-Afternoon. Sulow Town. Nefiru's POV-
Already past lunchtime, the people of the town keep quiet hiding in their homes while three separate fights occur in the neighborhood with Shaila on my right, Liana far behind her and I'm currently near the corner of the plaza. I face the northern wall in the street covered with gore, littering body parts, bloody equipment, and red water running in the pavement towards the drainage on the sides while a man stabbed a long sword into my back no longer on fire. But feeling only necessary pain, and the people who were holding me, dead, I pinpointing his location with a probe, then swung my free tail like a scorpion again.
*Shuak!* My tail pierced through the armor and lodged in his spine.
"AHH!" He screamed grinding his teeth while still holding onto the sword.
*Bang! Thak! Shuk! Shuk! Shuk! Shuk!!* The crossbow users fire arrows that lodged in my flesh.
I ignore the objects and twist my tail tip buried in the man's flesh.
*Creeeak!* The cheap armors bend and break before throwing the hooked body behind me. "ACKkk-ghhh!" The auramancer sounded letting go of his sword embedded in my back and flew over their group.
I used the tail once more to quickly remove the net as their circle reforms and prepare more attacks at my exposed flesh. However, I managed to achieve a foothold and put strength in my hind legs before jumping onto the shield wall towards Shaila.
""OAHH!"" The humans under produce complaining sound enduring my weight while the crossbow users shot again.
"HUP!" I jumped again knocking down the people at the back.
*Swip! Swissh! Twink! Thuak!* The arrows miss their target as they whistle away towards the southern wall.
*Thump!-- Creeeak! Crush!* I landed creaking sounds of bones and squirt blood of the fallen people.
"""GAHH!!!!""" They screamed being crushed as my claws sink into their armors before swiping the tail at the legs of the people behind me.
""Ough!"" Some standing got knocked down.
"Painfuuuul! Damn you!" Some cursed in the back.
I rushed to the people approaching Shaila and lashed at a high-rank earth magician.
"Watch out!" A woman warned as my jaws open over him.
"Ah?!" He let out as my maw closed and crushed his head before throwing the corpse against people running away.
"SHIT! Why isn't it going down already?!" Tayuma complained when the people on the roof throw nets in front.
Instead of running into them without magic to spare, I turned around and sprinted to the group chasing me, but leaving the group exposed me to attacks once more and another set of arrows came flying.
*Shuk! Shuk! Shuk! Shuk!!* The steel arrows lodged in my chest beside the earlier ones.
"GRRRRLL!" I growl annoyed at the sticks hindering my movement.
*SWWWIIISSH!* I dashed at the shooters on the right side of the street and swung my left front paw. *ZWOOOM!--BAM!* I slapped at two people.
"GA--" A man sounded heading for the wall. *TRUSH! Crash! Tunk!* He went through the wall while the other bounced off and fell down.
I rush left next and swung my right paw while swinging my tail whipping at crossbow users firing behind. *SWIFF! Swissh! Bash!*
"AaarGH!" A young man cries out thrown against to the wall. "Omph!" He hit the northern wall and fell down.
"Ack! My bow!" Somebody protested of their broken weapon.
"Stab the chest!" Tayuma ordered.
I located his voice around the corner of the plaza on the right and advanced towards him, but the red-haired woman wearing leather stood in my way holding a shield while people jump at my tail trying to stop me.
*WHOOSHH!!!* A couple of large fireballs come at my eyes.
I dodged changing targets to the last high ranked fire magicians along with others on the left and mowed down auramancers trying to stop me while swinging my tail in wide horizontal arcs to keep them from chasing.
"HE'S ALMOST OUT OF MANA!!" Shouted the red-haired man before running away into the plaza.
"Block him! Throw nets!" Tayuma commanded.
"GRAAAH!" I roar rushing at the forming wall.
*BANG!--Skreeeonk!* I headbutt the raised shields dragging them on the ground until my body stopped.
"HAAA!" They endured as the people on the roof throw nets again.
"Aahg!" A shield-bearer blocked my tail on the left.
I open wide and bite down an auramancer along with his shield.
"Guo!?" He let out being lifted up. "UAAaaaa!" The brown haired screamed flying into the falling nets and over the roofs.
*Bamm! Crash!* The person crashed down destroying a house.
