Epic of Bee

[Ashia's View]

I had many regrets about coming down here.

"I told you that the thing is strong!" As we were forced back down the tunnel, Sakura roared as she flipped backward, dodging a blast of acid spray.

The thing was more than just strong; it was spitting acid, fire, and lightning at us. On top of that, we were now almost pushed back to the barrier that I could easily see now.

I really wished that Sakura would have listened to me; I had saved her three times now and would probably have done this fight if she would have waited. Now it was too late for that, and I needed to think quickly.

"I need you to get back in the barrier you were trapped in before so I can take care of this!" I called out to Sakura as she landed, and she gave me a strained look.

"I don't need you to protect me! I am the one… who is supposed to protect you now, right?!" Sakura asked me but had to dodge a fire back that was shot at her mid-conversation.

"No! Please listen to me before one of us ends up getting hurt, and I have to order you to do what I am telling you!" I called out and then breathed a massive cone of Dragonfire that covered the giant Mecha-Hydro-Sect, but had almost no effect on it.

Sakura still looked hesitant, but she finally turned from the creature and ran back towards the barrier. I focused on the creature, and it was now focusing on me; it seemed that it was only concerned about keeping Sakura and now me in the barrier.

"Um, there is a problem! I can't get back through the barrier!" Sakura called with a panic sound in her voice.

Of course, why did things always have to be like this! Now I was getting mad.

"Fine, but stay back so I can finish this! I can't concentrate on you and the creature at the same time," I said, and then I stabbed two of my hands to the side.

*Crack! Crack!*

My hands smashed through reality, and my hands wrapped around my Hex Blades as I burst forward. I had tried to transform before, but the Mecha-Hydro-Sect kept attacking me as soon as I tried.

The only thing that I had to my advantage was the fact that I could escape from the barriers that it tried to trap me inside of. Though Sakura couldn't, and each time she got trapped, the beast would try to fill the prison with acid, fire, or lightning.

I dialed in as I rushed forward and then threw the Hex Blades, but not at the creature. Instead, I threw them into the wall and then dodge a Fireball, reaching for more as I landed, and smashed my hands out to the sides again.

I didn't really have a plan, but I needed to get enough weapons out that I could start doing constant damage. Each time I attacked, the creature would attack my weapons and break them, and then I would have to jump back.

The most I could get was two out of five heads off at once. That was because I would run out of weapons, and I couldn't grab them out while moving at high speeds.

Only when I stopped could I grab more, but at least the broken blades were fixed when they returned to me. I would have been out of weapons a long time ago if that was the case.

I had tried almost every spell that I had on the Mecha-Hydro-Sect, but Magic had no effect on it at all, and I was starting to get worried. I threw four more blades into the tunnel walls around and then grabbed the last four before jumping up at the first head that was preparing to spray acid at me.

I slashed with the first blade, and it snapped, barely making a mark, then I brought the next one down, but it smashed as well.

Suddenly I was smashed back from the creature, and one of the heads latched on to me, slamming me to the ground. I drove both remaining swords into the roof of the monsters, and it let go, but that hurt, and I had to jump back.

"What is wrong with that thing?!" I asked Sakura as I hopped back and out of range, but the Mecha-Hydro-Sect was still advancing on us.

"It is adapting to your damage! I told you this was not some pushover! I don't think that we can win this!" Sakura told me, and I was worried that she was right.

I looked back at the creature and then dismissed the blades still in the wall and in the creature's mouth.

"Come, let's regroup," I said and grabbed Sakura by the hand and dragged her back through the barrier that we were being corralled back into.

The moment we were back inside, the Mecha-Hydro-Sect stopped advancing, but it didn't leave either.

I was beyond frustrated.

"How can that thing be so strong?! I don't think that I could beat it even if I was in my DragonBee form, and it doesn't seem that strong!" I complained as I glared at the five-headed Mecha-Hydro-Sect.

"It's not like the other Ravagers, and it adapts to your attacks; I told you this, and you said it would be fine, but I am not a weakling! I know that this thing is nearly impossible to defeat!" Sakura complained, and I sighed.

"Yes, I am sorry for underestimating you, but I assumed that my new strength would be enough. Sadly, it still seems like I have a long way to go," I said, shaking my head, and then I turned back to the way back to the others. "For now, there isn't anything that we can do, so we might as well go see the others and get things finished with the Meccat."

"That sounds like a better idea, and my father's Gem Heart is not going anywhere as long as the barrier remains. If the barrier fails, then we will have some trouble because it will start hunting us both down now that you have attacked it," Sakura explained to me as we started to walk back.

"How long until that happens?" I asked curiously.

"Not that I won't be here anymore, maybe less than a month. The barriers fed off my power, and that's why they lasted so long, and why you were able to trounce me," Sakura said, turning her nose up in the air and away from me.

"Oh yeah, that's how I got you to the ground," I joked and then poked her in the side, making Sakura growl at me as she jumped back.

"Yes, it is, and when I am back at my full strength, you will give me permission so we can fight again, and I will prove to you that I am the strongest! Then maybe you will have to serve me!" Sakura said defiantly as she stabbed a finger into my chest fat that made me giggle.

"Sure, my pretty kitty, any time you want to play again, just let me know. I think that it would be fun to have another round, but maybe fewer clothes this time?" I teased while trying to grab at Sakura's side, but she hopped back and out of the way, glaring at me.

"Stop it! I am not some child that wants to be tickled, and I am not one of you whore wives!" Sakura growled, and I put a hand over my mouth to cover another giggle that slipped out.

"You should try to relax, and my wives are not whores; they are amazing women that you will meet. I am only trying to have fun with you. You have been alone for a long time, haven't you?" I asked as we got closer to the barrier.

"Yeah, so what? I am used to it! It's been like this since the hero died, and it was like this in my past lives! What does any of that matter?!" Sakura yelled at me as she stopped before the barrier, balling her hands into fists, but I stepped into her quickly and put my hands over her fists and took her waist in my arms.

"Calm down," I said slowly. "I am not here to hurt you, so stop acting like it. You have been alone for a very long time and have always had to do things on your own, right? You don't need to anymore, and I know that it will be hard to get used to, but you will."

Sakura tried to pull away from me, but I kept my grip on her. I didn't want to take her out of here when she was still as wild as she was.

While I could control her, and she couldn't hurt my pets, that said nothing for everyone else around me. Sakura could still hurt Helaina or any of the vampires, but I could stop her with an order.

"I need you to relax and understand that I am not going to betray you or hurt you like the others have. I know that I can't promise you that I will never ask you to do something you don't like, but I can promise you that life with me will not be boring or lonely. What I need from you is a promise that you will never attack someone without receiving my permission first," I explained, but then Sakura pushed away from me, but I let her go this time.

"Why do you care so much about others? You and I know that the only way to get off this world is to die a glorious death, and you don't need others for that!" Sakura complained, but I shook my head no.

"No. Neither of us is going to die before we leave the world. Tyler will pay for what he tried to do to us all and for what he still is. I will be talking to everyone to the Everclock, and when we get there, we will end this game he is playing!" I said with determination as I started into a surprised-looking Sakura's eyes.