"Behind you!"
Liam spun, dropping the arrows to clutch for a hidden knife when he saw the menacing predator, lunging at him. He didn't even have time to react.
A burst of molten flame crashed into the creature in mid-air, sending it flying. If the previous attacks were some fireballs, this was simply a beam of fire, fast and devastating. It even managed to hurtle him to fall back next to Xiv.
Liam found the slender figure still standing in the same spot she was before, thick signs of distress and beads of sweat on her face. She sent a smaller version of the devastating fireball towards the nearest creature as all the colour washed away from her face.
Kiara had run out of energy.
Thankfully, she was more prepared than Liam gave her credit for. Fishing a hand into her attire, she brought out a small vial of potion and gulped down without a second thought.
But a recovery potion takes some time to take effect. I need to protect her in the meantime, Liam thought as he stood back up. He pulled Xiv up from his revere and ran towards the girl. In his surroundings, a couple more of the fighters died, their sacrifice merely bringing a few measly moments.
The thoughts of running away clawed at his heart as he positioned himself next to Kiara, long daggers in hand. He could easily flee alone if he wanted, but leaving the girl here would only shame his name to the point that it would be unredeemable, with the courtesy of her being a noble lady of a renowned house.
"Miss Kiara, we need to withdraw," he shouted, bracing himself for the close-quarter combat.
Three wolves came their way, two copper ranked, the remaining a lesser one, though it didn't look far from attaining copper rank. Liam shot a knife to the one in the middle and intercepted the closest. Battle fatigue gnawing at his muscles, as he barely fended off its advances.
Kiara killed off the other wolf with a fireball, as her legs grew weak. Even standing became challenging, but she followed through, barely managing.
"Miss, we need to withdraw," Liam said, finally getting a hold of arrows from Xiv.
"Where?" she asked.
Liam didn't have the correct answer. "Into the village," he said.
There were a few more combatants in the village—the second line of defence. The wolves that got through them were their responsibility. By the way this night had gone so far, they should have failed in their responsibility by now.
"But," Kiara retorted, "more of them are coming."
Liam eyed the direction she was looking and found another pack of dozen-odd dire wolves, led by a humongous creature that stood almost to his shoulder. Its glowing icy blue eyes glared at them, surging a primal fear within them.
"That's. . . That's a fully cursed creature," Kiara gasped.
"Run!" Liam screamed, shooting the arrow. He didn't look back to find if it hit the mark, already on the move because a cursed creature was equal to an Iron rank, which none of them had attained. Kiara and Xiv, and a couple of the remaining fighters jolted awake at the blood-cuddling howl of the cursed creature and dashed.
"How much energy have you restored?" Liam asked on the run.
"Not enough," Kiara answered from his right. "I would need at least two minutes to pose any threat to that creature."
Liam grunted, fishing another arrow. These arrows were ordinary as well—no runesmithing was involved in their making. His [Imbuing] would hardly cut in for two minutes.
He was a fourth-year student of the prestigious Third Arcane Academy, compared to Kiara's third. He was also a copper ranker, reaching the late phase. However, it was Kiara who had the raw power to even pose a threat to the cursed creature, even though she had been a copper ranker for less than a year. Lineage and class do matter.
Compared to his normal and auxiliary [Archer] class, Kiara possessed a rare [Fire Mage] class. Liam might have stood a chance if he had all his first-class arrows and not consumed by battle fatigue. But now even keeping the cursed monster at bay for two minutes would be a huge challenge.
And even that wouldn't guarantee victory, but just a chance of heavily injuring the cursed creature.
The villagers seemed to have set a couple of houses on fire, either in their panic or to ward off the tainted creature. While the fire did its charm, it needed to be of high intensity—Like Kiara's spell. These beasts were intelligent enough to avoid the burning houses, but they weren't fleeing in fear as much as the villagers hoped them to.
"Xiv, go help the villagers with the rest of the wolf," Liam commanded. "I'll keep the cursed creature at bay for a while."
The local fighters exchanged glances with one another and hurried away, leaving him and Kiara.
"Kiara, you go with them as well, but don't exert any energy," Liam said, turning back to meet the creatures. "You'll need them soon enough."
