Chapter 141 - Ancient Bear against Sofiya
Sofiya, hearing that cry from Aerius, quickly climbed the stairs and arrived at the floor Tomas and Aerius were located.
When she arrived, to her shock, this floor was full of dead bodies, with the ground being covered in a pool of blood. She could see Tomas holding himself up using his sword, all bloody full of slashing wounds in the shape of claws, and Aerius, who was fighting against a large creature in the form of a black bear who had old scars on his face and body.
The winds coming from Aerius, who has turned into a larger shape compared to his small cat form, he seemed to be grown the size of an adolescent lion, looking with predatory eyes at this large bear, who surprisingly opened his mouth while charging at Aerius, saying.
"Kid, I don't know what Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit you have stumbled upon to eat, offering you the ability of the creature you turned, but you are still just a kid. To think you would call yourself "King of Gryphons" that such arrogant little boy."
Ending that while charging at Aerius, who spread out his four wings to block the incoming attack, he was still pushed back by the blow.
The bear's mouth turned into an evil grin as he watched Aerius crashing on the building, but suddenly with a sniff, he noticed Sofiya's presence, turning his large bear head in the direction she was hiding.
"Lilian and gooseberry frequency with lots of blood. A woman, tsk, she's taken. Heh, I guess I will have some fun after Vestios ends that Vermilion kid."
Following that comment, he charged in Sofiya's direction while saying with an arrogant tone. "Woman, stop hiding. My senses are so strong I could sense your presence from kilometers away. Are you here to save those kids who made this mess out of my dogs?"
Sofiya, who first tried to create a strategy, found herself surprised and dashed out from her location to a location that was right for her taste. While doing so, she stepped on the dead body laid lying on the floor, lifeless, along with the crimson blood splashed around.
The instant the bear saw Sofiya, he whistled saying with an impressed tone. "Wow, what a surprise, a gorgeous lady." *Sniff* *Sniff* "Wait, there's a unique scent about you that I remember."
"Hah, whatever, I will find out more about you after I capture you."
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Sofiya heard this entire comment, but it didn't disturb her focus as she stopped running and did a quick turn before also doing a rapier thrust toward the incoming beast.
This attack appeared out of nowhere for the large bear, whose eyes turned colder compared to the infatuated manner they were.
With a beastly roar, he raised on two feet and did a pounce on the gentle-looking woman who was doing a rapier thrust.
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When she noticed this beast's approach, she abandoned her initial idea and instead crouched down, doing a dash moving past the pouncing beast. Once she did that, she could feel the pressure of this beast that made her sort out her thoughts.
'I can't fight head-on with this beast. He said something about eating Ancient Zoan Fruit. From what I've read about the devil fruits and what Vlad discussed with me about his ideas and thoughts, the Ancient type should be made of powerful animals that no longer exist in the world.
With a good reason for that, they could sustain their large requirements for food in a harsher environment.'
Doing the dash, she turned her face at the bear and looked coldly as it pulverized a corpse when landing, creating a slight tremor.
"Sneaky bitch. Do you like playing cat and mouse? Then I will change strategies." said the large bear with an annoyed tone before not long morphing into the shape of a human that had beast features.
This man stood tall at about 2,2 meters, overlooking Sofiya, Tomas, and Aerius by a lot. He had a human-sized bear face, arms covered in thick black fur, along with sharp dagger-like claws in the shape of human hands, while his feet were just like his arms, morphed into a mutated human beast.
He stared at Sofiya and did a noble-like bow, saying to her. "Well, I hope you like this appearance of mine more than the beastly one. Let's get back to the game, my lady."
Grasping the rapier hilt harder, she replied coldly while staring at this man who looked with an evil smile at her. "I would rather prefer you dead and out of my sight."
The man shook his head and clicked his tongue before taking a fighting stance and, with an incredible speed dashing toward Sofiya.
Seeing this burst of agility from the former large beast that appeared now light on his feet, she placed her rapier to block the charging beast using steady footwork.
The bear-man appeared when Sofiya stabilized her stance and, with a heavy strike using the bear's mutated hands, had Sofiya grit her teeth while blocking the initial strike. Sensing the chance to continue the assault, the Bearman tried to send a kick to Sofiya's open stomach, but as he did that, he looked at Sofiya's face that stared back with a chilling gaze at him.
Out of nowhere, he felt a stabbing pain in his stomach area before being pushed. He looked down on his midsection and saw the deep heel boot imprint on his stomach.
"Haha, that was good. You know how to fight, woman. I am impressed. It is actually my first time seeing a woman like you trying to fight back without fearing death. Not like that sword brat who I found holding for breaths from only some strikes."
Sofiya just looked coldly at the Bearman, who was massaging his midsection while looking at Sofiya with an impressed expression.
"Huh. I guess you are not the talkative type like that little kid who likes to boast so arrogantly. I can sense you, kid." said the Bearman, turning his head in the right direction where the young gryphon was flying straight at him.
