Davernoch looked forward with extreme focus bleeding through his wide eyes. His Mana Shield shimmered as it stopped both rocks and dust from touching him.
But his eyes can't deny the strength he had just seen. He looked at the wall just beside him and there he saw a large crack. A display of strength he believed to only belong to the likes of Zero of Six Arms.
And even still, Zero required preparation to achieve the same effect.
For someone to replicate it with such ease, it spelled disaster they weren't prepared for. Not yet. It was a realization that even his partner, Edström shared.
They looked to each other, uncertainty in their eyes. But they knew this was no illusion.
There was no words spoken, only a nod and action blurred forward.
Edström rushed towards Momonga, and with a flick of her hands, her floating blades surged forward.
Momonga's sword flew to his hand and held it diagonally like a shield.
With his guard up, Edström suddenly vaulted on top of him. Expecting this, Momonga swiped wide, his sword aimed where she would land and then–
"[Fortress]!" a shimmering glow stopped his blade from cutting her skin. And without hesitation, she ran for the exit.
Momonga, surprised at the turn of events tried to give chase but–
*Boooommgg!
Likea whale that surged from the depths, a Skeletal Dragon rose. The monster extracted itself from the ground with great strength and then rammed Momonga straight through the cracked wall.
The wall gave, and light poured from the dust as a massive hole carved itself by sheer force but Davernoch couldn't care less.
He looked to the Orb of Death in his hand and frowned.
"So much harvest... wasted. Tsk! No matter. Who's to say the cries and despair of a Hero isn't compensation at all."
With but a mental command, the Skeletal Dragon lowered it's head and at the base of it's neck stood Davernoch.
Angry and curious at the same time.
—.—.—.—.—
Belotte and his Mage teammate, Arkis, stood side by side at the mouth of the cave's entrance.
They stood with slight perspiration at their brows but still strong with more than enough to give.
"...you think we can ask Albedo-sama to recast the whole Lion Spells on us again?" Arkis whispers, with a barely held eagerness on his tone.
Belotte smiled at his friend and chuckles. "You'd have a better chance at asking Momonga-san."
"...yeah fair point..." his friend mutters dejectedly.
Belotte just shook his head and chuckles at the downtrodden mage. As much as he envied Momonga with the overwhelming beauty at his arms, there was just simply no point in competing. Not in his eyes.
He instead felt strength in his hands, his weapons and his bones, [•Lion's Heart•], [•Lion's Mane•], [•Lion's Claw•], and [•Lion's Tooth•].
The first blasted away all fears, the second reinforced his defenses, the third reinforced his physical strength and the fourth reinforced his weapons.
Four powerful Paladin spells that made him feel like a one man army.
And the one who casted it gave it to them under the command of her 'beloved' as she so lightly put it.
The testament to their power lies at their feet with eight people dead and waiting for the vulture to feast upon.
'...We can do this. We can win.'
Belotte's thoughts were cut short by an explosion erupting from the left side of the rocky hill.
They stumbled back. He raised his shield against the small rocks and debris. Just so he could keep his eyes focused and trailing the large rocks that sunk the entrance close.
When the rumbling stops, what they stood to defend has been reduced to a large rocky slope.
The two shared a nod and ran to the source.
There they found a large hole blown at the side of the rocky formation. And just as the dust was carries away by the wind, someone stirred from the rubble.
His black armor caught the moonlight glow, giving the steel an azure light. His red cape whipped from the wind. And his sword gleamed in mismatched blue and gold.
It was Momonga standing strong with a dark, regal and noble presence wafting off of him. Then–
*ROOOOAAAAAARGH!
The land quaked as something massive stepped out of the darkness of the cave.
A dragon that shone like ivory with a figure mostly displayed for study and history. But the black flames licking it's teeth and blue flames that served as it's eyes, floating on empty sockets.
It felt more like a black ikor that represented everything that is wrong with the world. It is–
"A Skel-Skeletal D-Dragon!?" shrieks Mave from the distance, his voice echoing from the forest.
Davernoch shifted his attention from Momonga to the Adventurers and clicked his tounge in annoyance.
He then casted, [•4th Tier: Skeletal Warriors•].
From the ground clawed out a dozen undead, wielding rusted and cracked weapons and rotten armors with little flesh hanging loosely on their bones.
"Kill the Adventurers." Davernoch commanded, but his eyes were instead focused on the dimming power of the Orb.
But Momonga did not wait, he needed witness testimonies and allies, they were his first and so he rushed forward. Sword at the ready-
The Skeletal Dragon brought it's front paws down. Forcing Momonga to raise his sword in defense with a loud crash. He was pinned against the ground while the undead warriors surged pass him.
Davernoch smiled gleefully as the Dragon reared its head and blew black flames at its own paw.
And as the dark flames surged, he laughed at the surpsingly easy victory.
Beneath the behemoth, Momonga was stumped for a moment.
He stood there, not trapped but stunned as he felt darkness wafted close to him and suddenly hold him tenderly. Like a lover, eager to please.
It flowed through him like gentle waves, wiping away the surprise, the confusion, even his curiosity.
It was a calm that felt fitting and then suddenly, it was yanked back.
So forcefully in fact, his emotions exploded back and he subconsciously yearned for the calm's return.
'...what was that?'
Shaking his thoughts away, he grunted and pushed back. Forcefully setting the giant limb aside and with a wide swing, he severed the dragon's hand by the wrist with a loud- *schhliiggked!!
