The Outergod's Avatar-Chapter 46: Heretics (2)

"When beasts like the Maws live and feed long enough, they usually grow a horn and become significantly stronger," Sophia explained to Izikel, her eyes scanning the path ahead.

"We call them Divine Beasts or Horned Beasts," she continued, tightening the straps of her armor. "The number of horns they grow indicates their strength." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"So, you two need to do as I say at all times, this is going to be even more dangerous," she said, glancing over at Lyzah and Izikel with firm resolve.

Then she turned to Felvin, who was sitting slumped against a tree. "Felvin, can you stand?"

He looked worse than before—paler, more ghost than man, like the life was steadily leaking out of him.

"I’m sure I can manage," he muttered, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

The other druids nearby had managed to recover some of their strength and were preparing to move out, but Felvin clearly hadn’t regained anything. If anything, his condition had deteriorated.

Sophia gave him a single nod. "Don’t push yourself too far."

They didn’t have much time. The Saints were confident—too confident perhaps. They had the numbers, the strength, and now, with the plan in place, they also had the element of surprise.

The strategy Raynoel came up with was simple: as their main force attacked the enemy camp to cause confusion, Raynoel and Sophia were to locate and eliminate the Horned Beast before it could be released. If that monster entered the battle, it could turn the tide in an instant. Killing it was their top priority.

To ensure stealth, their group was small, just the two of them and three elite soldiers.

Raynoel led them along a narrow trail, keeping to the shadows, until they arrived at the edge of a clearing.

Crouched in the underbrush along with Lyzah and the others, Izikel peered ahead and caught his first glimpse of the creature.

It looked like a Maw Beast, but larger, at least double the size, with a thick, black horn jutting out from its head. It lay in the middle of a clearing, chains coiled around its limbs and anchored deep into the ground. Its breathing was slow, its bulk heaving rhythmically like a mountain alive.

"That’s our target," Raynoel whispered, eyes narrowing. "This might be easier than expected since it’s chained. If we move quietly, we can finish it before it wakes."

Sophia nodded silently. The five of them—Raynoel, Sophia, and the three other soldiers—crept forward, staying low, weapons drawn.

Izikel, Lyzah, and Felvin remained hidden in the brush, holding their breath.

They got closer. Ten feet. Five.

Suddenly, a low growl rumbled from the beast.

Everyone froze.

For a moment, it seemed like it had only stirred in its sleep.

Then it opened its eyes.

Maw Beasts were blind, but that didn’t mean they were helpless. They relied on scent and vibration. And with one long, deep inhale, the beast smelled them.

With terrifying speed, its massive tail swung, striking the nearest saint and sending him crashing into a tree. The crack of bones and wood echoed as his body slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Then the creature rose.

Towering at over twenty-five feet, the reptilian monster stood on two massive legs, its body rippling with muscle under thick, scale-covered hide. It unleashed a guttural roar that shook the forest.

Another saint charged in, blade raised.

The beast swiped with a clawed hand. The saint blocked—but the blow shattered his weapon and drove the claws into his chest. Blood sprayed as the body hit the ground.

Only one soldier remained, retreating fast.

The chains held—for now—but the beast thrashed violently, testing them. One slipped, stretching taut with a metallic groan that echoed through the trees. Dust and fragments of rock burst from the ground where the bolt had been secured, revealing just how much force the creature was exerting.

Its muscles bulged beneath armored, reptilian scales, each motion radiating raw, brutal power. The horn atop its skull glinted under the faint morning light, jagged and black like obsidian, a twisted crown marking it as something far worse than the lesser Maws. Its guttural growl deepened as it pulled harder, the chain rattling like bones in a jar, metal shrieking against each other.

Sophia didn’t blink. "It’s going to break free," she said under her breath, tightening her grip on her spear.

"We have to kill it before it breaks loose!" Raynoel shouted.

They attacked, moving in formation. Slashing, dodging, retreating. But their strikes barely left a scratch—its thick scales deflected most of the blows, and they couldn’t get close enough to aim for weak spots.

The chains were their only advantage. They kept the beast in place, just barely. Each time the saints drew too near, the monster lashed out, and they were forced back again.

Then—snap.

One of the last two chains broke.

The last remaining soldier turned to run, but the beast lunged, clamping its jaws onto his shoulder and lifting him into the air like a ragdoll.

"Help..." he choked out before the beast shook him violently. Blood flew in all directions as armor crumpled like paper.

That was the moment everyone realized—they weren’t going to win. As soon as the second chain gave way, they were all dead.

Raynoel’s expression hardened. "Sophia, we can’t kill this thing. We need to get Izikel to safety."

Sophia’s eyes never left the beast. "Take them and go. I’m physically stronger so I have a better chance of escaping on my own."

Raynoel hesitated.

"I said go," she repeated. "I’ll hold it off."

"Just hold on, I’ll come back for you," Raynoel swore.

Sophia smirked faintly. "You won’t find much left, but do try."

Raynoel turned and sprinted back toward the brush.

"Come with me—quickly!" he barked at Izikel, Lyzah, and Felvin.

"What about Sophia?" Lyzah asked, panicked.

"We can’t just leave her," Izikel added.

Raynoel gritted his teeth. "If you don’t come now, she won’t make it out. Every second you waste makes her job harder."

That was enough, they didn’t want to do anything that could possibly endanger her life. Plus they were also watching everything that happened.

He grabbed Lyzah’s wrist and yanked her up, then pulled Izikel by the arm. Felvin, barely standing, stumbled after them, clutching his side.

They followed, sprinting through the forest with Raynoel in the lead. He led them down a narrow ravine that curved around the battlefield.

After several minutes of running, they finally reached a clearing near a rock outcropping. It looked like they were out of danger, until they saw the figures waiting ahead.

A group of Heretics, at least six.

The two groups locked eyes, silence stretching thick between them.

Then one of the Heretics stepped forward, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"What took you so long?" he asked.