Mitsuko surrounded by enemies found herself in her element, her wild swings of her serpent arms slain many enemies, she was quick and deadly. Soon enough, her blades were stained in blood as she found herself getting surrounded by more future victims of her carnage. She stabbed an enemy in the gut with her sword, only to raise it high and vertically slice through the torso in half, while swinging her scythe to the charging opponent, penetrating his left shoulder as he screamed in agony while quickly dropping to his knees. Mitsuko forcefully removed the scythe and kicked the bleeding corpse away. She turned around diagonally carved through another enemy luging towards her, he left his guard wide open and could only widen his eyes in horror as her sword cleaved through him, he didn't feel much of anything before it was too late. His legs stumbled to the ground while his torso fell to the side. Mitsuko twisted her body and blocked an oncoming attack from Lyra as she jumped and struck her sword down, Mitsuko blocked it with both her weapons. The two of them leant in as they both stared at each other. Mitsuko's eyes were filled with bloodlust and pleasure while Lyra's was filled with bitter hatred.
'Ahh hello there. I don't think I've had the pleasure to know your name. If you live long enough maybe I'll learn it.' Mitsuko grinned sadistically which made Lyra grit her teeth angrily.
'A pleasure you will not earn serpent because you will be given to lord Jinzha for his ascension.'
'Oh I ain't going to be given to nobody, I'm not a slave to be traded!' Mitsuko replied as she pushed Lyra back and swung with her weapons, Lyra managed to block and deflect the attacks as she kept walking back.
On top of the wall Grus was fighting for his life as Da Ji unleashed a relentless onslaught to him. With constant slashing attacks with her claws, Grus was unable to get an opportunity of attack as the look of Da Ji's sadistic look in her eyes terrified him. He saw the spear penetrate her stomach! How could she have survived, and how did she get here to co-habit this pathetic humans body? He attempted to dodge and block out of the way however for the last few strikes Da Ji managed to scratch some clothing off from his forearms and tore some off from the right side of his stomach. During one attack Da Ji lunged at Grus, he sidestepped the attack and lowered his spear to sweep Da Ji off her feet. However she leapt up in the air and slashed down with her right claw. Her claw tore through his forearm, which immediately bled his golden blood as he took a step back and grabbed it. While Da Ji slurped the blood that was on her claws. Grus gritted his teeth through the pain and held his spear firmly once again, ready for the next onslaught.
Da Ji smirked behind her veil as her 9 tails behind her that are shadows became sharp and sent one to attack Grus who opened his eyes in shock, unaware of this. He sidestepped but the attack caught his shoulder, which started to drip with blood. A sharp pain surged through his body as another tail cut through the top of his other shoulder before Da Ji unleashed a volley of them. Each one tail performed a stabbing attach simultaneously to keep up the pressure at different angles making it difficult for Grus to keep up. He tried to block and dodge out of the way of the tails however with each one blocked another one quickly attacks. There was one or two attacks that got through, barely missing the entire limb, just enough of a scratch to draw blood. Grus was being pushed back by Da Ji who didn't seem to break a sweat as she just walked closer and closer to him as her tails did all the work for her. More attacks were made and thus more blood was drawn from his wounds as more wounds appeared on his arms, torso and sides of his legs. He felt himself get weaker with every attack, he knew he couldn't last too much longer against her. He had to attack her. He lunged in, narrowly dodging an incoming attack from one of her tails and thrusted the spear into her stomach as fast as he could. Da Ji simply leapt back to get more distance. Grus lunged in and released a flurry of attacks, trying desperately to catch her. But he can't hit her, she had a mischievous look in her eyes, as if she was amusing herself similar to Pang tong. He growled in frustration as he put more strength in his attacks out of frustration.
Da Ji dodged the attacks effortlessly as Grus felt his body weakening with each strike, he had to try and get her. She just needed to hold still! Yet she didn't, she scratched him with her tails and claws whenever she could leaving Grus even weaker. Eventually Grus was too exhausted as he held his spear like a walking stick and planted it firmly on the ground to prevent him from collapsing, feeling his body would just give up on him. He breathed heavily while he can only look at Da Ji's pleased expression on her face. She raised one of her tails high in the air only to slam it down towards Grus. Grus quickly raised his spear high to block the attack. However the tail shattered the spear into two. The force of the attack made Grus crash to the ground on his back with the tip very silghtly cutting through the middle of his torso. Da Ji walked towards him and crouched next to him. Grus could hear her monstrous snarls coming from behind the veil,
'Do it you demon, kill me and end this.' Grus demanded. Da Ji laughed.
