The horned mutant followed Kain's order without delay. Even when it was injured and in pain, it was able to maintain reason and follow Kain's orders.
The giant muscular leg of the mutant sank into the ground as it propelled its heavy body towards Alex and Chitra.
"It's coming towards us. Don't delude yourself into thinking that you can do anything against that monstrosity. Let's leave." Once again Alex asked Chitra. And it was the last time he was going to ask.
"It's not a monster. It's my sister…" The exhausted Chitra pushed herself off the ground and stood up.
"I wish to live. But that doesn't mean I fear death. If it is my fate, I am going to welcome it. I could not save my sister then. So, I am going to try a little harder now?" Accepting her fate, Chitra smiled.
That smile shook Alex to the core. And her words resonated with him.
She was similar to him in some ways.
She desperately wanted a second chance. And this was her second chance in life. It was her chance to wash off the regrets that piled on.
To prevent her from taking action when she got her second chance was the worst thing he could do. Death might be better than that.
Alex realised this fact.
You don't need to help me. You can leave alone if you want." Chitra said while preparing to receive the attack of the horned mutant.
"Fuck!" Alex whispered under his breath. His voice was barely audible. Even Chitra couldn't hear it.
"I think I should also try a little harder," Alex said as if he had some great realisation. After all, this was also his second chance.
"Nothing preventing you."
"Yes."
"BOOM!" The horned mutant released a vigorous punch towards the duo that was conversing.
The attack was more powerful than what Chitra could handle. So, It was Alex's turn to flex his abilities.
He used a couple of low levels simultaneously.
Unlike Kain, who knew complex spells and runes, Alex was different. His spells were simple when they were compared.
But he had one upper hand. Alex could use a multitude of spells simultaneously and effortlessly.
Just as the horned mutant neared them and struck out its fist, he created an earth spell that decrease the friction between the earth and the mutant's legs.
He didn't stop there, he used an earth spell to lift the ground. And at the same time released a torrent of fireball spells towards the head of the horned mutant. These spells were created and released quickly without leaving any time for the mutant to react.
The horned mutant sensed the fireballs coming towards it first.
The fireballs were non-lethal to the horned mutant. So, it dove straight in without any care.
But that was exactly what Alex was expecting to happen. By not taking action, the horned mutant fell right into his trap.
The fireball was able to dull the sense of the horned mutant temporarily, enough to prevent it from noticing the mana that was accumulating in the ground.
The earth spell was activated next, raising the ground level and decreasing the friction.
When all that combined and happened simultaneously, the beast could not stop itself.
The ground rose under it and became a ramp. And the speed it was travelling made it look like a stunt bike that was launched upwards through the ramp.
The horned mutant missed Chitra and Alex as it flew into the air in an uncontrolled motion.
"I could do this all day," Alex said.
"It won't be enough." Chitra cautioned. "It is weaker now. Once it regains its strength, it a stomp of the mutant would have been enough to destroy the earth ramp that you created.
Besides that, I think it has become less intelligent after the battle. It is not showing the battle intelligence that it once showed."
"It is weaker!" Chitra's words made Alex finally realise it.
"Yes, it is weaker. Why?" Alex mused. "It retried all the scattered flesh. I saw that myself. So, it should have been able to regain most of its power. Then, why is it weaker?"
"Maybe, it didn't retrieve all the flesh! Did that also affect its intelligence?"
"AAH! FUCK! That's it! The horn on its head is not glowing!" Alex had a startling realisation. This changed the entire situation.
Alex released a torrent of mana promptly and began to actively look for any part of the mutant that it was unable to retrieve.
And he found what he was looking for soon.
The lump flesh, the oddball he saw before was still squirming in the ground.
However, it had a different mana signature from the mutant. But, Alex was sure that it was something that was inside the mutant.
This lump of flesh squirmed on the ground without doing much. Even the horned mutant couldn't retrieve it by extending mana tendrils from its body.
'What is it?' Alex couldn't understand. But it was something that deeply connected to the mutant. He was sure of that.
If Alex was trying to describe the squirming oddball of flesh, he would say it was similar to the grafted flesh seen in people who are second-generation mutants. It looked similar to the worm-like entities present in the second-generation mutants.
But it was different.
'If it was a grafted flesh, it would have completely taken over the body of the host once it transformed into its current self. It might be something different. But essential to the mutant, I need to take hold of it.' Alex decided and teleported.
However, the mutant didn't allow him a breather. Although weaker and not as intelligent as before, the horned mutant was not a threat he could take lightly.
It jumped around while trying to attack Alex.
So, he had to teleport away multiple times expending a lot of mana.
At the same time, Alex also inched toward the odd flesh ball that was laying on the ground.
As time went by, the horned mutant began to get enraged. It lost its calm and began to turn violent.
The punches and kicks became stronger, but it was slowly inching towards total madness. This was completely different from the way it fought before.
"AAAArrrrhhh!" Suddenly, the mutant raised its head and screamed towards the sky.
Finally, the last straw had been broken. The monstrosity became completely enraged.
It rushed towards Alex and suddenly made a turn for Chitra. It completely disobeyed Kain and went to attack Chitra with the intent to kill.
Even Kain couldn't figure out what had gone wrong, much less Alex. While both of them stood startled by the sudden change, Chitra was nearing death.
The maddened horned mutant had travelled more than Alex expected. Even if he could teleport, Alex was incapable of saving Chitra.
The hand of the horned mutant took the form of a knife and was directly thrust towards Chitra's heart.
Chitra would die.
Alex was unwilling to accept that. So, he had already initiated teleport.
His body immediately materialised near Chitra. But, his reaction speed and body were not quick enough to prevent the monster from completing its motion.
Alex could only watch in slow motion as the knife-like palm extended forward. It pierced into the body of the Chitra effortlessly. Just like plunging a hot knife through butter, the hand of the horned mutant pierced into the defenceless body of Chitra.
"*Swish*" Suddenly, the world paused.
A torrent of mana, like a pillar rose from behind them and flew into the sky. The mana originated from the odd lump of flesh. It was releasing tremendous energy outward, even enough to interfere with the natural law of the world.
Time was slowed to a standstill at that moment.
Nobody could move. Everyone felt an unnatural power interfering with the world.
After releasing all the energy outwards, the lump of flesh turned grey, decayed and dissipated into thin air.
Some energy that was left lingering near coalesced into a spec of brilliant light. Then it turned into a tiny colour full butterfly with rainbow-coloured wings.
In the frozen world, it was the only thing that could move. It fluttered its wings gently and moved towards the mutant.
Finally, taking its time, it landed gently on the side of the horned mutant's hand that was trying to pierce Chitra's chest.
Meanwhile, Chitra was having a completely different experience. Her emotions were plunged into turmoil the moment she saw the colourful butterfly materialise in thin air.
When it neared her, her doubts were instantly cleared.
'Sis…' If she could have cried, a river would have formed from her tears.
She realised what that butterfly was.
"Sister. This is all I can do to help you. Survive and live well. I hope we can be sisters in the next life too." A childish voice greeted Chitra.
It was Lila, she was saying her final goodbye to her sister.
The time that was frozen till now was unlocked. It began to flow forward.
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