Ice was violently thrown aside. Nothing seemed able to stop him as his body tumbled across the ground before crashing into a tree, barely awake.
Meanwhile, Ray quickly tried to draw his sword and put some distance between himself and the creature. He managed to unsheathe his blade and jumped backward without checking where his feet would land.
With a thunderous roar, the beast lunged, claws carving the air as it slammed into Ray's ribs before he could even touch the ground. The blow sent him flying into another tree, which didn't budge an inch despite the heavy impact.
Groaning, he forced himself back to his feet, trying to regain his composure just as the beast charged at him in a frenzy. All he could see was the monster's long arm stretching toward his chest, aiming to pierce his heart.
At the last second, he managed to twist his body just enough so the strike pierced his shoulder instead—a blow that would have been fatal otherwise.
The impact hurled him across the ground once more, this time with no vegetation to break his fall. It took several seconds before his battered body came to a stop.
He lay there, bloodied, breath ragged, his eyes vacant. He tried to rise as the beast approached, but as soon as he found his footing, he collapsed to his knees.
Helpless, he watched in despair as the creature closed in to deliver the final blow. He shut his eyes.
"Claire... Guess that's it for me!" he whispered.
But the blow never came. Instead, he only heard the beast's howls of pain.
...
After losing consciousness for a few seconds, Ice awoke. His entire body ached unbearably, but he hadn't broken any bones—or perhaps it was just the adrenaline working up.
He saw the beast looming over Ray, ready to impale his shoulder. Without hesitation, he ran toward it. On the way, he scooped up his sword from the ground without breaking stride.
The beast seemed slower now, its movements sluggish. Even if they couldn't kill it outright, their attacks were clearly taking a toll.
"How do I finish it?" he thought.
Ray had already stabbed it in the center of the chest with no effect; its heart clearly wasn't there. Still, it had to be somewhere in that region. Ice was fairly sure it would be in the chest, just not directly in the center.
So this time, he aimed for the beast's right side. If its anatomy wasn't too different from a human's, it had to be close.He finally reached the monster, which still had its attention fixed on Ray. He lifted off the ground in a leap and plunged his blade just to the right of the mark Ray had made earlier.
Without wasting a second, he pulled out the sword and jumped back. He didn't want to make the same mistake Ray had—lingering too long, confident the fight was over. Holding his breath, Ice watched the beast. A few seconds passed.
Still, it didn't fall. Still not dead.
The creature ceased its screaming and turned toward the source of its pain, leaving Ray. It lunged at Ice, mouth wide open, ready to devour him. He dodged to the side just in time, watching it rush past. Quickly, he turned to face it again.
The beast was furious, emitting deafening roars. Ice, already used to the ringing of the border bell, was somewhat able to resist the painful sound. Now, when they clashed, the beast's attacks no longer sent him flying with a single swipe.
"It's really weakened," he thought. Their blows were working.
He still couldn't overpower the creature, but now he could withstand its flurry of attacks. He managed to deflect most of its strikes, even though his arms throbbed from the shock.
His resistance was largely thanks to the monster's declining strength. It was much slower now.
But Ice was also improving. Each injury seemed to fuel his resolve. His will to survive, to kill the beast, kept him on his feet. For the first time, he began to feel a spark of hope.
But reality was different. He was starving, parched, and every part of his body screamed in agony. He couldn't hold out much longer.
Though he now had the speed advantage and could hold his ground, time was running out. He had to end this.
Ray had already stabbed the center. Ice had tried the right side. Only one option remained—the left side. Just as he was preparing his final strike, he heard a crack. His sword. It was beginning to fracture.
"Seriously?"
Ray had warned him it was only a backup weapon, not very sturdy. In the heat of everything, Ice had completely missed that. The next blow from the beast shattered the sword into pieces. He leapt backward, his gaze darkening.
He looked behind him. He had already made up his mind.
"'I have to flee.'
There was nothing more he could do. He didn't have what it took to kill the beast
He just hoped the creature would go after him instead of Ray. At its current speed, he was fairly confident he could lose it in the forest..maybe.
But before he could turn to flee, a roar echoed again. An arrow had pierced the beast's back. It turned around to locate the source.
Ray stood there, bow in hand, staring down the beast. Ice didn't understand his purpose. The arrow had barely scratched its scales; it was just a distraction at most. Was he trying to sacrifice himself in the most useless way?
Then another voice called out.
"Here!" Celestia shouted, breathless, tossing Ray's sword toward him.
Still stunned, he caught the weapon and turned his attention back to the beast. It had already lost interest in Ray and was advancing toward Ice again—the center of all its recent trouble.
