The two hulking creatures starred at one another unflinching yet reluctant to make the first move, Mari stood back watching intently, confident that her beast would be the one who would ultimately prevail.

The serpent was the first to move, lunging at Orthrus with immense velocity.

 

The two beasts collided in a storm of bites ripping and tearing the flesh of their enemies Mari’s loyal hound had the upper hand clamping its jaw around the neck of the serpent and cutting deeply into its scaly flesh with its serrated teeth making it scream in pain as the blood started flowing.

 

The serpent thrashed violently, attempting to pry itself free from Orthrus hulking maw but to no avail as the great hound rolled with the snake twisting and turning to keep the slippery creature in its clutches.

 

The fight was decidedly one sided and in less than five minutes Mari’s great summon had the serpent in the killing position primed to deliver the decisive blow. Orthrus turned its head, waiting for Mari to deliver the signal to finish it.

 

Mari smirked and nodded and Orthrus ripped and teared the head clean off the serpent with a single movement and with that the guileful serpent was dead and the trial if you could call it one was complete.

 

The headless beast twitched for a while but eventually turned cold and lifeless Orthrus walked over to Mari seeking her approval, which Mari readily gave caressing its mammoth blood drenched cheeks.

 

“Good girl”

The affection pleased her pet, who licked Mari playfully, much to Mari’s chagrin and displeasure.  

 

“Hey, hey enough of that.” Mari said, scolding her pet.

 

 

The playtime was cut short by the same shrill hissing sound from earlier and then it dawned on Mari that that the door hadn’t reappeared so the trial remained incomplete.  

"Of course, it would never be that easy." 

 

The serpent’s body had jolted upright and was twitching violently, blood sprouting from its headless corpse.  The serpent’s body began to grow larger and more muscular as it thrashed and contorted itself.

 

“Look sharp, girl.”

 

Orthrus leaped forward to protect its master teeth bared and snarling as two heads sprouted from the corpse of the serpent, Mari had expected the beast to have some kind of ace up its sleeve it wouldn’t be a test if it could be past with minimal effort.

 

Mari also surmised that the serpent would be highly poisonous like all snakes so best to avoid being bitten, Orthrus would be fine seeing how she was part of the void but Mari was tender human flesh so had to tread with caution.

 

Mari's body was fatiguing, but not like it was before all that wondering through that accursed forest was paying off.  The twin headed serpent slithered quickly towards Mari and Orthrus went on the defensive, charging the serpent recklessly.

The encounter played out the same as last time with Orthrus domineering the serpent crushing the head of one serpent beneath its paw and chomping the over head to mush.  This was growing rather depressing.

 

“Stay dead this time, stupid serpent.”

 

The same venomous hiss sounded the serpent doubled in size yet again this time sprouting four heads, Mari felt stupid for believing that a trial would be so simple.  So cutting the head only serves to strengthen it.

 

The Serpent coiled its gargantuan body around Orthrus, who tore another two heads off but couldn’t prevent the other two from latching on and sinking their fangs into the beast’s flesh.

 

Faster there before four more heads sprouted forth and joined the other heads in sinking their fangs into Mari's overwhelmed summon.  Orthrus was strong, but the battle was turning in the favor or their enemies.  

 

In a frenzy to protect its master, Orthrus had torn off countless heads and now they're ten or more biting hard into the summons flesh, causing it to topple over with a whimper and disappear as Mari knelt in searing pain.

 

“This is bad” Mari grunted.

 

 

The Guileful Serpent slithered closer to Mari, who stumbled to her feet, racking her brain thinking of ways to slay the beast. The heads of the serpent lashed out at Mari, who narrowly slid and dodged the several heads.

 

An epiphany hit her like a bolt of lightning: it was her last chance if it failed then she’d be devoured anyway, so might as well take the shot.  She’d copy a technique she had learned from Yoshiki.

 

“Hey snake, you hungry?”

 

The serpents all lunged at Mari who allowed herself to be swallowed whole by one head it was dark, damp and disgusting as she slipped and tumbled her way down into the depths of the creature’s stomach.

 

It was tight and disgusting Mari gagged as the stench violated her unprotected nostrils, but she endured it this plan was downright suicidal but the regenerating bastard had left her with very little in the way of alternatives.

 

“Don’t fail me now, Velvet.”

“Void Magic:  Crimson Mantis Blades”

 

Luckily the weary Mari still had enough juice to cast one last spell the crimson blades sprouted from her wrists and Mari started carving at the serpent from the inside out.  Its flesh was firm and difficult to cut, but with persistence Mari started to make progress.

 

She could hear the beast cry in anguish as she minced its innards with her blades the creature thrashed helplessly as Mari burst through its middle cutting the snake in half with one final whimpering cry.

 

Though drenched in translucent fluid and blood she had emerged victorious as the door to chamber showed itself beckoning Mari with its shimmering light.

 

“I never want to do that again.” Mari huffed.