Beneath Mito's feet, the ground trembled violently, as if it too could feel the crushing pressure weighing down the space around them.
Her ragged breaths merged with the tense air, her chest rising and falling rapidly, as though she still hadn't escaped the nightmare that had nearly claimed her life.
Her legs trembled slightly, but her body refused to move from its spot. The instincts honed through battle ran deep in her muscles, in her veins, forcing her to hold her stance, to keep going.
Stopping meant death.
Right beside her, Asuna landed lightly, like a falling leaf. Her rapier still gleamed brilliantly with the lingering aftershock of her previous strike.
The crimson cape fluttered gently in the wind, a striking color amidst the chaotic scene filled with the scent of rusted iron and dust.
Her unwavering brown eyes did not waver, as if nothing in the world could make her step back.
A faint green glow still clung to the rapier's blade, yet to fully fade. For a fleeting moment, Asuna looked like a warrior straight out of legend, radiant, standing against the monster lurking in the darkness.
But Mito had no time to dwell on such thoughts.
She gritted her teeth, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the handle of her enormous scythe.
Frustration surged within her chest, anger at Asuna's recklessness, but also anger at herself… for allowing her to end up in this situation.
"Asuna! Are you out of your mind?! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Her voice cracked into a shout, carrying the weight of both worry and fury, impossible to conceal.
Asuna turned to face her, eyes steady and unblinking. No hesitation, no fear, only a firm resolve that burned like fire in the freezing cold.
"I couldn't stand by and watch you die."
A simple statement, yet it struck Mito's mind like a powerful blow.
"But do you have any idea how dangerous that was?!" Mito screamed, bitterness creeping into her voice. "If I hadn't dodged in time, if you had missed… you could have...!"
"But I didn't miss."
Asuna cut in, her voice unwavering. No hesitation, no cracks in her confidence.
Mito bit her lip so hard she nearly drew blood. She hated to admit it, but Asuna was right. There were no "what ifs," no "maybes." The outcome had already proven everything.
A deafening roar shattered the moment, yanking them both back to reality.
The Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf, the one that had taken the full force of Asuna's attack, let out a furious snarl, its massive body staggering back slightly.
Two of its HP bars had been significantly depleted, but it was far from weakened.
Its six beastly crimson eyes burned with ferocity, and its silver fur bristled like countless razor-sharp needles reflecting the dim light.
Its enormous claws dug deep into the ground, carving long trenches as it held back its rage, ready to lunge forward and tear the two girls apart.
Mito took a deep breath, shoving all the chaos in her mind aside. She glanced at Asuna, her expression stern.
"Fine. But don't you dare throw your life away like that again."
Asuna gave a small smile...not mocking, not defiant, but calm, as if she had long since made peace with her choices.
"I won't. Let's fight."
There was nothing more to say.
Both of them lunged forward at once.
The Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf reacted instantly. It roared like rolling thunder, its massive body launching forward at a terrifying speed.
Its claws, sharp as daggers, slashed through the air, ready to tear through anything in their path.
Asuna struck first.
She twisted her body, dodging by a hair's breadth, her long hair whipping through the air. The rapier in her grip glowed brilliantly.
"Linear!"
A streak of green light sliced through the night sky, the rapier's tip striking like lightning, piercing straight into the wolf's side.
The Alpha howled, its massive form jolting from the pain.
That was all the opening Mito needed.
She surged forward from the opposite direction.
Pushing off the ground with all her strength, her sharp gaze locked onto her target as she spun her enormous scythe through the air before swinging it down in a deadly arc.
"Reaper's Slash!"
A deep black crescent carved through the air.
The scythe tore through the Alpha's thick fur, its razor-sharp edge slicing deep into its shoulder.
A storm of shattered crimson pixels erupted into the air, scattering like the remnants of spilled blood.
The monster's agonized roar echoed through the battlefield. But it wasn't done.
Its massive body trembled, but then, suddenly, it crouched low, its hind legs tensing. A predator's stance, unmistakable.
Mito recognized the sign instantly.
Her eyes widened in alarm, and she screamed, her voice laced with urgency.
"Asuna! Get out of the way!"
But it was too late.
Pounce!
The Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf launched itself off the ground, its enormous claws tearing through the air as it lunged straight at Asuna with terrifying speed.
Amidst the cold night that engulfed the vast grasslands, an arrow suddenly sliced through the wind moving at an incredible speed, piercing straight into one of the Alpha's six glowing red eyes.
The precise strike sent the beast howling in a thunderous, ground-shaking fury.
Its colossal body convulsed violently, its claws gouging deep trenches into the earth as it staggered, thrown off balance.
Blood or rather, shattered red pixels, exploded from its punctured eye socket, scattering like shards of broken glass.
Asuna reacted on pure instinct. She rolled to the side, barely evading the wolf's attack at the last second.
