AN: So here is the next chapter, hope you enjoy. It is a bit action heavy, more so than I usually like to do. But hopefully you all enjoy it.
Not much to say other than that. Except that I've caught up with the anime now, and have to say the story is getting interesting. These Xenos are an interesting idea, I'd already been vaguely aware of them from my research for the last couple of chapters, but now am more knowledgeable. Have to say I have some interesting ideas I want to play around with , when it comes to them.
So yep, hope you enjoy the chapter and leave a review etc.
Disclaimer: I do not own Elder Scrolls or Danmachi.
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(Last Time)
The two smiths were a complete contrast to one another. Where Azoth was tall and broad shouldered, with white hair, delicate facial features and porcelain skin. Charles was much shorter, and stockier, with dark skin, plain features and short messy black hair.
"Sounds like a plan." Azoth nodded, smiling back at the affable human as he did so.
With that said the two of them started to make their way through the streets, looking around as they did for a nearby free table, or free place for them to sit and eat.
Unfortunately however, the two of them had barely made it a few steps before the atmosphere suddenly changed, and screams started to sound out in the distance.
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Chapter 12
( - )
(With Azoth)
"What's going on?!" Beckendorf shouted, his hands shooting down for the non-existent weapon at his hip. Only for him to realise that he, like many of the other festival goers, had not brought a weapon.
"Trouble." Azoth replied bluntly, drawing his newly forged sword as he did so, before he then turned and faced in the direction of the screams and shouting. He could already see people running in their direction, away from the disturbance and the amphitheatre in the distance.
Furthermore he could hear roars now too, and inhuman bellows. The sounds of monsters.
"Monsters by the sounds of it." Azoth continued, his eyes narrowing as he stared down the boulevard, his gaze searching the thronging rush of people heading their way as he tried to spot whether there were any monster's in their number.
"Well let's go help out then!" Beckendorf replied, veering off slightly as he lunged over the counter of a nearby food stall. His legs waving almost comically in the air behind him as he rootled about with something in the stall. With the owners of the stall looking on in shock and confusion as the sounds of fighting sounded out in the distance, and more civilians ran past the stall.
"Fine, let's go." Azoth nodded, a frown on his face as he brushed a couple of fleeing civilians aside with his free hand, before looking back over at Beckendorf. "What are you doing?"
"Arming myself!" Beckendorf grinned, his feet landing back on the ground now as he turned away from the now vacated stall, the owners by this point had run, and looked at him.
In his hands Azoth could see Charles now had a meat cleaver and a chopping knife.
"We're not making a feast you know." Azoth replied dryly, a wry smile on his face as he took in his companion's weapons.
"I'm improvising." Beckendorf grinned again, before his expression became slightly more serious as more people ran past him, and he nodded in the direction of the chaos ahead. "Come on, let's go. We shouldn't hang about. Let's find out just what in the hell is happening out there!"
"Right." Azoth nodded, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword as he started forward. By his side Beckendorf did the same, both of them shouldering their way through the throngs of fleeing people as they made for the nearby sounds of violence and carnage.
Azoth didn't know what was going on. But, by the sounds of it there were monsters loose in the city.
No doubt they were escapees from the Monsterphilia festival, after all how else could the monsters have gotten up here. Unless of course they had rushed the entrance to the Dungeon and broke out that way?
Azoth shook his head at the worrying thought.
In the end it didn't matter right at this moment, just why the monsters were here. Instead the focus needed to be on the fact that they were here and running amok. Their presence, he knew, at least explained the panic, after all despite boasting the highest population of Adventurers and gods and goddesses in the world, Orario was still mostly made up of normal everyday humans, demi-humans, elves and dwarfs.
Approximately three quarters of the city's population were just normal and mundane people, everyday folk that just peacefully went on with their lives. They were the type of people that never ventured into the Dungeon after fame and glory, but instead profited off of supporting those that were foolish enough to do such a thing.
