To outsiders, what they saw was horrifying. One moment they thought the beast would get away again. The next, it simply revealed its true form. Just like that. Not only that, a second beast, just as ferocious as the wolf appeared out of nowhere, surrounded by destructive black winds. There was no sign of the stoic Sword Princess, whose rare smile would swoon man and woman alike. Right now she was like a feral child left in the woods. With that wild instinct radiating from both of them, the adventurers saw what was happening right now.
The rule of the wild. There could only be one monstrosity with such hatred. With that in their minds, the two demons spared not a single thought to defense as they tore each other apart. The cloak the wolf wore became sharp formless blades that met Aiz' Desperate. Both weapons, filled with hate, clashed in mid air, creating a shockwave that threw anyone below level six away, causing them to scream in panic. On the other hand, the top ranked adventurers managed to stand their ground, but they were still slightly pushed back. But thanks to their own ability, they were able to see what was happening. The shapeless blades were blasted away, ripped off the monster's body. But just as Aiz swung her blade once more, the wolf already moved out of her range of vision. Only her instincts prevented a claw being stuck in her back, as she blocked it in time with a furious scream. Even as worry filled their expressions, their veteran minds were already analysing the situation.
Aiz was stronger in terms of destructive power, especially with that black wind. But that wolf was still fast enough to deal with that. Quality vs quantity. Neither managed to get a clean hit on the other yet. Some cuts, due to claws, wind or blades were caused, but none of them actually bothered the other as they did their savage dance. The sight caused most of the Hermes Familia to sink into the depths of despair.
"Why is it so... ?"
Strong. That monster was too strong. They recognized that Aiz' firepower must be at its highest, higher than any of them ever witnessed. Yet the beast could keep up. The faint belief that it used hit and run tactics because it was weak in a direct fight dissipated like a water drop hitting a fireplace. This went beyond irregular. It was fantastical. A beast of myths. What was it doing on the Middle Floors? Where did that abomination come from? As those questions filled their minds, Finn spun his spear before whistling, gaining everyone's attention.
"You all stay back!" He rushed forward, gesturing with his arm to his Familia. "Let's support that idiot! Follow me!"
They didn't hesitate to burst forward. Bete was the first to arrive, snarling as he had to bend back, sliding over the ground before a blade could decapitate him. Next were Finn and Tiona, flanking from the sides. Yet their blades were parried by the shapeless blades that formed from the cloak. Last was Gareth, letting out a roar as he tried to smash his axe down from above but the monster chased after Aiz who he pushed back for a moment, causing the dwarf to miss completely.
"Aiz, let's work together!" Tiona shouted, forcing a grin as she twirled her massive adamantite weapon. But her smile vanished quickly when she saw Aiz' eyes. They weren't looking at her. Those usually expressive golden eyes were tinted with black as she bared her teeth. Finn himself had a similar bad feeling but not because of Aiz, having fully realized she was going off the deep end because of the monster in front of them. No, as he and the others had to navigate between Aiz' storm and the shapeless blades, his concern was the beast itself.
They completely ignored them. Their injuries and the people around them. Which made those shapeless blades a great concern. Even when its eyes were solely focused on Aiz, they moved to protect it from Finn and the others. Blocking axe, kicks, Urga and his spear, forcing them to dodge and weave, or in Gareth's case, tank them with his body. It was like an automatic defense. Yet at the thought Finn's thumb itched, as if telling him that it wasn't that. Not exactly.
"Nizel!"
Aiz' shout increased the chaos of her wind once more, actually pushing them all back. They were forced to look as Aiz rammed her blade against the beast's side, at the same time as it tore her thigh up a bit. It were the first proper hits that happened but if they were in pain, they didn't show it, not slowly down remotely as they swung every tool at their disposal at the other with reckless abandon.
"What the fuck is wrong with her?!"
