Grand Olympia: Further Horizon - Chapter 12: Roar
The air itself trembled.
All across the battlefield—from warriors locked in bat to those hidden in the shadows—everyo it.
A scaly bck serpent, rger than anything they had entered thus far, coiled its massive body high into the air.
Its jagged obsidian scales gleamed uhe dim sunlight, its body lined with pulsating veins of molten red, as if fire coursed through its very flesh.
Then—it opes maw.
A deafenih-shaking roar erupted from its throat, a sound so vast and powerful that it rattled the bones of every living thing in the viity.
Edward, however, reacted differently.
“Oh, f*ck that.”
His grin faded, repced by a look of genuine . He cracked his neck, rolled his shoulders, a out a sigh. “Y’know, as much fun as this little brawl has been, I ain’t about to stick around for whatever the hell that thing is.”
He turned on his heel. “I’m out.”
Zheng Yi Sao, perched on a broken tree branearby, whistled low.
“That’s the first smart thing I’ve heard you say all day.”
…
Billy’s fiwitched on his revolver.
His body remaiill, but every fiber of his being screamed at him to run.
“Sh*t… my gut is sayio get the hell outta here.”
But he didn’t move. His feet remained pnted, his eyes locked on the massive serpent now rising over the battlefield.
The woman with the spear, who had been toying with him just moments ago, had stopped as well.
She turned her head toward the cliffside, and for the first time sihey had met—Billy saw her expression ge. She still had a smile on her face but it was frozen.
It wasn’t just a shock. It was uanding. Like she had seen this before.
She exhaled with a smile, tightening her grip on her spear. “wo cao.”
Billy raised an eyebrow. “What the hell does that mean?”
She finally looked at him, her expression no loeasing, but serious.
“It means we’re f*cked.”
…
Jeanne and Fu Hao, positioned right o the cliffside, had a clear view of the monstrous onyx serpent.
Fu Hao, who had beeing against a tree with her arms crossed, immediately sprang up, her hand moving to the hilt of her small jade axe.
“By the gods… Holy sh*t.”
Jeanne, ever the warrior of faith, gripped the spear tighter. She had fought many battles, seen the horrors of war, but this—this was different.
“This is not just another beast,” she murmured. “This is something beyond nature.”
Fu Hao clicked her tongue. “Great. As if this whole damn bloodbath wasn’t already chaotiough.”
Jeauro her. “We roup.”
Fu Hao gritted her teeth, her instincts battling against her pride.
But she knew Jeanne was right. Fighting each other could wait. Surviving came first.
Then the monstrous onyx serpent scarlet eye locks on into Fu Hao and Jeanne position! Fu Hao noticed this grab Jeanne hand and bolted to the other dire.
Then the onyx serpe out a screeg roar.
…
A massive, onyx-scaled serpent with scarlet eyes, fifty meters long, slithered through the shattered forest like a living nightmare. Its body coiled and uncoiled with terrifying speed, its monstrous form bulldozing through trees, splintering them into dust.
At the front of this deathly pursuit, two figures ran at full speed—their shining armleaming uhe dimming sky.
Jeanne d’Arc, her flowing cape billowing, gripped her spear tightly, its fg fluttering with each desperate step.
Beside her, Fu Hao, a ese-style clothing with an overcoat loose in her shoulders, her small jade axe ched in one hand, ran with pure adrenaline pumping through her veins.
Behind them, death loomed.
The serpent’s monstrous maw opened, its sheer size capable of swallowing a three-story house whole. The air hissed violently as its forked tongue flicked outward, tasting their fear.
Fu Hao, despite her exhaustion, shrough ched teeth. “This is bullsh*t! I’m not dying like a f*g rat!”
Jeanne, internally praying for divierventioally screamed:
“May God bless me! May God bless all!”
Watg all of this at a short distance ahead, Gee Washington crouched low, his sharp eyes locked onto the ini.
His modified rifle was already in his hands, the barrel glinting with faint traces of heat. Unlike some of the other sharpshee wasn’t the best marksman. He wasn’t a sniper who could nd a precise kill shot. But he was damn good at harassing his enemies and would seize the moment to strike.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
His rifle barked, sending a volley of bullets toward the serpent’s head. Each shot struck its face, f the moo slow ever so slightly, its massive, lidless eyes blinking from the impacts. It was enough to buy them in a short time.
Jeanne and Fu Hao, still running at full speed, felt the pressure ease just slightly.
“Damn it, Gee, keep going! Blind the f*cker if you !” Fu Hao shouted betweehs.
Gee didn’t answer. He simply oward the left—toward the cliffside. Then, without hesitatiourned and sprinted.
Jeanne and Fu Hao followed immediately, their feet pounding against the ground as they veered toward the cliff’s edge.
The serpent roared.
With horrifying speed, it adjusted its pursuit, slithering toward them like a bullet train. Its gaping maw widened, revealing rows of curved, bde-like fangs.
Down below, the rest of the partits momentarily pause their brutal cshes.
Musashi, Lapupu, and Yasuke were still locked ihree-way battle, but all looked at the dire of the roar.
Edward Teach, his rge -whip anchor still in hand, gnced up from his fight and froze. Zheng Yi Sao, standing nearby, tilted her head, watg the se unfold with wide amusement.
From the distance, Billy the Kid lowered his revolver, staring in utter disbelief. The same with the spear top of the trees.
Above them—
Three figures emerged over the cliffside. Then stop at their tracks and jump sideways.
And right behind them—
A f*g titanic serpent past through the three of them and jump off the cliff and now barreling straight down at them.
Edward was the first to break the silence.
“WHAT IN THE SEVEN SEAS ARE YOU DOING?! DON’T BRING THAT THING HERE!”
Billy, still staring, threw his hands in the air.
“I K! This goddamn president ruins everything—just like every other president!”
The spear-wielding woman, standing the top of the tree distance from him, exhaled heavily, rubbiemples.
“I shouldn’t be here,” she muttered.
Musashi, wiping a streak of blood from his cheek, simply grinned.
“Oh? Iing.”
Lapupu, standing firm, examihe desdi with mild curiosity.
“It looks delicious. I wonder if it’s poisonous?”
Yasuke, breathing heavily behind his mask, said nothing.
His entire body was tense, his grip tightening on his onyx steel kanabo.
The chaotient was interrupted by ughter.
Zheng Yi Sao cackled, clutg her stomach.
“BAHAHAHA! I like this! Absolute f*g madness!
Above, at the cliff’s edge—
Gee, standing tall with a nont expression, gave a casual thumbs-up.
o him, Fu Hao, grinning wildly, raised her own thumbs-up.
Jeanne, panting heavily, hesitated.
Then, with a guilty expression, she awkwardly lifted a thumbs-up as well.
The serpent crashed into the sea of explosives. The massive onyx python smmed into the war-tround, its tail whipping wildly, obliterating the surrounding terrain.
BOOM!
Explosioed as the serpent’s weight triggered several hidden ndmines, sending fmes and debris into the sky.
The etlefield was thrown into utter chaos.
Musashi and Lapupu leaped back, avoiding a bst of shattered earth. Yasuke shielded his face, standing firm despite the force.
Edward barely avoided being crushed, rolling away just in time. Zheng Yi Sao flipped effortlessly away, ughing all the while.
Billy, meanwhile, dove into a nearby trenarrowly dodging a massive boulder that flew past his head.
“THIS IS SOME BULLSH*T!” he yelled.
The serpent, enraged and disoriented, let out a bloodcurdling hiss. Its massive body twisted, its tail shing out violently, tearing through trees and shattered ruins alike. Unstoppable force has noeared in the midst of chaos.