Chrysalis

The closer I look, the more certain I am. It isn't much, a scratch under any other circumstances, but considering that Grokus has managed to keep himself entirely pristine for the duration of this fight, something has definitely changed.

[You know, I don't think I will, surrender that is. I have a suspicion that things might just be turning to my advantage.]

[Nonsense,] the huge demon scoffs, [unless you have another of those spells in you, then it's merely a matter of time before you are devoured from the inside out.]

[You so sure about that? Your left claw isn't looking its normal self.]

I can almost see the massive city lord hesitate for a moment before he raises the claw to inspect it more closely. Sure enough, the damage has not been fully healed, a split running along the topmost digit.

[Impossible!] he gasps before he can stop himself.

[Not healing as much as you'd expected eh? Perhaps something has gone wrong?] it's now my turn to taunt the much larger monster as my brains race to think of what could possibly have happened.

[Tiny, scorch him! Give him a blast of lightning!]

All too happy to unleash violence at the slightest provocation, the ape lets loose an arc of lightning that plays across the city lord’s flank, burning a groove in him and filling the air with the scent of sizzled Biomass. Crucially, the damage remains, healing, but far more slowly than before. An idea begins to take shape in my mind and I can't help giving voice to it.

[You've always been eating Grokus, eating and eating away, but where has all the Biomass gone? You really expect me to believe you've just been racking up thousands of Biomass points for no reason? I don't believe it.]

the still form of Grokus, watching him through my multifaceted eyes as he stares back

Biomass regeneration storage, don't you? You've been packing it away into this regen gland for decades and then pretending you were invincible. Every time you get damaged in any way, you heal up in an instant and pretend you were never hurt in the first place. You can depend on your impressive

to circle around the big demon as I lecture, expounding on

have really sucked.

face him head

you're barely healing

when I take a massive hit of damage. I stagger to one side as it feels as if my stomach has ripped itself open, triggering an emergency release of regeneration fluid. Despite the added energy

may have worn through my reserves with your magic, but I am still standing, and so long as I am you will continue to suffer. Unless you can finish me off in the next few minutes, you will have no hope of being victorious in this battle! Without you to save them, I will rampage through

stiffen my legs to

the case if I was

turn to the

"GET HIM!"

are within range of my pheromonal cry and

as each and every one of them rushes forward heroically and a rain of acid and spells

charge forward also, pushing my aching body to the limit to zig and zag left and right. Focusing my mind, I watch carefully. Listening to the hidden signals emanating from my antennae I watch the now desperate city lord like an ant-hawk. When he swipes at me, I'm more than ready and dodge appropriately, closing the gap in an instant. Mandibles

bellow as I bite

he may be, but the massive demon still represents a great threat to my siblings, which means I want to keep his focus on me as much as possible whilst I remove his ability to harm them. Without the use of his arms, he has only his aura to rely on. Which will work, given enough time. I mean, we're racing against the

on Tiny! Crinis! Pour it on! Give it everything

with gusto, ripping and tearing, punching and smashing with all they

let it end like this!] Grokus bellows in my mind. [I have ruled for hundreds of years! I will not be brought down by an