With a roar of anger, The Beheaded charged forward, its armored fist shooting toward Lucia with blinding speed. Lucia fired her weapon, bullets ricocheting off The Beheaded's tough skin. "Fairy!" she shouted. "Get Athena out of here! Get help!"
Mary nodded, flying to Athena's side. "Come on!" she said, grabbing Athena's sleeves. "We have to go! Lucia and Amyra will hold it off!"
Athena looked hesitant, her eyes flickering between Mary and the battle raging in front of them.
"But...but they need help!" she protested. "We can't just leave them!"
Mary shook her head, "Athena, please!" she begged, "They are trained for this! We are not! We'll only get in the way!"
The Beheaded lunged quickly, teleporting in front of Lucia!
The girl was shocked! Unable to react, The Beheaded kicked her in the stomach with its knee! sending her hurtling back to slam against the side of the crater wall!
"u-ugh..." Lucia lay on the ground after hitting the wall.
The Beheaded turned its gaze toward Athena, and the creature then lunged without warning towards her!
But Amyra quickly drew her sword and blocked the attack from The Beheaded that aimed at Athena!
The demon then pulled back its fist and launched a kick! but Amyra quickly ducked!
The girl immediately tried to slash The Beheaded, but the demon sidestepped back so her attack missed!
"hiaaaa!!" Amyra focused her magical energy on her sword and unleashed hundreds of wind slashes that pushed The Beheaded back and forced it into a defensive stance!
The wind slashes continued to push The Beheaded back without stopping!
"Raaahhh!!"
But with one roar, The Beheaded immediately broke the attack with its strength!, it began to get annoyed.
The purple aura enveloping The Beheaded's neck flared with anger as it brushed aside the remnants of Amyra's wind slashes. "Foolish human," it growled in a hoarse voice.
With great speed, The Beheaded closed the distance between them, its armored fist striking Amyra's sword with enough force to send her reeling backward.
"Amyra!" Lucia shouted, struggling to stand.
Mary tugged at Athena's arm insistently. "Athena, we have to go NOW!" she insisted.
"Lucia and Amyra are great, but they aren't strong enough to defeat that creature alone! We need to find help, just like I said!"
Athena bit her lip, her eyes darting quickly between the battle and Mary. "...Fine," she reluctantly agreed, "But we have to be quick! I won't leave them!"
With Mary leading the way, they began to climb the crater wall, using the rough terrain to pull themselves up.
"Keep moving!" Mary urged, "I'll keep an eye on them!"
Amyra got into a stance, her breath short.
The Beheaded walked around Amyra with hatred and arrogance, but its gaze was fixed on Athena, who was climbing the crater wall. The Beheaded was a cunning and sly creature; instead of attacking Amyra, it teleported toward Athena!
Amyra and Lucia were shocked and panicked! So were Athena and Mary! Their eyes widened.
The creature focused its cursed energy in both hands, ready to unleash a cursed energy attack!
Without warning, The Beheaded immediately launched a cursed energy blast toward Athena and Mary!! but..
slashh!! clankk!
Amyra attacked just in time and deflected the powerful blast! splitting the attack in two!
But the powerful force sent Amyra's body flying into the air!
"A-Amyra!!" Lucia screamed.
Athena's eyes widened, her mouth agape, without thinking she jumped from the wall and ran toward Amyra, catching her limp body, her sword falling to the ground.
"A-Amyra. Amyra!"
The Beheaded turned toward the group. It stood silently as it watched Athena cradle Amyra. "You should have kept climbing, girl," the demon said, its voice dripping with hatred.
Lucia stumbled to her feet, her weapon raised and pointed at The Beheaded. "Leave her alone!" Lucia snarled,
"You want to fight? Fine, I'll take you on!"
Lucia fired her weapon, the bullets flying into the air toward The Beheaded. But the demon simply raised its hand, a cursed energy shield forming around it, deflecting the shots with little effort.
"Pointless!" It began to advance, its armored feet crushing the ground with each step.
"y-you shouldn't have to do this.. I told you to run.." Amyra whispered weakly, she then glanced at The Beheaded.
"Th-The Beheaded… I must… defeat it," she murmured, reaching out her hand before her strength gave out and she collapsed to unconscious.
"N-No! Amyra-san! Please stay with us!"
Athena gritted her teeth.
"Pathetic," sneered The Beheaded with disdain.
The demon then concentrated its cursed energy into its fist, a purple aura engulfing it before it suddenly teleported toward Athena!
With terrifying force, it launched a concentrated cursed energy punch straight at her!
But then—
Before the blow could land, Athena managed to grab Amyra's sword from the ground!
The Beheaded's fist clashed against the blade! Their energies collided—purple and gold—sending out a shockwave that tore through the air and shook the earth beneath them!
"Haaaa!!"
Athena giving all her strength, forcing The Beheaded to fly backward several meters. The creature went silent for a moment, then stood up straight again, snapping its fingers together.
"Interesting," the demon murmured, seemingly intrigued.
Athena rose to her feet, gripping Amyra's sword tightly.
The Beheaded began circling her slowly, like a predator stalking its prey.
With blinding speed, it charged again, it's armored fists flying toward Athena in a flurry of relentless strikes.
Lucia fired her weapon frantically, trying to divert it's attention from Athena. "Athena, run!" she shouted. "Get out of there!"
Meanwhile, Mary struggled to drag the unconscious Amyra to a safer spot.
The Beheaded continued his onslaught, while Athena held her ground, parrying each brutal attack!
The demon gathered cursed energy into it's fist again and launched it straight at her—
But Athena performed a perfect dodge just in time, catching The Beheaded completely off guard!
She immediately retaliated, slashing at the demon's steel-like abdomen.
"Tch," it growled, annoyed.
The Beheaded then delivered a powerful kick toward her! Athena blocked it with her sword, but the force manage to sent her crashing to the ground.
"Ughh!"
It didn't stop. The Beheaded followed up with a brutal right hook aimed at Athena's face! But she managed to deflect it just in time with her sword!
The impact flung her across the crater. Her body rolled before coming to a stop as she lay on the ground, clutching her sword tightly.
Suddenly, The Beheaded leapt into the air, aiming to stomp her down!
Athena quickly rolled aside, causing the ground where it landed to crumble!
Seizing the opening, Athena launched a kick into The Beheaded's chest!
The demon staggered backward from the blow.
It's eyes narrowed, now locked onto Athena with a new glint of respect deep within the purple glow.
Athena stood tall, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths.
Across from her, The Beheaded stood in silence.
Then—it laughed.
Though he had no head, the sound echoed unnaturally through the air.
A denser, deadlier purple aura engulfed it's entire body.
"You've finally caught my attention, human."