Flesh knitted itself back together, woven into threads that that seemed closer to blood-soaked tendrils rather than muscle and veins. Bones and organs grew back at a rate that was physically visible to the naked eye, hydra natured spiritual energy transforming into a combination of meat and pure life force.
Bones, veins and flesh, sprouting off from the wound, growing into the shape of a large tumorous abomination. Reddish-white meat pulsating beneath the abnormal growth, shadows of something horrifying metamorphosizing within the malignant flesh.
Mael felt his heart sink into his stomach, tightening his grip back over the Vanishing Sword Of Wood-Light. His head turning towards Igraine and David, both of them staring back with emotionless expressions on their faces.
Mael merely gave the two a nod before turning back towards the uninitiated human police officers standing behind him.
Both the Architect Of Ruinous Annihilation and the Guardian Of The Honoured Shield moved from their current positions, rushing towards the hydra-turtle, manifesting summoned weapons and armour across their bodies.
Igraine beginning the activation sequence for her Fragment Of Ruin, muttering the chant beneath her breath.
David on the other hand, continued shouting towards the other four Knights present, summoning Levia Heartslayer; White-Scaled Leviathan-Adonis, born from his Fragment Of Summon.
The leviathan-adonis woman rushing outwards, clad in her white-scaled armour. The corners of her mouth curling upwards as a scaled-sword sprouted from her hand, more than twice the size of her body, and weighing almost three-times as much.
Her manifestation, as well as her presence recorded by the cameras flying overhead. Each one of her footfalls carving a deep trench into the shattered tarmac below. Her features might have been considered somewhat attractive in the eyes of humans, floresiensis and lutins.
If not for the bloodthirsty grin that marred her face.
“To think that I would have the chance to fight another Lord so soon!”
“You truly are the only master for me aren’t you David!” Levia snarled, smirking as she rushed towards the hydra-turtle, five-metre-long tail stretching out from the base of her spine.
The presence of the White-Scaled Leviathan-Adonis was not a comforting one. David’s expression contorting into something between embarrassed and exasperated as he joined his summoned companion, once again stepping into the fray.
Mael on the other hand, merely focused on the uninitiated humans standing behind him. His eyes glancing towards the two drenched remains further towards his left, taking note that both were still too hot to be touched, let alone be moved.
One or two officers could not help but shed silent tears, gazing down upon the remains of their deceased friends.
“Do any of you have access to explosives? The kind used to destroy fortified buildings?” Mael asked, eyes sweeping across the three dozen-or-so remaining officers.
Several of the police officers, the ones dressed in full protective gear glanced towards one another, before the moustached man leading them shook his head, still glaring at Mael, albeit with his weapon not pointed at him.
Perhaps he realized that such a thing was incapable of threatening the “elf” standing opposite him.
“Not on our persons. Our primary purpose is to counter… “human” threats. We have no weaponry present that can threaten the…” His voice trailed off towards the end, Mael interjecting with a subtle nod of his head.
“That creature, well, the Title it bears is Primeval Ruler Of Violent Deluge.”
“Neither I, nor any of the Mortals or Knights present are capable of breaching through its mental defences. Even something as damaging as a potent Acid Trait or Fire Trait ability might be ineffective against it, considering how potent its regeneration is.”
Mael’s expression twisted, morphing into one of obvious annoyance.
“As it stands, those of us present that can fight the creature will hold it here for as long as we possibly can. Humanity has access to weapons of mass destruction yes? I suggest requesting the use of such an object from your superiors, before the creature can enter the rest of the city.”
The moustached-man’s eyes bulged, threatening to burst out of their sockets.
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“You want us to what!? Are you insane! The potential number of casualties alone would be-.”
“That “thing” will keep rampaging for as long as it sees fit!” Mael yelled, interrupting the man mid-sentence, “Tens of thousands will die if it uses its abilities on the buildings in downtown Sydney! Hundreds of thousands more will die if you don’t stop it here now!”
“Do you humans want that to happen!?”
Mael’s words caused several of the police officers to shift, swiftly moving to raise their guns towards him. Not single one of them dared to fire, worried that he might retaliate with another burst of searing light.
The Spiritus Ensis Sanctus appeared unmoved at the sight of multiple firearms pointed towards him, eyes gaze solely focused on the moustached-man as his torn-expression. He could see the man clench his fist and grit his teeth, before lifting his gaze towards the Primeval Ruler Of Violent Deluge.
“… Let me ask one thing.”
“Sure but depending on what it is I might refrain from answering,” Mael replied honestly.
