Admiring the carnage they delivered, "Nice job you two." Giving a Sugoi Squad certified thumbs up". as they smiled throwing one back.
Seems like the gems possess a lot of raw power, as seen from exhibit A, as I gestured towards the cremated pile of ash. Pretty practical of you to utilize your undead to work around that draw back.
Feeling high and proud from the compliment I gave, Virgo walks around explaining, "It was all according to my plan of course, that's why I convinced Sagi to buy from that shopkeeper in large quantities and for a below market price."
Sagi cutely nods in agreement proud of their accomplishment as well.
"But of course, having that said, for me there are minor adjustments to make... I'll probably need more undead passing around that gem to be more effective otherwise they'll just wither into dust from minutes of usage."
"But I would say Sagi's run was a huge success. I had theories that Sagi's use of the goddess relic, is able to fully channel the stones magic, without a drawback."
"This was just based off my observation of her during her match against me, when she unleashed Bayonet's lightning quill as a magical dampener. The arcs of stray and wild lightning magic were clear, however magnetizing to Arisaki the hilt of the war goddess proved to have accented the magic to the blade's tip."
"An unexpected surprise of course was that the funneling of magical energy output actually tripled the stone's original power, however unsurprisingly her skill still shatters the elemental stone fused."
"A minor inconvenience, but for the ease of convenience of usage, increased range of attack and more fire power I would say it was a decent exchange which gave an added boost to her magical utilities..."
Bringing a slight tear to my eyes, sniffling... "I'm just happy I have such reliable party members..."
Narrowing their eyes, "What are you saying Yuujiro we've always been..."
Interrupting her putting my hand up, "When I first adventured with Sagi and realized her all powerful skill...my thoughts were, this beautiful burden who is only able to do close combat is going to bankrupt me shattering all her swords ..."
Sagi turns around squatting down to face a tree depressed...
"And Virgo when I saw your reanimated summoning got gobbled up like fish food, I thought that was it, all this woman is good for is reanimating rubbish on the road."
Virgo now squatting with her side by side depressingly reflecting... "How come I'm called woman while Sagi is called beautiful."
Wiping away my tears of joy dramatically, I rummaged through the sack of items.
Smiling at them, "cheer up take a look what I have", as I unfurl the third scroll... showing them.
"It's a painting of the three of us, I commissioned a painter in Athens to secretly paint a picture of all of us together."
They laughed uncontrollably on the floor, as I flipped it over to me and looked in horror.
The painter immortalized the scene of us at the arena, with Sagi giggling, Virgo celebrating in cheer winning her bets and me standing there naked accepting the win by default award by the judge. My crotch a smear on the canvas.
"God damn it, I was sure he painted us at the symposium instead, and what's with this lackluster effort to paint EVERYTHING."
"It's okay we love it", as they both take it in their hands to admire his detailed work.
Setting a camp for the night, we ate the broiled red toothed hippos hungrily, and I sent the tooths back to Europa along with a few gems for her to experiment with. Note, please be careful with the gems they carry a massive back blast, signed Yuujiro Haruki.
Laid in the now dried valley of a swamp, and star gazed in the night before drifting to sleep.
The next morning, we began our investigation, surveying the land for hours looking for clues to the possible direction or tracks the Demonic Sea Star Wildebeest could have gone.
After some time, Sagi calls us over "I believe I have found the direction its headed." as she guides us over to the clue.
"What makes you so sure Sagi, we have been seeing a lot of misleading hooved footprints."
She walks up, for a size comparison. Beside her was a 5-meter-high tower of shit, within it were almost excavated bones of Elder Red Toothed Hippos, we instantly recognized it after feasting on it the night before.
Several meters away large footprints of hooves, sunk deep into the ground. From the depth of the footprint... it is one massive monster.
It is heading east, towards the ocean. Maybe its unable to stay above ground without Sea water for long.
Calling Icarus out of his amulet, I pointed towards the tower of shit, while pinching my nose.
"Icarus track this monster, it's a Demonic Sea Star Wildebeest, maybe he'll smell like surf and turf to you..." However, Icarus stands rooted to the ground unwilling to take a step further.
Taking short sniffs in the air, retching from the smell almost vomiting. He nods and spreads his wings signaling us to get on.
We continued to track on foot, galloping across the dry crusty terrain riding on the back of Icarus until sundown. The long-awaited opportunity to speed up taking to the skies, allowing us to cover an even greater distance.
Hearing the crashing waves in the cool night breeze, we hovered over the eastern seaside. No footprints or signs of destroyed vegetation to shows it entered the ocean. Which is also good news, meaning we still have a chance to kill it, before it escapes into the ocean depths unreachable to us.
Descending and searching the shores we come into contact with several beautiful Sirens resting on rocks. Gently singing a soothing tune, which attracted the sea life, dancing schools of fishes swim in unison creating complex patterns and designs.
Amazed we clapped warmly after their performance, while the crowd showers them with flowers, gifts and praises. Gold coins tossed all over the smooth rocks across the beach.
A demonic moss octopus then proceeds to collects the gifts by extending its green tentacles wrapping its body outward and rolls itself over the coins.
Pick them up with ease with its outward suction cups while they continue to sit with grace and poise.
Excited we greeted the Sirens sisters Alpha, Beta and Delta. Swallowing hard as I shook their outrageously smooth hands and seductive, skintight body wear. Even Sagi was amazed at their amazing complexion while Virgo chats with them.
"I am glad to meet someone who's my kin. In fact, I'm just like you and your sisters, Alpha! I too am from a distant Siren lineage." She proudly shows her close up the silver scales under her eyes.
Alpha hugs her excitedly, before informing Beta and Delta, "Sisters we have found a fellow Siren, a Silver siren distant from our main family branch.
Beta and Delta hugging her as well, celebrating "We should celebrate by performing together!"
Before she could say no, the three siren sisters, slap their massive tails across the ocean surface. Splashing noises, signaling to the crowd an incoming performance.
"Follow our lead, you just need to harmonize with us." Ahhhh~ Ahhhhh~ Ahhhh~ the three vocals unifying into one, their voice melding together to transform into a full sounding orchestra.
Beautifully colored fishes started gathering around them swimming to the melody.
Alpha signaling to Virgo to combine her voice, "AHHHHHHHHH~" A deep full and unique tone delivered by Virgo and absolute sensation to the ears. Her voice rivalling theirs in fact the tonality even clearer crispy and unique an identity itself in her voice separate from the crowd.
The crowd wonderfully accepted Virgo's beautiful tune pleasure spread across their face until...
Bloop... Is that a dead fish... Oh no...
Dozens of dead rotting fish surface to the top, some poisonous eels and sharks infesting the water. Although they were simply dancing to the music, the crowd perceived as an undead attack on the live fishes.
The crowd screams in horror, before it was the sisters turn to scream opening their eyes to undead sea creatures skulking around you, disrupting the performance.
In the back, a giant rotting whale had been reanimated as well making a long journey swimming from afar, its belly bloated with carbon dioxide. Beaching itself on the shores before exploding into a gruesome firework of blood and rotting guts.
With that the star-studded performance ended with a bang... Clearing everyone off the beach...
Virgo repeatedly apologizes to Alpha, Beta and Delta, and helps them up as they took the brunt of the blast and had all been knocked unconscious.
Laying them onto the smooth rocks to rest, a screeching cry was heard echoing from the forests.
Sounds of crushing foliage and heavy falling trees got louder as it tore its way through the forest making its way towards us, revealing that it was the Demonic Sea Star Wildebeest we were looking for.