CHPT 188: Make the Best of it.

Claude opened his eyes to a world of increasingly more familiar feeling pains. Nothing was broken, but the intense aches and stretching feeling of his bones told him that he was bruised up all over…..and transforming.

[60% HP Remaining, (243/405)]

He heard nearby movement and turned to his left, finding Frosty rising to his feet and shaking the dirt and grass from his fur. Luckily he didn't get knocked as far away and probably took far less damage as a result. But he couldn't say the same for the rest of his team.

To his right, behind the sporadically placed barrage of tall standing dead trees, he could see his team. They weren't in much better shape than him— and the Hexenbiest was well aware. He could hear it approaching to finish the job in the distance.

"I'm so tired of you demonic bastards…" Claude growled while the small spirals of steam rising from him increased and more of his body changed until he found himself in his usual halfway form often forced to the surface after sustaining a certain amount of damage to his mind and body. A form that lended him power and a change and shape— but the ability to not be instantly noticed.

"[If you fight the Hexenbiest in this form now, while they're unconscious— you'll be able to deal a good chunk of damage and buy your team some time. You've just got to avoid that telekinetic blast.]"

"I'm glad we're thinking the same thing, Arne."

"[Likewise.]" Arne answered poshly as Claude painfully pushed himself off the ground, retrieving his sword in the process.

Once on his feet and sword in hand, he was ready. His eyes scanned the forest— checking the sides of every tree and surface of every dirty black pond, until they found the approaching monster and stayed there, completely unmoving and undisturbed.

He began his walk receiving the painful reminder that he was just thrown through bushes and thick spiked tree branches for dozens of feet. His joints ached with every step and his left ankle felt like mush with every light step he tried to make until he settled with limping, using every passing tree as support until Frosty eventually used his weight to keep him upright.

Slowly, his muscles bubbled and fortified until they sat warmly under his flesh like sinewy armor and small black fur spread across his skin like a virus followed by his ears lengthening until they breached the thick shroud of his black hair— picking up the sounds of the forest at a much higher level.

Frosty snarled next to him, sensing his readiness and indirectly waking the Phantom Wolves who had more than enough time spent on the sidelines.

The shadows spilled from the marking on his left hand like inky fog that pooled on the dry grass while the Wolves urged to be freed.

He was ready to grant their request when a sound stopped him and caused the Wolves to retreat back inside his hand like a misty snake returning to its home.

"C-Claude?" Ursula spoke— sounding almost like a quiet yell to his sensitive ears that twitched at the sound of her voice.

Claude had to push down the urge not to run and hide— knowing that with his hair covering his face and cover of trees, they couldn't see much. At least that's what he thought.

"Erhm….I'm fine. Go….check on the others. I'll buy you time." Claude replied without looking at her and Isaac while trying to sound as much like his old self as possible.

The sound of boots stomping through the grass told him Isaac stepped in front of Ursula, "Claude….listen man. We know your strong. But you can't go toe to toe with that thing. You look like you've been burned…dude your stea—"

"I'm fine. Remember what I said. If you stay, I'll do what I can to keep you all alive. Let me do that. You two go check on the others. Please." Claude said, cutting off Isaac abruptly before limping off after the Hexenbiest.

An automatic sigh of relief escaped his lungs after he heard them both hesitate before running off to check on Maris and Warren.

"We'll be right behind you." Ursula yelled at his back.

Claude threw her a thumbs up, no longer attempting to speak as he let more of his true self rip and claw its way to the surface.

"HaghK!…HahahhaghK!" The Hexenbiest danced and hopped in and out of the cover of trees in front of him after realizing it would finally get Claude in a one on one fight. Or so it thought.

He picked up his pace quickly. Slowly building from a painful limp….to an aching walk…stiff jog. It only took a few seconds for his body to find comfort in his usual high speed sprints— assisted by a rushing wave of adrenaline and Wild Magic as he zipped past the trees as a blur.

Frosty moved at his side, feeding off of the excess magic and growing in power.

The Hexenbiest moved to meet his blurring charge, only for 3 large Griffon's to dive bomb its face and fight to claw its eyes out.

The Pre-Old World Vultures often inhabited Undead Tangents in droves and this one was no exception. The once extinct birds dropped in on the Hexenbiest, sporting larger talons and greater wing spans made for carrying away Zombie or Ghoul limbs, and attacked the hellish monster without hesitation. In higher level Undead Tangent's, the birds fed on the much stronger Undead creatures and absorbed the residual Undead Magic's, lending them power and changing their shape until they became monsters in their own right. Unfortunately, a creature that strong wasn't going to be found here. But what he had was enough.

