BXBX NOVEL Chapter 502: The Tail End
Chapter 502: The Tail End
The choice was taken away shortly after those thoughts passed through Kat's mind because the pressure forcing the ice forward started to abate. Reflexively, Kat started to reduce how much pressure was being applied, she realised this might be a problem until she noticed in the corner of her eye that Kamiko was doing the same thing. A few seconds was all it took for the forces to equalise and the ice dropped a few centimetres to the floor.
*Huh… didn't realise that was still off the ground… where we… where we wasting energy holding it up?* Kat didn't really want to dwell on that idea so she didn't. Looking around she saw that the gaps around the ice didn't really leave any room for them to squeeze past. "Ok Kamiko. What's the new plan? Carving it up or… something else?" asked Kat
"We could try and shove it right back? I mean… now that it's stopped the ice itself isn't too heavy. I'm sure between the two of us we could throw it back at the rat. The issue is mostly how much stuff is behind the ice and what'll happen if we trying shoving it all towards the big on. Has it sat back down? Is it thrashing? Honestly, it might just be safer to-"
Kamiko was cut off by a, presumably loud, slam which caused the walls to shake a huge chunk of the ceiling fell down next to Kat and she had to whip her tail out of the way to prevent it from being caught. The rock itself was about as tall as Kat's hip and three times her width.
"Nevermind, clearly we need to finish this fight. If the rat collapses the tunnel we might get trapped here. I think we at least try pushing it all back." Said Kamiko now more panicked compared to before.
The two lined up with each other, and Kamiko gave the countdown this time, copying Kat's five finger method. When they reached zero, they put all there strength into the ice and it flew backwards. This wasn't perfect, because the small gaps around the edge allowed the unfrozen blood and guts of the other rats to squeeze around and start to pool over the walking surface.
Additionally, they watched as the ice slid into the room with the large rat, before it snapped it up and swallowed it with no trouble at all. It then bent down and let its large eye cover most of the hole to see them. Kat and Kamiko charged forward at the chance to target such a weak point, but it was able to avoid them easily.
While Kat and Kamiko were both faster, it only needed to shift its body slightly, the demons needed to dash all the way down the corridor. It simply placed its front paw in the way and waited for them to make contact.
When Kat's fist made contact, she instantly realised this was going to be a problem. The thick fur simply took the impact in stride, depressing slightly in a large area around her hand and bleeding off all the kinetic energy. Kamiko's fist met similar issues, so she pulled out her naginata and tried to slice into the fur.
Before she really had the chance though, the rat pulled away, before slamming back towards the hole. The cave shook somewhat, but the main issue was the air pressure, Kat felt herself being pushed back a good deal, her larger wingspan causing her issues in this department. She could control herself somewhat and managed to remain upright, but she had been shifted about twice the distance backwards as Kamiko had.
Kamiko for her part, had fallen over. She had been in an attack stance and the air had pushed her feet out from under her relying on the addition of the slick blood on the floor to seal the deal. Kamiko rammed her naginata into the ground and tried to push herself back to her feet. The lack of further air made it possible, but it wasn't easy, she needed to abuse her boosts to ensure she got back to her feet without delay.
Kat was sprinting up past her flames in hand. *Damn, hopefully I can get another good hit on this rat.* Kat's hands slammed into the rat a moment before Kamiko recovered her feet and made to do the same. This time, the instant her flaming hands hit the rat it started to move, pulling back somewhat, Kat followed it out into the room to keep up the pressure, slamming fire covered first after fire covered fist into the thing, abusing what speed she could.
Kamiko joined in, coating the end of her weapon in her own pink fire and slashing at the fur, but it was almost as resistant to cutting damage as it was blunt trauma. Kamiko found her weapon getting stuck into the thick hairs that made up the giant rats coat. She had to slash and then pull back to avoid getting pulled along as the rat thrashed.
It screeched again, turning, this time, it turned the other way, showing of its flank still on fire. From what Kat could see for a few moments the fire had spread onto the top of the rat and it was coated in a thick layer of ice. Still, that became less important when it turned so that its rear was fully facing the two demons.
Its thick tail slithered into the cave like it had a mind of its own, filling up all of the opening, clearly having needed to squeeze its way into the room. Kat and Kamiko were forced to step back as the appendage lashed out at what it could blindly swinging around the tunnel trying to damage them both in whatever way it could.
The pair were left stunned somewhat as they dashed back to the edge of its range. There was no clear showing of its physical skill as the tail didn't slam into the wall all that hard, but it moved at speeds they were only capable of keeping watch on while being boosted, more than enough to apply a good deal of pain if they got hurt and very hard to dodge.
Kamiko stepped forward first, trying to get a swing in at the end of the tail with her naginata. It bit deeply into the end of the tail, fire spreading somewhat but also pulling along Kamiko for the ride when she refused to let go of her weapon. Kat watched frozen as Kamiko was slammed into the wall. A bright light covered Kamiko when she made impact, a screeching sound that actually made it through the earmuffs was heard, and Kamiko let go of her weapon before she could be pulled around too much more.
As the tail came back around to strike Kamiko again with its wild flailing, Kat charged forward and grabbed onto the tail, trying to dig her nails into the beast. It wasn't super effective simply due to the rather short length of them. Still, the rat didn't seem happy and Kat was promptly thrown into the wall.
She kept her grip steady though as she grit her teeth and bore the pain of at least one bone in her wings cracking and the bruises her back was surely covered in healed up. Utilising the fact that she'd sunk her hands in somewhat, Kat relied on just one hand so that she could yank Kamiko's weapon free.
She managed to do so just as she hit the next wall, face first this time. She was actually much less damaged. Sure the bruising was going to be a pain for all of half a second, but that was much more easily shrugged off then the broken bones. *Note to self, wing bones are actually pretty weak. Take damage to front in future despite organs being potentially more accessible. They don't really seem to be a concern anymore.*
Kat prepared herself for the next impact as she tried to dig out her hand to leave the tail behind, when the impact happened… and no pain followed. What? Kat's confusion lasted just long enough for the tail to fall still, dropping to the ground alongside her ceasing all movement as far as she could tell.
*Um… what?* Kat looked around. Kamiko was standing off to the side panting somewhat and using her naginata for support, but she still had a steeling look in her eye. Sue was right at the back of this section of the cave. She had wide eyes that actually seemed to be leaking some sort of fluid. It was bright blue, and Kat really hoped it wasn't blood.
"Um… what now?" asked Kat as she picked herself up off the ground.
Kamiko breathed in a few more deeps breaths. "I… I don't know? Is it dead?"
Kat looked out over the now limp tail blocking the exit. "I really hope so Kamiko" said Kat checking her nearly empty energy reserves. "I really hope so"