Mugman ran as fast as he could toward the ambush site. He could only hope that David was doing a decent job of keeping Tanuki distracted until the acidic supplies could arrive. His brown boots hurried him along. Kiki ran alongside him. She didn't seem to have a problem keeping up with him. That was until she made a trilling noise and diverted from their path. Mug slowed as he watched her start to run off.
"Where are you going?" He called after her. But the feline did not stop and look back. That was normally a sign that she wanted him to follow. Perhaps this was a job just for her?
The young mug didn't have time to stop and think about it. He just had to keep going if he wanted to help David fend off the ravenous demon.
She'll be fine. Tsundere reassured him. That cat normally knows what she's doing.
Yeah. He agreed with his parasite. I just wish I knew what she was thinking sometimes…
Mug trusted the golden feline to do what she needed to. He had a gut feeling that it was something that was going to help them in the struggle that lay ahead of them.
Mugman eventually came upon the sight of King Dice and Elder Kettle clamoring at some spiky vines.
"King Dice! Elder Kettle!" He called to them.
"Mugman, I'm glad you're here, my boy." The kettle greeted the mug child as they both turned around. Mug slowed to a stop in front of them. "Do you think you can help us get through this thicket?"
"What's the matter? Why do you two look so worried?" The young mug said as he panted from the run.
"David's in there fighting Tanuki as we speak." Dice explained. "I don't know how much longer he can last by himself. Sounds like he's getting hurt in there." One of David's pained cries came right as the casino manager mentioned that.
"I'll give it a try. Stand back." Mug told the two of them as he rubbed his hands together. Once he was done warming them up, he pointed his gloved hands at the thorny thicket. Blue hellfire started to froth at his fingertips. A concentrated blast of it singed the vines. The effected stalks disintegrated into ash. Mugman proceeded to try and squeeze through. But the foliage immediately started to grow back. They lashed out at the mug child, tossing him back onto his rump. Mug yelped at the hit from the aggressive vines.
"Mugman, are you okay?" His guardian asked.
"I'm fine." The young mug said as he stood back up. "But how are we going to get to David? The thorns won't burn away…"
Isn't that the Devil's trident right there? Tsundere pointed out and turned the child's head in its direction.
"David's fighting him without his trident?!" Mugman responded out loud.
I think I have an idea. The parasite said. His host went to pull the prongs out of the dirt. Remember what happened down in Hell's deepest pit? How you were able to summon that light energy from the trident? I bet that kind of light would get rid of these bothersome thorns for good.
I don't even know if I can do that again. Mug confessed to him.
Just focus on one of your happiest memories and see if you can conjure it again. The demon encouraged.
I'll give it a try…
Mugman pointed the weapon at the barrier. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to put himself into a memory from the past. This time he thought of the moment when he got to see the spirits of his family and how happy that made him feel. To be surrounded by loved ones that would do anything to help him whether dead or alive.
King Dice and Elder Kettle gasped in surprise when a bright white light started to form at the weapon's prongs. The energy kept building up until it was the size of a soccer ball. Mugman opened his eyes and concentrated on the wall of foliage in front of him. He let the white light collide with the dark stalks. The thorny vines shriveled up and retreated underground, not to be seen again.
"David, watch out!" The young mug called out as the two demons clashed. For he was building up yet another pure ball of light. It shot off from the trident like the ball from a pinball machine. The Devil happened to see it and tossed the red creature into its trajectory. Tanuki was shaking himself off when his yellow eyes caught sight of the projectile. But it wasn't soon enough and it exploded on the red parasite. Its distorted voice screamed in agony as a cloud of smoke engulfed the creature from the explosion.
"David, are you okay?" Mugman asked as he rushed over, the trident still in his hands.
"Thanks for the save." The Devil grumbled as he shakily stood up. "Now throw that thing far away and help me fend off Tanuki."
