TCOB: CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Wiped (2)

"Something is wrong with that thing," Nai sounded a quick word of warning as she stared at the monster ahead. "Be careful."

The knights who were about to charge back in halted momentarily as they considered her words. The next moment they both gave faint nods before racing towards the alpha bonehound.

“Feuerball!”

[You have used Class Skill - Fire Ball Lvl 4]

The flaming projectile which took a while longer to materialise than the stone lances Nai had been using earlier only managed to score a glancing hit, but unfortunately for the monster, upon contact exploded in a resplendent flash of heat, light, and shrapnel

The beast uttered a pained growl, directing a malicious glare at Nai as a portion of its hide was seared by the spell. The mage wasn't too happy about the results though. She could feel the monster adapting to their methods.

Lobbing a quick barrage of stone lances to keep the creature on its feet, she galvanised her mana reserve in anticipation of another spell.

“Geistergriff!”

A spectral hand immediately manifested above the monster, gripping it by the torso and pinning it to the ground. The two knights who had been waiting for a window to attack immediately took advantage of the monster's temporary lack of mobility. The Bladedancer raced towards the bonehound, leaping into the air and hacking down in a bid to sever its neck at the base. Realising the knight's intentions the creature suddenly leaned away, the knight's strike digging into its shoulder instead.

With another guttural scream, the monster bit down towards Sir Dunice, but the nimble knight had already retreated. Simultaneously, from the side, Sir Justin ran forward with his glowing shield raised.

Eyes glaring warily, the monster suddenly reared back on its hind paw, pushing against Nai’s will. It turned around, swiping its freed claws at the approaching knight. Realising this, Nai switched her focus to the descending pawstrike, slowing it down and rapidly bleeding it of its momentum.

When the strike did finally connect, it had lost a vast amount of the power it contained. So much so that Sir Justin didn't even budge as he tanked the blow. Contemptuously shrugging off the monster's attack, the knight struck out with his blade opening up another wound across its exposed chest.

“Erderlanze!”

Nai fired off another stone lance. The projectile arced forward before shattering deeply into the shoulder wound Sir Dunice opened up just moments ago. That elicited another guttural scream from the monster.

Nai watched warily. Both knights temporarily retreated as the enraged monster succeeded in freeing itself from her control spell.

“Feuerball!”

Nai immediately fired another spell but the monster directly ignored it, allowing the spell to detonate on its open shoulder wound. With rage-filled eyes, it also ignored the two knights as it raced towards Nai, its savage gaze glinting with a malicious promise.

Realising the monster's intentions, Sir Justin immediately moved, blocking its path while Sir Dunice closed in from behind. Upon reaching Justin, the monster reared up on its hind leg to strike at the shield-bearing knight…

But it was a feint.

Pivoting on its hind limbs, it faced the airborne Sir Dunice with a swing of its claws. The nimble knight however just lightly kicked off the assailing appendage, directly avoiding the attack.

Time seemed to slow down as Nai watched the knight fall towards the bonehound's exposed chest, his mana-infused sword poised to pierce the thinner hide and obliterate the heart contained within…

Then a barrier appeared, blocking the Bladedancer’s strike.

Nai blinked as Sir Dunice slammed into the crude magical construct, his sword piercing halfway through and just slightly stabbing the creature’s chest. His arms sunk through the barrier while his face and the rest of his body remained pressed against what was left. The damaged barrier didn't last long though, fizzing out of existence and unceremoniously dumping the knight at the monster's feet.

Then she blinked again as the bonehound bent over to pick a dazed Sir Dunice between its jaws, shaking him brutally like a ragdoll before tossing him towards the barrier dividing the cavern. Ignoring the other two, the bonehound trotted over to its victim chomping down and then violently yanking its head sideways.

Still shell-shocked, Nai watched as the monster dumped the torso half of Sir Dunice at its feet before turning back to face them. Its vaguely malicious glare succeeded in snapping her out of her reverie.

"W-was that a barrier?" Nai asked with a heavy stammer. Her head snapped sideways to face a paling Justin before returning to the bonehound seated at the other end, with its blackened tongue hanging out and its hairless tail wagging animatedly behind it.

"It was…" Sir Justin croaked back.

"Should we?.." Nai asked an implied question to which the knight gently shook his head.

"Sir Dunice's demise was unfortunate," Sir Justin said as he steadied his trembling voice, "but all hope is not lost yet. With the two of us against just it, we could still―"

The knight suddenly choked on his words. Nai watched with an increasingly horrified expression as the monster raised one of its forelimbs toward the mana barrier. For some reason, its claws slowly gained a vague ephemeral glow.

"I-is that Mana Blade?" Nai asked, ashen. As if answering her question, the bonehound pressed its claws into the barrier before dragging it across in a disdaining manner. The barrier was like a mound of butter before the technique. Severely damaged, it flickered momentarily before disappearing altogether, freeing the contained monsters within.

Then, with an almost theatrical flair, the monster turned back to face Nai and Justin―its submissive brethren crouching silently behind it― as its now calm gaze whispered gently to Nai where she stood.

'Despair, little one…' the monster seemed to say to her.

And Nai did just that.