Anthesis of Sadness

Lucas was finally chanting, and I could refocus on the battle. The battlefield was a chaos of violence and rage.

Romain was on the front line, holding the beast at bay with his massive shield. His sword struck with force, but the damage remained superficial. Still, he was buying time, and that was all that mattered. The creature was already wounded, its body a mass of lacerated flesh, broken bones jutting from its distended skin. A dozen arrows were lodged in its flesh, a testament to Jules' precision and determination. His fingers were bloodied, yet he continued to fire arrow after arrow without pause.

Janna danced around the monstrosity, her strikes relentless and methodical. She seized every opening Romain created, landing lightning-fast blows. Her fists and feet hammered the beast with impressive force, but nothing seemed enough to bring it down. Still, she held on, unwavering.

My gaze drifted to Marie and Léonard. They were motionless. Léonard was no longer bleeding—the wound from his severed arm had closed, leaving only a stump. He must have lost consciousness from the pain. As for Marie, slumped beside him, her face was deathly pale. Had she spent too much mana? Too much vitality? She was unconscious.

I had to get them to safety.

Without wasting a second, I dashed toward them. Thanks to my new abilities, my movements were lightning-fast. I hoisted Marie onto my shoulder and dragged Léonard a little farther, beyond the combat line, where they would be safe.

Then, I turned back to the battle.

The creature howled in rage. Its wounds only made it wilder, crueler. The fight was dragging on, and our group was exhausting itself with every passing second. My instincts screamed that a turning point was near. I took a deep breath and activated my stealth skill. I had to wait... strike at the right moment.

Positioning myself slightly behind, I observed the fight with an overall view. Romain was still holding on, his blade swinging with determination. Janna dodged, struck, and chained attacks together. Jules kept firing, each arrow finding its mark. And Lucas... Lucas was still chanting. The air around him crackled with energy, vibrating under the power of his impending spell. Nature itself seemed to bow before his might.

And the creature felt it.

Its deranged eyes rolled in their sockets. A deep growl escaped its many mouths. It was becoming more ferocious, more unpredictable. Then, suddenly, it took a step back. One of its three inhuman limbs faltered under its weight.