"What? Why? Didn't you see how much damage it did to him?" It was true that the white energy dealt a powerful blow to the parasite, but David did not want to risk his weapon getting taken - or worse: broken.
"Because if Tanuki gets a hold of this, it's bye-bye for all of us."
Mug didn't have time to respond back. For the red creature had picked himself up and began charging forward. Without hesitation, the young mug released another white beam of energy from the trident. The Devil went to grab it as well, causing a second stream to emit from the weapon. This one was black. The two colors spiraled around one another and made another direct hit on Tanuki. He screeched in agony as he was thrown back. His furry body sprawled on the ground and flopped around like a fish out of water.
"Let go of it, I say!" The Devil roared as he fought with Mug over whether the trident should be used. But the mug child had a firm grip on the weapon. It was working so far. Why shouldn't he use it? After fighting over the black trident for a few seconds, David gave a shove that tossed Mugman to the ground. The weapon went along with him. He watched as David put a paw down on the ground. The earth cracked open and spewed a short wall of fire that separated him from the ruler of Hell.
"Don't come back here until you've gotten rid of that thing!" The Devil spat before running off to attack the red demon.
Sounds like he's pretty serious about not using his weapon. Even though it does seem to be doing us good right now, we should probably put it away. The Devil will be more interested in fighting with us if we keep the trident around. Tsundere pointed out.
Yeah, I guess you're right. Mug responded. The mug child turned and rushed toward his grandpa and the casino manager. "Here, protect this with your life." He shoved it into King Dice's hands without any other explanation.
Dice had wanted to help his boss fight off the rogue demon. But now that wasn't an option after he had seen how David reacted to the trident being used. The die man considered handing the weapon off to the kettle for safe keeping. Dice ultimately decided that probably wasn't the best idea either.
Mugman rushed back toward the battlefield. He witnessed Tanuki transform into a furry, long-bodied dragon. Multiple sets of legs grew from its wormy body. It proceeded to wrap its snake-like body around David and constrict him tightly. The Devil began to scream, but it was quickly cut off.
"No more teleportation or transformations without your trident, is there?" Tanuki leaned his round head down to tease his former-master.
Mug transformed himself into his mutated form as he passed the crack in the ground where the fire was. The flames had been doused when David became prey to the dragon's coils and lost concentration on his spell.
Tanuki bared his fangs as he prepared to bite the ruler of Hell. Mug acted quick and leapt up, latching his fangs on the dragon's neck. The great furry creature reared back and hissed in pain. Its coils fell open, freeing David. Tanuki thrashed his body, throwing Mugman off.
Using one hand to steady himself, the young mug landed on his feet as the force of the attack pushed him back. Mug's glowing eyes saw that the Devil had collapsed to the ground, panting to get his breath back. The dragon went for him again. Acting quick, the young mug lowered his head and unleashed a fire cannon at the mutated demon. It made contact with the neck and upper body. The blue fire latched on and began to singe the creature's fur. Tanuki screeched in agony and began to roll himself on the ground.
"Thanks again, kid." The Devil said as he bounded over to Mugman's side, who responded with a nod.
Once the red demon had doused the fire, he reared up and pointed himself at the ground. The flying serpent melted into the shadows. Mugman and David looked about as their enemy turned invisible. Where would it show up next?
A long shadow stretched across the grass behind the two allies. It leaned down as if it were striking with its claws. Tanuki's shadow slashed where Mugman's shadow would have been if he could have seen it. The mug child screamed in pain as sharp objects tore across his back. He collapsed to his hands and knees as he panted from the attack. David whipped around and saw the demon's glowing yellow eyes floating at ground level. The Devil pounced and tried to pin the creature down. It merely laughed and slid away. Tanuki's hands reached over and grabbed where the Devil's ankles would be if his shadow was visible. David got slung like a ragdoll and bounced off a tree as he was thrown. The black body trembled as pain rippled throughout the weakening host. Mug watched as the demon partially emerged from the shadows. It floated towards the Devil, who did not seem able to get up quickly.