Kiara's eyes darted between the incoming dire wolves and running Xiv and co. She withdrew, her pace was a lot slower, however.
Liam sighed in relief. With her gone, he wouldn't have to worry about her safety while engaging the cursed wolf.
Two minutes, huh? I think I can make it. Liam shot the arrow and started running to his left.
***
Kiara's body was weak from overexerting herself. She should have been more tactful with her spells, she knew it very well, but it still got out of her hand when it mattered the most.
About a minute passed since she drank the potion, and only a fifth of her energy had been restored. By another minute, she would have a third. Hopefully, Liam would be able to fend it off in the meantime. Despite his looks and dull personality, the guy was somewhat reliable, not to mention he was ridiculously practical. She feared that was one of the reasons Professor June paired her with him.
The bone-chilling howl resounded again, causing her goosebumps. She turned to find the huge cursed wolf on the tail of Liam, who was running with everything he had while also shooting his arrows. He didn't run in a straight line, but zigzagged through, the few trees in the surroundings helping his cause.
Just then an unprecedented amount of force rammed onto her from her back, forcing her down on the ground, as the perpetrator of the act bit into her shoulders. Kiara screamed, dread crawling up her spine.
In panic, she drew in whatever power she could get her hold on and thrust them into the beast. Not a fire spell, but a common shield utilized uncommonly in a thrust of force. Thankfully, her spirit was commendable enough that the unstructured spell made in panic had the exact desirable effect.
It sent the wolf flying, even though it hadn't managed to kill the beast.
Red-hot blood gushed out from her shoulder, as a mind-breaking agony assaulted her. She clutched her palm over the bleeding shoulder and sat up. By the time she stood up, the wolf was already standing, baring its teeth again in her direction.
Giving her no time to reprieve, it charged at her. Unaided and alone, Kiara could only call upon her spiritual energy and set it ablaze.
Kiara barely had time to breathe when she found Liam running towards her, the monster on his trail.
"KIARA NOW!" he screamed, blood gushing out from his face and upper body.
Kiara panicked for a second, took two seconds to get her bearing, and another second to draw upon her reserves, which were barely enough to make one [Ember Flame]. With Liam running right at her, Kiara forced herself to complete the casting in time, as they came almost within a dozen paces.
A sizeable circular ball of flame formed before her, ready to fire on command. And Liam commanded right away.
"Now!"
"But—" she was about to say, You're on the way, but Liam cut her off.
"DO IT!"
She did, closing her eyes, pulling every ounce of her will into it as molten liquid flame hurled through the air. Liam lurched to his right when he shouted, but even then he had to endure some effect of the fire. However, the beast wasn't as lucky as he was.
The whole fire spell crashed into its head, sparking the surrounding in a flash. There was nowhere the creature could run to, it howled in agony, rolling on the ground to put off the burning.
Kiara finally opened her eyes as her legs gave away. All the will she mustered puffed out like a breeze as she fell, powerless and completely vulnerable. Her consciousness wavered when she heard Liam, and dread crawled back up in her skin again.
"It's not dead." Liam was clutching his blade, his mind torn between running off and making a dash towards the injured beast. He glanced at the face of the pitiable girl and gritted his teeth.
He stood back up on his feet and crept in the middle between the wretched beast and the powerless girl. Liam was mostly sure both of them would die here, and the world would go on as it always had been. If he had to die, perhaps he would die with a little of his honour intact.
"Liam, don't," Kiara barely managed, burning through her spirit to muster something.
The burned face of the cursed dire wolf appeared far more menacing, as she could see the bones and black tar-like blood oozing out. It approached, yellow eyes boring at her for the agony she had caused it. It eyes were completely on her, intelligence enough to bear grievances.
Liam made a last dash with his knife, even though he set himself for death. The beast growled, a step away from tearing him off completely.
It was then a figure came flying, dark cloak whipping in the air, white hair swaying in the wind. His cold eyes shone purple, even as a darker purple aura oozed out of his form. He was as if the Death incarnate.
"Why do I feel like I saw you before?" Death said, not to her, but to the dire wolf.
It was only then she noticed the stupid bunny over his shoulder.
Cupcake?