Villain's Second Heart: Trapped in A Fantasy Novel (BL)-Chapter 12: How Many!?

They moved as one, each taking position. Ezra took the vanguard while Oberyn kept a step behind. Decoy circled to the right, twirling her boomerang, its edges flickering with fiery light.

Oberyn prayed she wasn't planning on using fire magic in here. The entire nest could go up in flames.

He hesitated for a moment, heart pounding, sword heavy in his grip. He couldn't rely on his Explosion Magic for the same reason. As the Manticore barreled toward them, he knew this was a fight that could only be won with might.

Ezra struck first. He ducked under the Manticore's sweeping claws, his movements quick and fluid. He ran through the beast with his spear, but it would take much more than that to kill it.

"A little help here?" he shouted.

"On it!" Deek called. She hurled her boomerang with a triumphant yell. It streaked through the air like a comet and slammed into the Manticore's shoulder, erupting in a burst of yellow fire.

The beast roared in fury, its mane writhing wildly. The acrid scent of burning hair filled the air.

"Nice shot," Oberyn said, dashing forward. The Manticore's attention was divided between Ezra and Deek - his opening.

He channeled a sliver of Explosion Magic into his blade, just enough to make it hum with volatile energy. He didn't have much mana, but it was enough for this.

He leapt, bringing his sword down on the Manticore's foreleg. The blade passed clean through, light bursting from the wound. The beast howled in anguish, but its leg remained intact. Manticores were magical creatures, and the only way to kill them was to disperse their mana. This battle wouldn't be won with a single strike. It would be a war of attrition.

The Manticore staggered backward, snarling and lashing its tail. Oberyn barely ducked in time, the barbed tip whistling past his head. Too close.

"It's on you now, Oberyn!" Decoy yelled, recalling her boomerang with a flick of her wrist.

"I can see that!" Oberyn shot back, sidestepping another claw swipe.

Ezra lunged for the beast's other side, his makeshift spear plunging deep into its hide. He clung to the weapon as the Manticore thrashed wildly, trying to shake him off.

Oberyn took the opportunity to slash at the beast again. One, two, three solid hits—each one pulsing with explosive energy. The fiendish glow in the Manticore's eyes began to fade. They were wearing it down.

Decoy's boomerang smashed into the Manticore's head. Oberyn stepped back, giving Ezra the space to land another strike.

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Then, he heard it.

A low growl. Behind him.

Spinning around, his breath caught in his throat. In the chaos of battle, he hadn't even noticed.

Three more Manticores had marched into the nest, their eyes gleaming in the shadows.

This wasn't just a nest.

It was a den.

"Uh, hey, you two," Oberyn stammered, eyes flicking between Ezra and Decoy. "There are three more behind us!"

Ezra pierced through the original Manticore's heart, dispelling its energy at last. The beast collapsed, dissolving into prismatic light.

"How many!?" Ezra shouted back.

Oberyn's breath caught as three more Manticores emerged from the tunnels, their massive forms stomping toward them. His grip tightened on his sword, knuckles turning white. Too many, too fast. But there was no time for fear. Ezra was counting on him, and so was Deek.

At least they wouldn't have to fight four at once. The three of them each took on a Manticore, their attention divided.

"One for each of us," Ezra muttered. He was excited. Now THIS was the exciting life he'd been longing for - battling monsters alongside a cute guy.

He narrowed his eyes, gazing down the length of his (spear) shaft. "Must be nice to have magic at a time like this."

Oberyn smirked. "Not like I can use much of mine right now. I'm almost out again."

"You can always suck out some of mine like you did earlier."

Oberyn stretched his fingers, recalling the feel of Ezra's warm skin on his hand. "Not a bad idea, Ezra. Not bad at all."

Deek's Manticore struck first. It was the smallest of the group, probably a child. It swung its claws at her, attempting to mow her down. She ducked under the attack and rolled backward.

The Manticore clapped its hands together in another strike, but she evaded into the air, backflipping over the attack and throwing her boomerang at the height of her jump. It struck the Manticore square on the forehead, and the beast lurched back, immobilized.

That was Decoy's magic at work - her boomerang could seal opponents for a short time. Perks of being a 'Scout' class.

As Deek's Manticore reeled, Ezra knew just what to expect. He lunged with pure aggression, imagining his spear as an unstoppable object. It howled, thrashing blindly, and Ezra moved in for the kill.

Deek and Ezra had their enemies incapacitated - it was only a matter of time before they finished them off. All that remained was for Oberyn to face his Manticore, the biggest and burliest of the bunch. The leader.

The ground quaked as the massive Manticore stepped forward, its bulk dominating the narrow space. Its crimson hide radiated heat, making the air heavy, as though standing too close to a roaring fire. This wasn't just a beast, it was a force of nature.

Oberyn swung his sword, taunting the beast before charging. The Manticore heaved one of its muscular arms at him. He leapt onto the limb, pulling his sword back for a powerful thrust.

He infused every iota of his blade with reverberating magic, all he had. He gripped the hilt with both hands and drove the blade into the Manticore's head. Even a magic beast had vulnerabilities.

The energy discharged from the sword, and Oberyn retreated, counting the seconds.

One... two...

The magic activated before he reached three. A captivating swirl of amber light erupted from the Manticore's forehead, followed by a wave of oppressive heat. The unstable Explosion Magic expanded, imploding the creature from within.

Its mana corrupted in an instant, and the Manticore collapsed, shriveling into a husk, its form withering beneath the power of the explosion.

The sealed Manticore attacking Deek attempted to flee, but before it could, Decoy's boomerang swung back around, severing its head and releasing its stored magic.

At the same time, Ezra plunged his spear into his Manticore one final time. It heaved its last breath and tumbled over.

Oberyn hurried to Ezra's side. "Are you okay?" he asked quickly. "You're not hurt, are you?"

After a brief inspection, he confirmed Ezra was in fact unharmed.

Oberyn scanned the battlefield. The sheer amount of mana pouring from the four slain Manticores was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

Magic didn't usually get so thick in the air that it became visible, yet here they stood, surrounded by an aurora of shimmering chromatic light.

This was different from the magical Torrent they encountered earlier - it lacked the rampant, chaotic power. Instead, it was hauntingly beautiful - almost enough to forget the odorous nest they were still standing in.

"Nothing to worry about for us, even with four of them," Ezra said confidently, wiping Manticore muck from his spear.

Decoy hopped into the air, pumping her fist. "Yup yup! And this brings my total number of Manticores up to twelve! Looks like yours truly is about to become an official Sage-in-Training!"

Shortly after she spoke, a system window appeared in front of all three of them.

[Level up!]