Chapter 205: Beast vs Giants [2]

Alden took a deep breath. ’Summon them all.’

[Summoning All of the Forged Beasts...]

Meanwhile on the other side—

BOOOOOOM.

A figure dropped from the sky at tremendous speed and hit the ground in a crouch that sent cracks across the stone beneath it.

"I’m finally here! Just what in the world—" Theodore raised his head.

The words died in his throat.

Three colossal monsters towered over the battlefield directly in front of him. Their shadows stretched across the ground and swallowed everything below.

"...was troubling—" His eyes went very wide. "NO, WHAT?!"

"Just in time, Theodore." Luna glanced back at him without breaking her focus on the nearest beast.

Theodore stood up slowly still staring at the monsters. "How in the world are we supposed to fight something this huge?! What were they thinking sending a small human like me to deal with THIS?!"

Luna walked over and smacked him on the head. "Save your babbling for later. You’re a Spire, remember?"

"Ouch!"

"We need to do something about these monsters until Isabella handles that vampire!"

Before Theodore could respond several more figures came running. Nicholas, Roselle, Adrian, and Cecilia arrived together and their expressions went grim the moment they saw the full scale of what was in front of them.

Nicholas stepped forward immediately. "We’re here, Lady Luna, Sir Theodore. What do you need us to do?"

Adrian had stopped moving entirely. He was staring at the three giants with his face going progressively paler.

’We’re supposed to fight those things?’ He swallowed. ’Absolutely not. I refuse to die today.’

Luna looked between the monsters and calculated quickly. "I’m thinking we distract them and draw them toward the borders. If we lure them away from the main battlefield we stop them from killing more of our troops."

Roselle stepped forward. "Then Cecilia and I can help evacuate the remaining people from this area. You, Sir Theodore, Nicholas, and Adrian distract the monsters and lead them toward the borders."

Luna considered it for one second. "That works."

"Hold on! Count me out!" Adrian’s hand shot straight up. "I’m helping with the evacuation too!"

He took exactly one step in the direction of the evacuation.

Theodore grabbed the back of his collar. "You’re not going anywhere you brat. Stay here and help!"

"LET GO OF ME!"

"Not a chance!"

A massive shadow swept over all of them mid-argument. A powerful gust of wind followed it.

Everyone looked up at the same time.

Cecilia shielded her eyes. "What was that?" Her eyes widened. "A dragon?"

"Wait!" Roselle leaned forward. "That’s Alden!"

The group watched the golden dragon carry Alden and his Soul Beasts across the sky toward the enormous serpent.

Theodore stared after him. "He’s already on it." A pause. "Though don’t you think even his dragon looks tiny compared to those things?"

Adrian watched the distant figure disappear toward the monsters. "He’s either incredibly brave or a suicidal fool."

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU?!" Luna’s voice cut through everything. "QUIT BABBLING AND GET TO WORK!"

Every single person flinched.

"Y-Yes ma’am!"

Luna turned back toward the three colossal beasts. "Let’s move. We don’t have time to waste."

High above the battlefield stood Alden on the back of the golden dragon.

"It’s been a while since I summoned all of you together." A small smile. "Unfortunately I don’t have time for a reunion. I need your help." His gaze moved to the monsters. "We’re going to have to work together if we want to get out of this in one piece."

The Dragon roared back. Pyrion’s flames flared. Glacius stamped a paw and sent frost crackling outward across the ground. Flamestone clicked its mandibles.

They were afraid. All four of them, clearly and obviously afraid. Three monsters towered before them that dwarfed everything they were.

None of them retreated.

Alden’s expression softened for one second.

’Good.’ He turned to the Dragon. "Take us to the serpent first!"

Wings spread. The Dragon launched itself skyward.

WHOOOOOOOSH.

The gust swept across the battlefield as it climbed with Alden and the three other Soul Beasts riding its back. Below them the horse continued its rampage between the shattered structures moving too fast to pursue without a plan. The turtle’s shell looked like trying to crack a fortress with bare hands.

The serpent was their only real opening. Massive, easy to target, and predictable.

’We start there and figure out the rest as we go.’

The Dragon banked hard. Its body carved through the air toward the three-eyed monster and the serpent noticed them immediately. All three eyes rotated toward the incoming attack simultaneously. Its jaws spread wide. Venom gathered deep in its throat.

