BATTLE!



Eigla realises the center cannot hold. Using her Crawling Flesh for cover, she starts to flee, running back to the safety of the nearest pier. The crabs begin to pursue, but Klimt places himself between them. THEY SHALL NOT PASS!

A savage brawl starts, with both sides dealing and receiving substantial damage. The crablings are crushed underfoot, while the larger arthropods are pummeled by his meat snakes. Even so, their brutal claw strikes break his jaw completely off, and a bite goes all the way through his torso, cracking his spine and ripping off half his organs.


Meanwhile, Eigla manages to crawl back onto one of the wooden walkways, feeling dizzy and panicked. She grows back her eyes, but the world seems to spin around her. She gags and retches until her intestines burst out of her mouth, falling onto the floor in an unpleasant, gorey pile. Surprisingly, this makes her feel a bit better.

Her coffin beeps, indicating new parts are ready.


Combat map:
[] - Tartarus
[] - Hades
[] - Limbo
[Crab2, Crab3, Klimt] - Elysium
[] - Eden



---


Meanwhile, Rosa and Curie study Emilia's newfound muscles with interest, prompting her to purr in satisfaction. They're not fully functional yet, but fit her surprisingly well.

The sharkgirl can't help but feel a pang of anger and jealousy. Peggy, Curie, Emilia... They're all getting prettier, more confident, more... Human. Then, why must she keep descending into... Monster-dom? Why her? What did she do wrong?

Was the world punishing her for something?

BATTLE!




Klimt does his best to fight. He batters one of the crabs, ripping away its legs until it finally stops moving, then turns onto the other. He can win-

CHOMP

A gigantic maw closes around one of its legs, taking it off at the knee. Falling onto the caustic water, he tries to retaliate, but only succeeds into dislodging a final swarm of crablings from his opponent's carapace. The critters immediately jump onto him, latching on his tendrils, biting and ripping. His head sinks below the surface.


Eigla cries, hugging her knees. Through her damaged clothing, she sees hundreds of holes appear upon her skin, and her maggots crawl out, oozing blood. They open her coffin, pull out a new set of entrails, then drag it back into her belly.

...She feels a lot less painful! Wow, thanks, guys! Things are finally looking up again! Klimt should see this-

She glances at Klimt, and her heart immediately drops, as she sees the final crab tearing away at him, ripping arms and legs and guts, creating an ever-expanding bloodstain on the surface of the bog. She starts crying once again. She knows she's next.



Klimt feels himself sinking. Hundreds of tiny legs ♥♥♥♥♥ at his torso, while the giant crab systematically dismembers him. Despite his tentacular nature, the core of his body is still vulnerable. His legs are pulled off at the groin, and a swarm of crablings rips his boyhood into a thousand bloody ribbons. He tries to scream as his shoulder is torn off, but all he can do is bubble away against the water flooding his lungs. He's failed.

Well, it's okay. Oblivion is not so bad, after all. He leaves... No regrets.

Wait. What about Eigla. He said he'd protect her. He can't do this. He can't leave her behind, broken and crying. He has to do something, anything! Just one... One more strike. He feels his dismembered arm's tentacles slowly reattaching. It's gonna be close, but he can at least try. He closes his eyes.

A huge, lance-like spike of hardened tentacles shoots out of the water, piercing the crab's underbelly. The beast tries to pull away, but another impales it through the mouth. And then another, and another, and another. For a moment, the crab's back looks like a porcupine.

The tentacles dissolve into bloody sludge, and the giant crustacean slowly falls onto its side, splashing water all around. The crablings, suddenly bereft of their leader, scurry away into the mud.

He did it.



---------


Meanwhile, Rosa pets Emilia's ears, eliciting loud, lovable mewling. She makes a mental note of the harem's hairstatus.

Emilia: Very pale, a bit wiry and brittle. Could be very lovely if taken care of. Long, naturally straight.

Peggy: Very yellow blonde. Used to be shoulder-length and lighter, has been growing out though. Definitely the best looking, so far.

Curie: Dirty blonde, quite dusty-looking. Used to drag onto the ground, but has been cut since then. Tips are a bit grimy from her oozing fluids and the surgery's blood.


Curie: "Unit hopes Klimt comes home soon. Our date is bound to be perfect!"