Shadow stood between Sapphire and Winter as the same sound echoed through the hallways again, but louder and closer. Without any warning Shadow jumped in the air and kicked both Winter and Sapphire to the side, just as something launched itself out of the hallway, right towards them. Shadow dissipated as her body ripped in half by the attack.
Sapphire rolled back to her feet and unsheathed her katana ready to fight. "You shouldn't have done that," she snarled.
The monster turned one of it's heads towards her, a giant three headed serpent.
A hydra? Sapphire wondered.
"Species unknown. Hydra: 13%," Appraisal informed.
"Whatever it is, it's about to go extinct if it's the only one like it," Sapphire growled.
The serpent turned it's body towards Sapphire and shot a stream of venom from all three heads aimed at her. She dashed to the side, dodging the venom and withdrawing two throwing knives from her coat, throwing them at the three heads while channeling energy in her arm.
As the floor where the venom hit sizzled and bubbled two of the throwing knives blasted through a head each, blowing it off and leaving some flesh hanging off, the third going right by the last head. The monster fell backwards from the blow, only one head remaining.
Winter summoned ice spikes from the ground as the monster fell backwards, impaling it's upper body and last head, raising it's head higher to move away from the spikes. Jumping into the air Winter slashed off the last head with her katana and landed safely near Sapphire.
The two fist bumped to celebrate their victory as they prepared to take the reward and leave, but were interrupted as the serpent burst through the ice spikes and seemed to grow bigger. Both Sapphire and Winter became cautious, expecting the worst.
The serpent grew back it's three heads in an instant, shocking Winter and Sapphire with it's regeneration speed. The three heads then opened their jaws and receded downwards as three humanoid torsos appeared out of them. The human torsos were female, their bodies covered in scales. The central one held a staff while the other two held a sword and shield. The monster lifted it's tail and it opened into a jaw from the tip, lined with sharp venomous fangs and a forked tongue, venom dripping from it.
Sapphire and Winter exchanged disgusted glances. "What the hell is that thing?" Winter exclaimed.
"A Gorgon?" Sapphire shrugged.
"A Hydra maybe?" Winter suggested.
"A Gorgon-Hydra, without petrification." Sapphire informed with a nod.
"Yeah, that sounds more accurate," Winter agreed.
The two jumped to the side as a jet of venom shot towards them. The two torsos on the sides opened their mouth, unhinging their jaws and revealing a mouth lined with sharp teeth. The two spewed toxic gas as the last one with blew it with wind magic towards Sapphire and Winter.
"Poison, don't breathe it!" Sapphire warned Winter as she covered her mouth and nose with her scarf.
Winter also did the same as Sapphire, closing her eyes as the cloud washer over them. Sapphire jumped out of the cloud of toxic gas towards the monster, stabbing her katana into its lower body. As she struggled to pull it back out the tail wrapped around her in an instant, opening up to reveal it's jaws, prepared to devour Sapphire.
Sapphire simply smiled at it, with no sign of fear, confusing the monster as the three torsos came closer to her. Just as the monster attacked Sapphire with its tail several icicles embedded themselves into its body, losing the grip of the tail as the monster hissed in pain.
Grabbing onto her katana tightly Sapphire pulled herself out of the wrap and kicked the central torso in its head, sending it back before pulling out her katana by channeling energy into her hands. She slashed off the other two torsos from their belly with a dark slash before moving away. The central one hit the ground behind and tried to get back up and slither away, being slashed off by Winter as she dropped down on it.
Both Winter and Sapphire breathed heavily, the toxic gas having taken its toll on both due to their imperfect protection from their scarfs. As Winter walked towards Sapphire the tail wrapped around her leg and bit into it before throwing her away.
"Winter!" Sapphire exclaimed, rushing to her.
Winter's body crashed into a wall before falling to the ground. Sapphire slid to a stop beside her and examined her, relieved to find that it didn't manage to inject venom into her.
"I am alright, but that thing is not dead." Winter panted.
As Sapphire returned her attention to the monster as it regenerated it's three heads, again opening up into three female torsos, but stronger, fiercer and less humanoid looking. This time none of the three carried any weapons. There were blades attached to the arms of the two on the sides, the central one possessing similar but longer blades, sharp claws, and wings on its back.
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The two on the side again spewed toxic gas towards Sapphire and Winter, like jets of concentrated water. Sapphire erected a barrier around her and Winter, blocking the toxic gas outside. The central head moved forward and opened its jaws wide. It spewed a small amount of fire, igniting the toxic gas and causing an explosion, breaking the barrier and hurting both Sapphire and Winter.
"It's smarter now," Sapphire observed. "What could be it's weakness?" She wondered.
"Maybe something we haven't cut yet." Winter suggested sitting back up.
Sapphire dashed forward towards the monster, not waiting for Winter. The two torsos on the sides struck towards her with their arms but she jumped over their stikes and kicked both in the head. She grabbed the central torso with both her legs and tilting her body backwards, tossing it down the hallway opening by channeling energy into her body.
