Chapter 47 The Ultimate Price

Chapter 47 The Ultimate Price

The lethal dance continued, Northern's clone and feral Night Terror working in seamless tandem against their opponent.

Between sword slashes augmenting claw swipes at crucial moments, the disadvantaged lizard began to slow. Gaping wounds liberally leaked dark ichor while massive chest heaves competed for oxygen to fuel flagging muscles.

Yet ferocious temper still burned in its eyes.

The towering enemy knew that to surrender meant obliteration.

Its kind were made to fight until the last spark guttered out. No gentle slide into darkness—only the ecstasy of combat until jaws closed upon the dying breath at last.

The lizard rushed, heedless and without restraint, accepting its own gruesome end if it meant bringing even one of its adversaries alongside.

Enraged death throes shook the blood-slicked ground.

Mighty thews strained desperately as it grappled with Night Terror once more.

Scything talons and snapping teeth sought viscera behind muscle and fur even as the seemingly inexhaustible clone renewed its assaults from behind.

It was a different feel, it was vivid, if before everything got seared into his muscles after the clone returned. Now it was being etched into his soul as he paid attention through their link.

Northern's heart gripped with excitement, he himself longed to fly into battle, it was like there were new moves he'd love to try.

Night Terror's monstrous approach had its crude beauty in the way the dark monster overpowered its enemy with sheer power.

But when faced with a foe that outdid it in raw strength, Northern had thought that the terror would at least be wise enough to abandon that reckless battle style and go for something that spoke skill, and would manuever through the opponent's vulnerabilities as a large creature.

But Night Terror proved worthy to its battle style. Northern didn't even know if the monster knew it had a battle style, after all this was just his own conclusion as he watched them attack each other with a ferocious intent to shed blood.

The Night Terror still used its domineering power of claws and size.

It was very miss-able but since Northern was paying attention from two perspectives —even though he missed it through his own eyes. He realized it with the link between him and his clone.

Night Terror even though it was stubbornly committed to its battle style still handled the battle with an exemplary display of skill.

One that does not befit a monster, even Northern couldn't help but be envious of the monster's thoughtfulness. It was not a technique that just befell someone—this had to be from centuries of one's core being forged through endless battles.

Instead of a brute thoughtless attack at the hulking lizard, Night Terror made use of its sheer attack force on only one point, to crack its tough stone skin while Northern's clone made an all rounder attack.

Hideous jaws closed around the vulnerable juncture between head and neck, fangs puncturing easily through gluey meat and gristle.

The prone creature thrashed weakly, limbs twitching in death throes.

But escape was impossible pinned beneath the four-eyed monster's bulk as it adjusted its savage bite, worrying and tearing like a hellhound with a rodent.

Finally opting for a killing stroke, Night Terror braced huge clawed feet and wrenched its entire body in a sharp twisting motion. A ghastly wet crack rang out as the lizard's spine shattered at the neck—followed instantly by the rending squelch of muscle and sinew separating.

With a contemptuous jerk of its massive head, the general flung aside the mutilated piece of its former opponent.

Tongue lapping out to gather viscous gore clinging to its muzzle, Night Terror straightened and unleashed an ear-

splitting victory bellow skyward.

Nearby the indistinct shadow clone waited silently, onyx blade now stained a deeper hungry black having fed well this day.

Northern gazed out through its eyes, teeth unconsciously bared, he was so focused on the boorish sight that he had forgotten to steal the last kill.

The butchery continued all around despite the lizard general's defeat. Surrounded by ever-rising mountains of corpses Northern's dark gaze crept slowly across the battlefield.

In the distance, clone and Night Terror's stood apart from each other in grave silence.

Northern briefly met the unflinching crimson stares of that relentless monster commander through the link with his clone.

It was still unsatisfied, hungry for more violence. The malevolent thirst personified in those feral orbs seemed endless.

It wasn't just in the eyes of the terror, he noticed it in the eyes of every monster both from the kingdom of Red Mine and the unknown opposition.

Suddenly, it struck him to be dreadful, weird, it felt like no matter how many slaves were taken, how many were killed, how many wars were won... this war would never end.

No side would ever truly emerge victorious.

Not without paying the ultimate price.

The Night Terror cast his clone one last gaze, in its burning eyes there seems to be a note of approval. It turned away, springing into the rest of the battle to lay waste to the enemy.

Northern sighed from where he was... dismissing the clone. What happened next, even he did not anticipate it.