With monsters loose in the city, it was no wonder they were panicking. Most had probably never even seen a monster in person. Save perhaps, for in the controlled taming events the Ganesha Familia threw. As such seeing wild and uncontrolled monsters in the flesh for the first time, must be a terrifying experience.
Pushing roughly through the crowds, Azoth also took note of a few people that looked like Adventurers mingling in with the crowds as they fled from the nearby fighting. Or at least people that dressed the part of Adventurers, and had weapons.
That was another thing with the city. Despite having such a large population of Adventurers, the vast majority of them were Level One. Which meant that although they were tougher than normal people, they could only really deal with low level monsters. They wouldn't stand a chance against some of the Mid-Level monsters that the Ganesha Familia had brought up to the surface for the festival.
Or at least that was what he assumed considering that he could see more than a few of them fleeing with the crowd. After all, why else would they flee, unless the monsters that were free and roaming the city, were stronger than the garden variety creatures that roamed around on the upper floors of the Dungeon?
Looking down at his casual clothing at that thought, Azoth grimaced. He wasn't wearing armour, and neither was Beckendorf. Neither of them had come out expecting to be attacked, instead they had come out hoping to get drunk and have fun.
They were both woefully unprepared for a fight.
Still, Azoth thought as he gritted his teeth, that wasn't going to stop them.
"Looks like we're nearly there." Beckendorf said, a scowl on his face as he shoved one of the last few stragglers out of the way as they made it onto one of Orario's main market squares. The previously affable man, looking pretty tense now as he then proceeded to look around at the ongoing battle and carnage around them.
Azoth nodded curtly at that. Beckendorf was right.
Scowling as they made it onto the square, Azoth's violet eyes narrowed as they locked onto the first, and biggest of the monsters he could see in the square.
It was a giant, stone skinned gargoyle with bat-like wings, long muscled limbs and claws, and a snarling bestial face.
"Shit." Beckendorf cursed as he too looked over at the gargoyle, before then looking down at his improvised weapons.
Azoth knew exactly what he was thinking. Neither the cleaver nor the knife he had purloined, would be of much use against a monster as durable as the gargoyle looked.
Hell, even his sword might struggle to get through the monster's granite coloured flesh.
"Clear out some of the smaller ones." Azoth muttered, nodding over to the edges of the square where several other Adventurers could already be seen fighting off other monsters. Some of them fully armoured and armed, whilst others had done as Charles had, and had improvised.
Dotted amongst them, Azoth could also see a couple of, elephant mask wearing, members of the Ganesha Familia, wielding spears and axes as they tried to corral a large, vicious looking boar.
"Right." Beckendorf nodded curtly, following Azoth's gaze as he did so. Before he looked back at him. "If you need a hand, give me a shout."
Azoth smiled at that. It was a bit of a perfunctory statement considering that Beckendorf was only Level 3, whilst he was a Level Six. But even so, he appreciated the thought.
With that said, Beckendorf gave him one more look before he rushed across the square and barrelled into a snarling snake-like creature, with clawed hands and a humanoid face and upper body. His cleaver already slashing through the air and gouging into the hissing creature's side, even as three other Adventurers used the distraction his appearance created to close in and inflict their own wounds and attacks on the monster with spears.
Nodding at this, Azoth then turned back to his own opponent. Violet eyes locked with burning red as he gripped his sword tighter and stepped forward.
Already he could see the bloody, slain bodies of both civilians and Adventurers alike littering the square, along with the remains of slain monsters, and the occasional pile of ash and dust too.
Already he could see blood was spreading from the felled mortals, and seeping into the ground. It looked like a battleground.
No, Azoth scowled, that wasn't right. This wasn't a battleground, it was a slaughter. This was monsters attacking innocent, unarmed, vulnerable people by surprise.
Gritting his teeth in anger at that thought, Azoth let loose a roar and charged at the gargoyle.
The grey skinned monster mimicked him as it did the same, both of its claws scraping furrows in the ground as it rushed him, its burning red eyes practically glowing.
