaaaaaaaaand I'm back! Sorry for the delay, I had stuff to DOOOOO.
And by that, I mean I was on vacation. I need a break every once in a while, too XD
Anyways, REVIEW REPLY TIME, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Xbox432: Yep. And Tabitha's not gonna be happy, to say the least.
Wraith's Heart: Yeah, the runes have been sentient for a while now. And the crystal is from the inFAMOUS universe as one of the things that have trickled into the FoZ world, and in IF2 the crystals give Cole powers when he runs a current through them. Hopefully this chapter isn't as rushed.
KO: Hehehe, yeah. And no, I don't have plans to add any more Conduits from the original world. I think trying to keep all the characterizations might end up too much of a challenge
Krazyfanficton1: Well, if he finds a portal home, time for a loyalty contest! It'll be a while before that though. And thanks for the review!
Ww1990ww: Yep, only known Physics. But as far as Gig is concerned, that's the physics rules that he's counting. XD
Anyways, thanks for everyone who reviewed and read! Hopefully you all like the chapter today, but it's not so much of a humor-filled one. Serious time is serious.
Chapter 12: The Path of Least Resistance
"I follow the path of electrons."
The engine droned as I flew towards Tarbes, my fingers itching on the triggers, thirsty for blood. I could see the area far ahead… it was already up in flames.
I couldn't tell who was who from up here, though. However, Tristain's forces had yet to mobilize, so it was safe to assume most of the forces were Albion's.
…That flower field… it's up in flames too.
The words echoed in my mind. "This is the field I wanted to show you, Kurt. It's beautiful, isn't it?"
My blood ran cold with hatred as I moved in. I will destroy these fools… and ensure the safety of these people. Reconquista… your twisting of ideals, your lies to the people about equality… I'll show you a thing or two about equality. Death is never discriminatory.
They say that the will of an individual is nothing compared to the forces of a well-organized team.
Those people obviously never met me.
With cold steel in my voice I let out a stoic monotone, "I'll fucking kill you all."
"Steady, Partner. Don't lose your focus." Derf warned with what sounded like a bit of fear.
I gave a cold smile. "I know, Derf. Let's kill them all."
The first wave came at me and I blasted through them, forcing all of the dragoons aside. As soon as I was a fair enough distance from them I pulled the stick hard and looped over, then came back right side up before opening fire with the machine guns and autocannon shells.
Holes appeared in the dragons' wings that dared to oppose me, a few lucky rounds going into their mouths which caused them to explode. Hm, it seems that I should aim for the mouth, then.
I roared with an unquenchable fury to no one in particular, making my way to the next rising wave of Dragoons. "Come at me, you bastards! I can take you on all day!"
The runes glowed brightly as I mowed them down with sadistic pleasure. Now this is how it should've been. Ooooh yes, how great this was. I will destroy them all!
"W-whoa!" Eh? Who the hell…? "Y-you're just taking down the Albion dragons like they're made of paper!"
"What-" I pulled right to avoid a fire stream, "-The hell are you doing in here?!"
"I… uh… I… I didn't want to leave you!"
I sighed, "You better hold onto something, and I hope to hell-"
Stopping my sentence short, I threw the plane to the side before circling around and taking out another squad of dragoons. I was about to talk to Louise when the plane shook. Taking a look outside, I found that there was… what the fuck is that thing?!
I rolled with the plane quickly to throw off the thing that looked like a rotting human being with black skin and brown torn up bat wings that was on my plane. What the fuck, is that some weird flying corrupting shit from back home?! What the hell is it doing here?!
I flew the airplane away before opening fire on it, taking it out. That shouldn't be here! What in the motherfucking hell?!
Louise shrieked as she pointed forward. I traced her finger and found… a gigantic cloud of these guys.
With a growl, I cut my speed by a bit before taking my time to shoot them all down. I don't see any other masses of those guys from my angle… but the fact remains that they shouldn't be here!
Then again, if stuff has been filtering in from my world, it should stand that there is a chance that one of those freaking swamp monsters came in here. But how are there so many? Unless the source, which was never publically identified yet, came here, then this shouldn't be possible!
…Or someone else touched one of those damn stones and got something to make these things.
Fuck.
Okay, I need to start- never mind, I'm going to think about this later. I mean, shit, I'm flying an airplane! I need to focus for now!
