85 Chapter 85 - The real boss appears

The fight went on for some time before something new happened. The creature Esdea wanted to hunt appeared and walked gracefully through the blizzard— passing the spiders.

Looking at the Magic Beast, it wasn't as big as she had expected. It looked like a big light blue leopard with a purple mane and white spots on its fur.

Esdea revealed a mad glint and was just about to attack it, but something happened that made her back away. From her side came a green sickle that was connected to a chain and hit the snow hard.

"!! What do you think you are doing, Gypsy!?" Asked Esdea with a dark face and ice-cold voice. Not getting an answer and instead got attacked again with the same sickle.

Taking a further look at her subordinate— Gypsy's face was dull and lifeless. "What is going on?" She didn't have the time to contemplate as Balto appeared from behind her with his little sword coated with dark flames.

Using her feet that were covered in ice— they clashed. Balto was sent flying backward as he lost in the exchange, but Esdea couldn't let her guard down as her last subordinate had appeared in the air while holding onto a giant sword with a guard that looked like the cowboy hat she used to wear. With a closer look, the sword had eyes and a mouth. While descending down at Esdea, the sword yelled in fright "General, this little subordinate hasn't betrayed you— neither have Dixie. But for some reason, she won't respond to meee!!"

"Is that so? Good to hear, but it doesn't change the current situation much though…" Having said that, she swung her rapier with two hands to meet the giant sword. The snow under and around creaked at the force before cracking. Esdea had stopped Dixie slash and deadlocked for some time before Dixie was overwhelmed by the power and thrown back.

At the side, Marc was looking with a deadpan look as things were going too fast for him to get what's going on. His fast ability to think up excuses greatly surpassed his ability to understand situations. "… Uhm. You need any help?" asked Marc as he felt pretty useless standing aside, doing nothing. Some Balto's Fire God Slayer Magic landed beside him— terrifying the Nix Hapries that were dependent on the snow that had melted around him.

"Hmph! What does it look like?" Questioned Esdea proudly as she made two ice walls ascend beside her, stopping Balto and Gypsy that attacked again. She discerned that whatever was controlling them, didn't fully know how to use their magic as well as they used to. Balto stabbed into one wall with his shortsword— melting a hole halfway through it. The other wall was cracked under the force from being hit by a green mace Gypsy had changed to.

Marc watched them fight, before glancing at the leopard-looking Magic Beast that they were her for— or so they thought. Taken back, he watched how the spiders moved by rappelling down the silk they made and began creating spider webs between the trees— making them unable to leave the area. It didn't take the frozen spiders much time to set up, but for some reason they let a place be open.

"This is almost like a raid in games…" Thought Marc before he suddenly made eye contact with eight eyes from outside the spider web that looked way creepier than the other spiders'. Because of lack of light and a blizzard still going on, Marc didn't manage to spot the smiling mouth over the eight eyes immediately. It was only when the blizzard suddenly stopped and it entered he could see what they were dealing with.

A spider that screamed to be the leader of them, stepped inside from the opening. Its size was bigger than the other spiders, and it had a majestic appearance. The sight of it made Marc spasms a little in discomfort. But what really took his attention was the being riding on the queen-sized spider. It had two horns and a head without eyes, long frozen fingers, a long sleek tail, and one purplish wing made out of ice going down its spine in a rough manner. Over its arms and chest was a tattoo, and the most frightening thing was that it was smiling— revealing its long jagged filled mouth with teeth. It was sitting slouched on the spider while it walked in.

(A/N: A lot like this but with different color ice.)

It led out an eerie sound to the leopard-looking Magic Beast, which changed Edea's situation. Dixie, Gypsy, and Balto suddenly stopped attacking her and moved over and stood beside the queen-sized spider. Every spider and Nix Harpy alive followed suit and also gathered beside it.

Standing up, the being on the queen-sized spider spread its arms and made another eerie sound— seemingly welcoming Marc and Esdea to the games and letting them begin.

Taking the cue, the blue leopard-looking Magic Beast turned and growled to a few Nix Harpies which prompted them to open a hole in the snow at the side. Out of the hole, two powerful roars before two new Magic Beasts came out.

They had dark red scales covering its body. Two rows of blue, bony plates running along its back, going from the eyes to the tail. Overall they looked similar to a Carnotaurus, but their long huge, sword-like tails made them different.

(A/N: Reference is a Glavenus from Monster Hunter: World)

Although taken back from all the different creatures gathering, Marc was excitingly looking at the two with appearances similar to dinosaurs he knows.

Getting the chance when none of the Magic Beasts attacked, Esdea told Marc "You know. You should be looking at the Devil riding on that spider's back instead."

"!? That's a Devil?" Abruptly, he looked at the creature revealed to be a Devil. Of course, he was interested in knowing what type of being had once cursed Gina.

"I think so. It's very similar to the Devil I have once seen. Their demonic appearance is similar— plus it doesn't have eyes."

"Devils don't have eyes?" Exclaimed Marc in confusion.

"That's what myths say: 'Devils are born without eyes from deep hatred in the total darkness called Hell…' wherever that is." Esdea ended with a shrug— she didn't believe what she just said. Changing the subject "More importantly, it looks like that Magic Beast is the one controlling the monsters and my subordinates. It's almost acting like a general obeying the king's orders" she said, talking about the one looking similar to a leopard.

"I think so too, but how is it doing it?" That was the question none of them could answer for the time being and didn't have time to ponder about anymore as the two dinosaurs started rushing side-by-side at them after giving another roar.

"Let me! Watch out for the spiders." Esdea didn't let Marc argue, and stepped forward and used the spell to make an enormous ice ball fall at them.

In coordination, the two dinosaurs swung with their razor-sharp tail and cut the ice ball horizontal and vertical— splitting it into four pieces that just got crushed on the impact after.

Marc didn't have time to watch the clash anymore, as spiders began storming at him in waves. The sight looked like it was taken straight out of a horror movie, so he cursed "Fuck, I really hate spiders!" He had no intention to deal with one at a time, so he just raised his hand and charged an [Ursus Shock]. With raised hands over his head, he began gathering air into a big air bubble, before compressing it to hand-size. With a little push, it flew at the incoming spiders and decompressed in an instant, causing a massive explosion in front of him. The spiders were made into bug paste under the pressure.

After the spiders had attacked, the Nix Harpies did. The blizzard started again as they attacked from the air. Dodging a talon he began talking to it. "I would love to spend more time with you girls, but others are waiting in line for their own turn." He said, throwing the Devil a smile before gently placing a palm on the Nix Harpy's cold stomach.

The result was everything but gentle— a sonic boom sounded and the Nix Harpy got completely obliterated to nothingness. The sound and the explosive power Marc mustered in that instant was overwhelming. The Devil for a short while stopped smiling and straightened its tall and slim body. No longer being so slouched and having a fearless demeanor.

Though its fearlessness quickly returned as the Devil had a plan in mind — in the end, it was sure of its win.

***

(A/N: I tried recreating an attack like Benimaru (Fire Force) used to finish off the Infernal in the sky.)

(Words: 1489)