Everything whited out. Went to static. Raw energy swallowing physical, releasing their shapesโฆ
Slowly colors filtered back. Sound trickled into the ruinsโฆ
๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐ผ๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ -> ๐๐๐ก
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ -> ๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ธ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ -> ๐๐
Zane stood there panting. Breathing in the smells of the crushed blackened world.
He smiled. Good.
He was still pretty pumpedโbut the Level-ups had healed him, body-wise. He had maybe half his essence in the tank. But he would get it back soon enough.
He was focused on his Level. Just one awayโthat was when Reina thought it would happen. The next Class Evolution.
He turned to face her. She stood there gasping, hands on knees, all sweatyโher essence was nearly drained too. Zane had been careful to curve the blast around her. Now she smiled weakly up at him. Evan ran at him, tackled him a hug. Avery scampered over and gave him a fist bump. "Alright!" she cheered.
But just when they were all starting to relaxโฆ
The cavern began to tremble.
And the ground shifted beneath their feet, uneasy, rocked on its axisโmoved. By something else, some great weight shiftingโand Zane felt a soul flare to life, a signal flare in the Astral Plane...
There came a cavernous gravelly roar. A roar that shivered the ice off the distant mountain-peaks.
And those giant Monstrous coils in the distance began to move.
Zane frowned.
There was a disturbance in the Astral Plane. A flex of raw power. Essence gushing into the world.
The mountains began to glowโthe whole range. All at once. Not of their own volition. Something huge streamed through them, lighting them up from behindโฆ. They started shaking violently, white cracks ripping down their lengthsโ
"Get back!" Zane roared. Even as he dashed over, scooping up Avery, Evan, putting his body in front of Reina, managing to cover her tooโhe held them all tight, using his back as a shield. He was just big enough.
He was just in time too.
The mountain range blew.
Not like a volcanoโlike a hunk of dynamite. There was so much power running against them from the other side they gave out. In spectacular, violent fashion.
Smoking peaks flipped overhead, spinning like tops, trailing long tails of blocky iceโ
He burned his Bloodline. Made sure his muscles held strong, his skin ran hot with essenceโ
Then an avalanche of force, of essence, of sheer heavy icy matter crushed right across his back.
Pain flared all over him.
It felt like they dropped a street's worth of skyscrapers all over him. Crumbling to pieces all around him, blasting into the seaโฆ
He staggered. But held. Looked down at his friends, worried.
They all looked safe. Surprised, but unhurt.
He turned back around breathing heavy, felt cold smoke drifting off his back. Saw the raw chunks where the skin had been scraped off his sides, exposing chunks of bleeding muscleโbut otherwise he found he was alright.
He looked back.
The Isle had been flattened out. Where there had been beach there was now snow. A vast plain of it. The mountains had been reduced to mere powder mists blown away on the windโฆ they could have been standing on some Arctic ice sheet.
And the creatures on the other side, the creatures that had done this, were coming on through.
The first was a little bald purple-skinned old man with a thick white beard, cloaked in fluffy fur robes. Tiny fangs poked out the sides of his mouth. His eyes were mirthful crescents.
He floated on a little frosty cloud, a bubble of wintry wind that swirled wherever he moved, dropping drifting snowflakesโฆ
He held a scepter at least as big as his body. A scepter crowned with a giant pearl. A Weapon Soul.
That auraโฆ
Zane knew what it was. Identify confirmed it.
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค, ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ (๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ)
๐ผ๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ ๐
Behind him, coiling through the air, was a strange behemoth of a Monster. Its body could've been that of some world-striding centipede. Corkscrewing through the air. A herd of dragon's feet traipsed across low-hanging clouds. It seemed to take off half the sky. But where its head should be, four necks split offโmaking four massive ugly heads. The scales looked like sheets of cracked ice.
And they were all trained straight on Zane. The mists billowing out its nostrils made its own little cloud layer.
๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ค, ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ โ๐ช๐๐ฃ๐ (๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ)
๐ผ๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ ๐
Its Bloodline simmered within it. The final evolution of all Zane had just faced. The Ghoul Eels, the Drakesโฆ now this.
