The Last Blow

“We’re going to beat this thing, come on now!” Mira shouted between shots, her bowstring snapping rhythmically. The chimera reeled and staggered beneath the onslaught. Seven arrows now jutted from its shimmering feathered hide, blood staining the ground beneath it.

It flapped its remaining wing in a final, desperate attempt to take flight, but its jump ended in another heavy crash to the forest floor. Its strength was fading, but not gone.

Corvin had circled around it, axe at the ready, keeping its attention divided. Now, seeing his chance, he grinned. He shifted his grip on the axe handle, one hand on the base, one in the middle. “Alright, big guy, let’s end this.”

With a battle cry, Corvin rushed in. A faint purple glow flickered beneath his shirt as he swung the axe in a wide arc. The blade sliced into the chimera’s exposed stomach with a clean, deep cut. He stood still, chest heaving, the axe buried deep in its flesh.

“Aw, come on! It was so cool until it got stuck!” he groaned, tugging at the weapon. It refused to budge.

Reith, gripping his scythe tightly, ran to assist just as Sai staggered back into action, one hand clutching his side, sword drawn in the other. The two reached Corvin and struck the creature simultaneously—Reith’s scythe slashing across a foreleg, Sai’s blade cutting into its flank.

The beast groaned, twitching, muscles tightening again.

“We gotta move!” Sai yelled. “If it gets up, it will crush us!”

Reith nodded, grabbing Corvin’s shoulder. “Help me pull!”

“Guys, what the hell are you doing?!” Corvin shouted as they grabbed him.

“You heard Sai we gotta get back!” Reith snapped.

“Alright! On three! One—two—three!”

The three of them yanked hard. The axe tore free in a spray of blood. Sai and Reith stumbled and fell backward, hitting the dirt. Corvin, barely staying upright, raised the weapon.

“It worked! YEAH!”

SPLAT.

Red ichor burst from the wound, coating Corvin from head to chest.

“Eww, what the hell?!”

“Pffft,” Reith muffled a laugh.

“What was that, Mr. Harvester?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all!” Reith said, waving his hands in mock innocence as he lay on the ground.

Meanwhile, Eira had been standing off to the side, quietly watching. She had seen them all charge in without hesitation. They were so brave, so sure of themselves.

They’re… so much cooler than me, she thought, her small fists clenched. I don’t even have my own weapon.

As if in answer to her thoughts, the wind picked up. A tattered, yellowed piece of paper fluttered past her feet. Eira blinked and followed it instinctively. It danced just out of her reach again and again, skimming the ground as though teasing her.

“Did someone drop this?…” she whispered, not recognizing the texture. She quickened her steps.

Mira, eyes still locked on the beast, caught sight of Eira’s chase but couldn’t stop her. She had an arrow nocked, aimed at the chimera’s throat in case it moved again.

Sai and Reith, now back on their feet, helped Corvin steady himself. The three looked back to the creature—still struggling. Still alive. Even now, it growled, low and furious.

With a sudden surge of power, the chimera twisted violently, its claws tearing into the ground. It quickly got up on its feet again, Corvin, Sai and Reith all held their weapons against it, the beast turned and with One swing of its remaining wing sent all three boys flying back like rag dolls.

Corvin landed hard, his axe flung from his hand. Reith tumbled into a tree, and Sai rolled across the dirt until he came to a groaning stop.

Mira cursed under her breath. “No, no, no—stay down!”

The creature turned toward her, eyes wild with rage, feathers bristling. Blood oozed from the missing wing, stomach, and dozens of wounds. But it still charged.

Mira fired. The arrow struck the beast square in the face, hitting above its eye. It roared and stumbled but did not stop.

Eira, having finally caught the paper, looked up to see the charging monster.

“Mira!” she screamed.

Mira barely had time to notch another arrow. “Back! Eira, get back!”

But Eira ran toward her instead.

Mira blinked, stunned, as Eira reached her side and, without hesitation, grabbed the long weapon strapped across Mira’s back.

The naginata.

“Wait—Eira!” Mira started to object, but the girl had already stepped forward.

Eira took a stance, kneeling slightly, arms trembling as she held the polearm in both hands. The chimera barreled toward them, bellowing its fury.

And Eira didn’t move.

The wind from the chimera’s charge whipped her hair around her face, but she held firm. Just as the beast leapt—

—Eira’s arms lit with a soft blue glow.

She thrust upward.

The blade of the naginata pierced under the creature’s chin with a wet crunch. Its momentum slammed her backward across the dirt. She and the weapon struck a rock sticking up form the ground, the blade got pushed in deeper. With a horrific sound, the tip of the naginata punched out through the top of the chimera’s skull.

Its roar choked into silence.

Suspended in the air, impaled like some ancient, cursed idol, the beast twitched once… and then fell limp.

It collapsed face-first into the earth. Eira’s hands let go of the weapon and rolled away, her arms stopped shining. The naginata stood tall, its blade shined in the moonlight as the handle was buried in the monster’s head, Eira stood up and looked at her work.

The forest went quiet.

Eira stood there alone, blood covering her arms, eyes wide in shock.

“Eira…” Mira whispered as she approached slowly.

Eira turned slowly. Her expression wasn’t proud—it was lost, pale. She looked down at her hands, still trembling.

Then her knees buckled.

Mira caught her just before she hit the ground, pulling her into a tight embrace.

“You did it,” Mira said softly. “You did it.”

Eira trembled in her arms. “I just… I didn’t even think…”

“Shh. It’s okay.” Mira held her tighter. “It’s okay.”

From behind them, the boys staggered back, bruised, bloody, but still standing.

Reith let out a low whistle. “You better not piss her off, Corvin.”

Sai laughed weakly. “She just killed it.”

Corvin shook his head in disbelief. “You’re not the quiet tag along anymore, huh?”

As they approached, Mira kept her arms around Eira, who remained silent—her gaze fixed on her blood-stained hands and the gleaming weapon planted in the beast’s skull.