Bete's anger was understandable. While Aiz was kind of a meathead most of the time, someone who was more like a lone wolf like him, they always knew how to work with others even with their respective tendencies. But none of that was visible with Aiz, who was fighting completely selfish right now, not caring about allies or the like.
Suddenly the monster burst with power, its muscles bulging as if it was growing even more monstrous. Aiz' eyes widened before she quickly brought her sword up. The hound tackled her to the ground. Immediately everyone else rushed in, trying to help her as she struggled against the teeth pushing down against her and her sword. The seemingly independent blades tried to stab Aiz from the sides, who was able to somewhat protect herself with her wind. But before the Loki Familia could support her, she screamed once more, her voice feral with hatred.
"Nizel!"
The wolf soared through the air, spitting out blood. Bete and the others were blown back again by her wind. Aiz' leg was extended out, bleeding profusely as if an explosion was set off. She jumped to her feet, ignoring her wounds opening from this and burst at the flying monster with even more power than before.
"Aiz, tone it down, you're hurting yourself!" Tiona screamed, the first to reach them again as she tried to support her crazy friend. Yet again, Aiz didn't listen, damaging her own body as she furiously slammed her sword against the monster who was at the defensive with no hint of skill whatsoever, hammering away like a berserker. It was then that it happened. The shapeless blades broke and like a hammer, she slammed her wind on the hound's head. For a moment, it stumbled, seemingly dizzy, the blades made of the cloak freezing. Aiz, her mind filled with bloodlust, didn't waste the chance and leaped in the air, rearing her arms back as she committed to a full power, downward swing. Tiona on the other hand, with her sanity still intact, spotted something shimmering like metal within the cloak that rested on the wolf's back. Instincts screamed in her body and she simply reacted.
Aiz gasped for air as Tiona dropkicked her from the side. At the same time, something seemed to emerge from the wolf. No, it was more accurate to say something rose from its hiding place. The amazon's eyes widened and she tried to position her Urga to defend herself. The sharp noise of metal soaring through the air echoed. Steel met adamantite. Then a terrifying wet noise filled Aiz' ears. For the first time, the dark haze disappeared from her eyes as she landed on the ground. Time seemed to slow down.
Tiona's grasp on Urga became weak, as it barely deflected one hook like scythe. The other was covered in blood as it was cut upwards. The amazon rolled on the ground, screaming in utter agony as blood drained out of two spots of her body. At the same time, the wolf seemed to have recovered and merely chomped down on the two flying bits of meat.
"Tiona… ?" Aiz whispered in shock, her hate long forgotten by now as she stared at her friend. Her friend who was missing her legs from her knees down. She weakly reached for her with her hand before stopping. Why was her own hand so bloodied... ?
"Dodge, you dumbass!"
"Asfi, get to Tiona!"
Aiz summoned her wind, her regular wind, startled by Bete's snarl. The wolf, for some reason holding one of the scythes in its mouth of all places, swung the weapon with renewed ferocity, knocking her back with ease. Then it immediately chased after her. Aiz grit her teeth, trying to focus again, but the scream of Tiona still echoed in her mind. Because of that, she reacted slowly when she focused too much on the wolf and forgot about the being on its back, swinging its own weapon at her, cutting her shoulder rather deeply.
"A second monster?!"
"A Dullahan riding that wolf?!"
Before Aiz was overpowered by the duo, the rider defended the wolf from a furious Bete attacking from behind. At the same time Finn knocked the wolf's attack off course, giving Aiz time to retreat to Gareth, who quickly handed her a potion. Facing the new threat, Finn exhaled slowly. This was bad.
A headless entity was riding on the wolf. It hid underneath its coat and the fur of its mount. No, Finn realized. Not mount. It was more accurate to say that the wolf was in charge, given how annoyed it looked at the Dullahan while the latter stoically accepted the scorn it received. This was bad. Cavalry was a nightmare to deal with. Especially cavalry at this level. Not to mention that Tiona was completely out of commission and Aiz became weaker. He wasn't sure if he should be glad Aiz was stopping destroying herself or curse the lack of firepower. Which meant he had to pick up the slack. He jumped back, knowing the wolf would try to aim for it. But he was confident, instead focusing on casting his magic, fully trusting the efforts he went through with his oldest ally.
