The battlefield was still, save for the bubbling hiss of the gelatonois green slime. The once-vibrant clearing was now a wasteland of slime and wilted grass. Theo knelt on one knee, breath ragged, his sword—his only weapon—still buried within the creature's pulsing body. Beside him, Lilian lay unconscious, her hair matted with green residue.
Theo clenched his burned arm, the pain radiating deep into his bones. "I… can still fight," he muttered, struggling to stand.
Kairo's voice rang out sharply, "Theo, no! You're in no condition to move. Fall back!"
But Theo shook his head, his eyes locked on the slime's glowing core. "If I stop now… what was the point of fighting this far?"
Kairo cursed under his breath, then turned toward the only one still standing firm. "Flint! Can you still go on?"
Flint spat to the side, his grip tightening around his twin axes. "Go on? I haven't even started!" he roared, fire blazing in his eyes.
He stomped forward, each step thundering through the ground. "Come on, you slippery bastard!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the ruined grove. "Let's see if you can bleed!"
With that, Flint charged, his axes gleaming as the battle reignited.
Flint roared, his muscles flaring as he launched himself at the Green Slime, axes spinning in both hands like silver storms. The creature rippled and twisted, its amorphous body stretching away from each deadly swing—only for Flint to follow through with another, faster strike.
"Don't you dare slip away again, you damn blob!" he shouted, one axe slashing through a wall of slime, scattering emerald droplets across the clearing. The Green Slime shuddered, its form collapsing before reforming again, tendrils whipping out like living vines.
Flint twisted his body, his tail whipping around to deflect two tendrils midair. He used the motion to spin and bring both axes down in a cross strike, slicing through the slime's surface. A gash tore open—but within moments, the liquid flesh pulled itself together again.
"Tch—regeneration, huh?" Flint spat, jumping backward as an acidic lash missed his face by inches. "I'll just have to cut faster than you can heal!"
He dashed forward, his feet crushing the soggy earth beneath him. Each movement was heavy yet precise—an unstoppable rhythm of pure power. The slime retaliated, forming crude limbs that swung like massive clubs, slamming the ground and throwing up waves of dirt. Flint ducked under one and slammed his foot down hard, pinning a large chunk of the slime to the ground.
Steam hissed where the acidic slime sizzled against his boots, but Flint only grinned. "Gotcha now, slimy shot!" he snarled, driving both axes into the pinned mass. The ground trembled from the force, but the slime burst apart, scattering in all directions.
"Not enough, huh?" Flint growled as more of it crawled back together. The Green Slime pulsed violently, launching dozens of tendrils at once—an emerald storm that filled the air. Flint spun, using his tail to sweep a few away, his axes cutting others midflight. Still, several lashed around his arm, dragging him forward.
"Ha! You think you can hold me!?" Flint shouted, flexing his muscles. The veins in his arms bulged as he ripped free, chunks of slime flying everywhere. He stomped down again, shaking the entire ground.
Kairo watched from afar, eyes wide. The brute force Flint displayed was almost inhuman—but even he couldn't yet reach the core. The slime pulsed again, its green glow deepening, as if it was preparing for something far worse.
Flint smirked, breathing heavily, raising his axes once more.
"Fine then," he muttered, "round two it is."
Flint exhaled sharply, ready to charge again—
—but the Green Slime moved first.
Its whole body suddenly compressed, shrinking to half its size before bursting forward like a cannon. A ball of condensed acid shot out, screaming through the air.
"Whoa—hell!" Flint dove sideways, the projectile smashing into the ground where he'd been standing, burning a hole through stone and soil alike. Before he could recover, another blast came flying straight for him.
"Tch—persistent little blob!" he growled, swinging his axe up just in time. The slime-ball hit the metal, sizzling as it splattered apart. Steam rose, the blade now coated in green ooze that hissed with corrosion. Flint gritted his teeth, shaking it off and rushing forward.
The Green Slime didn't let up. Tendrils lashed out from its sides while more acidic orbs shot toward him. Flint deflected one, dodged another, then ducked under a third. He rolled, came up swinging, his axe cleaving through a tendril and his tail whipping away another. The air echoed with the sound of flesh sizzling and axes clanging.
"C'mon, you overgrown spitball! You think I can't dance!?" Flint bellowed, stomping forward as his foot cracked the earth. He slammed both axes together, sending a shockwave of force that split a part of the slime's mass apart—only for it to reform once more.
From behind, Kairo's voice echoed, "Flint! Keep your distance!"
"Too late for that!" Flint shouted, blocking another shot with his forearm. The acid burned, smoke rising from his skin, but he didn't flinch.
Amid the chaos, a soft groan rose.
Lilian's eyes fluttered open.
Her vision blurred—until she looked down at herself. Her once-elegant outfit was tattered, faintly steaming with green residue.
She froze. Then—
"Wha—WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CLOTHES!? AND MY HAIR!? WHAT IS THIS GREEN STUFF!?"
Kairo sighed in relief, a faint, exhausted smile forming. "She's awake…"
Flint roared as his axes clashed again and again against the Green Slime, but each strike only split it for a moment before the gelatinous body sealed itself back together. Acid hissed, steam rose, and the ground trembled beneath their fight.
"Damn thing just won't die!" Flint snarled, swinging wildly, his tail smashing through the slime's side.
But the regeneration was relentless. The slime surged forward, splitting its body in two before slamming into Flint from both sides. He grunted, forced down to one knee. Before he could move, the slime wrapped around him, covering his arms and legs, pinning him in a suffocating hold.
"Argh—let go, you slimy bastard!" Flint roared, struggling as his skin started to burn.
"Flint!" Kairo shouted, panic breaking through his calm tone. His hand twitched, unsure whether to charge in or find another way.
Then, the slime stilled. Its attention drifted away from Flint—toward Kairo. Behind him lay Lilian, still shaken but conscious, and Theo, half-sitting with his hand pressed against his wound.
Theo's eyes widened. "Damn it—it saw us!"
The slime's gelatinous body pulsed, then reared back.
Lilian's voice trembled, "W-what is that thing!? Is that the monster that—attacked me!?"
Before anyone could answer, the slime's core flared. A second later, a glowing mass of acid launched straight toward Lilian.
She screamed, covering her face, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
Kairo froze. (Theo was too far. Flint was trapped.)
(I can't let her—)
Without another thought, he jumped.
"Kairo, no!" Theo shouted, reaching out helplessly.
The blast closed the distance in a blink—
—and when it hit, the world flashed green.
When Lilian dared to open her eyes, all she saw was Kairo's back—
standing firm in front of her.
Her breath caught.
"What… what is he doing…?"
To be continued.....