Momonga ignored the black flames rolling off of his armor and launched himself beneath the beast. He cut one of the hind legs with a beautiful spin of his Greatsword.
He then closed the distance, aiming for the neck. But as he passed the severed limb, he felt it again.
Enticing him so gently, he actually lost sense of his own action.
A swipe of the Dragon's claw knocked him both aside and out of his stupor. He rolled against the dirt, and slid into a knee.
Another breath came at him.
Momonga rolled to the side and ran forward. He dodged Magic Arrows and Fireballs from Davernoch and jumped high above a tail swipe, bringing his sword down the tail bone with a loud crack of thunder.
The Dragon roars and with Momonga stunned again, another clawed swipe sent him sailing through the air and hitting hard against the stone.
With focus regained, he kicked away from the rock and launched like a canon ball back into the fight.
Their duel continued, with Davernoch feeling the slightly chill of fear. Steadily growing as Momonga continued to dismantle the Skeletal Dragon piece by piece, as if searching for a weakness.
A weakness that's slowly emerging as he spent more Negative Energy from his limited stock within the Orb of Death.
Over time, the Skeletal Dragon sported various cracks along it's frame.
Most of it concentrated on the limbs. And in an effort to conserve Negative Energy, he didn't fully heal them but just enough to hold the monster upright and kept on fighting.
A cry of pain and alarm suddenly cut through their battle. And from the sides he saw the Adventurer Team slowly getting overwhelmed with one of them limping from a cut on the thigh.
Davernoch smiled, seeing a path to victory.
But suddenly, the fight changed as Momonga moved with surprising urgency.
Two limbs was suddenly cut down, but Davernoch knew it was a consequential loss. With reluctance and annoyance, he used [•Ray of Negative Energy•] to repair the creature.
Momonga seeing his distraction and identifying the Orb as his opponent's source of power, launched himself high and brought down his heel down like a comet.
The Dragon's roared as Momonga crashed on it's spine. And with badly damaged limbs, it buckled like a bridge.
Without losing stride, Momonga closed the distance between him and Davernoch. He dodged various spells meant to keep him away and with a held back punch, he launched the Necromancer off of the Skeletal Dragon, while shattering his Mana Shield to fine dust.
Davernoch landed with a wet crunch. His head hit one of the many rocks on his fall.
Just as consciousness slowly fell, Davernoch could only look up as Momonga stood atop the Dragon's snout.
His sword planted beside him, a floating Orb of Death above his palm, his red cape billowing against the wind and armor gleaming regal and royal. Heightened by the darkness of the night and the light of the moon.
He felt a chill at his word...
"Amusing..." Momonga said.
And in the encroaching silence, Davernoch cried out–
'Where are you Edström...'
—.—.—.—.—
Edström ran with complete focus, ignoring everything and everyone she stumbled upon.
She vaulted over a wooden fence made by the few remaining brigands and kept running.
With a couple more turns, she saw it. A steel door at the end of the tunnel.
But she was surprised to see it open.
Her floating blades set themselves just around her with one floating into her hand.
She then entered the room with great speed and there, she paused.
Kneeling beside the sleeping princess was a silver armored beauty adorned with circlets, horns and gold. Edström didn't hesitate and launched herself with blistering speed.
Just as her blade swiped for the neck, a hand gripped her wrist. A kick knocked her footing away, and with surprising strength, she felt herself lifted and then–
*spurt~ *cough!
Edström's eyes snapped wide. She froze there, maintain eye contact at the wide blue eyes looking up at her kneeling form... her blade plunged into the Princess' throat.
Her surprise stopped when the girl trashed, muttering gurgles through bloodied lips, feet kicking powerlessly and arms still tied and bound.
With one last hateful glare, and tears streaming down the Princess' face, the light slowly left her eyes.
One final breath and one last kick, her body went limped. Laying on blood that spilled relentlessly, drenching her crumpled blue dress.
Seconds passed and she stood as if afraid.
Heart beating in confusion at what had just happened.
Her head turned to every corner, to every shadow, still she couldn't find the raven haired woman.
But she could feel it...
Pressing like a cold breeze against the growing sweat against her skin.
She was still there.
A breath licked her neck and just as she turned, her eyes widened in surprise and her body locked in absolute panic.
The woman stood in the shadows, gleaming dress and armor, with wide yellow eyes that seemed to freeze her in opulence.
But her ivory horns and pearly teeth painted a stark picture, specially when she was grinning like a demon. An impossible smile that stretched from ear to ear.
She felt her feet moved, she tried to speak but her mouth remained shut. All she could do was shake and whimper as she took one unnatural step at a time with her arms locked and frozen at her side.
Just as she stepped into the darkness, the woman's arms snapped and wrapped around her in embrace.
"...you seemed... promising." said the demoness. "My Lord had been in a declining mood since he met your men. Unpleasant I must say. He should only be happy, eager for me, wanting me... dreaming of me. Instead, he is... disappointed.
"And you? You will help me please him. Just as you helped me with the Princess. Kufufu~"
Edström shook in fear and uncertainty, barely understanding what is being said.
The only thought she have was-
'Why!? Who in their right mind would keep a Demon as a pet!?' she silently wailed.
With a long and loud sniff, Albedo snapped her mouth open. So wide it devoured her face into two yellow dots. It showed two serated teeth gleaming white against the bottomless darkness, where in the center lied an eye. A pink eye with slitted pupils.
And as it slowly closed in on her, with her head now slowly vanishing within it's shadow, Edström had only one thought screaming in her mind...
'Where are you Davernoch!!!'