KiAera's heart pounded as she sprang back to her feet. Her fur was still sizzling from that gunky stuff the Carnilash had thrown, and it stung like crazy. But there was no time to dwell on it—vines were everywhere, whipping through the air like mad snakes, trying to grab her again.
She growled, shaking off the pain. "No way, not today!" Accelerating with [MereSwiftness], she slashed another vine with her flaming claws, while the Spectral Flame at the tip of her tail crackled and scorched the creeping plants.
૮(ᓀ‸ᓂ)ა
★ Ravilash slain.
Acquired 10 Abyss Particles.
★ Ravilash slain.
Acquired 11 Abyss Particles.
★ Ravilash slain.
Acquired 11 Abyss Particles.
★ [KiAera's APeX]
Accumulated Particles: 148 Units > 180 Units!
૮(ᓀ‸ᓂ)ა
Her gaze swiftly flicked to the true danger. The Carnilash let out another enraged roar, shaking the trees around them, its entire mass surging toward her.
"Yo! I'm trying to help here!" The Plelepun's voice echoed from behind, followed by the unmistakable sound of several Ravilashes slamming into each other. The elephant-like monster was doing its best, but the horde kept coming, and KiAera could tell the Plelepun was struggling to keep up.
"Focus, Plelepun!" she yelled, dodging another set of vines. Her ears extended out instinctively, picking up every rustle in the bushes, every shift in the dirt. More Ravilashes were on their way, and they didn't look any friendlier than the last batch. "I thought you said you were stronger than all of us combined?"
"Yo! I am," the Plelepun grunted, smashing a Ravilash into the dirt. "But there's, like, a hundred of these things! Gimme a sec!"
KiAera felt a vine graze her arm, the thorny texture biting into her skin. She hissed in pain and retaliated with a fiery swipe, the flame burning through the plant monster's limbs. But it wasn't enough—the Carnilash kept coming, and its power was suffocating. Every time she cut through one vine, two more took its place. It was like fighting a wildfire with a water gun.
She caught a glimpse of the Osseods skittering around in a panic, trying to avoid the deadly vines. "Mu! Nu! Beta! Stay behind me!" she commanded, snatching up the small crystal creatures with her ears and pulling them closer to her.
KiAera's mind raced. She was tough, sure, but this was a whole different level. What am I supposed to do against this thing? The Carnilash was massive, its APeX power towering over hers like a mountain. Even if she used every skill in her arsenal, it wouldn’t be enough to take down this behemoth. She needed a plan—a real plan, fast.
"Plelepun!" she called again; her voice strained as she dodged another swipe. "Get underground! Set a trap or something!"
"Yo! Now you're talkin'!" The Plelepun's trunk twitched, and with a deep rumble, it started stomping the ground. The earth beneath them trembled as the Plelepun worked its magic, burrowing beneath the surface. It was an impressive move, but KiAera barely had time to appreciate it as another vine came flying toward her.
She had no choice but to ignite the forest in flames, which afforded her time to escape and distance herself from the Ravilashes.
"Alright, KiAera," she muttered to herself, swiping the air with her claws. "Think.” She watched as the Carnilash lumbered closer, its vine-covered body twisting and thrashing, the glowing rage in its eyes locked onto her. The thing was mad—furious—and it wasn't going to stop until it crushed her.
The Spectral Flame at her tail flickered, catching her attention. An idea flashed through her mind—risky, dangerous, but maybe her only shot. The Carnilash was a plant-type monster, which meant it had a natural weakness to fire. Her Spectral Flame might not be strong enough to burn it to ash, but if she could somehow get close enough…
KiAera took a deep breath, her muscles tensing. "Alright, Carnilash. You want a fight? Let's dance."
She launched herself into the air, dodging and weaving through the barrage of vines. Her heart pounded in her ears, her focus narrowing on the massive monster before her. She gathered all the energy she could muster, her Spectral Flame glowing brighter and hotter than before.
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꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
KiAera's APeX + [Spectral Flame]:
[220 Units] {[180 Units] + [40 Units]}
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
"Come on!" she roared, her tail blazing as she sprinted straight toward the Carnilash. The vines whipped toward her like missiles, but this time she didn't dodge. With a ferocious swipe, she cut through them, her flame searing the plant matter instantly. She was getting closer. Just a little more.
"Yo! I got it!" the Plelepun shouted from below. "Watch this!"
The ground beneath the Carnilash rumbled, and suddenly, a massive pit opened up beneath the plant monster's feet. The Carnilash let out a startled roar as it began to sink, its massive form struggling to keep itself upright.
"Nice job, Plelepun!" KiAera called, her breath ragged as she charged forth. The Carnilash was distracted now, flailing to free itself from the pit, and this was her chance.
With a fierce yell, she leaped onto the monster, her claws digging into its thick vines as she climbed higher. The Spectral Flame at her tail tip burned hotter and brighter. "Time to end this!" she shouted, plunging a flaming orb into the heart of the Carnilash.
