Chapter 209: Chapter 209 - Black and White (3)
Like the first time, we quickly put up a portal and go to the monster’s height, using a platform created by Ingela’s spatial magic to not fall.
This time, the monster acknowledges us as worthy enemies from the start. It immediately stops draining the region’s mana and sends tentacles to batter us. At the same time, it does the same thing with turning all eyes into one and then opening countless mouths in its body.
"Now, Yawarete!"
She quickly unleashes the aria she had prepared, creating a soundproof bubble around us.
For some moments, all the world falls silent. No wind, no birds singing, nothing. And, most importantly, no shrieks of a thousand mouths.
I can see from the mouths’ movements that they are still screaming. And yet, we hear nothing.
The mouths finally close, and the eyes start separating back into several ones. The scream attack has ended, and the thing goes back to sending its tentacles to batter us.
In the meanwhile, the priestesses are chanting, and Ingela and Lovelace are defending. Yawarete released the sonic barrier, so we can hear the sounds of the world again.
We can’t use direct elemental attacks against the thing unless it’s from the light element. And I doubt physical attacks would work, even if we could reach it.
Huh?
"Yawarete, the thing is closing eyes and mouths again."
"Yeah, Aurea, I noticed it. I think that it’s increasing the number of tentacles."
She barely finished her phrase when the quantity of tentacles hitting us doubled. The new tentacles are all aiming for the priestesses.
In a reflexive move, I create a spatial barrier to block a tentacle. It’s not as refined as Ingela’s, but it was enough. Then there’s another coming from the side and another from above.
Damn.
I can barely keep up. And that’s with all my focus on it.
That’s when I hear a screech. It wasn’t the sonic attack, though, but more like a cry of pain.
"Aurea, my shield took half of the priestess’ attack. You need to signal when I have to drop it!"
Fuck, that was my job in the earlier battle. But now dealing with the new tentacles, I didn’t even hear the chant being finished.
At least the priestesses are at it again. What do I do???
Suddenly, a flash of light blinks in the corner of my field of view, and when I look there, I see a sword humming a melody, floating in front of Yawarete.
It’s Eternal Song, the sword my mother once found inside a dungeon, before we arrived at the capital.
Yawarete nods and then quickly grabs the sword.
"Aurea, leave the defense on this side to me."
That sword increases the wielder’s air magic strength. Which makes it appropriate for Yawarete, who loves to combine wind, gravity, and spatial magic to pull off stunning effects.
Cats be cats, after all.
If that sword is here, it means that Mother is watching us fight. Because only she would be able to make it appear here like that.
Okay. Now I can once again focus on the aria the clerics are chanting and also watch the thing before it pulls another new move.
It has only a few eyes and mouths on its body now. It seems that it can convert between eyes, mouths, and tentacles at will. So maybe if we cut off its tentacles, it would mean one less potential eye or mouth?
But it’s not like we can actually cut any of its tentacles to test the hypothesis, though.
No magic affects him, except the one from the priestesses. And I won’t make them aim at something as flimsy as a tentacle instead of the main body just for the sake of a hypothesis.
Oh, they are already reaching the release point again. Focus!
Just a little more...
"Drop, now!"
At my command, both Ingela’s spatial shield and Lovelace’s tentacles disappear, just in time for the spear of light to pierce the monster again.
Oh... it went right through the biggest of the eyes. So it’s as good as cutting off a tentacle, if my hypothesis is right.
The hole in the monster’s body starts closing soon after it formed, which was expected. The girls are already with the defenses up again, as the tentacles keep battering us.
It does indeed look not only smaller, but also the number of tentacle attacks decreased. It’s not a big margin, but it’s some margin.
"Just a couple more, and we’ll be able to kill it! Keep at it, everyone!"
"YES!!!"
The unison reply came only for the non-priestess girls, as the holy maidens were already chanting the aria again. But a glance at their faces was enough to see their unwavering determination.
This is in the bag.
Oh, the tentacles stopped... Ah, I see.
"Yawarete, the scream!"
"On it!"
She puts up the sonic shield just in time to fend off the shrieking attack. Good. If only that form could last a bit more... just a bit more...
I think that the high priestess thought the same, as she is speeding up the tempo of her aria. Her acolytes look surprised but are barely managing to keep up.
As there aren’t any tentacles attacking, both Ingela’s and Lovelace’s defenses are already down, so there’s only the air current enveloping us, blocking the sound.
Thing is, air currents might refract a bit of the light, changing its direction very slightly. But at this distance and volume of current, it’s negligible.
The spear of light pierces right through the creature’s only eye, creating yet another gaping hole on it.
We can’t hear its cries of pain, but it’s visible that they are stronger than any of the others before. And the healing is slower.
What is more astounding is that no new eyes appear. The quantity of mouths and tentacles diminishes yet again, as well as the body size.
The thing pops up more tentacles by diminishing the quantity of mouths. But it is now blind, which means that most of its attacks simply miss us entirely.
The thing is not only blind. It’s enraged.
We’ve already won. It’s just a matter of keeping chipping at it until it disappears.