Pythons of this world were incredibly dangerous; one drop of their venom would easily kill most Disciples, never mind Seekers. Xenos was seriously at a disadvantage here, but still, he couldn't have the guards stay.
If they did, and they got poisoned, they wouldn't only die; they'd also become an enemy before death, as those poisoned would become delirious and enraged, attacking everyone around them.
Fighting Pythons in groups often led to the annihilation of most cohorts, so Xenos couldn't risk having them here, more so for his own safety than theirs.
Well, of course, he also did it for them, as he really couldn't allow Arc to die.
The more he thought about the boy and his group, the more useful he saw them as.
Because yes, as he thought earlier, he could even use them as a cover for whenever Hades decided to send assassins after him, making him no different than an unfortunate bystander to the public eye, allowing for more leeway in manufacturing his image.
Anyhow, Aspen understood Xenos's thoughts almost instantly, sharp as always.
Otherwise, he certainly wouldn't have left Xenos behind.
The bond they now shared seemed important in his eyes.
Lyacons were like that, quick to trust those around them.
'They really are dogs~.'
Chuckling at that, Xenos's Beholding Eyes glowed a little.
Before him were at least ten Pythons, each with, of course...
—
Name: Python
Rank: Brephos
Runes: Two
—
Two Runes.
Even the strongest Disciples would struggle with this, especially in this scenario, with no moonlight. Yet, he didn't seem to be worried but rather focused on how to best defeat them.
Xenos blew out a breath and stepped back just enough to feel the warmth of the fireplace behind him... his lifeline.
And yes, 'lifeline,' for if that fire went out, he was done; he couldn't even joke about it.
'Dogs, monkeys, and snakes… this realm's zoo is out of its mind.'
There were three ways he could die here.
A biting lunge, a tail swipe, and poison spit—that was what these bastards offered.
Bites were lethal fang strikes. Tails were a wooden beam with a snake's tip that could shatter ribs, and spits were a fine cloud of venom that no Disciple could wash out of their eyes before dying.
You ate a bite, and you died.
You ate a tail, and you lost limbs.
You ate spit, and you turned into a screaming killer for everyone else.
He couldn't take them head-on, so he needed to make them take each other out.
And now that he had established that, he cracked his neck and invited them to approach, gesturing at them with his left hand.
"Come."
That, they did, two of them lunging forward.
Xenos did the same in return, though deliberately sloppy, just enough to bait the faster one into a snap, its jaw coming down on him before he quickly slipped aside, feeling the wind of it skim his cheek as it sank its fangs deep into the mud beneath him.
He stomped on the Python's head before it could extract itself and then stepped back, the second Python appearing where he just was.
Since his feet had left its head, it was free to attack, but that was intentional, as the moment it snapped back up, the second Python was before it, making its fangs dig deep into its scales.
The Python thrashed in rage, whipping its tail wildly, the gust alone nearly knocking Xenos flat, but he stumbled back and away, watching the two monsters tangle.
"Look at that~."
He, of course, didn't hesitate and charged in, stabbing with his sword.
Their necks were thicker than most trees, but still, with them tangled up the way they were, he was able to force his blade through cartilage, riding their flailing before quickly pulling back, dodging spits of venom from the others.
'Two down, eight to go.'
Another spit of venom came from the dark, barely missing him, sizzling through his sleeve.
He yanked it off almost instantly and then threw up the burning cloth.
Stepping beneath the cloth, he stabbed it with his sword and charged.
His target was a lone Python, which lashed its tail at him.
The sword and the cloth disappeared as Xenos dropped to the ground, dodging its tail, before quickly pushing himself back up and rushing alongside the retreating tail.
Once he was before the Python, the sword and cloth returned, which he used to swing at it.
It easily dodged his attack, but that didn't faze him, as he was aiming to only blind it.
The burning cloth on the tip of his sword had shot at its eyes, momentarily darkening its world.
Behind Xenos was a lunging Python, the same one that had spat out its venom at him mere seconds ago, which he sidestepped at the last moment.
But of course, before its fangs could sink into the other Python, it managed to swing left, perhaps learning from what happened to its kin.
Something that he seemed to have expected, as just as his feet touched the ground, he continued the momentum of his movement into a spin, which ended with him kicking the side of the Python into the other one's path.
Its fangs went deep, a success, but Xenos quickly stepped away, unable to kill them yet.
The others had tightened their circle over him in the time he took to bait those two.
He needed to make the others dance before he could kill the tangled two, and he certainly did just that, never making full swings, constantly poking and prodding. Stepping forward only to feint and draw back—little taps to their pride until they finally acted on instinct, leaving their kin open.
Open for Xenos to end them.
'Six left.'
It was going to be a bit tougher now as they were getting used to his movement, but he didn't switch things up, knowing that this was his only path to victory.
And sure enough, Xenos began to get nicked, not by fangs or poison, but by their tails, as they kept back, forcing him to take higher and higher risks in his attempts to bait them, yet to no avail.
'When do low Rune monsters get so smart?!'
He tried again and again until suddenly, one clipped his thigh and left him gasping on the dirt.
They had him! And so three went forth, almost fighting over who'd be the one to kill him.
The fastest of them reached first, snapping down with its fangs.
Xenos stared at it as it came down before quickly rolling away while planting the hilt of his sword into the mud, using the ground to his advantage, as the Python, unable to stop its lunge, pushed the blade into itself, cutting its head in half.
'Five.'
Due to its momentum, its body continued forward, crashing into him, but he quickly recalled his sword into his inventory and dragged himself out and into a roll, landing straight on his feet.
Just as he did, however, the other Pythons were upon him.
Without a moment's pause, he threw himself to the side, dodging a tail that would've torn him in half and a cloud of venom, but he wasn't yet safe, as another attack came, a lash of the tail, though this time from afar, belonging to one of three snakes that stayed behind.
Xenos leaned back, the tip of the tail slicing the cloth over his chest.
As it was about to pull back, he gripped it with both hands, using it to pull himself along before letting go and jumping high, almost flying into the two Pythons that had just attacked him.
Midair, his sword materialized in his right hand, colored in a deep crimson.
Spinning once, he swung down with all his strength, the sword cutting through both their necks before he crashed into them, sending him into a tangled heap of scales.
'Three left.'
Yes, as impossible as that might seem, only three were left.
Xenos stood up with heavy movement and shaking knees... that crash seemed to be the last straw; his body could barely take on any more punishment, something that was guaranteed with those three standing before him.
Yet his grin stayed because this was the part he liked:
The tight and sick edge where one could taste death.
Where each kill felt stolen, snatched out of its grip.
It was dangerous, but it was fun—
fsshhhhh.
The warmth next to him suddenly vanished.
His skin instantly went cold as darkness swallowed him whole.
He didn't even need to look; the fireplace was gone, smothered by his Calamity.
His heart began to thunder in his chest, an undeniable truth coming to shape.
'I'm dead.'
Xenos couldn't see a way out.