Savage Clash

She had jumped in front of me! How’d she clear the distance? But no, she was injured or worse. I reached out for her, but she roared back, coming up deep from within her belly. It nearly didn’t feel like her.

Pooling her strength, Eri'Sol thrust in her sword shattering the crimson crystals. A frightening scream came from the monster as I saw her tearing off one of its arms with her sword in a savage manner. Bone and muscle, I wanted to throw up, but my body locked up preventing me. Acid bubbled in my chest instead.

The bear thing dropped down spinning around throwing Eri'Sol back into me. We both went careening over the grass. Eri'Sol fell away quickly with more force to her, though I could feel how bruised I was just from the collision.

I slowly pulled myself up trying to see what the beast was doing. ‘Am I hallucinating?’ There was a faint orange glow about it. And I swear its scales were standing up. It was still bent over on its hands and legs. “A Phase 2, seriously?”

Staggered footsteps came up from behind me. I turned my head to see a bloodied Eri'Sol still carrying her sword. She had to have ice in her blood to be ready for another round the way she looked. Maybe she was cut out for this life. “Minoru, I will protect you!”

“Eri, you—“ I couldn’t even finish before she let out a battle call and charged back in. There was still blood dripping from her. I couldn’t even tell where she had been wounded in the chaos. But I had to get my head in the game too. I wasn’t going to leave her alone out there.

The two quickly locked into a brawl once more. Even missing an arm, it wasn’t slowed down in its strikes. And worse I saw damage landing in the earth from its swings. Whatever that orange aura did it added an effect to its attacks. I looked at Eri'Sol who I caught small sprays of blood even when she blocked.

Immediately, I tossed in my spell trying to counter whatever damage she was taking. But I felt like this was just a battle of attrition. And the monster had the larger stamina. Eri'Sol held in blocking strikes and trying to get swings in, but it wasn’t going anywhere.

As I watched it go on, I started seeing a pattern. Eri'Sol was probably too close to see it, but it might be the opening that she needed. “Eri! Can you use your projectile when I say so?”

“Y-Yes? What am I—“

“No time, don’t think about it. Just be ready!” She just nodded as the claws came in around her blade looking like they were growing longer. There wasn’t going to be much time. I just needed to see the tell again.

While I measured out the seconds, I dug around in my pack hurrying. There weren’t many things in there, just awkward, but I found it. I confirmed the item in my hand. I was relieved that I replaced my poison potion with this instead.

‘Weak Potion of Slowing - Consuming will apply the magical effect of ‘Slow’ to your next physical attack. The target will have the status ‘Slow’ applied, unless resistant or immune.

Duration: 30 seconds’

Downing the potion, I had to push aside my hesitation about consuming what should have been a negative effect. I went on the attack immediately after with my weapon. It spun out in a widening orbit until it bashed into the bear monster. A message reported to me the success of the debuff’s application. ‘This should give her the time she needs…’

Counting the seconds out, I had to watch her nearly be mauled. I didn’t want to miss it casting, the light might slow down my reaction. A slight twitch flicked through the rear set of scales. It preceded one of its empowered attacks. “Now Eri!”

I started the cast for my shield again on her as she pulled back. Her sword rose up to the sky as I saw it suddenly pop out an extra few centimeters. Then she swung down behind her and wound up as the shield protected her. “Swallow Blade!” A blur of movement from her sword popped off the tip of her sword unleashing two spiked projectiles. Once out of the chamber, the spinning of them spread out revealing it as a six spiked flying disc.

The two projectiles slammed into the chest of the bear thing just as it finished charging itself. Interrupted and stunned, it couldn’t move. I swiftly started casting like my life depended on it targeting the exposed stump of the ripped arm. Eri'Sol matched my intensity to finish. Each of my strikes funneled health back into her as we frantically attacked.

Eri'Sol took one final swing, managing to cut through its neck. That was enough to completely take it out of the fight. She finished it off. We both collapsed to the ground exhausted.

We both were panting and heavily breathing. I wasn’t on the front line this time, but I could feel the exhaustion. All the tension in my body ripped out of me like someone pulled my bones. I wanted to lay down.

Coughing came from down the field where Eri’Sol was. I jumped up to my feet remembering how injured she was from fighting. My attacks had to have helped her a little, but I couldn’t see her health like mine. I stumbled a bit as I rushed to her, the strength in my body escaping me.

There was so much blood on her clothes. I couldn’t tell where she was harmed and healthy. She might have been held together by string for all I knew. Dropping down, I grabbed my pack and ripped out all of my potions. “Eri! Can you hear me?”

I lifted her head up pushing off the cork from the potion. Her eyes still had that magic glow in them and I could feel her breathing shaking her whole body. Quickly, my vibrating hand poured the pale green liquid into her mouth. There was a little cough as I don’t think she was ready for it, but I just kept pulling out my potions. If she needed them all I didn’t care.

Four empty bottles laid next to me as Eri’Sol looked a little more stable. As I learned personally, potions were good at faking you back to health, but the damage was still suffered. It seemed the best they could do was close up wounds so you didn’t bleed out. And for that I could be grateful enough. “How are you feeling?”

She blinked her brilliant pink-purple eyes at me. “It’s weird.”

I laughed, understanding her confusion. “Yeah, you’re still injured, but topped up.” Across from us the Vertil laid with her sword stuck in the ground like a marker. “Think you stand?” We needed to get back and have a proper healer see her. I hoped the Markets in Ala Pena had one on hand like the capital.

With Eri’Sol back on her feet, I cleaned up my mess and tried to grab her sword. She swung it around like nothing, perhaps I could at least drag it behind me so she didn’t have to deal with the extra weight. When I tried to lift up all I felt was myself being pulled over as it refused me. Was it even more than fifty kilos?

Eri’Sol walked over and pulled it out like it was a toy. How weak was I? “Are you okay to carry that?”

“It’s my weapon. I’m not abandoning it!”

For being so injured, she got intensely angry suddenly. It looked like I had insulted her somehow. “I wasn’t suggesting that. But your body can’t be feeling good with that on you.”

“I’ll carry it. I can still walk.”

She wasn’t taking any other answer. I gave up and turned back towards the town. “Let’s get you back quickly then.” Much like my first return, we were a fair distance away. It was going to be at least an hour and we wouldn’t have the benefit of a cart passing by.

“Wait. We should take the Vertil back with us. Proof of the kill and there’s many craftsmen in Ala Pena that could use it.”

“That’s far too big for either of us to carry back, Eri.” The value of it didn’t even cross my mind until she brought it up. Money remained important, but it was just not practical. But she wasn’t taking that as an answer. When I saw her going for the massive beast, I tried to stop her. She wasn’t just going to carry it back, was she?

And then to my stunned shock she did just that. What was this girl made of? It was like four times her size and she just put it on a shoulder like it was nothing. Eri’Sol casually chucked the severed head at me. The weight nearly knocked me over, which made my bruises and soreness flare back up. I had forgotten that I did get banged up a minor bit.

I caught her walking further away from me and the town. But then I saw that she flung the severed arm at me too. We were just taking the whole thing back. She at least dropped the thing at my feet this time. I think I would have busted my ass had she made me catch that too.