Chapter 25: Fighting an Elite-Rank Beast (2)
The fox’s true counter-attack unfolded. As Draco committed to his strike, the beast twisted with impossible fluidity, its massive claws sweeping toward him in a wide arc that he couldn’t possibly dodge.
Draco desperately raised his sword to block, but the power of an elite-rank beast was overwhelming. The impact sent shockwaves through his arms as his blade was knocked aside like a toy.
ARGH!
Draco grunted from the pain as the fox’s claws raked across his left arm, tearing through cloth and flesh with terrifying ease.
Pain exploded through Draco’s body as deep gashes opened from his shoulder to his elbow. Blood immediately began flowing freely from the wounds, and his sword arm went partially numb from the trauma.
He stumbled backwards, his vision blurring from shock and pain. The fox landed gracefully, already preparing for another attack that would surely finish him.
I can’t die here...I just started, after everything...impossible.
But as the elite fox moved in for the killing blow, something extraordinary happened.
[NO! YOU HURT MY MASTER!] Zephyr’s voice rang out with a fury that Draco had never heard before.
The tiny hummingbird, who had always been cheerful and innocent, suddenly blazed with rage that seemed to transform his very being.
The small bird dove with incredible speed, faster than he had ever moved before.
SPLURT!
Zephyr’s tiny claws met their target. His talons penetrated deep into the fox’s eye socket, permanently destroying the organ in a spray of blood.
AWOOOOOO!
The fox’s agonised howl echoed across the landscape as it thrashed wildly, one paw clawing at its ruined eye while the other swiped frantically at the air, trying to catch the small tormentor who had just blinded it.
[That’s what you get for hurting Master!]
The fox’s movements became immediately less coordinated, its perception compromised by the loss of its right eye.
It stumbled slightly, disoriented by the sudden change in its visual field.
Draco, despite the excruciating pain in his arm, recognised the lifeline his loyal companion had given him.
With his good hand, he fumbled for one of his healing potions, pulling the cork with his teeth and downing the contents in desperate gulps.
The healing potion immediately took effect, regenerating 1% of his health per second for the next ten seconds
His right arm began to tingle as tissues started regenerating at a rapid speed. Despite that, the pain that came with the tingling was unbearable.
One healing potion wouldn’t heal his injury completely, but it would stop the bleeding and restore enough function for him to continue fighting.
[Master, drink! I will keep this overgrown kitten busy.]
Zephyr immediately resumed his harassment campaign, darting in and out around the fox’s head like an angry wasp. His attacks weren’t designed to cause major damage, but to keep the elite beast distracted and prevent it from focusing on Draco’s vulnerable position.
Zip! Zip! Zip!
The tiny hummingbird’s enhanced speed made him nearly impossible for the half-blinded fox to track. Every time the creature tried to swipe at him, Zephyr was already gone, appearing from a completely different angle to deliver another irritating but precise strike.
The healing potion worked its magic over the course of ten crucial seconds. While Draco’s arm wasn’t fully restored, the deep gashes had closed enough to stop the bleeding, and he could feel strength returning to his limbs.
The fox, meanwhile, was growing increasingly frustrated with its inability to catch the small flying bird that had injured it severely.
After several tries, realising that it would be difficult to catch the flying bird due to its flying ability and speed, the fox returned its attention back to Draco.
If it couldn’t catch the small pest, it would eliminate the larger, more vulnerable target first.
GROWL!
The fox turned its remaining good eye back toward Draco, who had regained his footing and was gripping his sword with a grim expression. The creature shook its massive head once, trying to clear the disorientation from its ruined eye socket, then began stalking toward the human with deadly intent, whilst keeping some of its focus on the hummingbird for any sneak attacks.
Draco quickly assessed the situation. The fox’s blindness on its right side created a significant vulnerability they could exploit, but only if they coordinated their attack perfectly.
"Zephyr! Stay on its blind spot, the right side!" Draco called out, raising his sword in a defensive stance. "I’m going to draw its attention, then you hit it from where it can’t see you coming!"
[Got it! Be careful, Master!]
