- Shari -

Great, now everyone was distracted with something else while a giant monster is on its way.

We have barely any time to brace ourselves.

"I know everyone is loaded right now, but please direct that at whatever is coming at us!" (Shari)

At least this much they should be able to do.

Jaren and Galos take position in front of Niboku, Elin, and Vela, who directly readies her bow.

Balion meanwhile stays a bit on the right so he can attack freely with his giant sword.

"Liqu, obstruct it!" (Shari)

Knowing that I should contribute in some way as well, I move next to Vela while slipping out of my clothes.

Then I let all of my weapons glide out of my body.

Their range is best used from this position, in the second line where I can calmly aim.

And something tells me that the count wouldn't like to hear that I've risked my life as a vanguard with the looming threat of Liqu's great rampage above all of us.

We stare in the direction Niboku pointed us.

When I start, there is nothing to perceive, which might be due to the aquatic nature of our opponent.

Then there is first a bulge on the water that directly after this cascades upwards with something really huge.

This is a leviath.

It reminds me a bit of the rager yet a version with many more and far longer teeth and the appearance of a fish.

Or maybe a lizard?

The main point is that it's huge, massive, and clearly ferocious.

Vela fires an arrow that hits its target but it recoils to the side without any effect.

"Oh no! Scales!" (Liqu)

"What is with scales?!" (Shari)

A look confirms that this bulky thing with its stupidly oversized, long maw and the giant claws has indeed also green-turquoise scales.

"They are denser, so it takes a bit longer to dissolve through them. It could escape into the water while I'm at it." (Liqu)

"Shit!" (Jaren)

It's already advancing on us.

"Anything you can do about this?" (Shari)

"I have an idea!" (Liqu)

Wonderful! Another one of Liqu's brilliant ideas.

The monster goes into a sprint to attack us.

Liqu in its way is barely recognized in her not extended form and like this ignored while it's rushing straight at us.

Or at least those of us who smell like suitable prey.

Do I still have time to step to the side?

Since I cannot do this I instead decide to take action.

I throw all my blades in its direction so I can at least impede it.

Yet all of them are stopped by those ridiculously durable scales so my attack isn't doing much.

What helps is the wall Jaren and Galos build together against the first claw strike.

In addition, Balion comes with his sword which is maybe the only weapon we have strong enough to scrape through the scales.

They get pushed back a little and I can clearly see the strain on them but ultimately their line holds.

And then there is still Liqu.

I thought she was swiped to the side but like the slime she is, she clings to her target.

To be precise to the right claw of the monster which she has a hold on.

This might be the reason why there was no follow-up attack from the leviath.

She starts to lose shape and spreads to the ground to gain more traction and avoid getting thrown to the side like before.

The fact that it can't move freely is obviously annoying the creature.

"Zsch"

Which turns into rage when the dissolving starts.

As Liqu predicted it doesn't work as instantly as it usually does.

Now the monster focuses its attention on Liqu.

It's pressing to her, opens the maw, and clamps down.

Liqu!!!

It swallowed her!

Her core!

The rest of her mass flows unsustained to the ground, merging with the shallow water.

Is... Is she dead?

Now without her hold, the creature can free its arm without trouble from the slime and turns back at us.

Everyone is perplexed about what just happened here.

Especially I am.

How can this be true?

I thought Liqu is the greatest terror this world has ever seen.

How can she be gone?

Just like this?

"Everyone! Focus! The monster is still after us!" (Jaren)

Right. I have no time for this.

I have to stay clear or it's over.

Predator mode ON!

This is the same mental state I was in when I killed the rager.

It stops unnecessary processing about the situation and makes me concentrate on the target in an almost mechanical way.

I hate this but it helps me to detach myself and make sound decisions.

Let's evaluate the situation.

The right arm of the leviath isn't looking too great, but the damage is mostly superficial so this creature should still be able to use it without greater issues.

My blades didn't work against the scales but maybe I could find a weak spot to strike.

In my experience, eyes always work.

While I'm in fast processing mode I note how everyone could catch oneself and the line reassembles while Vela readies another arrow.

I shout at them:

"Keep that thing off. We're going for the eyes!" (Shari)

No one is complaining so it should work out.

The leviath again strikes but can be blocked by our two shieldbearers who use their whole bodies to do something.

I notice Vela aiming at the left eye.

So I use just one blade to target this one while all my others go for the right.

Let's see if my training worked out.

My daggers are smaller and like this easier to guide than my other weapons.

