Wildvine's arm pierced into the concrete; it met no resistance at all. His claws extended several meters, and in turn, they generated small roots from the tips of those extended extremities. He pulled his arm back, and as he dragged it forward in an upward arc, he swept massive chunks of concrete rubble toward Caster's position.
A huge avalanche of stone, earth, and dust was unleashed.
With his arms free and unwilling to give him any chance to escape, he stretched his limbs backward before sending them around the dust cloud to meet on the other side.
He wasn't surprised not to feel anyone trapped in his hands; after all, this was a mage.
However, his long arms were once again restrained by a creature.
It was some kind of strange hunchback; its eyes had been replaced by mouths full of teeth, from which small tentacle-like segments emerged.
It had gills, its hump was bluish in tone, and its translucent skin revealed a massive accumulation of boiling water that, as if it were an overflowing cup, secreted liquid through the pores of its skin.
It had fins on its feet, and its arms—though surprisingly similar to those of a fish—were long and slender, once again containing astonishing strength.
—Marvelous, an exemplary display of control, insight, and improvisation— Caster praised from a new position.
Wildvine growled as he tried to break free from the grip.
—Yeah, well, when you're up against all kinds of lunatics, you start fighting like one—
Two roots shot toward the creature, each coiling around one of its wrists, and now, with added force, they managed to pull it forward. Wildvine closed the bud around his head and surprised it with a blow from it, sending the creature crashing to the ground.
He took a seed from his back and lunged at Caster, who once again dispersed into a bloody mist.
The creature recovered with extreme solemnity, as if the blow that embedded it into the concrete had been nothing. Instead, it curled into a fetal position, its back facing Wildvine, and with a repulsive sound, boiling water burst through its skin in a pressurized eruption. And although the alien tried to resist with a vine shield generated by the seed on his back, the water overcame the resistance, pierced through it, and struck the plant head-on, forcing him to twist his body a few centimeters to the side.
Some parts of his left arm vanished; a piece of his bud, his torso, and his limbs were brutally severed.
A groan of pain was all Caster managed to extract from Izuku.
He propped himself up with what remained intact, green organic slime oozing from the wounds.
«I-it hurts so much»
—Fascinating, it's a kind of blood I've never observed before—. When Wildvine's body fell, Caster lowered his guard. —It's a historic discovery!— Once again, fanaticism blinded him.
—The Bible dictates that man was created in the image and likeness of his creator! Every creature in this world shares a burden: mortality wrapped in a crimson substance… But you, you are the exception. Your mere existence is an act of rebellion against our supreme architect!—
A blow erupted from the ground and knocked him down.
Another lifted him into the air, one seized his ankle and slammed him headfirst into the ground.
—I think it's time to end this—.
For the past few minutes, and concealed by having been sprawled on the ground, Wildvine's limbs had regenerated. Taking advantage of the distraction, he sent his newly restored roots to carry out a surprise attack.
—Not bad, right?…— Now upright, he used his right hand to grab another seed and throw it at "Aquatic Igor." The vines lifted him into the air, wrapping around his body until he was completely immobilized. —For people like you, types who constantly run away and rely on long-range tactics, the best way to defeat them is by surprising them. Though I'll admit it, that hurt quite a bit…—
His left arm grabbed him by the torso and pulled him closer; his face, with its huge eyes, became the recipient of a full-force punch that would have sent him flying several meters back—at least, if he hadn't been held by his arm.
—By the way, I'm keeping this.— His root picked up a small book that had fallen. —I noticed you never let go of it; it's probably what helps you summon those creatures. Which, by the way, you might want to change—though they do fit your style quite well—
—Blasphemer!— he exclaimed. —How dare you defile the gift of my dear friend Prelati?!— He had become unhinged, shouting and spitting at the same time.
—You'll see, everyone will see it. They'll understand that God plays with us all, that He enjoys our suffering, that He sets us on a path filled with tragedy regardless of how much good we put into the journey, and in the end, only the misfortune of abandonment awaits us!—
Suddenly his eyes watered and he let out a hiccup. —Like my dear Jeanne… Oh God, my dear Jeanne, what did they do to you? How could God abandon you like that?!—
Suddenly he was silenced by a root covering his mouth.
—I don't understand anything you're saying. Yes, God often works in mysterious ways— Wildvine said. —Many times I wonder why He places people like you in our world, while good people leave it because of the actions of individuals like you.—
—I made peace with those injustices long ago, because in the end, the ones who must act are us. We are the ones who have the ability to choose to do good.—
—You don't understand, nobody understands… No, there is someone. Yes, that's it, my dear Ryuunosuke, my Master— he babbled. —I can't leave it like this. After such a reception, I'm sure he'll be the only one capable of understanding me.—
—W-what?!— This time Wildvine was the one surprised, as Caster's body began to transform into golden motes, and with the ease of a caged bird finding an open door, the massive man vanished.
The roots found no resistance anymore.
He looked around several times, but couldn't find him.
«Does he have invisibility too?!»
«Where are you?!… He must be close—behind me, to the sides, even in front»
He scanned every direction, but found no one.
That was when he noticed the vine restraining Ryuunosuke being exterminated by small carnivorous starfish that devoured the bindings with ease.
«As if it were a snack»
—Phew, finally, Caster, I was missing all the fun— he exclaimed. —Did you manage to finish off the plant boy already?—
—I'm afraid, Master, that the opponent designated for the opening of the Holy Grail turned out to be more competent than expected— he lamented. —But don't worry. With the proper preparations, the challenge becomes insignificant. For now, however…—
He raised his hand and the book reappeared. It was then that Wildvine realized yet another of his losses.
He began chanting again, and although they were at a considerable distance, Wildvine caught some words that sounded familiar.
«Cthulhu, R'lyeh…»
An ash-black cloud covered the street.
From it, like tears of an indescribable creature or a hive of offspring from a progenitor of exorbitant magnitude, an innumerable number of entities descended upon the earth.
The sound they made upon impact caused tremors; it was like liquid splashing against the pavement, yet the creatures had bones and showed no pain.
They resembled imps. Their hind legs were asymmetrical, one longer than the other, extending to different lengths. They varied in size, but most were comparable to a puppy.
Black eyes, as if empty, no expression, no ears. Their mouths were similar to an elephant's trunk.
And even with all those traits, what was strangest was the disproportionate size of their forelimbs—at least ten times thicker and sturdier than their hind legs.
It was like the sketch of a discarded creation moments after beginning, as if a child had started connecting different creature parts, but upon realizing that once the front legs were drawn the rest worsened significantly, decided to crumple the paper and throw it into the depths of a trash bin.
—For now, and as proof that there is beauty in the repulsive, I grant you, creature, the opportunity to immerse yourself in depravity— he exclaimed. The creatures screeched and advanced in unison, their limbs posing no hindrance.
—On the other hand, we will eagerly await our reunion, and next time, we shall delight you as perfect hosts—
—Eh, we're leaving already?!— Regret adorned his features. —I wanted to see them devour him and that kid—
—Calm down, Ryuunosuke. There will be many other opportunities to experiment, each more instructive than the last—
—If you say so…— he exhaled, then waved at Wildvine without remorse. —See you next time! Try not to die, we want to experiment a lot together!—
Both vanished into the darkness of the night.
And suddenly, the watch began to beep red.
—For God's sake, is luck really not on my side today?—