Chapter 171: Chapter 171- Crush it
The battlefield had become chaos incarnate. The Sky Whale’s rage split the sky into storms of ice, and blinding light.
Julian ducked beneath a searing beam of frost, his body exploding into a surge of lightning. His muscles screamed but his speed doubled, arcs of blue crackling from his limbs. He darted along the whale’s massive body like a shadow racing across the clouds, blades of darkness weaving from his hands.
"[Phantom Reaver]!" he hissed, slashing down, his shadow-strikes carving deep gashes into the beast’s hide. The Sky Whale roared in fury, its massive body thrashing.
Joe leapt in immediately, his wounds forgotten, flames bursting from his body. "Don’t hog the stage, Julian!" His arms blazed like molten steel, and he hurled himself forward. "Take this [Inferno Break]!" His fist landed against the whale’s side, detonating into a fiery explosion that scorched the sky itself. The creature bucked, its protective scales glowing red-hot from the strike.
Rafael, heart pounding in his throat, raised his trembling arms. The magnetic field around him pulsed and warped, pulling shards of broken debris into orbit. He clenched his teeth. "I can’t... mess this up [Magnetic Collapse]!" The wreckage spun into a storm of jagged metal, slamming into the whale’s body, forcing its movements to stagger.
Leo took the opening. His insectoid wings glistened, humming with vibration. He dove like a spear, his claws expanding with chitinous armor. "Let’s cut it open!" His voice was sharp with adrenaline. "[Bug Drill : Activate]!" He spun into a spiral dive, his claws screeching as they pierced the whale’s flesh, drawing a spray of blood.
Julian narrowed his eyes, sparks flickering across his skin as he danced away from another tail sweep. It bleeds, but the wounds seal too fast... No, the scales... they shift. His gaze locked onto the pulsing glow along its underside. That’s where it’s channeling its energy. That’s the weakness.
Joe landed beside him, his flames dimming for a breath. "You see it too, don’t you?"
Julian smirked grimly. "Yeah. The core’s in its chest. We crack that, we win."
Leo, still clinging to the beast’s hide, barked into the intercom between ragged breaths. "Then what the hell are you waiting for? Burn it and crush it, just make it die already!"
Joe’s laughter crackled through the intercom. "Leo, you’re way too impatient, man."
Before anyone could respond, Rafael’s panicked voice cut in, sharp and shaky. "Uh, guys? It’s coming straight for me! I... I could use a little help here!"
Julian narrowed his eyes at the massive whale thrashing in the sky. "I’ll hold it down. While I pin it with my shadows, you guys hit it with everything you’ve got."
Joe’s jaw dropped. "That’s insane." Then a grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "But I like it."
The sky shook around them as the creature roared, and Julian’s shadow began to stretch and coil, ready to wrap around the beast.
And on the other side, The centipede’s body shimmered with a sickly green hue, its armored plates glowing faintly like heated metal. With every movement it made, bursts of scorching vapor hissed from its joints, igniting sparks that licked across the battlefield. The ground beneath it cracked, patches of flame spreading in its wake.
Don’s knuckles tightened around his weapon as sweat dripped from his brow. "Huuh... there’s no way I’m touching that thing, It’s like hugging a furnace wrapped in poison."
Celestia narrowed her eyes, silver threads flickering between her fingertips. Her usual calm was tempered by unease. "If it’s layering itself with that... my threads might not pierce through. Still, I’ll test it, there’s no room for doubt."
Luke, adjusting his stance, let out a dry laugh that didn’t reach his eyes. "So it’s down to me, huh? Guess I’m the only damage dealer left standing." His tone was casual, but the way his grip tightened around his weapon betrayed the pressure gnawing at him.
The centipede screeched, a grating metallic shrill that rattled their bones. Flames spat from its mandibles as its massive body coiled, the emerald sheen intensifying like molten glass.
Celestia bit her lip before steadying her breathing. "We need to buy time. I’ll bind it, even if only for a second. Don, support from range. Luke..." Her silver eyes darted to him. "...you’ll have to make it count."
Luke smirked faintly, rolling his shoulders as faint aura crackled to life around him. "Yeah, yeah. If I screw up, we’re fried anyway."