The monster roared in agony as the flames consumed it, burning from the inside out. KiAera could feel the heat radiating through her body, but she held on, pushing deeper. She felt the flame's within its core and with a shift…
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
KiAera's [Spectral Flame] Attribute Shift:
[Phantom + Fire] → [Phantom + Glacial]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
She clenched her paw, and on command the orb within the plant monster exploded into frost. That, however, remained the extent of the damage as the Carnilash's crooked lips curved into a grin.
"Are you serious?!" KiAera shouted as the vines wrapped around her legs, starting to drag her down. "I hate plants!" She tried to blast it with another flame, but her energy was running low. This wasn't good. The damn frost barely phased it, and the vines only tightened their grip on her as the beast started to pull itself free from the Plelepun's pit.
KiAera's heart sank. "Oh, come on!" she muttered through clenched teeth. The Carnilash wasn't going down, not even after the shift. Its grin was the worst part—like it was mocking her efforts. Actually, she grunted under a squeeze, it took pleasure in her squirming, and it was taking its time to relish in—
Grip.
The next constriction left her breathless. She swallowed her scream, though a whimper escaped her lips. She needed to act. It was going to kill her, but... Her gaze flicked to her companions, who were looking on in horror. She couldn't leave them like this.
"Yo, KiAera!" the Plelepun's muffled voice echoed up from the hole. "Uh… any bright ideas now? That thing's kinda… not dead!" There was a frantic edge to his words, and KiAera couldn't blame him. But fuck, if she had a bright idea, she would be using it right about now!
Her mind raced as the Carnilash's vines squeezed her tighter. She had to think fast—there had to be something she could do, something she could use.
"CAHAHAHAH!" The Carnilash loomed closer, its glowing eyes narrowing as it sensed victory. Vines twisted and snapped around her, tightening like a noose. KiAera's vision blurred as the pressure on her chest increased. Her ears flattened against her head as she struggled to breathe.
"Yo, boss! It's now or never!" the Plelepun's voice snapped her back to reality.
Just when she thought it was over, the ground exploded beneath her, and she felt herself thrown upward as a shockwave of earth and rock ripped through the clearing. KiAera landed hard, gasping for air, but as the dust cleared, she saw the Plelepun standing in the middle of the havoc, its trunk glowing.
"Yo! Check this out!" the Plelepun yelled, slamming its trunk into the ground again. A massive tremor surged through the earth, and suddenly, a series of sharp, jagged stone spikes erupted from the ground, impaling several Ravilashes at once. It struck the Carnilash, only to shatter on contact. Oh, no.
The Carnilash let out a low, rumbling growl, and the vines beneath her feet began to move, coiling around her legs like snakes. "Not again!" KiAera hissed, trying to free herself, but the grip was too tight. She struggled, but the vines yanked her high, then back toward the ground, slamming her into the dirt with brutal force.
The air was knocked out of her lungs. Everything spun as she lay there, dazed. Her ears twitched, trying to pick up the sounds of battle, but all she could hear was the Carnilash's deep, mocking laugh.
"Damn it," she wheezed, her vision blurring. "I'm gonna die here."
The Carnilash's jagged mouth spread into a wide grin. It won't kill her…the torment would not end until who knows when. How much more could she endure?
"Y-yo, KiAera!" the Plelepun's voice cut through the haze. "Get up! Uh, uh, uh, um..."
The ground rumbled again as the Plelepun dug beneath, still trying to destabilize the monster, but the Carnilash had regained its footing. Her Spectral Flame was flickering weakly now—too much power spent, not enough progress made.
Without a warning, the Carnilash whipped the ground, splashing debris in its wake as KiAera barely rolled from the aftermath. To make matters worse, its darn minions laughed maniacally, their shrill voices piercing through the air.
"Boss! Boss! Boss!" "Lash! Lash! Lash!" "Rahahaha!"
She staggered back to her feet, panting heavily. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She wasn't going to go out like this—not after everything she'd been through. Not after all she'd done to survive in this cruel world. No way.
"No," she growled, clenching her fists. She lifted her head, her vision slowly clearing, and saw the Carnilash towering over her, its vines coiling for the final strike.
That's when a shadow zipped across the sky.
KiAera's heart skipped a beat. Kyrawl? The familiar screech cut through the cacophony, and sure enough, her wyvern companion swooped down, claws outstretched as it snatched her.
"Kyrawl! You beautiful, feathered beast!" KiAera gasped, finally managing to get a lungful of air. The wyvern hissed in response, flapping its wings faster as it carried her away from the Carnilash.
Kyrawl unleashed a fierce cry as it slammed into the Carnilash's side, digging its talons into the beast's vine-covered body. The plant monster roared in surprise, thrashing wildly to shake him off.
"Good boy! Now up!"