189 CHPT 189: Zombies N’ Sh*t

The Beast Tamer and the Knight approached the Hexenbiest from the front and were on it in seconds, sticking to the creature like glue with the help of Frosty.

FWOO!

Isaac charged in for a shield bash empowered by his dense Aura, the Hexenbiest dodged just as Claude sidestepped to stay with it, snarling in its face like an animal.

Woo!

The Hexenbiest backed away, expecting him to swing at it, but instead he let it evade. The creature had become used to his style of fighting and quickly spun around expecting to see Frosty about to clamp down on its leg. Only there was nothing there.

SHLCK!

"rrrRRGRR!"

With its back to them both, Claude lunged in and slid his blade through its back so deep that the base of his weapon slammed into the creatures jutting spine. He growled triumphantly in its ear before being thrown away by its telekinetic blast.

He flew a few feet back before landing and rolling to absorb the impact.

Before it could advance on him, an arrow sunk into its shoulder with a meaty sinking sound while Isaac came in with Frosty to continue the pressure.

Isaac used his brawny physique and explosive bursts of speed to try and deliver critical blows while Frosty shifted in the grass, snapping at its legs loudly.

The Hexenbiest dodged his attacks, and with a rather long recovery time— Isaac was left exposed, allowing the Monster to dispatch of him with a kick to his shield that sent him tumbling through the grass loudly.

"Come." Claude called to Frosty through their link before the Hexenbiest could get him.

The Monster cackled and raised its clawed hands, twirling its knobby knuckled fingers like it was playing a stringed instrument while the air around them vibrated and distorted the nearby air.

"Claude? What is that?" Isaac asked as he got up.

"[It looks as if it's going to use its telekinesis to a more minute level. I'm not sure if that's better or worse for you all. Be careful.]" Arne pointed out.

"It's going to use its telekinesis again, possibly less powerful." Claude replied to Isaac.

"Possibly?" The Knight questioned.

Claude shrugged while he tried to keep his face relatively hidden. "Only one way to find out."

"Damn right."

The three went on the offensive again, now with a fearful bit of caution at the back of their minds.

Claude reached her first and slid across the grass with a lunge aimed at its sagging stomach. Instead of dodging, the Hexenbiest aimed its hand at his blade, pushing it— and him, off balance. He stumbled off to the side with Frosty quickly taking his place.

He watched the PitWolf and Isaac get pushed a similar way before going back in— only ever allowed time to breathe when they split and Warren sent a couple arrows at its back.

The fight continued with them all being shoved mid attack and hit in return. They were losing, but Claude fought to keep his composure and understand any visible weakness. He was the monster guy— as his friends said, so he had to be able to find something.

And eventually he did. But it wasn't due to knowledge of Monsters.

As he continued fighting— being beaten by the Hexenbiest, he noticed the glow of its veins slowly dimming before the temperature dropped and brightening again— only dimmer.

"…..All magically empowered beings have a limit." He mumbled after splitting with Isaac and Frosty from another skirmish, now featuring cuts in his armor all over.

[55% HP Remaining, (222/405)]

"Isaac."

"…..Yea?" Isaac responded to Claude calling his name in a voice being overcome by incoming exhaustion.

"We go in one more time. Then we're getting help."

"Say less." The Knight responded confidently before standing up fully and rolling his shoulders. "You ready, ladies?!" He yelled into the Forest ahead of him and behind the Hexenbiest.

"It's about damn time!." Ursula yelled back, causing the creature to prepare to turn around.

"HEY!" Claude snapped, regaining its attention, "You. Focus on us." He added while pointed his black clawed index finger from the creature to himself.

"Ursula and Maris on my signal let this thing have it!" He yelled before nodding to his front fighting partners, signaling their take off.

FWoo!

They were off again, everywhere Claude's foot sunk into the grass he left the spot green and flourishing to spread across the rest of the dry grass like fire. The green spread continued steadily as Claude, Isaac and Frosty engaged.

Woo!

He swung at its neck wildly, only for the Hexenbiest to place its clawed hand under his sword and use its telekinetic focused push under his blade. The action caused his strike to miss, throwing his arm off track and over the creatures horned head.

While he stumbled in response to being forcefully thrown off balance, a kick to his ribs sent him out of the fight.

Crack!

"Ugh!" His air left his lungs from the impact and threatened to knock him to his knees. Anybody would have thought he was done based on the damage he already sustained and how tired he was, but his hands told a different story.

"Not yet." He growled while brilliantly glowing green spirals of elemental magic surrounded his hands like smoke.

At the same time, the Hexenbiest shoved away Isaac and Frosty with ease. It immediately set its eyes on Claude, who faced it confidently while he spit blood onto the thick green grass.

FW—

The Hexenbiest moved to attack him and found that it was trapped again. Thick vines and roots twisted and climbed its stick thin legs to hold it in place for a short time.

He watched as the glow of its veins faded like the flames of a candle flickering before being completely sniffed out of existence while it fought to rip its legs from the restraints. It was just as he thought.

