Pirouette blinked, and then she began to look around. Her eyes narrowed while she scanned the area. “I hear footsteps.”
Ginger sniffed the air. “I smell... dogs...” she said, before lashing her tail to the side.
“Dogs? Are you sure it’s a dog?” asked Alexis? Why would there be dogs in here? Maybe it was some sort of canine Crystallim?
Scott realized what was happening. “Get ready ladies.”
Alexis hopped back and raised her hand. Two rings flashed brightly, her unmanifested Crystallim were ready for action. Scott leveled his arm and waited. Pirouette did not need to be told what to do. She had already drawn her sword and stood ready. The time for their first true battle had come.
***
It did not take long before a series of loud snuffling sounds reached their ears. Barks and short yips followed soon after. Finally, an excited howl echoed through the air.
Three Nightmares raced out of the left most corridor and made their way quickly toward the hunting party. Creatures with yellow eyes and gleaming white fangs, they raced forward with their clawed hands out in preparation to seize their prey. Their silvery-furred tails streamed behind them as they rushed toward the group.
“Pirouette!” called Scott.
“Ginger!” exclaimed Alexis.
The two Crystallim immediately ran forward to intercept the oncoming trio. The lead Kobold, for that was what the approaching nightmares were, roared out a challenge.
Ginger screamed out in terror and clutched her ears, but Pirouette was made of sterner stuff. She resisted the fear effect of the Kobold’s howl completely. Her sword flashed out and struck at the charging Nightmares with skill and precision. Her blade pierced straight to the heart of the swiftly moving girl, but the Kobold refused to allow herself to be defeated so quickly.
The lead Kobold retaliated despite being skewered on the business end of Pirouette's blade. She unleashed a series of powerful swiping claw attacks that forced the Dark Elf on the defensive while awaiting the inevitable.
However, her two pack mates came to help her. They attempted to tear the sword from Pirouette's grasp but the nimble beauty merely moved her hands in a series of rapid motions that the nightmares could not follow. The instant they thought their attacks would hit, the agile elf would snatch her targeted hand back while simultaneously reaching out and re-clasping the sword hilt. It was a ridiculous display of her overall dominance in raw agile mobility. The kobolds struck only air while Pirouette maintained dominance over the flow of the battle in that moment.
Typically, a Kobold pack would attempt to surround and defeat prey through flanking maneuvers. However, that required the coordination of their alpha. The leader of the pack was not able to completely overwhelm her agile opponent due to the agony caused by her current situation. At this point she did not even attack anymore, only weakly flailed her arms.
Pirouette took a chance and snatched her sword back just in time to avoid another attack. While the lead Kobold fell back to the ground, one hand to her chest. The next moved in to meet its fate. Crimson blood arced out as a powerful horizontal strike slashed through the torso of the canine Crystallim. Badly wounded, but not out of the fight, she covered her stomach with one hand and attacked with the other. Pirouette was forced back before she could capitalize on the damage she had inflicted.
The pack leader rose to her knees despite the hideous wound in her chest. Crystallim were not natural creatures. Their bodies were formed as a mental and magical projection of their intent to interact with the world. Nightmares could possess an obscene amount of vitality, and not just the type one would find on a status sheet. They even healed quickly if their will to fight was not broken.
Battle between Crystallim could take mere seconds, or could last for hours depending on the will of the Crystallim who were fighting. Shaia was defeated by Flora due to the tactic of entanglement and a solid beat down. The plant girl basically whipped her into submission. The kobold nightmares did not wish to submit to Pirouette, yet. Their hunger and rage drove them onward.
The leader’s body flared with a brilliant scarlet colored light. Her wound began to close even as she lunged forward at great speed in an effort to tear into the Dark Elf with her claws. She ripped, she tore, she clawed and she gouged. Even with the sudden boost to her overall power, the Kobold only managed to land a few hits on her agile opponent, but those hits were devastating.
