The colossal sandworm thundered past. It's jagged steel appendages lining its body raked across the sand — and across Sunny.
A storm of shrill metallic screeches split the air.
Several of the bladed protrusions scraped violently across his armored back and shoulders, sparks bursting where steel met the dark mantle. The force shoved him deeper into the loose sand as the massive creature surged past like a living avalanche.
Sunny grit his teeth and braced himself, as the worm cascaded against him.
Soon, the worm was gone to find another prey.
Mahoraga clicked his tongue and raised his sword as the worm slammed into him.
CLANG!
The blade collided with one of the massive steel appendages. The force of the blow drove Mahoraga backward through the sand.
The sandworm shrieked and twisted, its immense body writhing above the dunes before plunging downward again.
The creature vanished beneath the desert once more.
Sunny finally dragged himself free of the collapsing slope, sand pouring off his armor as he staggered upright. He glanced toward Mahoraga, then toward the rapidly moving ridge of sand racing beneath the surface.
"I really do hate this place."
The worm circled beneath the surface, its enormous mass shifting the desert as it searched for another angle to strike.
Mahoraga's gaze remained fixed on the circling beast. "The Ivory Reavers we fought before," he said slowly, "their attacks carried venom."
"Okay?" Sunny asked, puzzled at the sudden statement.
During the confrontation with the Fallen creature, it had not used its venom against him even once, despite Mahoraga standing directly before its gaping maw.
It was quite strange.
For a race such as the Ivory Reaver, venom was their whole gimmick — and the reason they were annoying to fight.
But this Nightmare Creature's attacks relied on sheer force instead — slamming through the ground, tearing across the surface, smashing anything in its path.
Suddenly, a thought slowly formed.
And a faint smile appeared on his face.
"I have a plan, but you aren't going to like it."
Sunny looked at the racing ridge beneath the sand, then back at Mahoraga. "I'm going to regret asking," he said. "But go on."
"There's no time to explain," Mahoraga replied. "Do you trust me?"
Sunny let out a short laugh, "Nope, not one bit. But what other choice do I have?"
"Good enough," he muttered.
As the words left his mouth, a massive eight-handled wheel appeared above his head.
Mahoraga had activated his dormant ability.
"..."
Mahoraga's dormant ability had two ways it could be used. The first one was the safest, but also the most time consuming — using his body as an extension of the wheel. In this way, Mahoraga could adapt to attacks without summoning the wheel — but this cost time, taking a full turn of the wheel for an attack to be adapted to.
The second method, while dangerous was also the least time consuming — by summoning the wheel above his head, it required only four turns. But this also posed a certain risk, if the wheel was destroyed, all the attacks that Mahoraga had adapted to over the course of his life, would be lost.
"..."
"Jump!"
Mahoraga screamed.
Sunny didn't hesitate.
The moment Mahoraga shouted, he kicked off the sand and lept sideways. The ground where he had been standing ruptured instantly. The worm erupted upward in a violent surge of sand and steel.
"Grab onto it's limb!"
Sunny's eyes widened, "Are you crazy?!"
But there was no time to argue.
The creature burst upward beside him, one of its jagged limbs sweeping past — if he hesitated for even a moment, the chance would be gone.
Sunny clenched his teeth and moved. He dashed forward and grabbed it's protruding spikes.
"Fine!"
For a brief moment he was airborne beside the rushing body of the monster as they climbed up into the air.
"You are insane." Sunny shouted.
Mahoraga didn't waste time. He used his legs to propel himself forward, and seized another spike further up the beast's body.
Sunny followed, hauling himself forward along the monster's rushing body. The wind tore at him as the beast surged ahead, its momentum dragging them across the desert.
The creature shrieked as it twisted violently, its massive body tearing across the surface before diving downward again.
The world vanished.
Instead of air, there was only pressure.
Sand swallowed them instantly, shifting, flowing. The rushing grains grinded across his armor, scraping against his face as they swam further.
He held his breath and summoned [Weaver's Mask], providing him with some comfort against the harsh desert grains that threatened to flay the skin from his face.
The pressure intensified the deeper the creature burrowed.
The sand no longer felt like loose grains — it behaved like a dense current, flowing around them with relentless force. Sunny clung to the spike with both hands as the torrent dragged at his limbs, threatening to rip him free at any moment.
Even through the rushing grains, Sunny heard a faint metallic sound — the sound of a wheel turning.
One click.
Mahoraga opened his eyes, the earlier discomfort seemed to have no effect on him.
