With a sharp inhale, I tightened my grip on my sword.
Krent and I charged forward again, our weapons gleaming under the dim light. The clash of steel against claws rang through the ruined village, each strike sending out a shower of sparks. Krent fought with all his might, but he was struggling. His greatsword barely held back the relentless onslaught of the beast. With a sudden blur of motion, the creature's razor-sharp fingers sliced clean through his upper limb.
A strangled scream tore from his throat. Yet even with blood gushing from his arm, he didn't stop. He swung wildly, desperate, defiant—until the beast delivered a brutal kick to his gut. The force sent him crashing into the wreckage of a broken wooden house. He didn't rise. I was alone now. Both beasts turned to me, their ember-like eyes burning with hunger. Their movements were deliberate and calculated.
And then they attacked together. I imbued my aura in the sword, arm, and leg. I used mana to cover my whole body. By doing this, my strength increased as well as my speed. Their claws lashed out, striking at me from both sides. My sword met their onslaught in a frenzied flurry of parries and counterattacks. Each impact sent jolts through my arm; the raw strength behind their blow was large. If I didn't strengthen my body with aura and mana, I would have found myself on the ground. Watching my movements.
Then, as if acting in perfect synchronization, both creatures took a step back. A flicker of crimson flame ignited in the hands of both beasts. I didn't hesitate. I extended my free hand, summoning a vortex of wind at my fingertips, condensing it until the air itself screeched under the pressure. The beasts released their attacks first. Both unleashed compressed roaring fire-inferno. At the same moment, I launched my own vortex, sending it spiraling toward them. The moment the three forces met,
BOOOOM!
The collision erupted in a devastating explosion, sending a shockwave rippling through the ruins. The ground beneath us crumbled, fragments of dirt and stone bursting into the air. The wooden remains of nearby houses splintered apart, caught in the chaotic winds. Smoke and dust clouded my vision, but I didn't lower my guard.
Krent lay motionless in the wreckage, his body battered and bloodied. His severed arm rested a few feet away, the dirt beneath it soaked in crimson. I sensed movement. From within the dense smoke, a dark blur shot forward.I barely had time to react. The one beast burst from the cloud of dust, moving faster than before, its claw aiming straight for my throat. I twisted my body, just barely avoiding decapitation. I barely able to dodge.
'Tch! faster than I thought!'
I staggered back, but the second beast was already upon me. The fire-user lunged, its flaming claws swiping down, aiming to split me in half. I had no room to dodge. So I did the only thing I could—
I raised my sword and met fire with steel. The impact sent a searing shockwave through my arms. My blade trembled under the sheer force of the attack, the heat licking dangerously close to my skin. But I wasn't done yet. Using the momentum, I twisted my sword, deflecting the strike and forcing the beast to overextend. In that brief moment of vulnerability, I drove my knee straight into its gut.
CRACK!
The beast choked out a guttural snarl, staggering backward. But I didn't let it recover. I grabbed the hilt of my sword with both hands and swung with everything I had.
SHIIING!
A gash opened across its torso, blood spraying into the air. The beast let out a piercing shriek, stumbling as it clutched its wound. But it wasn't down yet. Its burning eyes locked onto mine, now filled with something even more dangerous than hunger. But I wasn't done yet. The second beast roared in fury. It lunged. I met it head-on, without wasting my time on thinking. The beast roared, lunging at me with terrifying speed, its claws streaking through the air like blackened lightning. I parried, countered, struck back.
Steel clashed against claws, fire against wind. It side-kicked me as well. Rolled on the ground and made a balance for the counterattack. I stand up to fight. I charged toward the, beast. The second beast was nearly recovered. The battlefield was a blur of motion. I ducked, twisted, slashed, each movement calculated, precise. But the beast was relentless. Even wounded, its attacks came faster, more savage, more desperate.
Its claw raked toward my chest. I barely dodged, but not fast enough.
SCHLICK!
Pain exploded across my shoulder as its talons tore through flesh. Blood splattered across the ruined ground. My body screamed, but I refused to slow down. I couldn't. The beast snarled, pressing the attack. I blocked, twisting my blade to deflect its claws, but the sheer force of its strength sent me skidding back. My feet dug into the dirt, stopping just before I crashed into a broken pillar.
I exhaled sharply. It was getting reckless. That was my only chance. The beast lunged again, its fire, cloaked claws poised to tear me apart. This time, I stepped forward instead of back. It wasn't expecting that. I sidestepped at the last second—just barely avoiding the full brunt of its strike. The searing heat grazed my arm, scorching fabric and skin, but I ignored the pain. Because I had already moved to end it. With my left hand, I slammed my palm against the beast's chest, forcing my wind magic to explode outward.
BOOM!
The impact sent it reeling, its body momentarily thrown off balance. That was all I needed. I feinted left, then twisted sharply, my sword arcing through the air in a brutal, decisive strike.
SCHLACK!
The blade bit deep, slicing through muscle and bone. The beast's eyes widened in shock as blood gushed from the gaping wound across its torso. It staggered, choking on its own blood, its knees hitting the ground with a dull thud. A guttural growl rumbled in its throat, its claws twitching weakly, trying desperately to rise again.
But it couldn't. Its body convulsed once—then fell still.
And it's dead
But I had no time to celebrate. A sudden gust of wind tore through the battlefield. I turned; one beast was still standing. Its eyes blazed brighter than ever. It howled—a bloodcurdling sound that sent a chill down my spine. The very air around it distorted as mana surged within its body, flames coiling around its form like a living inferno. This wasn't over, not yet. I exhaled, tightening my grip on my sword.
One was down, and one remained.