"Not on my watch!"
Explosive speed that was uncharacteristic for a dwarf. Dashing power born from suffering defeat years ago. Gareth slammed his axe down the wolf as if he teleported. The monster barely protected itself, sacrificing its scythe to divert its path with the help of the Dullahan. But it left the rider open to a vicious kick against its back by Bete. It was slowing down. The damage Aiz dealt worked. With that in mind, Finn chanted, determined to finish this on her behalf.
"Magic spear, penetrate my forehead, offering blood. Hell Finegas!"
Rage filled him as he roared, his eyes shining red. With increased power and speed, he rejoined the fray. The wolf's eyes widened, focusing all its might into dodging, unable to attack while the Dullahan tried to cover its blind spots. Yet with Finn joining the fight, the assault was too great. His spear took off pieces of flesh here and there, as if he sensed the weak points with ease. Even with its beast like mind, even with its hatred, the wolf recognized the impossibility. Despite the rage this tiny primate was in, unlike the hateful wind, Finn Deimne's skill did not degrade whatsoever. His twisting moves and fighting style that made it hard to predict the Pallum due to his size was just more powerful and swift than before. However even with the wounds it was suffering, with four top class adventurers surrounding it, none of them could land a solid hit on it. It was mindboggling to the spectators, to Rivira and the Hermes Familia.
"How can such a big thing move like that?!"
"Is that monster conceptually immune to being trapped or what…?!"
As if it was a demonic deity, as if it held the domain in escape, this monster was evading the blades aiming to end its life with such agility that it was almost beautiful. The cooperation between two monsters, a wolf and a Dullahan, was so perfect that some would consider it the perfect defense as they protected each other, the hound with its speed and the Dullahan with its dexterity on the beats' back.
However. With the damage inflicted by Aiz. With the presence of the Sword Princess herself. Exhaustion seeped in as it bled. Their hate for each other still yearned to destroy their fated target. Aiz' eyes seemed to flicker with darkness, as if her mind fought against the invisible force while her muscles screamed and buckled under the wounds she suffered from the monster and herself. For the wolf, his hatred caused his vision to narrow, ever so slightly. Which presented an opening that the Dullahan couldn't cover.
"Earth Raid!"
The ground was utterly destroyed. So focused on evasion and keeping track of its prime target, the two monsters didn't pay attention to the dwarf's chant. With the ground breaking away, the wolf heeded its own instinct and leapt away before it could be buried. Its instincts would prove to be a fatal mistake.
No matter how fast it was. How agile it was. Even if it was a supernatural existence among monsters that could move in the air. Its ability to dodge was reduced at this moment. And someone like Finn, a seasoned warrior, would never miss such a chance.
"Haaaaaa!"
The spear was thrown, with the entire existence of the Braver behind it. The right front leg was pierced as the wolf twisted in the air, redirecting the damage from its core to its limb. It screamed in agony, landing on the ground and buckling under the damage it received. In that instance, the predator was stopped in its tracks.
"Tempest!"
"Die!"
"Graaaah!"
A kick empowered by a fire magic sword. The raw might of a dwarf. The wind of a spirit. They all crashed down at the monster duo. Its fur was burned. Bones cracked. An eye was lost. Like several explosions at once, the two had to endure the onslaught. It was then that everyone in the vicinity felt it. Some adventurers pumped their fists, cheers threatening out of their throats.
Defeat for the monsters was inevitable. Powerful as it was, the law of Orario prevailed. That monsters were prey to adventurers. However, before they could finish it, before they could stop this wolf from ever moving again, something unthinkable happened. Something defied fate itself, the natural order itself. Everyone who saw that felt their mind freeze at the action they saw.