"Six from your left, Partner!"
I nodded at Derf's scouting and flew accordingly, shooting them down as well. When will these idiots learn, I wonder?
"Get back up so I can kill you again!" I cackled, blasting down the last one.
"I-idiot! I'm still here!"
"Louise, I told you to hang onto something!" I shouted back, spiraling off to the right, "Derf, are the skies clear for now?"
"I don't see anything—Behind us, Partner!"
I looked over my shoulder to see that two dragons were charging at me. Well, time for a little something I like to call a barrel roll!
I guided the plane right, using the motion to smoothly slow myself down and get behind them. The two moron riders watched in awe, presumably because dragons probably couldn't do such a motion because of their physiology. Heh, sucks to be them.
Before they could react I pelted them with bullets, sinking them to the ground.
"Anything left, Derf?"
"Nothing, Partner."
"Then let's help out the ground forces."
I pushed the stick up and dove for the ground, pulling up in time with the help of the runes. The forces on the ground shouted and pointed as I let loose, Reconquista easy to tell because they were coming into the village. How much longer is it going to take for Tristain's forces to mobilize?! Man, someone needs a War Management Board.
As I pulled up near a forest, I saw a familiar shape and outfit.
…Siesta…
I circled around to take a look around and see if they were safe.
No, it seemed that there was a squad of mages going their way, and judging how everything was burning, they'd kill Siesta.
My attention wavered for a bit, my thoughts wandering to homesickness. Hell, even piloting in this plane… I mean, memories of a school trip to the Air and Space Museum just… flooded my mind. Nostalgia of smiling children, of this plane… of home.
…Not to mention that Siesta was the number one source of my homesickness. It wasn't the mathematical formulas and science that I did that made me homesick; that was a way to forget. I was making progress and doing something other than focusing on home. But every time I saw Siesta, there was a conscious effort not to call her Cynthia.
The only difference, after all, was their eyes. Siesta had brown eyes, Cynthia had blue eyes. It didn't help that they looked so damn similar, though.
These past few weeks have been… hard. I can keep homesickness at bay, but it doesn't last forever. It's like a dam: the instant it breaks, everything comes flooding through.
…So what if I just let her die here?
My homesickness would be solved. I wouldn't see the image of home every time I saw her face, her kindness, her smile. I mean… it would work, wouldn't it? I could go around the castle and do work, without being reminded of a past that I'm not proud of, of a girl I failed.
They might hail me a hero after this, saving this village… but I know I'll always be a villain at heart. This… 'goodness' that Siesta always is speaking about is just me being selfish. I just want to have that feeling of worthiness of Cynthia. And heroes aren't selfish now, aren't they?
…There's always the runes, though, but I'll never do that. Those memories of home are ones I cherish. I just wish there was a way I could control when they popped up and how I felt when I experienced them. With Siesta, every time I saw her it was every positive memory with Cynthia, the ones I most loved and hated to experience the most.
I loved the way I could see her smiling face… but yet I hated the way I was responsible for how that face would never smile again.
…So if I just let those mages go through, I wouldn't have to deal with this. No more homesickness, more control of my memories, and more stability.
That choice was easy; it was the path of least resistance.
Yet… if I just let someone who reminded me of Cynthia, a girl that I loved, owed so much to, and held my closest bond to, die like this, what about the others that I didn't hold such a bond with?
Louise was like Shizuna, even to the point that I thought of them both to be like little sisters. Colbert reminded me of Roy, always questioning. Kristen was reminiscent of Kirche, passionate and unpredictable. And Siesta's siblings were like all of the kids that we eventually took in.
What about them? If I let the one person that was like Cynthia die, would I just stand aside if the others were threatened?
That answer was no.
So it should stand that I protect Siesta, despite all of the pain, the homesickness, the despair of the possibility of never going home, until such time that I can no longer do such.
…Let it be known that the path of redemption is far from easy.
Heh, what would I say if I somehow saw Cynthia again? 'Hey, I couldn't take the homesickness so I let someone who looks exactly like you die'? Such idiocy… Besides… even if it hurts to see Cynthia in her every time, at least there's still a reminder. I guess I ought to be glad that there's someone just as kind as she was.