David! Mugman desperately thought and pushed himself up. The sharp pains in his back hindered his movement a bit. Stop it! He screamed internally and went to use his claws on the creature's shadowy back. Mug had to reach in deep just to feel his claws bounce off something solid. Tanuki snarled and turned back to the mutated mug.
"Such a pest." The demon said. A long snake-like tail came out of the shadows and wrapped around Mugman's neck. It promptly lifted him off the ground. The young mug gagged and tried to pry the tail away. But it was too skinny to get a hold of. "I should have killed you back when you were barely clinging to life." He threatened Tsundere. "But no matter," The tail tossed the mutated child to the ground. "I will remedy that now."
Poor Mugman coughed in an attempt to recover from the choke hold. He had not noticed the demon's shadowy claws growing long. A foot came down on Mug's arm. He reached over to grab it with his opposite hand, but couldn't seem to get a hold of it. Whisps of a black, misty substance floated off the skinny leg. Tanuki's other foot came up and pressed down on Mugman's left arm. This left him completely vulnerable to the demon towering over him. His glowing eyes showed fear as the elongated claws raised above him. Mugman cringed as the claws seemed to target his chest. They started to come down at an alarming speed. Unable to do anything, the young mug closed his eyes and prepared to feel those weapons tear into him.
All of a sudden, the weight of the demon was lifted off him. Mug opened his eyes to find David had tackled him away. And now the two creatures were wrestling with one another. That was until those elongated claws sunk into the Devil's flank. The deity screamed in agony as blood oozed out of the wound.
"Ready to give up now?" Tanuki teased him. The shadowy façade seemed to melt away and the red fur stood out like a sore thumb yet again. David gagged a bit as he was held down. "What was that? I didn't hear you." The demon started to pull out the claws but then shoved them back in. David let out a strained scream. "It only takes two little words and all this stops." Tanuki leaned down close and pressed the Devil's face against the ground with his other hand.
All the while this was happening, Mugman had been charging up a powerful hellfire attack at his fingertips. He charged it up for so long that he was starting to feel the heat on his hands. It was time to let it go now. Both of his clawed hands came out in front of him as they unleashed a thick stream of blue hellfire. It was a direct hit right to Tanuki's back. The strike swept the demon clear off the Devil, leaving its back engulfed in flames. Mug started to charge forward while the creature was still flopping on the ground trying to douse the flames. Tanuki saw the little pest coming and attempted to bite it when it got close. But Mugman and Tsundere knew that he would likely try something. The demon's sharp fangs clanged together, missing completely. For the young mug had jumped up. His brown boot came down on the round head, shoving it into the ground. Tanuki groaned and slowly pulled his head up. He heard the Devil chuckle.
"And what are you laughing about?" The red demon grumbled.
"You're starting to look like me now."
"What?" He spat. Tanuki's glowing eyes noticed something in Mugman's hand. He squinted down and realized it was part of his horn. "Why you little pest!"
"You want it back?" Mug said in his distorted voice. They both lunged for one another. The young mug skirted just out of range of the fangs and jammed the horn piece into the creature's shoulder. It roared in agony and tried to pry it out. Unfortunately for Tanuki, the piece was too far in for him to get a hold of it with his claws. The demon whipped around to attack the mug child again. But Mugman was ready for him and started pounding away with his glowing blue fists. The punches landed all over his torso, one even finding its way to the shoulder to shove the horn even deeper.
"Enough!" Tanuki growled and lashed out. A handful of claws found their way to Mugman, slashing at his chest. Thankfully they weren't the elongated version or that hit would have been much more fatal. The young mug got tossed back as some white life essence oozed from him. Mug roared in pain as his back collided with the ground. The mug child trembled terribly as he attempted to roll over and get himself up. Both his chest and back were searing with pain. He had a hard time telling which side was worse. They heard Tanuki laugh from behind them again. Tsundere forced the mug head to look back. Glowing yellow eyes widened in fear as the red demon began to transform back into the dragon.
