Chapter 29 : Fight

  The rogue Xenos lunged, and the battle for their lives began. A fusillade of poisonous quills rained down, clattering against rock and weapon. Bell darted forward, engaging the creature head-on to draw its focus. His Argonaut skill stirred faintly in his blood-facing such a powerful foe ignited that heroic yearning within him. But charging a monster of this caliber alone would be suicide. Fortunately, he wasn't alone.

  "Cover Bell!" Alise shouted. In a flash of red, she was at Bell's side, matching his advance. Alise moved like a crimson lightning bolt-her sword Crimson Order arced, trailing embers as she activated a fragment of her fire enchant magic. With a roar, she unleashed a narrow burst of flame toward the Peluda's eyes. The creature recoiled, hissing, momentarily blinded by the sudden blaze. Bell didn't waste the opening; he dashed in low, slicing at one of its front legs with the Hestia Knife. His blade bit into scale, drawing dark ichor and an enraged screech.

  The Peluda retaliated with a sweep of its claws. Bell gasped as a taloned foot larger than his body came crashing down. In that split second Alise rammed her shoulder into him, knocking Bell out of the claw's trajectory. The ground where he'd stood exploded under the impact, shards of stone flying. Bell rolled to his feet, stunned. "Thanks-!" he managed, but Alise had already moved, her attention fully on the enemy. There was no time for anything except raw instinct and trust.

  Ryuu appeared on the creature's opposite flank, silent as a shadow. The elf sprang up with incredible agility, kicking off a root to gain height. "Tempest!" Ryuu intoned, casting her magic without the full chant-emerald wind swirled around her wooden sword. She brought it down in a two-handed slash, blades of wind scything toward the Peluda's hide. The cutting gales struck true, drawing shallow gouges and distracting the monster with stinging pain.

  Meanwhile, Welf and Mikoto took up positions guarding Lili and Haruhime. "We've got your backs!" Welf yelled. He swung his greatsword in a wide arc to intercept a cluster of quills the beast shot towards the group's center. His blade shattered them mid-air in a burst of toxic splinters. Welf hissed as a few shards cut into his forearm, but he shook off the pain. Mikoto stood poised, her injured arm tucked close but her sword in her other hand, ready to deflect any attack on the rear. Despite the poison coursing through her scratch, she steadied her breathing in a practiced meditative focus, suppressing the spread of toxin as best she could. Lili was rapidly pulling vials from her backpack, lining up antidotes and potions for quick access, her small hands astonishingly steady. Haruhime knelt behind them, golden eyes wide with worry as she resumed chanting her support magic under her breath-preparing to invoke her Level Boost when the moment was right.

  Bell ducked another swipe of the monster's spiked tail, wincing as the tail smashed into the stone wall behind them, cracking their supposed defensive cover. They couldn't let this battle turn into a war of attrition; the Peluda's strategy was clear. It wanted to wound them, let the poison and panic take hold, and finish them off once they were weak. We have to turn the tide. Bell realized they needed to strike a decisive blow soon, or they'd all be in grave danger.

  "Lili, any plans?!" Bell shouted between exchanging blows with the creature. Lili's analytical voice rang out, projecting over the din: "Aim for the magic stone! It's likely in the chest or forehead. But its hide is tough-normal attacks barely faze it!" She bit her lip, watching their attacks leave only superficial marks on the sinewy dragon scales. "And beware its breath attack!" she added. "Peluda can breathe fire!"

  As if on cue, the monster reared back and sucked in a great gulp of air. Its chest swelled. Bell's eyes widened in recognition. "FIREBREATH, MOVE!" he screamed. Bell leapt away just as a cone of scorching flame erupted from the creature's maw. The inferno whooshed past, heat singing his white hair. Welf tackled Haruhime and Lili behind the ledge, shielding them with his armored back. Mikoto flipped behind the rocky outcrop, but cried out-her slower, poisoned reflexes left her leg grazed by the edge of the flames. Alise however did not retreat; instead, she planted her feet and crossed her arms in front of her face, enduring the blaze head-on. Her crimson breastplate glowed from the heat but held firm, designed to resist flame. When the fire cleared, Alise stood unharmed, steam rising from her enchanted armor. Bell stared in awe-her bravery was beyond anything he'd seen.

  Alise seized that moment. With a defiant grin, she began to chant, voice ringing: "O unconquered flame, scarlet justice-Agaris Alvesynth!" In response, fiery red runes ignited around her free hand. Flames erupted to coat her legs, gauntlets, and blade. Her magic enveloped her like a living aura of fire. Empowered and ablaze, Alise launched herself at the Peluda with renewed ferocity. She moved faster than before, an afterimage of fire trailing each strike. Her flaming sword crashed against the monster's scales, each blow now leaving charred cuts where before there had been barely scratches.

