Dungeon Builder's Harem Book 03 Ch. 18

Chapter Eighteen

Maya saw the head whip around and acted.

Flames rushed at Leo. He opened his mouth to chant, the words tumbling out, but the flames hurtled down too fast. Maya crashed into Leo. Her watery form slid around him. She engulfed his body in her flesh, spreading her liquid over every bit of him. She embraced him as intimately as she could.

She had loved Leo all her life. Dying for him was nothing.

The flames roared over her. Her body steamed. She felt herself boiling away, giving up her own liquid to protect Leo. Agony engulfed her. She screamed, the sound swallowed by the fire that licked over every bit of her. She dwindled faster and faster, Leo thrashing in her.

The flames died.

There wasn't much left of her. She closed her eyes, reduced in half. Only an inch of water still protected Leo. She slumped off of him, spilling to his feet. The pain was too much. She had lost too much liquid. She couldn't hold her form.

She melted away and dissolved in golden light.

* \ * / *

"Maya," I croaked.

I gripped my spear, the metal warm. I watched her dissolve away. I swallowed. I had been careless, and she had to pay to correct my mistake. I had been such a fool. I couldn't believe I had let her die for me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

I had to do better than this. I had to beat this dragon. Tame her. I was making my monster girls, the women I loved, suffer for me. They always had to die for me. I couldn't ever die for them. My death was their death.

It was a cruel, sick, twisted joke. Whoever brought me here must be laughing her ass off. I tightened my hand on my spear and spoke the words. A new Static Aura crackled around me. I had to keep this up. I had to refresh it the moment it vanished.

I glared up at the dragon and chanted.

* \ * / *

A steel bar battered into the dragon's head, knocking her in the direction of where Hagane hung with Usiku and Slepkavi. Nimhe lowered them down slowly as the dragon soared for them, the beast shaking her head.

"One!" Hagane shouted, the dragon coming closer and closer. "Two!" The beast was almost on them. "Three!"

Nimhe cut the webbing.

The three monster girls plummeted. The dragon swooped beneath them a heartbeat later and they landed on the beast's back. Hagane drove her armblade into the muscles of the shoulder joint connecting to the wings. Beside her, Usiku slashed her shadow sword at the same muscles. On the other side of the dorsal ridge of spikes, Slepkavi hacked her golden blade at the other wing's muscles.

The dragon roared in pain as the three monster girls cut through armored scales. Steaming blood spurted, splattering across Hagane's metallic form. She hardly felt it spilling over her as she kept attacking the dragon. She stabbed over and over, rapid plunges as her feet shifted on the back.

The dragon's right wing snapped up, no longer extended. The dragon rolled and crashed to the ground. Usiku grabbed a dorsal spine. Hagane drove her armblade into the creature's flesh and crouched down.

"Lord Nabu's big cock!" Slepkavi roared like this was a grand adventure, the orc gripping the edge of the left wing.

The world spun around them.

The dragon hit the stone with a crash. The impact threw Hagane forward. She tumbled through the air and then struck with a metallic ring on the ground. She rolled and came to a stop a dozen feet before the dragon. Pain throbbed across the animated statue's body. Usiku landed with far more grace on her feet, the fomorian's purple legs bending to absorb the impact, her big boobs heaving before her.

Triumph surged through Hagane. The dragon could not fly. She was on the ground. Vulnerable. Usiku rose, flashing Hagane a grin. The animated statue returned it as she staggered to her feet, blood dripping off her metallic body.

The dragon's claw swiped in a blurring arch and ripped Usiku's head off. The fomorian's torso vanished before it hit the ground. The dragon rose and roared, one wing draped limp on the ground, the other extended outward.

Hagane dove out of the way of snapping jaws and rolled to her feet in a run.

"CONVERGE!" shouted Halia.

* \ * / *

Mrs. Lucina soared in the sky, staring down at the dragon on the ground. The beast's tail swished across the ground, a scything attack that would leave anyone it hit crippled. Fear beat in her breast for the other monster girls that were all surging for it.

Paanee slithered closer. Piaro darted in. So did Cysgo and Marwo, the two wildhounds scampering across the battlefield. Nimhe dropped from the ceiling while Halia raced in from the sidelines. Hagane dodged another bite attack.

Acid fired from Paanee and struck the dragon on the side of the face. The beast roared in pain. She growled out her rage and turned to face whoever had attacked her. The naga spat another blast of acid. The dragon raised a claw.

Mrs. Lucina knew what she could do. She dove for the naga. The angel spread her wings wide and swooped in. She grabbed the monster girl and hauled her up into the air at the last moment. The claw missed the blue-scaled naga.

"Thanks," Paanee hissed, her boobs rubbing into the angel's.

"You're welcome," Mrs. Lucina answered, her wings strong. "Just want to keep as many of you girls alive as I can."

Piaro the basilisk jumped on the dragon's back where Slepkavi the orc still stood. The basilisk ripped at the wounds hacked into the dragon's scales by the wings, tearing away chunks of flesh. The dragon roared in pain, her tail slashing like a scythe.

Halia ducked the tail and then she was at the dragon's flank. Her sword slashed, cutting into the belly scales. Blood spurted. The dragon roared and her rear leg came up and kicked at the paladin. Mrs. Lucina could do nothing for her.

* \ * / *

"Lady Sherida, shield me in the light!" Halia Vorbia called as the dragon's rear foot kicked at her, black talons gleaming.

Light burst before Halia. A shield conjured by her goddess's love. The foot struck the shield. Radiance rippled. The barrier winked out. Halia darted past the foot and she buried her sword into the dragon's belly again. Blood spurted from the wound. Her blessed weapon hummed as she slashed again.