Meeting the monster in combat, Azoth was the first to attack, his sword whistling through the air as he swung it in a wide slash. The silver blade was practically a blur as it forced the gargoyle to back off for a moment. Its red eyes widening with some kind of crude, animalistic intelligence as it gave ground instead of following through with its initial rush.
Grinning at this, Azoth raised his free hand and unleashed an explosive fireball at the gargoyle, even as he pressed his advantage. Now he had the monster on the back foot, he needed to keep it that way. He needed to get in its space, and stop it from taking the offensive.
A loud explosion sounded out a few moments later. The blast of heat and magic sent a wave of fire several metres in all directions, even as it caused the gargoyle to snarl and back off a few more steps. Its skin now singed and partially burned in places.
Grinning at this, Azoth lunged forward again, his movements quick and efficient as he lashed out with his new sword. The blade sang through the air as he lashed out with one hand, in quick, sharp slashes and thrusts. Already he had landed a half dozen hits, his blade scoring the creature's rock hard hide, cutting maybe an inch deep at most, but no more than that.
The creature's hide was far more durable than he had thought.
Scowling at this realisation, Azoth quickly pulled back as the monster suddenly seized the advantage now. Another below erupting from its maw as it rushed him and forced him to block and deflect several wild slashes from the monster's claws and barbed tail, with the flat of his sword.
Skipping back a few steps as he fended off the monster, Azoth raised his free hand again, and unleashed a blast of concentrated frost at the gargoyle this time. A shell of frost rapidly formed over the creature's front side, even as he darted in again and continued to harry it with his sword. His teeth still bared, as his sword clipped into its side, once again cutting an inch or two deep, but not much more.
Letting out another roar, the gargoyle twisted around and lashed out at him with its barbed tail.
Dodging back again, a scowl spread across his face now as he continued to dance around it, needling it with blasts of magic and his sword.
This was a far cry from his usual style of fighting. If he had had Dawnbreaker or Wuuthrad this fight would have probably already been over. A single slash from Dawnbreaker would have set the beast alight. Blow from Wuuthrad meanwhile, would probably have hewn it in two.
Still, he didn't have his enchanted weapons, but instead just a normal sword that was barely hurting the monster. More than that though, his frost also didn't seem to be hindering it that much either. His weaker spells, which had been so effective on the first ten or so levels, didn't seem to be having as much of an effect on this stronger monster.
It was concerning.
Growling internally at this, he switched up spells again, and instead of using 'Frost', he instead unleashed another fireball. An explosion once more sounded off as fire consumed the gargoyles form, the force of the concussive blast knocking it back a few steps, even as more fire lapped out over the already scorched square.
Rushing in again after this, Azoth lashed out with his sword, his eyes narrowed as he ran through the forms Vilkas had smacked into his head back when he had first started fighting and questing with the Companions. His blade slashing from high to low as he built up his momentum, the word practically singing as it swung through the air, biting deeper and deeper into the creature's hide with each strike.
With another roar the now burned and injured gargoyle tried to fight him off. He could see that there were now several long slashes and gashes in its hide. Furthermore in places he also could see burnt reddish muscle had replaced its previously resistant hide, a clear sign that his spells had at least done something.
Angling his sword Azoth deflected the most recent of the Gargoyles slashes, his eyes still narrowed as he advanced on the once again retreating beast, even as it let out another snarl and turned and whipped its spiked tail at him.
Seeing the tail, Azoth shifted his sword again, moving it to intercept the tail with the edge of the blade.
With a shriek of pain and anger exploding forth from the beast in response, even as the grey skinned creature fell back again. Its bestial face twisting in anger and anguish as it rapidly withdrew its suddenly much shorter tail.
Grinning at this, Azoth continued forward, not letting up as he once again seized the advantage and lashed out a few more times with his blade. The sound of steel clashing with stone reverberated around the square as his sword met the monster's claws, and he managed to land several more slashes on the creature's arms and torso.
Dark red blood was now splattering onto the floor of the square. The almost blackish liquid mixing in with the spilt blood of the civilians and Adventurers this beast had already killed.