’I don’t have enough left to use Mirror again... that last attack drained me dry. And.. i can’t keep relying on it.’
His eyes flicked to the massive centipede thrashing before him. ’If I want to end this, it has to be with my weapon, and what little energy I’ve got left.’
He tightened his grip on the hilt, forcing the remnants of his power to flow into the steel. The edge began to hum faintly, barely holding the thin layer of energy. ’Alright, Don’t waste it, Luke.’
The ground shook as the centipede lunged, its enormous mandibles snapping like guillotines. Celestia’s threads shot outward, gleaming silver strands wrapping around its armored limbs. For a brief moment, the beast staggered, its movements slowed. Sparks danced along the threads as the toxic heat began to corrode them.
"Now!" Celestia shouted, her voice strained.
Luke’s eyes narrowed, his entire body surging with focus. All or nothing. He sprinted forward, aura blazing, his weapon crackling as he gathered every ounce of strength for a decisive strike.
Luke’s blade cracked down the middle, sparks scattering as the steel gave way under the centipede’s hardened, burning carapace. He stared at the broken weapon in disbelief, chest heaving.
"Tch... seriously? It just keeps getting stronger."
The centipede shrieked, mandibles snapping as its body twisted violently, hurling itself toward him. The monster’s strike was faster than before, the scorching heat radiating from its body enough to singe the air around Luke.
"Shit—!" Luke leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the first blow, but the beast didn’t stop. It surged again, relentless, its green-glowing armor flaring with every lunge. Celestia’s silver threads whipped outward to restrain it, but the heat warped and frayed them almost instantly, strands snapping one by one with sharp, metallic twangs.
"Luke, move!" Celestia cried, sweat dripping down her temple as she forced more energy into her threads. But the centipede tore through her bindings like paper.
The beast’s mandibles scythed downward, aimed squarely at Luke’s chest. His eyes widened, his broken weapon was useless, and his body felt a beat too slow.
Then—boom!
A massive frame shoved itself between him and the centipede. Don’s skin shimmered as his body expanded, his form bulking up like a living shield. The strike slammed into him with a sickening impact, the ground beneath his feet cracking.
"Don!" Luke’s voice cracked, a mix of shock and fear. His heart lurched seeing the impact tear across Don’s armored body.
But Don only gritted his teeth, pushing back against the monster with sheer brute force. His muscles flexed like iron cables as he held his ground, face twisted in determination. "This... is nothing! Compared to what I’ve endured—" He shoved forward with a roar, forcing the centipede’s head back. "...this is nothing at all!"
Luke’s grip trembled on the broken hilt of his weapon, jaw tightening. Damn it... he’s putting himself in danger for me. His eyes burned with frustration.
Celestia, breathing hard, forced more threads outward, wrapping around the centipede’s midsection while Don held it in place. "Luke!" she shouted sharply, her voice cutting through his hesitation. "We’re not done yet!"
Luke’s breath hitched as he saw Don’s massive frame bracing against the centipede’s strike, the ground cracking beneath his feet. His knuckles whitened around the broken hilt still clutched in his hand.
"Don, are you okay?!" Luke shouted, panic bleeding into his tone. The heat rolling off the monster singed the air, and Luke could see scorch marks crawling across Don’s arms where the centipede’s blazing carapace pressed against him.
Don gritted his teeth, jaw set like stone. His voice came out rough but steady, a defiant growl against the monster’s screeches.
"If I can’t hold the line here, then what the hell am I even good for?!" He shoved his shoulder harder into the centipede’s advance, muscles straining, veins standing out across his arms. "I’m no good at range... this is where I belong!"
Luke’s throat tightened, watching his comrade endure the scorching pressure.
Don let out a bitter laugh, sweat rolling down his brow. "And besides, what face would I have left to show Lord Joe if I couldn’t crush a damned bug like this?"
His words hit heavier than the centipede’s strike. Luke clenched his jaw, guilt gnawing at him, and for a moment his worry twisted into determination.
"Don..." he muttered, voice low, his broken blade trembling in his grip.
Celestia’s threads lashed outward again, binding the centipede’s limbs just enough to buy a heartbeat of space. "Save the speeches for later!" she snapped, voice sharp but laced with concern. "We’re not losing anyone here!"