Grand Olympia: Further Horizon - Chapter 14: Unbreakable

  The serpent roared, its immense body thrashing in a blind fury as green blood oozed from its gaping wounds. Despite the tless attacks, the explosions, and the sheer force of their birength, the beast refused to fall.

  The ground trembled as its massive tail whipped violently, smashing into what remained of the battlefield, sending trees, stone pilrs, and debris flying like mere twigs.

  Musashi, Yasuke, and Lapupu dodged it, while Edward and Zheng Yi Sao barely avoided being fttened by a tail strike.

  But no matter how many wounds they inflicted, the beast did not slow down. Instead—it grew mgressive. More uable. And worse…it was learning.

  “Why,” Musashi muttered, gripping both wooden swords tightly, his breath heavy, “won’t this damn thing die?”

  Lapupu, shield raised, exhaled through his nose. “Because it is not just a beast. It is a force of nature.”

  The massive serpent coiled, its crimson eyes narrowing, studying them. It wasn’t just attag mindlessly anymore. It was learning.

  Yasuke, panting, wiped blood from his . “It’s learning from us.”

  Musashi narrowed his eyes. “Then we kill it before it figures us out pletely.”

  Without waiting, he lunged forward. Lapupu followed, his kampin fshing in the firelight.

  Their attacks were precise—Musashi’s sshes aiming for the exposed gaps in the scales, while Lapupu focused on brute force, trying to widen those wounds.

  Their ons cut into flesh, but still—the beast endured.

  Then the serpent moved differently. Instead of retaliating instantly, it shifted its weight, abs their attacks before suddenly whipping its entire body around in a spiraling motion.

  Musashi realized too te.

  “SH*T—!”

  The tail struck him first, sending him flying. Then, before Lapupu could react—

  The massive coils ed around him. Lapupu grunted, his ribs crag uhe immense pressure.

  “YOU THINK YOU CRUSH ME?!” he bellowed, struggling against the tightening grip.

  The serpent squeezed harder.

  Edward, seeing Lapupu being crushed, gritted his teeth. Despite still being enemies a while ago, the current situation is so dire that they have to get help.

  “For f*ch sake! Where are our other teammates! Piss off sh*t ign us!” He screamed internally. “Oi, you pyromaniac queen!” he barked.

  Zheng Yi Sao, already prepping more explosives, snapped her head toward him.

  “You got something in mind, or are you just screaming for no reason?” she snapped back.

  Edward grinned, spinning his s.

  “I got s. You got bombs. Let’s make something f*g exploded.”

  Zheng Yi Sao’s grin mirrored his.

  “I like the way you think.”

  Without hesitation, she tossed a handful of golden s toward Lapupu.

  Mid-air, Edward’s s struck them, with fast and precise rotations with the heavy anchniting the explosives and sending a wave of fire and shrapnel directly toward the serpent’s coils.

  BOOM!

  The explosion bsted apart the scales strig Lapupu, f the serpent to recoil, releasing its grip.

  Lapupu dropped to one knee, coughing, but still gripping his sword tightly.

  “Not… yet,” he muttered.

  Before the serpent could recover, Fu Hao dashed forward, her jade axe spinning in her grip.

  “This thing’s pissed, heh,” she muttered to herself. “Good. Keep it that way..”

  With explosive force, she leaped into the air, swinging her axe in a wide arc. The on ected with the serpent’s wounded side, sending another wave of dark green blood spraying across the battlefield.

  The beast howled in agony, its tail shing out instinctively—But Fu Hao was already moving. She used the recoil of the massive onyx srike to flip backward, nding gracefully.

  “Not bad,” Lapupu called out.

  She grinned. “Stick around. You’ll see better.”

  The serpent’s eyes glowed. Something shifted in the air.

  Zheng Yi Sao’s smirk faded.

  “Uh… something’s wrong,” she muttered.

  Then—

  A thick, bck mist began to seep from the serpent’s mouth.

  Yasuke’s grip on his kanabo tightened. “Poison!”

  Gee, still providing support fire from the cliffside, cursed under his breath.

  “This is bad,” he muttered.

  The serpent reared its head bad exhaled a massive cloud of toxic bck fog over the battlefield. The air turhick, suffog.

  Musashi covered his mouth. Edward cursed, pulling his coat over his face. Lapupu dug his shield into the ground, using it to block the fumes. Zheng Yi Sao covered a cloth for her face.

  Fu Hao, who is closer, squinting through the fog, muttered: “Okay. That’s just f*g rude.”

  High above, Jeaightened her grip on her spear. She had seen the warning signs—the way the serpent’s throat expahe deep inhale before it exhaled death. Now, the battlefield was drowning in the serpent’s poison.

  She turee. “Cover me.”

  Gee hesitated. “What—”

  Then—she jumped.

  Jeanne nded hard, knees bent, rolling forward to absorb the impact before pushing herself up. Immediately, the thick air burned her throat.

  She ripped the cloth from her skirt and tied it around her nose and mouth, creating a makeshift mask.

  The others took notice.

  Musashi takes out a piece of clothing and s it over his lower face. Edulled a spare scarf from his coat and did the same. Lapupu, seeing the pattern, tore a strip from his own tunid covered his face. Same with Zheng Yi Sao apart from Yasuke who is already wearing a mask.

  The air was still thick with poison, but now—they could breathe just enough to keep fighting.

  Jeanne moved quickly, rushing toward Fu Hao, who was still coughing, her eyes red from the sting.

  “Take this!” Jeaossed her a strip of fabric she had torn from her clothing.

  Fu Hao caught it, grumbled something about how much she hated teamwork, and ed it around her face.

  “ime, you tell me before you throw sh*t at my face,” Fu Hao muttered.

  Jeanne simply nodded. “ime, don’t inhale poison like an idiot.”

  Fu Hao snorted. “Fair.”

  From above, Gee exhaled, lining up his shot. With the battle now shifting in the massive monster favor, he zeroed in on the serpent’s exposed eye.

  BANG!

  The bullet whizzed through the air, aiming straight for its mark. But at the st sed—The serpent jerked its head, the bullet barely grazing its scales.

  Gee clicked his tohe thing’s smart.”

  He reloaded, adjusting his angle. If bullets won’t work, I’ll have to slow it down another way.

  His eyes flicked toward the battlefield, searg for something—anything—that could turide. The poison mist was beginning to settle, but the serpent was still very much alive. Its wounded body coiled tightly, preparing for another devastating attack.

  Musashi, Lapupu, Yasuke, and others stood ready, ons in hand. Zheng Yi Sao holding a handful of explosives gold s. Fu Hao cracked her knuckles. Jeanne pulled her spear from the dirt, adjustiance. From the cliffside, Gee let out a slow breath, steadying his rifle.

  The serpent hissed, its massive golden eyes burning with rage. Musashi rolled his shoulders, grinnie the situation.