CALAMITY CORE : FREE THE WORLD

CH.18 'BURNING NIGHT SKY PT.2'

"... DRAGOON!"

Saionji belted her casting phrase with her whole person, the very fiber of her being. What the late Scavver once thought to be true was now a reality. After the killing, of her guardian, and the man who raised and trained her, the man who carried on her parent's dreams. Saionji Akoto had found it in herself to truly despise one so pitiful. To shut himself away, to leave the justice to those beneath him, just to lose it all in one last fruitless endeavor. Her face twisted with rage, and green Mana burned in her eyes like trails of light as she aimed her rapier at her foe.

One single spiral of light twisted around her blade, and wind whistled a somber swan song. It split into a dozen beautiful ribbons, and reconvened as they soared from her blade. Two dozen dragons slithered forth like vicious snakes, each growing only larger as they burned against Scavver's thick fat. What was once a casting phrase was now pure rage as the green in her eyes only grew brighter, and the blood in her veins only pumped harder. She only wished the worst now... death for the thing that had killed all that which her family had stood and died for. "I'll kill you... for everything, and-..."

Her feral scream was cut short by regret, that she had not been there even if it meant failure and death beside her mentor. The two dozen dragons roared in her stead, the wind now favoring her as she forced Scavver back into the air, even if only just a few feet upwards. The hellish beast locked onto its new target now, all four sick eyes gleaming with a blood lust as its gut was shredded by countless mana-infused fangs.

The dragons finally ceased their assault with one final, glorious martyrdom. "For my father, and my mentor...!"

Scavver's cold eyes were forced open as a new pressure was applied to his already opened wounds. As he began his descent, the monster landed on its back, unable to recover for a moment, stunned by the sheer tenacity of the human spirit... Hirano, who had been shielded by her for only a moment, couldn't help but smile in his adrenaline-drunk state. She truly was Zeshin's girl more than anything else.

Inoshishi and Hattori now stood beside her, the other two attacks, ranged bolts of magic, had come from their spears. Getting back to his feet, Hirano felt blood drip from his shoulder, and his arms hung limp and twisted, but he could still fight through the pain... even if it would come back to haunt him. He wouldn't have a second chance. None of them would. "Yo, Hiro... sit this one out, get that monster-kid back on his feet!" Inoshishi called out, to Hirano's agreement. "Yeah, it's three on one... and Saiji..."

Both men looked at the girl, as did Hirano. She was still seething with bitter rage. Together, the two soldiers and their friend's protege charged the recovering Scavver, allowing Hirano to stumble back and lick his wounds beside a still dazed Andrei. "Kid, c'mon, hey... get up! We need you, now!" He tried to shake Andrei to his feet, but his arms were too stiff to move him too far.

Facing down Scavver, the twin soldiers fought in tandem, together able to mix the deteriorated mind that their ex-leader was now struggling to keep up with. Spearheads jabbed and slashed as they swung and spun masterfully, their half-drunk stumbling only lending to their agility as they weaved between swings, slashes, and punches. "Hey, Hattori... hit 'em!" Inoshishi yelled as he spun his blade to his side, creating a shield of spinning steel between himself and Scavver. "Gotcha' bro... let's go then!" the brother yelled in return.

"Twin...!" Inoshishi cried out, his spear igniting in a glorious golden flame, a memorial to his friend and mentor.

Saionji weaved between the spears, grunting and stepping on a plate of solid wind below her feet which had formed out of sheer instinct as a low blow came her way. She fought like a caged Cheetah, fast and agile, all the more ferocious. Spinning as the breeze carried her, she became a rotating blade as the brothers' attack grew larger beneath her. "Hyacinth...!"