The silhouette that floated silently in front of the combustion of monsoon crossed his razor-sharp claws before his torso. His eyes snapped open, burning with purgatory and sharp ferocity. Two feathered pinions stretched from his back. A wave of murky smolder caused the feathers to shed and reveal leathery bat-like wings.
As the silhouette released more smolders, his appearance became more defined and much sharper. His muscled form was bare and a dark tattered cloth was tied around his waist. His tail was hard-armored and resembled a scorpion's tail. He had lengthy horns that resembled a goat's. A scythe that looked very familiar to me materialized in his left open claw. He gripped the scythe tightly with murderous intent.
The stygian monsoon that was a bright red scarlet in its earlier phase dispersed, showing the scalded form of the God who was still unfortunately alive. The giant shakily grabbed the steel rose which skewered him like a grilled vegetable, yanking the steel bar out of his mouth.
"Right in the butt...He must be really butthurt about that!" Crowley joked, causing the two children to roll their eyes.
"I'm ashamed to call you an adult," Rui muttered. His nose was scrunched up in distaste.
When the giant succeeded in extracting the bar from his body, he extended his left arm to the side to hold his spear. The horned creature that appeared out of nowhere spun in his direction. They clashed weapons, creating a shock wave of black fire.
My eyes searched for Sin, Saint, and Skwak but found no trace of them. The pain in my leg didn't even distract my mind one bit as Caleb held me securely against him.
"Skwak couldn't have survived that fire," Crowley said, placing his hand on my shoulder in sympathy. "I'm sorry but he tried. You were right about him."
I gripped Caleb's supporting arm, leaning further on my good leg.
"It's too early to declare his failure. I trust Skwak to keep his promise," I denied Crowley who bit his lip and looked away in sadness.
"You are far too innocent, young prince. It pains me to have you here in this bloodbath."
The movement of the horned-creature started as slow but then he gradually became explosive– potent in each attack and precise. His speed was hard to follow with the eyes. Even the giant was helplessly receiving blows after blows by the dark vigor of bewildering strength which just...came out of nowhere.
"Where did this guy come from?" Caleb asked in astonishment.
"It doesn't matter where it came from as long as it's beating Garmir's sorry ass," Rui huffed with amusement.
The God proceeded to use his spear to clash with his destructive scythe. Garmir's weapon proved no match with the hack as it sliced whatever part of the spear was offered to him like a spinning wheel.
With Garmir unarmed, the God summoned his lightning, and clouds formed around him which could potentially cage the horned creature like what had happened to Skwak.
The lightning got the revolving death blade restrained for a few seconds before he broke the element and regulated the surge throughout his body.
Garmir was losing options to win this game of death. The newcomer seemed to have more cards in his void of darkness to use against him. Garmir caught the creature between his palms and hurled him away from him.
The being flickered back and slashed his defending hand off his wrist. Spiders crawled out of the injury; his white-tinged blood turned into creatures similar to Vincenzo. The spiders clamped together and twisted around each other as they renewed the hand that was cut off.
The God wailed— his deep voice resulting in the tremble of the earth. Compelling surges of electricity shot out from the threatening skies and shocked the silhouette.
"Come on...fucking get out of this one. You can do it!" Crowley cheered.
"Yeah, kick his sorry ass!" Rui rooted.
"Get him! Get him!" Ziru joined in.
That horned being didn't seem to be driven by the desire to just kill. It was like he was just doing a daily chore that needed to be done because it was his responsibility.
"Do not underestimate him, he is still a 'God' after all," Kox's voice popped in.
There was a tone of insult when the word God came out of his mouth.
"That creature could use some help to get out of this one," Kox said.
Crowley snatched Kox from the ground, strangling him at the angle of his arm.
"So what do you propose hah? Suddenly disappearing on us, you got some nerve!"
"Can't this innocent boy get lost at a time of crisis?" Kox tried to explain in a struggling voice.
Crowley dropped him to the ground, crossing his furry arms before his chest.
"What can we do to help that…monster beat that colossal?"
Kox shrugged.
"It is simple, really, Garmir's main power is electricity. Just throw in a conductor to attract that power. The monster can focus on defeating him rather than dying from the shock of voltage."
"Conductor? Maybe I can—"before Caleb could volunteer himself, I pricked him with a thorn that was coated with a substance.
That will put him to sleep for a couple of hours.
The werewolf clamped his pricked arm and looked at me with fear and concern. He stumbled back but fought the feeling of fainting.
"Luci...an..."
I caught his body before it could land ungracefully to the floor. Crowley helped me lay him down.
"Ah, you'll do it?" Kox acknowledged but had a tone of "I knew you would".
"Caleb's body won't handle another detonation. Just tell me what to do," I deadpanned.
Kox smirked. "Just turn yourself into steel and you're good to go. You just need a little more mana for that right? I'm sure your body is worn out from building that steel bar of rose."
My skin hardened; Kox's next statement made Crowley and the two children panic.
"But don't become steel for too long. A steel heart cannot pump and keep a body alive."
'Think this through, nephew. This is a dangerous task. It is way too risky. How sure are you that that creature can beat a God?!'
More panicked voices washed over my head. My surroundings became even more chaotic with the murmurs and gasps of concerned individuals residing in my mind.
"What the fuck?!" Crowley growled. "What kind of idiotic plan did you just come up with?!"