With a controlled manner, he opened his mouth and did a beastly roar that created a strong shockwave that blasted toward the flying Aerius. In the path of this shockwave, the corpses were pulverized, sending the remains of their bodies flying in the large room.
In the face of this shockwave, Aerius's wings began moving faster and stronger, creating strong winds that had Sofiya step back a bit, but she also prepared to strike at this moment the Bearman wasn't focused on her.
She turned her head briefly in the location she knew Tomas was taking his time breathing, but he was nowhere to be found, instead, when she turned to the left side of the Bearman from the shadows, appeared Tomas surrounded by a crimson armour and a crimson sword.
This had Sofiya ponder on the gravity of the opponent in front of her because she knew what this new appearance for Tomas meant.
'You already used all the vials of blood Vlad gave you, little Tomas? Is this Bearman really this powerful that he managed to push you this far? Then I will no longer test this man.'
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The Bearman gave a maniacal laugh when he sensed Tomas and said with a satisfied tone.
"That's more like it, boy. The little kid boasted that you are Vermilion's Disciple, so this should be one of his abilities that grants his people an enhanced state? INTERESTING!"
Saying that, while looking at Aerius, who continued to push in the face of his shockwave ability, his eyes turned red, saying to himself [Ursoc Madness].
The instant he said that his beastly muscles began bulging as if they had worms around each tissue, along with an intense green aura that began spreading around his body.
"Hmph, you took Aerius and me by surprise after having to slaughter about 100 people, and you actually think you won? Too naive." commented Tomas, who showed an enhanced speed by arriving at the side of the Bearman swinging his crimson sword.
"That should be you, kid. You haven't learned your lesson. Let this uncle Vord teach you something."
"[Echoing Dischord]!"
He roared again in a mighty beastly manner creating a pressuring soundwave that stopped Tomas' advance, soon enough pushing him back from where he appeared.
With that done, Vord, the Bearman, shifted his entire body toward Aerius, who was about to strike him down, and with a hard stomp of his foot that created a tremor and shook the whole structure of the building they were, he took a boxing stance and with a crazed tone called out while punching in Aerius direction.
"[Shattering Strike]!"
Aerius looked sharply at the incoming shockwave strike that was moving in his direction, and while keeping his descent trajectory, he released an eagle cry that sent out a soundwave to counter the attack the Bearman sent.
"Haha, it is useless, kid. How can you beat me? With only a cat-bird devil fruit? Even if is Ancient Zoan?"
The clash of preemptive strikes happened, and instead of them canceling out, the Bearman strike outpowered Aerius soundwave cry, keeping his trajectory toward Aerius.
Aerius didn't back down, seeing that his ability was canceled. Instead, he tucked his wings to his back and braced for impact.
Once the strike shockwave hit Aerius, the young gryphon's body began gushing out blood, along with his beak that started bleeding from fronting this impact. Yet, with an unimaginable spirit, Aerius continued his descent, and like a meteor, he struck Vord with his bleeding beak, along with his dagger-like talons.
After he delivered his strike, he turned his sharp golden eyes to look at the Bearman who was pushed back, with skin teared wounds from his talons on his midsection and with a deeper wound on his shoulder. Still, even after this heavy strike coming from Aerius, the Bearman stood straight looking at Aerius, Tomas, and Sofiya, who began to move for her own strike.
Yet before Sofiya got to him, he liked his shoulder wound, and with a bloody mouth, he began laughing maniacally while the atmosphere around him intensified.
"To think my time with Vestios would lead to me encountering strong people. I actually thought of going for the New World and seeing for myself what those strong pirates can offer after settling down the opposition for Vestios coming from that Vermilion Prince. Come, woman, let's dance!"
"[Ursoc Frenzy]"
As he said that, his body began morphing again, turning more into a monstrous shape that released a green-red aura from his body.
Nevertheless, Sofiya didn't wait for Vord to finish his transformation or give him any possible advantage, and with a vial full of shining crimson liquid, she spread it out on her rapier, quickly morphing on the blade, giving it a crimson luster.
The blood on the blade moved around her hand and made a gauntlet to protect her hand, and as the blood moved around, Sofiya heard a soft whispering in his mind that told her in a childish tone.
*** Mistress, the Lord, told me to notify you that he will not be available to boost your abilities or what the enemy you are fighting, and left a small part of my powers to help you.***
"Just enforce the rapier, so it doesn't break against this guy." said Sofiya in a soft tone while looking at Vord morphing into a monster form rather rapidly.
***Understood, Mistress. This environment is perfect for me. I will be able to help you even more outside of the Lord's watch.***
Once that childish voice ceased from being heard, the rapier began giving off a brighter light that illuminated this dark room, turning it into a crimson room, while the rapier looked menacing, and at the same time, mesmerizing to watch.
Sofiya grasped the rapier's hilt even harder to check the new addition of the hand gauntlet she acquired from Vlad's unique ability. The feeling she had gained while grasping the modified sword was something new, it felt like she could cut anything and pierce anyone with the crimson tip of the blade.
