20 seconds.
That's all the time Nero had before his Metalloid Transformation would drain him completely dry.
20 fucking seconds to turn this clusterfuck of a battle into something resembling victory instead of a group suicide.
*CRACK! POP!*
His enhanced muscles rippled under the grey scales as he charged forward, fist connecting with the nearest direwolf's skull.
*CRUNCH!*
The impact sent the creature flying backward like it had been hit by a freight train made of pure anger and desperation.
"Holy shit!"
One of the survivors behind cover was gaping at the display of raw power.
Superhuman strength was one hell of a drug when you needed to clear a path through monster-infested hell.
*ROAR! SNARL! GROWL!*
But the other creatures weren't impressed by his show of force.
If anything, they were pissed off and converging on him like he'd just insulted their mothers.
Perfect.
"Come on, you ugly bastards!"
Nero's voice carried across the battlefield as he deliberately made himself the biggest, loudest target possible.
Every monster in the area was now focused on the transformed human who had just turned one of their packs into airborne roadkill.
The bear-bulldozer thing was charging straight at him, eyes glowing with territorial rage.
Three more direwolves were flanking from different angles.
And overhead, the giant blood bats were diving like feathered missiles of death.
But Nero wasn't trying to fight them all.
He was trying to buy time for the real plan.
*THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!*
His enhanced legs carried him in a wide circle around the battlefield, keeping just ahead of the monster pack while staying close enough to maintain their attention.
18 seconds left.
Time to establish the link.
Nero reached out mentally, feeling for the familiar presence of his divine companion.
The summoner-summon connection that let them coordinate without words.
'Aurelia.'
'... Lord Nero, what are you planning?'
Her mental voice was weak, divine energy still being drained by the expanding death field.
Instead of explaining, Nero projected his entire strategy directly into her mind.
The desperate plan that had crystallized in his brain during the chaos.
Something so insane, so dangerous, so completely fucking suicidal that it might actually work.
'... What?!'
For the first time since he'd known her, Aurelia's stoic expression completely shattered.
Pure shock replaced her usual calm composure, silver eyes wide with disbelief.
'Lord Nero, that's... that's completely mad!'
'Sometimes mad is all we got!'
Nero's grin was pure dangerous confidence mixed with the kind of reckless abandon that came from having no other options.
Even through the mental link, he could feel Aurelia's worry and hesitation.
But after a moment of internal struggle, she nodded with grim determination.
'...We have no choice.'
*CRASH!*
The bear-bulldozer nearly caught him as he dodged behind a fallen tree.
16 seconds.
"JUNO!"
Nero's shout carried over the chaos as he continued his deadly game of keep-away.
"I need trajectory calculations! Perfect angle to the Tyrant's mouth with minimal monster interference!"
"What are you planning?... Wait! It can't be! You…"
Juno's voice suddenly went tight with realization.
As a smart and cultured man he knew what kind of madness this guy was about to do.
"Just trust me and do the math!"
"... Affirmative, I'm calculating!"
There was a pause filled only with the sounds of monsters trying to murder Nero in increasingly creative ways.
"Northeast approach, 40-degree angle! You'll have a 2.3-second window when the creatures' positions align!"
"Good enough!"
14 seconds.
"HAORI!"
The gentle plant mage was still coordinating vine attacks from her position, but Nero's shout made her turn toward him.
"I need the world's best human catapult!"
"... Eh?"
There was a moment of silence that somehow carried over the battlefield chaos.
"...That sounds extremely dangerous."
"EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!"
*SCREECH!*
A blood bat dove at him, claws extended for his head.
Nero ducked, letting the creature slam into a pursuing direwolf instead.
"Can you do it or not?!"
"...I suppose large vines could theoretically create sufficient tension for projectile launch..."
"ENGLISH!"
"Yes, I can make a slingshot!"
12 seconds.
"EVERYONE ELSE!"
Nero was starting to breathe hard, the combination of transformation drain and constant movement taking its toll.
"I need you to get that plant bastard's attention! Restrain it for exactly two seconds when I give the signal!"
"How the hell are we supposed to restrain an SR-tier anomaly?!"
Mina's voice carried the kind of incredulity that came from being asked to do impossible things on short notice.
"I don't care if you have to sing it a fucking lullaby! Just keep it busy and hold it still!"
*BOOM!*
Genya's chains wrapped around two direwolves at once, the metallic links glowing with binding energy.
"This plan is insane!"
"Got a better idea?!"
Silence except for monster roars and the sound of Nero's boots hitting the ground as he continued his desperate sprint.
10 seconds.
"Didn't think so! Everyone get ready!"
*WOOOMMM...*
The death field continued expanding, and Nero could see it getting closer to his family's position.
