With the element of surprise on their side, Mason had time to pick up one of the larger rocks nearby and toss it directly at Lionel. The hunter barely had the chance to roll to the side as the stone, large as an average person, lodged itself into the ground behind him.

  “Fucking hell!”

  Lionel reached into his large coat pockets and pulled out his weapons, two sets of massive chains, which he wrapped around his fists and forearms.

  Felix unsheathed The Fang and ran forward to stand side by side with Mason, both assuming combat stances. He now had a better look at the ginger-bearded man, sunken eyes, thin frame and a brown leather coat.

  No worries about this one being made of Nethermorphic Fabric, given that the material was only found in Hallow Haven.

  “Two?!” Lionel had a look of discomfort on his face, less fear and more the visage of someone who hadn't intended to find himself in a high-risk scenario.

  “That huge fuck just had to mosey off right before I get jumped. Guess now is a good enough time to try those things out.”

  Felix tensed in preparation for whatever was about to come next. Unlike with Dinah, he couldn't communicate with Mason telepathically; his power linked the brains of two individuals, which a golem's core categorically wasn't. They’d thus have to rely on instincts to coordinate in this battle to combat whatever the hunter would throw at them.

  Lionel snapped his fingers, and four circles of light formed in front of him. From each, a figure manifested; they were humanoid but featureless. They reminded Felix of Ven’s puppets, except without strings and somehow even less ‘alive’ if that was possible. Three of these were brandishing different weapons, while the fourth squared up with its fists.

  “Let's see if Norton’s facsimiles are as good as advertised.”

  Lionel grinned, his teeth a light yellow and chipped in places.

  “A golem and…is that a vampire? All you subhuman type fucks look the same to me. Suppose it won't make a difference when you are the second and third kills for me tonight.”

  Felix bared his fangs in response to the human’s derogatory term, the fact that they had lost the numbers advantage, and just Lionel’s general self.

  This man truly was devoid of any honour; despite his apparent disdain for his superior, he had no qualms or shame in taking credit for the Inquisitor’s accomplishment.

  “Ooh, so scary. What's the matter, baby Dracula, am I getting under that pale skin of yours?”

  Lionel’s goading struck a nerve with Felix. For a brief moment, he felt as if he was back in Hallow Haven, face to face with Alex Tepes during one of the times the privileged Vampire took offence to his existence.

  Despite how mythical humans had seemed from what he was taught, even they clearly had crass bullies who would take any opportunity to insult those deemed lesser than themselves.

  The tension hung for a few moments before the four facsimiles rushed forward, Felix and Mason bounding ahead to intercept them.

  Felix’s sword clashed with the blade of a similar size being wielded by one of the featureless humanoids. To his surprise, he was actually getting the better of his foe, its own sword being forced closer to its neck as they both struggled to overpower the other.

  He had to abandon his advantage quickly when another of the facsimiles thrust its spear towards his head. He dodged backward, narrowly avoiding being skewered; this, however, provided an opening for a certain opportunist.

  At lightning speed, chains shot forward and wrapped around the top of The Fang. It pulled Felix directly towards the two doll-like figures. He managed to duck the sword and sweep the legs out from the spear wielder while he was in motion, but the pull didn't stop there.

  Lionel’s boot collided directly with Felix’s sternum as his chains completed their act of pulling the vampire to him. The metal weapon finally unwrapped from Felix’s sword as he was sent backward from the impact, landing with a thump on his spine.

  The sword-wielding facsimile was upon him almost instantly, Felix having to parry several strikes in succession while still supine. The spear wielder got back to its feet slowly before making its way to him to resume the double-teaming.

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  Meanwhile, Mason was engaged with his own pair of opponents. The bare-handed facsimile’s fist colliding with the golem's larger one. Mason got the better of the exchange, sending the doll backward into a nearby cliff with a sharp ledge at its summit some dozens of feet up from them.

  An axe-wielding facsimile heaved its weapon forward as it jumped, attempting to strike the tall monsterkin in the head. Mason openly allowed this, the axe lodging itself into the top of the golem’s forehead. He was, however, utterly unaffected by the attack; in fact, it gave him ample opportunity to grapple hold of the featureless foe.

  He had the now disarmed facsimile in a bear hug tight enough that any normal being would have their bones crunching from the force; however, whatever these things were made of was harder than anticipated.

  Before he could squeeze any more, a chain shot out of nowhere and wrapped around his ankle. It pulled his leg from beneath him, allowing the facsimile to slip free from Mason’s grip.

  It grabbed its axe and dislodged the weapon from the golem’s skullless cranium, following up by hacking at Mason’s neck like a lumberjack would a tree.

  Mason attempted to bat away the facsimile with his closest forearm; however, a second chain intercepted this action, restricting him so he could do nothing to counter the assault.