When she pushed herself back to her feet, she could still feel the rush of air from the Alpha's missed strike, her breath coming in short gasps from the close call.
Mito, still in a battle-ready stance, immediately turned toward the direction the arrow had come from.
Farther out on the field, where the terrain rose into a small hill, a lone figure stood beneath the pale moonlight.
A thick cloak billowed in the night breeze, and the large bow in his hands still quivered from the previous shot.
A silent yet commanding presence.
Sharp eyes gleamed like those of a hawk, locked onto his prey.
The commander had awakened.
Despite his body still bearing the wounds from the previous battle, his seasoned hands held the bowstring firmly, without the slightest tremor.
For him, engaging in close combat with this massive beast was impossible… but archery?
That was his true specialty.
Without wasting a second, he swiftly pulled another arrow from the quiver on his back. The muscles in his arm tensed as he drew the bowstring taut, his cold gaze unwavering.
Each breath was precisely measured, his focus locked onto the writhing, roaring beast.
"Keep going! Don't stop!"
His voice rang out across the battlefield, firm and commanding. It wasn't just an order, it was an undeniable declaration that this was their best chance to take down the Alpha.
Asuna and Mito exchanged glances. No words were needed; they both understood exactly what the other was thinking.
This moment… was the turning point.
And they would not let it slip away.
Without hesitation, Asuna and Mito burst forward in unison, sprinting through the night, their feet pressing down the wild grass beneath them.
The Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf had yet to regain its footing after the surprise attack.
One of its eyes had been pierced by an arrow, crimson pixels spilling out like shattered fragments. It shook its head violently, letting out a furious roar, only to intensify the pain even further.
And then… from deep within its throat came a low, chilling hiss.
Not an ordinary growl of rage....but something else. A sound that signified change.
The fur along its back bristled, each strand glowing a searing red, like embers ignited in a furnace.
Its muscles tightened, then suddenly expanded, raw primal power surging through every fiber of its being. The wounds that had previously been carved deep into its flesh now absorbed the fractured red pixels, regenerating on their own.
"Damn it, it has Berserk Regeneration!" Mito hissed, her eyes widening in alarm.
The Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf stomped its massive paws onto the ground. A shockwave erupted from beneath it, splitting the earth apart and scattering wild grass into the air.
This was no longer a beast on the verge of collapse.
This was a monster reborn.
Mito gritted her teeth. She couldn't afford to hesitate.
Gathering all her strength, she launched herself high into the air, her scythe gleaming ominously in her grasp.
No more doubt. No more hesitation.
This was the moment to end it.
"Reaper's Requiem!"
The blade of her scythe carved through the air in a deadly arc, radiating an ominous black aura as it sliced downward with all her might. The sheer force of the strike tore through the wind, cracking the ground beneath them.
The blade struck Alpha's shoulder.
But it didn't go through.
Mito's eyes widened.
Alpha hadn't dodged. It had simply blocked the attack with brute strength.
Her scythe had bitten into its taut, reinforced muscles...but instead of cutting deep, it barely grazed the surface before being stopped dead in its tracks.
"What?!"
Before she could react, Alpha swung its massive claws.
A devastating strike.
Mito was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into the ground and rolling through the grass, her HP bar flashing wildly.
Alpha did not relent. It let out an earth-shaking roar before charging straight toward Mito at terrifying speed.
Asuna!
There was no time to think, only to act.
Asuna shot forward, her feet pounding against the ground as she surged ahead like lightning, her rapier gleaming in the darkness.
The entire world shrank to this single moment...just her, her blade, and the monster before her.
"Quadruple Pain!"
One.
Her rapier pierced through Alpha's throat.
Two.
The blade stabbed into its chest, right beside its heart.
Three.
A rapid withdrawal, followed by a precise thrust into its flank.
Four.
The final strike, driving straight into its forehead.
Each thrust was precise, swift, and executed flawlessly.
And yet.
Alpha did not fall.
Not only that, it didn't even flinch.
The moment Asuna's last strike connected, Alpha's crimson eyes blazed brighter than ever.
A violent gust of wind exploded from its body, sending Asuna hurtling backward.
She tumbled across the ground, barely managing to plant her rapier down to halt her momentum.
"No way…" she muttered in disbelief.
Four direct hits, yet it was still standing.
The Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf raised its head high, its predatory gaze burning with savage intent.
The wounds it had sustained, wounds that should have been lethal, were still absorbing the fractured red pixels, regenerating at an unnatural pace.
This was no longer a dying beast.
It was a nightmare.
"Fall back! We can't win like this."
But it was too late.
Alpha let out a bone-rattling howl, and its body suddenly burst apart into dozens of spectral afterimages, spreading out to encircle the battlefield.
There was no escape.
The battle… was far from over.