Path of the Slayer B3 12. Fighters & Revengers

As Grimmy launched her surprise attack, I identified her powers with observation alone.

Grimmy’s Path Body enhanced her physically instead of empowering her with an element. Sword Step moved her even faster as she attacked with her shortsword. Path Sword made all of her sword strikes extremely effective mystically and metaphysically to an Epic degree.

She was also pairing her Path Magic with a Great Skill: Slashy Slasher Slash. On top of that, she was using what I’d instructed on the hour before, being as efficient as possible.

Thus, the Little Fighter became the deadliest junior in the battle.

Grimmy’s blade struck the back of the half-giant’s knee and nearly took the entire lower leg off. One more strike would finish the job, but the Little Fighter did the smart thing and dashed away.

Threska screamed, stumbling, her magic raging hard. Her focus wasn’t on me anymore.

I burst forward with an elemental blast while twisting my Path Energy in front of me for a purpose outside of my usual abilities. The moment I collided with Redfang, my energy cushioned the impact and swaddled her like a blanket.

Snatching the Savage free from Threska, I sacrificed a huge chunk of energy to get away quickly. I landed outside of Threska’s reach a split second later with Redfang safe in my arms.

The half-giant woman turned wrathfully to follow the electromagnetic trail I left, but she was soon assaulted by the roguish juniors.

The enemy Epics were dead, enabling Weaver to catch Threska with wires of sharpened and steely webs, disrupting her, even if only a little. Velira skipped through the air and thrust a spear into the half-giant’s shoulder for a quick hit-and-dash. Noodles rose out from behind a row of ice-coated seats and lashed forth with a whip that had spikes on the tip, striking the back of the Legendary’s head.

As soon as they struck, the roguish juniors scrambled back as Threska raged and blasted forth an array of ice attacks. Weaver left behind his webs and scuttled out of the way of a frigid torrent. Both Noodles and Velira ducked behind the seats as a storm of icicles rained upon them.

The Tormentor and the Ranger ended up pinned in a bad position, and Threska hobbled forth to take advantage.

With a bellow, Marnarka landed on the scene with a big, ice-cracking jump. She blocked off Threska’s attacks with two large round shields and all of her defensive powers activated.

Brug, even with an ice javelin in his gut, came around with a berserk roar. Bloody flames coated his battleaxe as he chopped at Threska’s shoulder.

The half-giant woman roared in return and swatted at the attack with her ice-clad fist. The impact threw chunks of ice into the air while knocking Brug back into a stumble.

Threska remained undisturbed and bore her deadly ice magic down on Brug. The half-orc raised his battleaxe and charged forth to face what could be a frozen death.

It was a good thing Brug was on a team.

Grimmy was already darting around from the blindside again. She attacked the back of the same knee, and the half-giant woman roared even louder as she lost her lower leg.

Alive and still on his feet, Brug rushed forward and swung his weapon at Threska’s chest. The attack released an explosive burst of bloody flames and grudge-filled energy.

Threska flew back.

Stomping up, Marnarka slammed her shields into Threska’s back. The half-minotaur threw Threska toward Brug again, and the half-orc swung once more, swatting Threska aside even harder.

With Path Energy’s help, Threska stayed up while hopping around on one leg. She screamed at my juniors as she charged up her magic for a powerful retaliation.

A mad and unnerving cackle interrupted her.

Noodles hopped into view and landed on the back of some ice-coated seats. With her arms thrust up, she made six hexagonal phantom walls appear around them all.

A collection of torture implements faded into view as ghostly displays. What happened next was one simple and immutable power – every pain the enemy suffered was magnified to an immense degree.

Threska screamed and thrashed from the sheer shock of overwhelming torment. She hobbled about on one leg while vulnerable to another onslaught of attacks from my juniors.

Marnarka slammed a shield into the half-giant’s head. Brug swatted aside Threska’s face with his blazing battleaxe.

Redfang returned to the fight after I freed her head from an ice block. She landed her chompers and claws on Threska’s broad back.

The half-gnoll tore into Threska with bloody red magic and the tunnel vision of a Savage. Redfang refused to let go until a few ropes of webbing caught her.

After Weaver pulled Redfang out of the way, Velira darted in and landed a series of critical spear thrusts at multiple weak spots: groin, armpits, neck, and such. Then the elf Ranger dashed out as Marnarka and Brug stepped in again.

The Bulwark and the Raider swung their weapons hard, bashing and cleaving Threska even further into a ruined mess. Between the two of them, it almost seemed like overkill, but that was far from the case.

“ENOUGH!” Threska roared. “The Cold Made Me Perfect And Strong!”

