Chapter 72: Demon Combat Practice. (3)
The sand stirred again in the center.
It didn’t rise suddenly. First it sank at a specific point, as if something were pulling from below. The surface opened in an irregular spiral, dragging the material inward. The sound was dry, granular, accompanied by a constant scraping.
A shape pushed from inside.
The tip of something hard emerged first. Curved. Segmented. With overlapping plates that reflected light in opaque tones. A stinger.
It rose slowly, dragging behind a longer appendage. The tail came out complete, thick at the base, covered in dark scales that tensed with each movement. The tip opened in small fissures, as if venom circulated inside.
The rest of the body broke through the surface.
A head appeared... then another.
The first had feline features. Wide jaw, exposed fangs, yellow eyes with vertical pupils. The fur was dense, of a dark reddish tone, with hardened strands as if they had been scorched.
The second head emerged from the side of the main neck. More elongated, covered in black scales, with a narrow mouth that breathed hot vapor between its teeth.
The torso followed.
Marked musculature under irregular skin that combined fur, scales, and hardened areas like a shell. On the back, two folded wings, with visible bone structure, covered by a taut membrane that vibrated slightly with the air.
The front paws dug into the sand upon emerging. Long claws, curved, capable of sinking easily into the terrain. The rear ones deployed after, firm, stable.
The creature finished standing up.
The arena closed behind it.
It remained still a few seconds.
Both heads swept the surroundings. The feline sniffed the air. The reptilian opened its mouth, releasing a hot exhalation that distorted the light around it.
Morgana took a step forward.
Her cheeks took on a slight pink tone.
"Do you see her?" she said, looking at Antony. "She’s beautiful."
She brought a hand to her own face, resting her fingers on her cheek with a contained gesture.
"Princess always causes that impression."
Antony didn’t respond immediately.
His expression tensed upon observing the creature. The smile he had maintained until now disappeared.
"I don’t share your taste," he said, without looking away.
Morgana tilted her head.
"That’s okay," she added, with a slight variation in her voice. "You can go all out."
Her fingers brushed one of the chains at her waist.
"I’ll repair her later."
She stepped back a few paces, leaving the center of the arena.
Antony exhaled through his nose.
"Perfect."
He positioned himself.
His hands rose before him. In the right appeared a red substance, thick, that accumulated on his palm without falling. In the left, a green mass, more fluid, that extended between his fingers.
He moved both hands in the air.
Quick strokes.
The red drew angular lines. The green filled spaces, connecting shapes.
The figures remained suspended an instant.
Then they descended.
The arena reacted to contact.
From the ground sprouted brambles.
Thick. Covered in thorns. They rose from several points and launched toward the chimera, wrapping around its paws, its torso, its neck. The structure grew rapidly, tightening, securing each section.
Antony smiled.
"Come on..." he said. "Don’t even move."
The creature responded.
The feline head pulled backward, tensing the neck. The brambles creaked. The reptilian opened its mouth and exhaled a stream of concentrated heat.
The plants carbonized in seconds.
The rest of the body moved after.
A dry pull.
The bonds broke.
Bramble fragments fell to the ground, disintegrating before touching the sand.
Antony clicked his tongue.
"I see."
He moved his hands again.
The red extended in an arc before him. The green followed, giving volume to the shape. From the figure emerged a more defined structure. A vegetal mass that opened in several directions, forming elongated spears that shot out.
The chimera advanced.
It didn’t dodge.
The spears impacted against its body. Some embedded in the fur. Others slid against the harder areas.
The reptilian head reacted first.
It turned and bit one of the structures, breaking it in a single movement. The feline advanced in a straight line.
Antony retreated.
His hands didn’t stop.
The red changed shape. Shorter lines, more concentrated. The green surrounded them, creating compact structures. This time, the result was different.
Fire.
The shapes ignited upon taking consistency. Burning projectiles shot toward the creature.
They impacted the chest.
The fur ignited in some spots.
The chimera didn’t stop.
Its speed increased.
Antony frowned.
"Heavy..."
He traced again.
This time, the shapes extended around him. Walls of dense vegetation emerged from the ground, reinforced with red strokes that hardened the structure.
The creature crashed into them.
The impact made the ground tremble.
The feline head opened its mouth and bit the wall. The reptilian released direct heat against the base.
The structure gave way.
Antony took a step back.
Another more.
His movements lost precision for an instant.
The chimera reached him.
The blow was direct.
The claw impacted against his side and threw him several meters backward. His body rolled over the sand before stopping.
Air left his lungs.
He tried to get up.
His right arm responded.
The left didn’t.
He looked.
Blood fell on the sand.
The arm had disappeared from the elbow.
A clean cut.
The creature advanced again.
Antony tried to form another structure. The red appeared, but dispersed upon losing stability. The green didn’t manage to consolidate.
The chimera closed the distance.
The feline head descended.
The impact was final.
Antony’s body remained motionless.
Silence occupied the arena.
In the stands, several students leaned forward. Some brought a hand to their mouth. Others looked away.
Gerald said nothing.
He adjusted his glasses with trembling hands.
Morgana observed the scene.
Her expression returned to its initial state.
"Hm."
She took a step toward the body.
"Weaker than expected," she said.
Her voice recovered the flat tone.
She looked at the chimera.
"Princess, stop," Morgana ordered with a firm but sweet voice at the same time.
The moment the creature heard the order its owner had given, it stopped, freezing in place like a statue.
The combat had ended.