"Auuu!!!!"
That seemed to wake up Raza, whose eyes were trying to pry themselves open.
Her gaze landed on the kobold at the exact same time, my fire consumed it's head and turned into black dust. She walked up to me groggily.
"Please don't tell me you let the damn thing howl?"
"Let it? You think so little of me, I didn't let it, I made it."
She sighed.
"Of course you did."
"You can go back to leaning against a wall, I'll take care of them."
"You really think I'd let you?"
"I mean, it isn't like it'll be much of a problem right? Just interfere if there's trouble which I promise there won't be and by trouble I mean if I'm about to die."
"Why can't you just do things normally?"
"Because normal things are slow," I paused. "And this seems like it will be a lot more fun don't you think so?"
"Not really-"
She was cut off, as the reply of other kobolds echoed across the tunnels of the fourth floor, reverberating and drumming in my ears.
"Auuu!!!!"
"Auuu!!!!"
"Auuu!!!!"
Many and many more came.
It wasn't long before from each tunnel came running packs of kobolds, running on all fours even though they had human like appendages, some had weapons on their frothing mouths, which they grabbed with their arms as they rose on their legs, to their full height.
'So Great Sage how many?'
[43]
'This is gonna be hard' I thought my smile growing larger into an almost maniac grin, as I felt the flooding of adrenaline preparing for battle. 'But that was the gorydamn point!!!"
With that I opened my free hand, coalescing falna into my free hand and shooting it out.
BANG
It blasted against the first line of kobolds.
The flickerings of black flame, still lingered in my palm, as I put All of Creation into action garnering a new use to this spell, with the remains that danced to my fingers, I slid them across the blade of my naginata.
Black flames engulfing steel.
"AUU!!!!"
The pained and anger howls of the kobolds reverberated against the walls.
"AUUUU!!"
And I howled in reply, before dashing at them.
I pulled my naginata to the side tearing clean through a kobold.
The flaming blade sliced through flesh and bone like butter, cauterizing the wound instantly as the creature dissolved into ash. The blood splashed on me and the kobolds near the one who had just fallen.
Three more kobolds lunged at me from different angles, their claws extended and fangs bared. I spun the naginata overhead, the black flames trailing behind the blade in a deadly arc.
The weapon caught the first kobold across the chest, splitting it open from shoulder to hip. Dark blood sprayed across the dungeon wall as the creature's dying howl echoed through the corridors.
The second kobold's claws raked across my left shoulder, tearing through my white hoodie and drawing lines of fire across my skin. Pain shot through me, but instead of recoiling, I felt that familiar rush of exhilaration flood my system. The sensation was intoxicating, a reminder that I was truly alive in this moment.
"YES!" I shouted, driving the butt of my naginata into the third kobold's snout with a wet crunch. Bone splintered and blood gushed from its shattered muzzle as it stumbled backward.
More kobolds poured from the tunnels, their eyes reflecting the eerie glow of my black flames. I counted at least twenty charging directly at me, with more emerging from the shadows behind them.
'Great Sage, activate thought acceleration to all I can handle.'
[Activating enhanced thought acceleration.]
The world slowed around me as my perception heightened. I could see the individual droplets of saliva flying from the kobolds' mouths, track the arc of their claws as they swiped at me, anticipate their movements before they fully committed to attacks.
A kobold with a crude stone axe brought its weapon down toward my head. I sidestepped, the axe whistling past my ear, and thrust my naginata forward. The flaming blade punched through the creature's torso, emerging from its back in a shower of sparks and gore. I twisted the weapon before yanking it free, sending the kobold crashing into two of its packmates.
Another kobold tackled me from behind, its weight driving me to my knees. Its claws dug into my back, finding purchase between my shoulder blades. I could feel hot blood running down my spine, soaking through my torn hoodie.
The pain was exquisite.
I rolled forward, using the kobold's momentum and my own small stature against it, and came up in a crouch. Black fire erupted from my free hand, engulfing the creature's face. Its screams were cut short as the flames consumed its head, leaving only a smoldering corpse, which turned to ash, leaving only a shard in it's place.
But there were so many more.
A kobold's claws found my right thigh, tearing through muscle and scraping against bone. I stumbled, my leg nearly giving out, but managed to swing my naginata in a wide arc. The flaming blade caught three kobolds across their midsections, disemboweling them in a spray of blood and entrails.
I slipped slightly as another kobold lunged at me, its fangs aimed for my throat. I managed to get my weapon up in time, the creature impaling itself on my blade, but its claws still raked across my face, opening three parallel cuts from my left temple to my jaw.
Blood ran into my eye, temporarily blurring my vision, but I could still see well enough to drive my knee into the dying kobold's ribs. Bones cracked like dry twigs as I pushed it off my weapon.
"AUUUU!" The remaining kobolds seemed to grow more frenzied at the sight of their fallen packmates. They circled me like sharks, snapping and snarling, looking for an opening.
I wiped the blood from my eye with the back of my hand, leaving a red smear across my cheek. My breathing was becoming labored, not from exhaustion but from the sheer euphoria of combat. Every wound, every drop of blood, every moment of agony was a symphony of sensation that my previous life had denied me.
Five kobolds rushed me simultaneously from different directions. I spun my naginata overhead, the black flames creating a deadly whirlwind around me. The first two ran straight into the spinning blade, their torsos opened like flower petals.
The third managed to duck under my guard, its claws finding my stomach and tearing through the fabric of my hoodie to score the skin beneath.
The fourth kobold's axe caught me across the ribs, the crude stone blade cracking bone and sending white-hot agony through my chest. I gasped, tasting copper on my tongue, but managed to grab the creature's wrist before it could pull the weapon free.
