CHAPTER 3: LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION

“RRROOOAAARRRR!!!!”

The Void giant replied furiously, clenching its fist as it release a numerous particle beams in different directions and random location are targeted, the six ladies in blue outfit starting to dodge the incoming laser beam like projectile and begin to summon all of their low type set of Ice arts skills.

“Ice bolts!”

“Frozen Blades!”

“Hundred Piercing Icicles!”

“Snow Flake Glaive!”

“Winter Cannon!”

Different projectiles is been released and thrown to the Void Giant, numerous explosion follows, but the six ladies in blue are not done yet, on the contrary they are just warming up, inspecting the dense smoke of the explosion occur and not being careless to their surrounding, they knew their lowest tier spell is not enough to destroy this Void.

Another roar of the monster came as it reveals its head that full of electric charges, with a raging glare coming from its eyes, it released its accumulated charges to the sky and the sky starting to react into abnormal form of dark and heavy clouds, erupting numerous lightning strikes back to earth, not good!

“Crystal Bound Shield!”

The group synchronized voices as they summon their defensive barrier, a powerful shield forms in a brief of a second, fortified by their energy power as it flows to the said shield, numerous lightning strikes blasted the shields of the six ladies in blue but it with stood the blast, the Void Giant is not done yet, its arms are starting to glow and powerful light charges form into its palm.

“Attention, my dear sisters of Millennium Crystal Palace, this monster is a Rank B level threat, never underestimate it, begin the snow flight combat!” The lady in blue on the front of five announced her orders, seems like she is the leader of the squad that Millennium Crystal Palace sent in response to distress call.

The ladies nod in response as they chant their flying spells and move very fast, also that time the behemoth release the particle beams coming from its hand and start spraying it to the irritating adversary, but the six ladies of Millennium Crystal Palace are very nimble and fast, dodging the particle beam in swift manner while they counter attack with their offensive spell and land a direct hit to their huge target.

The particle beam that missed its target are blasted to different directions, hitting plains, forest, and even reaching to the mountain sides, followed by explosion and scorched land on impact hit, although the low tier spells are not strong enough to put down the Void Giant, with accumulated impact force and numerous direct hits piling up, the damage on the behemoth grew worsened.

The raging Void is really pissed as its body are leaking blue liquid that seems look like blood, its temper are overflowing of hate and rage, its head release again another batch of electric charges to the sky and lighting strikes descended from above and make a random hit on the direction of Six Millennium Crystal Palace ladies, the ladies quickly activate their Powerful shield to absorb the incoming flash lighting strikes.

No matter how intimidating their enemy, the ladies of Millennium Crystal Palace remain calm and compose, no sighs of emotion can be seen in their eyes, they flew coordinately and counter attack again with their spells and bombarded the big one with a direct hit due to its vulnerable size and slow reaction speed.

“RRRROOOAAAARRRR!!!!” It shrieked in pain, the wounds on its body grew worse.

“Keep firing my dear sister, don’t let it give any room to counter attack!” The leader of the squad ordered as the five of her companions follow and rain the Void Giant with numerous ice projectiles.

The attack and evade tactics of Millennium Crystal Palace ladies continue and repeat, when the behemoth launches a particle beam, they just swiftly evade it gracefully, if the Void Giant uses its lightning strikes, they just formed their well fortified shield and after every attack, they swiftly counter attack.

Although the behemoth suffered a numerable damage to its body, it never just stop on its track and continue its resisting and remain stubborn as it continue its rampage, even the Millennium Crystal Palace ladies are noticing its well endowed endurance, but the ladies are not done yet, they still have sufficient energy power left for a long combat, this time, they change their tactics.

“Sister! Prepare the “Six Stars Formation Array” now!” the leader of the Millennium Crystal Palace ladies ordered the rest followed as they shift their flight position around the behemoth on six different directions.

Numerous hand sigh can be seen from them as countless rune form around them, the Void Giant released a batch of lighting strikes but it was blocked by their magic shields, the spell chant continues as the small cold sweat can be seen in their foreheads, huge and rich energy power flowing from their body down to their forming runes, accumulating it to summon a powerful array.