I curled my fingers on the controls before taking myself down to mow down those soldiers that would dare assault these people I came to call my friends.
To be clear: this was not heroism; this was selfishness.
No one will tear me from those I have come to care for. From this world and my world.
With renewed vigor I soared, dominating the skies like a storm. For an unknown amount of minutes I tore down the forces of Reconquista with a burning hatred I had never known, the runes glowing as they lit up the canopy.
Screams filled the skies as I tore through their forces, the plane shaking as bodies would sometimes smack into the plane. Louise would let out a shriek as bodies would soar by, but it didn't bother me. I was used to death, and with Louise's power, she would need to get used to it.
The steady hum of the machine gun echoed, dragons falling from the air. Heh, this is-
One of the ships in front of us suddenly burst, a rotting beast coming out. Its black skin let out grey smoke, a sickly pale-grey mix of powers pulsating on its armored arms. It spread wings that looked like black angel wings but were partially dissolved.
With a loud cry and tongue lashing the air, it took to the skies. What in the hell… it looks like a giant freaking corrupted Devourer that roamed the streets. And is flying right the hell at us.
I squeezed the triggers, opening fire on its pores. I hope to God those are a weak point like in a video game.
Said pores burst, releasing flying creatures that looked like those scythe-armed things from the city, except this time with wings. You have got to be shitting me!
"Kurt, what is that?!"
I kept my mouth shut, focusing on killing this thing. Lexington be damned, if this thing got loose the consequences would be far, far worse.
I could feel my body twisting as the plane lurched right to avoid a swipe from an incoming Scyther, as I will now designate them. Need to shoot them down first or take out the massive one… which one, which one?! I can't take everything out nor use my electricity powers; it's far too risky in this plane!
"Kuur-aaaaah!"
"Louise, I said to hold onto something! Keep quiet and just remember that I know what I'm doing."
She didn't argue back, knowing that type of voice. It was the same sort of voice that I had used when I had told her to run when Foquet originally showed up. One that demanded obedience and no questioning. It was a tone I did not use often, only when it was necessary.
And for Louise to live after she made the mistake of coming up onto this plane, she would need to follow my instructions.
"O-okay…"
"Just think happy thoughts, okay?"
Louise let out a small mumble as I took the plane into the fray. Scythers came in from the left and right, but using the power of the runes I was able to evade their attacks and return fire, draining their numbers from the sky.
Another Sycther came clawing for us and I had the plane dive to avoid it. Dammit, too much incoming!
Pain seared across my cheeks, a sound of a cry that sounded like a child possessed filling the cabin alongside Louise's screams.
Instinctively the Gigawatt Blade formed on my right hand as I threw it forward, hearing a strangled cry and a thunk. When I looked forward there wasn't anything there. But God, that glass hurt…
"Y-you're bleeding!"
"Didn't I tell you to stay still back there?!"
"I heard glass breaking!"
"Stay still! Don't worry about me!"
I wasn't going to let her die here. And that meant me as well, seeing that we were on the same plane.
A stream of green that shot by us, reminding me of the bigger threat. The flying thing, gotta take care of that.
Flying straight for it, I opened fire on the monstrosity, bullet holes ripping through its fleshy wings. If I can just take out the wings, it won't pose too much of a threat.
It fired another stream of green as I closed in, forcing me to barrel roll out of the way. It severely cut my speed, but it was the best way to dodge them for now. Come on you big bastard, why the hell won't you just die?!
Well, first thing's first: pull this thing away from Tristian and the village.
I flew straight for the Lexington and the beast followed me amidst the cannon fire. With such a nimble aircraft I could dodge the shells that flew, however the monster couldn't, flinching and screaming every time a cannonball slammed into it. Thaaaat's right, just keep on getting hit.
Why was there even one on the ship anyways? It makes no sense! Tch, there are other and better times for me to-
"Partner, look!" I turned and looked out, finding Tristain's forces incoming. There is no chance for their survival should they press on, though. Their army was smaller, infinitely so, to the sheer amount of forces that Reconquista possessed, "They stand no chance…"
Not to mention this game changer, the monster. Even Reconquista was trying to shoot it down. But Reconquista had resources and men and for some reason it had come from their ship. Tristain didn't have anything like that, so to save them I'd need to destroy it.
