Chapter 50: The Painful Price Of Intervention
The moment the beast launched itself again, Roxy felt it before she truly saw it.
The air shifted—pressure collapsing inward, like the world itself flinched. The creature moved slower now, yes, but there was something far more terrifying in that slowness. It was deliberate. Measured. Like a predator that had learned its prey's rhythm and decided to savor the kill.
Its massive frame thundered forward, claws digging into the earth, mouth stretched wide in a grotesque grin, its long tongue slithering between rows of jagged teeth slick with saliva and blood. Steam rose from its scorched flesh, curling into the night air, carrying the stench of burned muscle and iron.
Roxy's heart slammed against her ribs.
She did not retreat.
One of the blazing incantation circles she had prepared snapped into existence at the beast's flank—no chant, no hesitation.
"**Fire Flare!**"
The circle detonated.
Flames burst outward like a living thing, wrapping around the creature's side in a violent explosion of heat and light. The night was painted orange, shadows dancing wildly as the inferno devoured everything it touched.
"*GRAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!*"
The monster screamed—an ear-splitting, rage-filled roar that shook leaves from trees and rattled Roxy's bones. Fire crawled across its hide, clinging stubbornly, blackening scales and melting flesh. The ground beneath it scorched and cracked.
When the flames finally died down, embers drifting lazily to the earth, the incantation circle faded into nothingness.
The beast staggered.
Its movements were uneven now. One leg dragged slightly. Steam poured from its body, skin sizzling with every step. But it did not fall.
It did not stop.
Roxy's breath caught in her throat.
"…It's still moving."
Her confidence faltered, just for a heartbeat.
She had poured so much power into that spell—more than she ever had in her life. The enhancement coursing through her veins made her feel light, almost weightless, yet terrified by the sheer scale of her own strength. That should have been enough. It *had* to be enough.
"One more," she whispered, forcing steel into her voice. "One more will end it."
She raised her left hand and snapped her fingers.
Another incantation circle ignited beneath the monster—brilliant crimson, intricate runes spinning faster and faster as mana flooded into it.
"**Blazing Flare!**"
The ground trembled—
—and then her eyes widened.
The beast rolled.
Not clumsily. Not desperately.
It rolled *perfectly*, muscles coiling and releasing with terrifying precision, its massive body moving with speed that defied its wounds. It cleared the circle by a hair's breadth just as the earth erupted in a pillar of fire.
The flames roared uselessly into the sky.
Before Roxy could even inhale, the monster leapt.
It vanished from where it stood and reappeared midair, closing the distance in a blink. Its speed was monstrous, far beyond before—like it had been holding back, conserving every shred of strength until this exact moment.
Roxy gasped.
She planted her feet.
The orb atop her staff flared red-hot as she thrust it forward, pouring everything she had left into the spell.
Another incantation circle formed instantly in front of the airborne beast.
"**Fire Tornado!**"
Mana screamed.
The circle spun violently, flames twisting inward, ready to erupt into a spiraling inferno—
The monster clenched its fist.
And punched.
Its massive knuckles collided with the incantation circle midair.
The impact shattered the spell.
A shockwave burst outward, distorting the air itself. The circle fractured like glass, runes splintering and dissolving into sparks before vanishing completely.
Roxy felt the backlash slam into her chest.
Her breath left her in a sharp gasp as she staggered back, boots scraping against scorched earth.
The beast landed heavily and surged forward again, relentless.
Her hands trembled.
Mana burned painfully through her veins now, no longer flowing freely. The enhancement still lingered, but she could feel its limits pressing in on her, the strain building, threatening to tear her apart from the inside if she pushed any harder.
She raised her staff one last time.
A final blazing incantation circle formed in front of her—larger, brighter, unstable.
"If I wait… if I time it perfectly…" she thought, teeth clenched. "I can finish this. Even if it kills me."
The monster roared and charged.
Its fist drew back.
Roxy inhaled sharply.
"**Blazing—**"
She never finished the word.
A blur slammed into the monster from the side.
The collision was brutal.
Zodac crashed into the beast like a living battering ram, shoulder-first, tackling it with enough force to tear both of them off their feet. They skidded across the ground, dirt and shattered roots exploding outward as they rolled.
The incantation circle in front of Roxy vanished instantly.
"Zodac—!"
Her scream tore from her throat.
The world seemed to slow as she watched him hit the ground hard, then push himself upright through sheer will. The monster lay beside him, unmoving for a moment, its massive chest heaving.
Silence fell.
Roxy's knees nearly gave out.
She sagged forward, gripping her staff for support as relief flooded through her so violently it almost hurt.
"…It's over," she whispered, barely daring to believe it.
Zodac stood.
He looked awful—armor cracked, hair matted with dirt and blood, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths. His face was smeared with grime, eyes dark with exhaustion.
And yet—
He was standing.
To Roxy, in that moment, he looked indestructible.
She raised her hand weakly, waving toward him. He noticed and lifted his arm in response, a small gesture—but it shattered the tight knot in her chest.
A smile spread across her face despite the tears gathering in her eyes.
She allowed herself to breathe.
"Finally… it's over," she murmured, voice trembling with exhaustion and relief.
Then—
Her smile vanished.
Her eyes widened.
The monster moved.
Slowly.
Unnaturally.
It pushed itself upright, bones cracking, flesh tearing where burned muscle stretched too far. Steam poured from its wounds, eyes blazing with a feral, unyielding fury.
"Zodac—!"
She screamed his name with everything she had left, voice ripping raw from her throat.
But it was too late.
Zodac turned—
—and the fist was already there.
The blow landed with a sickening *crack*.
His body lifted off the ground like a broken doll, hurled backward through the air before slamming into the earth with a thunderous impact.
Dust exploded outward.
Then silence.
Roxy froze.
Her staff slipped from her fingers and hit the ground with a dull thud.
"Z… Zodac…?"
He did not move.
The monster stood over him, breathing heavily, victorious.
Roxy's heart shattered in her chest.
The night felt colder.
And for the first time since the battle began, true fear consumed her completely.