Black fire erupted from my palm, racing up the kobold's arm and consuming it alive. Its screams were music to my ears as I shoved it away, the axe still embedded in my side.
The fifth kobold pounced on me while I was distracted, its weight bearing me down to the blood-soaked floor. Its fangs found my shoulder, piercing deep into muscle and grinding against bone. I could feel its hot breath on my neck, smell the rancid odor of its breath.
Instead of trying to push it off, I drove my elbow back into its ribs repeatedly, each impact sending shockwaves of pain through my own injured shoulder. The kobold's grip loosened, and I managed to roll us both over, pinning it beneath me.
My naginata had been knocked from my grasp in the fall, but I still had one hand free. Black fire coalesced in my palm, and I pressed it directly against the kobold's face. The creature's struggles grew weaker as the flames consumed its head, leaving only blackened ash.
I looked up to see at least fifteen kobolds still circling me, their eyes reflecting the light of my flames. My vision was starting to blur from blood loss, and I could feel my strength beginning to wane. The stone axe in my side sent fresh waves of agony through me with every breath.
But I was smiling.
God, I was smiling so wide it hurt.
"Come on then!" I shouted, struggling to my feet and retrieving my naginata. The weapon felt heavier now, my arms shaking with fatigue and blood loss. "Is that all you've got?"
The kobolds almost recoiled from my words, but stopped themselves. They began to close in, moving more cautiously now, no longer rushing headlong into my attacks. Smart creatures, learning from their packmates' deaths.
One darted in from my left, its claws aimed for my wounded thigh. I pivoted, but my injured leg gave out, and I went down hard on one knee. The kobold's attack missed, but another immediately took advantage of my vulnerability, its fangs sinking into my forearm.
I screamed, not from pain but from pure, unadulterated joy. The sound echoed through the dungeon corridors, probably audible several floors away. With my free hand, I grabbed the kobold's snout and channeled black fire directly into its skull.
Two more kobolds flanked me while I was dealing with the first. One's claws raked across my back, opening fresh wounds over the ones already there. The other tried to bite my neck, but I managed to duck, and its fangs scraped harmlessly against my skull.
I swept my naginata in a low arc, the flaming blade catching both kobolds across their legs. They toppled, howling in pain and rage, and I finished them with quick thrusts to their hearts.
But the effort cost me. I was swaying on my feet now, the world spinning around me. The stone axe in my side had worked deeper with my movements, and I could feel internal damage spreading through my torso.
'Great Sage, status report.'
[Critical blood loss detected. Multiple lacerations, three fractured ribs, possible internal bleeding. Recommend immediate medical attention.]
'How many kobolds left?'
[Eleven remaining targets detected.]
Eleven. I could do eleven.
I had to do eleven.
The remaining kobolds seemed to sense my weakening state. They began to circle me like vultures, occasionally darting in to test my defenses before retreating. They were learning, adapting, becoming more dangerous.
One rushed me from behind while I was tracking another. Its claws found my lower back, tearing through muscle and scraping against my spine. I arched backward, a scream of agony and ecstasy tearing from my throat.
I spun around, my naginata whistling through the air, and caught the kobold across the neck. Its head flew off in a spray of blood, bouncing off the dungeon wall like a grotesque ball.
But the movement sent fresh waves of pain through my injured torso. I stumbled, nearly falling, and another kobold immediately took advantage. Its fangs sank into my calf, and I could feel its teeth scraping against the bone.
Black fire erupted from my palm, racing down my leg and consuming the creature, but not before it had torn away a significant chunk of muscle. I collapsed to one knee, my leg no longer able to support my weight properly.
Eight kobolds left, all of them sensing victory.
They rushed me en masse, abandoning their cautious approach for an all-out assault. I managed to catch the first one with my naginata, the flaming blade opening it from groin to sternum, but the others overwhelmed me.
Claws raked across my face, opening new wounds over the old ones. Fangs found my arms, my shoulders, my legs. I was being torn apart, piece by piece, and every moment was pure bliss.
I channeled black fire into both hands, the flames racing outward in all directions. Three kobolds were caught in the inferno, their screams joining the chorus of pain and death that filled the dungeon.
Five left.
My vision was fading now, dark spots dancing at the edges of my sight. The stone axe in my side had shifted, and I could taste blood in my mouth. My naginata felt impossibly heavy, and I could barely lift it.
But I was still smiling.
The remaining kobolds circled me like sharks, their eyes glowing with predatory hunger. They could smell my blood, sense my weakness. They knew it was almost over.
One darted in from my blind spot, its claws aimed for my throat. I managed to block with my naginata, but the impact sent me stumbling backward. Another kobold took advantage, its fangs sinking into my shoulder and grinding against the bone.
I screamed again, the sound echoing through the dungeon like a battle cry. With my free hand, I grabbed the kobold's head and channeled falna into a point-blank burst of black fire.
The creature's head exploded in a shower of bone and brain matter, painting the dungeon walls with gore, which dissipated as it's remains turned to ash.
Four kobolds left, I just had to pull through.
I raised my naginata one final time, the weapon weaving back and forth as I struggled to keep it steady. The black flames along the blade flickered and died, leaving only cold steel.
"Come on!" I shouted, my voice hoarse from screaming. "COME ON!"
The four remaining kobolds rushed me as one, their claws and fangs seeking my flesh. I swung my naginata in a wide arc, pouring every ounce of strength I had left into the attack.
The blade caught all four kobolds across their torsos, the impact sending vibrations up my arms and into my shoulders. They collapsed in a heap, their blood mixing with mine on the dungeon floor.
I stood there for a moment, I knew I was so utterly close to a state of mind down, my legs almost buckling underneath me, but I didn't let them, instead I did the only thing I could.
I howled.
"AUU!!!!!!