NOVPUBOf course, the waves after the discussion we had proved my hypothesis wrong as the monsters spawned in and started swinging seriously dangerous haymakers left and right like I had never seen before... in these Trials, anyways.
Literally, giant Ogres erupted from the ground and rushed at us, traveling at speeds that shouldn't be possible with the mass that they had, their bronze skin glistening beneath the sun and distracting me a little since the moment they got within striking distance they swung their hammer like fists and tried to smash me into the ground immediately.
There were dozens of the bastards running straight at me, and upon initial contact with the first I realized that the bronze skin that they had was actually partially metallic, causing the Falcata to screech off of their flesh when I opened up with a swift and shallow cut across their abdomen. 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝙢
The moment that that punch came crashing down on me I was forced to dart to the side lest I be turned into a paste on the sand, but it was a blessing in disguise as it afforded me the opportunity to swing my War Pick up into its ribcage, burying that spike deep into its gut.
Puncturing a lung and shattering a few ribs in the process, I seriously wounded the first and placed a meat wall between myself and the others, allowing me to sheathe the Falcata in my hand with potent Ice Mana to ensure that the next swing I took would for sure deal damage.
I yanked that War Pick out of the Ogre and left it standing there, stooped over and bleeding profusely while its peers-
To say that I wasn't a little shocked to have the Ogre I was using as a meat shield be turned into chunks as all of its peers ripped into it to get to me would be an understatement, and that was why - for the first time in a long time - I was bathed in blood.
It was just that this time it wasn't on my own terms, nor was it a bath that I particularly wanted to happen; it just happened because I was facing some crazy, bloodthirsty monsters that were willing to kill their own to get to me.
While I was caught off guard by the sudden blood shower that washed over me - and by the chunks of meat and bone that smacked against me - I was still quick enough to roll away from the barrage of fists and reposition myself somewhere a little more favorable.
With the sudden emergence of a real threat, the break that the other two were able to take was cut short, though with me drawing the aggression of all of the Ogre's on this side of the Trial Space and Mom doing the same on the other, they could take more of a support role instead.
Feeling the frigid projectiles streaking past my body and locking up the limbs of my aggressors, allowing me to move more freely while also getting the benefits of being in a cooler environment, something that was beneficial because of the skills I had and also mentally.
Immediately upon receiving Draka's help, I was able to begin taking down a few of these bronze skinned hulks of rippling muscle, thick bone and heavy horns, darting between them and leaving behind cuts that further impeded their movements.
My Falcata began to sing a very special serenade as I danced between the oversized meat bags, its crystalline form that was shrouded in mist letting out a low whistle each time it was swung, and each swing was accompanied by a roar of pain or the gurgling of an Ogre choking on blood.
Their scrunched faces and short, thick necks made perfect targets for some serious damage paired with some wonderful potential for the 'art' I loved so much, and while I was already soaked to the bone thanks to their opening I soon found everything replaced with my own hard work.
My blade sung as it sliced open flesh to reveal the bone beneath, severing arteries and cutting through muscles as I pained the sands even more red than before while also having a plethora of bodies behind me as I continued to move.
Meanwhile my hammer thumped out a more solid, deep thud every single time it was used, the heavier and blunter side of the phoenix it had been shaped after coming in perfect use as I targeted those bones I had revealed.
Monsters died all around me, and the longer I was left to this dance of mine the easier it became, my body warming up to the ecstasy of bloodshed while my mind sharpened with glee as I counted down the numbers, relishing each drop towards zero.
Because when it got close to zero it meant I could begin to play with them instead of killing them, and when I had been deprived of so much for so long... the idea of playing with these Ogres was definitely~ far more tantalizing than it should have been...
That was why I was so excited to get closer to that wonderful~ number of remaining monsters, and why it was so easy for me to wave Draka off as I took over completely, only using my magic to empower myself and cast the occasional Incantation as I dealt with whatever was just out of reach for me.
It felt so damn good to be back to killing these flesh and blood monsters, and knowing that there was more to come and that this pleasure was going to be rewarded soon enough only made it better...
And feeling the eyes of that Vampire lingering on me as I reveled in this ecstasy amplified it even more, to the point that I began to 'worry' about whether or not it was the blood and guts of these monsters that had caused my lower half to get soaked and sticky...
That sudden shift from boredom and doing all that thinking and speculating to now letting loose and being so wild was... it was freeing, refreshing, and most certainly what I was yearning for, this chance to be true to my desires once more filling me with such joy that I couldn't help but laugh.
Even as I danced amongst the dead and tapped away in a sea of red I couldn't help but laugh, the joy in my heart and the grin on my face not matching my location whatsoever... but that didn't matter when happiness was to be found by the individual, right~?