If this didn't work, they'd all be drained to death within minutes.
But if it did work...
Well, they'd probably still die, but at least they'd go out swinging.
"Haori! Slingshot position!"
"Already working!"
Massive vines were erupting from the ground behind him, interweaving into a construction that looked like it had been designed by engineers with severe anger management issues.
The plant matter twisted and coiled, creating tension that made the air around it hum with stored energy.
"Lord Nero..."
Aurelia's mental voice was filled with worry and something that might have been affection.
"If this doesn't work…"
"Nah, we'll win, angel."
His response was matter-of-fact, carrying none of the fear he was actually feeling.
In fact, he almost feels confident if anything, considering the faint grin of madness on his lips.
But that was only for a moment before he stated,
"... But if it doesn't work, we'll have the most romantic death even surpassing Titanic, don't you think so?''
"..."
Aurelia was speechless.
8 seconds.
*ROAAARRRRR!!!*
The Verdant Tyrant's massive flower head turned toward their position, as if sensing that something was about to happen.
Its triple maws opened wide, revealing the void-like interior that was still chanting in that language made of screams.
The absorbed human faces were mouthing along with the words, their eyes wide with terror and pain.
"NOW! DISTRACT THAT THING!"
*BOOM! CRASH! SLICE! BANG!*
Everyone attacked at once.
Yuki's rainbow explosions lit up the air around the creature's head.
Ren launched ice spears that shattered against its hide but created flashes of frozen light.
Genya's chains wrapped around its base, trying to anchor it in place.
Mina dashed in close, her enhanced speed letting her deliver rapid strikes to its lower trunk.
Haori's restraining vines erupted from the ground, wrapping around the creature's limbs like massive green rope.
The other frontline survivors also lashed out their own attacks.
"Two seconds!"
*WUUUMMM!!!*
The Verdant Tyrant struggled against the coordinated assault, its attention completely focused on the multiple threats attacking from different angles.
Its massive flower head thrashed back and forth, trying to target all the attackers at once.
Nero's legs exploded with a single power leap towards Haori's vine slingshot.
The plant construction was vibrating with stored tension, ready to catapult whatever got loaded into it.
"LAUNCH ME!"
The restraints held could hold…
But only for exactly two seconds.
Haori's gentle voice carried over the chaos as Nero dove into the slingshot cradle.
"Ara ara... launching in three..."
*SNAP!*
"Two..."
The vines and sealing chains creaked with the sound of wood under extreme stress.
"One..."
Nero could see the Verdant Tyrant's massive maw directly ahead, its void-like interior still chanting death.
"FIRE!"
*WHOOOOSH!!!*
The world became a blur of motion and wind as Nero was launched through the air like a human cannonball.
5 seconds.
The ground fell away beneath him as he flew in a perfect arc toward the creature's gaping mouth.
4 seconds.
The Verdant Tyrant's multiple eyes focused on the incoming projectile, its flower head starting to track his movement.
3 seconds.
Those massive jaws began closing, preparing to snap him out of the air like a flying snack.
2 seconds.
*WHOOSH!*
A streak of silver light intercepted his flight path as Aurelia, using the last of her divine energy, rushed toward his flying figure.
Her wings spread wide as she wrapped her arms around him in a protective embrace.
"Star Barrier."
1 second.
*WUUUMMM!!!*
A glimmering silver spherical barrier enveloped around them both just as the Verdant Tyrant's massive jaws snapped shut.
But instead of crushing them, the attack was nullified by Aurelia's active skill.
0 second.
They plunged directly into the creature's massive maw, past the void-like chanting space, straight into the organic interior that pulsed with corrupted life.
*CRACK!*
Nero's Metalloid Transformation finally gave out, grey scales dissolving as his enhanced strength abandoned him.
But they were already inside.
*SLICE! SLASH!*
Both of them drew their weapons simultaneously.
Nero's Dawnbreaker and Aurelia's divine broadsword began carving through the creature's internal structure.
But the moment they started attacking from within, the death drain hit them full force.
*WUUUMMM...*
Being inside the source of the effect was like sticking your finger directly into an electrical socket made of pure life absorption.
Nero's energy was being pulled away so fast he could feel his vision starting to blur.
Aurelia's divine power, already weakened, was being drained at an alarming rate.
"Holy... fucking... hell..."
Speaking was becoming difficult as his life force was being sucked away.
But they were inside.
Right where they needed to be.
"The plan..."
Aurelia's voice was strained but determined, her beautiful golden eyes meeting his even as pain wracked both their bodies.
They exchanged a single nod of understanding.
Despite the agony of having their life energy drained, and despite being inside a creature that was literally killing them from the inside out.
*SHING!*
They began to wreak absolute havoc on the Verdant Tyrant's internal organs.
***
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