Despite having such severe wounds on her neck - which was leaving it borderline hanging on by a few sinews and an almost shattered spinal cord - the Fiend was still grinning atlike I had just done the funniest thing ever in this entire world, and she was acting like this wasn't an issue whatsoever.
Even as I pulled back my free fist and encased it in Light Mana so that I could punch her in the head, the Fiend just giggled before falling silent as my fist caved in her skull, an explosions of violet blood and pink gore bathing my nude body.
Pushing her body forwards, I let it slap against the tile as I took a step back, frowning as I stared down at her now headless corpse and wondering why there had been no change in the room, and why I could still hear the Fiend giggling, albeit from somewhere else now.
"Oho~! That's so~ very wonderful to see~! So skilled, so ferocious~! No mercy at all, no hesitation~! Aren't you just a talented, deadly little warrior, Child of Light~! So very talented, so very beautiful... your women are lucky~! Lucky indeed~!"
The body in front ofbegan to twitch as the three arms moved around to support the headless torso, while the furry legs slipped around before pushing up, allowing Sla'Salaxi's corpse to stand up, albeit in an odd, loose manner that felt far too inorganic compared to before.
"I must admit though, I am a bit irate at the fact that you actually ruined that puppet of mine~! I loved~ using that puppet, inside and out~! And I quite liked the Dogkin I made that puppet from~! She was so~ nice towhen I snuck into her village... we made love constantly every night..."
The Dogkin body stumbled forwards before collapsing to its knees again, blood still seeping out of its caved in skull, soaking its body in violet vitae that made it shimmer from the mist, but before it could fall onto its chest again, another pink skinned body appeared in front, catching them and nodding to themselves before glancing back at me.
"Heya Child of Light~! Whatcha' think of my actual~ body, hm~? I know you got a thing for curves and maturity, but hey~! One outta two ain't so bad, is it~?"
Standing about as tall as my waist, this new figure - this new 'puppet' of Sla'Salaxi's, or perhaps her actual form - grinned atferally, her thin lips pulling back to reveal her pearly white fangs that glittered with mana, while her three eyes remained the seven across her different puppets or bodies.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtLong white hair flowed down her back, beads of silver accentuating her hair and giving her yet another primal point of charm, though the myriad bones that she used to maintain sof the braids were worrying...
And this time, she wasn't lying todirectly, as her short body had a pair of breasts that seemed far too large for her stature, while her hips were begging forto grab them and hold them tight as I looked down at her toned back.
Wiry muscles peeked atfrom beneath her smooth pink skin, each muscle group toned to perfection atheistically whilst still providing the Fiend ssemblance of physical might, though again, she was rather short and had many large, juicy reasons as to why she shouldn't be in close combat.
"You're... a Goblin?"
Giggling once more, Sla'Salaxi nodded and turned back to her puppet, resting her hands on the remnants of the puppet's head as she began to funnel her mana into the Dogkin's flesh, stimulating its regrowth and somehow supplying it with enough mana to create new flesh, tendons, muscles, skin, bone and even brain matter, though I sincerely doubt that brain matter has any actual functionality.
"It doesn't, at least not for a normal mortal. This puppet is dead; long dead. Her body is warm, her flesh supple and superb, but she has been dead for a long time... truly a shame, but she wanted it..."
Her amusement was momentarily shelved as she stroked the puppet's cheek, and I narrowed my eyes before lunging forwards, hoping to take advantage of this situation and deal another lethal blow to her.
Of course it would never be that easy, and I found that while my Gladius did plunge into flesh, it wasn't the flesh of the Goblin Fiend I had hoped to stab, but instead into the bulging, muscular and scaly body of a Dragonkin, who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
Two large, clawed hands grabbed at my wrist as my Gladius embedded itself deep into the Dragonkin's belly, and I tried to wrench myself free from its grasp, throwing my weight back and pulling it forwards a step, but that was it.
It's three eyes widened for a second before flushing pink, each pupil dilating as the puppet shivered, only for the Dragonkin's head to tilt down to grin atas its mouth parted, the Fiend's melodious voice dancing out of the Dragonkin's lips.
"Surprised~? Oh baby, the things I could do that would surprise you..."
Licking her lips with her new forked tongue, the towering Dragonkin winked atseductively before clicking that tongue when I slammed my head against hers, only forto wince while she just stared atlike I was an adorable idiot for even trying.
"Ever try punching a Dragon, Child of Light? Their bones are about as thick as you are wide, and nearly a dozen times as tough. Think a Dragonkin is going to be any worse than their parents~?"
"So you're skind of immaterial Fiend then, aren't you? Mana Body, perhaps?"
"Oh, now you finally decide to do something?!"
Still trying to yank away my hand, I balled my fist and coated it in mana once more, this tpunching down into the Dragonkin puppet's arms in hopes of breaking or at least dealing a lot of damage to one of them to make that task easier.
The satisfying crunch of broken bones filled my ears as I snapped one of her arms, eliciting a grunt from the puppet as the pain registered within the Fiend's mind, before she grunted again as I punched down a second tto worsen the wound.
Then I yanked again and freed myself, albeit with my Gladius remaining lodged in the Dragonkin's stomach, a reluctant loss that I needed to deal with since it was either remain in her grasp, or break free.
"Quiet. Sla'Salaxi, am I correct or no?"
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"And why~ should I tell you, Anubi~? If I answer, it gives you the edge, doesn't it~? I might love~ playing the role of a bimbo, but I am not that dumb. But hey~! I said it before, and I'll say it again~! How about we stop this wasteful fighting and instead talk it out like adults, hm~? I have sjuicy~ secrets to share~! I swear on the world itself that they are worth listening to as well~!"
"Like a Fiend's oath is worth anything..."
Sla'Salaxi just grinned atas I spat that out, my irritation at having been bested in a contest of strength joining with my dislike of Fiends - especially Sla Fiends, which was a not so newly discovered dislike - to makerather angry at this whole thing.
"It is worth its weight in gold and then some, Child of Light~! We don't take swears lightly~!"
"And why should we even bother entertaining your whims, Fiend? Why shouldn't we just put you down here and now?"
The Goblin puppet was still tending to the Dogkin puppet's wounds, but when the Sultana approached them and placed all three betweenand her, I saw the Dragonkin clench its fists while its eyes narrowed as it stared at me, even though the tick in its neck maderealize Sla'Salaxi was trying not to look back at the Sultana.
"Then how about a freebie to whet your palate first? Something to buyamnesty and broker a deal betweenand you?"
"I'll give you a couple of seconds before I erase you from the world. I am growing tired of this farce...""You're tired?!"
I kept that as low as I could, my fists still sheathed in Light as I prepared myself to lunge at the Fiend and pummel it to the best of my abilities; breaking its arm was a reassurance that I could actually take on this Dragonkin, and it maderealize I desperately needed to go and ask Dante to spar withagain if this was how strong Dragonkin were meant to be.
"Well, this might not mean much to you, Anubi, but... perhaps the Child of Light remembers the nJillian? Ayla?"
Grinning at me, the Dragonkin spoke of two names I dearly wanted to not have at the forefront of my mind, and upon hearing my knuckles crack while the tile beneathalmost shattered as my mana flared, her grin only widened as she leaned forwards and whispered "Those names ring a bell, don't they Child of Light~? Wanna know why I know them~?"