Unsafe Working Conditions : A He Who Fights With Monsters 6+ Companion Story

Chapter 9 - Batman

 With a roar the gun released all of the pent up mana, the magic raced toward the opening in the snake in the form of small darts. The flechettes dug into the soft flesh while skipping away from the armored skin. As the snake flinched away in pain Liam attempted to drive his sword into the red area designated by his glasses.

His blade penetrated nearly a hand width before the snake's thrashing tore it from his hand. Liam retreated and focused on avoiding the thrashing monster. Henri was stabbing the creature with another one of his shadow spears, retreating to get some distance he summoned six more needles. With a blast of wind the needles impacted the snake in a small area, blasting the armor apart.

Liam stayed outside of the range of the thrashing body, its blood splattered around the area stinking of rancid oil and meat. Feeling another of his powers initiate, Liam looked at Henri and said in a voice that seemed to resonate with the air, "Use your air blast and strike the handle of the sword in its back." Liam could feel as the ability engaged, Henri turned into a fog silhouette and jumped into the air above the snake.

Henri could feel a compulsion to follow the shout from Liam, and while uncomfortable he obeyed the feeling, he readied his attack.

Ability: [Break Wind]: Generate force blasts of air (5s cooldown)

Iron: Create a blast of wind from a thrown punch for a moderate mana cost that travels in a straight line until impact, doing resonating force damage.

Henri felt the power manifest greater than any time he had before, the feeling of compulsion peaking as he released the blast onto the handle of the sword sticking out of the creature's body. The sword was driven to the hilt and the snake stiffened, ceasing its thrashing for a split second.

Turning his head Henri watched as Liam approached with impeccable timing, he placed the gun into one of the holes in the armor that exposed its flesh. The roar and blinding light that normally accompanied the gun was replaced with a dull thump, accompanied by a spray of gore.

The creature responded to the injury by randomly firing all of its mounted weapons. Some of the weapons were severely damaged by Henri and no longer functional. These combusted further damaging the creature. It had a dozen different weapons that functioned and they began to belch different types of projectiles. Some of the projectiles impacted itself but did little damage, most of them struck the walls and floor. A projectile impacted the area in between two of the louvered doors causing an explosion that covered them all with debris.

Henri shouted at Liam to strike the thing with his neurotoxin attack. The little man responded he didn't have a weapon that would work. Henri and Liam looked to the snake which was shooting wildly and then back to each other, he nodded to the smaller man and started to run towards the thrashing creature. "Get me my sword," like before the words seemed to resonate in the air and a feeling of compulsion settled on him like a summer shirt. He could feel his ability magnify as he followed the compulsion.

Ability: [Fog Walk]: Can momentarily enter an incorporeal state, during which you are immune to physical attacks and have a resistance to disruptive force damage. While in this state your agility is magnified

Iron: Can maintain this state for 2s

You are currently under the effects of Mandate and all abilities used to fulfill the mandate have their durations increased and their cooldowns reduced.

Henri reached the back of the snake and grasped the hilt of the sword, pulling on it with considerable might it came loose with a screech of metal. The snake coiled about the injury and focused all of its weapons on the spot. Henri engaged his ability, he could feel as the projectiles and lasers cut through his insubstantial form. Before when he was struck by the beam weapons the pain was like getting sliced by a dull sword, now it was like getting scratched by a small animal.