While one of the Zebdas stuck with the Thorn Guard, the other one made its way towards me.

The Zebda looked uglier, the closer it got, almost like it was suffering from the Uncanny Valley effect. Its eyes and claws were a little too big in proportion with its body. Plus, there was a strange lump on its underside that real crabs didn’t have.

I focused on my fists, felt the thorns growing. They began peeking through the knuckles of my flesh.

I still didn’t understand how my lightning eyes worked. Hoped the lightning would come, if needed.

Zebda took the first move, swiping its claw at me. I ducked, feeling the way the wind moved as the claw just narrowly missed my head.

Before the Zebda had a chance to strike again, my sword struck the other claw.

29/30 HP

The green letters floated over the Zebda’s head.

It raised its claw up in the air, bringing it down to get me. I jumped forward just in time, landing below the Zebda’s underbelly.

It was in that moment that I understood why it’s underbelly looked so weird.

The underbelly’s skin opened up. A small jaw squirmed out, looking like the head of the creature from Alien.

It came at me, and I didn’t have time to react.

Teeth wrapped around my torso. My armor protected me from the worst of it, but the pressure still hurt like hell.

“Fuck,” I spat.

My sword went into the Zebda’s underside, again and again. Purple blood spat out of its underside, and I kept stabbing.

Some of it got in my eyes. Burned. Made things harder to see.

Couldn’t see how much damage was being done. The Zebda’s HP would be floating above its head. Down here it was like being blind.

The jaw tightened around me. I thorn punched it, again and again.

Felt bits of the thing’s flesh stick to my fist.

A high-pitched squeaking sound -- screaming.

Punch. Another. And another.

I was sticky and it smelled like hell. Fighting for my life.

The jaw loosened its grip, just slightly.

I took the opportunity.

Slammed my fist into the thing’s head, digging the thorns as deep as possible.

The jaw loosened even more.

Dropped my sword for a second

Wrapped the sword hand around the base of the jaw -- the part connecting it with the Zebda’s body.

Picked up the sword again and began sawing at the connection.

More screaming.

More blood.

The whole world turned purple.

Hard to breathe down there.

Hard to do anything.

Anything but fight.

Anything but live.

The jaw loosened more and more. Soon there was no pressure at all. When the jaw finally let go, I took in a deep breath of shitty, bloody air.

Felt myself choking.

The Zebda collapsed onto me.

Even though it signalled the end of the fight, it hurt like hell. Yet another blow I didn’t need.

For several seconds, the Zebda and I lay there.

The weight disappeared slowly. I was conscious of the fact that it wasn’t being lifted off of me -- it was literally disappearing, as the corpse disappeared from the universe.

Within seconds, the Zebda’s corpse was gone.

---

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