A blast of ice knocked Brug away and had Marnarka crashing onto her back. The blast caught Noodles and sent her flying, cutting short her Epic Torture Chamber. Velira and Weaver ran away to avoid getting caught, and Redfang ended up halfway frozen again.

As I rescued the half-gnoll Savage once more, Threska formed a peg of ice for her to stand on. She reached down with shaky hands into a spatial pocket only to stop when Grimmy boldly stepped out from cover.

The half-goblin walked directly at the half-giant.

Threska sneered.

“You think killing me will end the Gigantomachy? Our comrades know what’s at stake. We will never be ruled by royal pigs ever again. If not me, if not us, a comrade will find your runaway prince and end his line forever.” Threska aimed a hand down at the little half-goblin. “The Gigantomachy is forever, and little things like you will be crushed under the march of our proud feet.”

“It’s Okay If I’m Little.”

Grimmy’s Epiphany was a quiet and humble thing that flowed around us like a breeze. She held her little sword with both hands in front of her. She braced herself, focusing with all of her intent. Then she spoke the next words without power.

“I’ll fight till my last.”

The Legendary half-giant shot forth a torrent that could crush and freeze the Little Fighter to death.

Grimmy moved with her dodgy tucker skill, rolling fast to get underneath the attack. She would’ve succeeded on her own if she was a little more precise, but she mismanaged the distance by a scant inch.

With a crack-thump-boom, I made a direct arrival to cover the Little Fighter.

A spiraling sphere of green, purple, and white elemental magic surrounded me with a zappy crackle and metallic warble. My elemental barrier took the brunt of the ice torrent and diverted most of its power, but not all.

I got blasted backward and thrashed up hard even with my devourer skill activated. That was fine. Grimmy had reached her goal. And her sword strikes came out perfectly, surprising even me.

She split both of Threska’s legs. She stabbed the half-giant woman in the groin and slashed her open from belly to throat with a jump. Then Grimmy spiraled in the air and struck the back of Threska’s neck.

Threska’s head fell from between her shoulders, and it was on this day Grimmy killed her first Legendary.

The pride in my chest was some of the warmest I’d ever felt in a while. I barely cared much about my own Legendary kill as I broke free of the ice, tracked down Durmokk’s unconscious body, and finished him with my cutters thrust into his head.

[Congratulations! You’ve slain Pathwalker Durmokk, “On My Shoulders, I Hold The Sky,” Legendary Level 88 Path of the Thunder Giant!]

After deactivating Hellion and sheathing my cutters, I quickly returned to my juniors and helped free them of the leftover ice.

Magic constructs usually faded on their own with time, hence why they couldn’t be used in crafting, but it wasn’t immediate. My electromagnetic magic warmed them all without hurting them.

I made sure they all drank some Path Elixirs to help replenish and heal their wounds, too. There was a limit to how fast a Pathwalker could drink elixirs. They could become less effective, and there was the risk of Soul Damage.

But we were riding on the edge of that risk just fine.

“I killed a Legendary.” Grimmy looked up at me, her voice small and faint. “Was that bad? Was I supposed to offer you the kill, Sir Arden the Nomad?”

I swept her up into my arms and hugged her like she was my own family. My voice boomed with pride. “That kill belonged to you and your fellow juniors. You all did good.”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t yet time for celebration. A scream ripped through the auction chamber. That brought our attention back to the main event.

Thumper’s appearance as the Perfect Rogue remained undisturbed except for two things.

There was a slight shake in his hands.

He only had dregs remaining of his Path Energy.

I also noted that his Shadow Clones were gone. They must’ve sacrificed themselves to protect their summoner.

The area around his fight was a disheveled ruin with rippling waves of stone spread about at different spots.

It was at the epicenter of one of these stone-heaved circles where Bortham crawled on the floor. His eyes were rolling around with delirious pain as he tried and failed to get up on shaky legs.

Thumper looked over at us and gave a thumbs up. “He fell for it, the Cornered Wolf Void Fang Strike. System, thank you, it really works like a dream.”

Bortham kept trying to crawl away, and Thumper stalked behind him with a ghoulish stride.

Seeing this, Bortham mouthed a silent plea as blood bubbled out of his mouth. His Legendary energy was so low, he couldn’t even afford to heal himself.

Thumper chuckled. “Of course, he would fall for the void fang strike. He always thought I was a weak and little thing. They used to dress me up as a girl, y’know? Because I looked more like my mom when I was a kid. They used to tease me and call me princess, and I had to accept it, because if I didn’t, they’d tell their parents to kill me like they killed my parents. So, I just had to stand there and take it while I was kept around as a political pet. No, a political doll.”