He had it on its last legs.
The creature was covered in wounds, and burns. It was all but done.
Azoth meanwhile didn't have a mark on him, save for a few spots of the creature's blood on his shirt. Cosmetic damage at worst.
Locking eyes with the snarling monster, Azoth could only assume that the beast had worked this out too. After all it had stopped retreating, with it instead standing its ground now. Its massive ten foot plus frame looming over him, as it spread its giant tattered wings, he had made sure to disable them first, and let loose another roar.
Only this time, instead of just sound, fire also erupted from its maw. A large stream of it that tore through the air toward him.
"Shit." Azoth muttered, raising his other hand now as he called upon his 'Steady Ward' spell.
With a rush of heat and flame, the gout of fire hit him and exploded around him. With the fire rapidly eating away at his hastily constructed ward as it continued to swirl around him for a few seconds, before it stopped.
Brushing some soot off of his now partially burned shirt, Azoth's expression turned flinty as he looked up at the injured gargoyle, even as it huffed in some breath and prepared to unleash another blast of fire.
"This was my favourite shirt." Azoth scowled, looking down now as he examined some of the new holes and burns in his shirt. His ward had protected him for the most part, but not completely. A few stray embers had managed to burn their way through, and although they hadn't hurt him at all, his shirt was a lot less resistant than he was.
If the monster even heard him, it didn't show it, as instead it drew in more breath for a moment, and lunged forward again as it prepared to unleash another blast of fire.
With the injuries he had dealt to it, this was likely its last feasible form of attack, a slow and imprecise breath attack. It was like a shoddy replication of a dragons' fire breath.
Scowling at this realisation, Azoth drew in his own breath, three familiar words of power rising up within his mind as he locked on to them, and focussed on the meaning behind each of the ancient words, the things they embodied.
"Yol Toor Shul" He bellowed, a stream of molten fire exploding forth from his mouth as he did so. With reality itself, twisting as his words of power forced their will on it. With the massive blast of fire erupting froth from his mouth and rapidly expanding outward. With it tearing across the intervening space between him and the gargoyle. His own golden fire rapidly consumed the gargoyle's paltry flames, even as it consumed the rest of the creature, burning away not just its body, but its magic stone too. Reducing all before it to ash.
Silence reigned in the square for a moment as all the remaining Adventurers looked over at him, some of them wide eyed as they took in the thirty metre cone of blackened glass now that spread out in front of Azoth. With that being all that remained of the monster, bodies and stones that his fire breath had consumed.
And for a moment, all was calm as by this point the last monster in the square had been slain, or had been captured.
But alas this quiet calmness only lasted for a moment, before a chorus of new screams sounded out from one of the entrances to the square and three more Adventurers spilled out onto the market square. A horde of Orcs, Battle Boars, Imps, a bear monster known as a Bugbear, and a tiger monster known as a Lygerfang all rushing in after the small group. With a looming, four metre tall, orange scaled, wingless dragon following along after them.
"To arms!" One of the members of the Ganesha Familia suddenly shouted, shattering the tension as he and a number of his fellows rushed in to aid the fleeing Adventurers, and to bring the fight to the newly arrived monsters.
"You heard him!" Beckendorf bellowed next, his gore soaked meat cleaver raised high and a wild smile on his face as he charged in next, the remaining ten or so Adventurers following his lead as they went to back up the others.
Nodding at this, Azoth gripped his sword tighter and joined the charge. His lips curling upwards as he let loose a snarl, and lashed out at an imp with his blade, easily decapitating it with a single swing.
Ignoring the blood that spattered onto his already ruined shirt, Azoth forged on his hand raised as he sent a spike of ice hurtling into the lygerfang's flank as it leapt at a member of the Ganesha Familia, the force of the blow knocking it to the ground with a yowl, and leaving it vulnerable as it was then massacred by two other Ganesha Familia members with axes.
Pushing forward, Azoth barely blinked as he saw Beckendorf hamstring one of the pig faced monsters they called 'orcs' with his kitchen knife, before slamming his meat cleaver into and through its head as the two metre monsters collapsed to the ground.
