30 - Fruits

Everyone's eyes darted around, searching the dark midnight sky for the source of the voice.

Before my eyes had time to adjust, explosions started going off all around us, and we scattered. I lost sight of my friends, and another small explosion hit a few feet away from me. Dirt and debris scattered into the air and formed a haze of dust. Once it had settled I could see what was making the impact, and I was horrified. It was a large seed, like a pit you'd find in a peach, but whatever fruit had once surrounded it was a puddle of juice now. 

We were in a fruit orchard, which meant there were thousands more of this projectile that could be thrown at us with such force, and I was terrified to have my life ended by a fruit.

When the dust had settled from the previous impact, I frantically searched for Maja and Toast. I saw them a few metres away and tried to move my body, but I couldn't. I was stuck fast, though I doubted whether it was a skill or my own fear. I grew madder at myself with each passing second and finally pushed myself forward, scrambling for them as best I could with my legs shaking. Toast leapt from Maja into my arms, and more fruit impacted next to us.

~Dadi help!~

I hugged my little guy and tried to comfort him with a quick pet.

"I'm sorry buddy, I think we're going to have to fight this time."

"Sir Mitsuta, what should I do?"

Maja looked at me with a sadness and fear I hadn't seen in her before. Zay'tun getting injured in the water must have really shaken her up.

"We'll do it like we talked about! You just be ready with heal in case things go badly!"

Maja hugged Zay'tun tightly, closed her eyes and nodded. The same voice that had paralyzed us before called out again.

"Not even Great Heal will save you."

I slowly turned my head, and a sinister aura radiated around the creature in front of me. If my mind hadn't been buzzing I may have thought she was the 4th or 5th most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.

A human floated above the ground. Not a human shaped demon like the rest had been, but something that looked nearly human with added demonic features. She was a little androgenous, with a thin frame and golden reddish hair as short as mine. She wore a crisp white buttoned shirt with a ruffle tied around the neck, and a long black frock coat, like a butler might wear in the colder months. Large pointed ears grew from the top of her head, along with sharp thin horns that could skewer you with ease. Keeping her afloat were long outstretched bat wings, twice the length of her body. It was hard to see but I could make out the tip of a fluffy tail behind her coat.

"A-a-are you...Kettu?"

"Disgusting. Do not speak my name, even half of it. I am Kettu Le Pakko. I am your death, hero."

Without warning she distanced herself from us again, and several fruit floated into the sky with her. They began to glow and I commanded Toast to use Shield.

He nuzzled his face into my armpit and whimpered.

"Please buddy, we need you."

He looked up at me with his big brown eye, and shields of light appeared in front of Maja and myself. I could also finally make out the location of Tamon and Hassel who had gotten separated quite a distance from us during the fruit barrage. Toast's shield faintly illuminated Tamon, and I watched as he darted towards Hassel with his assassin's speed, and dodged between the plummeting fruit as it began to fall, heading towards us.

A stray fruit hit my Shield, but because I was holding Toast our shields had been doubled up and I could afford another hit. Tamon arrived and to our horror Hassel had been knocked out. He'd rushed to her to pick her up and carry her to us, and I thanked him for it as Maja began to heal her during the brief pause of Kettu's attack.

Hassel opened her eyes after a moment and realized Tamon was holding her, and squirmed around until he dropped her. She was about to go off on him, but I had to shout for everyone to look out as another round floated up above us.

We were in dire straits, and Kettu was keeping us down so we couldn't retaliate. I quickly advised my party to use the Rasu battle strategy, hoping we could turn the tide, or at least be on even footing. Tamon objected.

"She's not coming to the ground like the Rasu did! I can't attack!"

He pointed out the flaw in my plan. I was scared and acting rashly. 

I need to use my RPG knowledge here!

My mind worked as fast as it could, and I scanned my memories for a battle similar to Kettu's.

What kind of cheat monster just keeps their distance and hurls objects?!

Tons. Tons do, and I got an idea of how to handle this.

I told everyone my plan, and we sprang into action. During the next barrage of fruit, I had Hassel rebound them with the hammer she used for tinkering and forging. She'd brought it with her just as a memento of the shop she worked in for 15 years, but now it would be her greatest weapon. Her eye for detail and precision with small objects made her a crack shot, and each time a fruit neared us, she hit it dead on towards Kettu. 

Kettu was fast and would dodge the fruits with ease as they slowed on the return trip, but it got her moving and distracted, which was the first part of my plan.

Next I let Toast go from my arms, and he bolted and used his Boost Jump, biting Kettu on the leg.

She shrieked and kicked him off, and he yelped as he fell to the earth below her. Tamon used his own lightning speed to catch him and bring him back to Maja, who cast a Heal on his wound. I felt my stomach turn in knots to see him get hurt, but we would all die if we didn't do something.

Kettu spread her wings and hissed at us, swooping down with her clawed hands drawn back to swipe at Toast. Toast winced and cast Shield+, and differently coloured shields of light appeared in front of each of us. When Kettu got near, Tamon had already drawn his blade and tried to strike at her, but he fell short and only grazed her coat as she doubled back.

Kettu then lurched forward again to try and claw Tamon, but was repelled by his shield. She retreated back into the sky, and inhaled deeply. I'm not sure why but I felt the instinct to cover Toast's ears, and had Maja do the same for Zay'tun. Hassel and Tamon seemed to pick up on my fear, and Hassel covered her own ears, while Tamon used his hands to pin down Maja's large ears.

My intuition proved correct and a horrible shrill ringing flooded our heads. I fell to my knees and saw Tamon struggle to stay standing to cover Maja's ears. My consciousness started to fade and the ringing vibrated through my body, but I kept my hands pressed firmly against Toast's head.

The ringing stopped, and I had barely held on. My eyes fluttered open and closed, and Toast started licking my face. I began feeling better and realized Toast was using heal, so I pushed him away from me. I looked over to see Maja distressed and fussing. Tamon had succumbed to the sound attack and was slumped over Maja's shoulders, but he'd kept his hands over her ears.

Maja had started to use another Heal, but Hassel jumped up in front of them, batting away another fruit, and yelled at Kettu.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

Kettu sneered.

"Did you expect us to take turns?"

I'd kind of hoped so!

Tamon came to, and wearily tried to recover his fighting spirit. We were still losing, and the only one who had gotten a hit in was Toast. We had to change our strategy.

I told Toast to fire an Acid Shot at Kettu. I held him out and pointed him like a gun, and he started to gag. I'd forgotten he needed a moment to launch his slime ball, and realized I may only have one chance at this.

Toast spat out his attack, and the ball of sizzling goo blasted at Kettu. She swiftly moved aside, but the Acid Shot had just barely hit what I'd been aiming for, and a hole started to grow from the tip of her wing that had been nicked.

Kettu became enraged as her wing deteriorated, and she flapped the other one harder to compensate, trying to stay in the air. She plunged downward, and tucked her wings in just before hitting the dirt, changing her course towards our group. 

Just before she impacted with us, a red dot appeared on her face, and she stopped abruptly, slapping her hand to where it had been, hissing again as though she was in pain.

The red dot darted around, and drifted across her coat. The fabric began to smoke, and a slice appeared, detaching the bottom of the coat from the rest. She jumped high in the air and landed a great distance from us. Her eyes darkened and she bared her fangs at us.

"What is this?"