Thumper made his voice sound like a vicious child. “Why are you crying, Princess Taylor? Why are you crying? Are you crying for your royal parents? You’re not supposed to cry for them like a little girly baby! They’re dead because they’re bad! They’re enemies of the Gigantomachy because they’re born with the old royal blood! All royals have to die! You have to die, but you’re alive because you’re a little girly baby!”

“Please,” Bortham rasped.

Thumper slammed his boot on Bortham’s chest, and the other half-giant whimpered.

Still, Bortham tried to speak. “We … were … children.”

Thumper replied in his usual voice. “I hated you then as much as I hate you now. I was literally going to give myself over to Melody if it meant she would make you all fall. She’s kinda evil, but she was always nice to me even when we come from different sides.”

The Perfect Rogue rubbed his hand over his own face. He covered it with blood that wasn’t his.

Thumper chuckled. “But I don’t have to do that, which is probably for the best. I have actual friends now. They’re the only people I can really rely on.”

“I can talk to the First Heir,” Bortham gargled out. “He can make it up to you.”

“Nah. I’m going to kill him at the Grand Generational Passing. But first, you gotta die a painful death. And as you die, your girly baby princess demands that you Watch Me.”

As the Epiphany rang out, Bortham screamed, and Thumper pounced like a rabid wolf.

There was no perfection or smoothness in the act.

No mere use of a knife.

Thumper used the claws that grew from the fingertips of his gloves.

He raked them through Bortham’s neck as the dying half-giant desperately fought for his life, gasping, gargling, pleading. His futile attempts to survive were met by Thumper mocking him with childish laughter.

Then things only grew worse for Bortham when Noodles sauntered close with a big smile, her hands pointed at the victim. 

Bortham’s last moments became the most painful anyone could ever suffer until his Path Energy winked away. For the next few minutes, Thumper sat on the corpse’s chest and looked into Bortham’s pain-stricken face.

After a slow rise to his feet, Thumper turned and took Noodles by the arms. He lifted her off the floor, and his mouth found hers for a deep kiss, the both of them smearing the blood of their victims on each other’s faces.

Ending the kiss, Thumper dropped the neko like a sack of potatoes and let out a satisfied sigh. “Congrats, you’re the first girl I’ve ever kissed of my own volition.”

Noodles laughed maniacally while rolling around on the bloody and disheveled floor. “Hehehe! A prince kissed me! I kissed a prince! Nya!”

Shrugging, Thumper walked over to the rest of us. Some juniors regarded him with nervousness. Others looked at him with awe.

I waited with my hands on my hips. “If there was a line to be crossed, you did so by a mile.”

“Yeah, I know.” Thumper flashed me a brilliant smile that was made deranged by the scarlet on his face. “But man, I really needed that. I had so much freaking pent up crap inside of me that had to get out. Whoever said revenge isn’t worth it is full of it.”

Examining him, I realized my thoughts of Thumper would forever change after a fight like this. Yet, I could still see him becoming my brother one day, even with his flaws.

Maybe seeing this side of him confirmed it. After all, nobody was truly perfect. We could only try to be.

Removing my helmet, I revealed a smile on my face before clapping him on the arm with my free hand.

“Well, I’m on your side. Just don’t torture every Gigantomachy folk. I’d have to kick your ass a little if it goes too far.”

“It won’t go that far. Just let me have my moments with the ones who are more personal to me.”

I nodded before looking past him. “Fine then. Just one last thing. Be careful with your future ex girlfriend.”

Thumper tilted his head questioningly. “But I don’t even have a girlfriend.”

Noodles sidled up against Thumper, her maddened gaze locked on him. “Hey, lover, when are we gonna go on another murder-torture date, nya?”

The Perfect Rogue blinked his silver eyes slowly. “Uh, but that was only a kiss, not a date. Also, my emotions were running high, so it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Not really a big deal. And a kiss doesn’t really mean we’re together or anything.”

Noodles smacked her tail giddily against Thumper’s side. “You kissed me! You kissed me! And now I’m yours, and you’re mine, and I want a big, fancy royal wedding with lots and lots of blood. All of our new friends will be there, and they’ll help take care of all the babies you’ll pump into me!”

“Yay! Noodles is a princess! And she’s gonna have babies!” Grimmy cheered.

“PRINCESS NOODLES AND BABIES! WOOOO!” Redfang howled.

“Ugh! I have to dress up fancy again for the wedding, don’t I?” Brug complained.

Marnarka let out a sob of joy. “Once a psychotic junior, now a psychotic baby mama princess. It’s like a real love story!”

Thumper shivered. “Arden, help?”

Ignoring our prince’s romantic plight, I told Weaver and Velira to loot the bodies. Then I made for the exit. Our time at the Final Rose Auction House was ending.

The next adventure awaited with new challenges.