The beast tore through the air toward the egg, claws outstretched, eyes burning with desperation.
I thrust both hands forward and poured everything into the image in my mind.
The air distorted.
A translucent barrier surged into existence, but unlike the previous shields, it did not form as a single forward-facing curve. It expanded outward and downward, bending around the egg in a full arc. The shield wrapped over it completely, forming a protective dome like an overturned bowl sealing it from every angle.
The beast's claws slammed into the barrier with explosive force.
The impact was immediate and violent. Cracks splintered across the surface of the shield the instant its fist collided with it. Fear tightened around my throat. If the barrier shattered completely and even a fraction of that strength reached the egg, it would be crushed.
I did not stop at one.
I forced another into existence over it. Then another. Each translucent layer formed just as the previous one splintered, overlapping in quick succession like fragile panes of glass stacked against a storm. The beast's fists came down relentlessly, smashing through one barrier only to collide with the next waiting beneath it.
Every shield I forced into existence and every layer that shattered beneath the beast's fist sent a violent tremor through my mind, as though each crack in the barrier echoed directly inside my skull.
My vision began to blur at the edges, dark spots creeping into my sight as sharp pain pulsed behind my eyes. It felt as though something inside my skull was being stretched too far, too fast. Still, I did not stop. I clenched my teeth and kept shaping the shields, layering them again and again over the egg.
The clearing echoed with the repeated cracks of shattering energy, each strike from the beast answered by the brittle collapse of another barrier. Its furious roars mixed with the sharp splintering sounds, filling the forest with chaos as I desperately stacked shield upon shield, refusing to let a single blow reach what lay behind me.
Then a shadow cut across my vision from the side.
The serpent's massive tail moved with sudden, explosive force. Despite its battered state, the strike carried terrifying strength. It whipped through the air and slammed into the black beast's torso just as the creature drew back for another crushing blow. The impact detonated across the forest like thunder.
I saw the beast's body twist unnaturally under the force, ribs folding inward as though the air had been driven out of it in a single violent burst. Its roar broke into a strangled gasp. Blood sprayed from its mouth in a dark arc as it was launched sideways.
It tore through the forest, crashing through one tree, then another, splintering thick trunks into jagged shards. The ground shook as it finally slammed into the earth somewhere far beyond my line of sight, the echo of the collision rolling back toward us in fading waves.
The moment the crushing pressure lifted and the beast was thrown away, whatever had been holding me upright disappeared with it.
My legs buckled.
I dropped to my knees, my sword slipping from my grasp as one hand flew to my head. A sharp, piercing wave of pain tore through my skull, as if something inside had been stretched too far and snapped back violently. "Ugh…" The groan forced its way out before I could stop it.
My vision blurred. The forest tilted slightly. For a second, I could hear nothing but the pounding of my own heartbeat.
Footsteps rushed toward me through the debris.
Charlie reached me first. He dropped to one knee beside me and caught my shoulder firmly, steadying my swaying body before I could collapse forward. His usually composed expression was tight with worry. "Young master, are you alright?" he asked, scanning my face for signs of something worse.
Vaela crouched on my other side, breathing hard, her muscles trembling from the shockwaves and strain of the fight. "Arthur, skra-what happen?" she asked, her voice sharp with concern.
I forced myself to steady my breathing. The pounding inside my skull felt relentless, as if invisible claws were scraping against the inside of my mind. Each pulse of pain throbbed behind my eyes, threatening to drag me back down to my knees. I clenched my jaw and focused on drawing in slow, measured breaths until the sharpest edge of it dulled.
After a moment, I lowered my hand from my temple and straightened slightly, though the world still felt unsteady around me. "It is nothing," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. It came out rougher than I intended. "I think I overused the ability. My head just hurts a little."
Charlie and Vaela exchanged a look over my shoulder.
They were both covered in dust and streaked with blood, their clothes torn in places, their breathing still heavy from the fight. Exhaustion weighed on them just as heavily as it did on me. And yet, beneath the strain, I saw something unmistakable in their expressions.
Happiness.
Vaela let out a faint breath, the corners of her lips lifting into a tired grin. "Skra-awaken ability, huh…" she muttered, sounding almost pleased despite everything.
Charlie's usually composed face softened into a rare, genuine smile. "Young master," he said quietly, "congratulations."
I could not stop the small smile that rose to my lips. Even after everything, even standing in the wreckage of a battlefield that had nearly taken our lives, they were happy for me. That realization warmed something deep in my chest.
Slowly, I pushed myself to my feet. My legs felt heavier than usual, and the ache in my head lingered like a distant echo, pulsing faintly with every heartbeat. I steadied myself before taking a step, forcing my posture upright despite the lingering dizziness.
Charlie's expression gradually shifted, the brief moment of relief giving way to caution. His eyes swept across the shattered forest around us. Broken trunks lay scattered in every direction. The earth was gouged and cracked from the beast's blows. Leaves drifted slowly down through the air, and the metallic scent of blood hung thick and unmistakable.
"We must leave quickly," he said firmly. "The noise from this battle will attract other beasts nearby."
He was right. Any creature within hearing distance would have sensed the disturbance by now. We had no idea what might already be moving toward us.
Vaela and I exchanged a glance, then nodded. Exhaustion weighed on all of us, but staying here was not an option. Without another word, we turned to move.
Then we stopped at the same time.
The serpent.
We slowly turned our heads back toward it.
The massive creature lay partially coiled around the egg's former resting place. Its cracked shell was splintered and darkened with blood. Its head rested heavily against the ground, its single yellow eye open and fixed on us. The other side of its face remained scarred and sealed shut from the old burn. Its breathing was shallow now, uneven. It did not look like it would survive much longer.
None of us spoke.
The serpent lay where it had fallen, its massive body barely rising and falling now. Its single yellow eye remained half open, dulled by exhaustion and pain. There was nothing we could do for it. We had barely survived the battle ourselves, and staying any longer would only invite more danger.
Vaela looked at me. Charlie's gaze shifted between us, measuring our silence. No words were needed. The decision had already been made.
We turned away.
Carefully, we made our way back to where we had hidden the low level beasts earlier, tucking them behind thick tree trunks before moving toward the sound of the fight. The forest around us was scarred from the battle, bark stripped from trees and soil churned into uneven mounds.
Despite the throbbing in my head and the fatigue dragging at my limbs, I bent down and lifted one of the carcasses onto my back. My arms trembled slightly as I secured it in place, adjusting the weight so it would not shift while walking. Vaela and Charlie did the same, each shouldering their share without complaint.
Once everything was tied and settled, we began the slow walk back toward the village, the forest eerily quiet behind us.
We had taken only a few careful steps when the earth ahead of us scraped and shifted.
A heavy weight dragged across the soil, carving a shallow trench through leaves and broken branches. The serpent's massive head slid into our path and lowered itself in front of us, cutting off the way back to the village. Its single yellow eye fixed on us, unblinking.
All three of us stopped at once.
Slowly, I turned my head toward Vaela and Charlie. Neither of them spoke, but I could see the same tension in their stances. My fingers tightened around the hilt of my sword, every muscle in my body bracing for another fight.
"Do we have to fight it?" I asked quietly, not taking my eyes off the serpent. "Is it not thankful that we helped it with our lives on the line?"
The serpent neither hissed nor coiled to attack. It remained still, its massive head resting against the earth as its single yellow eye observed us in silence, calm and impossible to read.