Alden’s eyes sharpened. "Don’t let it get the first shot!"

The Dragon roared and pushed faster.

Fifty meters.

Thirty.

Twenty.

"NOW!"

Pyrion leaped off the Dragon’s back. Fire exploded around its body as it twisted in midair and gathered the flame around its jaws before unleashing a screaming torrent of scorching energy downward.

Glacius threw a breath. The blue flames at its neck flared and the freezing energy that surged out alongside them formed a spiraling wave of frost that raced toward the serpent’s upper body.

The Dragon opened its jaws and fired. A concentrated blast of golden energy tore through the sky directly behind the other two attacks.

Three attacks converging. Yellow. Blue. Red.

They hit the serpent across the head and upper body simultaneously.

KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABOOM.

The sky erupted. Fire wrapped around scales. Frost spread across the serpent’s neck in spreading cracks. The Dragon’s blast drove the whole thing backward and the monster’s head disappeared into the explosion.

Alden didn’t wait.

"Flamestone!"

The spider was already moving.

Its legs spread wide as it fired multiple streams of venom from its mandibles. Not aimed at the serpent directly. Aimed at the poisonous liquid still gathering at the base of the monster’s jaw. The two substances hit each other and the contact produced a hissing cloud of vapor that expanded between Flamestone and the monster. Not destroying the serpent’s venom but disrupting it to buy time.

That was all Alden needed.

He tightened his grip on the Living Gazer. The dark smoke spilled from his hand as the sinister blade formed and the crimson eyes along its surface opened and blinked.

[Soul Weapon: The Living Gazer — Summoned!]

’Purple Eclipse.’

The blade started changing. Frost crept along the edge. Fire spiraled up the dark surface. Purple lightning crackled between the rows of eyes. The energies compressed into a dense violent radiance that lit the surrounding sky.

[Concept: Breath Activated]

[Concept: Electricity Activated]

[Concept: Flight Activated]

Dark dragon wings unfolded from his back.

He let go of the Dragon’s neck and launched himself forward. The Dragon veered away beneath him as he accelerated through the open air. Wind screamed past his ears. His wings beat twice and drove him harder through the smoke.

The serpent’s enormous head was emerging from the explosion below him. Scales scorched in patches. Ice steaming off sections of its neck, and it was still moving.

Alden raised the Living Gazer over his shoulder. Purple lightning gathered along the blade and the frost and fire twisted around each other.

He twisted in midair. Drew back. Everything slowed for exactly one second.

Then he swung.

SHIIIIIIIIIIING.

A massive purple crescent tore through the sky.

The combined attack hit the serpent’s exposed head from directly above.

KRAAAAAAAAAAABOOM.

The explosion swallowed the monster’s upper body completely. The shockwave spread across the entire battlefield and sent loose debris spinning in every direction.

Alden hovered with his wings beating steadily and watched the smoke.

’That should do it. Right?’

On the ground Nicholas was helping Luna evade the turtle’s enormous foot while stealing glances upward. "Did they get the serpent?!"

Luna barely cleared the foot as it slammed down.

THOOOOOM.

The impact threw dirt and stone in every direction and she landed in a crouch with her Anchor’s golden threads stretching between nearby structures. "I don’t know! Keep moving!"

The serpent roared.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

The sound swept across the battlefield like a physical wave.

Alden’s eyes went wide.

The serpent’s enormous head pushed through the smoke. Scorched patches on the scales. Some frost melting into steam along the neck. A few marks along one side.

The purple crescent had barely scratched it.

Alden stared at the blade in his hand. Then at the serpent. "You’re telling me that wasn’t enough?!"

The serpent’s three eyes found him.

Its mouth opened.

Alden understood what was coming and his expression shifted. ’Oh, crap.’

The throat expanded. The venom inside its mouth bubbled violently.

Then it spat in a massive wave of corrosive liquid that spread across the entire sky wide enough that there was almost nowhere left to go.

Alden’s pupils contracted. ’Damn it!’

He threw his arm up and squeezed his eyes shut.

THOOM.

Something hit the air in front of him.

Not the venom.

Flamestone had moved.

The giant spider sprang from the Dragon’s back and curled its legs inward and hurled itself into the space between Alden and the incoming wave. Its armored body spread as wide as it could go to cover the others behind it.

"NO! Flamestone—!"

KRAAAAAAAAAAASH.