Chapter 144

Arthur's Point of View

Center of the Magical Squall

This creature was one of Thana's. There was no doubt. Demonic magic that covered the entire area gave everything a hellish tint as far as I could see. My mind wondered if it was intelligent or a simple creature carrying out directions. It was impossible to say, but it compared to Thana and Tor both. A frown came to my lips as I realized that due to its size, it may actually have more magic than either of them.

Large tentacles that were the length of mountains danced around the waves below and some in the sky above. Its chest appeared to be armored with its fins. Other parts of its body were also armored, which made it difficult to ascertain whether something was vulnerable or not.

With Defiance in my hand, my wings spread out across my back, and the Demon in front of me, there was no other choice than to kill it. I had transformed again, but this time was slightly different. My form was more compact and sleeker. This was the first time I had transformed since coming back from the past.

"Let's get this over with." Pushing energy through my wings, I shot towards the large Demon.

Tentacles immediately began to violently strike out across the entire area. Dozens of them aimed for me with an accuracy that made me very cautious. Wiggling in and out between the appendages made the Demon roar in anger. However, as I made my way through, I sliced many up as well. Given their thickness, it was difficult to cut through them entirely. Thus, I focused more energy into my sword to create a blade from my own energy to extend Defiance.

Roars of pain could be heard as the Demon's slimy limbs tumbled down into the water below. Unfortunately for me, they quickly regrew, and the Demon itself lurched forward. It moved far quicker than a creature its size should be able to. Bringing down a massive hand, it essentially bitch slapped me down into the waves below. My body skipped along the water for a few hits before being plunged through some waves and then several dozens of feet into the depths.

Gritting my teeth, I shot from the water below and into the air. However, the Demon was nowhere to be found. That is until it launched itself from the water and opened its maw directly under me. My eyes widened as the tentacles all backed away and opened on the tips. Like a water cannon being shot from dozens of different directions, I portaled away. Moving back into the squall, I watched as tornados danced around me as the rain continued to drench me.

Before I could formulate a plan for dealing with this thing, one of its tentacles slammed into me from behind. Once again, my body was sent flying. This time, I was hit into the Demon's chest before I was quickly restricted in its grasp. It lifted its arm above with me in its hand and threw me straight down into the ocean.

The experience was jarring and almost numbing. I found myself surrounded by blackness as the sun didn't seem to be anywhere. Telling up from down was difficult as well since the Demon's magic was still present everywhere. There was movement in the water, and a tentacle quickly hit me before it disappeared.

Things quickly escalated from there. Almost as if I was pinball, my body was being flung all around throughout the water. The Demon toyed with me as I knew it was likely watching from somewhere. Gritting my teeth, I once again opened a portal as I was launched and found myself sailing through the air before steadying myself and coming to a stop.

Bringing my fingers up to my chin, blood poured down it as I looked down at the water below. The Demon was once again hiding under the surface, but I had a plan to change that. Using my eyes, I started to place dozens, if not hundreds, of gravity pillars in the water. Well, I launched them into the water as fast as I could. Blood started to form in the water before the Demon resurfaced with a roar of pain.

Focusing on it now, my pillars all started to restrict its movements as they started to pierce the Demon's hide. Hundreds of them began to slow the creature down. It once again tried to hit me with some tentacles in retaliation, but i Quickly portaled elsewhere. Next, it tried to hit me with multiple water cannons. We were in a stalemate as I redirected their trajectory with my eyes.

Both of our wounds were healing far faster than the other could damage, and I think this Demon had a healing factor that likely rivaled my own. When my pillars disappeared, blood would trail down its body for a time but stop soon after. Creating wind blades and sending them out did little.

So now I was flying around dodging an endless torrent of attacks. "Fucking fish." I mumbled to myself.

Thunder rumbled behind me as lightning struck across the sky, and an idea formed in my head. Concentrating on the image I had, my energy began to gather in my sword. Lighting began to flow from my sword as it gave a bright blue glow and shot out across the sky. With a small smirk, I portaled next to the Demon and slashed it across its back.

It roared out in pain as I flew up with my sword slicing through its skin. Lighting shot into the creature's wounds and body as it danced about the soaked surface. Eventually, once I was almost at the base of the neck, I plunged Defiance into its spine and focused on extending the lightning all the way through to its throat. Once I felt it clear the other side, which took several seconds, I began to rock back and forth.

The Demon soon went limp and fell into the water. Water shot into the sky from the creature's fall as waves shot out in every direction. While I didn't think any tsunamis would form, I was unsure given the Demon's size. If anything, with it moving about the way it does, one would think tsunamis were a reoccurring event.

Bringing my left hand forward, lighting shot down from my hand and down into the water below. I continued to do this until I thought the Demon might be dead. There was some more thrashing, but it eventually came to a stop. So, I stopped my attack and waited for the red and black magical aura to fade. It didn't.

Both of its hands emerged from the water on opposing sides as they swung towards me in a wide arc. I readied to dodge as it was a predictable attack, but I was hit by jets of water from above and below. I was locked in place and went to summon a portal but was too slow.

The Demon's hands clapped together and began crushing me. Having them slam into me felt like my organs had rupture, and blood poured from my mouth. However, with it squeezing me relentlessly, I felt my body starting to give. My wings were broken, and it felt like everything else was as well. Things started to fade as the pressure continued to build and its magic pressed into me directly.

Even with my own energy fighting back, I'd never fought a creature like this before, and it was outside my expertise. "God damnit…" I mumbled out as tunnel vision began to set in.