(Opening Scene: The Thornhide Beast lumbers towards Kurozane, its glowing yellow eyes fixed on the newly materialized Null Blade. Astrid watches in stunned silence, her hand still clutching her bloodied arm.)
Kurozane gripped the Null Blade tightly, its cold energy a stark contrast to the heat of his adrenaline. He moved to intercept the charging Thornhide Beast. The shadowy blade met the creature's thorny hide with a sickening scrape. Unlike Astrid's longsword, which had sparked harmlessly against the thick armor, the Null Blade seemed to bite into the thorny protrusions, a dark ichor oozing from the point of contact.
The Thornhide Beast roared in pain and surprise, its advance faltering. It swung its massive claws at Kurozane, but he was quicker, the Null Blade flashing in the dim moonlight as he parried the blows, each contact drawing more of the dark fluid.
Astrid, recovering from her initial shock, channeled her storm powers. Crackles of blue energy erupted around her hands, and she unleashed a bolt of lightning towards the Thornhide Beast. The lightning struck the creature's side, a brilliant flash illuminating its thorny form. However, to Astrid's dismay, the beast merely flinched, the energy dissipating harmlessly against its thick hide. It roared again, seemingly unaffected by her potent magic.
Frustration etched across Astrid's face. This was unheard of; her storm magic was usually effective against most creatures of the forest. She drew her longsword again, intending to support Kurozane, but as she brought it down on the Thornhide Beast's flank, the blade struck one of the thickest thorns at an awkward angle. With a sickening snap, the steel shattered, leaving her holding only the broken hilt.
She stared at the broken sword in disbelief, then back at Kurozane, who was now the sole focus of the Thornhide Beast's enraged attacks. He was agile, using the Null Blade to parry and riposte, each shadowy strike drawing more of the creature's dark blood and eliciting pained roars. It became horrifyingly clear: only Kurozane's strange, shadowy weapon seemed capable of truly harming this creature.
The Thornhide Beast, realizing the threat Kurozane posed, focused its attacks with renewed ferocity. It swung its massive claws, its glowing yellow eyes burning with hatred. Kurozane, though nimble, was struggling to evade every blow while simultaneously landing effective strikes with the Null Blade. He knew he had to end this quickly, for Astrid was now defenseless.