Damn, this really hurts...I can’t move my left arm at all and it’s bleeding profusely, I have to heal it. I grimaced as the Dragonoid let out a threatening growl, lightning crackling around its jaws.

"S-scatter and surround it!" Exclaimed Ekspen urgently, as he backed away a few paces while the other two split up across either side.

I moved away as well, as did Ilex, until we’d all formed a circle with the Dragonoid in between us. It suddenly shot towards Sakri, slashing its claws at her with immense force.

She raised her arm blades defensively in alarm, getting knocked off her feet as its claws slammed onto her blades with a loud clang, before I cracked my whip towards the Monster while Ilex took aim and fired out a Mana projectile at it, as it began to charge up a lightning blast in its jaws.

It swiftly spun around and swung its left arm out to deflect Ilex’s bullet, a few of its scales getting slightly damaged before it began to try and catch my whip with its right hand.

As my whip began to touch its palm, it quickly and abruptly moved its hand away, a trickle of blood dripping down its hand as my whip slightly nicked it.

It then whipped its tail out behind as Sakri leapt towards it with her blades raised, striking her chest and eliciting a sharp gasp of pain from her as her ribs audibly cracked upon impact, a slight crackle of electricity bursting out as it unleashed lightning from the tip of its tail as it struck her, zapping her before sending her flying back several meters and crashing onto a wall with a pained groan, coughing out blood. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

As I used the opportunity to subtly heal my arm partially, just enough so that I could move it again and stem the bleeding somewhat, Dispo and Ekspen then shot towards it from either side, as Ilex fired out several more Mana bullets at it while I rapidly extended my whip towards it like a needle.

It blasted out sharp bolts of lightning to cancel out Ilex’s projectiles and slightly moved to evade my whip, which grazed its shoulder before the Dragonoid wrapped its tail around Dispo’s right arm as he drove his fist towards it, flinging him away before swiping its claws at Ekspen’s head.

He quickly ducked in alarm as Dispo was thrown across the space and slammed onto a pillar with a painful thud, Ekspen narrowly evading getting his head taken off as a deep scratch appeared across his forehead.

He gripped his sword with both hands and slashed it upwards at the Dragonoid, which evaded the slash by tilting its head back and then grabbed Ekspen by the throat, eliciting a sharp wheeze from him as it tightened its grip, digging its claws into the sides of his neck, blood trickling down its fingers and hands.

I quickly withdrew my whip and began to swing it across as Ilex fired more bullets, but the Dragonoid swiftly raised Ekspen’s body out in front of itself, using him as a shield.

I swiftly flicked my wrist and cracked my whip across to deflect Ilex’s projectiles before they could hit Ekspen, right as Ekspen swung his blade up towards the Dragonoid’s elbow, a powerful explosion bursting out as he struck it.

He let out a hoarse cough as the Dragonoid lost its grip on his throat and he quickly backed away, as Dispo got back onto his feet and slammed his right fist onto the pillar he’d crashed onto, sending several chunks of rock rapidly shooting towards the Dragonoid.

The Monster spun around and fired out a devastating blast of lightning from its jaws, obliterating the rocks as Sakri and Ekspen sprang up behind it from either side.

As Dispo leapt out of the way, letting out a gasp of pain as his feet got hit by the lightning and badly burnt, the Dragonoid spun around as the other closed in on it, slashing at it fiercely.

It swung its right foot out towards Sakri, a couple of shallow cuts appearing on its leg before it slammed onto her torso with a loud crunch. She coughed out blood before getting sent flying back several meters, as the Dragonoid caught Ekspen’s wrist with its tail before his blade could strike it.

With a swift flick of his wrist, he tossed the blade at the Monster, not with any real force, but as the blade struck its chest, a powerful explosion burst out, eliciting a roar of pain from it before it angrily broke his wrist and slammed him onto the ground before he could even cry out in pain, knocking him out.