The Behemoth is really pissed of with the forming of six flashing lights around him and about to attack with its glowing hand when the six ladies finishing executing their formation array spell, light imbued them as a six powerful crystal pillar arise at the very fast speed and stood at the height of the Void Giant, the behemoth is about to attack when a powerful ice blast coming from six crystal arrays formed.

Hitting again in direct hit, but this time the blast radius is wide and the output damage is heavy, the monster losses one of its arm due to the impact force of rich ice magic, as it howl in pain, that howl is very loud and if a normal human was standing nearby to the source, it may ruptured their hearing, for much worse part for the weak heart, sonic boom can cause them to lose conciseness.

“Hnmph! Pathetic worm dare to be impudent in front of us, Battle Sages of Millennium Crystal Palace, don’t think you will escape our grasp that easily!” one of the ladies mocked with cold contempt.

“A mere Rank B level threat this weak? Tch! Don’t joke us, this is the only power the monster has?” another one speak with great disgust and looking down on the Behemoth.

“And here I thought the enemy will be expected to be powerful, I made a lot of preparation for this fight and this is all of it?” followed by another, mocking low on the cornered giant.

The Void Giant become silent and agonizing in pain, losing an arm is truly quiet painful, blue colored blood are spraying from dismantled arm, breathing heavily as it makes its cold stare at the mocking adversary, never in its life fall to this low and being mocked by ants, its power, its standings and its glorious appearance, no human should dare to look down on it, it will show them why it is become one of Humanity’s greatest threat.

“Don’t be full of yourself, it not yet the final form of that abomination” Eliah thought from afar, as she and the others who are luckily evade the particle beams and lightning strikes of that monster that may claim another numerous life are watching while continue their journey.

“That monster is merely testing your capabilities”

A powerful howl suddenly released along with a powerful magic shock waves erupts simultaneously, the six ladies was quiet shock on the incoming development, but they are not a total idiot who just standing there while this behemoth transform, they activate their runic ice pillars and simultaneously blast the transforming behemoth, a huge explosion occurred afterwards.

The leader of the squadron ordered one of her allies to launch an emergency back up signal for the upcoming threat, a wise decision indeed, if things may get out of hand, it will be easy to takeover, the leader then conjure her ice arts magic and cleared the smoke that envelops the Void Giant, revealing the evolution of unsightly monstrosities they can imagine in their nightmares.

The head are full of eyes just like a pineapple, the body arms got some numerous mouth and countless teeth and tentacle like tongue, the skin that once a coral reef like structure turn into massive pile of muscle flesh strains, the claws in each hands grow longer and sharper, once shark fin at the back turn into a hill of spikes, the almost humanoid feet turn into numerous and massive octopus tentacles.

“The power is reaching almost the Rank A level threat, everyone, rally with me, we must buy some time for our seniors!” The leader of the squad of Millennium Crystal Palace ladies voice order erupt.

“Yes, senior sister!” all the five members of the squad synchronized obliged.

“Time to use the accumulated studies that I learn from the Ephemeral Glass of Ancient Ice Scriptures” The leader said with a serious tone, her eyes are fixated on the runic item that she evoked from empty space.

“Is that!?” one of the members of squadron as she finally have a glimpse of a certain very rare to see runic tablet that her leader senior sister have. “No way, Senior sister got comprehend the Ephemeral Glass of Ancient Ice Scriptures!!”

“Amazing! As expected of senior sister! Everyone! Follow me, we need to buy some time for Senior sister to finish her spell!” one of the members spoke with deep excitement as she leads the way to attack the mutated Void Giant. “Remember, be careful on encountering this abomination, we don’t know yet the fullest of its abilities!”

“Ok!”

“Got it”

“Following your lead!”

“Sure!”

The five members of Millennium Crystal Palace ladies begin their all out massive attack, this time, the spell that they will launch are no longer a lower tier spell, the Void Giant sensed their presence and begin to produced electric charges wave field along with scattered particle beams, the five deploy their magic shields on time and continue to closed the distance to the effective range length needed of their mid tier spells.

“Ice Dragon first stage: Breath of Ice!” the leading one voiced out her powerful spell as she release a huge fume of cold mist that freeze the numerous eyes of the Void Giant.

“Frost Art: Crystal Meteorite!” Followed by another roaring voice as she conjure her spell, from above, numerous large chunks of Ice fall straight to the behemoth.