Reina tensed as they floated on over.
The Shaman spread his arms wide. Grinning wide too.
โค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ, said the Shaman. He gave a wheezy cackle. ๐ธ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ! ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐จ๐'๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ฅโฆ
The Hydra's four heads each gave cloudy snorts.
๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ, said the Shaman. Those little fangs flashed wickedly in the dim light. ๐น๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค, ๐'๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐โฆ
He raised his staff. And icicles the size of icebergs rose overhead, crackling into being, steaming with so much essence they cast warbling aurora lights on the ceilings high above, spilling out, coloring the snowy floorsโฆ
The Hydra growled. And its mouths started smoldering essence too.
Zane narrowed his eyes. And readied himself for battle too.
Summoning what remained of his powers. And his body started smoking essence too, the pale image of a Titan Rhino flickering faint over his headโฆ
Nothing more needed to be said.
He was half-exhausted. His Bloodline was half-burnedโthat did not matter.
He would fight until he got the job done.
๐๐ ๐ฆ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐! said the Shaman, leering. ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐ก๐ฃ๐-๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐คโฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ'๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ก๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ ๐, ๐'๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐. ๐ฝ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ช ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ช ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐ช๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ง๐.
By now Xanthos's breaths were gathering so much power they were starting up their own atmosphere.
๐๐ฅ ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ช ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ.
Zane was trying to take the measure of both of them at once, trying to figure out how he could take both their strikes. He was already asking a lot of his body in such a short time.
The two of them at onceโฆ
This would be tricky.
He would do this, he told himself.
He would find a way.
๐๐ ๐ฆ'๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ช ๐ ๐๐, ๐๐ฃ๐๐'๐ฅ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ? said the Shaman. โ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐ค ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ'๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฃ๐โฆ ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐จ๐. ๐๐๐ค.
He snapped his fingers. More giant icicles bloomed at his sides.
๐ธ๐๐ช ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ค?
"You should never have come here," Zane growled. He swore he would make good on that.
The Shaman laughed.
At Zane's side, his friends weren't sitting still. They were powering up too, readying themselves for another pitched battle. Evan was trembling a little, he was so full of gold light. He was also rather scared. Avery had picked herself back up, put her game face back on. Reina was the worst offโshe'd given almost everything into helping Zane. But she was gritting her teeth; she'd give it her all, he knew.
He would have to do his best to take the load off of them. He could shoulder this. He would.
It turned out Reina was thinking the same thing. He felt a spark of intent behind him, a spark of determination. She'd come up with a planโshe made a snap decision.
"Evan!" she cried. She was in commander mode. "Avery! To me!"
They started in surprise then scrambled over to her.
๐ผ๐? The Shaman seemed to notice her for the first time.
Then he hissed.
A golden laser slashed through the airโand nearly skewered them right through the face. An icy shield slashed up at the last moment blocking itโbefore exploding in tiny chunks.
The Shaman snarled. โ๐ ๐จ ๐๐๐ฃ๐โ
Then he yelped. There was a Terrordactyl wheeling through the air, screeching at him, spitting a hissing sludge. The Shaman vanished in a puff of snow, came up a dozen feet away, returned fire, snarled, missedโ
He tried taking aim at Reina and Avery and Evan, but Reina whispered in Evan's ear and cried, "Now!"
A gold beam ripped through the airโcurving at the Shaman's blind spot. And he was forced to whirl around to block, grimacingโ
Reina locked eyes with Zane. "We'll hold him off for you," she promised him. She looked all determinedโhe got her meaning instantly. By now they felt so close she didn't even need to say anything. He knew her. He trusted her.
"Then I will kill the Hydra," he promised her back. They nodded. And sprung into action.
***
He turned back to face his foe.
Just him now. His friends were leading the other Monster Knight farther and farther away, harassing it as best they couldโฆ he trusted them. He could not think on that now.
He needed his mind solely on destruction.
He and the Hydra faced each other across that flat icy expanse. A light snow drizzled between them. One of them was enormous, crowding out half the sky, so many heads, so many feet, an army unto itself. The otherโone man. One block of flesh and muscle. Tiny in comparison. But blazing white-hot through every last fiber.
