I'd like to fight the walking bonfire, I really would. But standing here watching this thing pull itself together from literal campfire leftovers, my first thought isn't 'let's throw hands.'
It's 'we are so monumentally fucked.'
The creature straightened to its full height, crimson flames rippling across its body like muscles beneath skin. The eyeless face turned toward us, and I felt its attention like pressure behind my eyeballs. Heat rolled off it in waves that made the air shimmer and distort.
Nel was still jammed. Apollo was MIA. My fancy new System abilities? Offline.
All I had was Ember, Sever, and a half-naked ice princess who probably regretted every life choice that led to this exact moment.
"Satori." Celeste's voice came out steady despite the terror I could feel radiating off her. "Please tell me you have a plan."
"Working on it." I shifted my grip on the bat, feeling the familiar weight. "You know how I said the fungus looked dead?"