“Hundred Freezing Bolt!” coming from the third one as she voiced out her spell and launch a firing barrage of frost magic missile to the behemoth, making a thunderous explosion, as everyone can hear its shrieking in pain.

“Dance of Winter: Ice Edge Macabre!” voice of fourth lady as she summon a group of flying crystal swords and launched it to the face of eyes of the Void Giant.

“Die wretched beast! “Frost Art: Ice Beam!” Hhhiiiyyyaahh!!!” the last one cut in as both of her palms imbued of ice magic and blast the accumulated frost charge that erupts from her hands straight to the monster.

Explosion after explosion, the whole Smoke Bone Village become a battlefield, few guards are remain outside the village to watch for the outcome of the battle with a little distance from the Void Giant, few other guards help the evacuees to escape to the next village to set their snow tent, Neil notice the quiet erratic complexion of Eliah, he can’t help but to be concern about what’s going on her.

“Mrs. Iceberg, are you alright?” Neil ask with his eyes full of concern. “Is there a problem?”

“That monster and I have a blood feud in the past, me, the only sole survivor of Pristineriver Clan, witnessed its monstrosity” Eliah speak with a deep solemn complexion while her eyes glistening in light, contains so much anger and vengeance. “My grudge, my nightmares and my clan’s never ending avenging fate will not buried peacefully as that monster remain walking in our world”

“I supposed that Void Giant must die for the peace you sought for years” Neil said while looking back at the battlefield as the numerous explosion and magic runes appear out of nowhere and slams at the Behemoth.

“Not just for my peace young one” Eliah replied with a bitter smile as she looks to her family that traveling along with other evacuees. “But for the future of the next generation that comes after us”

“I see, such a noble thoughts, I very happy to meet such kind family like yours, Mrs. Iceberg” Neil thanked as his eyes closed in deep appreciation of noble reason of Eliah.

“The nearest village after this travel is the Crystal Clear Village, rebuilding back the Smoke Bone Village will take a months” Eliah said as she move forward to the side of Mark, riding with him in their big snow cart.

“I guess, temporary shelters are not bad either” Neil chuckled as he then proceed to walk, taking a few moments to reach the main road when an explosion nearby catch up to them.

“Shit! Not again!” one of the Evacuees grunted as he managed to jump out before the explosion have a contact on him.

“Oh come on! Really!” Neil sigh as he turned his back and look at the explosion blast radius.

He shifted his gaze and he dropped his jaw when he saw the quarrelling forces are coming to their way, such wrong way of diverting the dangers of the Void Giant, what the hell the Millennium Crystal Palace ladies doing?

Followed by another batch of explosion, lightning blast and energy beam randomly fire at every direction, one particle beam wildly shot straight to the one of the unlucky snow carts, vaporizing the whole cart along with its driver, leaving the six scared hounds freed from ropes while barking and their tails wagging between their legs.

“Everyone run!” yelled by a long neared middle age man as he drag his son to his back along with his small baggage, everyone is panicking again and make haste out of the danger zone.

“Divine Ancient Ice Arts: Thousand Nights Blizzard!” the yelling voice coming from the leader of the Millennium Crystal Palace ladies as she conjure finally her long casting high tier spell.

A sudden wave of frost wind followed by cold misty fogs, a powerful and dense blizzard come along and wreck a havoc in very wide area range, almost the behemoth and the whole Smoke Bone Village was swallowed by a raging storm, the power wind blows cause some of evacuees to lose their balance and being sweep away by such intense pressure.

Faye jumps in, letting flow of her energy power to the palm of her hands as a turbulent of ice starting to form, Faye slams both of her hands to the pile of the snow and in a flash, a wall of ice form in very long length and height of two story house, blocking and diverting the wind pressure to move above, giving a room for the outbalanced evacuees to stood up and walk once again.

“Many thanks miss Faye!”

“Thank you so much big sister Faye!”

“Lady Faye, you have my graceful thanks!”

People thanked Faye for making the ice wall to shed them from powerful pressure as the evacuees continue to travel to the next village, Leah and Neil just chuckled and give their Heartfelt thanks, Faye just blushed in so much praised, they continue to evacuate even though there are lot of explosion and tremors happening on the other side of the thick ice walls.