"Princess…"
"Tch. They came now of all times."
"What do you mean by that, Partner?"
"It would've been nice a little while ago, if we had someone taking out these nasty fliers we could've launched an offensive on the big guy."
"But what about now?"
"Now… well, they're pretty much dead if we can't destroy it here. Let's hurry up with this. While it seems hopeless, victory hasn't yet been proven impossible."
I clenched my hands on the controls as I took us into the blazing cannonfire, drifting left and right to avoid the onslaught of cannonballs. But damn, that is a lot of cannons! Fuck, magic really can put technology to shame at times. I mean, a floating freaking airship, for crying out loud! If that thing was packing actual anti-air from back home, fuck me then!
Never mind, I'm getting distracted.
"Louise, I'm not exactly sure how your religion… but you could always pray for Henrietta, right?"
"R-right."
"I'm going to try to fly over the ship, maybe we can burn it to the ground. If I take out their leadership, the rest should crumble. It's a standard rule of war, I suppose. And then maybe we can make this thing take a lot of fire along the way as well."
As I flew through the clouds, the monster weakened and taking more and more hits, I found that the Lexington was over the port city… Heather was down there too.
"I don't think you can get in close, Partner. Not to mention that we have that monster- watch out!"
I barrel rolled left, dodging another stream, "Try me. Tch, anti-air units would be packing shrapnel or flak, it'll be tough to get in close. But if I let these runes flow full force… I might have a chance."
If only for a second, let me have control.
I was about to argue when the cockpit lit up with a glorious white light. I turned around, "Loui-"
The sound of glass shattering filled my ears and I threw my arms wide to shield Louise. Fuck, did we get too close?!
"They're firing grapeshot at random in an attempt to hit us!" Derf reported while I forced the airplane down, "We can't do anything about that!"
Let me have control!
"Everyone shut up!"
"…Kurt."
Louise's calm voice cut through the chaos as she held up her shining book, a knowing look on her face, "…I have something I want to try."
I couldn't read the text of her book, but I trusted Louise.
Flying towards the bottom, I let out a curse as I found there were cannons there as well. However, I believe there were some blind spots, so I should be able to figure those out, or just fly really fast. I'll need to circle around behind it while Louise does what she's going to do. Once I got directly above it we'd be okay.
"Hold on, it's going to be a bumpy ride." I warned before grabbing Louise with one hand and pushing us forward. She began to chant in something not even the translation spell could understand.
I made my way through the mess of cannons before pulling up, going for a half loop before putting us right side up. I circled the top a few times as Louise continued to chant with her eyes closed.
A loud roar alerted me to the situation below. The monster's wings had been decimated, so it was forced to land on the Lexington where it was now swiping mages left and right as they fired what cannons they could at it.
Louise slowed down in her chanting and she nodded as she stuck her arm out the windows, wand pointed. I turned the plane slightly so she pointed directly at the Lexington. Nothing happened at first, but I felt something was up, so I flew us all away.
It was a good chunk of time before I turned the plane around and looked. Nothing had hap-
Everything started.
It was like reality hiccupped for a second. A small sphere that looked like what a mirage looks like started at the center before expanding, fading out as it touched several ships. The shots of the Lexington stopped. The area was silent.
And then every ship that had been consumed started to look like it was breaking, white lines appearing through the wood.
Wait, where the hell did the monster go? It's not… on the ship…
Before I could take a look around, a glorious white light consumed everything…
…and nothing was left that had been touched.
An entire fleet, decimated. The monster, destroyed, hopefully. La Rochelle hadn't been touched, thank goodness. It would serve well in the upcoming war, no doubt, as a launching point for invasions.
Oh yeah, there wasn't any doubt. There was a war coming. And with my knowledge, Tristain might be able to win. It would require a mass mobilization, a lot of industrial development, and a lot of change, but it could be done. I'm pretty sure they could do it.
Now of course… just to land this thing.
"Mhm…" I looked at Louise, who was swaying back and forth, "Did we do it…?"
I patted her on the head, "Yeah. You did it, Louise. You did really well. I think you might be considered a hero to Tristain here. Anyways, you look tired, so just sit down and sleep, all right?"
Louise nodded silently before falling asleep between my legs, head buried into my chest. She had already begun snoring a bit while I resisted the urge to chuckle as I reached for the controls. Let's get back.