"NOW!" He yelled out into the expansive forest that was slowly being violently brought back to life.

Without hesitation, the sound of heavy footsteps smashing into the earth emanated through the forest by enraged huffs and grunts.

The Hexenbiest ignored the sounds, in a panic to free itself from the growing grasp of Nature.

"AAARRRRGH!"

Ursula burst from behind a tree, axes raised and eyes white like the clouds in the sky above them.

The creature turned as much as it could to see the wild Berserker approaching. Immediately the veins along its arms ignited under its skin like glowing spiderwebs. What it didn't see was the graceful form of the Swordsman running behind her, hidden by Ursula's wide frame.

"COME HERE!" Ursula roared into the midst of executing her skill, (Mad Swing).

Fwoo!

Her axes swung congruently with eachother, hoping to cleave the malnourished looking Monster into two pieces. Instead, her axes were pushed— creating a feeling that reminded her of trying to push two north sides of magnets together.

The weight and power of her swing was able to overpower some of the telekinetic blast, allowing her axes to slash the side of the Hexenbiest's torso below its armpit and above its protruding hips.

Shlsh!

"Haghck!"

The rest of the blast and Ursula's own built up momentum sent her tumbling off towards Claude and Isaac before she could attempt to attack again.

Immediately, her attack position behind the Hexenbiest was replaced by Maris who speedily dashed across the grass, unnoticed by the Monster who was fighting to free its other leg.

Once in range, she dropped to a slide, allowing her tight black/blue pants and knee high boots to tear up the grass around her— flinging it towards the sky like green fireworks, as she let her sword rip open the back of the Hexenbiest's kneecap.

SHLCK!

"HaAAAghCK!" The creature roared in pain in response to its only free leg being practically sliced to the point of uselessness.

Maris rolled out of her slide and fluidly rose to her feet in between Claude and Isaac, ready to continue the assault.

Originally, Claude planned to keep them ambushing after him, Frosty and Isaac fought, but they looked ready to end it. He could see in Ursula's enraged eyes, all over her heated bright red skin and tired arms. The same could be said for them all. They were ready to end it right here.

"This is it. We kill it right here. Maris and Ursula attack from behind when we split. Warren attack when they split." He said to them all.

They quickly nodded before raising their weapons and steeling themselves, all ready to deliver their own kill shots.

The moment before battle. The moment before anything that promises death. It's always so silent— like life itself is taking in a deep breath in preparation to lose a member from its ranks. It's so silent that you can hear your own energizing blood rushing through every inch of your body like liquid lightning. It's almost like a reminder. A reminder that tells you; Before this time of blood and death, remember that you're alive. In the face of revenge, righting wrongs or getting even with any of the bastards that made his life the way it is now, he felt it absolutely. He felt alive.

"GO!" He roared, followed by everyone closing in on the Hexenbiest like a starving pack of Wolves.

In the last second, it freed its foot, although it wasn't much use.

What followed was carnage. The Hexenbiest pushed and clawed finding purchase in some of its strikes, but they were more successful. They were syncing with every coordinated strike landed until they moved like one solid unit.

Frosty clamping onto its only leg to hold it still….a slash from Claude's claws to the stomach, followed by a shield bash from Isaac straight into an axe chop by Ursula or a wicked fast slice of Maris sword under the cover of Warren's arrows.

They were grinding the Hexenbiest into mincemeat. And it realized that fact, causing it to spring into a panic fueled by the urge to survive.

"This FILTHY….bastards got some GOD DAMNNED HEALTH!" Ursula commented, bursting into random vulgar yells as her Berserker's Rage grew.

"Yea, the HellBred don't go down easy." Claude replied after reminiscing about how he had to kill the HellBred Arachnoid.

"HAGHK!"

Their conversation was interrupted by the ripped and stabbed Hexenbiest snapping angrily at them before raising its hands that vibrated with power.

"Another blast?" Claude thought while the air around the Hexenbiest's hands became distorted and hazy again.

Before anyone could react, it brought its hands up and slammed them together while it's eyes glowed like two purple suns in the infinite black of space.

SLAP!

WOOWOOM!

A weak blast followed the sound, causing them to stagger and knocking their weapons from their hands to flip through the forest for dozens of feet.

They all went after them while the Hexenbiest made a move for the opposite direction.

"ggRRRRrr…" it froze in response to seeing Frosty blocking his exit.

"Wait!" Claude yelled to them.

"But our weapons…" Isaac said.

"We don't need them. It knows that. That's why it just tried to run. It's out of power." Claude told them as they slowly came back.

"So what— we can kill it with our bare hands? I'm down for that." Ursula said before slamming her fist into her palm.

Claude looked at the forest around him, now green, brown and lively for dozens of feet around them. "Not exactly." He said before reaching up to grab ahold of the wooden spear he used his Element to create with the branches above.

Snap!

"With its defenses down, our raw elemental power is more then enough."

