Chrysalis

[Master, we need help!] Crinis' call shocks me out of my daze and I rush over to assist them against the unending crush of demons that charge up the ramp once they have crested the top of the pillar and secured their position against their fellow demons.

The flying demons have such an absurd advantage in this situation, simply flapping their way up and onto the ramp, but once they reach this natural chokepoint, all bets are off as the demons fight amongst each other to reach the second strata.

[No worries, I'm here!] I call as I leap back into the fight, my mandibles pumping and minds spinning a new domain.

Without the overwhelming crush of shadow monsters, the fire domain no longer serves a purpose as the demons are at least partially resistant to it. All production of blue fire mana is discarded and the construct now starts to pump out pure ice mana which is deftly woven into a new domain. Likewise, the lava mana I was working with before is also cast aside in favour of the much easier to work with air. In only a few seconds the first compressed bolt of air is ready and I fire it at a lithe, weasel looking demon trying to slip past us. Caught unawares, the beast only has time to roar indignantly before the powerful gust of air carries it over the edge of the ramp and plummeting to the depths below.

Ice domain!

The moment I release the spell the air around us becomes infused with frigid air and spinning chunks of ice that bounce harmlessly from my allies but detonate with a sharp crack when they hit anything else. At first I'm wholly satisfied with this new domain, the demons certainly aren't big fans of the ice, but after a few seconds I notice something I may have overlooked. The amount of mana being sucked out of my core to maintain this domain is unbelievable! Even over this short period, the sub-brain in charge is starting to frizzle from overwork as it tries to maintain the spell and produce the ice mana necessary to keep it running at the same time.

The reason why is readily apparent: it's too damn hot here! The ice mana is being consumed way too quickly! Cursing inside, I throw away the ice domain and switch to air, both sub-minds working together to pump out the same type of mana to hurl bolts of compressed air at my foes.

[How are you holding up, Crinis?]

Master!] she replies, her voice

her as we battle back and forth with the demons,

like it's being sapped,] she grudgingly admits, [and my flesh doesn't

course, without the naturally abundant shadow mana and darkness in the second strata, her powers don't work half as well as they did before. Another

they were before?] I gasp as the bladed arm of a nasty looking

before,] Crinis guesses, [here they are surrounded by their natural

is actually way harder than I thought it would be. Despite arriving at the most perfect natural chokepoint we could hope for, the ramp is no more than fifty metres wide and every demon who climbs the pillar has no choice but to move up it if they

back! And make a break for the second strata! Alright?!

tell me in person, her antennae twitching in all directions as she nips forward to bite at the legs and joints of the demons

toward my much larger frame with reckless abandon. "Just hang on a little longer and then we'll retreat. We'd be fine if all of you were

really the time for

with the enemy, though it doesn't work nearly as well on the heavier ones. As we continue to battle hard, it's clear that we're being forced to give ground as the press of demons only grows thicker with the passage of time. For every one we put down, another two are ready to take their place.

and my antennae whip around as

a massive arm covered in dripping black tar reach up and dig into the stone, thick muscles bulging to haul the rest of the monster up to the top of

big one here guys! Keep your eyes peeled!] I tell my desperately