A mindless and thoughtless creature. Existing only to spread diseases and potent corruption...
With what knowledge Ashton received throughout his years of existence in this mystical but equally fucked world, he knows what this creature was.
Of course, he had never imagined that it'd be born this way. He never thought that the fusion of a Celestial and a Hypogean of high status would give birth to a Nephalem.
The Nephalem was one of the myths of his old world. As far as he could remember, they were creatures who were bloodthirsty and insane. They exist for the sole purpose of causing ruin to everything within their sight.
In hindsight, he should've seen this coming...after all, the myths of his old world seem to follow him in this world; Angels, Demons, Eldritch Abominations, Magic, Martial Arts...hell, some of the notable mythological armaments even appeared pretty recently, so he really should've expected this.
But he didn't, and frankly, nobody could really blame him for not having a plan for this.
Ashton didn't need to come close to learn more about this creature. He could sense the putrid existence from where he was.
Its existence reminds him of a certain myth that he had read in passing back in his old world.
'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; Death, War, Conquest, and Famine. All of them happen to be Nephalems as well...'
'This one must be Famine...'
Ashton can't recall how the tale went specifically. He had forgotten a lot of things from his old world ever since arriving here. Besides, it doesn't really matter now, does it? It's not like the tale will happen word for word in his world. So there's no use stressing himself in remembering how it exactly went.
The Big 3 could tell that this was something that they absolutely cannot allow passage into their world.
Their instincts were screaming at them, telling them to eradicate this creature as soon as they could or else they will all die.
They didn't need Ashton's permit or input for what they needed to do next. They already know.
That's why the fight resumed. Now, with Blake joining the girls and with their enemy being a lot stronger and more sinister than before. Also, their battlefield is now in space, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the Blue Planet was safe from their clash.
They were throwing out attacks containing strength that could take off a decent chunk of the planet should it land.
Their battle is something that mortals couldn't interfere with for it will only result in a useless death.
Ashton watched the battle and recorded it in his memories. He too was learning more about the creature that, for now, he calls Famine.
'That disgusting aura is something else.' He pointed out in his mind.
The potent corruption that Famine was exuding was entirely on another level. So much so that it could easily gnaw at the attacks that were being sent at it.
The Big 3 also can't let Famine's attack land on their body because they would, for sure, suffer immensely from it.
Famine reeks of illness and disease. And while the Humans that are fighting it were High-Evolutionaries, Famine can directly ignore their immunity against illness and diseases, making it difficult for them to fight against it.
Thankfully, Blake could cover for them now that he's there. His techniques allow him to resist Famine's influence for a short while, letting the girls escape in time to go back to safety.
On top of its disgusting aura, Famine was also fast and furious.
It has nothing but pure carnage in mind. It's purely driven by instinct and wants nothing but to reduce everything it sees into ruin.
The situation essentially escalated so quickly that Humans were caught unprepared for it.
Not too long ago, the girls could handle the Miraculous Son and the Demon Emperor on their own, but now that they fused into one, even with Blake here, the fight suddenly became more difficult.
Nonetheless, they had to give it their all. They're the strongest Humanity has to offer right now. Sure, Ashton is there. But he always told him that he was Humanity's last line of defense. He had told them multiple times to not rely on him all the time.
That's why they didn't even think about relying on him now. He will help them if a need arises, that's for certain. But for the most part, they're on their own.
Luckily though, the Big 3 had been through a lot.
The bond they shared was practically unbreakable. They knew each other like the back of their hand, and this played a big role in their teamwork.
They fit into each other like puzzle pieces. They knew what the other wants without even the need to say anything.
Against Famine, their teamwork is what's saving them.
Sure, Famine was strong, fast, durable, and incredibly deadly, but that's about it.
Throughout their tenure as Humanity's protectors, they faced numerous existences that held the same qualities as this one. They fought hard and won in the end.
This was nothing new to them. And much like the ones that came before this one. This thing too shall fall.
Alice finally brought out her Primal Sword Domain. This was a domain that is essentially as big as the Blue Marble Planet. Anything that is covered by her Domain was something that she can cut with her sword, and yes, that includes the very Laws that govern this world as well.
This was a sign that Alice was truly going all out. In addition to this, Alice has lifted the restrictions she placed on her sword, which is the Excalibur.
The restrictions were placed to prevent her from causing too much damage to her surroundings. The unsealed Excalibur in her hands could easily slice the Blue Marble Planet in half, and that's with her barely trying. That's why it's there.
However, since they're facing a threat to the world she's protecting, she lifted this restriction for the sole purpose of killing it.
Blake also follows suit, going all out by releasing the restriction on his Aegis Shield.
The Aegis Shield provided 9 layers of protection, with each layer being stronger and sturdier than the last. Additionally, the Aegis Shield has also steeped in the Law of Stagnation; a branch concept of Time Laws.
Blake's priority is to prevent Famine from stepping foot on their planet. So he placed protection there. In addition to this, he also must protect the girls from whatever Famine has in store for them.
He had been called the Invincible Shield of the Big 3, and he plans on being just that, even if it costs him his life.
And of course, Mary had no reason to hold back at this point either.
She also lifted the restriction on her bow. Now, every arrow she shoots using it will directly pierce the soul of her target. She could ignore that Law of Causality with this, making her shots practically unavoidable. This bow could also ignore all kinds of defense, so whoever her target was in this state was bound to suffer greatly.
In addition to this, Mary also unsealed her eyes.
Her eyes, at the base, had the ability of Foresight, allowing her to predict what her enemy was going to do next. But with them unsealed, Mary can see way more than that.
Their thoughts become visible to her, her Foresight turns unparalleled and it also allows her to ignore distance.
With the Big 3 going all out against their foe, the battle became even more explosive and hectic.
Ashton could still follow it of course, but now he's no longer wary about Famine.
It was clear that the Big 3 planned to kill Famine right then and there. And with them going all out, Famine was steadily being pushed into a corner.
At first, Famine could go toe to toe with them quite easily. But as time went on, the Big 3 was gaining momentum.
This is because they're learning Famine's battle habits. And it didn't take long for them to adjust and get used to it.
Slowly but surely, the Big 3 gained more and more advantages over the battle and took control of it. This caused Famine to be pushed into a corner.
Now, it's fighting like a caged beast. Normally, that would've made the enemy even more dangerous, but the Big 3 already knew that was going to happen. They're no fools, and this wasn't the first time they'd dealt with something like this.
The fight went on, seemingly for days, until Famine couldn't endure it anymore.
It was severely weakened to the point that it failed to escape Alice's finishing blow. As a result, it was bisected cleanly in half. It let out a final throe of unwillingness before dissipating into a cloud of heavily corrupted dust.
This concludes the fight between the Big 3 and Famine.
But as they were about to relax, Ashton's instincts suddenly warned him of an existential crisis.
Before he could even think properly, he already appeared in front of the Big 3, releasing his Phantasmal Dream Domain to protect not only them but also the Blue Marble Planet as a whole.
It was only he who reacted fast enough before a brilliant flash of gold swallowed them...
