Civilization

"Gewari, are you nearby?" - Ian

Feeling her tap my shoulder, I speak to her while looking at Kingston. Travys has noticed that I was talking to Kingston and, to keep up the pretense, I spoke to Gewari while making eye contact with Kingston.

"Yes, my lord. I have snuck in after you engaged in combat with the monster. I had to wait at the bottom for a while before coming back up the stairs." - Gewari

"That's fine. I need you to somehow message Kaede. Her brother is safe but he is different from before. I require her to not react like she is seeing her brother. She needs to be natural if they meet. Also, protect her and Rebecca if the other three girls decide to do something that will hurt them. You have permission to kill them if you can." - Ian

"As you command my lord, I'll do my best." - Gewari

Assuming she left, I went back to talking to Kingston, making sure he would be able to tell Gibing and the others about the situation.

"Kingston, tell the others okay?" - Kingston

Nodding his head, Kingston dashes away, toward Gibing and the others who have backed off against a wall. In the meantime, I rush back into the fight, getting as close to Travys as I can, so I can talk to him. However, he was blocking an attack from the monster while taking command of the situation.

"Song, attack from the left aim for its neck! Tsugi come from the right, it tends to use its left wing to attack if it doesn't fly. Try to hit it with a downward attack. Howard, help me block the next attack! Luna, I don't even know if you understand me but attack from behind! TAUNT!" - Travys

"On it! Vertical Slice!" - Song

"It's going to be hard to stop this guy from flying but WHO CARES! POUND TOWN!" - Tsugi

Using the skill, taunt, the monster's eyes glare at Travys, a low snarl escapes its mouth as saliva drips to the ground but just as it was about to attack, Song's skill connects first. Slicing the side of its face and making a white mark on its cheek, it turns to Song, lifting its left wing to retaliate only to experience Tsugi's skill.

"Earth Spike!" - Ian

Following up Tsugi's attack, I cast Earth Spike on its right wing, piercing through the leathery wing. Screaming in pain at the attack, The monster tries to escape using its right wing to swipe in front of it. Howard blocks the attack as he holds out his ax but is pushed back into Travys, knocking them both off the ground. Song narrowly dodges at attack by diving into the ground, eating a face full of dust at the same time.

"LUNA! ATTACK!" - Ian

During the attack, I was watching Luna flank around the monster and as she arrives at its back, I ordered her to attack. Dashing up the monster's back, Luna dives to its exposed neck whilst I Quickstep closer to its chin while dodging the wing attack. Thrusting forward with my trident and having my spider legs stretch out, I strike the monster's chin at the same time Luna's Hyper Fang lands on the back of the neck.

An explosion rings throughout the area while my spider legs stab at the monster several times before the monster activates a skill, knocking me and Luna away from its body. Translucent dark rings pulse out of the monster, knocking me back even more until I was near Travys. Luna lands on her feet not too far away as well, growling at the monster as her paws dig into the floor.

"Co-operation update?" - Travys

"Done. They will be helping us in the fight, and they look strong don't worry." - Ian

"How are they going to be helping us? I don't see them even getting close to the monster. There is no way they are all ranged," - Travys

"I think you spoke just a little too soon." - Howard

After a final pulse, the monster slams its wings into the ground zooming up into the air, at the same time, we see Kingston and the rest dash off the ground running toward the center of the room. Since it was still dark we could only see their shadowy figures running and as they get closer to the center it became harder and harder to see them. The monster flies around in circles before spinning once again, aiming for Kingston and the others as it dives at a terrifyingly quick speed.

"HEY, KINGSTON! ATTACK THE MOMENT WE BLOCK THE MONSTER!" - Kingston

"ON IT, JOHN SMITH!" - Ian

Looking at Travys and the others, I signal them to run up to the monster as soon as possible as it looks like the attack will collide at any time. Even though seeing the monster is hard due to the lack of light, the wind pressure it was emitting from spinning as it dives makes it easy to spot. Bits of blue flame wrap around like a snake as the wind collects the embers from the wall, burning the dust circling the monster and creating a blue flying tornado.

