Crunck!
The blade tore through the thick layers of muscle and veins, cutting off the creature's blood flow and only stopping when it hit the solid bone that supported its monstrous jaw.
"HellYEEAAHHH!"
"WE DID IT!"
The words echoed across the battlefield, an explosion of triumph. Louise and Rebecca, their hearts racing and their palms sweating, exchanged looks of pure satisfaction. Their bodies still trembled from the tension, but the feeling of success made their faces light up with a deep smile of relief.
But that moment of triumph was brief, like a glimpse of light before the darkness.
Suddenly, a guttural and distorted scream cut through the air.
GGWRRRWWAAHHAHHHHHHHH!
The sound was so deep that it reverberated through the bones and flesh of both women, making their bodies vibrate. The creature, completely out of its mind, let out a roar of pure pain and rage, like an animal that finds itself on the verge of death but still fights with all its might to survive.
At that moment, Rebecca's shield, already marked by the insane pressure, began to emit a terrible sound. A metallic boom that seemed to pierce the air, announcing what was about to happen. And soon after, intense waves of heat began to emanate from the surface of the shield, as if the energy inside it was about to explode.
The two, now aware of what was about to happen, felt the gravity of the situation tightening like an immense pressure. They knew they could not wait to see it up close.
________________________________________
"Understood." Vivian's answer came firm and brief. From her hiding place, she was already moving, preparing to strike her blow. "You two, take the cocktail now. Daira, as soon as possible, apply the buff to Zara. As soon as you are ready, Zara, start the attack. I will go to the field to get Rebecca and Louise. Follow the plan."
"Understood."
Without hesitation, Gregory left his hiding place and emerged onto the battlefield. The air vibrated with the heat of Vivian's flames, which were already beginning to envelop the Aligodon. The creature, disoriented and consumed by pain, struggled to maintain control of its own instincts, feeling its Merlinian gland slowly giving way.
In the distance, Rebecca and Louise advanced towards him, dodging the beast's blind and furious blows. When they finally reached him, Gregory barely waited before inspecting them.
"Are you okay?"
Without ceremony, he began to assess them, running his firm hands over their arms and ribs, looking for serious injuries. Blood dripped from deep cuts on Rebecca's arms, and her hands were covered in bruises and dirt. Louise wasn't in much better shape.
"We're fine. They're just superficial wounds," Rebecca replied, but her voice betrayed a hint of discomfort. Gregory's sudden touch made her flinch for a moment, embarrassed. But at the same time, there was a strange comfort in his unwavering concern.
Gregory, however, wasn't convinced. His experienced eyes caught something beyond her words.
"Let's get out of here first."
With no room for argument, he led them to another shelter. As soon as they were inside, Gregory pulled some medicine and a bottle of cocktail from his bag, handing them to Rebecca.
"Take this."
"I don't need it. I'm fine…" She tried to refuse, her voice reduced to a hesitant whisper.
But before she could react, Gregory had already moved his hand inside her vest.
"!"
The shock paralyzed her for a moment, as did Louise, who watched the scene with wide eyes. Gregory, however, maintained the same firm and determined expression, his fingers pressing on Rebecca's side until they found what they were looking for.
"—!"
A muffled moan escaped her lips when he pressed a rib near her breast. Her breath hitched for a second, and her fingers closed tightly around the fabric of her own pants.
Louise was even more surprised to see her flinch, clenching her teeth to contain the pain.
Gregory, in turn, did not look away. He brought his face close to hers, his eyes fixed on hers, cold and analytical.
"Are you really okay?"
The tone of his voice was low, but it carried a clear challenge.
Rebecca felt the weight of the question. Running away now would be admitting weakness. But lying... was not an option.
"No, sir."
His answer came almost in a whisper. Her face was hot, and she looked away, unable to sustain that intense contact. Gregory just nodded, satisfied.
"Good girl."
