Dean Ulluw had basically turned into a mortal due to the Kingâs vicinity. He never had great senses in the first place, and the True Chaosâ annihilating properties had removed that lackluster perception, too.
Yet, clearly, the attack had been so abrupt that it had taken even the King by surprise. His head wouldnât have exploded otherwise, and the gore it had released wouldnât flow down Deanâs face now.
Still, that was all Dean could discover about the sudden event. Everything else lacked empirical data, or, at least, he was unable to spot it. He could only conclude that someone had blown the Kingâs head off.
Then, out of nowhere, a roar split the sky, resounding in Dean and the Kingâs immediate vicinity, as if it had originated next to them.
Shockwaves reaching as deep as Deanâs soul followed the roar, enveloping the sky into violent tremors, both physical and ethereal. It was as if a nuke had detonated in the area, without needing its explosion to unleash disastrous consequences.
Dean didnât let that surprise freeze him for too long. He was shocked but couldnât forget about his predicament. Headless or not, the King was still holding his neck in the middle of the sky.
The True Chaos made that devastating injury bearable, but Dean could use that opportunity to escape. However, to his dismay, his mana refused to come back, still suffering from his opponentâs annihilating features.
That could only mean one thing. The King wasnât only alive. He was also aware enough to continue releasing his annihilating influence, which kept Dean trapped in the sky with him.
Nevertheless, as soon as glowing, pitch-black smoke began to leak out of the Kingâs mangled neck, his right shoulder exploded, sending his severed arm flying away.
Another explosion followed right away, blowing up the headless Kingâs chest. A third also arrived, tearing what was left of his torso apart.
The event threw more blood and gore onto Dean, staining his entire figure, but he could hardly focus on that since two more earth-shattering roars followed.
The tremors released by the shockwaves that accompanied the roars were painful to endure. Dean felt dizzy under their intense vibrations, almost failing to notice that more of the mangled King blew apart.
Three more explosions unfolded, affecting the Kingâs left shoulder, his waist, and one of his legs, basically sending everything but the arm clung to Deanâs neck flying away.
Nevertheless, something remained. Traces of the pitch-black True Chaos kept hovering in front of Dean, only for the following deafening roars to force him to close his eyes to endure them.
The new shockwaves seemed to want to tear Dean apart, but some respite eventually arrived, albeit not in the form of peace. His mana started to regain ground, refilling his body, acting as a shield against those external tremors.
Gravity also resumed applying its pulling force, so Dean fell, his figure accelerating as it headed for the distant surface below.
Having access to mana again restored Deanâs ability to fly. He might have lost one leg, but his element remained wind. He could also perform many techniques with a single foot.
Yet, more roars reached the area, splitting the sky and sending destabilizing shockwaves everywhere, forcing Dean to focus on enduring them. His dizziness intensified, making him lose track of his surroundings, preventing him from doing anything about his free-fall.
Evolved warriors wouldnât just die due to a tall fall. However, Dean was literally coming down from a high spot in the starless sky. He was also rather tired, with his recovering mana in disarray.
Still, the sky kept shaking, so Dean couldnât attempt anything. He couldnât even sense how much time he had until he crashed onto the black ground, but that ended up never happening.
A sudden pull stopped Deanâs descending momentum, slightly lifting him before falling again. Yet, that descent felt controlled, as if guided by someone else.
A landing eventually unfolded. Dean felt it through the new tremors that spread through his body, and the following fall even confirmed it. He slammed head-first into something solid, his senses finally recovering.
Dean opened his eyes, recognizing the dark, dim ground, but also spotting clawed feet next to his face. He lifted his head, following those alien limbs, only to find his Efâi companion standing in front of him.
The situation instantly became clear. Mazatl had somehow come to Deanâs aid, and traces of her battle still lingered on her body. Some green blood flowed down her stretched face and hands, and the two eyes on the right side of her face were closed and bruised, but she was otherwise fine.
If anything, Mazatlâs fuming tail was her most striking feature. That long, sharp limb released thick steam from its sharp tip, which she pointed somewhere in the distance.
Dean followed the tailâs direction, only to hear a loud howl when he found its target. A King was still fighting in the area, but a pack of bright wolves had surrounded him, biting off at his body with each charge.
Strangely enough, the wolves didnât seem to have solid properties. They could still bite off chunks of the Kingâs body, but they also passed through his body unhindered, as if made of mere light.
Nevertheless, the process wasnât completely seamless. Some wolves broke down and disappeared after crossing the King, but there were so many of them that it hardly mattered.
That overwhelming assault continued until a long, diagonal cut ran through the area, followed by another loud howl. The many wolves disappeared at that point, revealing a broken, empty area.
The King was nowhere to be seen, but something else claimed Deanâs attention. Mazatl lowered her fuming tail and nodded in time to welcome the landing of their third companion.
"We should spar sometimes," Mazatl suggested, but Perac ignored her, looking down at Dean, inspecting his state while black blood fell down his stained mouth and chin.
"I can regrow your leg, Special Asset Ulluw," Perac revealed, a low growl mixing with his human voice, "But it will cost you some of your lifespan."
Of course, Dean understood what Perac was getting at. The three of them might have defeated their opponents, but the war wasnât over.
"I should have drunk more before coming here," Dean cursed, forcing himself to sit up, showing what was left of his destroyed leg.