Get up! Run! The parasite told his host and forced him up. But it was in vain. All it took was one bound of the long dragon to catch up. It flicked its tail and slammed Mugman away. The young mug felt his body get tumbled over and over itself. His porcelain body only stopped when it collided with a tree. Mug went to scream again, but the impact jarred his body, almost making him choke on life essence that jerked up into his throat. It sounded more like a gagging sound. Mugman tried hard to not drool out some life essence. He was concentrating so hard on trying to breathe normally that he failed to notice Tanuki rearing up again.
"Mugman, watch out!" Called his guardian.
"You gotta move, kid!" King Dice reiterated.
That was when Mugman looked up and saw the demon baring its fangs, ready to strike forth like a snake. The young mug rolled himself out of the way just in time. This left Tanuki to close his fangs down on the tree. The bark creaked and cracked under the pressure of the bite. And then Mugman witnessed him actually uproot the tree, holding it in his mouth like an oversized dog.
Tanuki tossed it away. At first the toss seemed like there was no thought put into it. And then David realized the tree was coming toward him, so he had to scramble to get out of the way. The tree came down with a loud crash. It seemed to shake the entire forest. Even Elder Kettle wobbled a bit and had to shake his arms to keep himself upright.
The dragon turned back to Mugman with a wide, toothy grin. It galloped forth and grabbed the mug child with its stubby arms. Having his own arms pinned to his sides, Mug attempted to kick at the furry creature. Tanuki merely grumbled a laugh and pointed himself up toward the sky. The short arms tossed Mugman up to head level. But the boy didn't get a chance to look the demon in the eyes. For it shifted around and smacked the child upward with its tail. Poor Mugman was sent screeching and spiraling into the sky.
Elder Kettle could only watch with horror as his boy kept getting batted around. He remembered when the demon bat had come after them. That creature had tossed Mugman into the air as well and took away the chance of a fair fight. How would this quarrel end?
The Devil leapt over the tree and ran towards the disobedient demon. David grabbed onto the dragon's tail that was dangling near the ground. His battered body began to climb the backside of the furry dragon. Tanuki felt him coming towards his head. David jumped, making his paw froth with a black magic. The demon ducked its head down, causing the Devil to miss completely. He gasped as he fell into the stubby claws of the dragon.
"You want to join in on the fun, too?" Tanuki teased him. "Very well." Its stubby arms tossed him up much like Mugman. Instead of using the tail, the horned head flicked upward. David got sent upward after the young mug. Both caught in the unending spiral motion, they ended up colliding with one another as the Devil went up and Mug was on the way down. The hit caused them to slow their tumbling. They were able to right themselves and look at one another. A great bellow came from below them. For it was Tanuki bounding up to meet them.
"Get ready to retaliate!" David told the mutated mug who nodded. The Devil made his paw froth with black magic and Mugman summoned the dark blue magic to his fist. Their two attacks made contact with the beast's chest, sending him back down toward the earth. Unknown to the two allies, the demon smirked and proceeded to grab onto them with its stubby limbs. The next thing they knew, they were getting flipped around so that they would be hitting the ground instead of the dragon. Mugman began to panic at this sudden change. But David kept his cool and told the mug child to help him soften the fall.
"Fire at the ground!" He yelled to Mug. They both did their best to shoot magic at the ground and slow their descent.
King Dice and Elder Kettle had to shield their vision from the bright, concentrated magic. There was a loud explosion sound and a shockwave that pulsed out from the crash. It pushed the two onlookers off their feet, even making Dice drop the weapon. The die man scrambled to get it when he realized it had been knocked away from him. He then proceeded to help the kettle up. The Elder nodded to King Dice to tell him that he was okay. They looked over to the scene as the dirt and dust began to settle. All three bodies were sprawled on the ground, panting in their exhaustion. Dice rushed towards the Devil and Kettle went to his boy.