chapitre 16

Chapter 16

The clash between the lion's blade and the creature's claws echoed throughout the forest, a metallic sound that made the air vibrate. Elion felt the creature's raw power pass through his arm, pushing it back several steps. He firmly planted his boots in the soft earth, sliding on the ground before straightening up.

Veyla, lightning fast, threw one of her daggers directly into the creature's right eye. The beast roars in pain, taking a step back, putting one of his huge claws to his face.

"Beautiful shot!" said Elion, a smile in the corner.

Veyla did not answer, her gaze fixed on the creature who, in spite of the wound, was straightening up, her punctured eye slowly healing under a dark and supernatural light.

"Regeneration..." scolded Elion.

"Rank 5 confirmed," added Veyla, stepping back a few steps.

Elion squeezed the handle of his sword, feeling the familiar weight of the black steel adapt to the tension of his muscles. The creature uttered a dull roar, then threw itself back at him with lightning speed.

Elion dodged with a fluid motion, his black cape whipping the air behind him. He rotated his body, raising his sword just in time to deflect another attack. The monster's claws scraped the ground, digging deep into the earth beneath them.

"She's fast..." thought Elion, calculating the creature's motion.

The beast feigned to the left, then leaped towards him with renewed ferocity. Elion parried the first attack, but felt the claws touch his flank. A sharp pain passed through his body as warm blood flowed under his armor.

"Elion!" cried Veyla, already throwing a second dagger at the creature.

Elion ignored the pain, focusing his gaze on the movement of the beast. He followed up with a circular attack, hitting the creature in the neck. The blade bit the dark flesh, but the creature did not flinch.

It's resilient... too resilient for an ordinary creature.

The beast leaped again. This time, Elion bent down at the last moment, letting the creature fly over him. He pivoted quickly, hitting the exposed back of the monster with devastating force. The blade penetrated deep into the flesh, a black, viscous blood gushing into the air.

The creature uttered a heartbreaking cry, its hind legs rearing. Elion took advantage of the opening to propel himself forward, striking a second time, this time in the shoulder joint. The steel pierced the joint, causing a sound crack.

The beast staggered, but before Elio could chain, she swept the ground with her massive tail, hitting Elion hard. It was thrown at a tree, the bark breaking under impact.

Veyla leaped towards him.

"Elion!"

Elion got up, short of breath, with blood flowing from the corner of his lips. He wiped himself off the back of his hand, his gaze still cold.

"I'm fine."

The creature slowly straightened up, its punctured eye still regenerating. A dark aura pulsed around his body.

"She gets her power out of black magic," whispered Veyla as she approached Elion.

"Then we must cut off the spring," he answered calmly.

Elion raised his sword. A dark glow ran through the blade as he concentrated his mana in steel.

"Stay behind, Veyla."

"No way!" she replied. "We're getting away with it, or not at all."

Elion smiled slightly.

"So, let's try a different approach."

He raised his sword, pointing it at the sky. A black wave roamed the blade as Elion's mana flowed through his body.

- Partial release of mana...

The ground shook beneath his feet. Cracks appeared in the earth. The creature seemed to hesitate for a moment, feeling the power that now emanated from Elion.

- "Approach."

The creature roared, then charged.

Elion rushed towards her, her sword shining with a dark glow. He para the first attack, but this time, he didn't just deflect the shot - he hit directly through the creature's chest. The blade sank deep, a black wave exploding in all directions.

The creature screamed, struggling violently. Elion pivoted, snatching his sword in a circular motion. The dark flesh tore, and the creature collapsed on its knees.

"Now, Veyla!"

Veyla threw a dagger directly into the monster's exposed throat. The creature convulsed, its black blood splashing on the ground.

Elion moved slowly. He put a hand on the forehead of the dying monster, his ruthless gaze.

"Let's finish it."

He shot down his sword one last time, piercing the monster's skull. A final breath escaped from the creature before it collapsed heavily to the ground.

A heavy silence settled in the clearing.

Elion slowly withdrew his sword, the dark blood flowing along the blade. He raised his head towards Veyla, who was breathing hard.

"It was... intense," she said, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"That was just the beginning."

Veyla approached the monster's carcass, putting a hand on the still hot flesh.

"It's no ordinary creature..." she whispered.

Elion knelt beside her, her dark look.

"Someone or something begot her."

He watched the black blood flowing in the earth.

"We have to find out who's behind this."

Veyla nodded.

"What if there are others?"

Elion straightened up, the blade of his sword resting against his shoulder.

"Then we will destroy them all."

Veyla smiled.

"It's okay with me."

They left the clearing, leaving behind the corpse of the monster. In the shadow of the trees, a dark figure watched the scene, its bright red eyes piercing the darkness.

"He's progressing fast..." whispered a hoarse voice.

The figure fades into the shadow, leaving behind a smell of ashes and blood.