Chapter 25 - Arthur's struggle, Erza's arrival, Demon's Maw

"Whahahaha! Now child! Entertain me as my prey! My MEAL!" the demon roared and lunged at me.

I have less that twenty percent of my magic power left now…

This isn't looking good at all…

Not one bit…

The demon had its sword pointed towards me, trying to skewer me no doubt!

"Tsk, {Teleport}!" I had to make some kind of distance between us, so I teleported to at the gate's entrance.

Or at least what was left of it.

"Run, evade and escape as you might… But you will still end up as nothing more but my feast! Wahahahaha!" The demon laughed and flew towards me, breaking the sound barrier in the process!

"Damn it, why is it so fast!? {Barrier}!" I made a barrier in front of me in an effort to stop the demon's charge.

"What?!" I yelled out in shock!

He can cut magic?!

"You're mine now child! Wahahahahah!" it said and out of the sword a black mass appeared!

It was the same mouth from before! Razor sharp teeth and all!

The sword's maw then stretched and lunged at me from the side! Unable to react it time I could only move slightly to the right in an effort to dodge…

*CRUNCH*

It took a bite off the left side of my body! My entire hand, half of my wing and part of my stomach were gone…

"AAaaAAHHGGGHHH! {Pain Nullification}!" The pain was too much to bear in the middle this high speed battle so I decided to remove it from my nervous system entirely.

I was expecting another attack to follow but…

"This… is Marvelous! THE MOST EXQUISITE OF GOURMET FOODS! SUCH DELICASY SUCH A HEAVENLY RICH FLESH! JUST WHAT ARE YOU CHILDREN?!" It roared in ecstasy! Giving me a chance to make my move…

Now after using {Burn} on my wounds to stop the bleeding I rushed in beside the sword's demonic mass of a mouth appearing in front of the demon's humanoid like body.

Stretching my remaining right hand in its face I open my mouth to speak once more.

"{Ether Zone: Cruel Sun}!" Creating one giant cruel sun at point blank range I sent the demon flying together with it!

The ball of inferno flies a good distance reaching the position of the asylum, or at least what was left of it…

After the Cruel Sun reached the asylum it exploded in a blazing hot inferno! Creating a torrent of fire that swept everything in its way!

That should do at least some damage to it…

Right?

…

Crap…

"UUUUUUWWWOOOOOOAAAAA!!!" The demon roared as the sword's maw ate everything in the vicinity…

Be it fire, bricks or stone nothing could escape that gluttonous beast!

"Hahahahahaha! You surprise me child! To think you'd be able to counter attack even after losing a chunk of your own Delicious flesh! Admirable indeed! May I have the name of the delicacy that I indulge in?" The demon asked by placing a palm on his ċhėst and bowing slightly.

Did he change his personality mid-sentence?

No I must be imagining it…

"Don't you think it's rude to ask for someone's name before introducing yourself?" I asked with a smirk, bidding time so I can gather more Ethernano…

"Would you introduce yourself to a piece of steak?" The demon replied smugly.

"Good point… But then why would you ask for its name…" I replied

My name is Gifernes! A pŀėȧsurė to eat your acquaintance." He said with a nobleman like deep bow.

"… Arthur. That is my name." Taken aback I just introduced myself.

He's… totally changing personas isn't he?

Oh well… I'm just about done!

"Well then Arthur… Bon appetite~!" Gifernes said and dashed towards me with the sword outstretched behind him. Ready to take a swing.

"{Ether Zone: Thunder Javelin}!" After gathering enough Ethernano from the vicinity I used it to create nearly fifty spear-like thunder bolts!

Gifernes was about eight meters away from me. And he was surrounded from all sides by the javelins!

"Uh, oh…" he muttered as all of the javelins rushed into his body!

Each one exploding in a wave of electricity!

That however didn't do much damage, instead he accelerated towards me!

"Darn! {Teleport}" I say and appear a mile away in the sky above us!