Instead he pressed on, more blood spattering across his pale face as he lashed out with his sword and disembowelled a Bugbear, before finishing it off by shooting a firebolt into its mouth as it let loose a bellow of pain and rage. The blast of fire blowing its head to pieces.
Breezing past the now dead monster, Azoth this time unleashed a bolt of chain lightning from his hand, the smell of metallic ozone filling in the air as the bolt then blew apart an 'orc's' head, and then bounced on to blast apart three imps and knock another 'orc' onto its back, leaving it vulnerable as another Adventurer darted in to finish it off with a sword thrust to the throat.
These monsters, Azoth smiled, were a lot easier to kill than gargoyle. Hell, they weren't even a challenge.
Twirling his sword around, more blood showered the area as he cut through a half dozen more monsters in seconds, his attention no longer on them as he instead focused on the small, fire breathing dragon at the back of the horde of monsters.
He had of course heard that there were dragons in the Dungeon. Welf had mentioned them to him, as had Tsubaki, Leo and Beckendorf when he had asked.
There were apparently multiple species of dragons down there, from the weaker dragons like the one he faced now, the Infant Dragons. To the slightly stronger ones; like the Green Dragons, which were apparently the equivalent of a Level Four Adventurer. Or the Amphisbaena on the Twenty Seventh Floor of the Dungeon, a giant twin headed dragon that apparently would give even a Level Six Adventurer a challenge.
Not only that but apparently there were even more powerful species on the lowest floors; like the Cadmus, the strongest of the monsters on the Fifty First Floor, or the Wyverns on the Fifty Sixth Floor, or Valgang Dragons on the Fifty Eighth Floor.
Either way there were apparently dragons in the Dungeon, and powerful ones at that. Some of which he had been told were too strong to take on one on one.
Azoth had to hold back a laugh at that thought.
He was the ultimate dragon slayer. He didn't take that as a warning, he took it as a challenge.
Locking eyes with the orange Infant Dragon, a sharp smile spread across Azoth's face as he flicked his sword to the side, flicking the blood and gore off of it, and then prepared to face down the orange dragon.
Meeting his gaze, the Infant Dragon let loose another roar, before it then barrelled towards him, a gout of fire exploding forth from its mouth as it ignored the monsters or Adventurers in its path and continued its charge.
"Its fire is weak," Azoth muttered to himself as he didn't even try to block the stream of fire the dragon sent at him. After all, this is how dragons say hello. "It barely even tickles." And that was true, he could feel the fire and could see it burning through his ruined shirt, but there was no pain, just a brief warmth that soon went way as the dragon stopped its assault and bulled forward, its maw open as it made to bite him, or eat him.
It was almost disappointing, he thought as he let out a sigh and sidestepped the dragon's lunge, his blade already whistling through the air as he then decapitated it with a single swing. The rest of the dragon crashing down around him now, even as its now headless corpse tumbled and fell to the ground with a loud wet 'thump'.
After fighting the gargoyle, and seeing how durable its flesh was to both blades and magic, he had been hopeful that the dragon would offer up another challenge.
Sure it was the weakest of the dragon species in the Dungeon, but still, it was supposedly a dragon.
He had at least thought that it would live up to its name, even a little bit.
Kicking its head to the side, Azoth's frown remained in place as he stared down at its glazed over eyes and lolling tongue. This thing wasn't a dragon, it was just an overgrown salamander.
"Hey heads up!" Beckendorf shouted as he darted past him. His kitchen utensils now discarded as he had instead replaced them with a bearded axe that he had salvaged from somewhere.
Looking up at his words, Azoth immediately clocked onto what he meant. Down the street that the monsters had come he could see greenish blur darting back and forth, a sharp, rapier like sword in one hand, and mane of golden blonde hair streaming behind it as it cut down monster after monster with ease.
