Grand Olympia: Further Horizon - Chapter 13: Decent
"It's still alive!? With all those explosions, with how much damage it's taken—how the hell is it still moving!?" Fu Hao shouted, gripping her jade small axe tightly.
"When I was shooting at it, my bullets barely penetrated its outer scales," George explained, still keeping his rifle raised. His voice was steady, but his eyes were sharp, tracking the wounded but enraged serpent as it writhed in the battlefield below.
"Then why did you lure it here?" Jeanne asked, her voice more serious than usual. She didn't look angry—just concerned. "There are still others down there."
George didn't respond immediately. Instead, he lowered his rifle slightly, watching as the others below prepare to fight that thing.
Fu Hao, arms crossed, glanced at George with mild curiosity, her sharp gaze catching the flicker of certainty in his expression.
Finally, George exhaled, adjusted his grip on his rifle, and took a shooting stance once more.
"I believe in them," he answered simply.
Fu Hao smirked at that, shaking her head. Jeanne, however, still felt uneasy.
"Hey, brat," Fu Hao said, stretching her arms before sitting down on the cliff's edge. One leg dangled lazily while the other propped up her elbow, her chin resting in her palm. "I say we sit this one out. We provide support when they start losing—or when some of them die. Then we clean up. Got it?"
Jeanne stared at her for a moment. Then, reluctantly, she nodded. "Okay."
With that, she turned her gaze back toward the battlefield. And the monster roared.
…
Below, the massive onyx-scaled serpent twitches violently in the aftermath of the explosions, its thick hide cracked but still holding strong. Its injuries were severe—but not fatal. Most of its entire body did leave lasting damage.
Then, it let out a deafening roar, so powerful that the earth trembled beneath it. The battlefield fell into chaos once more.
Musashi and Lapulapu charged in unison, attacking from opposite sides.
Musashi's wooden blades flashed, striking at the weak points between its scales, while Lapulapu's kampilan thrust forward, piercing a gap left by previous attacks.
The snake recoiled, but before it could counter—
Yasuke appeared above it.
With his steel onyx kanabo raised high, his entire frame tensed with raw strength, he swung downward with terrifying force.
BAAM!
The serpent's skull slammed into the earth, creating a massive crater from the impact.
But the beast wasn't done. Its tail snapped forward, a blur of black scales, aiming to crush all three warriors in one devastating blow.
Edward Teach reacted instantly.
His chains whistled through the air, his dual anchors twisting like steel vipers, intercepting the serpent's tail just in time.
CLANK!
The sheer weight of the impact sent intense force, forcing Edward back several steps. His foot dug into the dirt, his muscles straining under the force, but he held firm.
The serpent reeled back, then lunged forward—its massive jaws opening wide, aiming directly for Yasuke.
Yasuke, already mid-motion, realized he wouldn't be able to move in time. But before the fangs could reach him—
Laplapu surged forward.
Using his shield as a battering ram, he slammed it into the snake's skull with enough force to knock its trajectory off-course—its many sharp fangs barely missing Yasuke's head.
Musashi took the opportunity. His swords blurred, launching a storm of precise slashes at the beast's face.
But the massive serpent roared, having Musashi leap backwards.
The serpent hissed in frustration, its body tensing before it suddenly coiled tightly into itself, forming a living fortress of scales.
Then—it lunged like a spring aiming for Edward this time.
Yasuke, reacting instantly, swung his kanabo upward—striking the serpent body in mid-air.
The force knocked it slightly off-course, but its tail snapped back viciously, moving too fast to dodge.
Zheng Yi Sao moved before anyone could react.
With a flick of her wrist, she tossed a handful of gold coins into the air. At first, it seemed like nothing.
Then—
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Each coin detonated mid-air, creating a cascading explosion of golden light.
The blasts formed a temporary barrier, stopping the serpent's tail just before it could slam into Yasuke, Edward, and Zheng Yi Sao herself.
But Zheng Yi Sao didn't have time to celebrate.
The serpent roared in pure rage—then swung its tail sideways, catching Zheng Yi Sao off-guard.
She barely had time to register the danger before she was hurled into the broken trees, crashing through multiple trunks before finally slamming into the dirt.
Edward, seeing this, gritted his teeth.
"B*tch, you're always reckless!" he growled, immediately swinging his chains to wrap around the serpent's tail.
But the beast was stronger than he expected.
It dragged him along the ground, slamming him against the battlefield as if he were nothing but a ragdoll.
Lapulapu, seeing an opening, focused on a cracked section of the serpent's scales—one of the few weak points created by Zheng Yi Sao's explosions.
Gripping his kampilan tightly, he lunged forward with everything he had. His blade pierced through the cracked scales, sinking deep into the serpent's flesh.
For the first time—the monster bled. Dark green blood spilled onto the ground.
