Saberfes!

Chapter 92

Chapter 92

During his travels across the world, Kairi inevitably came into contact with many strange odds and ends, both magical and non-magical. Self-replicating Martyoshka dolls that grew larger, whales that could swim through creeks and streams, humans that lived with fungus growing all over their body, he had seen much, enough for several lifetimes. In some cases, he also received a souvenir, as payment, as spoils of war, sometimes as a token of remembrance as well. In most cases though, the souvenirs became part of his arsenal, and the lizard-like familiar currently facing Kirei was no different.

A deep tomb unearthed by Greek mages attracted his attention while he was in taking care of a Sealing Designation that had taken refuge in the Grecian countryside, and after a series of twists and turns while trying to apprehend the heretical mage alive, he ended up with several dragon teeth, escaping the tomb and its secret with his sanity and body intact. He had checked that the dragon teeth were the genuine artifact, and after it was confirmed, he set to work on a project that he had been contemplating ever since he had 'borrowed' some materials from a recently deceased magus.

The result was the abomination standing slightly taller than the priest, looking like a skinned lizard with some of it's bones and joints clearly in view. However, some parts were slightly off, with the mouth being the most prominent feature. The teeth were misaligned, disproportionate in some way that wasn't obvious, but still felt unsettling. It's head was grotesque to say the least, with three eyes set directly behind a large mouth, while a red, slimy liquid seemed to coat the top.

Kirei's eyes traveled over it's form, noting the dull color of the bones, the densely packed muscle fibers wrapped over them, the eyes that darted around every once in a while, and the thick, muscular tail lying limply on the ground, stretching past the tree trunk behind. If he were to give an estimate for it's length, he would put it at around two meters, give or take a few centimeters. Notable, bony protrusions poked out off the flesh on the tail, similar to a spine.

Six eyes blinked in unison, the head with rows of razor sharp teeth turning slightly to keep the priest in it's sight. A forked reptilian tongue slithered out, tasting the air, before it retreated back into its mouth. For a moment, both of them stood still.

Then the Black Keys disappeared from Kirei's hands, three on each side aimed at the head, torso and legs. At the same time, he himself shot forward, his brown hair ruffled by the wind as he appeared in front of the beast.

"HSHRARRR!"

With surprising agility and speed for its size, it swung it's claw tipped hands at Kirei, the right hand sweeping towards him with enough strength to crush steel. The finely sharpened bone met the slender blades of the Black Keys as they deflected the swipe downwards, its hand slashing the air just above his head. Without stopping, he prepared his elbow to strike the monster around where it's stomach would be. The Black Keys he had thrown earlier didn't seem to do much more than annoy it.

He dropped even further again, his whole body kissing the ground as the left claws stabbed the space where he had been standing, the wind whistling with it. Raising one leg, it stomped straight down on where he was crouched.

The tips of Black Keys poked out of the top of it's foot as it stepped on them while Kirei rolled out of the way, the Black Keys stabbed in it's foot barely deterring it from getting on all fours and chasing Kirei as he jumped out of the roll and proceeded to sidestep behind a tree as it bulldozed past him, the tail digging into the ground to slow it down and rotate its body to face him. Seeing the muscles in it's legs tense, the red meat bunching up, he prepared himself.

The tail slammed against the ground as it leapt forward, spinning it around as it swung its tail like a whip at Kirei. Jumping over it as it wrapped around the trunk, the lizard used the grip it had on the tree to pull itself closer, the tip of the tail coming around at the same time to smack Kirei in the shoulder.