Chapter 165: The Turning Point

While not being able to utilize Harvard anymore, his monster was large enough to be visible through the barrage of leaves, allowing the Marrow to have a direct change of plans. With merely a thought, the Spider would be quick in striking at Solomon, having its main magic be forced to trigger; Its mouth bubbling a froth-like substance before shooting it directly at his vicinity. A silk-like thread that weaves into a magnificent web. Such a web would force the Biblical Sorcerer to back away, creating a second barrier around the body itself in order to carry it away, trying to not have either of them be caught in it. When the boy would look back and see the web itself, he would notice that such a concoction was harboring something within. It would pulsate, twitch even, trying desperately to escape out of the web. It wasn't long before something ripped through the webbing, something with long nails and crooked hands, screeching for a chance to be at peace.

A Body.

"So that's what it can do. Alright, Noted. Not having Harvard get close to whatever those are.." Solomon would state to himself, witnessing the monster's main ability: Utilizing the very Souls as a snare. Bodies upon bodies began to be reborn, clawing and scratching at their prison within such silk, freeing themselves and gasping for air. Furthermore, with the very flora ingrained within the lines, the plants would travel downwards to reach this web, giving it an earthy feel and quickly overcoming the spirits, somehow invading into their spectral-like forms and growing roots and flowers within them. The Biblical Sorcerer would be quick in deducing that such a monster must've been unintentionally feeding the flora the same magic, cheating out access for the spirits in terms of interacting with the very soul. It would also explain how Harvard was able to somehow know what spell needed to be cast, even when it was the wrong card in question: It was learning. Whatever this monster was, it was clear it would've been able to do the same thing in the real world, and most likely was the reason the child committed such arson beforehand.

He can't help but feel like he needs to apologize for calling him outrageous for doing such a crime. Without doing exactly that, Solomon's unsure if killing the thing is even possible.

Back to reality, the Souls would be quick in trying to invade the likes of the Biblical Sorcerer, where he'd send out Shady and utilize him as a scout to find a path he can take without being attacked on all sides. In the meantime, he himself would set up Red Sea Ark, splashing before a tsunami to flush out the souls, or if not that, than to at least destroy the web entirely and ensure no more souls would come from the silk. The moment the waves crashed and tore the concoction away, the Spider would make another and implant it within the trees, having its silk mix with the bark and ingrain it within the very dirt. What's worse, is that because of the water still in the ground, it would create more souls and even more trees to spread out into the environment, not even hesitating to take advantage and ensure its grasp was sound. Solomon would grit his teeth as he realized he gave the monster the upper hand. He'd try to counter this through the use of his plagues, raining down Hail and Fire, as well as a new plague in turning the water into blood, making it unusable to feed into the plants further.

His eyes widened in shock when the intoxicated fluid would still be drunken.

Meanwhile, Stolas and The Marrow would fight directly, even despite the severe wounds they are both taking in. The Spriggan-like beast lunging forward and trying to do a left straight, yet Stolas would move towards the leaves and get himself ripped through alive in order to get a better angle and land a heavy kick straight across its face, before grabbing ahold of the Treefolk's arm and pulling him further towards the Stellar Magician and land a right hook, using its momentum to be pushed directly towards more leaves, letting it suffer the same fate. They'd lunge at each other once more, with Stolas leaning for a gut punch while The Marrow leaned for a chop, hoping to strike at the child's shoulder blade in order to properly implant Primavera. When the waves would crash through the forest, however, any fire that would be stoked within was put out almost immediately, drowning out the flames and any living creature in the vicinity, with half of the chaos being contained and defused by the Red Sea. The shields would directly be hit, cracking itself open like an egg while having some water leak out. The Marrow was quick on changing his course of plans, trying to gun for the liquid, right before it turned itself into a crimson red. Stolas would be noticing its movements were erratic. It didn't cared if it was blood or water.

It was something drinkable.

The boy would make a rush for it, yet it didn't matter. The Marrow simply had a head start with attaining this new fluid. The moment it drunk the blood, its body began to shift once more, cooling itself at long last, returning back to its golden amber and gaining a reddish hue on its brown bark. It was being rejuvenated. Relieved even. The leaves would still swirl and scatter, but now with a refreshed Woodland, it was merely a flick of its finger that it tried to cut down the Avian child, even using some leaves to act as a saw directly across his throat, ultimately ready to end his life and move on with the next child.

SHIKK!!

Just as he did exactly that, however, he took a drastic measure of his own. Stolas, in his quick response, would cast his defenses. A Soft glow enveloped around him, coating him head to toe in such a nebulae, the stars floating freely around on his body, the slightest touch of it igniting the leaves and leaving them to burn. The Marrow would get their guard up, realizing that its magic wasn't going to do it easily this time. The boy is getting serious.

Zodiac Man is now in place, and Stolas is not going to hesitate any further. He will drag this fight out as long as it takes to ensure Harvard comes back to them. He'd look on to Solomon, hoping, nay, praying that he has the time to do something. He can only fight in this stalemate for so long.