I felt my heart pound like a steam train racing down the tracks to nowhere. Excitement and horror tangled inside me as I stared at her silhouette. Was our second battle meant to happen here? At first, I wanted to be her friend, even her follower, but with her trying to kill me… yeah, that would've never worked out.
"What's wrong?" Elira's concerned voice reached me from the side.
"Nothing." I shook my head and forced myself upright. "Let's leave this place for them to handle." I pointed toward Hera and her party.
My fingers subconsciously wrapped around Elira's, and I pulled her away. It wasn't the time to fight... not in my condition. With Hera and her party here, there would be more survivors, maybe even a chance to win.
But why was she here? If I remembered correctly, she should be at the border of the Shadowlands right now, facing the second demon commander. Could it be… that my arrival in this world had already changed the course of the story?
That was bad. If the plot shifted, then all my knowledge would be useless. All those times I reread the book, over and over again, would be for nothing.
"RAHH!" A powerful roar came from the left as we ran through the chaos. My eyes locked on a beast clad in bright red fur that shimmered like diamonds. It looked like a wolf, but its body carried the grace of a cat. Agile yet strong. Its jaws dripped crimson, stained with the blood of a child it had just torn apart. My chest tightened at the sight. I had to kill it before it harmed anyone else.
"Elira, help me with this one. Protect me while I strike. Beelzebub, scout ahead. If you find monsters you can't handle, run. And don't get near humans, they'll mistake you for the enemy and cut you down. If anything happens… call for me."
"I think I can feel it..." I muttered under my breath.
I wasn't sure about those last words, but there was something mysterious between us, a bond tying me to this small cutie. I promised to study my own abilities more after the fight is over.
"Kwee!" It darted off as soon as my words hit its ears, leaving me with a stupid grin as I watched the fading figure. I couldn't scold it... I had a closing threat with golden eyes already locked on me.
"Be careful, Beatrice. That creature is called a Pawsnap, a powerful demon beast that can snap one's spine with a single strike. It didn't get that name for nothing. If we want to kill it, you'll have to follow my commands. I might not look like much, but I'm skilled at slaying beasts, my dad, he…" Her words cut off, making me even more suspicious of this family's background.
"All right, I've got no objections." I set my needles and readied myself, though I didn't expect them to do much, since the fur looked too hard to pierce. Still, I had to try.
"Aim for the eyes on my signal, and no matter what you see next, don't panic. Believe in your own judgment." I didn't get her at first; I watched her smile with a little judgment, thinking she was babbling nonsense. But I had to trust her, after all, she knew more about this beast than I did.
The beast didn't wait for us to finish talking. Its claws dug into the earth, cracking stone as its golden eyes locked on us. My body tensed, every instinct screaming at me to run, but I stood firm, my needles hovering around my fingers like ten sharp extensions of my will.
The Pawsnap lowered itself, muscles rolling beneath the glimmering red fur, then it pounced. The speed was unreal, to the point where my eyes struggled to follow as it blurred through the smoke and flame.
"Elira!" I shouted, but she was already moving. Blood threads flared from her hands, again showing that ability of hers, latching onto the beast's legs like crimson ropes, forcing its body down mid-leap. Nice! I shouted in my own mind. The ground cracked under its weight, dirt spraying everywhere.
"Now!" she cried.
I flicked my fingers, and my needles shot forward. Five went for its eyes, the others for the soft spot beneath its jaw. The first volley struck where I aimed; however, the fur was too hard... It was like steel. The needles skidded off, scratching shallow lines but refusing to pierce deep.
"Damn it!" I cursed, snapping my wrist to recall them.
The beast twisted violently, snapping the binds with a sound like cracking bones. It rolled, graceful despite its size, and lunged at me.
"Try again!" Elira barked, wind and blood thorns swirling around the beast as she tried to pin it down, but it refused to yield.
I barely managed to Shadow Step aside, reappearing at its flank, my vision spinning from the sudden shift. My last needle darted for its temple.
Clink! Another deflection... Crap...
The Pawsnap's tail whipped, slamming into me like a battering ram. I hit the ground, air bursting from my lungs, blood spattering the dirt. My arms shook, my vision hazy.
"Beatrice!" Elira's voice broke, her threads wrapping around the beast again, trying desperately to hold it. Her face was pale, veins glowing faintly beneath her skin as she poured her strength into the binds.
"Don't stop!" I shouted back, forcing myself to my feet. My scalp burned as my bun unraveled, hair whipping loose as my needles floated up again.
The Pawsnap let out a guttural snarl, and for the first time, I saw it hesitate. Its golden eyes were cautious. It had noticed the unnatural glow of the needles, the way they moved like living things.
Elira's voice trembled. "Aim for the eyes. This time… I'll open them for you."
Before I could ask what she meant, she thrust her hands forward, and her threads split into dozens of smaller strands, sharp as blades. They slashed across the beast's face, tearing open its eyelids in a spray of blood.
The Pawsnap shrieked, blinded, its cry shaking the air.
"This is it!" I screamed, every ounce of my focus pouring into the needles. They shot forward, ten crimson streaks, straight for its exposed sockets.
The beast thrashed, trying to dodge, but Elira's binds tightened again, buying me that single heartbeat.
My needles sank in, and finally, after so many attempts, a wet crunch echoed from its eye sockets.
The Pawsnap's howl became a deafening roar, its body convulsing violently. Black blood sprayed, sizzling against the ground.
"Did we do it?" I couldn't help but hope for the best.
But then, its golden eyes lit again, brighter, burning through the needles as if they weren't even there.
I froze.
Don't tell me... A terrifying thought crossed my mind. The beast wasn't dying; to my terror, I understood that it was evolving.