""Kyaaa!"" Several women scream inside.
I used the hole in the formation again and slapped with the right paw. *THUURGH!*
"""Ogh! UAh! Nuoh?""" Cried out the people holding shields thrown away towards the crossbow users.
*Whoosh! Bang! Swiiip! Whishhh!* I push aside the rest and crawl over the ones blocking my forelegs while stabbing at the ones rushing to my back.
After struggling through the crowd to catch the magicians, I reach the corner of the plaza while turning my tail into a hook aiming at the red-haired woman protecting Tayuma on the right.
"NOO!" A bald man jumped in front while using his hands to stop my tail tip.
However, he could not. My tail stabbed his exposed throat and dragged him with me into the plaza.
"RAXAS!" Screamed the woman running after me.
I noticed three magicians stopped and sent my probe ahead detecting a mass of magic that should be a combined explosion. I tossed the corpse lodged in my tail and bit on it before throwing it at the moving high-density magic sphere.
*BOOOMM!* The body blocked the explosion and bathed me in gore. *Thud! Thud! Splat! Splat! Foosh!* The burning torso of the man dropped down on my right after being launched by the explosion.
*Whap!* I bit the bloody smoking torso and threw it towards the group following me before rushing at the magicians. *Wosh!* I came out of the smoke cloud aiming at the high ranking.
"Dodge!" Someone warned.
"No. No. NOO--UCK!" The red-haired magician bawled running away until my jaws bit down on his arm.
*SSHHREEEKK!* I slide while carving rock for over a meter and stopped.
"GRRR!" I growl like a mad dog bashing the guy on the street. *BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! Riip... Tushh...* His arm ripped from the socket and rolled on the ground becoming a bloody mess without uttering further sound.
The other people surround me in a semi-circle, and the crossbows were waiting for me to stop moving.
*Shuak! Thuak! Shwip!...* More arrows lodged in my neck while the magicians alive throw fireballs. *Foosh! Whoosh!* The flammable chemicals continue to burn on my scales.
"He's totally berserk! Run!" The orange haired man said while running in the plaza towards the street.
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*Skraak!* I scratch the ground ignoring the arrows firing and rushed to the other fire magicians outside the encirclement *Woosh!*
"NOO! Help!" The magician shouted running back to the street while throwing smoke bombs behind.
In but an instant, I reach the closer fire magician. *Whap!* Bite on his head then stopped. *SSRRRKK!* I slid on the stone and grabbed the person by his legs. *CRACK! Riiip--snap!!* I separate the head and torso then threw it at the crossbow users firing.
*Shuak! Thuak! Shak! Thud! Tusshh!* Another set of arrows pierced my neck from the plaza on the left and the flying headless corpse.
"PHUA!" I spit the head and twist my body to the left before jumping up. "HUP!" My body separated from the ground as the people rushing to hold of my tail missed their target. *Thump! Crush! Crack!* I landed on the bodies thrown earlier and rushed to the last red-haired man.
"DAMN IIIIT!" The bawled reaching the corner of the plaza.
*WHAP!* I bite down on his stomach sliding on the stone ground. *Screech!* "ARGH!" My claws leave marks while the person in my mouth struggles.
I swung my neck and threw him to the wall opposing the plaza
*Swiss... Crank! Crash!* "Ahhh!" The man went through the wall covering the houses and causing screams of panic which stopped shortly after.
"HUFF! HUFF!" I pant heavily as magic is almost depleted and it's harder to maintain the state.
I turned left glancing at Shaila running around from a group of six or seven people at tens of meters away in the street
Shit! I went too far...why isn't she firing? I thought with regret watching the girl in a pinch and prepared to rush...
However, a shield wall of six auramancers stands blocking my path to the group firing on the left by the plaza and the girl straight ahead. I dodged arrows enhanced with wind magic before biting a wooden shield and lift it along with the person.
"Woa!?" The mustache man uttered airborne.
With a gap in the defense, I slid my left paw inside the formation and swiped towards the stone wall on my right.
""Ough!"" Two men were thrown away towards the wall. *Bang!* The impact cracked the wall that started crumbling.
The mustache guy fell down, and I grab another guy on my left and drag him horizontally up to the right before dropping him as they point the shields up while stabbing at my chest. I jumped over the group again and kicked them from behind while swinging my tail knocking incoming arrows.
