Unless the enhancing spells were making their muscles unnaturally strong, Sarevok and Peri would not have been able to cut as high as they did, leaping, striking with two-handed, accurate blows. The beast kept gurgling and shrieking, managing to scratch Peri with one of its slams. She hissed in pain but was grateful that she was not crushed under the paw, or hand, whatever the limb should be called.
There was more and more urgency in the throes of the Kusatte Iru now. It seemed that the spell casters had discovered a vulnerability, and it started to wobble, the ground echoing every unsure step it took. It was pelted by the magic, and the exhausted warriors kept hacking. One of the tremor waves sent Sarevok sprawling, and he just barely evaded the murderous blow of the oni, the ricochets of the rock it shattered pelting him even through his platemail. His rib cracked and he grimaced in pain, forcing himself upward.
The warriors could see frantic nudging inside the liquid stone skin, from the area of the approximate upper stomach.
- "Beware lest you cut her!" Sarevok yelled, leaping and slashing as close as he dared to.
- "She has... more pressing... concerns!" Peri panted irritably, getting strands of hair into her mouth.
The beast wobbled some more and collapsed, but the latest wounds started to close and heal so Peri and Sarevok didn't cease their hacking. The beast was not moving anymore. They could see the jade-encrusted blade cut through the stone-like skin, making a frantic sawing motion.
They rushed to widen the opening with their own blades, sweating profusely. It seemed that Yun-Men was still alive, sawing the beast from inside.
- "Bless her, it's working!" Peri said. "It's not waking up."
Sarevok wasted no time for words. He thrust his mailed,massive hand inside the wound, oblivious to the katana dangerously slicing around, and groped for the khan. Peri hooked her greatsword into the wound and pulled, with all her might, in order to prevent it from closing around the other two warriors.
Sarevok gritted his teeth, pulling, pulling, feeling the definitely live and tense flesh in his arms. Finally, with a hideous audible plop, he managed to pull Yun-Men out of the digestive system of the beast, Peri yanking the wound open all the time.
The khan was covered with entrails, her skin and chain mail corroded by the vile stomach fluids of the beast. She was snarling, her eyes hard as flintstones. Her skin was eaten away before their eyes.
She must be in a lot of pain, Sarevok realized. But she made no sound or mention of that.
- "Damned beast!" Yun-Men spat. "I... messed it. Good. Inside." She smiled cruelly, the acid corroding her lips. "Must... finish... it..."
Peri grabbed the katana and handed it to Sarevok.
- "You cut it good!" she said. "Khan... Yun-Men... come with me... your fight is done..."
The khan tried to object, but she started to wobble and shiver, involuntarily leaning on Peri. Peri started to lead her down from the beast's carcass, from the corner of her eye observing Sarevok butchering the belly and the neck of the fallen oni.
- "Yun-Men... my m... Jelena, the blonde woman, she is a very good healer. A magical healer. I think she can heal you," Peri said. So why is my voice so pained then, she wondered privately.
Yun-Men grinned.
- "This... is eating me!" she spat. "The fluids... they hurt... but I am a warrior! I brought it down!"
- "Yes, you did," Peri said sincerely. "Without you, and your death-defying sweeps we would be ground meat now."
Jelena hurried to them. Without wasting words she started to examine Yun-Men, who was panting, foaming and writhing on the ground, Peri holding her hand, watching her deep in the eye.
- "Peri..." Jelena said, "I think..."
- "You think she will not make it," Peri said glumly.
- "It is no ordinary acid... it is concentrated evil. If it was just a little... but it is overrunning her natural system, eating it away..." Jelena tried to explain, her head bowed.
- "I am dying," Yun-Men stated. Her stare was hard and cold, intent on Jelena's blue eyes.
Jelena nodded.
Yun-Men nodded and grimaced.
- "They... they will remember? Will they?" she said.
- "They most certainly will," Winski said. "You were the one who slew the most powerful oni on the material plane. The oni threatening the very existence of Kara-Tur."
- "They will compose songs about you, and your example will inspire your people always to be brave warriors," Peri said.
Yun-Men smiled ruefully. Just one tear made it into her eye.
- "I just... loved life so..."she whispered, and died.
Peri swallowed a sob.
- "I hope your soul will make it to that place where Winski was beheaded. Valhalla."
Winski smirked, but said nothing.
- "Peri, she was a..." Imoen started, but Peri whirled around, furious.
- "I will not hear a bad word about her!" she exclaimed, her eyes ablaze. "Whatever else she was, she was a damn brave warrior. And that is the end of it for me!"
Her eyes dared the rest of the group. No-one said anything. Peri threw herself onto Yun-Men's chest and wept.
