Chapter 18: A new flying enemy

Their desperate run shook the ground beneath their feet, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't shake off that enormous boar. Each step the creature took was a roar: with a single stride, it covered the distance of five of their steps. The trees around them, instead of offering shelter, became traps: as soon as they hid behind a trunk, the monster would knock it down with a blow of its horns as if it were made of straw.

“A-again? But that's impossible...” whispered Ren, breathless, crouching behind what remained of an old beech tree. He tried to speak softly, fearing that the slightest noise would attract the beast.

Next to him, Mizuki clung to his shirt, her hands shaking like leaves. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear.

He looked at her and lowered his voice, with an uncertain smile. “M-Mizuki? ... Are you okay?”

“W-w-what do you want?! I-I'm fine!”

“Fine? You're shaking like a leaf.”

“N-no, I'm not! I'm just... cold!” she replied, crossing her arms as if to compose herself.

“Cold? With this blazing sun?” he replied, looking up as a drop of sweat slid down his forehead.

“So what? I'm cold too!”

“Oh, by the way... earlier, when you grabbed my wrist... you almost tore my hand off. It still hurts a little,” she added, touching her wrist.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to...”

“Not that I needed your apology, though!”

The boy laughed softly, but when he turned to ask the others for an idea, the smile died on his lips. There was no one behind them anymore.

“W-wait a minute... Where did the others go?!” All around them was the rustling of the wind in the leaves. No voices, no footsteps.

“They... left us alone?” he whispered, incredulous. “And they were supposed to cover our backs...”

Meanwhile, the giant boar continued to root around nearby, digging up the ground with its powerful hooves. Each breath it took sounded like thunder.

He took a deep breath. They couldn't stay there forever. But seeing Mizuki clinging even tighter to his shirt, he hesitated.

“Hey... Mizuki.”

She looked up slightly, her eyes trembling slightly.

“How about... staying hidden here? I'll try to distract it. If I run to the right, it should follow me. In the meantime, you run away.”

The girl's eyes widened. “W-what?! But... how could I ever leave you alone?!”

He smiled gently, even though his heart was pounding like a drum in his chest. “Don't worry. I'll be fine. Maybe... maybe I've figured out how to take him down.”

“H-how?”

“Did you see? He's slow. If you lend me your sword, I can try to trick him and strike him. But to do that, you have to stay hidden. Promise me you will.”

She hesitated, biting her lip. Her hands trembled as she brought the sword forward. “All right... but... come back alive, okay?”

The boy looked her in the eyes and nodded firmly. “Of course. Don't worry... I promise I'll come back.”

Mizuki handed him the sword, her fingers brushing his for a moment. Her gaze was filled with fear, but also with a confidence she didn't want to admit out loud.

Ren gripped the hilt, feeling the weight of the blade and the responsibility. Then he took a step forward, determined to become the bait.

And for a moment, Mizuki stood motionless behind the tree, staring at his back.

“Don't leave me alone... please.”

He took a step forward, his heart pounding in his chest. The ground shook beneath his feet, and in front of him, the giant boar let out a low growl, almost like a promise of destruction. Its gaze was furious, its sharp tusks glinting in the sun as it moved its snout toward him.

“All right, beast... Now we'll see who comes out on top!” he muttered, his eyes narrowing in determination. He made a quick move and began to run to the right, his body as agile as lightning. The boar followed him with blind fury, but no matter how hard it tried to accelerate, it couldn't keep up with him.

He circled around it, playing with its aggression. “Come on, can't you catch me?” he taunted, feeling the adrenaline rising inside him. “I thought you were stronger, but apparently you're just big!”

The boar slammed its hooves violently against the ground, causing a shockwave that shook the very air. Then, with an angry growl, it lunged at the boy, lowering its head in an attempt to strike him with its sharp tusks.

But he wasn't there to be hit. With a sideways leap, he avoided the charge and threw himself into a strategic spin. The beast slammed its head against a huge tree, making it shake with a thunderous crash. The boar paused for a moment, panting, then launched into a new attack.

“Is that all you can do?” he smiled with a hint of defiance in his eyes, but his heavy breathing betrayed his accumulated fatigue.

The boar turned, ready to charge again. This time, however, the boy had already anticipated his move. With a swift movement, the sword sank into the monster's leg, and the boar screamed in pain, but did not stop. The beast reacted with rage, but once again missed its target. Its horns scratched the trees, splitting them as if they were twigs.

He wasted no time: he took advantage of that second opening and struck the boar's hind legs with precision. The beast's body staggered and, with a crash of blows, collapsed heavily to the ground, unable to get up.

“You won't be able to move anymore. It's over for you, beast,”

With quick blows, he aimed at the most vulnerable joints until the boar collapsed, now lifeless. The boy stopped, panting, as he looked at the beast's body with dull eyes, as if he had been freed from a burden.

“It's over... in the end, it was easier than I thought.” He looked at the boar for a moment, its massive, motionless body now completely devoid of threat. A sigh of relief escaped his lips.

He knew he mustn't waste any time, so he turned and walked toward the tree where he had left Mizuki.

“Hey, Mizuki! I'm back!” he called, his voice trying to mask his fatigue. But when he arrived, he found her different. She was no longer the determined and strong Mizuki he had left a moment before. The girl was clinging to a tree trunk, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear.

“R-ren!” she whispered, her voice broken with agitation. “I-I didn't need you, but... look!”

He reached her in a few steps, but his gaze immediately fell on what she was looking at: a giant bee flying nearby, its dark shape like a looming threat.

“A giant bee!” he exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. The creature was enormous, its wings beating with a power that made the air tremble. Its shiny body glistened in the sun, as if it were made of pure venom.

“If that hits you, consider yourself dead!” Mizuki continued to tremble, trying to hide better behind the tree trunk.

He didn't waste time thinking. The fear hanging in the air was palpable, but there was no room for uncertainty. “I understand,” he said, gritting his teeth, “so how about we run away?”

Mizuki shook her head firmly. “No! It's very fast! And it has impressive vision. That boar was like a mosquito in comparison!”

The boy became more serious. The situation was far more dangerous than he had imagined. “I see, so running away is useless...” He scratched his chin, studying the giant bee's movements. “We have to kill it.”

Mizuki looked at him with eyes full of fear and reluctance. “Don't yell! And anyway... it won't be easy.”

“I know, but we have no other choice. Those five left us alone... and now it's up to us.”

His gaze was fixed on the bee hovering above them, ready to launch a deadly attack. There was no time for doubt. The only thing left to do was fight.