Chapter 18 - The Commotion (2)

As the triumphant cheers of the crowd rang through the air, a deep rumble shuddered through the ground.

The warriors, still catching their breath from the fight, stiffened.

Something was wrong.

A jagged crack split open beneath the corpse of the fallen lizard beast. Before anyone could react, long, pink, muscular tendrils shot up from the earth, wrapping around the carcass with terrifying force.

"What the hell is that?!" the dagger-wielder shouted, stumbling back.

The ground trembled violently before a massive explosion of earth and stone erupted from below.

Dust and debris filled the air as a monstrous form emerged, towering over the stunned onlookers.

A ginormous armored pangolin-like creature burst from the depths, its gleaming, overlapping scales thicker than fortress walls, its long, barbed tongue retracting as it swallowed the entire lizard beast in one horrifying gulp.

Its clawed limbs, as thick as tree trunks, tore through the street as it fully surfaced, its armored tail slamming into a nearby building, reducing it to rubble.

The sheer size of the creature was staggering—it dwarfed the previous beast as if it were a mere insect. Gasps of terror rippled through the crowd as realization struck.

"It's an Adult Armored Ground Dragon!" someone screamed in horror.

Panic erupted. The spectators surged backward, desperate to escape the impending carnage.

People pushed and shoved, their screams drowning in the deafening roar of the beast.

Jil grabbed Werf by the arm. "Move! We have to go—NOW!"

But Werf was frozen, his entire body trembling. This was not like watching the last battle. This creature was beyond anything they had ever imagined.

Before they could flee, the five warriors sprang into action once more.

"Formation!" the axe-wielder bellowed.

The shield-bearer rushed forward, raising his towering shield just in time to block a devastating claw strike that sent tremors through the street.

The impact alone nearly knocked him off balance, but he gritted his teeth and held the line.

The chain-wielder snapped his steel links at the beast's head, trying to distract it. The chains wrapped around its snout, tightening for a moment—only for the monster to jerk its head violently, sending the man flying through the air. He crashed into a nearby cart, groaning in pain.

"Damn it, it's too strong!" the archer shouted, already loosing arrows toward the beast's eyes. Each shot bounced off its impenetrable scales like harmless twigs.

"Go for the joints!" the dagger-wielder called out, sprinting toward the beast's side.

The axe-wielder roared as he swung his weapon at the creature's massive front limb, striking where the armored plates met flesh.

Sparks flew as the steel bit deep, but it wasn't enough. The beast howled in fury and slammed its tail down, narrowly missing him.

The dagger-wielder dodged under its swinging claws, her blades flashing as she sliced at its underbelly, but her attacks barely pierced its hide. She clicked her tongue in frustration. "Damn thing is built like a fortress!"

The shield-bearer planted his feet as the ground dragon reared up, its sheer weight casting a shadow over the battlefield.

"Brace yourself!" he roared, lifting his shield just as the beast brought both of its front claws crashing down.

The earth-shaking impact sent a shockwave through the streets, dust and debris exploding outward. The shield-bearer let out a pained grunt as his knees buckled, but he refused to fall. The sheer force of the attack left a crater beneath him.

The chain-wielder, recovering from his earlier fall, shook off the pain and rushed back into the fight. He swung his weapon toward the beast's hind legs, wrapping the steel links around them before yanking hard.

"NOW!" he shouted.

The axe-wielder took the cue and swung at the beast's exposed knee joint, his weapon burying itself deep. The creature roared in agony, staggering for the first time.

The archer, spotting the opportunity, nocked a black-tipped arrow and let it fly. The arrow pierced between the beast's armored plates, sinking into the tender flesh of its inner thigh. The beast screeched and lurched sideways, its balance momentarily broken.

The dagger-wielder attempted to climb onto its back, but before she could dig her blades in, the beast twisted violently, its massive tail whipping into her midair. She barely had time to cross her daggers in defense before she was sent flying, her body crashing through the remains of a market stall.

The chain-wielder, seeing his ally in danger, tried to re-wrap his chains around the creature's legs, but the beast anticipated it.

With one mighty lunge, it surged forward, its powerful claws slashing across his torso.

The warrior let out a choked gasp as blood sprayed from the wound, and he collapsed onto the ground.

The shield-bearer, still standing but visibly shaking, barely raised his shield in time before the dragon's tail slammed into him, sending him skidding across the battlefield. His shield bent inward from the sheer force.

The archer, breathing heavily, kept firing, but her arrows weren't enough to slow the monster down. Her quiver was nearly empty. "We… can't keep this up," she panted, sweat mixing with the grime on her face.

The axe-wielder, now bleeding from a deep cut on his arm, gritted his teeth. "No retreat," he growled. "We fight until we can't stand."

The beast, unfazed by the damage it had sustained, let out another ear-splitting roar, its yellow eyes flashing with undiminished fury.

Jil watched in horror, her fingers digging into Werf's arm. "They're—" she swallowed hard, "—they're losing."

The tide had turned, and the beast was dominating.