Chapter 363: AND THE WINNER IS!
Kamiko's perspective
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After that the battle fell into a sort of uneasy standoff. With Rock out of the picture and Meron unconscious, the remaining demons were struggling to find angles to attack from. Kat and Kamiko would spot what they hoped would be an opening, charge in, only to be rebuffed by some combination of Sekron, Percy and Seralina. Krekron did help some, but his hammer just wasn't as defensive as the others.
Kat was being extremely cautious to ensure that Kamiko didn't take any damage, knowing that she did not have regeneration to keep her going. This led to Kat backing away from engagement after engagement when they failed to land a hit. Her vastly superior speed did help a little in escaping, but Seralina's manoeuvrability made it impossible to use that speed to make any real openings.
Kamiko wasn't doing that well either. She was still trying to take it easy on her arms, though they were starting to feel better now. She'd been relying on her lasers to try and make some space, but quickly found that the Pit Fiend brothers had to be hit in sensitive areas for any effect, and Seralina only really took damage around the eyes or mouth. A few times, Kamiko noticed that her lasers actually rebounded off Seralina's scales and into the floor, but it was somewhat random and she wasn't finding any way to use that to her advantage.
Seralina was really abusing her extra size in this match. If Kat tried to go for the brothers, Seralina would surround them during the run in, so that even if Kat got to them before Seralina was completely in position, one attack was all she was getting. If the succubi pair went for Seralina though… well she and Percy would combine their abilities with Seralina slamming into his shield sending the brothers flying over to intercept Kat.
It was an innovative strategy. The first time, and if it had been better aimed that may have decided the match… but they overshot somewhat drastically the first time, and only managed to stop the succubi pair's attack because they both panicked when they saw three Pit Fiends flying towards them, even if 'towards them' was an overly generous description.
Now all that's left were rather repetitive attacks, and no ground was being gained on either side. Kat had actually regenerated all her energy, and Kamiko had been full for a while at this point too. Finally, though, Kamiko felt her arms were in good enough condition to pull out her naginata again. She'd perhaps been overly cautious, but they were in no rush.
*We do need to make something happen though. Uncle didn't exactly put a time limit on this match but I bet it'll be counted as our loss if it really gets taken too far. I should have a few good attacks in me. And as long as I'm careful and don't damage my arms I'll have a weapon for the rest of the fight.
Who should I use it on though? Between us both we have a lot of attacks… Sekron maybe? If we can overwhelm him this might be our chance?* Kamiko slowly tilted her weapon to align best she could with the brother in question and was happy when Kat did a slight shuffle, which had become their signal that the message had been received.
A few steps later Kat dashed in, ready for what they hoped would be the tipping point of the fight. Kamiko raised her arm back, and fired her lasers straight into Sekron's eyes as they approached. Percy was already trying to move in front of his brother but he wouldn't be in time.
The lasers were met by a floating shield, but that was exactly what they were looking for. Kamiko swung her weapon wide, letting it come in for a strike on Sekron's temple that should be visible from his peripheral vision even with the shield in the way.
The plan went perfectly. Sekron rapidly switched his shield just in time to block Kamiko's blade. Of course, a much deadlier strike was coming for him. Kat's fist was approaching his chest plate and her tail was going for his knee just to ensure that something hit. It was overkill.
What they'd forgotten was that they'd been circling the group at an accelerated pace and it was taking its toll mentally on the Rank 1 demons unused to the strain. Kat's double strike landing on Sekron blasting him backwards into the wall and knocking him out of the fight. Kat and Kamiko were so stunned their plan worked that they weren't properly prepared for Krekron's hammer strike.
Kat did see it coming, and realised it was coming for her chest, and Kamiko's legs. Turning herself as much as she could in the few seconds she had, Kat made sure to take the attack on her shoulder. Krekron though, had been hiding his abilities before this point. When the hammer made contact with Kat, not only was she blown back, but the second step of Krekron's attack was unleashed.
A BLIZZARD. Which of course, did nothing to our succubi, as they were both practically immune to the cold. As Kat slid backwards on her feet face screwed up in pain as her shoulder knitted itself back together, she was treated to a cooling breeze that helped calm her down for her next move.
This sadly, was where the teamwork of the others was shown to be only surface level. Seralina hissed angrily, and moved as far away from Krekron as she could, clearly unhappy with the blizzard raging across around half of the tent. Even as it rapidly wound down, the snow on the ground was glared at by Seralina who was trying to keep her gaze on the succubi pair but felt her attention drifting.
Seeing Seralina back off, the succubi knew it was their chance. They dashed back in, even before Kat's shoulder had healed, just to make the most of it. They went for Percy this time. Without Sekron to defend him, they planned to simply strike him as hard as they could all at once and take him out, and then simply accept another attack from Krekron if it came to that.
Krekron, noticed their charge, and swung his hammer pre-emptively to intercept, but Kat dashed around him and kicked Percy in the side with all the power she could muster alongside Kamiko slamming her staff, blade retracted, into the same spot, with a dash of laser to help things along.
It was too much for Percy. Even catching it on his shield and using his abilities he was overwhelmed. After that it was a short dash around behind Krekron to take him out of the running as well. Seralina was trying to match Kat's speed, but the cold had affected her more than she'd ever want to admit, and her reaction time was lacking.
This meant that Krekron too was out of the running before a mostly fresh team of succubi faced down a lone Seralina. Before Kat had the chance to charge, Seralina transformed into her humanoid form, to forfeit, through chattering teeth.
"AND THE MATCH IS OVER" shouted Uncle. "Kat, Kamiko, if you both are well enough would you be able to grab all the others. Seralina, you take it easy I know you're fighting to stay awake, and a few of those blows to your scales did a bit more damage than you might be thinking."
Seralina nodded as gracefully as she could and transformed back into her full snake form before slithering quickly towards the now lowering platform and curling herself up into a ball, which Uncle promptly covered in beard hair to heal. Kamiko saw that Rock was also situated nearby, but while she was covered in beard as well, it looked more like she'd been strapped down, and wasn't terribly happy about it.
Kamiko gathered up Meron while Kat gathered the three brothers. Abusing her ability to hold things without causing them pain, she simply grabbed them by a hand each and the third by her tail and pulling them off the ground before taking them over to Uncle who swiftly cocooned them as well.
"Are you both in need of healing? I won't be doing any speaking until they all break out so it's fine" said Uncle.
"I'm good" said Kat.
*Hmm, should I? No, Kamiko don't be an idiot. You have someone who is clearly a high Rank healer that can remove scars. Or at least, it's likely he can remove most scars. Don't be afraid to just ask.* "If you could heal me as well that would be great. My arms took a bit of damage from that tumble" said Kamiko.
"Oh, I'm so sorry" said Kat. "I wasn't exactly thinking"
"No, no it's fine Kat" said Kamiko making placating gestures in Kat's direction as the beard hair surrounded her. "Trust me, I wouldn't have done any better at all in your position and I managed it well enough. All demons have some regeneration and it was only a-" Kamiko was forced to stop speaking as the beard hair covered her mouth.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