The Dullahan jumped off, swinging wildly with its weapon as it tried to tackle them down. The action was mind boggling enough to force them to back off, thinking it was a trap.
"What?!"
It was then that they realized it. The impossible motivation behind that weak, flailing attack. It was no trap. It was no secret move. That Dullahan decided to sacrifice itself for the wolf. That motivation was clear when it spread its arms open, ignoring the blood seeping out of it, its missing leg or the gaping hole in its size. The wolf stared at its rider for a moment, eyes wide. Then it snarled... and turned tail.
"Don't you-"
Before anyone could give chase, the Dullahan swung its scythe once more, no skill behind it, only blind flailing to stop someone in their tracks. It was almost like desperation. But it only stopped them for a moment. Gareth snarled, slamming his axe down and hitting the headless monster straight in the chest, shattering its weapon and nailing it to the ground.
"Stay down!"
"Nononononono... !"
Aiz' panic fueled her to give chase. Bete was right next to her. The wolf struggled to pick up speed, awfully slow compared to its initial agility. They were so close, so close in reaching it. But alas, the world rejected their desires. The sound of meat being torn off by metal was their only warning. Aiz spun around, forced to block the spinning axe of Gareth from hitting her, knocking her off course. At the same time Bete was forced to the ground as well, as something grabbed onto his leg.
"What the-"
The Dullahan, with a gaping hole in its chest, hugged Bete's leg with all his might. When the wolf man snarled and hammered his other leg into it, it refused to let go. Even as its body began to shimmer and deform from the damage, it held on. Finn, with his berserker mode lifted, raised another spear, swiftly given by the Hermes Familia. It was not fueled by a skill, but he still had the power of a level six. With a might throw, he precisely pierced the headless monster's arms. With its muscles torn, it lost power, thus it was easily kicked away by Bete. Yet even as it was soaring through the sky, dying, it refused to stop. It refused to allow anyone to chase after the wolf, who was already starting to disappear from their vision. With its last will, it reached into its own coat and pulled something out. Everyone saw what it was, the sight all too familiar ever since the nightmare of seven years ago.
A detonator.
"Get away from it!" Finn yelled. It forced Aiz and Bete to jump away, preventing them from running after the wolf. At the same time, the Dullahan activated it. Despite the missing head it seemed satisfied before it was engulfed in a massive explosion, shrapnel of its own self with rock acting like a scatter bomb. For a few seconds, everyone laid low. Those seconds were more than enough for the wolf to finally disappear into the lower levels. Finn narrowed his eyes at it. For a moment, he could've sworn that retreating hound's presence became weaker the moment the Dullahan exploded.
As the dust settled, they all rose to their feet, out of breath and sweating like crazy. The situation silently settled in for them. In that instance, they all tightened their fists. It was official.
They failed to kill the monster that tore apart Rivira. As the realization hit, it was Bete who expressed the rage of the Loki Familia.
"Fuuuuuuuuck!"
Like a howl, he screamed at the ceiling before slamming his foot down, shattering the ground. Aiz dropped to her feet, shaking her head in disbelief. Did they really fail because a monster... ? No, it was impossible.
Their rage and denial was cut short by a weak whimper. Their heads snapped to their injured member, Tiona's head lolling around as if she was barely conscious. Immediately the Familia gathered around her, looking down at her legs.
"Damn it, why is it so damn slow?!" Bete snarled, seeing that blood was still flowing from the stumps. "Four eyes, did you give us the weak shit?!"
"Those are my best potions, you brute!"
Finn covered his mouth, eyes narrowed as Aiz whispered to Tiona, apologizing over and over again. Asfi's potions were top notch. Which meant... was this like the cursed weapons they faced in Knossos? Were those scythes cursed or was their hatred a curse itself? Or perhaps that monster duo had even more special properties they didn't know of.
So many questions. None of them answered. Their only lead left had blown itself up. Finn drew blood from his thumb as he bit into it. What the hell was happening in this city?