Dashing to the wall she retrieved both her throwing knives and jumped aside as the monster crashed into the wall trying to catch her, clearly having gotten much faster. She tucked both her knives back in and sheathed her katana. The monster launched itself towards her and got flung to the side by a roundhouse kick from Sapphire. It again charged towards Sapphire but met the same result as she kicked it again.
It launched itself at her one more time, but this time she unsheathed her katana and threw it at the monster, a dark slash trailing the blade, slicing off all three torsos at once.
Behind the monster, a Shadow Warrior grabbed the katana and sliced off the tail right away. Just then, drawing the throwing knife from up her sleeve, Sapphire stabbed it into the chest of the monster's serpentine body and slashed a hole open before punching through it. Her hand came out behind the monster, holding a beating heart. Sapphire crushed it before pulling her hand back out and examining a green crystal that remained in her hand as the body of the monster dropped to the ground.
"We are lucky." Sapphire panted as she walked Winter.
"What do you mean by that?" Winter inquired.
"That looked like no normal monster because it was no normal monster, it was a Krystallite," Sapphire explained.
"It's the same thing as you?" Winter exclaimed.
"Not as far as I am aware, we are very different," Sapphire answered. "From my understanding, being a Krystallite is more of a condition than an actual species. The species still matters once you become a Krystallite but only to a small extent, and so I believe they are close to the border of being a species or a condition, but more towards being a condition."
"That is confusing, but whatever you say," Winter sighed.
"Lucky this thing wasn't stronger, it has half as much energy than me and already regenerated and improved itself so fast during battle," Sapphire laughed.
"Why are you laughing?" Winter questioned.
"Lucky for it because if it was stronger I would've went all out, I was barely even trying just now. And there I was thinking it's going to be some super powerful monster." Sapphire laughed walking to the body and kicking it.
Just as she kicked it the body snapped itself towards her hand with the crystal. Opening itself near the cut off torso like a jaw it latched onto her arm. It swung her around and tossed her at Winter, knocking both into the wall and biting off Sapphire's hand and devouring it as the three torsos regenerated again, much faster than before, looking same as the last ones, along with the tail. The only difference being that the two torsos on the sides now held bows, and the central one held a spear.
"Does this ever end?" Sapphire exclaimed in rage.
"End it entirely this time then, stop acting like a villain." Winter scolded, lightly hitting Sapphire on the head.
As Winter and Sapphire got up the two torsos on the side distanced themselves further and further from the central one, finally seperating into their own. Two other torsos quickly replaced them, this time armed with nothing but razor sharp claws and fangs with venom. The central one slowly ate it's own spear, shoving it down its neck and absorbing it back. As it did so two blades formed on the back of each torsos forearms, sharp as swords.
As Winter and Sapphire looked on flabbergasted and mildly disgusted, two arrows were shot at both their heads, but they were quick enough to dodge them. Sapphire stepped ahead of Winter and sheathed her katana, sidestepping another arrow.
"Cover me from those arrows and kill those two if possible, I will take care of this one." Sapphire ordered, cracking her knuckles as she prepared to fight again.
Winter nodded and moved instantly towards one of the archers, almost getting struck by the main body, however, Sapphire kicked it back towards the hallway leading out before it could reach Winter. The two exchanged glances and returned to focusing on their targets.
"Don't worry," Sapphire called out, walking towards the monster, "I won't make this easy for you."
As she said so a blue aura enveloped her body. She beckoned the monster to attack, but it appeared to have been slightly threatened for a moment. Still, it refused to back down and lunged towards her. The right torso slashed at her but she ducked under it and roundhouse kicked it, knocking it's head off and knocking the monster off balance. It felt to its left, using the left torso to support its body. Before it could regain its balance Sapphire kicked off the left torso's head and leg sweeped it's hand before kicking off the central torso's head as it fell downwards.
She jumped up as the tail struck at her legs, dodging the attack. As she fell she struck the tail with a knife hand strike, penetrating through it and nearly chopping it off. It hung loosely, connected by a small part of flesh at a corner. The monster retreated its tail and again bit Sapphire's hand by opening a gap in its body, but this time she anticipated it.
As the monster bit her it's body set ablaze from the inside, Sapphire having used Fire infusion (Blue) on her whole body. The rest of the monster's body did not ignite, not being in contact with hers for long enough for it catch on fire, but by biting her it did all the work for her.
"Just as I expected, as a venomous hydra your weakness is fire," Sapphire sighed. "Such a pity, truly."
She shoved both her hands through the main body of the monster, intensifying the flames even further. As she continued to burn it, she saw a faint glow from under its scales, not seeming to be from her blue flames. As she wondered what it could have been she got blown backwards, passing out from the impact with the wall.
Sapphire didn't know how long she remained passed out for, but when she finally woke up she found Winter sleeping right in front of her eyes, hugging her tightly. She slowly shifted herself closer and buried her head in Winter's chest as she drifted back to sleep, knowing Winter would have dealt with it already.