All his senses were dumb now. Things were happening around him. He could hardly perceive the events right now. It felt like thick fog-like water was around him.
Some sort of downwards motion. A fall. Rubble around him?
Rubble and schrapnel was never going to be enough to squash Beetle or his armor. They made it a tight fit. Tight enough to crush the annoying ghouls clinging to him and tight enough that their screams dispersed into the rocks and earth. They would have made it sounded more muffled and far away than everything else now.Â
It was less than rubble and rock. He was starting to feel air on his skin. Even with dulled senses, he could sense something at his neck. That wasnât the deadweight that kept being clung at him.
But the world around him was starting to register.
The darkness and fog fell away from his senses in that instant as he tried scramble forward to his feet, a metallic cold sharpness scratched against the guard against his headpiece.Â
The sound of that woke up him to his senses right away.Â
Thank Hades he had armor that was worth a shit. Or he realized his head would be rolling away right about now.
His voice was an incoherent deep shriek. He scrambled the other way backwards. He couldnât move much.
It wasnât just being in pain. That demon was on holding him down.
âDamn you, damn you, damn you, you fucking little behemoth....â
This couldnât be her. Her she was more different than he thought. She was annoying with the bothering and occassionally trying to one-up him. But she was out for murder right now!
She hit his head harder than he did or something? Itâs make sense, with that tiara she called a headpiece.
He woule laugh at that joke to himself but he didnât have the energy to waste.
âDamn you! You think Iâm done?! You think thatâs all I got?! Damn you, damn you...!â
Behemoth not acting like the Behemoth he knew, all these annoying new little tricks, being forced in and out of the ground like he was a fuckinâ whack-a-mole!
He was humiliated! He was furious! âIâm not here to play games then! If you here to kill me, youâre just going to have to kill me, you insect...â
He let his body collapse as much as his position would let him and as much as her being on his back and holding a blade against him would make him. His arms were limp at his side with his hands facing up. âYou think Iâd beg and cry for mercy from YOU?! Iâm in the Garuda division too! Iâm Lord Aiacosâs servant too! Iâm going to keep fighting until you fucking put me in the ground for real! What the hell kind of Garuda underling do you think I am...â
He had his annoyances with Violate. But this was hardly the woman he was constantly butting heads with. The woman who he didnât usually hate as much as he loudly said he did.
This was a battle to the death with his back against a rock and his eyes too close to a sharp place.
There was a lesson you had to know if you were going to fight under the Garuda. Under their divisionâs great king.
Your life is nothing but fuel and a weapon. If your lifeâs all you haave left, make it your ammo and make your death mean a damn thing.
There was no fight or flight.
âIf you think Iâd lie down and beg for mercy just because Iâm staring death in the face?! ALL THE MORE REASON TO BRING EVERYONE DOWN WITH ME!â
What was that thing Violate did? He didnât have a perfect view. But he knew how her cosmos flared and the way it shaped. He was pretty sure she told him the name for it too.
A powerful blast of concentrated spiritual energy shot up from his hands.
It wouldnât win him this or anything. But he wasnât going to give up or give her any moment of rest as long as there was still air inside his lungs.