As she moved fast toward Vord, who roared in pain from the transformation he was undertaking, she did a lighting fast piercing strike right in the direction of Vord's heart, calling out in her mind the strike she unleashed on the enemy.
'[Night's Wind]'
With the rapier approaching Vord's chest at an alarming rate, Sofiya felt in her hand how the blade pierced the Bearman's chest, but as she continued to move forward and end him, her spine turned cold all of a sudden.
'Danger!'
Not waiting or being greedy for a quick end, she drew her rapier back and dashed back to where Aerius was, while Vord unleashed a powerful strike that shattered the entire ground of this building-level while delivering a mighty roar that also shook the air and had the three fightings him, stare as they dropped to the other bellow level.
"[REND FLESH]!"
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Aerius began moving his wings and fly toward Sofiya, taking her on his back and later at Tomas, who was jumping from rock to rock, before landing on Aerius' back.
"Heh, to think you would be lifting us, buddy. What is going on with this transformation? Is this your true form?" commented Tomas, grabbing hold of Aerius's bloody fur.
"I have no idea. I got furious, which I still am, and turned into this shape when I stopped the beast from ending you. I really hope I remain this size because I got sick of staying as a house cat and being ordered about."
"Guys, no time for chit-chatting. We need to defeat this guy, or he will most likely unleash himself on the soldiers. We'll talk about how you got into this mess after putting him down." said Sofiya while looking for Vord, who also descended to the ground.
However, as he seemed to be descending without doing anything else, he began jumping around with powerful kicks that kept him in the air at the same level as Aerius.
"This beast can do the same trick big brother does, walking in the skies. Hey Aerius, you better prepare for an aerial fight because I think he will come for you. Shit, here he comes." said Tomas while pointing at Vord, who began using [Sky Walk] to move toward Aerius.
"Hmph, he thinks he can beat me in the air? I am the ruler of the skies, while he is just a ground beast, a bear, nothing else."
"I hate to admit it, but this guy still overpowers us. Luckily, I got two vials of [Progenitor's Blood] from big brother and can use them to enhance my body and abilities. We still have 30 minutes before the blood powers wain off."
"That was because you idiot tried to fight against all those guys head-on, this is why you were overpowered by that beast. I also had to save your ass, now what? Do I engage first in the fight? Are you two ready?"
Sofiya took the rifle strapped on her back, and while holding on to Aerius fur, she took aim at the flying Vord.
"Aerius, keep your distance from him. I want to check how good his defenses are against my modified bullets."
"I should be able to do this, but how many of those new bullets do you have on you?" asked Aerius while ascending a bit more in the air.
"About 50 of them. They are tough to make on your own. However, it is worth the time spent on building this [Exploding Bullets]."
"Understood, Sofiya. Then I shall listen to you and let you do your thing. Tomas, you better watch my back."
"Don't worry, it is unlikely this guy will move unnoticed to your back." said Tomas while looking at Vord, who shifted his hand stance, reading himself for a strike.
"Dodge it!"
"[SHATTERING STRIKE]!"
Roared Vord, while doing a powerstrike in Aerius's direction, releasing a shockwave that comparable to the first one, made it look tiny.
Aerius felt the pressure of this shockwave and quickly began descending, moving from harm's way before seconds later, the shockwave impacted with the walls of the building, destroying it apart, leaving an opening for the outside.
The sound outside was muffled by the sound of rocks collapsing and dropping on the lower floor.
"Keep steady, Aerius!" ordered Sofiya with a cold tone while she was looking at Vord with her telescope.
Seconds later, after Aerius kept a stable elevation, she pressed the trigger, sending out a long thick bullet that created a soundwave after exiting the muzzle.
'Let's see, how strong is this creation of mine.' thought Sofiya as she took another long bullet from her pocket, placing it on her rifle.
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While she was preparing for another shoot, Vord, who snorted at his failed attempt at pinning Aerius, heard the gunfire but thought little of it.
"What can some bullets do to me? There've been so many people trying to kill me with bullets, but all attempts backfired back. My Ancient Cave Bear abilities are too powerful for these conventional weapons."
Saying that his expression hardened, and he quickly used his hand claws to defend when sensing that this bullet moved faster than regular bullets.
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Sofiya saw this approach of the Bearman, and with a scoff, she said to herself. "You are either too arrogant or too powerful. These bullets are capable of even harming Vlad in his enhanced form, and you think you will do fine sticking your hand?"
The two beside her heard this comment and looked at Vord, who in just 2 seconds they witnessed an explosion that created a heatwave that touched them briefly, along with the grunt of pain and a beastly coming from Vord who was blasted by the bullet which made contact with his sharp claws.
"DAMNED WHORE YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS! I FIRST WANTED TO SPARE YOUR LIFE AND HAVE SOME FUN WITH YOU AFTER ENDING THOSE KIDS, BUT FUCKING YOUR CORPSE WILL ALSO DO THE SAME!"
"Those are some big words, bear. Better pray I don't dance on your corpse after I end you." said Sofiya coldly, as she prepared for a second shot from the direction the explosion smokescreen was created.
