NOVEL WEB Chapter 278
Chapter 278. The Inter-Species Dance Party
BAM! The giant manticore’s front leg smashed down on Yavka.
—Or so it appeared.
However, the claws passed right through the misty form of Yavka. Physical attacks hardly affect vampires unless it’s a blow from a Sword Saint or a Fist Saint.
“Gau?”
The manticore tilted its head in confusion as it only ended up striking the ground.
At that moment, Yavka, who had materialized out of the mists, plunged a rapier into the manticore’s chest.
“【Blood Bloom】”
A thudding sound echoed from within, like a drum.
The manticore coughed up blood profusely. Yavka detonated the blood blade inside, shredding the lung tissue.
If it had been a human, they would have been instantly killed by having their lungs completely crushed, but due to the manticore’s massive size, only part of its lung was destroyed.
“Gah… Gwahhh!”
Nevertheless, it was still a critical hit, and in agony, it flailed its claws. Yavka stopped her pursuit, retreating to a distance while dodging the attacks in a misty form.
While she could just keep swirling around in mist, if she got scattered just before taking human form, there would be a risk of materializing in pieces, making timing crucial.
“You’re quite lively, you know; I’ve taken out half of your right lung!”
“Impressive. I want to take its head, but it’s surprisingly tough.”
Baron Arv fluttered like a leaf in the air, swinging a blood sword down onto the manticore’s neck. However, it was intercepted by the thick layer of muscle, preventing a clean cut.
The manticore groaned in pain and tried to lash at Baron Arv with its whip-like snake tail, but this too was dodged in mist form.
“Hmm, rather than aiming for a one-hit kill, it might be quicker to bleed it to death…”
While nimbly evading the manticore’s attacks, Baron Arv began to swing the blood sword in rapid succession. It wasn’t long before the blade’s blood edge stacked three layers deep, carving ugly scratches into the manticore’s body.
“Ha! If I break its spine, it’ll be gasping for breath!”
At that moment, Baron Mavil, bouncing like a ball, dove from above to attack.
“Hohh!!”
With a bizarre cry, his whole body contracted, and as he unleashed a spray of bloody steam, he hammered both hands onto the manticore’s back like a hammer.
It sounded like a huge boulder crashing to the ground. The eerie sounds of cracking bones echoed from within the manticore, as if a landslide had occurred.
“Gaaahhh!!”
Yet, the manticore stubbornly raised its muscles in retaliation and charged back in a furious rage. It managed to catch Baron Mavil, who was attempting to roll away, with a kick from its hind legs.
“Ugh!”
Baron Mavil, who had been just like a ball, was sent flying, causing houses to collapse.
“Oh no! This is a blunder… my feisty little lady!”
However, emerging through the clouds of dust, he dusted off his noble clothes, which were now covered in dirt. Even though his left arm was bent and there was a wooden shard embedded in his side, he nonchalantly straightened his arm back into place, pulling out the splinter as his wound closed up.
Truly— a monster.
“……”
The guards were dumbfounded by the sudden kaiju showdown before them.
“Oh my, that one was a female?”
“There’s nothing there, so it can’t be!”
“……”
Yavka grimaced at Baron Mavil’s succinct answer.
“—Hey, you liquor spirit!”
At that moment, Tafuman snapped back to reality.
“What do you mean, liquor spirit? I’m a bit busy right now!”
Yavka shouted irritably while dodging the manticore’s claws.
“Just tell me one thing! Are you an enemy or an ally?!”
To that question,
Yavka let out a chuckle.
“—At the very least, I have no hostility towards you!”
Tafuman pursed his lips and adjusted his helmet.
“Men, get ready!”
Holding up his shield.
“We’ll draw the attention of that big beast!”
Huh? The surrounding comrades stared at Tafuman.
“Why are we going out of our way to—”
One of the guards muttered. For some unknown reason, the vampires were fighting on their own. Couldn’t they just leave it to them?
“If we just let this go without us doing anything, the existence of the guard will be called into question…!”
Tafuman’s strained words silenced his comrades.
“And! We need to finish this quickly, treat the injured, and search for survivors! We’ll draw its attention, and they’ll deliver the final blow! It’s the quickest route!”
“But hey, Tafuman! What if they betray us…?”
One guard asked hesitantly, whispering. It was fine to cooperate with vampires right now, but if they turned on them afterward—
“You don’t need to worry about that. Didn’t they say, ‘I have no hostility towards you?’ If they intended to oppose us, they could’ve just stabbed us in the back while we’re fighting that big beast, but they didn’t!”
If that’s the case, then the words of the liquor spirit were true.
They might not be allies yet, but they were definitely not enemies!!
“Prepare yourselves! If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility!!”
With Tafuman shining with silver brilliance, the guard squad braced themselves and assumed formation.
“Dobel! You guys keep throwing from the back! Just distract that big beast even a little!”
“Understood!”
Gathering rubble and wooden debris, the beastman soldiers assembled in the rear.
“Mycin! Save a little for your healing miracles, and give it everything you’ve got after that!”
“Got it! 【Blessing!】”
Mycin cast a stronger holy attribute enhancement magic.
“Liquor spirit! Did you hear?! We’ll draw the fire; take your shot in the meantime!”
“I don’t take orders from you!”
Yavka turned her nose up and replied.
“Huh?!”
“—But if the opportunity arises, I’ll strike. After all, it’s better if it gets settled quickly.”
As if to prove her point, Yavka began floating in mist, distancing herself from Tafuman and the others while getting ready to strike at the manticore.
Baron Arv and Baron Mavil followed suit. Three clumps of black mist circled the manticore like satellites—
“Grrr…”
As the figures of the vampires vanished, the manticore, as if remembering something, turned to face the lines of soldiers before it.
With shields lined up tightly, the clustered soldiers, shining in the dark night, appeared as one living entity—looming like a giant beast towards the manticore.
“GOOOGAAAHHH!!!”
The manticore, heavily wounded by the vampires, lunged hungrily at the shield line.
“【Oh gods of light, protect us!】”
Tafuman shouted loudly. The brightly shining wall of shields met the manticore head-on. Silver sparks flew as the soldiers let out powerful battle cries.
“Fire!”
“【Light!】”
The beastman soldiers, with their might, hurled stones and sharpened wood towards the manticore while Mycin launched radiant arrows. As they swarmed towards the manticore’s face, one arrow pierced its eye.
Gah! The manticore flinched in shock.
The vampires did not miss that decisive moment.
Behind the manticore, Baron Arv re-materialized, his long blood sword glinting. The sound of the blade sliced through the air with a chilling tone as it severed the tendons in its hind legs.
With a thud, the manticore’s strength gave way, and it faltered.
“Hah-hah—!!”
Next, Baron Mavil, emitting bizarre cries, closed in low to the ground. He stomped with such force that cracks spread through the earth, using all the muscles in his body like a spring to launch a kick under the manticore’s jaw.
“Gah—”
The rumbling sound shook the ground, making the manticore’s brain rattle from the powerful impact, exposing its chest in a moment of vulnerability, looking up as if confessing to the moon, the goddess of the night.
A reaper, adorned in a flowing golden gown, descended.
With her red rapier, she smoothly slid it into the space between the ribs in its left chest.
“【Blood Bloom】”
A sound echoed, resonating with the very last heartbeat of the magical beast.
As the rapier was pulled from the wound, a burst of red spilled out, painting the darkness of the night.
The manticore, tilting dangerously, fell backward.
Its muscular body lost all strength.
With a weak hiss—
Life would never be restored again.