Chapter 696: Killing the Fallen.

The Horn Lizard King charged again, and this time the Fallen was ready for it.

A chain shot out and wrapped around the cudgel mid-swing. The undead Horn Lizard King planted its feet and heaved, and the chain screamed under the strain.

The Fallen yanked back.

The two undead kings strained against each other for a heartbeat, then the Fallen’s free fist slammed into the undead Horn Lizard king’s jaw.

Bang!

The Horn Lizard King reeled, but it did not let go. It twisted its body and brought its knee up into the Fallen’s gut. The rusted skin cracked, and a dry, ugly sound came from deep inside the creature.

The Fallen staggered back a step.

"Again!" Thoren commanded.

The Scorpion Men King was already moving. It slid under a sweeping chain and drove both gauntlets into the Fallen’s ribs.

Bang! Bang!

Ribs shattered under the double blow. Flakes of rust and dried salt burst from the wound, and the green glow in its sockets flickered.

The Fallen’s long arm swung down to crush the undead Scorpion Men king, but its leaped backward and the blow only split the ground.

The undead Garron came in from the left, his butcher knife held low. It slashed at the Fallen’s thigh, and the blade bit deep.

The Fallen turned and kicked it squarely in the chest.

Crack!

The undead Garron was thrown across the plain, and the knife tore free from the wound, leaving a long gash behind.

Crashing to the ground, it rolled to its feet all at once and charged again.

The undead Elite Jackal Beastman leaped onto a ridge and sprang at the Fallen’s head, its spiked club raised high.

The spikes slammed into the creature’s temple, and for the first time the Fallen’s body shook.

Thud!

It wrapped its fingers around the Jackal Beastman’s throat and swung it like a whip. The undead beast smashed into a stone ridge, and the ridge exploded into pieces.

Its club flew from its grip and spun away into the dark.

The undead Kharv thundered in next, his massive axe dragging a line of sparks across the ground. It hacked at the Fallen’s knee with a roar that echoed off the stone.

Clang!

The axe cut through rusted flesh and lodged in the bone. The Fallen’s leg buckled, and it dropped to one knee.

Seeing this, Thoren’s breath caught.

But then, the Fallen’s anchor swung around in a tight arc and struck undead Kharv in the side.

Bang!

It was knocked flying, its axe still stuck in the wound, and it was ripped free with a spray of black grit.

"Royalty Stonewall!"

The undead Royalty Stonewall surged forward, its dark blade trailing a ribbon of shadow. It leaped over a swinging chain, spun in the air and brought the blade down across the Fallen’s shoulder.

Slash!

The cut was deep and clean. The Fallen’s arm hung loose for a moment, and a chain slipped from it and clattered to the ground.

Then the Fallen’s other hand clamped around the undead Stonewall’s ankle and dragged him down. It hurled him into the dirt, once, twice, then flung him away like a rag.

The undead General darted in as the Fallen turned, its massive saber raised in both hands. It aimed for the neck.

Swish!

The Fallen ducked, and the saber missed by a hair, slicing a chain in half instead. The undead General pivoted and struck again, cutting across the creature’s back.

The edge scraped against the fused anchor and sent sparks flying. The Fallen swung its elbow back and caught the undead General under the chin, and the undead was sent tumbling over the ridges.

Just then, the undead Storm Tyrant charged forward. It raised its hammer high with both hands and brought it down on the Fallen’s skull.

Boom!

The ground split. The Fallen’s head snapped down, and cracks ran across its face. Its knees bent, and a heavy groan escaped from deep in its chest.

For a second, the Fallen did not move.

Frozen.

Rust fell from its body in sheets.

Its movements had grown slower, and the green fire in its eyes burned thinner than before.

Yet it did not fall.

It lifted its head, and its dark sockets locked onto the undead Storm Tyrant. A chain coiled around the undead Storm Tyrant’s arm and pulled, and the Fallen’s fist came up like a hammer of its own.

Bang!

The Storm Tyrant flew backward and crashed down with a heavy thud.

The Fallen straightened. Cracks webbed its skin, and its one arm hung loose, but it stood. Its chains stirred, and the green glow flared again.

Looking at the Fallen, Thoren saw it clearly under the illusory Soul Lantern, and his eyes sharpened.

’Its getting clumsy...’ A sharp glint appeared on his face.

’Now.’

The undead Horn Lizard King howls and charges from the left, its cudgel dragging across the stone.

At the same moment, the undead Scorpion Men King burst forward from the right, its gauntlets drawn back at its sides.

The two undead kings closed in on the Fallen from opposite directions.

The Fallen turned its head toward the undead Horn Lizard King, then jerked it toward the undead Scorpion Men King. Its reaction came a breath too late.

The undead Horn Lizard King struck first.

Its cudgel smashed into the Fallen’s ribs.

Bang!

Bone cracked, and the Fallen lurched sideways. A chain whipped out to answer, but the undead Scorpion Men King was already inside its reach.

It drove both gauntlets into the Fallen’s stomach.

Bang! Bang!

The Fallen doubled over, and dry, dusty air burst from its mouth. It swung its arm in a wide arc, but the undead Horn Lizard King took the blow on its shoulder and held its ground.

Its soul fire flared, and it brought the cudgel down again on the Fallen’s back, right beside the fused anchor.

Crack!

The Fallen’s knee gave way, and it dropped to the ground. It was slow, so slow that the two undead kings could land blow after blow without fear of a counter.

Each hit tore away more of its rust, and the dark sockets dimmed a little more.

Behind them, the ground trembled.

The undead Storm Tyrant had pulled itself free of the rubble. Its armor was cracked, but its soul fire burned fiercely.

It charged across the plain, its heavy hammer gripped in both hands. Its footsteps shook the ridges, and each stride was faster than the last.

Thoren’s eyes locked onto it, and a cold, steady calm settled over him.

’Chain Combo,’ he commanded through the mental link.

The undead Storm Tyrant’s aura erupted.

A dark, swirling energy poured from its body and wrapped around its arms and chest.

Its muscles tightened and swelled, thick cords rippling beneath its armor, and the plates groaned as its frame grew firmer and larger.

The ground cracked beneath its feet. Its soul fire turned from yellow to burning white, and the pressure rolling off it was enough to make the air hum.

The undead Storm Tyrant reached a tall stone ridge and leaped.

It cleared the top in a single bound, its body rising high above the battlefield.

It raised its hammer over its head with both hands, and the aura coiled around the weapon like a living thing.

Whoosh!

The hammer swung downward, cutting through the air with a deep, howling roar.

The undead Horn Lizard King and the undead Scorpion Men King stepped back at the same instant, clearing the way.

The Fallen sensed the danger but it was too late. It raised its head slowly, its cracked face turning upward, the green light in its sockets widening.

Just for a second and then...

The hammer crashed into its skull.

Boom!

***

[AN: New Month Goal.

1 Magic Castle +10 Chapters.]