CALAMITY CORE : FREE THE WORLD

CH.44 ''INVINCIBLE' IS JUST A WORD '

Time seemed to slow as Andrei began his descent to the ground, the magmatic chain still burning away at the already shot nerves in his hands. Gritting his teeth and screaming with a passion he hadn't previously felt, and as the memories of his recent exploits continued to flood his memory, it was like a pin drop, the realization. That place he had continuously flashed back to... that home, on the cul de sac in mind. On the television... Something about this was so absurdly similar to the memory. Was it a warning that he hadn't even realized? No. That was impossible.

Spinning the chain in his hands with such ferocity that it whipped up a cutting wind, Andrei continued to fall in slow motion as his malevolent, unstable form continued to eat away at his body. Eventually, he yanked the chain back with the force to make it crack less like a whip, and more like a thunderclap. A smile formed on his lips... even with his humanity on full display, overpowering the Chimera within him, he couldn't help but relish in the violence.

The crack was something which shook the whole of Nagoro, to the very caravan that had brought them here, and even into the valley of Iya, where the dead things lie, no longer undisturbed. It splintered into dozens of chains, each one lashing at the main mass that was Raigo-Nezumi. The rat-king attempted to evade by splitting himself down the middle, though it was to no avail. The first chain to make contact with his body began a reaction of explosives, each individual link combusting into black-red blasts which burned away at the demon before Andrei's body.

As the explosions ran up the chains, meeting at the link which had held all of the splinter chains, it began to retract itself into Andrei's torso. Though it returned to its natural length, it was still burning hot, to the point that the black-purple steel was still igniting into dark flames at times. Andrei hit the ground with a crash, his aura leaving a crater around him which dragged up stones, the pebbles levitating around him as he got up from his hands and knees.

Once Andrei had found himself on the ground above the crater which contained Raigo, Alpha's smile faded, and she once again began pouring her all into her attack, which had now begun its firing sequence. A massive sphere emerged from her palms, the miniature sun utterly incinerating anything which came into contact with it... This forced Raigo up and out of his hole, where he could no longer hide the lower half of his now burnt mass. The Apocalypse Blaster only continued to grow in size, now whipping up winds which drew in Alpha's cloak and hair, the heat even causing the leather on her eyepatch to peel and burn.

Holding up her arm, she grabbed hold of her sword, and the thing pulled her upwards without any effort of her own. In all honesty, she could barely move her body now. As the light of her Apocalypse shone overhead, Andrei held out his hand for her, and the android allowed herself to be pulled up by him, leaning on him for a moment before beginning to siphon energy from her sword to her frame. "Allow me to enhance the charging process. If this does not finish Nezumi... I need you to hold it back, I assume it will not be pleased." She asked Andrei.

In a blinding, deafening flash, the sphere of Apocalypse Blaster exploded, engulfing the three of them, and the whole center of Nagoro, in golden-red fire. Though she could not see, she could sense Raigo-Nezumi still alive through the light and Andrei's own essence... and somehow, it seemed to be growing... more present?

A flash of purple ran through her spine, causing her already stiff body to become completely rigid. The light of her attack faded, and she looked to Andrei... had he...? No. Turning quickly back to see Raigo, Alpha's mechanical heart dropped, and for once, the Takemikazuchi android felt fear. "Andrei... that- Nezumi, he's absorbed some other Chimera's power. Whatever it was, it'll be more difficult to...!" She was cut off in the middle of her own sentence, a lightning-fast tendril of grafted flesh piercing her gut and sending her flying.