Syl's grip on her spear tightened until her knuckles whitened. Her teeth ground together as the sight unfolded before her eyes. Simultaneously, visions of the previously weak, cornered, and trapped Fox girl flew through her mind.
'Those two…' She bit her tongue, fighting down the strange spike of irritation in her chest. 'Those two are…'
Sigh-
Akane inhaled. The breath burned her lungs, but she forced it deeper, steadier. Instead of feeding the storm inside, she tried to quiet it. Her trembling fingers loosened, her jaw unclenched.
You're stronger than this, aren't you?
'All this time, I've wanted and needed someone to help me. Now, someone needs my help.' She thought. 'Don't force it. Don't block it. Don't keep it in.''
Her heartbeat started slowing down.
Don't think about anything, Akane.
Her eyes slowly closed.
'Just breathe.'
Meanwhile,'Tsk.'
Amon had perfectly circled around the Corrupted Draconic Spawn, leaving the latter uncertain about his position.
'It's not working.' Amon thought as his fist landed on the monster's side.
Ripples were sent through its body. Through its skin.
'No matter where I hit, ripples move through its entire body. It softens every blow with Corrupted Skin Manipulation. It's like the skin is alive with a mind of its own, contorting, twisting, and softening!'
The Spawn screeched, snapping its jaw at him. Amon ducked beneath, driving his claws upward into its ribs.
The skin immediately moved.
'Tsk. When I use my claws, not only does the skin harden but more skin moves to cover the exact area that's in danger. My claws go through the skin, but no deeper than that. I can't truly damage it if I don't reach the muscles beneath!'
Amon's eyes narrowed, noting the loose strands left behind from his last cut. The strands of skin swayed like leaves on a branch. They twitched faintly, then slithered back into place over the monster's body.
'I shouldn't think about this as skin. It's more like a cloak, like something covering it. Now that I think about, the strands moving…' He chuckled internally. 'Remind me of a symbiote moving to cover its prey!'
The creature suddenly opened its jaws, black bile gushing out in an arc. The liquid hissed as it hit the ground, bubbling.
'Shit!' Amon cursed internally, barely able to dodge due to being lost in thought. 'Just what the hell is that?'
[The Black Liquid used by the Corrupted Draconic Spawn is both Corrupted and Corrupting.
[It possesses both Poisonous and Venomous properties. ]
[Contact through skin, ingestion, or bloodstream will cause Corruption.]
'And what is Corruption exactly?'
[Corruption is an Effect brought upon by a mix of Dark Magic, Demonic Magic, Soul Magic, and Death Magic.]
[The Effects of Corruption can vary widely depending on the Corruption's origin, the quantity, the creature afflicted, and the way that creature was afflicted.]
[Corruption is often thought to be the height of Poisons and Venoms.]
[However, Corruption is, at its source and core, Magic.]
Amon's grin widened despite the danger.
'Is it certain death if it touches me?'
[Negative, but even a small amount coming into contact with your skin could bring about terrible effects.]
[The most notable would be excruciating pain.]
'Hm. So that's the plan. The skin shields it, allowing for a battle of attrition that will end once one is splashed. I assume the pain is so bad that I'll be on the ground screaming?'
[Correct.]
[A couple of drops is more than enough to incapacitate most.]
'And once incapacitated, killing the enemy becomes easy.'
Having dodged another attack, Amon wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as his feet drifted on the ground into a crouching position.
'Let's start working on that skin.'
He ducked low, sprinting forward. The Corrupted Draconic Spawn opened its mouth. At the last moment, Amon sidestepped and let his momentum bring him to the monster's side, his fist clenched and pulled back.
He threw a devastating punch… That didn't connect.
The Corrupted Draconic Spawn's skin had softened and ballooned up over the area aimed at. But at the last second, Amon had unclenched his fist, fingers snapping open.
'Let's…'
His claws hooked into the strands of blackened skin, and pulled.
'Steal some!'
The skin immediately hardened, strands holding on to each other with all they got, but it wasn't enough.
With a savage rip, Amon tore part of the corrupted flesh away,
'Hello.' He smiled.
The flesh below the dark skin was finally revealed-
"Move."
The whisper was so soft it barely cut through the fire's crackle, but Amon's ears twitched.
His lips curled upwards, recognizing it right away. He ducked.
Before the Corrupted Draconic Spawn could even react, she was already there.
Akane had closed the distance in an instant, faster than her own mind could process. Her legs, her feet, her lungs… Everything felt like it was on fire!
Amon raised his gaze, and she was there, hanging in the air right above him.
Having quietened her mind and let her body communicate, she could feel her arm. Her left arm.
It was screaming at her. Shouting at her.
It was burning up.
Her left fist clenched tight. She exhaled, bracing herself for impact, and steam poured from her mouth.
Syl's eyes narrowed.
From this position, she was the only one who could notice it.
The burn marks that ran up the Fox girl's left arm were shining.
She inhaled and, as her fist approached the Corrupted Draconic Spawn, as it approached the spot of revealed muscle that had just been stripped,
"YES!" Amon shouted.
Her fist collided with the creature's exposed flesh, and scorching flames burst forth from her fist!
SCREEECH!
A screech unlike all the others that had cut through the night so many times already.
"Haha!" Amon laughed wholeheartedly.
For the first time, a screech filled with pain and agony resonated.