If the monster hadn't been in there… well, hopefully it hadn't gone too far.
I landed us nearby where there weren't burning flowers, the citizens who had made it to the forest pouring out to greet us as we landed, cheering their hearts out. They received us by throwing what remained of their hats and scarves as I carried Louise out.
Waving, I descended the wings before stepping through the blackened grass and soot-covered faces. It brought a smile that made me feel at ease despite the destruction that had been here.
Siesta led her siblings out in a hand hold, cheering my name the loudest. It was quite embarrassing, really.
They began a round of applause, so loud that I thought it might've shook the groun- Oh no.
I put Louise in Siesta's arms, a confused look on Siesta's face, before climbing up onto the plane. At the top of my lungs, I screamed, "SCATTER!"
It was here.
My hands lit up with the Gigawatt blades as I charged forward at the Devourer, people's cries of panic filling the air as they ran back into the forest with as much energy as they had coming out.
"Siesta, get Louise to safety! I'll fight this thing off!"
It slowly tore through the ruins of the burned town, tongue blasting rooftop planks and acid burning through the stone walls. Burning roofs were not an issue as it threw flaming logs every which way, leveling houses with every step.
I ran, kicking up dust and pebbles, vaulting over debris and making my way higher. From roof to roof I leapt, using the Static Thrusters to keep myself up.
Unfortunately, Derf wouldn't be of too much help here. He may be able to absorb magic, but this thing didn't use magic. At the very least I can rely on him for a boost, but he might get dissolved by that acid.
At the end of my leaping, I stood on top of a taller building, Gigawatt Blades sparking with vigor. I stared at the destructive beast with hatred. Was it not enough for their town to be destroyed by an invasion, but now this beast that came from Reconquista.
There is no doubt in my mind that it came from them.
It burst from their ship, but after that, it wasn't under their control. It's not like the corrupted back home seemed to have anything controlling them other than a simple recognition of other corrupted. Must be some sort of biological sight for them.
But here… there's no other corrupted now. Its pods have burst, its wings gone. I will destroy this beast, and find out who made it or brought it here. There is no reason for it to be here other than shit has been seeping in from my world.
I've seen McGrath fight one of these things before. He had all sorts of power and shit, things I don't have. All I have is a few powers and a basic grasp of what they can do. I'm not exactly deep into my studies, but I know enough for the basics.
I mean, once I knew that I really could magnetize things, lift things with fields, how to manipulate current, those sorts of things, I didn't go that much deeper. I regret not having done so.
But regardless, I must rely on what I have. And what I have is a very specific set of skills, a wide breadth of knowledge, and a logical and analytical mind.
I don't know if it understood me, but it didn't matter, "So… it seems that some ugly crap from my land showed up here.
"I've faced worse than you. They said there were no solutions, there was no hope for this town.
"I can light up the clear skies with divine lightning, bring knowledge and advancement to a world growing stagnant, and ignite those that use fire to kill them. Now it's time for you to burn."
I leapt off the building, arms held back for an overhead strike. The beast lashed its tongue but I timed my swing that it would cut across its tongue, a black sear appearing across the fleshy tongue, a smell reminding me of smoked ham filling the air.
I bit back a curse as my feet hit the ground hard and I readied a fighting stance. Left hand desparking, I began to complete the current and shocked the beast. It roared in pain before spitting at me, with me throwing myself behind a destroyed house for cover.
Daring to take a look, I found that the acid quickly ate through the wood in a matter of seconds. With much reason to hurry, I moved as a blur, two feet on the ground and hands ready to fight.
Sighting a pile of rocks, I used my powers to lift them and launch a hail of stones at the Devourer, watching them impact its skin without much effect. Damn, this thing's a lot tougher than it looks. Not even a freaking cut across its skin. Either that, or it has as much healing as I do.
Well, that just means I'll have to deal as much damage as I can as fast as possible.
I manipulated a magnetic field to pull in what iron weapons had landed here when I had took down the Reconquista Air Force close to me. Taking a spear, I readied for a favorite attack of mine.
Hurling the spear, I magnetically accelerated it, a fireball screeching through the sky. The beast staggered, looking as if it was wondering what in the fuck had just smashed it, "There's more where that came from, motherfucker!"