'You think you are in any position to make demands?' Da Ji asked before grabbing him at the throat with her right hand. She caressed her index claw on the side of his jawline while piercing his soul with her demonic yellow eyes.
'Oh no, you don't get to die. That would be quite the escape for you I would suspect. Instead…I've been dormant for quite a while and I need to test out some machinations of mine. Your screams will be quite the melody for me. However…before I'm able to do that this one wants you for something else so I will oblige. It is the least we could do.' Da Ji chuckled as her laughter was slowly fading away, her figure was shrinking down as well into eventually returning back into the figure of Pang Tong with his shadow arm being hovered over Grus who chuckled.
'Hehe, so she possessed your body has she? Tch, you have my pity human. You should've let me kill you when you had the chance.' Grus told him. Pang Tong chuckled sinisterly at the mystic.
'Possessed? Oh no it was not a possession it's a mutually beneficial partnership we have. Hehe. Its not a particularly exciting tale but it is one worth telling at a later point in time. For now lets just say I use her powers and in return she lives within me. As long as she sees your peoples suffering…or just suffering in general she is placated. Though she can come out for an appearance if she deems it necessary for our survival or if she's feeling terribly bored. However I'm sure you'll see her in the future as unfortunately for you we seem to be missing some information about you mystics. Something you are going to give us. Whether you like it or not.'
Meanwhile the amalgamation stood up after being gored and thrown against the wall by Gyuki who immediately tried charging tusk first into him as he was pinned. However the amalgamation sidestepped out of the way. Slamming himself into the wall. The tusks penetrated the brick wall. The amalgamation lunged forward with the trident and tried to charge into Gyuki. Gyuki removed the tusks from the wall and backstepped away form the trident, narrowly avoiding the trident. Gyuki clubbed the trident to the ground before sliding the club, striking the amalgamation in the face. Staggering it backwards. Gyuki charged forwards the abomination going for an overhead strike with his club. The amalgamation blocked it with his polearm and swiped the double bladed trident into Gyuki's chest, causing blood to escape from the wound. He staggered backwards after. The amalgamation charges again towards Gyuki seeing an opportunity. Though instead, Gyuki managed to grab the trident, stopping the abomination in its track. The amalgamation roars in defiance as it tried to push the trident further, Though Gyuki wouldn't let him. Instead using all the strength he could muster he roared ferociously as he was able to slowly lift the amalgamation off the ground in a very impressive display of strength while he turned around and quickly slammed him to the ground, flattening several enemy soldiers on the ground.
Gyuki stepped backwards and shook his arms due to the pressure of his arms were starting to become overwhelming. The amalgamation tried to stand back up with his trident in hand. Although Gyuki changed that notion as he stepped on the tip and the amalgamation was now not strong enough to lift it from him. Gyuki quickly smacked him with large club, knocking him down on the ground again. Gyuki walked over the fallen amalgamation and roared before he smacked it in the face with his club numerous times, bloodying up the face as it bled golden blood from its eyes and its flesh stitched mouth. After the beating Gyuki gave it, he looked upon the beaten amalgamation who roared weakly but still defiant of the boar demon. Gyuki then dug its teeth into the neck of the amalgamation, earning a scream from it as it blood spilled out of the neck wounds as he would use all the strength in his neck to tear the head off from its body and threw it among the black mountain army causing immediate terror and panic from the main army. Their one ace in the whole, their siege weapon was defeated. There's no way they can win now. Gyuki roared victoriously as he laid waste to the rest of the army, swatting them away like flies with his club and stepping on them like insects, even grabbing and eating a couple as he was feeling peckish. Blood covered his mouth with some dripping down to his open jacket he was wearing.
