The giant’s tendrils shoot down at the group, each one tipped with a blade. As it swings, the blades burst of energy shoots out of each blade, slicing through the area at random. The group dodges the attacks as they swing. When the blades come down, Miller swings his sword, lopping off one of the tendrils, only for it to regrow with a new blade embedded inside of it.

  “Judging from the way this attack is, I’m assuming this thing was originally Talia,” Xia says.

  Miller turns to her. “Right. But what can we do to put her down?”

  “No clue. That attack from a second ago might’ve done some damage. But we can’t kill her unless we find her ‘core’.”

  “Core?” Sam asks, blocking an attack.

  “I heard about that. Some Demons assimilate anything into their bodies, but their heart needs to be destroyed to kill them.” Ivar says.

  “So, this thing isn’t even its body?” Faye asks.

  “No, that’s its body. But at the same time, it isn’t.” Fiona says.

  “That doesn’t make sense!” Tan yells, dodging an attack.

  Otso pauses. “So, we need to find its heart to kill it. And in cases like this, the heart isn’t in the obvious place it should be.”

  “On top of that, it's likely moving,” Ivar adds. “When I was attacking it in the water, I felt something moving and shifting around in the water but ignored it. That was likely its heart.”

  “Great a moving target,” Otso says.

  Miller plants his sword. “We need one attack. All at once, attacking all sides in one simultaneous strike.”

  “Can you guys do that?” Xia Bai asks.

  “We’ll have to try.” Miller draws his sword and points it towards the giant. “Everyone on my mark. Gather your strength and draw as much power as you can. We have to kill this thing in one single attack!”

  “Right!” Everyone yells at once.

  “Oh really? Well, I’d like to see you try it!” The giant yells. “I’ll prove to you how inferior you are!” it yells.

  The giant roars as it fires off, its tendrils shooting an energy blast down at the group. They dodge the attack only for it to slam its fist into the ground, sending off a wave of energy around itself. Everything within the wave slows down aside from the giant as it stomps forward. It roars, firing off another barrage of energy blasts, with everyone barely blocking the attacks.

  “Xia Bai!” Miller yells out.

  “Right!” She yells, taking off into the air.

  She flies out of the energy field, with Tan following close behind her. Together they stare at the giant’s head and see the opening left from Miller’s attack, the metal still lodged in its head.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Xia nods to Tan and flies down, with Tan following close behind her.

  “Flying pest!” It screams.

  It moves its tendrils skyward, firing off energy blasts. The pair dodge the attacks and Xia Bai ignites her body, aiming for the protruding metal. She crashes down, grabbing the metal and sending waves of heat through it. The metal glows red from the heat as the giant roars in pain. As it wrenches its head upwards, Tan comes down kicking the metal with her full force, shattering the heated, brittle metal.

  “Enjoy the headache!” Tan yells, kicking its head back.

  Xia follows suit, flying in and slicing into its neck. “Now everyone hit it hard!” She yells.

  Everyone charges towards the giant, brandishing their weapons as each one burns with flame. Otso burrows underground and attacks the feet. As Fiona and Fay charge towards the center, Tan snatches up Ivar and the pair make for the back, with Miller and Sam going for the head, all the while Rufus charges up another fireball. They strike the giant, hitting it at all sides and moving as Rufus launches his attack. The enormous flaming sphere hits the giant, destroying what remains of its outer layer.

  As the giant’s body burns, everyone gathers, cautiously looking up at the pyre before them. Before anyone can say anything, a tendril shoots up from underground. It wraps around Rufus with Sam slicing it to free him. More tendrils erupt around the group, striking at them as the fire around the giant fades. The giant swipes its arms, extinguishing the flames with only a layer of its thick body burning away.

  “Not enough! Your flames are weak, your power is nothing compared to mine!” It yells, its voice shaking the air around the group.

  It gathers energy in its mouth, firing off a blast that shakes the island. Everyone lies on the ground defeated and exhausted as the giant stomps forward, laughing manically as it moves towards them.

  “Die! Die and become my food! Know your place, you worthless beings!” It yells.

  “Damn it. Are Demons supposed to be this tough?” Fiona asks forcing herself up.

  Miller forces himself to his feet. “It just means those who fought them in the past were more amazing than we imagined.”

  “But we can’t give up here. I refuse to lose to this thing!” Faye yells.

  “I can’t go down. Not with Miller counting on me,” Sam says.

  Tan picks herself up and flaps her wings. “I won’t be taken down like some flightless bird.”

  Ivar laughs. “We’re idiots for this.”

  “Well, if it’s between idiocy and death, I choose idiocy,” Otso says.

  Rufus coughs and tightens his grip on his staff. “I don’t want to let everyone down!”

  “I refuse to fall here. Not until I….” Xia Bai stands exhausted as her previous wounds reopen. “Not until I see him again!”

  The group stands staggered and injured, but ready to fight once more as the giant laughs. “Weaklings. All you lesser beings are nothing but weaklings! I’ll crush you here and now and….”

  “You keep talking about crushing us! But you haven’t done so yet! We’ll see this battle end with our victory! You hear me, Demon!” Miller yells at the top of his lungs.

  “Huh? You guys are pretty likable. It makes me want to help you out.” A voice says from the coastline.

  As they stand around, a ring of flowers bloom around their feet. The flowers give off an aura that surrounds the group, slowly healing their wounds and restoring their energy.

  “What is this?” Sam asks.

  “Healing magic?” Rufus asks.

  “It’s not good for long, drawn-out things, but for a final push, it works well.” An elven woman comes up to the group with a smile on her face. “Hey everyone.”

  “An elf?” Sam asks.

  “Hold on!” A voice cries from above.

  Tisha appears standing atop a tree and holding out her bow as she aims for the Demon’s chest. “Get ready, everyone, for what comes next!”

  “Whatever you're doing, do it!” Miller yells.

  Tisha nods and fires off her arrow, hitting the Demon’s center. The Demon laughs as its body absorbs the arrow. Looking down on the group, it raises its arm. Only as it does its body suddenly stops its mass eroding.

  “What is this!?” it yells out in confusion.

  The Elvan woman snaps her fingers. “It works!” She yells excitedly. “Have a taste of my poison, Demon! You Pawns hurry up and finish this thing off.”

  Miller holds out his sword and flames dance around the blade. “You heard her! Everyone, let’s kill this thing once and for all!”