The damage dealt by the lead Kobold was not devastating by itself, but due to the contributing factor that it represented. Those attacks forced Pirouette into a situation where the other two Kobolds could strike as well due to their renewed pack coordination.
Feeble compared to their alpha's current attack speed and strength, their assault did little to Pirouette in terms of raw damage. However, even small nicks and cuts could wear someone down over time. Little injuries could be just as dangerous as major ones for a Crystallim. They dropped morale, and tore away life energies needed to maintain manifestation.
Pirouette lost half of her vital force in only a few short seconds. Worse, the Kobolds were becoming emboldened. Instinctively, they began a flanking maneuver that forced pirouette to try to defend in a one hundred eighty degree. Soon, they'd moved so that one of them was close to being directly behind her. Even for an A-Rank Crystallim like her, that sort of situation was difficult to handle.
The Kobold trio's attack pattern would have immediately placed a less experienced Crystallim into a deadly spiral of continuous small, but damaging, attacks. Pirouette, however, leapt toward the pack alpha in a surprising way. Instead of attacking, she flipped over the girl and immediately launched a heavy slash that tore through the Kobold's back on one side. Blood gushed outward in a ridiculous volume. It exploded outward to spatter of the ground with far more force than any wound should allow.
Unfortunately, the agile elf could not capitalize further as her opponent rolled forward and kicked upward with both feet. Forced back by the surprising move, Pirouette soon found herself back in a similar position to the one that she'd been in a moment ago.
Hunters rarely allowed their teammates to fight multiple opponents alone unless the team was swarmed by a large number of Crystallim. Even someone of a higher level with excellent stats can be taken down when facing several weaker opponents who fought with coordinated aggression. This battle was watched carefully by Scott and Alexis. It was important to allow their strongest to battle in this way, as it would set the tone for the expedition. If their toughest teammates could not handle a battle of this magnitude they had no business hunting in this place.
If not for Ginger’s sudden recovery and intervention, the Dark Elf would have attempted to use some of her special skills to defeat the pack. Given the high-speed nature of the four-way battle, even a single misstep by Pirouette would have left her in serious danger of a deadly retaliation from one of the Kobolds at her flanks.
Ginger leapt in with a double drop kick that sent the pack leader flying to the side. She followed up her sudden arrival with a spinning claw strike that tore into the Kobold on the left with brutal ferocity. Six large and bloody gouges were ripped into her body as middle claws of each of her hands hit one after the other. The wolf-like girl screamed in agony and clutched at her wounds.
A sword flashed forward to impale her in the chest. The Nightmare cried out in pain once more then dropped to the floor. Soon her Nightmare form dissipated and a small brown core hit the ground with a pop. The rapid series of brutal strikes overwhelmed her ability to reason due to extreme pain and damage. One Kobold down.
The Catgirl leaped over to finish off the second Kobold. A highly aggressive battler by nature, Ginger tackled the Kobold to the ground and began repeatedly tearing into her with her claws. As a Catgirl, her claws were much sharper and better suited to tearing and gouging than a Kobold's. It was easy enough to finish that battle once she had the nightmare mounted on the ground. Largely immobile, and with dozens of gouges torn in her flesh, it did
not take long for the battle to end.
The pack leader managed to right herself and avoid Pirouette's incoming strike. She dodged back and away just in time to see her second pack mate’s Nightmare form dissipate. An expression of bestial rage told the story of her emotions. Before Pirouette could move in to finish her, the alpha flashed brilliant crimson once more. Instead of a physical attack, however, she howled loudly enough that even the humans on the other side of the room could feel the incredible pressure of the demotivating assault. Scott and Alexis trembled slightly as they fought down the supernatural fear effect.
Pirouette and Ginger staggered back a step. They were paralyzed by fright due to the terrifying effect of that assault. Clearly, the alpha was of a much higher level than her pack mates.
Scott and Alexis moved at the same time as they overcame the effect. They both immediately used their MISS units to bring out healing supplies. They seemed to be in almost perfect sync as they rubbed a pungent cream on the core of their afflicted Crystallim.