The Devourer gave what came off as an enraged roar, me having to duck out of the way of a rain of acid. Well, there go a good set of spears for throwing.
I leapt onto a roof before calling forth another wave of weapons, this time a set of four iron swords coming forth. Not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess I've got to make due. Too bad they aren't good for a railgun projective. Well, maybe I can just aim for its face.
Another pained cried pierced the air as I sent all four swords skewering into its face. There wasn't time to celebrate though, as I had to leap off and find another roof as the beast charged me.
Stone bricks and wooden splinters and planks scattered in the sky as it impacted the building. I doubled back, trying not to get too close as it recovered. Need to catch my breath here for a second, phew.
Okay, so I either need to hit it a lot of times with magnetically accelerated projectiles or cut a hole in it. And judging from the fact there's a lack of things that would make for a good projectile, well, there's not a lot of choice now, is there?
I baited it to get close to me again, trying to complete the current but I think its resistance was pretty up high considering that I couldn't exactly get a huge current through. Tch.
The Devourer charged me again, but this time I was on a not-so-destroyed building, so when it slammed into the building it collapsed, trapping it.
I landed a fair distance away, then turned around to make sure it was still trapped. Good.
In a few seconds I rushed the beast and leapt up, timing the Static Thrusters to give me a boost. As I rose through the air, my left hand formed the Gigawatt Blade to slice across its face-
OH SHIT IT BROKE FREE AND OH GOD IT HAS ME WITH ITS TONGUE!
My hands immediately formed the Gigawatt Blades, thrashing about, "GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF! I DO NOT WANT TO BE FUCKED BY A GIANT TENTACLE TONGUE, DAMMIT!"
It let out a high pitched squeal, my hands immediately finding my ears to cover them. Damn, make it stooooooop!
The world became blur, my entire front feeling wet and cold, a bitter taste of grass and other crap (in more ways than one) filling my mouth. Ugghhh…
"Partner! Up on your feet! It's coming!"
"Don't you… think I can't… feel it…?!
It ached to pick myself up off the ground. That swipe must've really gotten me good… I done goofed right there.
I tried to balance myself by putting a hand on an undestroyed wooden table, only for it to collapse. Gotta… gotta keep myself steady… catch breath after that impact…
The ground shook and I found myself brought to my knees. Need to… catch breath…
I looked up and found the Devourer's slobbering, acidic tongue hovering over me. If you're going to kill me, you bastard, just do it already!
"Hey, ugly!" My head rolled to the side to find Siesta's father in half burned clothing throwing a piece of burning wood at the thing. You idiot…
The Devourer let out what might've been the human equivalent of annoyance, hurling an acidic stream. However, Siesta's father dodged it by hitting the deck before sprinting off away from the forest. It turned its back before I felt someone dragging me away to cover.
Who…?
"Siesta…?"
"Shhh."
I couldn't help but look around the corner to find that the villagers of Tarbes had launched a barrage of flaming pieces of wood, no doubt picked up from the ground here, "Those morons… I need to get up…"
"But you need to rest… and you're bleeding…"
I looked down at my stomach, finding that a stain was rapidly spreading across my shirt, "I must've hit something when he sent me flying. Regardless…"
Forcing myself up, I ignored the pain and shakily stood up, Siesta catching me before I could fall to a knee, "Kurt, you can't go…"
"But I have to! That thing is mine to deal with! It came… it came from my world, probably…"
Gotta… keep going… My problems ought to remain… my problems…
"Excuse me," Siesta turned me around and I found Henrietta dressed in shining silver battle armor, looking as if she were a purple haired Valkyrie with a silver wand, "If you would allow me?"
The pain began to vanish at the sight of a white light that blinded me. I felt along my ribs, finding there wasn't any more bleeding… magic, huh? Henrietta's a water mage then, or at least knows a fair bit of it.
I relished in the power, feeling my strength coming back as the pains and aches kept going away, "Oh yeeeeees! This beast… WILL BE ENDED!"
Before anyone could say anything, I had taken off as I drew Derf, speeding straight for the beast. Its back was turned to me, the villagers throwing more and more fire without any effect. I'll save them.