  The Peluda shrieked in anger as Alise drove it back a few paces, her relentless assault forcing it on the defensive. Yet even as she pressed it, the monster twisted its serpentine neck and fired another volley of quills at close range. Alise gasped as several poisonous spikes struck her-two glanced off her heat-resistant breastplate, but one found a gap in her side armor, piercing into her waist. She staggered, flames around her wavering. "Alise!" Ryuu cried in alarm.

  The monster snarled and slammed a forelimb forward. Alise, regaining focus despite the pain, managed to parry the claw with her sword but was knocked off balance. The Peluda's tail whipped around viciously, this time targeting the support line. It arced towards Lili, Haruhime, and Welf with deadly intent. "Look out!" Bell yelled, already sprinting. Lili froze, eyes wide behind her goggles as the spiked tail sped at them like a giant flail. Welf roared and planted himself in front of the smaller girls, sword raised horizontally. The tail hammered into Welf's greatsword, a massive force meeting an immovable object. Welf held, muscles bulging, but the impact was tremendous. He coughed blood as the shock reverberated through him, knees buckling. The tail withdrew for a split second, then came crashing a second time even faster. Welf couldn't fully block-this hit sent him flying back, slamming into Haruhime and Lili. All three tumbled hard against the cavern wall.

  "Welf! Lili! Haruhime!" Mikoto shouted, desperate, as she saw them crumple. Welf slumped forward onto hands and knees, his sword shattered into two pieces. Blood dripped down his back where dozens of small quill fragments had embedded. Lili lay dazed, a trickle of blood on her forehead from hitting the wall; her eyes fluttered. Haruhime was sprawled, breathing but clearly stunned, her chant cut off mid-spell. The protective line had collapsed in one blow.

  Bell felt a surge of panic and fury. Without thinking, he charged at the monster's tail, which was recoiling for a possible third strike. He couldn't let it hit them again-if it struck the fallen group now, they could all die. "Hyaaaa!" Bell unleashed an angry shout and slashed at the tail with his Hestia Knife and Ushiwakamaru dagger in a cross. His blades cut into the scaled tail, drawing a spurt of dark blood. The Peluda hissed and yanked its tail back, away from the vulnerable party members. Bell placed himself between the monster and his downed friends, breathing hard, knives raised. His arms trembled from the force of blocking the tail's momentum, but he held firm, glaring defiantly at the beast.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The Peluda's eyes narrowed, assessing Bell anew-this small human who dared stand against its might. With an almost contemptuous growl, it pivoted, deciding to eliminate this nuisance first. "Bell, careful!" Ryuu shouted as she darted to cover Welf and the others, dragging Lili and Haruhime further from the fray. Mikoto scrambled to assist her, handing Lili a quick antidote for Welf. Despite her ringing head, Lili forced herself up to tend to Welf, who was coughing and cursing his broken sword. Haruhime, shaken but conscious, resumed her spell through trembling lips, knowing their only chance now lay in her magic.

  The monster lunged at Bell, claws extended in a flurry of swipes. Bell's reflexes were pushed to their limit. He bobbed and weaved, parrying what he could with his daggers, acutely aware that a single solid hit could rip him apart. He felt each near miss as a rush of wind against his skin. One glancing blow caught his left arm, tearing his light armor and sending a flare of pain through him. Bell gritted his teeth; warm blood trickled down to his elbow, but the cut wasn't deep.

  He retaliated, darting in to thrust his knife at what he hoped was a soft underbelly spot. The Peluda twisted and a quill from its chest shot out point-blank. Bell barely twisted aside-the quill grazed his ribs, slicing his side open with burning agony. He cried out as the toxin burned like fire, momentarily staggering him. Seeing Bell hurt, Alise let out a furious shout, her aura of flames flaring bright once more. "Get away from him!" She rushed the creature's flank and slammed her flaming sword into its hind leg with all her strength. There was a crackle-at last, scale gave way as her blade bit deep. The Peluda roared in pain, momentarily forgetting Bell. It spun on Alise, tail and quills lashing wildly in defense.

  One of those wild quills struck Alise's thigh. Another grazed her cheek, drawing blood. But Alise didn't back down, even as her leg wobbled from the venom seeping into it. Bell knew the poison's pain well-like liquid fire in the veins-yet Alise held her stance. Her eyes met Bell's for a heartbeat across the frenzied melee. He saw her silently ask: Are you still with me? Bell clenched his daggers and nodded, ignoring his own throbbing wounds. He wouldn't let her fight this thing alone.