Pirouette recovered first. The paralyzing fear effect was removed by her master's application of a battle stimulant that would make a Crystallim become more aggressive. It would inflict a berserker state in normal situations, but it was mostly used to cure fear effects and depression caused by special attacks.
The Kobold drew in a breath and started to flash once more. She was obviously tired from her many wounds and repeated usage of special abilities. Her movements were sluggish, it took her nearly twice as long to prepare for another howl.
However, Pirouette did not give her the chance to unleash her spiritual assault. No longer dealing with a coordinated three pronged attack, she had more than enough time to unleash a decisive blow.
Pirouette whipped her sword forward and lunged before crying out, “Shadow Bolt!”
Black lightning skittered along her blade and formed into a jet black ball of crackling energy. Even before the creature could finish taking in a deep breath for her howl, that black ball of lightning raced outward from the tip of Pirouette's blade. The movement speed of the attack was so great that the Kobold had neither the chance to howl, nor the chance to dodge.
The dog girl screamed in agony as shadow elemental energy raced through her body. She fell to her knees and started to whimper and cry in terror as that fell attack tore at the core of her life's essence. Black lightning skittered along her powerful frame even as she began to convulse spastically.
Ginger finished recovering from her own fear status due to Alexis’ intervention. The moment the pack leader hit the ground, she rushed forward. The last thing the Kobold saw as a Nightmare was the terrifying claws and angry expression of her beautiful destroyer.
“Good job!” called out Scott, after the end of the tough battle. He managed a cheerful and congratulatory tone, but the battle taught him many things.
Three Kobolds at once would have easily taken down Shaia or Flora. He did not want to say it, but despite her aggressiveness and attack strength he was certain that Ginger would have lost as well. Her biggest contribution was attacking by surprise during the fight. Everything snowballed downhill for the kobolds from there on.
Without the overpowered nature of Pirouette and her combat experience in general, the hunters would have been forced into a more direct conflict. That was to be avoided when possible. Had they been forced to intervene during a battle of this magnitude they would also have needed to evacuate the area due to ethical concerns.
Pirouette smiled at her master then flicked her sword to the side to remove the blood that now slowly dripped from the blade. It had been a while since she fought in a real battle. There was something quite invigorating about combat now that she remembered the taste and feel of it.
“You did great too, Ginger,” called Alexis.
The Catgirl flashed her master a winning smile then scooped up the core lying on the floor. Pirouette gathered up the other two.
Scott reached over and took Pirouette by the hand. “You took a little beating out there. You don’t look bad, but do you need healing.”
Alexis stared at Scott’s hand as it clasped the Dark Elf’s hand. She frowned a little then looked away. She took several deep breaths while her contracted boyfriend saw to the health and well-being of his Crystallim. She had to master her jealous nature. It was getting worse of late, and she hated the feelings that boiled up when it reared its ugly head. She genuinely liked the girls whom he cared for, but every time he spoke their names in front of her she sincerely wanted to choke a bitch.
“I’m fine, Scott,” said Pirouette. She glided closer to him then kissed him on the lips. Scott slipped his arms around her and held her close while whispering softly. Pirouette giggled gently then kissed him on the nose.
Alexis’s eyes widened briefly then narrowed to angry jealous slits. “Dammit...”
Scott turned toward the girl and she sighed. Alexis shook her head. “Sorry, I’m working on it... I really am.”
“I know, Alexis. I’m not judging you,” said Scott. He understood that her emotions were a little strange due to her heritage. She did not want to act the way that she did at times, but it was hard to fight her nature.
He whispered into Pirouette's ear, and his beautiful companion offered him both a smile and a nod. Alexis' face turned bright red. She unleashed a soft growl and turned to the side.
"Scott..." she growled softly.
Scott applied a healing restorative to Pirouette so that she would regain her health quickly. For a moment it seemed as though he completely ignored Alexis.
The honey blond hunter began to breathe heavily and even started to tear up a little. However, to her surprise, she felt his arms wrap around her waist. He pulled her back against him and kissed her on the ear. "Alexis..." he purred gently.