Without ceremony, he began to remove her equipment, leaving her in only her pants and a cotton blouse. With precise and careful movements, he cleaned the cuts, applied anesthetic adhesives to the bruises and began to suture the most serious wounds. His fingers, steady and experienced, worked with the delicacy of someone who had done this countless times before.
Rebecca wanted to say something. She wanted to protest, to claim that she didn't need so much attention. But for some reason, she just remained silent, feeling the heat of his hands against her wounded skin.
This time, she wouldn't resist.
___________________________________
The Aligodon roared in despair, its massive body contorting as blue flames enveloped its scaly skin. Vivian's fire was cold and cruel, heating the keratin layers with jets of burning flame. The beast spun around, trying to put out the flames, but each movement only made its situation worse.
In the midst of its frenzy, the monster managed to free itself from Rebecca's shield, which had previously been clamped between its jaws. With a sudden movement and a strangled roar, it spat out the object, which was thrown to the ground with a crash. The shield, once solid and imposing, was now completely twisted, its structure crumpled and deformed by the creature's enormous strength.
But despite this small victory, her situation only worsened. The flames were relentless, and her flesh burned in increasing pain. Her movements became increasingly erratic—her paws were wobbling, her breathing was heavy and irregular.
This wouldn't normally happen, Vivian knew, yet when the creature tried to move forward, its paws faltered. With each movement, muscles burned, flesh throbbed under the merciless heat.
It was clear that something was different, and Vivian knew what it was…
More than just superficial burns, Vivian's attacks were destroying something essential: the Aligodon's merlin glands. Louise's sword had severed the arteries that fed these glands, cutting off the blood flow that kept them in perfect condition.
These structures are the core of their ability to manipulate magic, a refined biological system that allowed the mutant beasts to channel and shape their magical energy.
Some creatures had several of these glands spread throughout their bodies, allowing for a balanced distribution of power. Others, like the Aligodon, relied on a small but extremely powerful number of these glands, making them vulnerable to targeted attacks.
Now, without this vital support, they were slowly withering and wasting away, like organs dying inside the beast's body. The blue flames consumed the surrounding flesh, burning away the remnants of magical energy that still tried to circulate.
Without these glands, the beast's body collapsed. It was like ripping out a warrior's heart and still expecting him to keep fighting. The lack of this magical flow triggered a type of arcane anemia, an internal collapse that drained his strength and imposed an extreme debuff.
His physical resistance plummeted, his defense became fragile, and his rationality began to crumble. The instinct to fight gave way to pure desperation, and that was exactly what began to happen.
The monster roared once more, a sound of pure agony that echoed across the battlefield. Its tail lashed the ground, cracking the earth in an act of fury. But it was useless. The fire gave it no respite.
And then, everything changed.
A massive shadow cast itself over the beast. The next instant, a colossal pillar of water came crashing down from the sky.
Vivian ceased her attack just as the pillar of water came crashing down on the Aligodon. Its blue fire gradually died down, the last few flames dancing through the air before dissipating completely. The beast's doom was already sealed.
Unlike the previous whirlwinds, this torrent was dense, cold, and relentless—not just a flood, but a crushing force of pure pressure and ice. Zara, strengthened by Daira's buff, had concentrated her magic to a level far beyond her usual. The water that had fallen on the Aligodon was not just a blow, it was an execution.
The impact shattered rocks, cracked the ground, and dragged debris as the monster's body was pressed against the earth. Its skin, already weakened by Vivian's flames, cracked and tore under the thermal shock. Parts of its armor crumbled, cracks spread across its scales, and dark blood mixed with the torrent.
The impact of the pillar of water was so brutal that the ground gave way under the pressure, creating a huge crater in the center of the battlefield. Rocks were torn out, the earth sank, and fragments of mud and debris were thrown in every direction. The crushing force of the torrent had not only subdued the Aligodon, but transformed the very terrain around it.
While the mist was still rising and the monster lay immobilized at the bottom of the crater, Vivian had already left the battlefield. Her steps were quick and precise as she headed towards the hiding place where Daira was located.
She needed to catch her breath and, more importantly, receive a buff before initiating the final attack.