Fused and Devoured
Before the battle even began, I'd fully expected Le Ganus to show up.
After all, recalling the rage I'd seen in him back then, it only made sense that he'd come charging in himself.
Plus, hadn't he sworn it himself?
That on the day his vow's deadline expired, he'd tear me apart with his own claws.
Yet Le Ganus hadn't appeared, which left me puzzled on one hand—but understanding on the other.
'His situation must be too dire for him to come personally.'
The biggest reason for that? Probably Leysia's presence.
In Le Ganus's camp, only he himself could truly match her.
No matter how crucial his temperament was, he couldn't afford to leave in a situation like this.
For similar reasons, Pluto must have been tied up facing Melusio, which explained why they'd sent the Triple Ross brothers here.
'Even so, they seriously underestimated us.'
Besides the three-colored triplets, there were other SA-rank monsters, but no SS-rank ones in sight.
Even if our side seemed weak, wasn't this taking our threat level too lightly?
Setting aside me and Lehatna, Giryu alone was carving through five SA-rank monsters like it was nothing—practically a one-man rampage.
He was mindful of our other subordinates nearby, so it looked evenly matched for now, but once Giryu gained momentum, he was steadily overwhelming them.
In contrast, our opponents here were the Triple Ross brothers.
The moment combat kicked off, they charged straight at me atop Pelte.
That the ones leading Le Ganus's pack came directly for me meant they saw our side as the real threat, right?
The mood that had been lifting just a bit plummeted like a lie.
In its place, thick fury welled up.
Every time, I felt it—this guy's mouth was annoyingly sharp.
"Piiiii—!"
With a shrill cry, Pelte frantically kicked off the air.
The pursuing triplets attacked relentlessly, refusing to let us escape.
Each wielded powers matching their colors: fire, water, lightning.
Pelte dodged blazing firestorms blocking our path, jagged ice pillars, and crashing thunderbolts, kicking wildly through the sky.
Their raw power was respectable, and their coordination was flawless.
They had the skill to back up that yapping mouth, it seemed.
A fireball grazed his wingtip, and Pelte shrieked like he was having a fit.
I shrugged lightly at his desperate voice.
[I'd love to, but sadly, I'm not in my true form. One at a time? Maybe. All three? No chance.]
[I'm blocking anything dangerous, so don't worry. Focus on luring them properly.]
I'd already instructed Pelte to draw them toward a decent floating island nearby.
Thankfully, even in the chaos, he hadn't forgotten—nodding vigorously as he kicked harder into the air.
True to form as the second-fastest after Giryu, he evaded the three SA-rank monsters' pursuit effortlessly.
I quietly ignored the red one's taunts amid his attacks.
Payback could wait a bit.
Pelte shouted as we reached the airspace above our target floating island.
A quick glance down: it was massive and sturdy-looking.
[Good work, Pelte. Watch carefully from nearby.]
I patted Pelte's neck appreciatively, then leaped from his back.
Fierce winds whipped around me.
Did they sense I was reverting to my true form?
The red one's urgent shout rang out as the triplets unleashed their barrage.
Scorching fireballs, frigid ice shards, crackling thunder.
As their attacks closed in, I immediately released Inhwa's Art.
Shaaaa—
Their strikes hit home amid the left head's savage roar.
As I'd observed earlier, the powerful blasts scorched my scales and tore wounds—but I ignored them.
They'd regenerate soon enough, as always.
Thud—!
The floating island rocked heavily from the impact of my landing.
A slightly off landing might've flipped it entirely.
Maybe pay more attention next time?
Realizing they had no chance against my true form, they wisely chose flight over fight.
Given their personalities, I'd half-expected this.
As they wheeled sharply away, exposing their backs, I quietly flicked my tongue.
Whoooosh—
A gentle breeze swelled into a fierce gale, blocking their path.
A spell I'd prepped the instant I dropped Inhwa's Art.
The razor-sharp wind blades stymied them, panic flashing in their eyes.
Hadn't seen this coming?
Didn't matter.
No need to know when killing them was all that counted.
The left and right heads unleashed their breaths.
Fwoooosh—
The intense dual beams obliterated everything in their path.
The triplets desperately dodged, but their moves were predictable.
The seventh and eighth heads fired off light and lightning magic in tandem.
A blinding flash to dazzle their vision, followed by a crashing bolt—their forms vanished momentarily in the chaos.
