Searing Pain

''Fiorella, we won't try to take them all down, we'll just focus on trying to escape.''

Fiorella nodded, her apprehension and panic clear on her expression. She tightened her grip on the staff.

''O-Okay...''

Raising my fists, I adopted a defensive stance. It was clear that engaging in direct combat with every creature here would be completely useless. My armor was great for tanking hits, but I lacked a weapon and I wasn't a superhuman. Overconfidence or underestimating our enemies could prove fatal.

The hulking monsters began approaching us first, their movements were slow as they dragged behind them large clubs and cleavers. Their faces were sunken in much like the monster we encountered before, and their bloodied matted fur made them look even more disgusting.

The spider-like abominations clung tightly to the walls, their limbs dragging with a disturbing lack of coordination. The rotting human torsos that merged with their grotesque forms swung awkwardly. Their intentions were pretty clear —to surround us. My gaze briefly shifted upward, catching sight of the Gargoyles, which hadn't moved in the slightest.

''fuuu...''

I took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, attempting to calm my own racing heart. I trusted that Fiorella was smart enough to act without needing a cue.

''---kgh?!''

I jumped forward and began sprinting toward the hulking monsters, and they seemed to have been taken aback. I pushed myself off the ground and twisted my body in a way that I could use the momentum to strike the sunken nose of the monster in front.

As my feet made contact with the sticky surface of the monster's face, there was a peculiar sensation at contact, as though I struck mud instead of skin, flesh, and bones. The impact along with the momentum created by using the boots' protection made the monster fall backward, its massive body toppling slowly and awkwardly. Its body crashed against the ground, and I landed gracefully at least.

---The other hulking monsters reacted with a primal fury and shouted some sort of war cry. In a frenzy they lunged toward me, their colossal frames charging forward.

''<Ignis, destrue inimicos!>''

Fiorella's voice echoed, and my view was covered by a wall of red, fiery flames. The monsters, disoriented by the sudden onslaught, faltered and hesitated. Some stumbled back, shielding their faces from the intense heat, while others thrashed about in futile attempts to extinguish the magical inferno. The flames served as a momentary shield, which I was extremely grateful for.

Suddenly, the large blade of a cleaver flew toward me, and I barely managed to avoid it by stepping backward, avoiding the deadly arc it had made in the air. I felt the wind distorting right behind me. I leaped to the left, narrowly escaping the crushing impact of a colossal club that shattered the ground where I had just stood.

Using the protection from the boots, I jumped and held onto the head of the monster that held the cleaver. Its footing faltered, and its massive frame was thrown off balance. I grabbed onto his fur with my right hand and pulled my left arm back. I felt it before, whatever it is that has been eating at these guys' faces has already eaten most of their skulls, so I should be able to do it.

With a strong punch, my hand sank into the sticky surface of its face, the disgusting sensation sent shivers down my spine. Unfazed by its wild thrashing, I pushed my fist deeper, hoping to grab his brain and kill him. Amidst the chaos, one of its frenzied swings inadvertently obliterated the head of a fellow monster.

After a few seconds of thrashing and the fiery flames making my body heat up to an excruciating level, I grabbed something mushy with my fingers, and the monster went limp. I took my fist out and leaped far away, the giant mass falling onto the ground.

That's two out of the equation.

''---KGH!''

An unknown force crashed against me from behind. I was launched far away and onto the flames, and I felt the searing heat on my skin through the open gaps of my armor. I sobered up quickly and stood up, quickly trying to figure out what had pushed me.

Leaping with agile grace, the spider-like monsters had decided to join the battle. I wondered how long it'd take them.

''<Ventus Gliadi>''

A gust of wind flew in their direction, and a good number of them fell limp on the ground, their cut-up bodies still flailing on the ground. I looked towards Fiorella, who somehow managed to stay out of the main battle. Not for long, however, as the ones who survived suddenly changed direction, and charged in her direction.

''Eeek!''

Her panic grew as she watched the disgusting creatures sprinting in a mad rage toward her.

''Stay alert, I can't help you on this one!''

I screamed at her. Certainly, I wanted to help her, but it's not like I could just ignore the remaining monsters. I looked back, only to encounter a giant fist flying toward me. I wasn't gonna be able to block it.

''Fgh!''

My body was flung away with ease as if I was weightless the punch of the monster had sent me flying towards a building. I smashed right through the concrete walls, rolling on the wooden floor, and my body flailed as I tried to gain my footing again. I had broken something, that much I knew.

''Kfgh, agh, shit!''

I cursed as I crawled on the floor. I tried to ignore the pain and stood up. I coughed blood, painting the insides of my helmet with drops of blood. I pushed myself to stand right back up again and walked toward the large hole that my body had opened when I crashed against the building.

But I was stopped by the sounds of something crawling. Peeking over the broken wall, seven small figures revealed themselves. They jumped inside, landing on the wooden floor, their claws clacking as they moved around excited, and barring their teeth in a crooked smile.

''Shit...''

The Gargoyles, who had stayed put, suddenly decided to group up and join in the fun. Worse of all, it seems they were targeting me in the first place, maybe because I killed some of their friends. I didn't know these fuckers could feel resentment.

''...''

I tried to ignore the chaos outside, as the frenzied wall of flames had grown even more intense. I could only trust Fiorella's own sense of self-preservation now and hope she ran away or something.

One of the Gargoyles seemed to be unable to hold back and jumped toward me. I answered his attack and ran forward. I hurled my fist toward his face, expecting it to connect.

''---?!''

But I was interrupted by the heavy feeling of something hitting my helmet. My view was covered by the cracked body of one of the Gargoyles, who used his entire bodyweight and legs to throw me off balance. I awkwardly fell backward and onto the wooden floor.

As soon as my body hit the floor, I felt them crawling up on me.

My body was assaulted by heavy fists and legs, and though they couldn't get past the rough material I still felt the impact of their hits through my ribs and organs.

I tried to launch some of them away with my hands, but as soon as I made a move, two more would appear to stop me. No matter how much I thrashed around, they surrounded and restricted me. Shit, shit, shit!

''---Fuck, wait, stop!''

One of them crawled towards my face and pulled harshly on my helmet. I felt their laughs, their teeth cackled as they watched my futile struggle to stop him. I felt nauseous like I was about to vomit.

''Ah--''

He succeded in removing the helmet and flung it far away. I was naked, that's how I felt. My throat, my neck, my eyes, my nose, they were all exposed now. The moment they decide to, they could seal my fate and just kill me.

I fucked up.

''---fhlg?!''

The Gargoyle suddenly introduced his fingers onto my mouth and pushed harshly against my left cheek. The stinging and searing pain of his claws against the flesh made me thrash around even more.

I tried to push him away, but the other monsters restricted my movement with their claws, using the open gaps in the armor to pin me to the wooden floor by penetrating the skin and flesh. The pain became even more intense.

---And then, there was no more pain. I couldn't feel his fingers against my cheek anymore. No, I couldn't feel much of anything on that side anymore. A gust of wind reached my face, and a burning sensation settled over my face.

On the Gargoyle's sharp claw, were the remains of my left cheek, which had essentially been torn apart entirely, revealing my teeth and flesh.

Their sick laughter echoed even louder.