Chrysalis

Say what I will about Grokus, he's an intimidating sight when he's up and moving. However much I weigh in my tier six body, the demon has me massively outclassed. Not only is he taller, but his girth is also considerably wider. And if I were to hazard a guess, his demon flesh and musculature is far denser than my own. Even with a portion of his body stuffed into a pocket dimension, he literally makes the ground shake with every step that he takes.

The two massive claws that sit on either side of his ravening maw scratch furiously at the ground as he drags himself toward us, screaming and bellowing at the top of his lungs.

[Whatever you do Tiny, don't get caught by those hands,] I warn the big ape. [One second and he'll have you stuffed into his mouth and there won't be any coming back.]

The bat-faced ape's face is alive with joy and rage as he bounds toward a worthy foe, but I see his ear flicker and know that he heard what I had to say.

[And Crinis, you need to play it a little cautious as well. Go to work, but don't try and connect to his mind, I think he'll be far too strong for your tendrils to work and they might backfire on you.]

[I'm not sure that they can, Master.]

[I sure as heck don't want to find out,] I tell her firmly. [Play it safe and chip away from the shadows. I'll stand up front and take the heat so you'll have plenty of chances.]

I can sense her hesitation, but I give her clear orders and finally she concedes.

Be safe,

[Of course!]

Grokus' teeth, I skirt the edge of his range, avoiding his grasping hands with swift steps. He's a hell of a lot quicker than I expected, but the tingling of my antennae gives me the warning I need to dodge away. Time to check if Al was correct in his judgement that Grokus is heavily

spin independently to pull together Ice Mana that I quickly shape into a barrage of spears. The huge demon lumbers toward me and I continue to bait him forward, allowing Tiny the space to move to his sides. The moment my spells are prepared, I unleash them, a flurry of hardened projectiles made from ice flash through the air

seem

few puny ice spears are going to bring down a demon of this size, but before my befuddled eyes the ice just melts away to reveal smooth flesh underneath. He wasn't injured in the

Before he gets the chance, the demons behind the city lord surge forward to block his advance, engaging him in a brawl that quickly drags

without Invidia around he's

him is as soft and spongy as ever. It's unfortunate that he hasn't been able to collect his new armour yet, but hopefully he'll be able to pull through with the incredible power that he's pulled together

one-on-one for now. Not exactly what I want, facing off against a demon a full tier stronger than I am. For his part, the city lord continues to lunge toward me, his wide arms sweeping out to grasp at me, threatening to

city lord, to no effect. Fire, earth, lava, ice, air, nothing! All of it washes off the massive demon as if I were showering him with pure spring-water. How is this possible?! Is he naturally

magic, I'm going

to try and resist him with just my mandibles and shiny, shiny carapace. Snapping my jaws together, I brace myself to go toe to toe with the big guy as my minds fire themselves into overdrive. Deep within my carapace, gravity mana begins to flow, in a trickle at first, but then in a great flood as multiple constructs draw on it at the same time, compressing the mana together in the beginnings of a gravity

the one basket though, I keep a few of my constructs free to form gravity bolts which I fling at the city lord as soon as they're done. If they have any effect at all it should be significant considering how much raw

INSECT? DO YOU FEAR ME? COME CLOSER AND LET ME