Ursula was the first to follow along, running her glowing blue hand in a straight line across the air in front of her— collecting and freezing the moisture to create a thick frozen spike.

CkckckckKCKCK!!

Isaac assumed a boxers stance, now weaponless with flaming fists.

Maris aimed her hand at the Hexenbiest's leg, pulling the blood that leaked from the wound towards her and morphing it into oily black spikes that floated above her hand. Nobody questioned it as they prepared to kill the creature.

"Hello!?…."

Claude's ears twitched in response to the distant voice calling for him in the midst of battle. "Shit Prof. Raizen's coming" he realized.

His eyes ignited with the intense level of focus he forced himself into, he was on the verge of losing the small piece of revenge he was about to be granted. No way he'd let it happen.

Without a word, he was started the battle.

He copied the Hexenbiest's actions and slammed his hands together around his spear. In response, thick wooden limbs burst from the ground and held the creature still— much better than the grass vines.

Immediately after, Ursula began chucking ice spikes at the Hexenbiest while Maris did the same with the creatures very own blood.

They continued to circle the creature, overwhelming it with their elements, making their own torturous tornado of natural chaos.

Prof. Raizen was getting closer.

"Isaac, fire!" Claude yelled after suddenly remembering the great combo Nature and Fire made by producing a growth boost.

"On it!" He replied through glowing eyes and hands before shooting two streams of flame at the Hexenbiest that eventually fell on Claude's wooden binds around the creature.

Slowly, the flames ate away at the wood and grass beneath— destroying it only to grow back thicker and stronger.

"HAAAHAAaaaGHK!" The Hexenbiest roared as it was burned, frozen and stabbed by its own blood. Warren began throwing gusts of wind, causing the flames to roar with power until it looked like the Hexenbiest was in hell.

It roared angrily from its flaming natural ice riddled cocoon for minutes until there was only the crackles of ice, fire and growing nature to be heard.

"Any students here!?"

This time, everyone heard Prof. Raizen yelling in the distance, springing them into action to erase any evidence.

"Ursula, head!" Claude ordered in a panic.

Ursula didn't bother responding and activated, (Mad Charge).

She stomped after the restrained Monster like a wild bear yelling, "HEADS UP BITCH!"

FWOOM!

CHOP!

She swung her axes, cutting through flame and the weak neck of the creature—removing it scorched head effortlessly.

The removed head spun through the air, still soundlessly screaming like a burnt Zombie from hell while something behind Ursula snarled followed by an object flying through the air at incredibly high speeds.

FWOO!

CHnk!

Claude's spear sunk into the head of the Hexenbiest mid air and stapled it to the hard bark of a nearby tree.

Without being told, Isaac sprung into action.

FWSHHSHSHH!!!!

A focused stream of fire blasted up to the head held to the tree by a spear— burning it to black ashes that simply blew away in the wind.

Immediately, Claude felt the wrongness fade with the disappearance of black ashes, signifying the HellBred abominations death.

[+700 EXP]

DING1

[You have Leveled Up! You are know Level 17!]

With Claude's stamina spent, he felt his transformation reversing. Just in time for Prof. Raizen's arrival.

"Guys?" He yelled from the distance, now visible to the students.

"Shit! What do we do about the body? I don't have an ounce of Mana left." Isaac said to Claude.

"Uhm….that won't be a problem…" Ursula said from beside him while she faced where the Hexenbiest's body was.

"W-what? How?" Isaac said before turning around and seeing what Ursula meant.

Where the Hexenbiest's body was once rooted in place, a large oak style tree stood out amongst the forest. The wooden tendrils that held the creature twisted and thickened into the base of it, with burnt bark and bright green leaves at the end of each twisting branch— creating an ominous looking object that still somehow brimmed with life despite being burnt.

"Heh….god damn you are strong…Ugh!" Isaac said weakly before his legs gave out and he fell on the forest floor, overcome with exhaustion and blood loss.

Ursula did the same as her eyes and skin faded back to normal, followed by Maris and Claude.

"[You guys make a good team. I don't think you would have fared too well against that creature in a one on one battle. Well done.]" Arne said after a few seconds of pain filled silence.

"Yea. We do." Claude agreed while he looked at his spear lodged into the tree across from him, replaying how he stuck the creatures head with it. "I'll kill your creator soon." He thought while Warren and Prof. Raizen jogged over to them.

In the time it took for the two to reach them, the three exhausted fighters simply laid in the grass embracing the victory and trying not to pass out on the spot.

***

"Holy hel— Callista! Are you guys alright?" Prof. Raizen said after skidding to a stop in front of them and calling for their Healer.

"Yep. We're good." Warren answered from his spot sitting against the base of a tree next to Isaac and Ursula.

Prof. Raizen eyed him warily before looking at the tree and looking impressed for a moment, "Erhm….you look alright. What happened to your friends?"

Warren shrugged casually, "Oh….you know. Zombies and shi—…..erhm…stuff."