Chrysalis



As it turns out, Al is not doing all that great. The amount of fire mana the eyeball can bring to bear is absurd, and the concentrated beams he produces would punch a hole in just about any monster I've ever seen.

But Somonax just doesn't seem to care. Whatever the hell those wires on her back are, she can work up some serious momentum as she whips her thousand blades about. As far as I can see, those sword-like appendages have a few effects built into them.

For one, they can obviously cut through mana with ease, since she's gleefully slicing everything Al sends her way. For two, whatever they and the wires are made from, it sure as heck isn't a material native to the third. I refuse to believe something that advanced isn't more expensive than what a demon is given naturally. Third, and I'm not sure how she does this, but she can clearly control them independently.

All thousand of them.

Luckily for me, they appear to only have a range of fifty metres or so, otherwise, she could probably be slicing up me and Al at the same time. If I were to hazard a guess, Somonax has a rather large chunk of brain matter hidden away in her demonic pocket dimension, similar to Invidia, but unlike Invidia, all that grey matter is devoted to whip and blade control.

It's an incredibly straightforward strategy, one I'm sure she's poured a ton of her evolutionary energy into. Many blade, blade cut good, more blade, more slashy.

It's like if Tiny were obsessed with swords instead of fists and muscles.

Somonax probably has more going on under the hood than just this, but I don't have the time for a more in depth examination, since Torrifex has spotted me again.

POW! POW! POW! POW!

Now that I'm in range and Pyrixan is still refusing to move, I oblige her by resuming my rapid fire bombardment of acid in her general direction. At this point, she's surrounded by a disgusting, bubbling mass of acid and ash, like a particularly noxious swamp. The acid approach was my best approach by far, but I can tell that I'm losing the battle. The demon probably doesn't feel the need to move since she feels all she has to do is sit and pump out ash until she eventually has enough that I can't fight back.

As aggravating as it is, I don't have the time to devote to slowing her down, since Torrifex is about to blast me with another fireball of doom.

Give me a break already!

He doesn't. Real shocker there.

Empowered Dash!

I get my butt out of dodge and once again get singed on the backzone for my trouble. The area behind me is a scorched, still-burning crater after that shot. I mean, more than it was before. The third stratum generally adheres to a 'blasted wasteland' sort of aesthetic, but after being exploded by a gigantic fireball of doom, it has achieved a whole new level.

Well, my plan from the beginning was to unleash all of my resources as quickly as possible and this seems like an appropriate time to follow through.

I didn't spend those precious seconds running back to the fight idly considering how Somonax has mutated and evolved.

Well, I did do that, but thanks to having multiple mind-constructs I can do multiple things at a time. Like make two separate gravity bombs.

I line up the two demons and unleash the two bombs, empowering both for good measure.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOWLLLLLLLLL!

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWLLLLLLLLL!

These are obviously much smaller than the supermassive effort I started the fight with, but empowered by the altar, they'll do a lot of work if they connect.

Once again, Pyrixan doesn't seem to want to move, covering herself in her cloud to absorb the blow.

Torrifex, though… he does seem as if he wants to dodge, but having just unleashed his fireball, he needs a moment to recover. He'll be able to avoid the point of impact, sadly, but he'll be close enough that the after effects will be difficult for him to avoid.

Which is good enough.

The two bombs reach their destinations and expand, unleashing their full fury. Once again, we are treated to the shrieking wind and groaning stone as the forces of gravity run wild, tearing everything apart to sate an insatiable hunger.

Once again, I have to note that two bombs don't seem to play nice with each other. Everything caught exactly between the two spells is relatively fine, since gravity is basically balanced out there, but that's a razor thin line to tread. Everything else is just getting shredded.

[PITIFUL INSECT!] Torrifex roars in fury. [I will REND YOU!]

[You should focus on surviving. I would, in your position.]

With those two dealt with for the time being, I need to turn my attention to Somonax. I'm sure Al would appreciate the help.

I'm really starting to run low on resources here… that reminds me.

[Hey, Invidia! Have you finished laying the groundwork?]

[The ground isssss alssso mine!]

[I mean… sure? But are you done?]

[Almosssst.]

[Fantastic.]

That idiot better be right about this. If not… I guess it won't matter if not.

[Alrighty, Al! I'm here to help! How are th-]

HOLY MOLY!

My antennae explode with sensation, and a tenth of a second later, a wall of swords descends on me. I whip all my legs beneath my body after throwing myself to the side.

WHAM!

Oof! That one stung. The force slams me down into the ground, allowing me to skip the 'stop' and 'drop' and getting straight to the 'roll'. Which I do. That was nasty! I think she managed to cut a chunk out of my precious carapace!

[Al? You still kicking?]

[I don't have legs…]

[That's not… never mind. Are you ali- well clearly you're alive. How are things going?]

[Not… well.]

[Great.]