At the other side of the icy walls made by Faye, the Void Giant remain alive despite of heavy injuries that the puny humans inflict to it, but due to evolution it undergoes, the regeneration of its lost limb and flesh is quiet threat due to its ridiculous speed rate, also added by its more fiercer attack of light beams and lightning strikes with a hard and unpredictable patterns.

The six ladies of Millennium Crystal Palace are now on a very needle hole situation, one wrong move and they bound to fall, the leader is quiet exhaust but she still have enough magical energy on her disposal, while the other girls in her squad are quiet tired and their efficiencies are diminishing low, time pass by before they meet their doom end.

Suddenly, a sliver of hope come, as a crystalline portal appear, from that portal, three powerful figures of Millennium Crystal Palace ladies appear, upon their eyes meet the disgusting and almost horrifying Void disembodiment, they feel like irritated and disgust so much that they don’t want to go out again for a distress call, but it is their juniors asking for help.

They can’t ignore that call, it will tarnish their reputation as the lead role model for their juniors, that’s as to why they just endure the disgusting and nauseating image of the mutated Void Giant, eradication is must, many people are believing that the Battle Sage of Millennium Crystal Palace are top notch, not in just beauty but also in combat.

“Filthy creature, you dare to hurt our beloved juniors! You will die!” the first senior lady speak As she waved her hand and conjure her ice arts Skill. “Dance of The Winter: Imperishable Glacier Ballet!”

Numerous gigantic swords appeared and spins in very incredible speed, like a slicer it rushes to the Void Giant and cut its limb like a knife in a butter, but the regeneration of the behemoth is quiet ridiculous in healing and replacing lost limb in incredible speed, each limb that will be teared and cut by its persistent adversary, a new one appear and grow very fast enough.

“Juniors, we your seniors will show you, what it means to be at level of General Battle Sage!” the second Senior Lady spoke as she too conjure her Ice arts skill. “Frost Art: Never Ending Winter Fall!”

From the sky, a dome of power appeared and many huge icicles fall over to the mutated Behemoth, followed by numerous raining frost bolts and boulder size ice meteors, it was like a total massacres ice art skill, numerous explosion erupts followed by a thick smoke, the third senior lady step in, invoking her ice art skill all of the sudden.

“Divine Ancient Ice Arts: Crystal Illumination!”

All if the ladies of Millennium Crystal Palace are suddenly covered with illuminating glass like shields, from the huge pillar of smoke, a powerful force erupted, a pillar of light shoot to the skies and followed by strong lightning current, magical shockwave erupts and tremble the whole ground, that the events evacuees can fell the slight tremor in the distance.

“Senior Sister Ana, its evolving again!” the leader of the six ladies of Millennium Crystal Palace warns.

“Not good!” one of the juniors spoke with huge concern.

“Then we shall punish this monster with heavier stick, my body is quiet stiff, I need some intense exercise” one of the trio senior speak with carefree tone, not being scared or intimidated in a slightest.

“Typical of you Rosette, always longing for fight, we shall take our move right, Ana” Another senior lady spoke as her eyes locked into the huge smoke with lightning charges.

“Be careful Mari, our enemy is not as simple as the others we fought in the past” Ana spoke with an authoritarian tone, she knew that this Void Giant is abnormal one and gonna put her and the others to a real challenge.

“Ok juniors, go ahead and watch over the evacuees, your seniors will gonna go all out and we feared that you might get in cross fire” Rosette ordered her juniors while release an intense aura.

“Junior Liza will obeyed senior sister's order, please be careful” Liza obliged, as the leader of her squad with high understanding of the serious situation that her squad delved into, she already knew that her squad will just a dead weight for her senior.

Every juniors pay their respect to their seniors as they excused themselves in the battlefield, diverting their flight to the evacuees destination, as for the three, all of the are now in serious mode as a surge of power released, when the huge pillar of smoke was cleared, the behemoth that looks like a mutated humanoid turn into a massive and huge jellyfish like transformation.

Covered in pile of muscle and flesh as numerous eyes at the topmost part of the head, at the lower part are bony plates and spikes tightly cover, tentacles with numerous mouth and tendrils, at the end of tentacle, numerous claws appear and still very unsightly and unnerving to witness.

“Banish this unsightly being to the abyss if hell” Ana ordered with looking down and contempt in her eyes. “Final Winter Ice Arts: Ice Age!”

