The impact was brutal.
The goat connected with all its strength, driving Harold toward the densest shadow zone. . For an instant, his perfect balance shattered.
"NOW!" Luna shouted while her wolf erged from the shadows, its fangs finding purchase on Harold's leg, holding him in position for one crucial fraction of a second.
The Firefly's ray, charged to maximum power and amplified by dozens of reflections in the crystal barriers, struck Harold directly. The light energy blazed with extra blinding intensity as it impacted Harold's shadow-shrouded form, creating a reaction that not even his chitinous armor could fully resist.
A crack echoed through the chamber as the carapace finally broke, revealing the vulnerable flesh beneath.
Harold roared, the first sound of intense pain he hadn't been able to contain, the first he'd emitted since the battle began. The sound reverberated off the ancient walls, primal and filled with fury.
"We did it!" the Firefly guard exclaid, though her beast panted from the effort of expelling such power.
But Luna didn't celebrate. She knew a wounded enemy was even more dangerous.
The broken carapace and pain unleashed sothing in Harold...
Unbridled rage.
His muscles expanded while forcing his transformation beyond safe limits, his form becoming even more monstrous. Flesh and chitin rged and twisted, creating an aberration that barely resembled anything natural.
He launched himself at the Giant Goat with brutal speed.
Luna's wolf, still biting the leg, erged from the shadows as it was yanked by the massive increase in strength, its fangs sinking deeper from the effort, but Harold endured the pain through gritted teeth and raised his leg. With a savage strike, he sent the wolf flying against the crystal wall.
A powerful leap made him break through a new crystal barrier and reach the goat.
The Goat tried to retreat, but it was too late. Harold's venomous jaws, a modification of his abyssal centipede, closed around the beast's neck. The abundant flow of venom coursed through its body and acted almost instantly, the Giant Goat vanished in an explosion of light, forced to return inside its tar.
"No!" Luna cried while her wolf rose unsteadily.
Without the Goat to maintain the power balance, the battle began tilting rapidly. The Coral's barriers could no longer contain Harold's frenzied advance as he shattered crystal with blows empowered by his now excessive transformation's enormous body.
The Antenna Venus tried creating a root cage, but Harold burned them with acid secretion from his centipede. The Firefly fired rays continuously, seeking the damaged zone in his carapace, but without the previous surprise and synergy, it couldn't inflict enough damage.
The wolf returned to the shadows to attempt a new attack, but Luna was hesitant as she knew one more hit would eliminate it.
The Coral guard retreated, trying to maintain distance while creating more barriers, but Harold simply charged through them.
He reached in seconds and…
A single blow sent her flying and crashing against the crystal barrier, the two hits knocked her unconscious.
The Antenna Venus created one last desperate defense, forcing her skill to its maximum, her roots intertwining to trap Harold who was already upon them. For a mont it seed to work, the vines wrapping around Harold, limiting his movents.
Three more seconds would be useful for the firefly to charge a final attack aid at the armor breach.
But then he released a wave of acid again, lting the vegetation and reaching the guard behind. She scread when the acid touched her skin, distracting her long enough for Harold to reach her and silence her with a precise blow that sent her flying too.
The Goat guard, though beastless, launched herself at Harold with a hidden dagger. It was brave but futile, Harold's armor broke the dagger effortlessly and slamd the girl against the ground with brutal force.
The Firefly guard retreated, almost ready to launch another concentrated attack… Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire
Luna saw the danger.
"Watch out!" she shouted, her wolf launching from the shadows to intercept.
But it was too late.
Harold's mole attacked from behind the guard, its claws cutting deeply across her back.
The scream of pain distracted Luna who turned to look at the girl for one crucial second.
Harold seized that mont of distraction. His claws found the wolf mid-jump, and with a brutal motion, slamd it into Luna. Both fell, the wolf vanishing from damage while Luna struggled to maintain consciousness and tried to rise.
With one last trendous effort and a scream, Luna stood and used her enhanced speed, forcing her injured wolf to manifest just its claws in her hand.
A swift strike at the armor breach...
That never landed.
Harold caught Luna's wrist.
"Ga over, bitch..." he said laughing, then pulled and knocked her out.
Luna, "the strongest first year" fell.
He stood over two of the fallen guards, his body covered in wounds but his eyes blazing with murderous fury.
He lifted them by the neck, ready to enjoy finishing them slowly.
"Harold!" a voice called from the side. The other spy erged partially from his hiding place. "There's too much activity outside! We need to hurry!"
Harold's damaged antennae vibrated with effort. Despite the pain, he could sense the presences approaching the cracks.
Indeed…
He had to hurry to obtain the artifacts before they excavated the entire crystal surface of the seed and found the lower cracks through which he planned to escape.
With a growl of frustration, he released the guards.
Harold tried to retract his transformation, but sothing was wrong…
An involuntary roar escaped his throat while his body began to contort. The modified beast resisted returning, as if the taste of battle had awakened sothing primitive and hungry.
"Harold?" the other spy watched with growing concern as his companion struggled against his own form.
The chitinous segnts twisted, antennae vibrating erratically. For several tense monts, it seed Harold would lose control completely. But finally, with a supre effort of will, he managed to dominate the beast.
Almost.
His face still showed marked chitinous patterns, like living scars that refused to disappear. His injured leg and other areas where he'd received damage remained partially transford, flesh and carapace mixing grotesquely. But at least he had regained control.
He grabbed Luna by the hair and began dragging her toward where they kept Liora wrapped.
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