Subconscious Sword Palace focusing on the raging battle going on behind him. Conscious Light Palace diverting slightly less than half of his attention towards the moustached-man, as well as his formulated response.
One eye watching as the police officer shook his head, gesturing towards his chest, as well as Igraine, David and the other Knights that fought alongside him.
“Can you win?”
Mael blinked, not quite expecting such a question from the moustached man. Fragment Of Mind humming within his Light Mana Core, producing light-shaped thoughts in the form of waves and stars. Mael wondering if he should lie to the man, pausing for several moments before softly sighing while shaking his head.
“If it did not possess such an immense regenerative capability, then yes, perhaps I alone would be enough to slay the beast.” Mael lied, not bothering to consider the shield-effects that surrounded the hydra-turtle.
“Unfortunately, the number of times that I can activate my abilities is less in comparison to the creature, given that it is a Sixth-Honoured Lord, and that I am merely a Knight. If we had more Knights at our disposal, or even just our leaders, Amadeus or Delila, we might have had a chance to kill it.”
“Jon too but…” Mael’s expression tightened, voice trailing off towards the end.
The moustached man looked confused at the mention of “Knights” and “Sixth-Honoured Lords”, as did many of the officers behind him. The sound of another Fragment Of Eradication crashing into the pale-blue barrier of the hydra-turtle beast thundered off in the distance.
Levia Heartslayer and David worked in tandem with Igraine and several of her own summoned companions, trying to prevent the Primeval Ruler Of Violent Deluge from advancing further towards the city. Helicopters flying overhead had begun pulling back, as two military-grade gunships approached from the harbour.
Mael observed the two gunships, somewhat impressed at the sheer number of armaments the vehicle possessed. He did not show it outwardly of course, noticing the moustached man gesture towards some of the officers behind him.
“Squad 2 and Squad 3 are to head back and regroup with Squad 5 and Squad 6! Assist in the evacuation of civilians and the suppression of rioting and possible looting!”
“Squad 4 is to remain here with me, observing the situation and preventing any outsiders from approaching the creature! Martinez and McDougal, you two are to head towards the control tower and inform Sergeant Greggory of the situation, alongside any other military personnel that you come across!”
“The rest of us…” Mael glanced towards the name-badge half obscured beneath his uniform and armour. The name was unfamiliar to him, not reminding him of anyone he encountered during the System Introduction.
“As much as it pains me to say, our weaponry is useless against the creature. These Knights, or whatever they are called can fight them, or least injure them enough to impede its movements. We will assist in evacuating airport personnel that are stretched across the runways and hangars!”
“Diggory” watched as the officers behind him, all nodded in response, their expression stern and emotionless, despite the deaths of their two comrades. Diggory turned back towards Mael, glancing at his ears once more before focusing back on the entirety of his face.
“I’m going against my better judgement and trusting you in this situation.”
“At least until our military arrives and can deal with the situation.”
Mael nodded his head, knowing that Jon had roughly explained the various military-structures back on his home world. Police forces were used to deal with local threats and criminals, while actual military forces were used to handle threats from outside the nation.
Jon had stated that it was vastly more complex than that but from an outsiders perspective, it was enough to have a general understanding of the differences in both training and weaponry.
“I’ve attempted to contact several other Knights that might be capable of reaching Sydney. I do not expect any responses, but on the off chance that someone does come, our combined abilities might be able to kill the Lord and-.”
[Light-Speed Instincts].
Mael’s sentence halted mid-way through, head turning upwards as his eyes widened, feeling an almost imperceptible ripple of spiritual energy. Green-eyes darting across the darkened skies above Sydney, looking for traces of anything that might be construed as a shadow or-.
“Hmm? Is something the matter? Why are you looking upwards towards-.”
A draconian-roar echoed out above the skies of Sydney.
The three-dozen police officers shifting from their stationary positions, lifting their guns up towards the air, frantically searching for the creature that made such a roar.
The Primeval Ruler Of Violent Deluge lifting its hydra-frilled head towards the skies, snapping-turtle head more than ninety-percent regenerated. The tumorous growth on its neck still growing, almost two-thirds the size of the other two heads.
Diggory furrowed his brows towards Mael, half-torn between pointing his gun back at him, and focusing on the origins of said roar. He watched as the corners of Mael’s mouth curled upwards, flickering shadows flashing through the cloud-covered skies.
“What the hell was that!? Another creature!? Another-.”
Mael just shook his head, not moving his gaze away from the clouds above.
“… He has come.”
“Our Princeps.”