"The right flank!" Celestia shouted, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.
Ice's eyes sharpened instantly. There was no room for hesitation.
The beast swung at his head with a speed born of desperation, a final blow meant to end their struggle. Ice ducked beneath it and lunged forward, using all the strength he had left to drive the sword deep into its right flank.
The beast let out a final, pitiful howl and then slowly collapsed. Ice watched the scaled monster fall to the ground.
The River Beast was dead. And they were the ones who took its life.
Hidden behind a tree, swords in hand, Ray and Ice silently watched the beast. Their gazes flickered with hesitation. They knew they had to take it down. But how?
"What exactly do you know about that thing?" Ice asked, eyes fixed on the blade in his hand.
"Not much," Ray replied gravely. "Only that killing it at our current level is supposed to be impossible."
"Always reassuring, aren't you?" Ice said, cracking a dry smile. "You said escaping the darkness was impossible too."
Ray sighed at his sarcasm. "I'm not kidding. I don't even know how to kill it. The only thing I'm sure of is this: either pierce its heart or take off its head."
A brief silence fell.
Ice leaned back against the tree, propped one foot against the bark, and started tossing his sword into the air like a child.
"Well, we know what we need to do then. It's not like cutting its head off is on the table," he said flatly.
Ray raised an eyebrow.
"You talk a lot for someone who's never held a sword before."
"Exactly," Ice replied, catching the weapon one last time. "That's why I'll distract it while you go for the heart."
Ray's eyes widened.
"You're serious?"
Ice stepped away from the tree. "We don't have a choice. Every second we waste, we grow weaker," he said, walking steadily toward the beast.
Ray stared at him for a second, then clenched his teeth. He didn't like the plan, but he had to trust Ice. There was no time for hesitation.
He turned his focus to the beast, which was beginning to stir, its body twitching with rising aggression. Staring down the creature, Ray only knew one thing: when the moment came, he would have to throw himself at it with everything he had. No second chances.
But he also knew Ice wouldn't last long, not against that thing. So the moment had to come quickly.
As soon as Ice stepped out from behind the tree, the beast snapped its attention toward him. He approached slowly, and the creature immediately rose with a guttural snarl.
Ice stopped in his tracks, staring at the beast as it charged forward. His stare was cold. His body was not. His hand trembled around the hilt of the sword. Each step the beast took sent another jolt of fear through his chest. His mind spun, desperate for a way out. But there was none.
That's why he ran straight at it.
If he had waited a second longer, maybe all his courage would have crumbled.
Up close, the creature was worse. Its blackened scales glinted like razors, each one sharp enough to tear skin on contact. One clean hit and he was done.
"One hit and it's over," he thought, jaw clenched tight.
The beast struck first, missing narrowly. It reared back, then lunged again, this time snapping its jaws wide to crush his shoulder. Ice ducked low, letting the monster soar above him.
"It's slow," he realized. That was his only hope.
Back when they were escaping with Celestia from the Paradoxical Double Moon, the beast had not instantly caught them. It had kept up, yes, but not effortlessly. It had started to pant, to slow down. It acted on instinct. No strategy. No thought.
That was the only edge they had.
Ice bolted into the forest, drawing the beast with him. It let out a thunderous growl and bounded after him. The thud of its steps grew louder and louder. Ice didn't look back.
Once among the trees, he adjusted his pace, scanning his surroundings. Nothing. Until a faint hissing noise caught his attention. He veered sharply, grabbing a trunk to pivot and change direction in a heartbeat. The beast struggled to follow his sudden turn and lost ground.
Reaching the clearing he aimed for, Ice frowned. No sign of Ray. He tensed. Did something go wrong? Then came the crack of a branch above.
He looked up and smiled. "Seriously?"
He turned back toward the beast, gripping his sword with both hands. He had to hold on. He didn't need to win; he just needed to survive long enough.
The creature crashed through the trees, roaring as it charged again, arms outstretched, claws like blades. At that same moment, Ray, hidden above, chose his moment.
While the beast was focused entirely on Ice, Ray descended from the tree like a shadow, blade in hand.
The monster reached Ice first, swinging its massive arm in a sweeping blow. Ice blocked with all his strength, both hands bracing the sword. The impact jolted through his bones. He held just long enough for the beast to overpower him and hurl him back.
But that moment was all Ray needed.
He lunged, driving his blade straight into the beast's chest. It was a clean strike—straight through where its heart should be.
For a second, everything went still.
Ray stood frozen, blinking in disbelief. "We did it... we actually..."
But then he saw it. The beast wasn't falling. Something was wrong.