A faint smile spread across Michael’s face. Soone having his back was an always-pleasant feeling.
Wordlessly the two charged.
Claire’s cha, with its graceful presence, seed to give her a divine aura, blurring in the eyes of the watching soldiers into a streak of white. In contrast, Michael’s cha cast an eerie shadow, its dark form leaving behind a haunting black line as both circled the Monarch, resembling heroes locked into a deadly dance against a deity.
Naturally, Devil’s Tongue never stopped moving, blinking in and out of existence, always reappearing in the alien’s blind spot.
With Michael and Claire going all out, they were able to prevent the alien from interfering in Nicole’s fight... Even if just barely.
It was important to note that, unlike the Monarchs encountered so far, this one wasn’t just evolving into a Titan, but it was also at peak strength, not having exhausted any of its energy resources prior to the clash.
The re fact that two Grandmasters were holding their ground against such a monster was an achievent in itself. If the caras aboard the human warship weren’t currently recording their battle, it’s likely no one would have believed it had ever happened.
Even the soldiers who had montarily faltered in their resolve didn’t give in. If soone of their ranks could halt a Monarch, how could they let simple Overlords advance any further? To do so would be beyond disgraceful for them as mbers of the influential factions, as warriors, and as humans!
Regardless of the cost, the line they had created between the aliens and their leader would hold!
"Insects!" The Monarch bellowed in human language, speaking for the first ti.
Enraged by being slowed down, the Monarch changed tactics.
Noticing that Michael’s cha was easier to hit, it focused all its attention on him.
"PERISH!"
Redirecting its strike mid-swing, it landed a devastating blow on Michael.
The tallic shell of his cha couldn’t withstand the force of such a powerful being, and it caved in under the pressure.
In a twisted sense of delight the monster’s tentacles instantly surged inwards.
After all, the Monarch was of the Hreh’tar race. Its tentacles could infect humans upon contact, infesting them with its offspring, and there was no viable cure!
Now, the human’s tallic veil, which had once protected him, had beco his undoing! With the tentacles swiftly closing in, there was no way to prevent an infection!
"!!!"
However, a mont later, the alien realized Michael wasn’t in the cha anymore.
Anticipating the mont he would be overpowered, Michael had made a tily exit from the suit. Calling Devil’s Tongue back to him, he planted his feet firmly on the blade as he soared through the outer cosmos in flight.
"Got you!"
Though his movents were slowed down due to the lack of oxygen, Michael proved more nimble when not confined by tallic armor.
Before the Monarch could react, he closed the distance. His fist struck with all his might, landing just below the creature’s abdon, where the slit and its tentacles had opened.
BOOM!
A shockwave echoed through the vacuum. Taken by surprise, the Monarch was pushed back by the force.
Though the strike itself hadn’t delivered enough power to cause devastating damage, the re fact that a Grandmaster had forced a Monarch to retreat was mind-boggling.
ROOOOAR!
Focusing on him, the tentacles surged, eager to pierce his physique. After all, even a single scratch would be enough to infect him, sealing his doom.
Dodging had beco easier, but the price for any misstep was certain death.
Capitalizing on the opening Michael had provided, Claire closed in from behind. Her searing hot lance impaled itself against the Monarch’s spine, causing it to bleed.
Sadly, a monster of such caliber wasn’t fazed by such a shallow wound. Claire had no choice but to retreat, finding herself next to Michael.
For a mont, concern gripped her heart. She knew that a single scratch was all it would take for Michael to beco nourishnt for the monster’s offspring. But with no other choice, all she could do was place her faith in him and keep fighting.
Just as they were about to charge, everyone froze, a sudden, ominous presence vanishing from their senses.
Nicole had killed the original Monarch... Undoubtedly, she was now rushing to confront the second threat.
Descending into a frenzy, with its ambush failed, the fallen angel recoiled. Its wings spread further from its body, extending its wingspan.
"All because of you!"
The creature roared. From the looks of it, the Monarch was preparing to launch an attack on the alien ship where Nicole was currently stationed. Since the surprise attack had failed, it might as well take advantage of the fact that she was trapped inside the ship’s tallic veil and blow her to bits.
If she sohow survived the blast, at least she would be weakened enough for the Monarch to defeat and consu.
However, Michael had other plans.
"Not on my watch!"
Accelerating with full force, Michael appeared right before the Monarch. The edge of Devil’s Tongue blurred, carving a wound across the creature’s grueso torso.
Caught off guard by the sudden retaliation, the fallen angel’s charge was interrupted.
It had lost its last chance. All because of two puny humans...
Pure hatred blazed in the Monarch’s eyes. Clasping its arms together, it raised them high before bringing them down like a guillotine of death.
Normally, in such cases, Michael would have used Blink to teleport out of harm’s way. But, with the technique still on cooldown and with his depleted reserves of spiritual energy, he was unable to utilize Psychokinesis, leaving him as a stationary target.
Fully prepared to face the attack, he raised Devil’s Tongue. The strike might leave him half-dead, but it wouldn’t be the first ti he found himself in such a situation. He would live... hopefully.
However, monts before the strike connected, Claire’s cha blocked his vision, appearing right between him and the attack. Her cockpit was wide open, with arms desperately extended toward him.
In a flash, she grasped his figure, pulling him into the protective veil of her cha, locking the hatch after them.
A heartbeat later, the Monarch’s strike collided with a devastating impact.
The force was so imnse that it hurled both Claire and Michael away from the center of the battlefield, sending them spiraling into the cold expanse of the outer cosmos, far from any form of life...
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