When Colet stomped his feet down, two cracks, originating from his hooves, went outwards in a v-shape. The cracks on the ground halted the giant beastman in its tracks. The two cracks quickly propagated past the giant before they stopped abruptly some distance behind it. As the beastman took a step back, the ground before the centaur chieftain formed a hole. The hole then expanded outwards while staying within the two cracks. The expansion began slowly but it steadily picked up speed. Once the giant realized nothing it did would slow down the hole’s formation, it turned to run as quickly as its two feet could take it. The moment the beastman pivoted and took its second step, the ground beneath it collapsed. The beastman flayed its arms as it fell down the hole.
“Say hello to hell for me,” said Colet as he watched the giant fall into the depths.
As the chieftain was about to turn away, the Magus’ words gave him the chills.
“It’s not over,” said Eupoos simply.
Colet watched helplessly as the giant’s blood formed giant, shadowy claws that reached outwards until they gripped right into the earth. A dozen or so claws stopped the beastman’s descent as the creature appeared to be hovering midair. The claws then systematically moved up one at a time as they brought the giant back towards the surface. The chieftain turned to Eupoos but the Magus looked spent from his earlier spells. The centaur looked like his legs were barely supporting him. When he returned his attention to the threat, Colet could only watch the giant inch closer towards the surface until it rose up from the hole as though it had risen from the hell itself. Next, the claws along one side of the giant pushed off the earth while the claws on the other side released their grip. Colet watched the giant beastman gracefully land on solid land with the ugliest grin he had ever seen.
“Did you miss me?” said the beastman before letting out a bellowing laugh.
Before Colet could respond, he felt a hand with a firm grip on his arm. He turned to see an intense expression on the Magus.
“We don’t have time!” whispered the centaur.
The Magus pulled Colet and the chieftain, choosing to trust the centaur, allowed himself to be guided. The two of them headed back towards the other centaurs who all stared at the Magus.
“My chieftain! It’s been an honor to serve you! I will be joining Konstite today but I know you will bring glory to the centaurs. Please live a long and prosperous life!”
Eupoos did a quick bow that was a standard greeting towards the chieftain.
“Aegis Barrier!”
Eupoos' voice shook the earth itself as a barrier surrounded all the centaurs. Moments later, Colet caught sight of a light traveling outwards like a ring. When the ring made contact with the giant beastman, the creature’s fur burst into flames as it screamed out in pain. The light then closed in on them and, subconsciously, Colet and the other centaurs braced with their arms. The chieftain watched as the light was absorbed into the barrier. When he felt no pain and stared around at the living centaurs, he understood what Eupoos did.
“Thank you, Magus! The centaurs will not fall under my leadership.”
With a smile, Eupoos’ body simply disintegrated into dust along with the barrier. With the barrier gone, there was an odd sense of silence on the plains. He couldn’t even detect a breeze and, since the beastmen were spotted, he felt a sense of tranquility.
So this is what victory feels like?
Colet was thinking about the emptiness when he quickly looked up. Ilumin came down and landed on his shoulder. After confirming the Cloud Hawk was alright, the chieftain went back to surveying his surroundings. The shieldbreakers had all perished when the reanimated dead rose to fight them. They valiantly fought back and took down their enemies with them. With the shieldbreakers gone and the ax wielders all dead, the centaurs no longer had frontliners. Yet, the scene around them was off-putting. Following the light, all the corpses around them burned up in similar flames as the one that had engulfed the giant beastman earlier. As he was about to address the centaurs, a growl made him turn around slowly. The badly burned beastman stared at him with a hatred that nearly stilled his heart.
“I shall feast upon your flesh! I will not die today!”
The voice didn’t have the same strength but the giant beastman didn’t need a strong voice to strike fear. All of its fur was burned away. The skin looked red and swelling with blisters covering a large portion of the beastman’s body. The creature’s head looked especially bad with its brain showing briefly before a black ooze covered the organ and the blisters. The beastman was ugly before but the light had somehow made it uglier. Colet wouldn’t hesitate to insult the creature if he wasn’t out of ideas of how to defeat it.
Flee! Flee!
Colet understood the Cloud Hawk’s suggestion. However, there were two problems with that plan. First, he was completely spent. Whatever he did earlier completely drained him of his stamina. He could barely stand, let alone walk or gallop. Secondly, a group of beastmen were heading their way. Regardless of how these beastmen survived the light which Colet suspected to have originated from the Purificator, his centaurs were worn out and in no condition to fight the group of fresh beastmen, let alone the group and the giant. As despair began to seep into him, the promise he made to Eupoos pushed the despair out. Gripping his ax, Colet walked towards the group of beastmen. If he faltered, then the other centaur would surely rout or give up. He wouldn’t let that happen as long as he lived.
“Who will be the first victim of my ax?” Colet shouted out.
One beastman stepped out with a smile on his face.
“Good! You can still fight! I was worried you centaurs would be broken now.”