It was a strange thing though. In the Astral Plane their auras were just about matched. One hot. One cold. Both rising to the distant ceiling, blasting out at each other, charging fastโฆ meeting in one stark invisible line, halfway between. And holding there.
The quality of Zane's core, erasing a Forty Level difference.
But the physical presence of the beast was still overwhelming. It loomed over him, over everything, its shadows crisscrossing its own shadows, mouth seething with an absurd amount of Law, of essence dipping to temperatures humans would struggle to measure, much less understandโฆ
Ghostly avatars rose over each of its heads. Its shining white eyes. A larger shadow of itself. Its Bloodline.
It felt like a Godbeast Bloodlineโjust corrupted. But no less strong.
Zane's Titan Rhino Blood held up strong against it. Could still claim the advantage, drop-for-drop. But the amount of Bloodlineโฆ complicated things.
Zane still frowned at it. He had no clue where to even start with this thing. How best to hurt it. It was a Hydraโฆ four headsโฆ
Hmm.
He had to be careful here. He did not have the essence, the powers, to spare mistakes now.
They stood there still for a moment, each charging their powers to feverish heights...
Then the Monster opened its mouths.
And it felt like whole atmospheres dumped out at him. Blizzard on blizzard on blizzard.
Instantly Zane smashed the Stormfire Step. Tendons snapping fierce. And he was goneโskidding so fast it broke the sound barrier, so fast he left streaking ghostly after-imagesโbut those huge mouths were on him just as fast.
His tendons came in handy thenโhe had never realized just how fast he could change directions. He kept circling, eyes narrowed, sensing the intent of the beast. Trying to figure it out.
It was no easy thing. Four heads felt like four split intents and they kept crossing over each otherโand he was barreling so fast, going so many waysโ
He crossed right through the path of one of those breaths.
He bellowed.
For a second he felt like he'd been plunged into the depths of an icy river. The cold tried grips all over him, tried dragging him underโbut his own Bloodline went white hot, fighting it back, and he burned his way through. Forded his way through the other side with a beastly step, broke through to the air, kept barreling onโฆ.
He glanced down, gasping. Huge patches of his skin had gone black. The rot was creeping into the muscles underneath even as Stormfire wrestled with it, trying to burn it offโฆ his organs felt very, very cold. For a second his blood had gone sluggish. He'd felt a shock of brain-freeze.
That had been just one stream. His Health had dipped ten percentโin seconds.
He could not let himself get caught in those. That was the thing about his body. Steel could burn very hard very fastโbut it could cool that way too. His great strength was also his great weakness against this thing.
And still he couldn't seem to find its weakness.
He scrutinized its body as he sprinted, hoping to see a heart flare up red under its scales or its Core, a weakness he could smashโnone sprung to mind.
The closest thing, his instincts and Skills told him, was those heads. That was the key. One of his first instincts had been to bash them in too. And yetโฆ
He Identified it with Sage Mind.
Flickered through its Skills. Found what he was looking for.
โ๐ช๐๐ฃ๐'๐ค โ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ (โ๐๐ค๐ค๐๐ง๐) [๐น๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ - ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐]
๐ป๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ฃ๐ ๐ช ๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ค, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐ก๐๐๐๐. ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ก๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐ก๐๐.
He had a feeling that would be the case. He had been hoping maybe he could burn the stump with Stormfire, stop it from coming back. No luck.
In the distance he felt a shockwave blast, heard Reina cry out. Gritted his teeth.
His reserves were dimming. His Bloodline too. He was running out of time. He needed a plan, and fastโ
He got caught in a blizzard stream again.
This time it got him head-on. Too clean. It blinded him. He had to fight like hell to get out of it, working his poisoned rotting muscles, straining his whole body just to break freeโhe stumbled smoking. Eyes narrowed.
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐!
โ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐%
This time, he would not have Wish Upon a Star eitherโฆ
His eyes flashed.
Maybe he would not need it.
To kill this beast he would have to attack the heads. Without destroying them.
It was time to bring new powers to an old-school idea. Back to where he'd begun.
He swapped out his Hammers.