On the Southern side of the mall…
Sonata and Wallflower had found nothing thus far. However, their search efforts were interrupted as soon as the former got a phone call.
“...Hello? Trix--?”
“I’MUNDERATTACKANDINEEDYOURHELP!” was all that could be heard over the phone before it hung up.
“What? Where…?”
BOOM!
Wallflower pointed towards the Eastern side of the mall. About 100 meters from where they currently stood. “Over there! We have to hurry!”
Back with Trixie…
“Argh! Trixie is a magician, not a demon slayer!” she screamed as she took cover behind a lamp post that was immediately destroyed by another blast of magic from the evil eye.
“You can’t escape!” the woman’s distorted voice continued as she flung another poisonous bolt in Trixie’s direction, “I am but one of many. We will take over this world and--!”
SHNK!
CRASH!
All the sudden, the poison bolt was grabbed out of mid-air by an enlarged, sand-coated fist and crushed into nothingness from the strength of the grip. With this opportunity, Trixie started to haul herself towards the mall as fast as her legs could take her.
Sandbar had appeared with quite the annoyed scowl on his face as he approached the woman with parts of his body turning into sand in order to pre-emptively counterattack whatever she had to throw at him.
Needless to say, the low tone in his voice carried a rather…displeased aura as the parking lot started to fill itself with sand.
“I am sick and tired of shitty people like you. You got a lotta nerve tryin’a kidnap my sister, yo. You ain’t gettin’ away. But go ahead and try running. That’s just gonna gimme more time shoving my foot up yo conniving bitch-ass!”
With little options left, the Malocchio decided to use its magic to summon lots of smaller demons in order to protect itself. The end result was a bunch of large, dark green, anaconda-sized snakes that littered the parking lot!
“Do whatever you want…” Sandbar muttered and started to fight off as many as he could, turning his fists into sand-like axes in order lop off as many snake heads as he could as he rushed through the horde. “I ain’t stoppin’.”
“That’s my big brother!” Coral shouted from nearby.
Skeedaddle grabbed her arm. “Coral, we gotta get back inside before we get hurt! The only way to kill these things is to damage their heads and we don’t have any--!”
But it was too late. Various snakes started to surround the two, leaving them helpless…
ZZZZ!
That is, until several bolts of lightning came and shocked them into nothingness.
“Get inside!” Sonata commanded with her hands sparkling with yellow bolts as she stood in front of them to fend off the horde of demonic serpents, “Now!”
Hearing her speak so candidly caught the kids off-guard for a moment until they started to run towards the mall entrance where Wallflower and Trixie were. They were almost free until--
SHINK!
“OWWW!” Coral squealed as one of the snakes bit down on her leg.
“Coral!” Skeedaddle refused to let her go and continued pulling her with what little strength he had. “Let go of her!”
“It’s--agh! It’s not budging!” Coral cried as she felt the fangs sink deeper into her skin. “Just go! Save yourself!”
“...No. No I won’t!” he shouted back as more snakes started to surround them, now preventing them from reaching the mall at all.
“Skedaddle, I don’t want you to die because of me!” Coral pressured him to focus on himself, “You deserve better than this! I’m sorry!”
“No…” But he was persistent, and thought quickly. He drew one of the arrows he had on him from his back pocket, and stabbed the snake in the head with it, causing it to release its grip on Coral’s leg and retreat! “I won’t!”
“...Skedaddle…” Coral mumbled as she fell to the ground, and looked around at the sea of snakes they were now in. “...You really risked everything for me, huh?”
Skeedaddle took out his bow and drew one of his arrows against it. “I’d be shaming my favorite heroes if I didn’t stand by you. Even if I go down--I’m going down for a reason…”
But he wouldn’t have to worry about that. As if the cosmos itself was impressed by his display of bravery to defend Coral, a magical aura would enter his body as well as his bow and arrows…
And the next time he drew his arrow back, he felt increased torque and strength from his arms, as if a supernatural force had gifted him power to use in this exact moment. Then, he let it go…
SHKSHKSHK!
The arrow turned into a small bomb that pierced through at least a dozen snakes before exploding!
“Huh…what the…?” he muttered and looked behind him…where he saw a ghostly magical figure standing over him for a split-second. “Is that…?”
“...You’ve got the Bow of Odysseus now,” Coral looked at Skeedaddle’s bow that was now shining a brilliant sapphire color, matching his own color scheme. “The magic in the world must’ve decided you were worthy of his power.”
While he wanted to revel in such a boon, Skeedaddle drew his bow once more and faced the snakes with newfound bravery. “Less talking, more snake hunting!”