“Ice Dragon Fifth Stage: Absolute Zero!”

“Thousand Freezing Bolts!”

And a powerful magnitude of explosion, waves of power surge and slight tremors appeared once again, A little bit far away from the battlefield while being guided by six drop dead beauty is worth to be scene while evacuating, many teen boys admire such beauty who is floating and looking for the safety of evacuees, Neil just sleeping at the back side of the snow cart of Michael while the young man soon to be trader remain still in his driving stance.

As for Faye, she hide her elemental power from the six monitoring Millennium Crystal Palace ladies by suppressing its power flow, the ladies was on high alert and suspicion that there is an Ice Elemental affinity Battle Sage that lingers within the evacuees as they pass and witness the thick wall of ice, the power level of Liza, the leader of the squad is at Fighter Battle Sage, while the five other members of her squad are High-Class Battle Sage.

Its been a several minutes of their walk, as usual, the explosions and tremors are still reaching them, but the six ladies of Millennium Crystal Palace are very confident to their seniors that they can slay the stubborn monster, Eliah just taking a few glances at them as she shifted her gaze before they can spot her and notice her insecure gaze.

Suddenly a painful cried of a lady from their back can be heard, Liza was suddenly stiff cold all of the sudden, the remains ladies of Millennium Crystal Palace alarmed as they look on quiet stiff leader, about to speak something when an explosion nearby appeared all of the sudden.

The six snow ladies hurriedly flew to the source of the explosion while the evacuees are watching their erratic guardian maidens flew past away from them, Neil and mother and daughter trio avert their gazes on the explosion site, and they were utterly shock.

Mari, a General Battle Sage level, a senior of the six, beautiful and well discipline juniors, a role model lead like Ana, is on the verged of death as she limply crash to the ground with broken bones and half closed eyes, bloody forehead, disheveled hair, and numerous cuts, rashes and wounds on the different parts of her body that can be seen in her already worn and ripped up blue uniform of their institute.

“Senior sister Mari!”

The six exclaimed in synchronized fashion with a great disbelief, they are truly blown away for such cruel outcome of the condition of their senior, and when they shifted their gaze back to the battlefield side, they saw Ana and Rosette struggling very hard to live and escape the heavily injured abomination, in contrary of condition per scale of each side, the mutated Void Giant is still have the upper hand in the battle.

“I-I'm s-sorry,,,” Mari speak with weakened voice as she spat blood from her mouth. “T-that worm,,, i-is too,,, *Cough* *Cough* strong,,,”

“Senior Mari calm down, we'll gonna heal you!” Liza said in worried tone while sweating cold as she summon a life saving elixir and gently put to Mari's bloody mouth. “Take it slowly and everything will be fine, j-just hold on!”

“Dorothy! The healing powder now! Time to move sister!” one of the members of the squad call for another member as she summon a healing ointment and slowly applied it to the rashes and cuts of Mari.

“Ok thea, give me a second!” Dorothy replied as she summon her healing powder and move towards the heavily injured Mari and pour a small scoop of powder to the huge wounds of Mari.

“The others must summon their essence crystal to heal and alleviate the pain, I will pass my Magic energy to senior Mari” Liza ordered immediately as she touch the dirt covered hands of her senior and channeled her energy power pass to Mari.

“Yes senior!” the three other members followed as they summon their essence crystal to heal the broken bones inside the delicate and wounded body of Mari.

While the healing process of Mari is ongoing, the situation of Ana and Rosette is gone through life and death battle, the Void Giant attacks are not the real deal but its ridiculous healing factors that make it stubborn to die and already exhaust them to the point even their potions and elixir are already use up, they are now cornered, Rosette is about to release a distress call but suddenly a very fast tentacle swarm got her and now she is struggling to freed herself from its grasp.

“Damn you! You wretched creature!” Ana cursed, already lost her composure and her emotions are gone wild. “Let Rosette go!”

She fire her weakened snow bolt but it didn’t do anything at all, she is already exhaust to the point that she is now descending to the ground because her energy power can no longer hold her floating spell.

The behemoth flesh jellyfish Void approaches the enemies while toying with the body of its captured prey, showing how weak and pathetic they are to challenge the Void Giant, once who are being look down by these puny humans are now looking down at them with preying and taunting eyes.