I sprung off the ground, Static Thrusters activating and throwing me further into the air. I found my way onto the Devourer's back and began to scale it like Foquet's golem. With my free hand I brought forth the Gigawatt Blade, carving my way into its back as I climbed.
The Devourer whiplashed around but I stuck Derf in it and held fast, gritting my teeth and holding in a barrage of expletives as I tried to hold on. I won't let go!
Unfortunately the force was enough to swing Derf off, but I managed to stick him in the Devourer's hand, still moving to the point that the blade twisted in said hand, causing it much pain.
I swung around as the blade twisted, letting go at the opportune moment to send myself flying right for its face. Utilizing the Static Thrusters, I floated up into the air and landed on its wet skin, feeling myself almost slide.
Before it realized what had happened I brought out the Gigawatt Blades and stuck them where its eyes should be… if it had eyes, anyways.
It threw its head to the sky in an attempt to shake me off but I held fast, continually stabbing and slicing its neck, a deep purple liquid squirting out, ruining my clothes.
Its tongue then reached out to smack me off, but I leapt away and took a hold of the slimy, pulsating tongue. Good thing that isn't covered in acid somehow.
With a swing of my hand I sliced at its tongue, the stench of burnt flesh filling my nostrils. The Devourer flailed, throwing me left, right, up down, my only reference point being wherever the hell the ground was at any given second.
In a final attack it reeled me in, perhaps meaning to eat me.
This was a major mistake on its part, allowing me to get in close.
Letting go right before being pulled in all the way, I soared through the air with dual Gigawatt Blades. When I got in close I sliced with both hands in the shape of an X at its throat before continuing along with my velocity, carving a thick cut down the center.
Purple blood and ichor dripped out, my clothes getting to the point I thought I could've been a motherfucking grape. My boots made a squishing sound like I was stepping in a puddle after a storm, the occasional splurt staining my clothes further if that was possible or worse, getting on my face.
I limped over to where Derf was, drawing him from the fleshy hand, "Sorry to just drop you off like that Derf, but I saw an opening and went for it."
"Ah, it's all right, Partner! I know your way of doing things. Just make sure you remember to pick me up afterwards!"
"Will do, my friend, will do."
Cheer erupted as the corpse was burned, my knees giving out beneath me, and eventually I decided just to lie down in the bed of undestroyed flowers. The grass felt comforting and wasn't like a swamp, which means that luckily, I am not lying down in that thing's blood… Oh God the top of my hair is wet. Fuck, that isn't not going to be fun to clean out.
Man, at least Ice Giants sort of just fell apart when you killed them. These things have to bleed out.
Eh, it could be worse. I mean hell, what if it was like Aliens where they had acidic blood? Shit, I could be motherfucking dead right now or at least have severe chemical burns!
Though damn, this place is going to require a lot of rebuilding. If it even can be rebuilt. Homes are burned down, acid has killed off plenty of plants, there might be a fire in the forest, and I'm pretty sure that living here isn't going to be fun when you've got constant fear of a Reconquista attack. Not to mention that it must be pretty traumatic watching your peaceful, out-of-the-way town be used as a launching point for invasion.
At the sound of footsteps, I turned my head to the right, finding Siesta carrying a roll of bandages, Louise looking very concerned, and Henrietta looking just as worried.
Heh, it reminds me of when I first took down an Ice Titan.
Well, not really I. It was myself, Ralph, Ashely, Christina, with someone cheering us on…
Wait, no, that didn't sound right. Ralph, Ashely, Christina…? Who were they…? No, it was Roy, Ashe, and Kristen. But who… who cheered us on?
…Oh fuck.
Huehuehuehuehue.
Bet you didn't see that one coming.
Also, as for my supposedly increased updates… video games. That is all XD And video games, and all that. Plus I've been spending a lot of time on my original writings as well, so yeah.
Anyways, this chapter was shorter than the others, but I was trying to focus on one specific event here. Next few chapters aren't as long if I remember right, but it'll be a little more frantic action in those.
Pheeeeew, though. Had to write this chapter twice before I was close to satisfied with it. Hopefully it was nice for you guys.
If you liked it, then favorite or follow if you already haven't, and leave a review if you want to say anything! Constructive criticism is always appreciated! Peace ouuuuut!
Cryptic Hint for the Next Chapter:
"Prepare for… unforeseen consequences."
