"Julian, whatever it's doing, STOP IT!" Celestia's voice was a razor-sharp command, even as she parried a mutant's axe.
The Nullifier was no longer just crawling. It was dragging itself forward with a terrible purpose, its severed tentacle stumps now glowing with the same black energy that crackled around the core pile. The white cores were dimming, their energy being violently siphoned into the crippled creature.
'It's not trying to heal. It's trying to metamorphose. Using all that accumulated energy for a final, drastic evolution.' Julian's mind raced. A direct attack might trigger a catastrophic release of energy. But letting it continue was not an option.
"Emma! Veronica! Suppressive fire on the core pile! Don't let it draw more power!" Julian ordered, his eyes never leaving the Nullifier.
