Essentia Animus

35-Determined Struggle

Having been challenged by the aquatic beasts, the three girls were left with no alternative but to defend themselves. With the water levels rising rapidly and the girls otherwise trapped, the only other outcome left to them was drowning.

Since the beasts weren't going to act first, it was to their advantage to continue waiting after all, Riyxia decided she would step in. Fully enraged, she rapidly dashed through the water like she was flying through the air, her foot spinning out before her and connecting with one of the beasts. Carrying the momentum, the beast went flying backwards, cratering into several other beasts and crushing a hole into the wall. Sufficient to say that none of the beasts involved in that impact survived. A nearby beast took advantage of her proximity, lashing out at her with a long horned blade, clearly aimed at the hand she had holding her lamp. Dodging aside, she spun in motion, connecting with the threatening horn with another kick that defensively shattered the horn in an instant. While her remaining momentum delivered a follow up punch with her free hand, a punch which also knocked away the critically injured opponent, several others moved in on her friends.

Vwyx swiped her halberd defensively, spearing one of the beasts and thrusting it aside aggressively as Sryine unloaded a few shots against it. Vwyx carried her motion around, trying to hold ground against enemies approaching from all directions, including below, while the water tried to slow her movement down. She was thankful that Riyxia had made her movement easier, but the weight of water still made her swings much harder. Sryine was also finding her movement a lot more liberated, but her shots still suffered, even being illusions. The bolts themselves simply did not travel as fast through the water as they would air, that principle held sound even as an illusion. Since the shots travelled slower, they faded quicker, costing her a lot of weapon range. Worse was that she had to dive underwater to aim properly, a thing that was at least improved by her increased ability to hold her breath, but definitely wasn't convenient.

In an opportunity when Vwyx's back was turned and Sryine was surfacing for air, one of the beasts lunged towards Sryine's lamp with its maw, grabbing it and dragging her back underwater. Vwyx turned back to try and defend her, but was too slow on the motion, and overextending to try and help only left her also open. Riyxia also rushed back to help, crushing beasts that tried to get in her way with a sweeping kick. Sryine pulled out her rapier and tried to stab the beast, to force it to let go, but it continued to pull her deeper, leaving her struggling with limited air. Vwyx meanwhile was attacked from behind when she left herself open, a horn stabbing her through the shoulder. Vwyx knew what could easily follow, the pain bringing back that hunger, and as her blood started to stain the water she could feel that hunger building. Vwyx fought hard against herself, pressing hard to ignore the injury, to ignore the pain. She wasn't hurt, this injury was nothing, she was still fine. She held to this determination like a mantra, turning to face the one that had attacked her and struck it with the axehead of her weapon in turn, having it pull back. Sryine continued to stab at her own opponent, the need for air building a sense of desperation inside her. She wasn't going to make it, she was almost out of air, she would either drown or at least go unconscious, leaving herself vulnerable. No, she refused to give in, she refused to submit, she would cling to what hope she had left. Sryine continued to stab with her weapon, clinging to threads of bravery despite the growing fear of something worse, that fear that she would give in to fear itself.

Riyxia rocketed into the beast that had taken hold of Sryine, finally freeing the lamp from its grasp. Sryine strugged upwards, desperate for air. Her fears and despair were crushing her, but she held on with fierce determination, she needed to remain brave above everything else, her friends were counting on her. Riyxia turned to help Vwyx next when yet another attacked Vwyx from below, biting into her leg. She was having issues staving it off with just her halberd, making it cling fast to her leg, drinking even deeper of her blood. Vwyx could smell the blood in the air, the temptation, but instead took a deep breath and dove underwater. She then re-melded her weapon in motion, having it manage to strike a hammer blow on the beast's head in her descent. The beast let go and backed away, only to be ripped apart in Riyxia's approach. She arrived and managed to provide some healing for Vwyx's leg, but was attacked again before she could provide any further healing, healing being difficult due to her current overuse of her gift. She turned to deal with the new attacker, only to find Sryine in trouble again, the beasts had cut her off from reaching air, and she was almost spent.