Chapter 63 (Part 2)

CHAPTER SIXTY THREE (PART II)

Denise was quickly coming to realize that striking an unmoving target, and one in complete control of their faculties, were two very different things.

Denise swung, parting the smoke laden air. Her blade singing as it failed to make contact. Looming figures stalked her through the smoke and confusion. Occasionally they raised their rifles and fired, though the plasma always turned to vapor well before it reached her. Thus secure in her immunity, she brazenly went on the attack.

She exploded due east, dirt kicked up by tattered sneakers. Locked eyes with the nearest reptilian, several head heights above her. Where she should’ve seen fear, however, there was only contempt. She scowled. The beast man didn’t so much as bat an eye. Long legged, she ate up the distance. With her next stride, she held her blade to her side. Dug in her heels. Performed an upward slash. Sword tip flirting with the creatures bare pelvis.

Drawing an invisible line from hip to collarbone.

With almost casual ease, however, the reptilian stepped back and to the side. Evading her strike completely, he moved with an almost liquid grace. Off balance, she was in no position to do likewise, as four claws raked across her face. Her head snapped to the side, so fast, it was a wonder it didn’t break her neck. Then four more lines of pain batted her head the other way, accompanied by the release of sparks. Denise sent stumbling, arms pinwheeling, the world spinning uncontrollably.  

More blows came. Falling upon her like rain. Her vision eclipsed by bestial faces and orange sparks. Her Steel Bulwark warding her skin against their coordinated assault, though for how long was the million dollar question.

 Finally, with a scream of frustration, Denise released the hold she’d maintained on her Singsong Rhapsody all this time. Allowing the rippling sound vibrations to spread through the air like spilled ink. Immediately, a change could be felt on the battlefield. Several tried to run, but by then it was far too late. For lack of sufficient room to even breathe, amidst the press, let alone swing, she settled for roughly pointing her blade in the direction she wanted obliterated instead.

“Singsong Rhapsody…” Denise croaked.

And the world was inundated by sound.

Deadly vibrations setting the earth to trembling, bursting eardrums, and rupturing organs in a wide cone radius. Bodies fell. Unable to withstand even a second of the overwhelming assault. And where they didn’t, they stood dumb and deaf, weaving unsteadily on their feet. Denise, just as deaf as the others, was nevertheless in a far better position to act.

She’d known what was coming, after all. Blood trickling from her ears, head pounding from mana depletion, Denise turned towards the nearest reptile, and lopped his legs off at the knee. A savage overhead chop later, and it’s head was sent rolling. Swiftly joined by several others as she quickly made the rounds. Taking full advantage of the confusion her ability had caused.

In short order, every reptile in her near vicinity was dead, and a clear path toward freedom summarily opened up. A smallish blur flickered past her leg, so fast, that by the time it had registered, whatever it’d been was already gone. Staring after where it’d disappeared, she spotted two children dismounting from a third one’s back. After which the Herculean five year old retraced his steps. Flickering across the intervening space in record time.

As this was happening—more kids ostensibly shuttled off to the edge of the forest—others began to pass her by. This as Denise started forward at a trot. First came Eva, looking much the worse for wear. Actively sticking herself with a healing syringe, even as she sprinted past. Next came Marlene, white as a sheet. Bloodshot eyes swiveling every which way. Whimpering with every drunken step she took. Her role as support clearly having taken its toll.

Denise quickly averted her gaze, so that she missed the sight of Robin, Maya, and the last of the kids sprinting past. Her mind still transfixed by the impotence she’d felt at being casually batted around, to dwell on the pathetic state of the supposed Royal. Literally quivering with frustration—despite the copious amounts of evidence to the contrary—she felt as if she’d somehow lost, despite the piles of dead that lay at her feet.

And it wasn’t the first time she’d felt this way. Evers since arriving here inside the tutorial, it felt like every other thing she attempted ended in failure. It was enough to make a person go mad.

She shot one last backwards glance at the company of fighters. Hanging back and ducking for cover as Maya of all things, laid down suppressive fire. Lacking any other recourse but to suck it up, Denise made to turn and join up with the other’s proper, when she happened upon a convenient outlet for her frustration.

Parting the other reptilians with ease, a truly enormous, obsidian scaled alien casually approached. Uncaring of the sizzling bolts whizzing past. Narrowed reptilian eyes roamed over the others’ retreating forms. Briefly flicking to Denise and away again. He sported a pensive expression. Clearly searching for something, or someone, and annoyed to discover its apparent absence. With a huff, the villain turned, made for his compatriots, which was, of course, when Denise decided to strike.  

Not taking any more chances, she let loose with every thing she had from the get go. Depleting her mana pool to nothing all for the sake of this retaliatory strike. Her sword fell, the air howled, and the giant vanished behind a cone of deadly sound waves. Denise smirked. Straightened. Dusted herself off. Vindicated after that piss poor showing from earlier. There she turned, made to hook up with the others, when a massive palm eclipsed the left side of her face.

Her head was slammed into the earth with enough force to form a crater.

THOOM!

For a second, the lights went out entirely. Denise only jerking awake when a scorching hot barrel was jammed into her temple. The looming figure of the scared reptilian with his finger on the trigger. And in that moment, all the blood drained from Denise’s face. The fickle nature of her mortality sinking in, truly, for the first ever time. The villain made to pull the trigger. Her life flashed before her eyes.

Then, he froze. Eyes going wide. Swiveling around wildly. Unable to process why his body would no longer obey him.

Denise’s eye tracked from him, to the slumped figure of Marlene. On her knees with arms outstretched. Blood gushing from eyes, nose, and ears. A golden beam swiftly arced by overhead. Nailing the reptilian square in the shoulder and hurling him away as if from a siege engine. Not before it’s stiff claws left three deep gashes down her face however—tracing from her brow to her jawline. And not before several bolts of energy caught Marlene in the sides—the protective net shielding all of them from fire abandoned for the sake of saving one.

The two voiced their agony in unison.

Though where one frantically scrabbled to her feet, fueled by shock and adrenaline, the other fell limply to the ground. Through teary eyes, Denise watched Marlene fall. Something ingrained, instinctual, immutable, breaking inside. Without a thought for the bevy of cretins at her back, Denise staggered forward, gently shrugged Marlene over one shoulder, and finally began to lope towards where Maya was still laying down suppressive fire.

And thus, it was to the sounds of crackling energy bolts and quiet weeping, that the troop of injured women and shell shocked children slipped into the forest. Already pursued by a bevy of overeager gangsters. Not to mention whatever monsters lurked farther in.

It would be four and a half hours later, that help would finally arrive.

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