Page 71 of Monster's Baby

“Which one first?”Bruce asked, as we watched the fight below.

“I think we should go for the one that’s flying.It’s floundering right now, and we may not get another chance once they figure out how to control it,” I said.

Pierre nodded.“Sound logic.We are ready.”

I scooted the mountain closer to the spinning monster.“Now!”I said firmly.

The mountain levitated, revealing its mouth to the lower levels of the arena and causing several screams.Then it landed on the flying monster with a sickeningcrunchand a loudboomthat shook the ground and knocked over the two humanoid creatures.

The arena was silent for a moment.

“Is it destroyed?”I asked Carmine and Joey.

She held up her hand, her eyes unfocused as she concentrated.Finally she lowered it and grinned.“All good.”

I backed the mountain up, revealing the mangled homunculus, the heart exposed and dark.

The crowd cheered.

“Next up, whoever tries to attack us first,” I said, echoing Carmine’s grin.

The beasts attacked first, springing at the sides of the mountain with claws extended.

I had to clap my hand over my mouth to cover my laughter when they bounced off.“Nice work on that rubber spell,” I said to Sofia.

“Suggestion,” Pierre said.

“I’m all ears.”

“Make ‘em sweat a bit.Don’t tip our hand.”

“Most of my focus is on the mountain.Please, speak clearly.”

“Let them try to attack us for a few minutes, and then we pounce.”

“Make them think that we’re arguing,” Carmine put in.“They’ll think that we can’t agree on what our next move should be.”

“They’re trying to attack, but slower this time,” Bruce said, leaning over the rail.“The humanoids are joining them.”

“One of the beasts is digging in the ground,” Sofia said.“Or, well, I think it’s trying to.”

“Poor thing,” I said, pouting in pretend sympathy.“It wants to get underneath us?Why don’t we give it a hand?”

“Jump?”Joey said excitedly.

“No, not this time,” I said thoughtfully.“We’ll just lift that side a bit, like a woman in a hoop skirt.”

“I’ve never done that,” Bruce said.

“You’re missing out,” Pierre added cheekily.

I laughed.“Just lean away from the beast.I’ll do the lifting.”

The audience screamed when the top of the mountain shifted, but on the ground down below, you could barely tell it had moved.

Ignoring the other three homunculi, I lifted the edge of the mountain closest to the digging beast.

He slipped under.One of the platforms burst into cheers, but the audience shouted, “No!”

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