stronk defense

“Brace yourself,” I warned as I reappeared a few seconds later, stomping hard on the ground. The ground shook as Tremblor created a localized earthquake and Ereb slid into the earth to make the ground buckle and writhe. The Goliath rocked and slipped, struggling to remain upright as the ground beneath its feet literally fought against it, but it was too much and it finally lost its footing. I kindly assisted its resulting fall with a Gravity Crash focused on its ribcage, multiplying its already titanic weight along with the speed of its fall. Stone shattered in every direction even as a deep imprint appeared on the Goliath’s side, as if it had been struck by a giant’s hammer.

Slowly, I began walking towards its fallen figure, watching dispassionately as its legs and trunk twitched as it struggled to rise. I formed another Magic Missile in my left hand as I went, charging it as I moved to face the creature again. On its left side as it was, it’s remaining eye was close to the ground, and I stopped before it, standing like an ant before an elephant. Fallen and in pain as it was, it turned its gaze on me, still watching me quietly. It wasn’t afraid and wouldn’t have begged for mercy even if it could, but something in its crimson eye glimmered.

It would have been impossible to miss the movement of its trunk, even if I hadn't had such keen eyes—but this time I didn’t dodge. I held out my free hand silently and let the swing smash into it full force, pushing into the blow as it did. Beneath my concealing illusion, I felt my flared Aura react, slipping briefly back into my skin. My Adamant skin and the Sacrifice to the Wolf swelled with that power, almost pushing against one another as they did, before aligning smoothly.

The ground to the left of me shattered for forty meters, but I didn’t move. With my Aura gathered around me, there was more to me than mere mass, size, and weight, and though I faced the power of the Goliath head on, I didn’t even budge. Instead, the force of its own attack worked against it, driving my arm up to the shoulder in its own flesh. I felt something hard touch my hand and grasped it tightly, holding it fast as it tried to pull away even as I continued to meet its eye.