"Isn't it brilliant?" Kox teased blankly. "I put a lot of thought in it for two seconds."
"Throw me, Crowley," I commanded the Hanuman.
"But onii!" Ziru protested.
"There is no time," I cut them off.
I hopped towards Crowley; the Hanuman reluctantly reached out to me.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked me.
"If I am not ready to sacrifice myself for the sake of the people important to me, then what right do I have to let others put their lives out for me?" I queried.
Crowley's jaw tightened and the children stared at me with great concern.
"I will be fine. I grew up with a steel heart. It only started beating recently," I assured them.
The Hanuman gripped my uninjured leg and arm. He spun around, flinging me towards the eye of the storm. I used zephyrs to boost me further and closer to where the creature was being electrocuted.
My heart slowly stopped beating.
My breathing halted and my arm extended forward. Just as I was about to fall from the pull of gravity, my fingertips touched the erratic voltage and attracted the surge of electrical energy.
'Lucian...can you hear me?' Kox's voice entered my mind.
"Yes..."
'Your digestive system is naturally made of diamonds. Do not alter it. Store the electricity there so that it wouldn't come out of your body.'
How convenient.
As I collected the element disabling the horned being, the creature managed to break away from the restraint. It proceeded with its mission to torment the God with its unending deathly slashes and tail whips.
My senses were dulling and the creature's movements accelerated. His body sparked with an obsidian inferno.
Garmir, though weakened and shamed, still carried his pride as a God. His recuperating limb elongated like rubber and attempted to penetrate the creature with the stinger-like edge of his limb. Once all the electricity was absorbed, I quickly returned my form to its natural state.
I felt the exhaustion washing over me like a bucket of ice water.
Instead of my body falling as it should, a magnetic force held me up, causing tingles all over my figure. My eyes widened when a few conjoined grape-like purple figures emerged beside me where surges of electricity could be seen and heard.
Three more spherical sparks of pollen appeared in different directions. Garmir's lips spread in a wide grin.
"I, Garmir, acknowledge your strength and resolve. It is only right that I shall serve your death with all my power," he declared.
A ray of white light linked the pollens, creating three separate rings that caged the creature and me. The horned being stared at me with his piercing eyes gleaming with interest.
"Atom..." Garmir muttered as if declaring his victory with modesty and respect for those he had won against.
A thunderous clamor of deafening voltage and a blinding flash of light occurred. I was sure of my abrupt end. But instead of meeting my end, my eyes blinked at the face staring down at me. A warm hand supported my lower back and red eyes observed me curiously.
Fangs peeked from his ajar pink and thin lips. As if he removed the mask concealing the sharpness of his features, a strong and well-defined jawline framed a charming face with spellbinding features. His peach-colored hair was radiant and pleasant. Just then, my heart quickened its thumping.
"You..." He spoke in his thick, smoky, and sotto voice that sent shivers and tingles of warmth in my spine and cheeks.
Everything that could pulsate on my body has already done so.
Our intense and heated gaze at each other broke when Garmir bellowed in frustration. The peachy-haired fruit man glared at Garmir and flashed his very bewitching jawline at me.
His inky black lashes complemented his sharp and penetrating gaze that made my legs feel as if they were turning into jelly.
'Could it be that the prince—.'
'But no, he already has a deep connection with the werewolf.'
'Does he not have some bond with the dragon twins as well?'
'Ah yes the twins, wait...huh?'
'I am lost on who to root for.'
'But the way he dreamily describes this man...it's obvious that he wants to—'
'Shhh, you are confusing my nephew!'
Peach-haired fruit threw his scythe towards the rampaging giant who was on his way to trample us. As he got closer and closer, his legs slowed down and his head slowly detached from his neck. He realized the fatality of the scythe that went past through him. The weapon left a burning seal that prevented him from recuperating any further.
The giant's eyes widened at first but lost its shine as he submitted to death. He fell on his knees in defeat during which his head rolled off his shoulders, causing a loud tremble of vibrations on the ground. His body disintegrated into glittering particles of light. Kox's voice emerged in my head.
'May you return peacefully to the Tree of Fertility and never be born again...useless microphallus of a God.'
Peach-san glanced at me. His hold on me tightened.
"You will be the origin of my sin..." He murmured. "In God's name...I must end you now."
I tilted my head at him in confusion.
"I do not mind breaking another leg if it's you."
'Nephew!' The dominating voice in my head gasped.
Peach-san lifted his open palm. His scythe returned to his grasp. His weapon was reflected in my eyes and my gaze softened as I finally remembered where I saw it from.
"Squawkey-san...you're safe."
The man's eyes flashed a quick show of affection, but before he could speak again, two fists collided with his face. I was grabbed by my waist and carried away.
"Seriously...what the fuck?" Slade snapped and looked at me in disbelief. "No seriously you shitty blonde...what the fuck?"
"Lucian are you alright?" Sevor asked.
I placed my hand over my chest, feeling rather pleased to meet both of them again and still having the effect of meeting Peach-san for the first time.
"I feel like I'm walking on a cloud," I sleepily replied.
Slade clicked his tongue. "You have a broken leg. Talk about walking again in your state and I'll break the other one for you."
I looked to where Peach-san's body was punched away and slightly waved.
"Peach-san, I still have one good leg. It is available in all seasons."
"Shut up, dumbass!" Slade snarled at me.