""GAH!"" Cried out men rolling on the street while my claws killed others.
*Whap!* "ACK--!" I bit yet another one from the left and pushed him to the group on the right. *BAAM! Crush! Crumble! ARGH!* They went through the stone wall turning into meat paste in the process.
I pull out from the wall. *Krak. Rak. Tak.* The rocks fall and turn to the plaza as my vision starts to fail.
Oh fuck... Limit reached... I noticed my body growing increasingly weaker.
I bite down the hero wannabe's shield and watching the wounded helping each other to reach the back door in the plaza that leads to the guild building.
"GRRRR." I growl biting down the hero's wannabe shield as my body wobbles, and blood starts to gush out once more.
The magic reserves are unable to sustain the full boost anymore... AAAAAAARGH!!! I feel the pain signals surge from every injured part of my body at once and froze momentarily.
I let go of the shield feeling my broken body turn into a worse mess with every passing second as magic reserves are dangerously low.
"HAAA! HAAA!" I pant heavily while barely standing with tendons and ligaments broken along with over twenty arrows firmly lodged in my flesh.
"You can't survive those wounds..." Said the young man stepping back.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!...* Multiple explosions sound up north followed by distant screams and yells while getting closer.
"TAYU!" A man in black calls from a roof. "That sounded like those bottles that woman used earlier." He reported.
"They had more..." The man in charge muttered realizing. "The wounded start retreating and the rest grab the girl...the dragon is finished!" He commanded.
Lester is coming...! I deduced and looked far ahead in the street.
I see men cornering the girl against the left house wall at around thirty meters away while using a yellow light shield to block wind blades. Beyond that, Liana killed a woman and now is fighting the man missing an arm which increases her chances to win.
"Enoooough!!!" Shaila yelled in the distance pointing her palms out.
*PRZZZZZZZZT!!!* The two light beams from her hands cut through the armors, flesh, bone and the walls behind along with the street below. *SHHHHhhhh...* The red lines on the stone zizzle while cooling down. *Thud! Thud!!!* The men fall and Shaila starts wobbling before leaning on the wall panting exhausted.
"WHAT?! What was that??" Tayuma questioned with his mouth agape.
"By the Divine...she looks so weak and useless...But they are all dead..." The young man reviewed.
"I-I-I have no idea... She-she instantly killed a Rank 7 with what seems Light magic..." Stuttered the informant on the roof.
"I haven't heard about an ability like that!!" Retorted an auramancer pointing at Shaila.
"Gahhhh!" A survivor screams while crawling on the ground away from the light user.
"Almost all...nevermind, he's dead too. But Kalio used sleeping gas on her before dying..." Commented the red-haired woman.
"Monsters! The lot of them... The dragon only started bleeding now...too abnormal. I'm leaving." Another auramancer said and jumped to a roof before running away.
Havent...tried so hard in lifetimes... I affirmed relieved watching the enemy lose determination.
"This all happened because that woman, Elena isn't nowhere to be found," Tayuma said looking at me.
Ehh?! I tilted my head wondering what he meant.
"...We took the mission hoping Elena would own us a favor...you ruined everything." The red-haired woman accused with tears streaming on her face.
"I told you guys before they don't deserve sympathy!" Declared the justice man.
...If Elena doesn't appear...you complete the mission...fucking assholes! I cursed struggling to stand when a green haired man appeared flying over the houses on the right towards Shaila.
"Let's go," Tayuma ordered walking away.
"KALIO!" The wind magician bawled approaching one of the corpses. "Brother! Wake up! It's a joke right??" He lifts a corpse talking and hugging it. "BROTHER!" The green haired man yelled towards the sky while wind starts to spin around him.
Oh no... Shaila's in danger. I limp across the bloody street, but the young auramancer blocks my path.
"Sorry, I'm late..." Alphonse's voice sounded as a shadow passes by me then goes behind the rank 5 auramancer and slit his throat.
"Grouaaagah!" He tries to speak spewing blood from the gap in his throat while losing strength and falls down.
"Koby!" Yelled Tayuma from afar as the red-haired woman pulls him away.
"Huff! Huff!" The black haired assassin started panting now visible with his uniform in tatters with cuts everywhere and bleeding.