Claude didn't let up, closing the distance in seconds while the Monster fought and swatted at the fluttering mess of screeches, talons and pale brown feathers.

Upon his arrival, the Vultures dispersed like leashes connecting to the sky yanked them away. Just when the Hexenbiest thought it was over, a large foot crashed into its ribs and sent it flying back and spinning as it bounced off the side of a nearby tree.

The Hexenbiest hit the ground on its back and opened its eyes just in time to see a pair of bloody front paws hurtling towards its face like two giant meteors.

Fwoo!

Boom!

The Hexenbiest rolled out of the way and kicked the massive PitWolf off to the side before flying to its feet with its telekinetic control again.

Claude was back on it, swinging, stabbing and kicking while the creature slid across the grass without moving its legs to dodge his onslaught of violent snarling attacks.

While the fight continued, the creatures flaming veins pulsed with power causing Claude to relax and look for the next attack.

The Hexenbiest leapt at the opportunity and began dishing out its own plethora of oddly executed slashes and kicks until they were both attacking and defending in a high speed combative game of chess.

They continued for 30 seconds, Claude synchronized with Frosty looking to reveal openings or waste any of the creatures stamina slowly. He was winning by staying in the creatures face with unrelenting strikes and jumping attacks, forcing the creature to evade into Frosty. Slowly, he found himself sinking into a familiar rhythm of comfort in battle against the Monster. His attacks felt effortless, his communication with Frosty— perfect. Even his eyes matched his incredible speed with his pupils moving as green blurs, searching for openings and just barely evading attacks.

Suddenly, the glow of the veins reached peak hellish brightness as Claude lunged in to sink his blade into its throat.

"[Here it comes.]" Arne warned him followed by the temperature of the area dropping aggressively.

Claude stopped his attack inches from its throat just in time to see a bubbling red glow take place in the pit of its stomach— while its spiraling gazelle-like horns ignited, before the ball rose up through its throat grotesquely and spewing out of its mouth as blood red HellFire.

He barely had enough time to twist his torso and lean sideways to miss the red hot hellish vomit that burst from its mouth like a volcano.

Due to his odd dodge, he was beneath the creature but also much closer— within attacking distance.

He snarled angrily before using the hand closest to it to deliver an uppercut to the Hexenbiest's jaw fueled by vengeful rage and Wild Magic.

FWO!

POOM!

His fist smashed into its chin, shutting its mouth to stop the flames and causing its browned rotten teeth to shatter like dirty glass. The sound echoed through the forest and sent the Hexenbiest off its feet and towards the clouded sky.

Instead of coming back down to a land in a stunned state, the creature flew away to create space between them. It landed a few feet away, smiling with its black bleeding gums bared proudly.

"The fuck are you grinning for?" Claude growled before hearing the crackling sound of fire on his right shoulder.

"Shit!" He yelled before swatting the hellish flames repeatedly to snuff them out. Oddly enough it did nothing, bringing him into a snarling panic followed by a thick calloused hand gripping his flaming shoulder from behind him.

SHHHH!!!'

The flames came into contact with Ursula's frozen hand and sizzled loudly as they fought to continue eating away at his armor only for the ice to expel them soon after.

"Everybody's up." Ursula said before taking her hand off his shoulder and standing next to him.

He turned to his left and saw Isaac and Maris step up next to him. Blood leaked down the back of the Knights thick dark skinned neck while cuts lined Maris's cheeks and forehead— which she seemed completely unbothered by.

"Let's try this again." Claude growled before taking off, "Isaac on me! Ursula and Maris go around left! Warren go opposite!" He told the group before taking the Knight and Frosty with him to face the Hexenbiest up front.

He wasn't entirely used to leading in combat, but he focused on his studies in the C.S Academy and knew how to spread a team against one individual with a level of power that surpassed them all.

He'd take the best up front fighter in the team which was between Isaac, Maris and Ursula. He chose Isaac since he could take damage comfortably and had a surprising level of speed. Ursula and Maris's chemistry and understanding of their skills would make them a formidable ambushing duo. And Warren's completely undisturbed vantage point with the Hexenbiest's back to him allowed him to shoot freely with less fear lining his movements.

It seemed like the best option and that's what he'd do. Make the best of it. Because if he didn't, someone could get hurt and make the HellBred stronger. And if it became too strong, they could die.