Her eyes widened slightly and she bit her lower lip a little. After a moment, she started to ask what he wanted, but he spoke her name again in another soft warm tone.
"Yes..." she responded softly. Her face became even more red, but for different reasons.
His hand slip up to confidently grip her breast, before he once again whispered her name. She sighed softly and whispered, "Don't tease me..."
"Why would I tease my cute girlfriend, Alexis?" he asked her softly. Though, his voice did waver slightly.
The sound of her name on his lips caused her knees to weaken slightly. "You don't play fair..." she said with a soft cry.
"I'd rather win," he replied before kneading her breasts strongly with his fingers and palm. He began to breathe heavily, a sign she took as arousal.
"W-win what..." she said before moaning softly and leaning her head back against his shoulder.
His other hand slid down to caress her between her thighs. Due to her issues with controlling her inner-succubus, he made certain that he only caressed her through her clothing. The last thing either of them needed was for him to pass out after lightly teasing her naked glory. Even this much contact drained his stamina. His heavy breathing and slight stammers weren't caused by endearing sentiment.
Her eye lids fluttered slightly and she shook her head. "No. No. I can't control myself if you keep going..."
"Should I control you instead?" he asked with a warm, confident, laugh.
"C-control me?" she asked, her face reddening even further than before. "Don't tease..."
"Why can't I tease my cute little Alexis...? Hmm?" asked Scott softly. "Doesn't she belong to me?"
She giggled a little and bit her lip. "I'm not answering that right now."
"Oh? Savoring the moment until you admit it?" he asked lightly.
Her eyes widened and she whimpered a little before laughing in a cute and nervous way. She said nothing, however.
Scott teased her mercilessly, but she refused to respond to his questions at the moment. She did not trust herself to give an answer that would not cause her to die of embarrassment later.
Soon her eyes closed and she nuzzled against him. Her jealousy faded away unde
r the assault of his fingers and the way he spoke her name.
As sweet as the moment was, Scott could not maintain his handiwork for much longer. Soon, he released his somewhat mollified girlfriend and the team set about the business of after battle clean-up.
Once Scott recovered from his mild exhaustion and the injured girls were healed, including Alexis' jealous status effect, the attention turned to the spoils of battle. Scott and Alexis glanced at each other and then nodded.
“You can go first,” said Scott. She was the only reason he had been allowed access to the dungeon after all. It seemed only fair to allow her first choice.
Alexis smiled at him then gave him a cute wink. “Thanks, honey,” she said in a sweet tone of voice.
Scott laughed a little then sniffed his fingers and kissed his fingertips. "Honey, you say?" he asked lightly before licking his index finger a little.
She squeaked softly and then cleared her throat before turning away. "Scott, we have things to do..."
"I am doing things..." he said in a soft masculine purr. He kissed his finger tip once more and cocked an eyebrow in her direction.
Alexis quickly looked away so that he could not see her face. "Is that so..."
He shook his head. She was such a silly girl. It was hard not to laugh and enjoy being around her whenever they got together.
The female hunter took the cores one by one and did her best to elicit a spark of possibility from them. Sadly, neither of the cores seemed interested in her in the slightest. “Well, that’s disappointing.”
Scott placed a hand to her shoulder then smiled. “Yeah, but who says I will do any better? I’m honestly surprised that Shaia accepted me so readily.”
Alexis pouted at Scott in a petulant manner. Why did he have to bring up Shaia? Wasn’t she good enough to talk to by herself? The moment of jealousy passed and she sighed. “Here, let’s see if they like you.”
“Sure!” He reached out and accepted the cores one by one. Unfortunately, he ended up with the same result. He could not coax the Crystallim to acknowledge his presence. If he could have gotten even a little bit of a spark he would have been nearly guaranteed to be able to bond with them due to his resonance score. However, they did not glow or shine at all in his hand. They refused to acknowledge him.
Galataea Crystallim Core 2 Page 10