"You're not escaping me Arthur my precious dessert~!" He yelled and flew towards me with his bat like wings.

"I'm not trying to! {Ether Zone: Iceberg}!" Yelling out the words I created a giant iceberg that was bigger than Deliora himself!

If you can cut and eat magic… Then how about actual matter itself?!

Is it anywhere near the same level of efficiency?!

Let's test that out shall we?

The iceberg being of pure matter and with its size… He shouldn't be able to eat or cut the whole thing!

"Interesting! If only you had added some cream it'd be perfect wahahaha!" Gifernes laughed and flew straight towards the iceberg!

Before I can even finish my sentence a hole appears in the middle of the iceberg!

A BIG hole!

Gifernes had used the black mass' jaws to eat through the iceberg!

But that thing became even bigger than it was before! It could probably bite Deliora himself in half!!!

Crap…

"MEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAATTTTTT!!!" Gifernes roared and had the maw extend towards me!

"{Telep-" Before I could finish the jaws reached me and closed shut on my right leg!

"ort}!" Finishing the word I escape without my leg back to the ground…

Thanks to pain nullification I didn't even feel it!

But even so now that I'm looking myself over…

I'm in really bad shape right now…

If I healed myself I would immediately run out of Magic power, and after all of that from just now I have maybe four or three percent left…

Without magic I would just be a sitting duck!

Even if I wanted to escape the barrier around this place prevents me from teleporting out…

"WHAHAHHAAHA! Yes! More! I want more of your delicious treats Arthur!" Gifernes roared and crashed into the ground a few dozen meters from me.

Walking out of the rubble he looked at me with greed in his eyes.

"Damn this guy is just so persistent… We just met damn it! Give me some personal space! {Steel Foot}!" I replied and created a metal prosthetic leg for myself.

"Hahaha! You're a funny piece of meat Arthur!" The skull faced Gifernes said and walked slowly towards me.

Ya know I really wanted to try nuking him…

But I really don't have the magic power to do a second one of those…

Even sustaining Ether Zone is becoming difficult…

It isn't a technique I've mastered after all… the strain of using it is beginning to show now!

Now stumbling on my own feet I stare at what seems like my own impending doom…

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(Erza POV)

I need to go get Arthur!

I can't leave him by himself!

I don't care if I'm not strong enough!

"Miss Erza! Pleaseee…! Stop running and come back here!" Rowl yelled from behind me as he was trying to catch me.

"I can't!" saying with determination I rush ahead towards what used to be a small town surrounded by walls.

Along the way I hear explosions and fire bursts everywhere from that general direction.

Finally a giant meteor made of ice fell from the sky!

But suddenly most of the middle part of it disappeared and the rest crumbled to the ground…

I walked into the crater made from the numerous explosions and ran towards the two human like silhouettes in the distance!

After I was about thirty meters away from them I could see Arthur's back as he was facing what seemed to be that monster in a humanoid form…

It was holding the sword after all.

But…

Arthur is so injured!

W-what happened!?

He's missing entire parts of his body! How did this happen?!

"Arthur!!!" I yelled out and ran in front of him!

"Erza?! Why did you come here?! Damn it… Run away now!" he got angry at me and yelled

He's in such bad shape… I can't!

"No! It's you who needs to escape! Look at yourself, you're a mess!" I replied to his ridiculous suggestion.

Run away? I can't run away!

I have to protect him

I have to protect Arthur!

"Ohhhh! Another child! Are you perhaps a delicacy yourself?" The creature spoke with a very mellow tone, unfitting of its appearance.

"Delicacy?! How dare you… What do you think human lives are?!" Despite my fear from before, I had to stand my ground now!

"Desserts?" The demon replied with what seemed like a puzzled expression.

"Why you…" I took a stance with my swords and prepared myself to attack it.

Now rushing towards it I-

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(Arthur POV)

W-what just…

Happened?

Er..za was…

H-here in th..at spot over th-there...

But now…

She's gone…?

"… Eh…?"

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