Before me lay a war-torn football field. A battlefield it was, strewn with shattered goalposts and torn turf, ripped apart by chaos. The heavy stench of wet earth and decay clung to the air, each breath thick with the acrid taste of destruction. In the distance, the creature loomed, more nightmarish than I remembered. Its jagged, stone-like skin cracked in places, oozing a dark, viscous fluid like black blood. Its eyes—two burning orbs of red—blazed with unbridled hatred, freezing the marrow in my bones. Though wounded, the monster was far from defeated.
I took a deep breath. I willed my racing pulse to steady. But every breath fought the adrenaline surging through my veins. My fingers clenched the hilt of my sword, the cold metal reassuring but heavy with the weight of what was to come. “Calm yourself, Rei,” I muttered, my voice a whispered mantra. “You’ve beaten it before. You will again.” I eased my grip. It eased the tension in my knuckles. My muscles coiled, ready for the next move. The creature's breath rattled like broken machinery. It hissed with each exhale from its shattered chest. We stood in a deadlock, its glowing eyes unblinking and seething with fury. Then, without warning, it roared.
The sound was cataclysmic. A thunderous blast ripped through the field, shaking the ground beneath my feet. The roar sent debris flying as the earth splintered, the stench of rot and decay whipping through the air. I staggered, but I didn’t flinch. My heart hammered, but my feet remained rooted, the sword a familiar, comforting weight in my hand. This monster wouldn’t break me. Not again.
The roar faded, leaving an eerie silence in its wake as if the battlefield itself had drawn a breath and held it. And then, the creature lunged—fast, a shadow slicing through the gloom. I dove, rolling across the torn-up turf. Its claws smashed into the earth, splintering the ground where I had stood moments before. Dirt and debris rained down as I scrambled back to my feet, sword raised. Its red eyes fixed on mine again, this time gleaming with cruel intelligence. It was learning. Adapting.
It feinted left, then slashed right. I managed to intercept the blow in time, and the force of it sent tremors up my arms. The shriek of stone grinding against steel set my teeth on edge. I staggered back, fighting to regain my balance. Too close.
The creature’s breath hung in the frigid night air, swirling like mist, as it sized me up. The monster calculated every move, and its jagged skin rippled like a shadow cast by a firelight. I smirked despite the throbbing ache spreading through my body. “So that’s how you want to play?” I rolled my shoulders, feeling the familiar surge of power ignite beneath my skin. “Fine. No more holding back.”
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A golden light flared from my right eye, searing through the darkness like the first rays of dawn. Time warped, the world slowing to a crawl as my grace awakened. The ticking of a clock echoed in my ears, a distant sound that carried a sense of urgency.
Tick-tick-tick—
A phantom trail shimmered around the monster. It was a spectral outline of its next move, a glimpse into the future. My heart pounded, adrenaline mingling with the pulse of energy thrumming through me. I grinned, adrenaline sharpening my focus. “Let’s see how you handle this.”
I surged forward, every muscle coiled and ready. The monster’s claws sliced through the air, whistling as they missed my neck by inches. I dodged, weaving through its attacks like water slipping through cracks. Each blow left the earth trembling. But I was moving, my eyes on the opening under its left arm. A patch of skin, smoother than the rest—vulnerable.
I pushed off the ground, dodging a strike that sent dirt flying and darted in close. The creature roared, crimson eyes blazing, but it was too late.
My sword flashed a blur of steel, cutting through the air. The blade struck true, sinking into the exposed flesh beneath its arm. The monster screamed in agony. Dark ichor sprayed from the wound, splattering my face and clothes.
The beast thrashed, twisting in a frenzy of pain, trying to shake me loose. I clung to my sword, muscles burning as I drove the blade deeper. But before I could deliver a killing blow, its massive arm swung. It smashed into my side with the force of a wrecking ball. I flew through the air, tumbling across the field. I crashed to a stop, gasping as pain exploded in my ribs. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, but I fought to rise.
“Get up, Rei!” I screamed at myself, teeth gritted against the pain. My body screamed in protest, trembling, but I forced myself to my feet. The monster was already recovering, its shadow growing larger as it stalked toward me.
A sudden swoosh filled the air. An arrow sliced through the air, piercing the monster’s right eye with a sickening thud. The creature’s howl echoed through the field, its grip on me weakening. “Finish it, Rei!” The voice—distant but familiar—cut through the haze of battle. I didn’t look. I couldn’t afford to.
With a battle cry, I leaped onto the monster’s back, grabbing the arrow lodged in its eye for leverage. My sword plunged into its other eye, the blade sinking deep with relentless force. “Die, you monstrous bastard!” The words ripped from my throat as the beast let out one final, soul-shaking roar.
CRASH—!
The creature’s body crumpled beneath me, disintegrating into a pile of ash and broken stone as it hit the ground. Silence fell, heavy and absolute. I exhaled, stumbling as my vision blurred and my breath trembled. “I'm alive…” I whispered, my voice lost to the wind as exhaustion crashed over me. The world darkened, my eyelids drooping as the weight of the battle finally pulled me under.
[Interlock high incident arc complete]
[End of Chapter]