Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 91: The Thousand Serpent's Lashing

Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 91: The Thousand Serpent's Lashing

"Is everyone alright?"

In front of them was a large hexagonal barrier of light.

"Thank you, Celestina. I thought I was going to dissolve." To Oscar's side were his teammates, who were wearing relieved expressions.

When the venom flew everywhere, Oscar tried to figure out how to survive. 'Steel Scales' would melt. Reis would not do anything against poison. His Ein wasn't powerful enough to stop the venom.

However, Celestina rushed over and instantly erected a hexagon wall of light with a six-pointed star in the center. The venom that touched this wall of light rebounded and sent flying back.

'Grade Two Hexagon Mirror'

Celestina originally learned the grade one version of the spell, 'Light Screen'. Once she became an Elite Exalt, she earned enough points to learn the grade two upgrade.

She was relieved to have made a great decision, empowering the spell to blow the venom back. If she had stuck with the grade one version, the venom would have stuck to the shield and corroded it before surging down like a waterfall.

It would have destroyed what remained of their footing and had a good chance of poisoning them.

"It exploded a large amount of venom from all of its orifices. Everything is melting around us." Oscar looked around to see green vapors rising from every part of the ground and walls not covered by Celestina's protection.

"Should I just go all-out?" Celestina asked.

"No. The reason we're in a group is to ease your burden. Not to mention that we need have some strength in reserve in case of emergency." Oscar rejected her idea.

This battle against the Thousand Serpent was tough, but it could be worse if another beast decided to join in. The loud sounds and powerful waves of Ein could attract another beast.

RUMBLE

The Thousand Serpent flailed around, shaking the ground, and rose with its mouth wide open.

"Hey, do you notice that snake looks a little slimmer?" Emily questioned the Thousand Serpent's current strange condition.

Its body was noticeably thinner, about three-quarters of its original size. The snakes that made up its scales were half as thick. Evidently, that venom explosion had emptied its body.

The 'Hexagon Mirror' started to flicker and dissipate.

Oscar observed their surroundings, and his face darkened. Once all the vapors were gone, the entire landscape of their location changed.

The flat, stable ground had been transformed into a deformed, twisted, and uneasy battlefield. It would be challenging to move around as fast and efficiently as before.T/his chapter is updat/ed by nov(ê(l)biin.c/o/m

Any misstep could spell their death.

Oscar entertained the thought of Emily using her 'Rock Barrier' to offset it, but that was too much of an endeavor. Her Ein would be wasted as the Thousand Serpent demolished them all.

'We can't have Celestina go full power. The best play here would be to conserve our Ein. That venom explosion should have used up a good amount of the beast's Ein.' His buckler latched tightly to his arm.

"Hmm?" Oscar and the others watched the Thousand Serpent wriggle around; its snake scales hissed loudly when they suddenly extended out fully. Rather than a serpent, it was like a porcupine with snakes for quills.

The Sapphire Hedgehog growled and hissed at this display. Even though the Thousand Serpent was far above its power, it did not enjoy its imitation. George calmed it down quickly and turned to everyone.

"What the hell is this?"

"All the venom it used is gone, and the snakes extend farther than before. Was all that venom inhibiting its capabilities?" Phillip made what he could of the situation.

Now the snakes all over hissed and stared at the group of intruders with great malice. They swayed around in the air like floating tendrils.

To be beset by all the dead yellow eyes made every hair on Oscar's body stand exactly like a mouse about to be eaten. They suddenly retracted into the Thousand Serpent.

"Dodge!"

A brilliant arc of light sliced through the air and collided on top of the snake tendril. It could not cut off the snake, but it did enough to stop the snake from attacking Oscar. The slash of light broke apart and dissipated.

'Who?' Celestina looked up to catch a glimpse of the spell user.

That spell was not hers, nor anyone else's. Whoever they were, they saved Oscar's life. Her dragon anima was focused on the Thousand Serpent; she couldn't see much through its eyes but the Thousand Serpent.

"Princess!" Phillip's shout roused Celestina's attention to the Thousand Serpent. They were now within range.

Sensing the danger, the Thousand Serpent had to retract the snake that tried to attack Oscar to deter these attackers.

Phillip observed that the snake tentacles were extremely long, but some snakes returned to a scaly state. When some of the snakes were done attacking, they retracted as the other snakes extended out.

Even the Thousand Serpent had its limitations on how it used its snakes. Once some extended out far, others had to retract.

At the moment, the Thousand Serpent had extended most of its available tentacles to block the light beam and lance, leaving a few to guard its defenseless body, one to attack Oscar, and the rest were idle as scales.

Phillip charged ahead, there were many scrapes and cuts from the snakes' bombardment, but he didn't care. This was the life and death battle he craved; he felt incredibly light and smiled. With all his Ein, he unleashed his most powerful 'Third Step'.

The few snake tentacles tried to stop him, but Emily was right ahead and used 'Heavy Impact' with both her staffs to put all her weight on the three. With the last ounce of her power, she created a 'Rock Barrier' that shot Phillip upward.

Her staff broke into pieces. The snakes were tough, and she did all she could as a Middle Apprentice Exalt. She smiled as she fell. Her job was over.

The rest of the snake tendrils were blasted by George's arrows. Then his hedgehog produced another long quill. George shot it out with all of his power.

Thanks to Emily's launching pad, Phillip bolted through the air toward the Thousand Serpent's face. His sword was burning prismatically with the overflowing Ein.

"Take this!"

Phillip threw out his sword anima, infused with all his Ein, toward the Thousand Serpent's eye–a modified version of his 'Third Step' that he came up with just now. Getting close was dangerous, and animas could be remote-controlled.

"GRAAAAHHHHH!" The Thousand Serpent screeched in a painful cry that reverberated through the caverns. The sword anima had stabbed halfway into its eye, releasing pus of yellow liquid.

"Half-way? Even its eyes are tough." Phillip sighed in shame that he could not do better. But he was also out of commission and tumbled to the ground, groaning from the pain of the rocks.

Then came George's blue quill, impaling the other eye. The Thousand Serpent lashed out in pain.

This allowed the dragon anima's light beam to sear some of its scales. The lance that was held back by the tendrils easily went past the disorientated cluster of snakes to the Thousand Serpent.

The Thousand Serpent behaved even crazier. It lost all reasoning and thrashed everywhere.

Phillip somehow got up, picked up the motionless Emily, and desperately tried to dodge the tendrils while keeping her safe. George, at a distance, overdrew his Ein to shoot more arrows to help them escape.

"Well done, everyone. You've all fought well." Celestina's triumphant shout was clear even through the painful cries of the Thousand Serpent and the quaking of the ground.

In her rapier was another 'Radiant Lance'. It shone like a holy light that made Celestina appear like a goddess of victory.

"It's over!" She shouted mightly.

The powerful lance of light shot at the crazed Thousand Serpent, tearing through any of the tendrils it met.

"To lose your cool is to admit defeat." Celestine murmured as she watched the unruly actions of the beast.

SPLAT

The lance impaled the Thousand Serpent through its mouth. A large hole was torn through the back of its head, blowing out its skull and brain.

All the snake scales and tendrils went limp and lifeless, hanging down, as the Thousand Serpent crashed to the ground in a pool of blood.

After a long and hard-fought battle, Oscar's group emerged victorious.