Frowning at this, Azoth wiped his sword clean on his ruined shirt, and sheathed it at his hip, even as his fellows finished the last of the monsters, and the greenish blur came to a stop in front of where they were standing.
It was Aiz Wallenstein, Azoth recognised her vacant doll like face, and emotionless golden eyes straight away.
"The monsters are all dead?" Aiz said, her tone bland, which made it difficult to discern whether or not she was making a statement or asking a question.
Deciding to take it as a question, Azoth nodded. "Yes, as far as we can tell. Do you know what caused this, and how they got out?"
"No," Aiz said solemnly.
"They escaped from their enclosures near West Gate." A member of the Ganesha Familia helpfully called out. "We've no idea how, but we think it might have been sabotage. The guards were all dead, ripped to shreds by the monsters, and the gates to the cages had all been unlocked."
"Shit, sabotage." Beckendorf grunted as he came to join us. "What kind of idiot would do a thing like that?"
"Evilus?" One of the other Adventurers muttered, with several more nodding or shaking their heads, as the fifteen or so Adventurers present quickly descended into mumbled conversation.
"Oi you lot," Another unfamiliar voice sounded out, the source of the voice being a fuzzy black haired Adventurer with animal ears and a main of curly black hair covering her head and the sides of her face. "There are more monsters in the main square."
Hearing that Aiz nodded, spared him a glance, and then leapt up off the ground and onto a nearby building, her entire body glowing green once more as wind rushed around her, before she then disappeared.
"Come on, let's go." Azoth muttered, a frown on his face as he grabbed Beckendorf's sleeve and started to head off in the direction the animal girl had pointed.
"Right, right." Beckendorf nodded, quickly catching up to Azoth as the pair of them started to run, leaving the other Adventurers behind to clean up. "Hopefully we'll catch up with the others too."
Azoth nodded at that, it had only been about twenty or so minutes, but he hadn't seen Tsubaki or the others, not since they had split up to get food and drinks.
"They'll be fine though, everyone but Welf is at least Level Two, and they'll all make sure to look after Welfy." Beckendorf said, seemingly more to assure himself, than Azoth, as the two took a few narrow side paths and then emerged into the city's main square.
"What is that?!" Beckendorf shouted as the two of them came to a stop and took in the scene in front of them.
There were three strange, green plant-like monsters dominating the square, with multiple vine-like tendrils extending from the monsters and whipping around, driving off the Adventurers around them as they lashed out at anyone and everyone that they could.
"Some kind of living plants?" Azoth queried, following the monster's thrashing vines as they gripped onto a familiar dark skinned Amazon, even as said Amazon's sister rushed in and started trying to punch the vine and free her sister. From the looks of it though, it seemed that the monster's hide was too strong to easily get through. They kind of reminded him of Spriggans, only less humanoid and more monstrous.
"Looks like the Loki Familia are already dealing with them." Beckendorf nodded, his gaze now on the familiar forms of Bete Loga and Aiz as the two of them darted around the other monsters, landing strikes and blows on them before leaping away. Meanwhile the elf, Lefiya, was back behind them chanting, her hands raised and several magical circles already forming around her. "Doubt they really need our help really. Four Level Fives and a Level Four should do it."
Putting to one side just how Beckendorf knew the levels of the five adventurers in front of them, Azoth instead began to stride forward. "They might not need it, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't offer to help all the same."
"Yeah, yeah." Beckendorf nodded, catching up with him. "I'm just saying, your sword and my axe, they won't do much good. Those plant things look tough, I mean just look, not even Wallenstein's sword can pierce them, and her blade is much better than our weapons." As he said this, Ais, as if to prove him wrong, leapt forward, once again surrounded by green wind, and slashed through one of the monster's vines.
Azoth sent Beckendorf an amused look.
"Okay, but still. The point stands, we're not armed properly to deal with monsters that tough. Or at least I'm not." Beckendorf waved him away.
"That's fine, you stand back. I'll deal with them." Azoth nodded, clapping Beckendorf on the shoulder as he walked past him and sheathed his sword.
