Chrysalis

[How's it going over there Tiny? Crinis?]

[We'll win, but it's going to take time!]

[Take care and make sure of it, we don't need to rush!]

I don't think… although, looking at Grokus as the massive demon looms over me, that I'll be able to finish this quickly. If the gravity bomb doesn't manage to inflict massive damage on him, then I have no idea what will! I pull back a little from the city lord, giving myself room to plot my next manoeuvre. The area where I bit him has already healed, if I damaged him at all.

[You're actually a tough nut to crack, aren't you Grokus?]

The huge demon swings his body around to face me head on.

[Food is strength in this world. How can anyone be stronger than me? I've been consuming hundreds of Biomass a day for longer than you've been alive, and you want to challenge me? You're weak! Just another snack!]

[You think Biomass is enough to make you invincible?] I scoff. [Why don't we find a tier eight demon and you can impress them with how much you've eaten over the years? I wonder if they'll be intimidated.]

Piling up an endless amount of Biomass is completely pointless without something to spend it on. I've no doubt that his mutations are all maxed out, but imagine if he'd spent all that time practicing his Skills instead of sitting on his backside eating. He'd be so much more powerful, pushing his abilities to a new rank, training new Skills that might help him in this fight. Instead all he can do is endlessly brag about how much food he's consumed. Such a waste.

[You can rejoice soon,] I taunt him as we once again draw closer to one another, the ground shaking with every step, [all that food that you've wasted will be going to a better cause soon enough. How many thousands of ants will we raise from what you threw away?]

[Why don't you come over here and we can see if I wasted it or not?!]

His two enormous claws flex in the air as we circle one another neither one willing to make the first move. This suits me down to the ground, every second that passes makes my gravity bomb stronger, it's already growing dense enough that he must be able to sense it. That much concentrated mana is fairly easy to detect from this close!

With a roar that rips from both of the city lord's mouths he rumbles closer, once again moving with that deceptive speed. I lower my centre of gravity and prepare to dodge, waiting for my antennae to tell me how he's going to reach for me. The closer he gets, the sharper the pain in my stomach becomes, the acid boiling away as thoughts of food swim in my head, threatening to drive my consciousness away and turn me into a ravenous beast. I resist it, but I can tell that the longer the fight drags on, the harder it's becoming.

Closer he comes, closer. I wait and wait, watching his approach and refusing to move until my antennae give me the glimpse that I'm looking for. I hold off until he's almost on top of me, only then do I realise, he's not going to grab! That's why I can't see anything! The moment I make the realisation I shift my weight and dash to the side, putting all of my force into my legs. The moment I move, my antennae blare with alarm and I can sense the hand coming for me before Grokus has moved.

My nerves explode as I react faster than is humanly possible, shifting my direction by digging my claws into the ground. Shifting directions for a mass of my size isn't easy and my muscles and joints scream as I push them to their limits as that giant hand reaches for me, growing so large as to almost fill my vision.

I barely make it, Grokus' claws scratch down my left flank as he snatches at the air I occupied only a moment ago. It's only a glancing blow, but deep grooves have been cut into my diamond carapace. This is first stratum versus third after all, I can't expect too much. As close as it was, this is still an opportunity. With his left arm extended, I have a chance to slip closer to his body and unleash my jaws on him, which I won't waste.

Flexing my legs again, dash closer, ducking low under that arm and locking my mandibles into place. Hopefully this will leave a mark!

OMEN CHOMP COMBO!

My energy drains away rapidly as I pump my jaws with insane speed, snapping them shut five times in a second before I jump away, not giving the huge demon a chance to recover his balance and grab at me again. The five chomp combo is just about as much as I can manage at the moment. Luckily I have so many ants within range of the Vestibule in order to top me off, otherwise I'd be just about done for this fight. Grokus rights himself and I take a moment to inspect the damage that I've done, only to find that there's practically nothing there at all!

What in the heck is this guy made of?! He might be a tier above me, fine, but there's no way he can take FIVE omen chomps and be undamaged!

[Have you realised your place yet, insect?] Grokus practically purrs in my mind, [if you're smart, you should crawl back up to where you belong. This is the land of demons. You're beyond foolish if you think you can thrive here.]

I flinch as the stabbing pain from within flares once more and I quickly check my health. This isn't good, it looks as if the rate of damage is accelerating. Luckily I have plenty of options when it comes to repairing the damage. With my mind constructs occupied, I instead trigger my healing gland, almost sagging in relief as the healing liquid floods through my system, wrapping around my stomach and regenerating the internal wounds. Even better, I feel the energy of the Vestibule dive towards the regeneration gland, replenishing it at an incredible pace.

If Grokus wants to see who will be the last monster standing, he picked the wrong opponent.

[Demons? I have to say, so far I haven't been impressed. If you're so powerful compared to me, why am I still here making fun of you? Huh?]

I taunt the huge monster and he responds much as I expected, with rage.

[YOU'LL REGRET YOUR WORDS FROM INSIDE MY STOMACH!]

[Don't think I'd regret anything, I'd be dead, moron!]

With a wordless bellow, Grokus charges toward me again and I prepare to dodge. Come on gravity bomb! I need you now!