They rush at my enemy but only my stabbing dagger can pierce the skull as this is its intended function.

This causes a red fountain to spray out of the wound, but the attack was not deadly.

My other blades are more intended for slashing motions.

To make it worse Vela missed as well, while Elin didn't even bother to try that throw.

This means that the creature can still see us and come back at the ones who made it suffer.

Angry strikes push our defenders back but the monster's pain makes them unprecise so that there's no greater damage on our side.

"Guys! Aim for the injured arm! This one has no scales!" (Jaren)

Jaren is right.

The other arm has barely any scales left after Liqu's dissolving so that my comrade's blades should be able to penetrate its skin.

I keep harassing the remaining eye with attacks from afar.

The problem is that my stabbing dagger is still stuck in the eyehole so I have to make do with my remaining three weapons which are all too crude to allow an entering.

Yet I hope that this will at least prevent the leviath from making a controlled attack and breaking through our defense.

The others do a fairly good job.

Elin could throw some knives to the arm but I guess the monster is simply too big for whatever poison Elin applied on them to be affected in a noteworthy way.

The next moment the leviath retreats a little and gets like this out of my range.

But then it rushes back at us, jumps, and lands behind our vanguard.

Just my luck.

It seems my harassment worked a little too well so that I went up on its list and became the monster's top priority.

I can barely dash back in time before it clamps its maw at my position.

After this, follows a claw swipe.

Then another and another while the monster is pressing forward.

The others try to attack from behind but the big tail flings at them.

I have a hard time keeping up with this barrage.

So I stop and decide to do this like a slime would.

I get my core out of the way and prepare myself for the impact so I can start to cling to the arm.

The creature's arm draws back for another strike, then accelerates in my direction, grows slower, and stops right before it reaches me.

What did just happen!?

Was the leviath maybe more severely injured than I thought?

I scan the creature's body and believe that truly quite much of its green blood flows out from the various gashes we could cause.

Wait!

Green blood?

The creature's blood was red!

But what...

Before I can think deeper about this an invisible force seems to drag the leviath's claw back from me.

The strikes from my teammates to its back aren't even recognized.

The green blood flows in increasing amounts out of the body and soon it lowers down to the ground.

Especially disturbing looks the green stream, flowing out of the empty eye socket.

And then the other one splats and does the same.

Seconds later the last movement ceases.

I think it's dead.

There is just one explanation for this.

"L-Liqu?" (Shari)

"Uhh, took rather long to gain enough mass. Would have liked to take a bit more with me but there was no way." (Liqu)

I stare into the maw where now green slime oozes out along with the slowly louder getting tone of Liqu's voice.

She's careful when passing the teeth but eventually slides out.

"Liqu!" (Shari)

"Yes?" (Liqu)

"I, I thought you were dead!" (Shari)

"Nah, the funny thing is, the bigger the mouth of a creature the less it tends to chew its food. Especially not those with sharp teeth. They only swallow. I just had to slip my core inside." (Liqu)

"You planned this?!" (Shari)

"Sure. I told you that I had to use a method where it can't escape." (Liqu)

"YOU IDIOT!!! What if you would have damaged your core? Or something similar! You're always acting so reckless! Stop always doing things like this without even consulting me! You stupid slime!!" (Shari)

She clearly panics at my emotional outbursts and doesn't know how to handle herself.

She comes closer.

Mostly because she's at a loss about what else to do in this situation.

"I, I'm sorry. It went faster that way. I thought this would work best." (Liqu)

"Don't decide what's best by yourself!" (Shari)

With this, I punch her.

Or rather plunge my hand into her chest.

For a moment she's positively surprised.

I don't just see it on her face but also feel it directly through the link.

However, she's only happy until she becomes aware of what I sent her.

"You know what this is? I won't tell you but you caused exactly this! Satisfied?" (Shari)

I quickly draw my hand back before the backlash hits me.

"I, I, I... I'm sor-ry." (Liqu)

"I don't want to see you wailing now. Just think very deeply about what you just experienced and realize what you have to change." (Shari)

I ignore her so that she may think about this herself and draw her own conclusions.

This should be far more effective to influence her than everything I could say.

Now I have to concentrate my attention on the others.

But I believe my words had an impact.

After all, what I showed her was something she has no experience with.

A clear image of my emotions, freshly caused by her actions and directly transmitted to her core.

This should be her greatest fear and the one thing she wants to avoid no matter what.

What I made her feel was...

Loss.