Meanwhile Dodomeki and LingQi was faring much better against Luna than their first encounter. Both of them were able to clear their mind and fight against Luna 100%. Luna still had her illusions but both were ready for them. Dodomeki charged in and threw a few punches at his Luna who dodged and blocked with her sword before striking. Dodomeki confidently deflected all of her attacks at that moment with his gauntlets. Luna couldn't quite understand it. She didn't expect him to return with such vigour and determination. The way he moved and attacked were different from their previous encounter. Luna couldn't figure out what though. Heh, she found it quite interesting. She thought that Dodomeki if he did recover would be demotivated, in fact it was the opposite. Luna sliced her sword down at Dodomeki who side stepped to one side and kicked her in the gut with a roundhouse kick. Forcing her to crash down and slide away as Dodomeki leapt up to for a strike at the downed Mystic. Luna rolled once away just before the attack hit her as she extended her blade out. Cutting through Dodomeki's shoulder. Though that did not deter the cyclops as soon as he stood up he pressed the attack and jabbed her in the face knocking her back. She growled when she got enough space, blood trickling down her chin and nose which she quickly wiped form her face. Dodomeki was visibly amused.
Luna used the chain to try and attack Dodomeki from a distance and use the same tactics again. Dodomeki was prepared for this as he grabbed the chain and ran towards Luna trailing the chain along. She smirked believing him to be a fool to forget the pain. She pulled her index finger with her free hand towards her as she pointed towards Dodomeki. The chain rattled as it began to circle. It was this when Dodomeki grabbed the chain and broke it with his other arm. Cutting off the arcana that flown throughout the chain. Dodomeki then threw it at Luna who deflected it with her free arm only for Dodomeki to appear right in front of her already and go for a punch. She had barely anytime to react. The hateful golden eye staring back at her as he threw the punch with his left arm. Luna sidestepped and struck downwards towards the arm. Dodomeki quickly withdrew the arm only to immediately throw a backfist at her face. She staggered backwards as blood trickled again down her nose once again. Dodomeki taunted her to come towards him which infuriated her as she lunged in with her blade.
Meanwhile LingQi and another clone Luna clashed blades with LingQi being more focused on the enemy in front of her, allowing her to anticipate her movements more. As she struck downwards Luna sidestepped and attempted to stab LingQi in her stomach. However LingQi was too quick as she stopped mid strike to launch a swipe attack towards Luna who had no choice but to step back as she couldn't get close enough to go through with the attack. Though as the swipe attack past her body she saw the momentum going too fast for her to swipe backwards. She lunged in again for another strike. LingQi planted the left glaive down, narrowly clashing with the tip of the blade. Blocking the attack as she used her right glaive to strike at Luna diagonally downwards as she raised it high before dropping it on Luna. Luna had to step back to dodge the attack. Allowing LingQi to push the offensive as she swung her blades towards Luna who had no idea what was going on.
'What's this? She's not supposed to be standing, that amount of pain I inflicted upon her even if I let her go should lead her enough pain to struggle to stand, yet here she is getting the better of me! How!? This doesn't make sense. It can't be because of that infernal cyclops…not all of it at least. Wait…what the!?' She noticed as she has been dodging and deflecting LingQi's attack she notices what looks like…steam coming from her neck. Her eyes widened as she saw the burn marks from her chain began to disappear.
'How in the world!?' Luna couldn't believe her eyes, giving LingQi the opportunity to strike. She swung her right glaive diagonally upwards, cleaving her way through Luna. Her face held a shocked expression on her face as her torso becomes separated with her legs though before either of them crashed to the floor Luna disintegrated into white smoke. LingQi breathed heavily as she dispatched of her enemy, she looked behind her to see Dodomeki finish off his opponent as punched her at the side of her face so hard the head came clean off, though that too was an illusion as that clone also disintegrated. LingQi panted heavily as she needed to get her breath back, she thought her second wind had gone and now needed time. Though she expected her injury around her neck to be more severe. The more she fought after that her injuries hurt less. She found it confusing, considering just how much pain she was in previously. She grabbed her neck with one of her hands and trace around her injury and although she still winces a bit at the touch of her neck it doesn't hurt nearly as much. She wondered why that is the case.
'Don't worry about it so much. It worked to our advantage, we're still in the heat of battle after all. You don't want to be distracted by someone charging you from behind, while also certainly forgetting you can attack him as he's behind your right shoulder.' LingQi pulled the right armed glaive backwards to hit a soldier coming towards her. He coughed up blood before she withdrew the glaive from the newly formed corpse as he fell backwards, crashing to the ground.
'You know I had that covered right?' LingQi asked.
'You sure? He was getting close to you.' At this point LingQi used that same arm to hold it in the air and throw it at a javelin at Dodomeki who didn't move a muscle. The other side of the glaive hit another soldier charging behind him in the face. The blade pierced the skull and decapitating it. The glaive stuck in the ground with the head planted into it. Dodomeki looked behind him to see the damage as LingQi jogged over to quickly remove her glaive from the ground. She forced the head to slide off with her other glaive.
