Chapter 7: The Blade that Never Swung

The beast's shadow appeared before us as it came into view. The creature stood before us while its eyes illuminated the pitch-black night. The moon emerged simultaneously with the beast, appearing to block our way while its monstrous silhouette stood out against the faint moonlight.

Zakir reached for his sword, his reflexes snapping into motion. "I've heard of beasts like this… in stories," he muttered, voice low. "Never thought I'd be face-to-face with one."

Sylva shifted beside me, her eyes narrowing, sizing up the creature.

"It doesn't matter what it is. We've fought worse." 

I didn't share her confidence. This beast… this felt different. It was undeniably massive, yet my instincts told me there was something far more ominous about it. The beast stood motionless for a moment, and I noticed how it seemed to watch us, as if it were assessing our every move. I had a gut feeling this thing wasn't just powerful—it was smart too.

The first strike came from Sylva. She dashed forward in a blur, a streak of silver as her blades flashed. The beast's claws met her blades with a resounding clash, as their power sent shockwaves through the air that propelled Sylva to fall back.

The beast, without wasting a beat, lunged towards her, but Zakir had already moved to block what would have been a fatal attack. He gave her critical moments to recover from the blow by diverting the creature's attention, even if for only a few precious seconds. Zakir then went to face its attack directly without showing any signs of fear or hesitation. He experienced the consequences of his actions immediately as its sheer force sent him flying back through the air.

Sylva, now regaining her senses, blinked towards the beast once more. She took a different approach this time, focusing all her power into her right dagger, determined to break through its thick defense. 

Despite its size, the creature moved with a terrifying grace, twisting out of the way just in time to avoid her strike. But it wasn't done. Without even looking at him, the beast swiped its claws at Zakir, who tried to sneak up on it from behind while it was preoccupied with Sylva. He ducked and spun away just before its massive claws tore him a new one across his chest.

"Watch out!" Zakir grunted, rolling to his feet, his sword held firmly. "It's quicker than it looks."

I nodded, my eyes tracking the creature's movements, searching for a weakness, anything we could take advantage of. 

The fight raged on around me. Sylva and Zakir were giving everything they had and yet, the fight seemed to get worse the longer it went on. It wasn't just retaliating, it was adapting to every strike they landed. It moved too fast, too intelligently. It was clear the beast wasn't just fighting with its claws—it was thinking, calculating.

Zakir's sword clanged against the creature's hardened skin as sparks flew, but just like Sylva's previous attempts, it wasn't even leaving a dent. He cursed, barely holding his sword out in front of him as he took another blow head-on.

"God damnit, Zhao Feng!" Sylva shouted, her voice full of frustration. "What the hell are you doing? Are you going to help us, or are you just going to stand there looking pretty?"

She was panting, covered in sweat and blood, eyes wild as she fought to keep her distance from the creature. 

They didn't know. They didn't know I couldn't help them in the fight, even if I wanted to. I tightened my fists, my eyes unwavering from the battle in front of me.

"Come on," I thought to myself. There must be something I could take advantage of. There had to be something I was missing.

"Trials, beast, mountain…" I trailed off, deep in thought.

I stopped. A smile started to form on my face. There was one way.

"Feng? What the fuck are you smiling for? Does watching us get tossed around make you happy? I'm sure you just made up everything you said before and wanted to see us suffer," Zakir added, visibly angry.

"Oh, be quiet, Zakir. Seeing you getting tossed around would make me smile. But not this time. I'm smiling because I have a plan."

Sylva and Zakir both looked at me, brows raised. I tensed my muscles, getting ready for what I was about to do. With the limited stamina and strength I had left, I took off in the opposite direction, dashing through the trees, off the main path we were on.

"Fucking run! Let's go, Sylva, Zakir!" I yelled out.

"Are you serious?" They both yelled as they took off after me.

"What is running going to do? It's going to catch up eventually anyways! Is this your genius plan that you spent so long thinking about?" Zakir yelled at me, but his words were lost in the wind.

"If you were thinking of using my speed as part of your plan, now's the time to drop it. I'm wasted after that fight we just had, I can barely even keep up as it is now," Sylva added.

Their words went over my head as I led them through the twisted paths of the mountains. Finally, I stopped.

We were all breathing heavily, but Zakir and Sylva especially. The battle had taken its toll. Drenched in sweat and faces pale, they finally had a chance to catch their breath.

"We… Can't keep running…" Sylva said, as she gasped between words, her breath ragged and uneven. 

"She's right," Zakir added. "Any second now, the beast will be upon us. How much further are you planning to take us?"

I looked up towards them. Despite what happened in the past, their eyes told a different story from the one I had thought. Full of life and fight, and a quiet kind of trust and understanding, it was as if the past was burned away by the battle we had endured together.

"Here is good enough," I said, rising to my feet. 

Suddenly, the beast's primal growl could be heard once again. It was here. 

"Come on, tell us your plan," Zakir panicked.

"Don't tell us you just wanted to switch up the scenery of the fight," Sylva added.

I extended my arms outwards. 

"Take care of the rest, okay?" 

With a burst of strength, I shoved them out of the way as the beast lunged for me.

I gathered up my remaining strength and ran. It followed.

"I guess this is it," I thought, as I took one look over the edge of the cliffs of the mountains before leaping into the abyss. My feet left the ground as I sailed through the air. The beast, roaring in rage, couldn't stop itself in time and jumped in after me.

"No!" Sylva cried, but it was too late.

The world seemed to slow as Sylva's breath caught in her throat. It felt like time itself had stopped.

"Zhao Feng!" Sylva screamed once more.

Her instinct kicked in, and without any hesitation, she dashed forward, her legs fueled by the remnants of little strength she had left as she sprinted towards the cliff's edge. Her speed was unimaginable. 

I tried to call out to her, but my voice was drowned in the storm of panic that rose within me.

She reached the edge of the cliff just as I was falling out of sight. Diving in without a second thought, with her arms outstretched, she luckily grabbed hold of my shirt. Sylva held onto me for dear life, and her body jerked to a halt mid-air. 

One hand holding onto me and one hand on a dangling branch on the cliffside, her legs kicked uselessly in the air. 

"Hold on!" Zakir shouted, scrambling to the edge. He dropped down to help Sylva, only to realize his arm fell only a few inches short of hers. 

"Fucking help me Zakir!" Sylva cried out, as with every second that passed, she lost more and more strength.

Thinking quickly, he grabbed his sword and used it like an extension of his arm. Having lost his sheath earlier during the fight, he extended the hilt of his sword towards Sylva.

"Grab on!" He yelled. With one desperate swing, Sylva propelled herself and grabbed hold of the sword. I looked up. With all his might, Zakir clung to the blade, his fingers gripping it so tightly that it sliced through flesh and bone. Blood poured from his palms, the metal biting deep. But he didn't even flinch.

"Come on, Zakir, you're almost there!" Sylva yelled, her voice barely audible over his own cries.

With one final, desperate heave, Zakir pulled us up, and the three of us collapsed onto the ground, our breaths being the only sounds heard for a short while, as we tried to process what had happened.