Runners almost teleported across the battlefield, grabbing those they could and tugging them free of their fleshy prisons. Some lost boots or armour to the ooze, not fast enough to avoid the reactive pull on contact. They left them behind without hesitation, focused on dragging people out.

Still, the time it took for them to grab some, others were being absorbed, limbs disappearing into the muck as they tried to struggle their way out.

It did nothing, and the panic rising in their voices was audible.

All the runners hesitated. There was no way for them to grab all those remaining and guarantee their own survival.

Everyone gave the shambling mound a wide berth, trying to stay out of the range of any future tendrils, staring at it and their unfortunate friends that were slowly being eaten.

Theo set off a backfire on its surface, and watched a crater form, before being quickly filled back in by more flesh.

It disappeared seconds later, but it was enough.

He ran towards the abomination, setting off backfires near everyone trapped, trying to not only carve away at its reserves but free his trapped comrades.

“Freedom for all!” Before he reached his rotting destination, Theo heard a voice echo from far away rattle around in his skull. It sounded like it was someone next to him shouting in his ear, but the battlefield did not suddenly gain a cavalcade of reinforcements; if anything, given all the evacuations there were less people than before.

He staggered, as a song overwhelmed the battlefield. It was a choir and an instrument he’d never heard before, weaving a spell together. It churned through the air, leaving a trail of disturbed mana. He could almost see the air currents shift. It radiated out from Union City, and while he couldn’t exactly be sure, it looked like it had come from the inner ring of districts.

More importantly, the flesh mountain staggered too, ripples travelling over its body, undulating as uncomfortably as the rest of its existence.

It almost recoiled, folding in on itself as warriors and loose footwear were pushed out like pus from a squeezed pimple.

Unfortunately, discomfort and expulsion aside the abomination looked fine. Whatever caused that music did not visibly harm it. On the bright side, volume aside, as Theo looked around it looked like whatever spell that was hadn’t affected anyone defending.

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Before it could sweep out its tentacles again, everyone who was trapped (wisely) left the area as fast as possible, and runners helped them on their way. They moved faster than they had done before, even with the added burden to carry. It was their way of redemption for failing to save them earlier, and leaving them to possibly die.

That wasn’t to say there were no targets for the flesh to focus on, however.

Theo resumed his sprint to his destination, sidestepping a flesh tentacle, and ducking around a casual swipe at his head.

He set off as many backfires as he could manage, drawing the full force of the flesh mountain, and Guiding Will inside piloting it, onto him.

It paused in its single-minded pursuit of Union City, and Theo celebrated as its slow shamble started to squelch its way in his direction.

Attention gained, Theo executed the next part of his plan.

He changed his trajectory to avoid colliding head on with the abomination. Well, as ‘head on’ as possible for a being that had no real head.

He ran a circle around its base, then took off running away from Union City. He made sure to not move too fast for the mountain to keep up, saving his speed for evading the spears of flesh that shot his way.

He led it around, letting loose as many backfires as he could manage without losing focus, watching as over and over the disintegrated pockets of flesh were filled back in like nothing actually happened.

There was, admittedly, so much flesh that even any removed by his head-sized backfires would only amount to a drop of rain in a flood. So really, there was little effect to his backfires regardless.

It was good for drawing attention to him, however, and that was what mattered right now.

Sometimes what mattered wasn’t being effective or finding a path to victory, it was merely irritating your opponent so much that they didn’t do what was in their best interest.

Currently, Theo was like the sound of someone chewing loudly while carrying on a conversation next to you at a bar, spittle and flecks of half-digested food raining onto yours.

Even as meteors the size of houses crashed into it, even as chunks froze as shattered, it pursued him with the single-mindedness of a dog chasing its own tail, to an equal level of effectiveness.

Theo glanced back for a moment to make sure it was still following, and returned his focus to not dying.

Kathy appeared next to him, running up to his side. “Keep it up. Nothing’s managed to inflict serious damage so far, and we’re running out of ideas. You’re buying us valuable time.” And with a nod, she left as quickly as she arrived.

He returned the nod, took in a deep breath, and got back to work.

---

Theo led the flesh monster around a now-empty battlefield, everyone else having retreated as their methods proved ineffective against this enemy.

While it wasn’t exactly routine, they had fallen into a rhythm. He would dance between striking tentacles, cutting them off with backfires when he had the chance. They would absorb the flesh back into their body as they continued to chase him.

This was when he learned that getting comfortable and expecting behaviour to continue in a predictable manner could get him killed.

A thick rope of flesh shot out, farther than he thought the abomination was capable of, whipping towards him from the side.

He dodged, ducking under it, only to be caught by another tentacle that had used the other as a distraction to wrap around his leg.

Theo was pulled off his feet, and dragged by his ankle into the mass.