  The bare-handed one that Mason swatted earlier had recovered and joined its cohort in beating on the golem with kicks and punches to his stone jaw.

  “Are these things fucking stupid?” Lionel, arms outstretched with his two lengths of chains that were restraining the golem, contemplated this at the sight of what they were doing to Mason.

  “It's a Golem, you dumb fucks, aim for the body, not the head!”

  The facsimiles didn't react or change tactics at all in response to their summoner’s shouting; evidently, they still had a few kinks when it came to understanding the context of what to do against specific monsters.

  Felix, noticing their primary enemy was distracted from him in his peripheral vision, made his move.

  In a smooth motion, he caught the sword wielder's next slash between his heels, using the momentum to fling the facsimile into its approaching spear counterpart and knocking them both to the ground.

  All alone, he now had the opportunity to charge straight at Lionel, who finally noticed the vampire approaching him. With yet another obscene swear, he had no choice but to recall one of his chains, which he whipped into The Fang, deflecting the incoming strike.

  Mason, with his forearm now free, was finally able to slap away the axe wielder, who was sent careening into a particularly jagged rock. The pointy tip of the stone pierced through the doll’s chest, and it silently spasmed before fading away into white particles as if it never existed.

  The other facsimile backflipped away as Mason turned and made a go at it too, until it was just out of his range.

  Lionel recalled his other chain and sent them both whipping at Felix. He swerved beneath one, but the second snaked around his neck tightly, bringing him to a halt. It seemed to constrict around his throat with just a subtle gesture from the red-haired hunter. The corners of his vision began to dim as all the oxygen was wrenched from him.

  “I wonder what happens first, you suffocating or me snapping that pencil neck of yours.”

  Lionel’s voice took on a particularly sadistic tone as he increased the pressure at a torturously gradual yet consistent pace.

  Felix slashed at the chain, but it only seemed to deplete his supply of air faster. In this state, he couldn't muster the strength for his blade to cut into the chains even a little.

  “Boss!” Mason exclaimed in a panic. He moved to try and help his vampiric friend, but the three remaining facsimiles cut him off, forming a wall between themselves and Lionel.

  “Don't worry, rockhead, you'll get your turn in a minute once I'm done with this subhuman prick.”

  Mason tensed, feeling helpless, as his body shook uncontrollably. Here he was watching the first other Monsterkin of a different race to show him kindness dying a slow death in front of him after Felix rescued him from those same chains.

  No…he wouldn't let that happen, not now or ever.

  The Golem’s body began to glow faintly, growing brighter and brighter. The hunter's head snapped back once he noticed out of the corner of his eye what was happening.

  “No fucking way, don't tell me.”

  “ME PROTECT FRIEND!!!”

  Mason curled into a ball much like he did when camouflaging. This time, though, he was rolling in place, building up momentum.

  “Astral Technique: Stone Catapult!”

  The facsimiles, having no sense of self-preservation, attempted to intercept the massive boulder now barreling towards them at Mach speed. The sword and spear immediately shattered upon contact with the golem’s rolling frame, and the three faceless goons were smushed soon after, a joint collection of white particles dissipating in the air.

  There was now nothing in between Mason and Lionel, the golem rocketing forward on target. The ginger-bearded man tossed sizable rocks with his free chain, though they too bounced off harmlessly, the strength of an Astral Technique beyond any traditional attack.

  Out of options, the hunter relented and released the chain around the neck of Felix, whipping it upward to wrap around the ledge of the cliff above them.

  He pulled himself up, Mason rolling through where he had been mere moments before. Had Lionel waited even a moment longer or tried to finish off his captive, he would've been red paste on the ground.

  Felix took deep breaths of air as Mason came to a stop next to him.

  “Boss! You okay?!”

  There was an undeniable panic in the towering figure's voice as he leaned down to check on his ally.

  “Yeah…thanks to you, Mason.”

  Felix’s voice was beginning to recover its strength, and he gave a weak laugh, which was met with a bashful smile from the golem.

  “Those things were worthless!”

  Lionel's sharp voice cut into their moment. He was suspended dozens of feet in the air, leaving both parties out of the offensive range of one another.

  “Maybe if you didn't stay back taking potshots while they did everything, you could have won.”

  “The fuck you say to me, subhuman bastard?!”

  Lionel responded to Felix’s dig like a rabid dog, yet he made no attempts to descend and resume the fight.

  “You not so tough when numbers are against you.” Mason succinctly noted.

  “This isn't done, you two will be snuffed by the time tonight is over, I fucking swear it.”

  The chain around the cliff’s sharp edge helped Lionel ascend like a pulley, and he darted away upon reaching the top.

  “Come on, Mason, we can't let him get more backup!”

  The duo followed a side route that led up the same cliff in hot pursuit of their foe, the conflict between them far from finished on this night.