The Dragonoid then let out a pained snarl as my whip pierced through the middle of its chest, quickly flying back as I began to swing my whip up in an attempt to split open its chest and head, shooting back faster than I could extend my whip.

"Initiate Skill: Invisibility!" Chanted Ilex, vanishing from sight as he shot forward.

I can keep track of him with Super Hearing...but from the look of it, so can the Dragonoid, its gaze is moving along the path he’s racing across. I grimaced hesitantly before steeling myself and zipping forward, getting its attention.

Ekspen and Sakri are unconscious, and Dispo can’t stand up with his feet all charred. If Ilex and I can’t take this thing down, we’re all dead. It’s too fast to run away from, so we have to kill it!

It’s got too much of an advantage while it’s in the air, the only way to beat it is to bring it down to the ground!

I shot straight towards its right as I extended out Magic Eater and sent it zipping out towards its left, as Ilex raced around behind it and fired out a barrage of Mana projectiles while continuing to stay on the move.

As I slashed my whip across towards its right, it dropped down to evade it before flying across to dodge Ilex’s bullets. It then shot towards him, too fast for my Magic Eater to catch up.

It suddenly halted as Ilex surrounded himself with a dome of manifested Mana, swirling around him and vibrating rapidly...anything that comes into contact with that would almost definitely be torn to shreds, looks like Dragonoid can sense that.

It then flew up as my Magic Eater began to catch up to it, spinning around and shooting towards me at top speed. As it blasted out a powerful bolt of lightning, I swallowed it up with Magic Eater before countering with a burst of blue flames as it began to close in on me.

It let out a pained roar as it flew through the flames, its scales and skin underneath getting badly burnt but it barely even slowed down, shooting towards me rapidly. Crap, it’s too fast for me to dodge!

As it closed in on me with a rapid blur, driving its claws towards my heart, I moved across as much as I could, letting out a choked gasp as its claws pierced through the middle of my chest, breaking through my ribs, as its tail wrapped around my legs tightly.

"T-time for some payback...," I smirked spitefully, as I pierced its forearm with the dagger end of my whip and used Distance Casting...Elemental Metal: Create Arrow, Tenfold!

The Dragonoid let out a pained roar as two Magic Circles appeared behind its wings and ten metal arrows fired out, straight through the wings and piercing five holes in each one.

Heh...it may have really tough skin, but the flaps of its wings are nice and thin. And now, it can no longer fly.

As it flapped its wings to no avail and its feet touched the ground, it let out an enraged roar as it began to slash at my neck with its other hand, my eyes widening in alarm as I quickly began to open a portal into my Pocket Dimension to block it...fuck, it’s no good, I’m not gonna make it in time...!

Suddenly, right as its claws began to slice into the side of my neck, it froze in place, unable to move. I let out a strained sigh of relief before stifling a cough of pain, clenching my teeth as I braced myself before taking a firm step back, wrenching its claws out of my chest and letting out a sharp wheeze as blood poured out.

I quickly turned around as I collapsed onto my knees and healed myself, fixing my ribs and mending the damage inflicted past them, stopping before I fully healed the injury.

I then got back onto my feet with a pained grimace, feeling kinda faint and wobbly...I’ve dealt with any fatal damage, but this is still pretty damn deep, not to mention the gash on my left shoulder.

"Nice work, I owe you one," I remarked hoarsely as I glanced at Ilex with a wry smile.

That was way too close, I’m pretty sure healing would’ve been off the table if I’d been straight up decapitated.

"Oh, uh...I-I couldn’t have done it if you hadn’t attacked its wings," He replied awkwardly as he averted his gaze, as I approached the Dragonoid with a tight grip on my Soul Weapon.

Shadow Bind really is a damn powerful Skill, I don’t think I could’ve taken this thing on myself without it, not at my current level.

"It must suck, to be killed by beings so much weaker than you are...not a very envious position you’re in right now, are you?" I muttered as I met the Dragonoid’s gaze, lightning crackling around its jaws as it growled, before I swiftly decapitated it with a rapid swing of my whip, slicing through its neck...

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