  The two charged together in tacit synchrony-Bell from the right, Alise from the left. Bell ducked under a snapping jaw and slammed his dagger into the Peluda's side, aiming for between ribs. At the same moment, Alise leapt and brought her flaming blade down toward the creature's neck. The combined assault confused the monster; it flinched from Bell's sting, spoiling the angle of Alise's strike. Instead of decapitating, her sword carved a burning gash across the beast's shoulder. The smell of charred flesh filled the air as the flame enchantment seared its scales. The Peluda shrieked, tail thrashing in agony, catching Bell across the chest as it flailed.

  Bell was flung backward, pain exploding where several quills raked across him. He hit the ground hard, vision flashing white. The world rang. Gasping, he tried to push himself up, but his muscles twitched, unresponsive for a moment. Three quills had torn shallow furrows across his torso-his armor ruined, blood welling from poisonous lacerations. The pain was instant and overwhelming; the toxin burning in the wounds sapped his strength. Bell's breathing quickened in panic. No... if I go down now...

  Alise landed from her jump, but her wounded leg buckled and she fell to one knee. She yanked the quill from her thigh with a grunt, tossing it aside. Her breath came in ragged pants, yet her eyes blazed with refusal to surrender. The Peluda itself was bleeding from multiple wounds, its movements a fraction slower now, but its anger had reached a fever pitch. It gathered itself, preparing a lethal pounce to finish both Bell and Alise while they were struggling.

  "Bell! Alise!" Ryuu's voice cut through the haze. Bell turned his head weakly to see Ryuu standing partway between them and the others. She had Welf's spare longsword in hand-Welf himself was conscious but badly injured, propped against Lili. Mikoto stood guard near Haruhime, who was still chanting desperately, tears streaming down her cheeks as she forced the magic. The glow of her summoning circle was growing under her, almost ready. But they might not last until it was done.

  Ryuu knew it too. Summoning all her will, the elf planted her feet, facing the monster directly to protect her fallen comrades. She locked eyes with the Peluda Xenos. To that hateful gaze she proclaimed coldly, "I will not let you harm them further." Something in her voice-an icy fury-actually made the beast hesitate a half-second. Ryuu's body tensed, and Bell recognized that stance. She was going to unleash that spell: Luminous Wind at full power, the very magic that had nearly cost her life against the Juggernaut once. If she did it without Haruhime's boost or any support, at her current level, it could kill her from Mind exhaustion or shatter her weapon. But Ryuu seemed ready to make that sacrifice. Her eyes flickered to Alise, a silent apology and love in them.

  Alise's face twisted in horror as she realized what Ryuu intended. "Ryuu, NO!" she screamed. But Ryuu had already begun to recite the final trigger of her spell. A green aura pulsed around her as wind gathered, responding to her desperation. The Peluda, sensing a threat, hissed and charged at Ryuu to stop her casting. Its broken leg dragged slightly but it still covered ground with terrifying speed. Ryuu stood her ground, the hurricane of magic building around her.

  Before the monster could reach her, a new voice rose above the din-soft, ethereal, filled with resolve: "Burn to cinders the karma of battle-Uchide no Kozuchi!" Haruhime's chant completed at last. In a flash of golden light, her fox-spirit magic engulfed Ryuu and Alise both. Bell watched in awe as Haruhime's Level Boost took effect. Ryuu's body glowed briefly, her strength and speed temporarily surging as if she were a full level higher. Alise too was bathed in the golden light; despite not being a member of Hestia Familia, Haruhime's magic-born of her earnest wish to save them-extended beyond its usual bounds to Alise. The red-haired warrior felt sudden vitality flood her veins, burning away the haze of poison and fatigue. Her injuries didn't vanish, but a newfound power welled up inside her like a second wind.

  Ryuu's incantation, already at the tipping point, now exploded with amplified might. "Luminous Wind!!" she cried, slashing her sword forward. A storm of emerald blades of air howled forth, magnified by Haruhime's magic to a scale never seen before. The pressure of the wind was so intense that Bell, still on the ground several meders away, had to shield his face. The hurricane-force blades tore into the charging Peluda. The monster roared as dozens of invisible slashes cut across its body, shredding scales and quills alike. Under the relentless onslaught, the beast was actually forced backwards, digging its claws in to resist. Chunks of quills and blood sprayed as Ryuu's magic ravaged it.

  When the wind finally died, Ryuu staggered, the glowing enchantment around her fading. She managed to remain standing, but Bell could see the exhaustion in her eyes; the level boost had prevented her from collapsing outright, but she was nearly spent. The Peluda Xenos was now covered in wounds-several quills shorn off, one eye cut and bleeding, its front limbs quivering from deep lacerations. It bled from a dozen gashes. The cavern floor was littered with green scales and broken spines. The monster's breathing had turned ragged, a mix of fury and labored pain.

  Yet somehow it still stood. And its hate had not dimmed-a rasping snarl escaped it as it prepared to gamble everything on one final attack to annihilate them.