Chapter 18

Maya saw the head whip around and acted.

Flames rushed at Leo. He opened his mouth to chant, the words tumbling out, but the flames hurtled down too fast. Maya crashed into Leo. Her watery form slid around him. She engulfed his body in her flesh, spreading her liquid over every bit of him. She embraced him as intimately as she could. She had loved Leo all her life. Dying for him was nothing.

The flames roared over her. Her body steamed. She felt herself boiling away, giving up her own liquid to protect Leo. Agony engulfed her. She screamed, the sound swallowed by the fire that licked over every bit of her. She dwindled faster and faster, Leo thrashing in her.

The flames died.

There wasn’t much left of her. She closed her eyes, reduced in half. Only an inch of water still protected Leo. She slumped off of him, spilling to his feet. The pain was too much. She had lost too much liquid. She couldn’t hold her form.

She melted away and dissolved in golden light.

“Maya,” I croaked.

I gripped my spear, the metal warm. I watched her dissolve away. I swallowed. I had been careless, and she had to pay to correct my mistake. I had been such a fool. I couldn’t believe I had let her die for me.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

I had to do better than this. I had to beat this dragon. Tame her. I was making my monster girls, the women I loved, suffer for me. They always had to die for me. I couldn’t ever die for them. My death was their death.

It was a cruel, sick, twisted joke. Whoever brought me here must be laughing her ass off. I tightened my hand on my spear and spoke the words. A new Static Aura crackled around me. I had to keep this up. I had to refresh it the moment it vanished.

I glared up at the dragon and chanted.

A steel bar battered into the dragon’s head, knocking her in the direction of where Hagane hung with Usiku and Slepkavi. Nimhe lowered them down slowly as the dragon soared for them, the beast shaking her head.

“One!” Hagane shouted, the dragon coming closer and closer. “Two!” The beast was almost on them. “Three!”

Nimhe cut the webbing.

The three monster girls plummeted. The dragon swooped beneath them a heartbeat later and they landed on the beast’s back. Hagane drove her armblade into the muscles of the shoulder joint connecting to the wings. Beside her, Usiku slashed her shadow sword at the same muscles. On the other side of the dorsal ridge of spikes, Slepkavi hacked her golden blade at the other wing’s muscles.

The dragon roared in pain as the three monster girls cut through armored scales. Steaming blood spurted, splattering across Hagane’s metallic form. She hardly felt it spilling over her as she kept attacking the dragon. She stabbed over and over, rapid plunges as her feet shifted on the back.

The dragon’s right wing snapped up, no longer extended. The dragon rolled and crashed to the ground. Usiku grabbed a dorsal spine. Hagane drove her armblade into the creature’s flesh and crouched down.

“Lord Nabu’s big cock!” Slepkavi roared like this was a grand adventure, the orc gripping the edge of the left wing.

The world spun around them.

The dragon hit the stone with a crash. The impact threw Hagane forward. She tumbled through the air and then struck with a metallic ring on the ground. She rolled and came to a stop a dozen feet before the dragon. Pain throbbed across the animated statue’s body. Usiku landed with far more grace on her feet, the fomorian’s purple legs bending to absorb the impact, her big boobs heaving before her.

Triumph surged through Hagane. The dragon could not fly. She was on the ground. Vulnerable. Usiku rose, flashing Hagane a grin. The animated statue returned it as she staggered to her feet, blood dripping off her metallic body.

The dragon’s claw swiped in a blurring arch and ripped Usiku’s head off. The fomorian’s torso vanished before it hit the ground. The dragon rose and roared, one wing draped limp on the ground, the other extended outward.

Hagane dove out of the way of snapping jaws and rolled to her feet in a run.

“CONVERGE!” shouted Halia.

Mrs. Lucina savored in the sky, staring down at the dragon on the ground. The beast’s tail swished across the ground, a scything attack that would leave anyone it hit crippled. Fear beat in her breast for the other monster girls that were all surging for it.

Paanee slithered closer. Piaro darted in. So did Cysgo and Marwo, the two wildhounds scampering across the battlefield. Nimhe dropped from the ceiling while Halia raced in from the sidelines. Hagane dodged another bite attack.

Acid fired from Paanee and struck the dragon on the side of the face. The beast roared in pain. She growled out her rage and turned to who attacked her. The naga spat another blast of acid. The dragon raised a claw.

Mrs. Lucina knew what she could do. She dove for the naga. The angel spread her wings wide and swooped in. She grabbed the monster girl and hauled her up into the air at the last moment. The claw missed the blue-scaled naga.

“Thanks,” Paanee hissed, her boobs rubbing into the angel’s.

“You’re welcome,” Mrs. Lucina answered, her wings strong. “Just want to keep as many of you girls alive as I can.

Piaro the basilisk jumped on the dragon’s back where Slepkavi the orc still stood. The basilisk ripped at the wounds hacked into the dragon’s scales by the wings, tearing away chunks of flesh. The dragon roared in pain, her tail slashing like a scythe.

Halia ducked the tail and then she was at the dragon’s flank. Her sword slashed, cutting into the belly scales. Blood spurted. The dragon roared and her rear leg came up and kicked at the paladin. Mrs. Lucina could do nothing for her.

“Lady Sherida, shield me in the light!” Halia Vorbia called as the dragon’s rear foot kicked at her, black talons gleaming.

Light burst before Halia. A shield conjured by her goddess’s love. The foot struck the shield. Radiance rippled. The barrier winked out. Halia darted past the foot and she buried her sword into the dragon’s belly again. Blood spurted from the wound. Her blessed weapon hummed as she slashed again.

A dazzling sword slashed in at the dragon’s face. Lightning fired from the will o’ wisp. A block of ice shattered on the dragon’s back. They hit her from all sides. Garnet dove from above. The wildhounds leaped on the dragon, joining Slepkavi and Piaro.