CHAPTER 43: 43: THE PATH OF THE MAGE XVI

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His little wings buzzed, and his eyes glowed with delight. "Oh, I missed you, baby. Time to make this snake regret existing."

The serpent lunged again, jaws wide enough to swallow John whole.

Bang!

Fizz fired in mid spin, the bullet streaking with a faint trace of mana and slamming into the serpent’s open mouth. It hissed and reared back, black blood spraying.

"Oh yeah!" Fizz whooped. "Say hello to dental work, you slimy noodle!" Then fizz continued, "Good job master. You reloaded my Baby Dragons fart of Doom."

John didn’t respond to him; he used the opening to dash to the side, positioning himself near a cluster of rocks for cover. The serpent slammed its tail down where he had been, cracking the ground and spraying debris into the mist.

Bang!

Fizz fired again, this time hitting the serpent in the eye. The beast let out a roar that echoed through the ravine, shaking loose small stones from the walls.

John crouched behind the rocks, his heart was racing. "Keep it distracted! I will look for a weak point!"

Fizz spun in midair again, revolver glowing in his tiny paws. "Distract it? I am the distraction! Watch and admire my artistry! Master Forgetful."

He zipped in front of the serpent’s face, taunting it with spins and tiny bursts of fire. The revolver cracked again and again, bullets slamming into softer spots between the scales. The serpent hissed and snapped, its head whipping back and forth, trying to catch the infuriating little ball of fur.

But even as Fizz kept it occupied, John realized the danger they were in. The revolver only had six bullets. Once it uses us they will be in trouble. Fizz is playing like he can’t kill it in one shot.

And the serpent was not slowing down.

With a sudden lunge, it swept its tail in a wide arc. Fizz barely dodged, but the wind from the impact knocked him spinning, and John was caught off guard. The tail slammed into the rock he hid behind, shattering it and throwing him to the ground. His dagger skidded away, and pain flared through his shoulder.

The serpent loomed over him, hissing, venom dripping onto the stone beside his face with a hiss.

Fizz shot upward, panting. "Yo John, this thing is tough! Even with the gun, it is like trying to fight a mountain that hates you!"

"Then we keep fighting," John gritted out, forcing himself to his feet. "We have no choice. Stop playing with it."

Fizz hesitated, eyes wide. The serpent’s shadow loomed over them as it coiled for another strike, mist curling around its fangs.

The fight was far from over, and for the first time in their journey, John felt the weight of real battle rush pressing down. They were still at a disadvantage.

The Ravine Fang Serpent loomed above them, coiled and seething, its fangs dripping venom that hissed against the stone. Mist swirled around its black scales, and its amber eyes glowed with cold hunger.

John’s chest heaved as he tightened his grip on his dagger. The revolver was still in Fizz’s tiny paws, its barrel smoking faintly from the last shot. Mud clung to John’s boots, and a thin cut stung across his arm from the earlier fall.

Hiiiissss!

The serpent let out a long, rumbling hiss that vibrated in John’s bones. It was toying with them now, circling in a slow coil, waiting for the perfect strike.

Fizz floated beside him, panting, his fur bristled. His usual grin was gone.

"Alright," Fizz said quietly, almost too calm for himself. "Fun time is over. Little ball of chaos mode is activated. It is time for serious Fizz."

John blinked, still catching his breath. "You have a serious mode?"

Fizz’s eyes narrowed. "I have layers, like a heroic onion. Now watch and admire this serious cuteness."

He zipped into the air, wings buzzing with sudden force. His tiny body began to glow with a reddish orange light, faint sparks flicking off his fur. The revolver in his paws hummed as his elemental mana flowed into the weapon.

The serpent hissed and lunged, its massive jaws snapping through the mist.

Fizz shot straight upward in a streak of fiery light, dodging the strike with inches to spare. His voice rang out, full of sudden energy.

"Listen up, you oversized wet belt! Fizz the Magnificent is done playing!"

Bang! 💥

The first shot cracked into the serpent’s jaw, slamming its head sideways.

Bang! 💥

The second hit its eye, making the beast roar and thrash against the walls of the ravine, dislodging chunks of rock.

Fizz’s voice rose above the echo of the gunshots. "That is right! Cry for your mother! Oh wait — you might not have one because you are an ugly noodle spawned from a mud puddle!"

John could only watch in awe as Fizz moved like a streaking comet, weaving between coils, his wings leaving afterimages of light. Each shot was precise wind fire control, powered by his elemental energy now fully focused on the weapon.

The serpent struck again, faster this time. Its tail whipped in a blur, smashing the ground where Fizz had been only moments before.

Fizz dodged effortlessly, his voice full of taunting glee. "Missed me ugly noodles! You are slower than John running from chores! And trust me, that is slow!"

Bang! 💥

The next bullet punched into the thinner scales under the serpent’s jaw. Steam and blood sprayed from the wound as the creature let out a roar that shook the stones under John’s feet.

John ducked behind a boulder for cover as debris rained down. "Fizz, focus! End it!"

Fizz’s wings flared wide as he hovered directly above the serpent’s head, spinning the revolver in one paw like a showman before locking it into both hands. His cute face hardened, eyes gleaming with determination and mischief all at once.

"Hey, snake noodle! Guess what happens when you mess with Lord Fizz!"

The serpent hissed, its single good eye locking on the hovering red blur. "You get... terminated!" Fizz yelled. "Also roasted! And mildly humiliated!"

Bang! 💥