Just as Grin was walking toward Elsa's corpse...
Crack!
The sound of something snapping rang out.
Grin immediately lost all sensation in his tail.
Looking back, he saw that his tail, as thick as an adult Green Anaconda, had somehow been severed.
The wound inflicted by Elsa's sharp Northern Kukri had only just burst open.
The mangled flesh at the severed end bulged out, causing his dark gold vertical pupils to constrict as a low, violent growl rumbled in his throat.
The restrained Meli regained her freedom; the moment she hit the ground, she pulled herself together and waved her hands to construct a magic circle.
Pale green magic patterns flowed and spread rapidly across her palms, their shimmering glow illuminating her determined face as the ground beneath her feet grew warm from the magical tremors.
She had another powerful magical beast on standby nearby—her trump card, the blade that could cut through this desperate situation.
At the same moment, Elsa, who had nearly been beaten into two pieces, suddenly opened her eyes.
"Subarashii... this feeling of being on the brink of life and death is truly intoxicating..."
Black mist billowed from the cross-sections of her mangled body, acting like countless fine threads pulling the scattered flesh and bone back to the center.
Severed blood vessels and wounds fused automatically, and her spine zipped shut with a series of clicks.
In less than two heartbeats, the broken doll was reassembled as if by an invisible, mischievous child.
Elsa flipped to her feet and drew a spare Kukri from her thigh.
This was the last weapon she had on her.
"How disappointing—"
She licked the corner of her lips, her crimson gaze darting between Grin and Meli as she deftly twirled the Kukri between her fingers.
"I thought I could enjoy the pleasure of near-death a bit longer, but it seems my body was more impatient than my mind."
Before her words could land, Grin completely erupted.
The sharp pain of his severed tail transformed into a surging rage; the demonic energy around him skyrocketed, dark purple mist rolling out to envelop his body.
He arched his back and slammed his front claws into the ground, the hard stone tiles cracking under the impact.
Amidst flying debris, he charged straight at Meli.
Taking out this back-line unit who could command magical beasts was the most urgent priority.
"Stay back!"
Meli shouted sharply, her pupils filled with terror.
The magic circle in her palm had formed, and its pale green glow suddenly surged.
"Stop him, Rock Pig!"
Rumble—!
A deafening roar erupted from deeper within the forest, and the heavy ground shook violently.
Out of the rolling dust charged a mountain-sized, hippo-like giant magical beast; its grayish-brown rock armor gleamed coldly, and its thick tusks were aimed straight at Grin's face.
"Damn it, do you think I'm a coward?"
Grin charged head-on toward the Rock Pig, his Forest Blessing operating at full power, causing his size to increase by several more inches.
The two behemoths, both four or five meters tall at the shoulder, collided like two fully-loaded heavy trucks.
Bang!
Upon impact, the Rock Pig struck Grin's lower body, the massive force sending him reeling backward.
The moment the sharp pain exploded, Grin's frenzy vanished, replaced by an icy, ruthless glint in his dark gold vertical pupils.
He forcefully withstood the crushing power of the Rock Pig's tusks, his bone-like claws digging deep into the gaps of the beast's neck armor, his knuckles locking into the flesh without yielding an inch.
Maddened by the pain, the Rock Pig halted its charge, unleashing its immense brute strength as its short, thick limbs kicked the forest floor, creating spiderweb-like cracks in the earth.
Its massive head thrashed wildly in an attempt to shake off the Grin clinging to it.
Man and beast engaged in a most savage struggle in the depths of the dense forest.
Dark purple demonic energy surged like a tide around Grin, flooding into his every limb; he arched his trunk, as thick as a city wall, and wrapped himself around the Rock Pig's broad neck like an iron chain.
Crack, crack!
The muffled sound of bones snapping echoed through the woods as his scale-covered arms tightened inch by inch, like two cold steel bands crushing the beast's throat.
The Rock Pig's deafening roars gradually gave way to hoarse, deathly whimpers.
Extreme terror swirled in its crimson eyes as its thick tusks flailed in vain.
In less than ten breaths, the Rock Pig began to suffocate.
The strength in its kicking limbs faded, its neck caved in under the pressure, and bloody froth seeped from the gaps in its rock armor. Its hot, foul breath, mingled with desperate gasps, sprayed all over Grin.
Grin licked the blood from his cheek with his scarlet tongue, his dark gold vertical pupils radiating murderous intent—he had actually strangled the thick-skinned Rock Pig to death using nothing but brute force!
"Who are you calling a beast in front of me?!"
The next second, he exerted sudden force from his lower back, his arms tensing like steel, as he physically hoisted the multi-ton carcass of the beast onto his shoulders.
Grin kicked off the ground and spun, swinging the Rock Pig's corpse in a wide sweep; the mountain-like body became a brutal weapon, hurtling toward the nearby Meli amidst a gale of wind and shattered wood.
The saplings and thorns in the forest were snapped in half as the mass bore down on the terrified Meli, threatening to crush her into a pulp!
"Look out!"
Elsa's sharp cry pierced the roar, her crimson figure becoming a blur, moving so fast she was but a streak of light.
Just as the Rock Pig's corpse swept past, her slender hand grabbed Meli by the collar, dragging her back from the brink of death.
Boom!!
The beast's body grazed Meli's clothes and slammed into an ancient tree behind her, the trunk—several men's embrace wide—shattering instantly.
Wood chips and stone fragments flew into the air as dust filled the area, leaving both women in a disheveled state.
Under the cover of the dust, Elsa raised her Kukri and, with a slash, cut off her own left hand, quickly thrusting it into Meli's grasp.
"Meli, go to the stronghold in the Royal Capital and wait for me. This monster is now beyond our control."
After speaking, Elsa hid the stump of her left hand behind her back and walked toward Grin, holding her blade with one hand.
Meli's pupils shrank as she stared at the severed hand, instantly understanding her intention.
She didn't dare hesitate; trembling, she stuffed the severed hand into her tunic. Her palm lit up again with pale green magic patterns as a hurried, shrill incantation escaped her lips: "Appear, Shadow Wind Wolf!"
A small, lean black wolf leaped out from the underbrush.
Meli scrambled onto the Shadow Wind Wolf's back, gripping its mane tightly, her teeth chattering. "Go!"
"...I'm curious, how many more times can you be resurrected?"
The behemoth sat amidst the wreckage, clutching Elsa's body in his palm.
The gut ripper was now as fragile as a figurine.
"Cough, cough!"
The overwhelming pressure caused blood to leak from Elsa's nose and mouth, but her efforts hadn't been in vain; she had successfully bought Meli precious time to escape.
"Mr. Beast... you're so powerful it's almost cheating. Next time we meet, I'll definitely slice open your bowels..."
"Next time?"
Grin was puzzled; focusing his gaze, he realized Elsa was missing a hand.
Elsa's jaw moved, and a crack sounded as she crushed the poison hidden under her tongue.
Then, Elsa's body began to turn black, starting from her mouth and spreading to the rest of her limbs.
The Cursed Doll's method of resurrection involved the largest piece of flesh attracting the smaller ones; any flesh that couldn't be recovered would be replaced by consuming surrounding mana.
If the Elsa in Grin's hand rotted into ash, she could naturally be resurrected from the severed limb she had sent away earlier.