"Oh great, and now I feel bad." Beckendorf called after him.
"Don't." Azoth replied, before breaking into a run. With Beckendorf jogging along after him.
Looking up, he could hear the ground start to rumble, even as the head of the monsters opened up, revealing a large brightly coloured flower with many teeth. Its snake like vines suddenly picked up their speed and ferocity as all three monsters continued to lash out at the surrounding Adventurers.
"Did it bloom?" Tione asked suddenly, jumping off of one of the monsters, and landing near to where Azoth and Beckendorf were now standing.
"It was a flower, not a snake!?" Her now free sister, Tiona shouted back, before blinking in surprise as she clocked onto his presence. "Oh hey, Azoth! I didn't see you there, you came to join the party?"
"This isn't exactly a party." Tione said sourly, as she looked down at her partly melted clothing. Her apparel, if possible, skimpier than it had been before. "They have acid blood… juice… or whatever it is inside them…"
"I'll keep that in mind." Azoth nodded, his attention straying across the scowling Amazon, and her grinning sister, before it moved to the nearby Lefiya, who hadn't even noticed his presence as she continued her chanting,
"Hey! Did you know that you're shirtless?" Tiona asked suddenly. "It's a good look on you!"
Frowning at her words, Azoth looked down and saw that she was indeed right. His shirt was little more than burnt scraps at this point, which meant that his scarred, heavily muscled, pale white torso was now on full display.
Seeing this, Azoth looked back up at Tiona and shrugged. "It is what it is."
"I like your style!" Tiona grinned.
"Can you two focus please!" Tione snapped, her attention snapping to them for a moment, before she looked back to the ongoing battle.
Both Bete and Aiz looked like they were in trouble as the three plants continued to try and swat them.
"Yeah, yeah! So, can one or other of you protect Lefiya whilst she's doing her magic thing, while the other comes with us and helps sort them out, yeah!?" Tiona grinned cheerfully, slugging him on the arm as she did so, before without waiting for an answer, she leapt back into the fray.
"If you do fight them, be careful. They are tougher than they look, and they spew a potent acid that'll melt through your weapons, and maybe your flesh too, if you're not careful." Tione added on with a nod, her eyes on the combat now as she too leapt back into the fight.
"Keep an eye out." Azoth said to his companion, looking back at the fight now too as he did so. Which was fortunate as he was just in time to see Aiz leap forward and sever one of the monster's heads off, killing it. "I'm going to go help out."
With that said, Azoth unsheathed his sword and threw it to Beckendorf.
"Won't you need this?" Beckendorf asked, easily catching the sword by the hilt with his free hand.
"Not for what I'm intending to do." Azoth shook his head, turning back to the fight just as Lefiya unleashed her spell, an icy blizzard erupting forth from her magic circles as she did so, and consuming the two remaining plant monsters. Ice rapidly coating the monsters, even as the other members of her Familia leapt backwards to avoid being hit.
Seeing this, Azoth nodded to himself and took a deep breath. "Liz Slen Nus!"
What followed next was a freezing cold wave of power that swept over the two struggling, frost covered plant monsters. The force of the wave dispersed the blizzard Lefiya had created, even as it froze both of the monsters solid.
With that done, Azoth then raised both hands and summoned a ball of crackling lightning in each hand, before then flinging his hands forward and releasing a pair of thunderbolts. A loud crack and then a boom sounding out, as the two bolts struck and shattered both of the statues, destroying the frozen monsters within.
Lefiya turned to look at him in shock at this.
With the others too turning to look at him, even as he continued to scan the square for more enemies.
It looked like most of the fighting was over now. Which of course meant that it was now time to clean up, and get to the bottom of just how the monsters escaped in the first place.
( - )
AN: So as I said pretty actions heavy, the next chapter will deal with the aftermath, that and I'll also start pushing the plot along, as I don't want it to feel too slow.
Not much to say other than that. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you have any comments, suggestions, questions etc. feel free to PM me I reply to those.
Thanks a lot for reading and stay safe out there.
Greed720.