A dazzling sword slashed in at the dragon's face. Lightning fired from the will o' wisp. A block of ice shattered on the dragon's back. They hit her from all sides. Garnet dove from above. The wildhounds leaped on the dragon, joining Slepkavi and Piaro.

* \ * / *

"Kweh, heh, heh!" Garnet cheered as she soared over the dragon. Her whip slashed down, cracking into the beast's hide. "You are my big brother's! So stop fighting and serve my big bro!"

The dragon roared. Her claw slashed at Hagane, but she rolled clear. Halia's sword hummed. Garnet's wings flapped as she banked around and came in for another attack. She would whip this dragon into submission.

The dragon's good wing flexed and batted into Marwo. The monster girl howled as she was flung from the dragon's back. She hurtled in the air, her black hair flying about her pale form. Whimpering, she plunged for the ground.

"Puppy!" Garnet shouted and dove after the falling wildhound.

She swooped in and caught the monster girl before she had a bone-breaking impact with the ground.

"Thank you, little sister!" gasped Marwo, her triangular ears twitching. Then she licked her tongue warm across Garnet's cheek.

The succubus grinned in delight as she winged Marwo down to the ground so she could help tame the dragon. Garnet's tail swished back and forth. That dragon would serve her brother. The biggest puppy in the world.

"Kweh, heh, heh!" she laughed and flew back to the fight.

* \ * / *

My monster girls were swarming in from all sides. The dragon bucked, throwing those on her back to the side. They were all over her. Halia slashed in from the left. Hagane thrust her armblade in from the right, Slepkavi at her side. Piaro, Cysgo, and Nimhe attacked near the front, all bunched up.

The dragon turned her head.

"NOOO!" I shouted.

Nimhe started to jump. Cysgo turned to run, while Piaro just raked her claws down the dragon's flank. A great gout of orange burst from the dragon's mouth. My three monster girls vanished in the orange. They all died. I felt them fading away, returning to slumber in my Void Crystal.

"Sister!" howled Marwo as she ran back into the battle.

"You can do it, big bro!" Garnet cried as she winged over me, her shadowy whip in hand. From above, Mrs. Lucina soared. Then a ball of lightning struck the dragon in the neck.

I had to do it. The words to Lightning Chain rose in my mind then spilled from my lips.

"Electricity surges and binds, let the chains of Lord Enlil's lightning bind!"

* \ * / *

The angel flew over the battlefield ready to render aid to her family. It was all she could do. A moment later, Sviesos's ball of lightning struck the dragon in the neck. She roared in pain, the attacks affecting her. Halia and Hagane stabbed and slashed with their blades.

Lightning fired from Leo and struck the dragon. Chains danced over the dragon, trying to restrain her body. She roared as Mrs. Lucina flew over the battlefield. She watched everything with care, wanting to protect.

The dragon turned and slashed at Hagane.

Mrs. Lucina dived down to rescue the animated statue, but she wasn't in time. The blow struck Hagane's metallic body. She flew back and crashed into the ground. Mrs. Lucina cried out in dismay. She had failed to grab any of the three burned by fire, and now she had missed Hagane.

I have to do better. Her family dwindled.

* \ * / *

Pain exploded across Hagane.

She struck the ground with a metallic clang and rolled across it; her armblade snapped. Agony shot up her arm. She came to a rest and shuddered. The claws had ripped metal from her body, leaving jagged tears across her flesh. She shuddered, screaming in pain.

She had to get up and fight. For Leo. He had brought her to this world. Freed at least one version of her from the tyranny of her parents' expectations. She didn't have to be what they wanted. She could be what she wanted. Her own woman.

But not if Leo died. So she had to fight. Only she couldn't move. She struggled and whimpered.

It is so dumb that I'm made of metal and still have pain reception, she thought, her body trembling on the ground.

Then Leo was over her. He bent down and placed his hand over her stomach. "I got you."

"Leeee.... oooooo..." groaned from her.

"Shhh." He smiled at her and then chanted, "Graven wounds pulse in pain, let the healing of Lord Dumazid flow!"

She gasped as her metallic flesh flowed. She felt the jagged wounds closing. She watched as her snapped armblade reformed, the metal rippling and shaping like she was the T-1000. She blinked and then glanced at Leo.

"That makes no logical sense!" Hagane objected. "It's Mend Flesh! I'm not flesh. I'm metal."

"You're flesh," Leo said. "Trust me, that metallic pussy of yours is as soft and silky as any other woman's."

Her cheeks burned with that. Why should that happen? She didn't even have a heart. No circulatory system. She shouldn't be able to blush, and yet, it just happened.

Leo rose as she grappled with what she was: an animated statue. He turned to the dragon and cried out, "Waves slam into the shore, let the strength of Lord Enki hammer!"

The dragon roared in pain.

* \ * / *

Halia slashed with her sword, smoking blood spurted from the wound.

Roaring, the dragon raised her leg to kick Halia. The paladin's protective prayer died on her tongue, though. Paanee lunged in. The naga slithered her armless, sinuous body and tail around the dragon's leg, binding the joint.

The naga squeezed with all she had, her blue hair dancing behind her as the dragon staggered.

"Thank you!" Halia shouted and slashed again. She darted beneath the dragon, cutting through the belly scales. She burst out on the other side, blood spilling down to the ground behind her. The paladin grinned and thrust deep.

A shadow flashed over her. She barely had time to turn before the tail struck her. Her armor crumbled from the blow. It threw her past Slepkavi. Halia landed on her side and rolled onto her back. Pain throbbed up her body. Her brain sloshed in her skull. She blinked to gather her wits.

The dragon's front foot raised up to crush down on Halia.