Swift shadows glided out of the flames. Rosalian's were similar to snakes. Their heads were red rose heads, petals opening and closing aggressively. A single crimson eye sat in the pistil. The thorny body slithered over the ground like a snake, roots trailing behind.
Slightly creepy, but Hana had seen worse in horror movies to be honest.
She swung the sword, effectually severing the heads form the stems. Large wails could be heard as red and green blood spurt from the slain monsters.
Hana narrowed her eyes. The red blood should be from humans, while the green was the monsters. Looks like these monsters recently had a meal or they stored human blood in their bodies. Interesting.
Her ears prickled. She could hear movement coming toward her form all directions. Looks like the plan worked.
"Blackie, hide us." They retreated to the side of the now barren area, vanishing from sight as an illusion covered them. Ashes and Rosalian bodies dotted across the scarlet ground.
As a mass of Rosalions slid to the place where they stood moments before, Hana gestured.
"Firespin."
Chimchar inhaled deeply. A torrent of flames blasted through the rose monsters, instantly incinerating them. Hmm, fire was extremely effective, Hana noted.
"Nice! Let's go."
The four slaughtered through the flower field, reducing nearly everything to ashes.
Screech!! A slightly larger flower appeared before them. It was slightly taller than Hana when it reared it's head, it's one crimson eye flaring in hatred. Boss Rosalion then.
"Firespin!" The Boss Rosalion dodged, hurling toward Hana. 'This one should be more sentient,' Hana mused, 'It actually realized I was the leader.'
She struck forward with Hyorinmaru, the blade flying toward the stem. The Rosalion twisted, aiming for Hana's head.
Hana ducked and rolled.
"Freeze its body with Ice Bream!" Icy blue streaks flew out of Glaceon's mouth toward the Boss Rosalion. Ice crept up its torso, effectively locking it in place.
"Die." Hana spun and lopped off the head in a single stroke.
The Boss Rosalian's body wiggled a bit after its head was gone, then went still. Hana went to the remains and shifted through them with Hyorinmaru.
No monster core. She cursed. In dungeons, monsters could either drop items when they die (like in games) or it's body would have a core that could be exchanged for credits.
So far, she had no drops nor cores. "What a waste of 300 credits, no wonder the booking was so cheap." Hana grounded her teeth in frustration.
As the exit portal appeared, she walked around in case she missed anything.
"Hmm?" Her eyes flashed and she walked back to the dead boss. Crouching down, she traced the body. At the end of its stem, it's roots were sticking out. However, there was a single thin red strand that connected to the ground.
Hana reached and pulled it up. So long? The root was like a buried extension cord in the ground. Maybe it was connected to the core? The information may have been wrong.
Hana followed the root away from the exit portal. Eventually, she stopped. The root was stuck, it couldn't be pulled up any more.
"Chimchar, Glaceon, help me pull the root." She placed the lazy Blackie onto the ground. "You too."
She wrapped the root around the middle of her sword sheath. "One, two, three, now!" They pulled at the red strand with all their might like a game of tug of war. Slowly, the root shifted upward, displacing dirt.
Hana's arms strained. How deep was this thing? She stared at the end stuck in the red dirt. Red? The ground around them was a rusted color. And damp.
Hana then noticed other roots around them stuck into the ground like theirs. No, it was entering the ground. She opened her hands. What she thought was sweat was red. Blood stained her hands.
These roots had blood in them. They entered the ground, reminding her of liquid transport tubes.
At that moment, Blackie finally awakened fully. Clenching the root in its mouth, it gave a hefty pull.
Boom! The earth rumbled. "Shit!" Hana scrambled backward as the floor began to cave inward. "Back up!" She yelled in warning.
But the floor beneath her feet collapsed. She grasped at the soil as she slide downward, clawing at roots to slow down her descent.
When the earth stopped moving, Hana finally took a long look at her surroundings. She clung to the side of a hill of dirt that caved in. Meters below her, she saw solid stone ground. An underground cavern it seemed like.
A massive pool of blood sat in the center, roots dripping blood over it. So the roots were supplying the pool with blood? Hana stared grimly. How many humans did they kill to get this much? Though it was probably diluted with water from the lack of viscosity.
What was the purpose of the blood pool? Don't tell her that she had to dive in their for the core?
Hana eyes her Pokemon. The three gave her a pleading look. They weren't willing to enter either. Hana's mouth twitched.
"Well, let's see how deep it is first then." Hana felt around for a stone and threw it. Plunk! She pricked her ears for the sound of the rock hitting the bottom.
The water surface bubbled ominously. Hana eyed the crimson liquid warily.
Something was in there.
Suddenly a massive red head rose out of the water. Blood ran down in rivulets from the enormous Rosalian's body. It's body was a thick trunk, with thorns protruding out. From the head, two eyes peered down, sluggishly lidded.
"Firespin now!" The gush of flames rushed forward.
Out of the pool, a thick vine shot out, blocking the flames. Hana watched as the thing charred. The vine immediately drew back, still alive. It writhe in pain.
The eyes of the monster turned red in anger.
Other vines surfaced, wriggling in the air aggressively. They spilled out, hovering threateningly in her direction. It looked like a plant octopus if there was ever such a thing.
"I have no idea what you are but your core is mine." Hana smirked. Something this big definitely had a core.
"Looks like this is perfect to test you out." Her hand tightened over the zanpakuto.
She raised the sword and roared. "Reign Over the Frosted Heavens, HYORINMARU!"