With a blue spotlight shining down on the floor, I could make out Gibing and the other and just like Kingston said, they look different. Towering over all of them was a humanoid ram, with two large black horns that bulge out to the sides and sharp claws. Its brown skin was riddled with dark golden Arabic text and only a thin kilt-like covering around its waist. From what I can tell, that has to be David. 𝒇𝘳𝐞𝚎𝓌𝑒𝑏𝒏𝑜𝙫ℯl.c𝚘𝒎

Next to him, were two similar lanky red-skinned monsters, with two smaller yellow horns that jut out of their forehead. Large fangs can be seen hanging down outside its mouth while its eyes shine like two small embers. Looking like the Oni told in eastern myths and fairy tales were Gibing and Gopopo.

Shining brightly in the light with their snow-white fur, a teenage-looking demi-human stood next to an older jet-black demi-human. Contrasting each other were Ken and Yor, but despite being opposites their bloodlust could be felt even though it wasn't directed at me.

"DAVID! YOU'RE UP!" - Kingston

"MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW UP! FLAME BODY!" - David

Igniting his body on fire, David spreads his legs out, while everyone scatters away. Sucking in a huge breath, he bashes his knuckles together before bringing them behind him as he leans backward. Facing the blue tornado, his crimson red flame blazes brighter as he roars at the top of his lungs.

"JAHANNAM NAAR DIRE!" - David

Punching the air in above him from his bent position, the fires escape from his body burning the air and congealing into a gigantic concave blast as it collides with the monster sending a loud explosion through the Abyss. The moment it hits, both Gibing and Gopopo leap into the air, bouncing off the air twice as if there were imaginary steps diving into the smoke created from the collision.

In mere seconds, leaving the smoke was the monster with Gibing and Gopopo above it. Crashing to the ground, the monster instantly recovers and starts attacking us with wind blades. However, David was waiting for the monster and grabs its wing before it could attack. Landing on the ground, Gibing and Gopopo grab onto the other wing with Ken and Yor helping.

"Demonic Embrace!" - Gibing, Gopopo

"Predatory Grasp!" - Ken

"Deathly Hold!" - Yor

"HURRY, THEY CAN'T HOLD ONTO THE MONSTER FOR LONG! IF IT USES THE PULSING BLACK RINGS AGAIN IT WILL RECOVER ITS HP AND STRENGTH! GIBING AND GOPOPO HAVE DEBUFFED THE MONSTER SO IT IS CURRENTLY CONFUSED AND WEAKENED! HELLFIRE!" - Kingston

"EVERYONE! CHARGE!" - Ian

Dashing toward the immobilized monster, I Charge as well as activate Extreme Speed, reaching its neck in a blink. My trident targeted its neck repeatedly while my spider legs attacked its face, a flurry of attacks is let loose and explosion after explosion blasted in front of me while the skill was in use. Within that 5 seconds of increased Agility, I utterly attacked and focused on the neck and face, dropping to the ground once it was over and letting the rest attack.

Out of breath, I run back while I see Howard, Travys, Song, Tsugi and Luna jump in attacking with a variety of skills and slashes. Kingston uses a skill that connected a green line from the monster and him, while also repeatedly burning parts of the monster, but after a series of attacks, the monster roars, flinging everyone to the side. The smoke that was covering the monster's face after my attacks dissipates revealing the lack of damage I had done to the monster.

"Are you serious…?" - Ian

Even though the monster was burning from Kingston's flames, it looked virtually unharmed. White marks could be seen all across its body with only a few drawing blood. Staring daggers into us, it snarls, like it knows it has won.

"What now? That was your strongest attacks right?" - Kingston

"Yep and it did barely anything to the monster." - Ian

"Surely, it must have used a defensive skill right?" - Travys

"We are so dead right now…" - Song

"Don't say that. Even though we know it is going to happen… Maybe there is a way to kill it." - Howard

"There is one." - Ian

"What is it? Say it now while we still got time. The monster just activated its black ring skill again. It's going to heal." - Kingston

"Unfortunately it only works if the monster is using a strong attack against me." - Ian

"A counter skill?" - Tsugi

"Yes, a counter skill." - Ian

"So you had tricks up your sleeve. Alright, what are the conditions?" - Travys

"Big attack, big counter-attack. Nice and simple right?" - Ian

"Nice and simple. Let's try this again." - Kingston

"On your mark, John." - Travys

"... Oh! Right, uh, right. David, Gibing, Gopopo, Ken and Yor, I will need you to attack from the left. Everyone else on the right. Ia-Kingston will be in the middle. Just be ready for a big attack after all, your agility has been lowered right?" - Kingston

"I'll wait then. Don't worry. I won't disappoint." - Ian

"Okay. Let's kill this sonva!" - Travys