"You bitch!" The wind user said with a voice full of hatred and waved his arm.
"Kyaaa--ack!" Shaila screamed being thrown against the wall. "Omph! Ough!" She hits the wall shaking it and falls down.
My heart skipped a beat watching the girl thrown maliciously like a rag doll.
"Oh no. I'm too late!" The black-haired man said rushing towards Shaila with me behind.
*Whizz! Whizz! Whizz--Shaah!...* The green haired man throws high-speed wind blades at Shaila's neck.
SHAILA! NOOO! I force my heavy body to move forward accelerating as much as my creaking body allows.
"Kyaaah!" She screamed blocking with the bracelets the incoming attacks while crouching in a lower position.
Most wind blades land in the bands but her thin arms or body suffer cuts and bruises visible from a distance while the white dress is ripped to pieces.
"STOP YOU FOOL!" Yelled Alphonse while we approach.
However, the angry magician waved a hand at us, and a mass of magic approached.
*BUOONNN!* A strong gust of wind threw us back along with corpses and bloody equipment in the street flying around us. *Rwoshhh!* It continued blowing blood and spraying water while stopping us approaching closer than ten meters.
The wind started swirling abnormally while turning green and dark green veins started appearing on the magician while the speed increased.
"DAMN! He's losing control of elementals too!" Informed Alphonse next to me.
*WHOOSH! WHIIIISH!* A tornado starts to form spinning fast enough to wobble the stone walls.
Shit! Shit! Shit! ...Too weak... I lamented in frustration watching Shaila getting slowly killed.
The little girl's body finally succumbs falling facedown unconscious, and wind blades start landing on her back carving the skin and cutting the hair while spraying the wall red.
"GWUUAAAAA!!!" I roared in anger clawing my way forward slowly as a last struggle.
However, we could only watch through the wind curtain as the madman continued beating the unconscious Shaila to his heart's content. Meanwhile, I keep recovering mana to retaliate when a blue haired man appeared on the left roof holding long ice lances where the wall debilitated the tornado and threw them at the unsuspecting wind magician below.
*PSHHHH!* The javelins tip facing up spew vapor carried by the wind and propelled downwards. *SHAAKK!!* They impale the green haired man in the chest.
"GOAH!" He uttered falling back and away from Shaila. "AHH!" He sounded holding the two lances with each hand covered in dark green veins.
But he couldn't move as his body rapidly encase in ice. *Crack! Crackle!* The person inside completely freezes. *CRASH!* The ice block exploded shattering the person inside into countless pieces. *FOOooshh...* The tornado vanishes along with the mana wave emitted from the person.
We rush at Shaila, but the blue-haired person jumped down and held her body in a princess carry as she drips blood from many parts.
"GRRR!" I growled chasing after with Alphonse on my side.
The blue haired man stopped and turned around.
"It's over." He imposingly said and carried the girl towards the sealed street end.
FUCK YOU! I felt like showing my middle claw but refrained as he is Rank 9.
I look at Alphonse on my right as we follow behind and he seems frustrated but doesn't want to act or say anything.
"Their preparations were no joke." After walking for a moment, Alphonse spoke. "That wind magician ambushed us along with normal people using crossbows on rooftops and killed many guards. Low ranking spies died inside town as well...friends of mines. I hope this turn out well because many have died because of this farce." He announced.
Well, it's not like any of these 'meat' are worthy of my mercy anyway. I affirmed walking through the bloody mess where my fight started.
We reach Liana sitting on the street with the left arm bent in three places showing broken bones and stab wounds while three trashumancer corpses surround her.
"...How are you even alive with those wounds? I can see your bones..." She commented looking up at me.
Don't remind me... Once the adrenaline runs out...I won't be able to move without using magic and I hope there's enough healers since my body is too wounded for natural recovery... I'm afraid even to pull the arrows out. I reaffirmed my condition and nodded at her.
I kept freezing my wounds with a little bit of water magic to stop the bleeding when a sound came from the wall closing the street.
*PRAAAKKK! Crumble! Crash!* A large paw punches the stone wall and throws the pieces aside.
The dust cloud clears revealing a black and white tiger around my height coming through while staring at me with different color eyes.
Woah!? Am I delirious seeing an overgrown tiger from earth or is that a Darkness and Light dual beast? I retorted staring back.