'That one was also getting close to you. Figured I'd take care of him myself.' LingQi smirked at him. Dodomeki chuckled at this.
'I figured I'd give him some sort of false hope. It's the least I can do. However it seems we still need to finish that one off.' Dodomeki and LingQi look to their side and find Luna grabbing her right shoulder as she panted heavily. Luna could feel the smirk from behind Dodomeki's mask as his golden eye laid eyes upon her. She growled, she hated to admit it but there is a deeper link to her clones than she wanted to let on. She was about to get ready for another round despite her exhaustion though that was before Gyuki roared as he threw the head of the amalgamation with his mouth in the enemy ranks. Shortly after the commander ordered a full retreat.
'Damnit! Retreat! Retreat! The battle is lost without the monster!' The commander ordered. Using his horse to quickly escape the frontlines of battle. Luna looked at the fleeing soldiers and then at Dodomeki and LingQi and smirked arrogantly.
'Tch, looks like we'll have to finish this another day. I so look forward to our next encounter.' Luna quickly sprinted away.
'Hey get back here!' LingQi called out and went off to pursuit but Dodomeki stopped her.
'Your wounds still haven't 100% healed and you may be following her into a trap, you won't be able to catch her. Don't worry lady Mitsuko will get on the offensive soon enough.' Dodomeki advised her, LingQi cursed the situation mentally as she wanted to cut off her head but she stayed her hand. As much as she hated to admit it, Dodomeki was right. Despite their battle Luna still had incredible speed and more than likely Mitsuko would push this once her forces agree.
Elsewhere Mitsuko and Lyra were duking it out with Mitsuko claiming the upper hand. They initiated a deadlock before the commander of the enemy forces signalled the retreat. Lyra gritted her teeth in defiance but she knew when to fall back. Her blade shone a very bright blue very quickly blinding Mitsuko temporarily blinded by the sudden burst of light giving Lyra a chance to push Mitsuko away using the deadlock and flee. However Mitusko had other ideas, even though she herself was blinded and used her right one to cover her eyes. Her left serpent closed their eyes in the nick of time. It quickly swallowed their weapon as it slithered in the air towards Lyra. It bit her ankle as she was trying to escape forcing her to crash to the ground. The fangs clutching tightly to the bone. She spotted Luna in the distance and called out to her for help. Though Luna just looked at her and grinned before she continued to escape. All hope seemed to be erased in Lyra's eyes as her final hope to escape fled. Why? Why did Luna abandon her? Were they not on the same side? Did Luna not want this serpent gone?
Those thoughts were quickly replaced with panic and terror as she was being pulled towards Mitsuko. She dropped her sword during her fall and tried to scramble to reach it within her hands. However as she was pulled across the ground, no amount of scrambling around would allow her to reach it as it became further and further away. Soon enough Lyra was hoisted up by her feet until she was eye level with Mitsuko who managed to recover from being blinded. She smiled demonically as she used her other serpent to bite in between her left shoulder and her neck. The fangs pierced the skin and held on to the bone tightly while the other serpent adjusted its grip to move to her hip and bit down clutching tightly. A small portion of blood exited both pairs of wounds as she was raised in the air. Mitsuko then used both serpents to pull in opposite directions having Lyra scream in agony as she felt her body start to tear apart. The screams were silenced as her body was torn from the waist down. Golden blood was splattered in front of Mitsuko with guts and organs littered over the pool. Mitsuko discarded the legs while the torso is being held up high as more golden blood drips from the carcass with more guts and organs hanging out from the bottom. Mitsuko dropped the body in the pool of blood and turned towards the fleeing enemy and let out a terrifying screech of victory, followed closely by the victory roar of her forces. Terrorising the enemy as they fled for their lives. Deep inside the palace of Yemen however all that could be heard is the sound of a crying infant that echoed throughout the halls.
A/N: Hey guess who isn't dead? Haha. But seriously my most humble apologies about the delay in this one. January was quite a hectic time for me especially for work since I'm working from home leading me to getting burnt out mentally which I didn't anticipate and I'm sorry it took me this long to get it out. However now that its passed and I've taken a bit more time for me to relax more outside of that ridiculously busy and anxious time I should be able to get back on track. Once again, very sorry for the delay but hopefully now I can get back to a normal schedule. Well until next chapter, sayonara.