Another click echoed from the wheel.
His body which was previously covered in friction marks, was now, untouched.
The sand surged past them faster now, the pressure growing heavier as the beast burrowed deeper. The terror must have sensed the foreign weight clinging to its body, because its movements became increasingly violent.
A third metallic click rang out.
Suddenly, Mahoraga released one hand and summoned his sword. Moments earlier he had struggled just to hold on, but now the raging current seemed little more than a minor inconvenience.
"What the hell is thus guy doing?" Sunny murmured.
Above his head, the eight-handled wheel continued to turn.
And finally, the long lasted fourth click rang aloud.
Mahoraga upon seeing the turn, immediately pushed himself forward.
The rushing current of sand worked in his favor.
Instead of resisting him, the dense flow carried his movement further. The moment he kicked off the spike, the force of the streaming grains propelled him along the creature's armored body
In an instant he surged several meters ahead.
His boots struck another ridge along the monster's hide, and he used the brief contact to propel himself again.
The sand roared around him, but it no longer slowed him.
Sunny stared after him, "…You've got to be kidding me," he hesitated for a second before letting out a tired sigh, "Fine."
He kicked off the spike.
Immediately, the torrent of flowing grains seized him.
Instead of dropping away, the current dragged his body forward along the monster's length. For a brief moment he felt almost weightless.
He reached out and caught another protruding spike, using it as leverage before pushing himself again. The flowing sand hurled him further along the creature's back.
This time he didn't hesitate.
Sunny launched himself again, riding the current as it streamed along the worm's armored body. Each jump sent him gliding through the dense flow, closing the distance between him and Mahoraga.
But even then, they only covered a quarter of the distance towards its head.
Sunny had no idea what Mahoraga was planning, but he hoped the man had a damn good reason for it — otherwise, once this was over, he was going to beat the hell out of him.
They launched themselves again, and again.
Each jump sent them further along the monster's massive body as it tunneled through the desert.The beast twisted violently, sensing the disturbance along its back. Its armored limbs churned through the sand like rotating blades, sending turbulent currents crashing into them.
Still, they advanced.
They were almost halfway to the creature's head.
Then — without warning, the monster burst out of the desert in a towering eruption of sand and debris.
The sudden shift from cruising air to open air came instantly and Sunny had the worst possible timing.
He had just kicked off another spike. Instead of being carried forward by the current, his body sailed into empty air.
Without having a moment to react, Sunny dropped.
He slammed into the desert floor with brutal force.
His armor fractured along the chest and shoulder plates. His head struck the ground a second later, and blood spilled down from his side.
Sunny laid motionless on the desert floor.
Above him, the titanic creature twisted in the air. Its massive body coiled as it sensed the fallen prey beneath it.
The monster dove down, its jaws open and ready to pounce.
Mahoraga bit his lip and sighed. He closed his eyes, a bored look crossing across his face. Sweat prickled against his forehead and his skin had turned a dull red.
Far below, Sunny lay crumpled in the desert like a discarded rag. The stubborn fool had spent the entire trek through the desert complaining that the place didn't bother him.
But, even he had his limits.
"I'm tired," Mahoraga murmured to himself.
Watching Sunny's broken form below, he felt nothing. Whether the boy lived or died meant little to him.
But leaving him to die left a sour taste in his mouth. After all, Sunny had been the one who helped break him free in the first place. Abandoning him now felt… wrong.
Maybe that made him a hypocrite. Even so, walking away and letting him die was not something Mahoraga wanted to do.
Then again — walking away wasn't even an option.
Even if he turned his back now, the monster would not simply ignore him. The monster had already marked them both as prey. Sooner or later it would circle back.
"Why?" He asked softly, drawing his hand back. "Why does nothing go my way?!"
His hand crashed against the terror's armored hide,
For the briefest instant, nothing happened.
Then — his knuckles, connected with the steel armour, collapsed into a thin veil of absolute darkness. A razor-thin distortion rippled outward from the point of impact.
A pulse of black lightning burst from the strike.
CRACK.
A circular shockwave exploded outward across the desert.
The monster which had been eyeing Sunny, suddenly collapsed — perching its head up, it fell directly beside Sunny, trembling.
Mahoraga dropped to the sand, a lazy smile across his face.
[You have slain a Fallen Terror: Ivory Raider.]
[You have gained 2 Enlightenment Fragments.]
[You have received a memory.]
[You have received an Aspect Legacy: Cursed Energy Manipulation.]
[You have received the right to claim a Legacy Relic.]