The serpent let out a horrific screech, its entire body writhing uncontrollably. Its tail whipped violently, sending both Laplapu and Yasuke dodging to avoid being crushed.
Musashi watched closely, his mind racing. His grip on his swords tightened.
Edward, still gripping his chains, spat blood onto the dirt and smirked. And Zheng Yi Sao at the distance getting up and tons of bruises and blood dripping down in her forehead smiled intensely.
"Well, sh*t. Guess we pissed it off now."
The serpent, now fully enraged, began thrashing uncontrollably. The ground trembled beneath it.
The battlefield became a deathtrap as the beast swung, coiled, and struck wildly, no longer attacking with strategy but with pure, primal fury.
All of the participants, barely holding on, dogging the monster random attacks knew one thing for certain. This battle had only just begun.
A sharp, calculated BANG! echoed across the battlefield..
It was George Washington!
Stood firm, perched high above up top of the cliffside, his modified rifle aimed steadily at the colossal serpent below. Each shot struck true, hammering into the beast's already wounded scales, creating small openings—weak points. As he reloaded with precision, his hands steady despite the intensity of the moment, a figure beside him shifted.
Fu Hao, arms crossed, had been watching the battlefield closely.
Her sharp eyes darted over each fighter. Musashi, Lapulapu, and Yasuke, locked in combat, dodging and striking. Edward, barely holding on to his chains, his body covered in dust and sweat. Zheng Yi Sao, having just been flung into the trees, but already pulling herself back up, fire burning in her eyes.
Fu Hao exhaled through her nose.
"Tsk. Damn it… most of our guys got smacked. Guess I'll just join in."
She muttered the words, but her mind was already made up. Her heart was pounding—not from fear, but from excitement. This was a battle worthy of a warrior.
Enough waiting.
Fu Hao stood up straight, stretching her neck and shoulders.
Jeanne, still kneeling beside George, turned her head toward her.
"You're going in?" Jeanne asked, her voice unreadable.
Fu Hao grinned, stepping closer to the cliff's edge. George and Jeanne both instinctively reached their hands out—
But Fu Hao had already jumped. Twenty meters. She fell like a meteor. The wind roared past her ears, her hair whipping violently as the ground rushed up to meet her.
Then—
BOOM!
A small shockwave erupted upon impact. The earth cracked beneath her feet, forming a small crater where she landed. Smoke and dust exploded outward.
As it cleared, Fu Hao stood tall, her body unshaken, her jade axe resting lightly on her shoulder. Her lips curled into a wild, eager grin.
"Here's ya beloved queen!"
She dashed forward, straight into battle.
Edward, panting, glanced at the dust cloud where Fu Hao landed.
"…Are you serious?" he muttered.
Musashi, still circling the serpent, smirked.
"Heh..."
Lapulapu gave a small approving nod, adjusting his stance.
Yasuke, gripping his kanabo tightly, exhaled, mentally preparing for what came next.
And Zheng Yi Sao, still dusting herself off, laughed loudly.
"HAAAAAH! LOOK AT HER GO! I LOVE IT!"
Billy, still in cover, rubbed his temples.
"Great. Another crazy f*cker."
Then—
The serpent's massive head snapped toward Fu Hao. It lunged.
The massive many fanged maw, big enough to swallow houses, came barreling down toward Fu Hao.
But Fu Hao didn't stop running. She accelerated.
Her legs pushed off the shattered earth, her entire body launching forward with terrifying speed.
At the last possible second—
She twisted her body and slid beneath the beast's head, avoiding the deadly bite by mere inches. The ground beneath her rumbled as the serpent's jaws snapped shut on empty earth.
Fu Hao skidded to a stop right underneath its throat.
"Perfect."
A wicked grin spread across her face. She gripped her jade axe with both hands—And swung upward. Her axe struck the serpent's exposed underbelly.
CRACK!
A spray of dark green blood erupted into the air. A deafening screech tore through the battlefield as the serpent recoiled violently, its body twisting in pain. Fu Hao laughed in triumph, stepping back into a ready stance.
The snake's tail whipped around. Fu Hao barely had time to register it—
BAM!
She was sent flying. Her body slammed into a ruined tree, cracking it on impact. Dust exploded from the collision. For a moment, everything went silent.
Fu Hao, buried under fallen rubble, gritted her teeth. She pulled herself out, spitting blood onto the ground.
"Heh… that's all you got?"
Her attack had worked. The serpent, still writhing in pain, was now bleeding freely. Lapulapu saw the opportunity immediately.
"This is it! Everyone—focus your attacks on the wound!"
Yasuke stepped forward, his kanabo dripping with sweat and blood.
Musashi's eyes glowed with renewed fire.
Edward grinned, swinging his chains.
And Zheng Yi Sao?
She sprinted forward, a bag full of explosives in her hands.
*"Alright, you giant f*cking snake! Time to BLOW YOUR *SS UP!"