Toward that spot, my other heads unleashed a barrage in unison.
They'd been all cocky with their attacks earlier?
My turn now.
Kaboom—!
As the meteor shower I'd summoned raged on, Pelte glided in slowly, assuming the fight over.
[Pity.]
The left head spoke up toward the puzzled Pelte.
[I was gonna chew 'em up nice and slow! But now there's barely anything left! Such a waste!]
[Huuunggry...]
Pelte averted his eyes awkwardly at our genuinely disappointed smacking of lips.
[Taking longer than expected.]
I shrugged lightly at Pelte's hasty addition under my steady gaze.
Always thought so, but he's a solid guy.
Might scout him for home later.
As I prepared to remount Pelte with Inhwa's Art, a surge of mana stirred in the lingering blast zone above.
I shouted urgently at the curiously staring Pelte.
[Flee!]
Thankfully, he bolted without question, kicking into the sky.
I glanced at him, then fixed my eyes on the churning mana above.
From where the brothers had been—something eerie emanated.
[Yeah... too easy for all that trash talk. Good thing, really.]
—I can chew you all up thoroughly now.
As I murmured low, mana erupted in a blast.
Fierce winds howled in its wake.
And at the epicenter emerged a wholly new abomination.
Red, blue, yellow feathers haphazardly embedded; three pairs of wings, three heads—a grotesque bird monstrosity.
[...Did they seriously fuse?]
The thing chuckled creepily, flapping its wings repeatedly.
Its aura had shifted dramatically—stronger than the sum of its parts, unrecognizably so. SS-rank territory, easily.
Its new form aside, that yapping beak was as consistent as ever.
Tired of the endless chatter, I decided to shut it myself.
Fwoooosh—!
My unannounced breath shot out; it flapped frantically to dodge.
Fusion had boosted its speed immensely.
SS-rank worthy, for sure.
[Guess you fight with your mouth, huh.]
Calmly, I fired a bolt of lightning straight at it.
A fusion spell: light and lightning magic combined.
The fastest attributes merged—too swift for the eye—as it thrashed its wings in panic.
It soared upward desperately, barely evading the...
Its three heads unleashed horrific screams.
The bolt had pierced one of its six wings; its body convulsed wildly.
[That's what 'dodging' means when you can't.]
I chuckled shortly and launched my next prepared strike.
Dozens of small meteors plummeted from the distant sky.
Despite the damaged wing, its flight remained blisteringly fast.
Weaving to evade the meteors' paths, I had the eighth head quietly activate its Magic Eye.
Truth be told, it had dodged the prior attack, as it claimed.
I'd merely bent the bolt's trajectory slightly.
The eighth head's Magic Eye power: refraction.
Usually defensive, deflecting foes' strikes—but this time, offensively tweaked.
The meteors' paths warped mid-flight, homing in like guided missiles.
It focused every nerve on evasion, its yapping silenced amid the onslaught.
[Next time, pair it with the halt Magic Eye too, main body. Nice time-lag combo potential.]
[Using Magic Eye is fine, but my eyes hurt... Can we stop?]
The eighth head's meek suggestion was, naturally, rejected.
[Still got breath for trash talk? Hey, right head—summon more meteors.]
[Huuunggry...]
While our partners bantered casually amid its desperation, the distance closed rapidly.
Thanks to slyly redirecting the meteors to herd it toward us.
It seemed oblivious, still dodging frantically.
Laughing mockingly at the left head's jab, I whipped my tail.
As the meteor rain tapered, it paused to catch its breath—right into my coils.
It shrieked in panic.
Constrict (SA)
Like all ensnared by me, it thrashed wildly—but I tightened relentlessly, preventing escape.
My other heads slithered in fluidly, biting wings and body.
Our eyes met amid its duck-like quacks.
It clamped its beak shut under my piercing stare.
[Remember what I said earlier?]
Terror made its body quiver.
Feeling the faint tremors, I flicked my tongue softly.
[That I'd chew you all up nice and slow.]
It convulsed violently at the whisper.
Too panicked for words, it wailed like a low-rank monster.
I added quietly.
[Lucky you fused. Saves me eating you three separately. Less hassle.]
"Quaaack—Quaaaack—!!!"
I engulfed the still-shrieking thing whole.
Time to chew thoroughly, as promised.