The tiny hummingbird immediately repositioned itself, hovering just outside the fox’s peripheral vision on its damaged right side. His small size and incredible speed made him nearly invisible when he remained in the creature’s blind spot.
As the fox approached within striking distance, Draco began executing his plan. Instead of waiting for the beast to attack, he took the initiative himself.
Draco feinted a sword strike from the left side, the direction the fox could still see clearly. He made his intentions obvious, telegraphing the attack so the creature would focus all its attention on defending against the threat.
Come on, take the bait. Focus on the sword...
The elite fox’s remaining eye locked onto Draco’s blade as it swept in from the left. The creature’s combat instincts kicked in, and it shifted its stance to counter the incoming strike, completely focused on the visible threat.
"Now, Zephyr!"
Zephyr shot forward from the fox’s blind spot like a tiny missile, his incredibly high speed making him virtually impossible to detect until it was too late. His target was the fox’s left ear and the side of its head.
SLASH!
The hummingbird’s razor-sharp claws raked across the fox’s ear, severing it cleanly and continuing their trajectory to score deep gouges along the creature’s skull. Blood immediately began flowing from the fresh wounds.
YOWL!
The fox’s agonized cry echoed through the air, but despite the devastating injury, the beast didn’t stop. It continued its attack on Draco with undiminished fury.
This time, however, Draco had gained experience from their previous exchange.
As the fox’s claws made contact, he used the creature’s momentum against it, rolling with the strike and moving away from the worst of the damage. The attack still connected, but instead of deep gashes that could have crippled his arm, he received several painful cuts that burned intensely but weren’t debilitating.
[Master, are you okay!] Zephyr cried out from above, seeing the fox still attacking Draco.
"I’m okay, Zephyr. Let’s try that again."
They prepared to execute the same coordinated attack, but as they tried to attempt the same tactic for the second time, the fox had caught on.
Instead of focusing entirely on Draco’s feint, the creature’s head swivelled slightly, anticipating an attack from its blind side.
It figured out our pattern.
Draco frowned, quickly analysing how the fox had managed to predict their strategy. Zephyr was completely out of its sight, so visual detection was impossible. The creature wasn’t displaying any supernatural sixth sense, or it would have used such an ability earlier to avoid its injuries.
That left two possibilities: his body language and his voice commands.
Of course. I’ve been telegraphing our attacks by calling out to Zephyr at the same time every attack.
Whilst the fox couldn’t necessarily understand Draco, it knew that when he spoke during their confrontation, this meant that it was going to be attacked by the flying bird.
But instead of changing tactics, Draco smiled slightly. He was going to use the fox’s understanding of their strategy against it.
The fox had become much more cautious now. It no longer charged in with reckless ferocity.
Losing an eye and an ear had taught it that the human and bird were far more dangerous than they initially appeared. The creature circled warily, but its rage demanded vengeance regardless of the cost.
After a full minute of cautiously moving in circles, the fox slowly closed the distance immediately with its high agility, preparing for another attack.
In the exact same scenario as before, Draco shouted, "Zephyr!"
Zephyr immediately launched himself forward just like the previous attacks, approaching from the fox’s blind side. But this time, the fox was ready.
Its attention shifted away from Draco entirely, focusing on where it expected the hummingbird’s attack to come from.
But as the fox prepared to counter Zephyr’s assault, the tiny hummingbird suddenly changed his trajectory at the last second, brushing past the creature without making contact. The fox’s defensive swipe struck empty air as it had anticipated the wrong flight path.
With the fox completely off-balance and focused in the wrong direction, Draco seized the critical moment he had planned. He ducked low and drove forward with his sword, aiming for the creature’s exposed stomach.
Whoosh!
The blade cut through the air. The fox caught a glimpse of Draco’s movement from its remaining left eye, but it was far too late to defend.
The sword made contact, slicing deep into the fox’s abdomen and rupturing vital organs. Blood and internal matter began spilling from the mortal wound that Draco had inflicted.
The elite fox staggered, its remaining strength failing as the mortal wound took its toll.