The battlefield was chaos, but the chaos had an unsettling rhythm. The cursed winged tigers' lesser kin were relentless, their predatory instincts and agility testing the fire ants' discipline. Obsidian barked orders, his commanding voice barely heard over the sound of roaring flames and snapping jaws. The ants, disciplined as ever, formed ranks, spewing flames and biting with acidic precision. Yet for every cursed tiger felled, another lunged forward, dragging an ant away in a flurry of wings and claws.
I stood at the edge of the fray, eyes scanning the battle. My mind worked overtime, calculating, analyzing—seeking any opportunity to strike. The ants, though powerful, were only a temporary obstacle in this grand battle, their numbers dwindling fast as the tigers advanced. It wasn't long before I saw it: a master-ranked beast, the true threat of this battlefield.
The tiger that emerged from the depths of the carnage was different. Its fur, glistening in the firelight, was as white as snow, striped with deep, inky black. The patterns across its body moved like shadows, as if they were alive, writhing with the very essence of darkness. Four massive wings flared from its back, each one a blur of deadly strength. The wind gusted in all directions, scattering ash and debris across the battlefield, blocking the sun's already dim light. Its saber-like fangs gleamed, dripping venom that sizzled upon contact with the ground, leaving a faint hiss in the air.
I gripped my spear tighter, feeling its weight grow heavier in my hands.
"I'm not ready," I muttered to myself, but there was no time for doubts. No time for hesitation.
"Flowing Style: Second Movement—Ice Glide!"
The air around me grew cold as the ground beneath my feet froze, a crystal carpet stretching before me. With a deep breath, I shot forward, my movements smooth and swift. The tiger's eyes locked onto me, its golden gaze glinting with malice. It was calculating, waiting. The moment I moved within range, it sprung forward.
A blur of fur and talons, it was faster than I anticipated. I barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side as its claws slashed through the air with terrifying speed, narrowly missing me. The shockwave from its swipe rattled the ground beneath me, sending shards of ice splintering off like deadly projectiles.
The beast didn't relent. It immediately bared its fangs and let loose a Supersonic Roar—a sound so sharp it seemed to tear at the fabric of reality itself. My ears rang, and I staggered, vision swimming with the aftereffects. The ice beneath me shattered, sending fragments into the air like a hailstorm. I steadied myself, but my head throbbed from the force of the blast.
I thrust my spear forward in retaliation, aiming for the tiger's flank. The tip connected with its side, and I could feel the satisfying resistance as it pierced its thick fur and muscle. But the beast's strength was far from broken. It roared in fury, and the wound barely seemed to slow it down.
"Frostbind!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the air as I channeled my ice affinity through the spear. The ice spread from the wound, a frozen web wrapping around its side and hind legs, slowing its movements. But the tiger, ever intelligent, did not panic. It twisted, using its incredible strength and agility to break free from the ice's grip with a sickening crack.
Before I could react, it lunged again, this time with deadly precision. The tiger's wings propelled it forward with incredible speed, faster than I could follow. It was like a comet, crashing toward me with claws extended.
The air pressure alone from its movement threatened to knock me off balance. But just before its claws could reach me, something massive intervened.
Zainab.
Her massive serpent form collided with the tiger mid-air, her multiple heads snapping out to bite and constrict. Her fangs sank into its shoulder, and one of her other heads lashed out at its wing, attempting to tear it apart. For a moment, it looked like she might have gained the upper hand.
But the tiger was no mere beast. It was a master-ranked predator. It twisted in mid-air, using its momentum to slam Zainab into the ground with bone-shattering force. She hissed in pain, momentarily stunned.
"Zainab!" I shouted, ice forming beneath my feet as I glided toward them, hoping to pull the tiger's focus away from her.
"I'm fine!" she hissed, but there was strain in her voice. I could hear it—a rare vulnerability.
The tiger, now free of Zainab's grip, turned its fury back toward me. Its narrowed eyes bore into me, and I saw the glint of calculation in its gaze. This was no mindless beast. It was a predator playing with its prey.
It opened its mouth, and I could see the light flickering in its throat as flames began to gather. Blue flames. I knew exactly what was coming. The Venomous Breath—a deadly stream of fire mixed with venom that would melt anything in its path.
I had no time to second-guess.
I focused all my energy on my speed, channeling light energy through my body. My hair flickered, turning a shimmering silver as light sparkled in every movement. My body blurred, the world around me slowing.
I moved past the tiger faster than it could react, its flames missing me by mere inches. The heat from the inferno singed my skin, but it was nothing compared to the searing pain I would have felt if I hadn't avoided it.
"Light projection…" I whispered to myself. In my head, the technique unfolded—a brilliant, radiant speed that allowed me to surpass even the fastest of foes.
The tiger's next attack was a brutal slash, but I was already gone, moving beyond its reach. Its fury only seemed to grow, and it lunged again, faster than before. Its claws raked across my side, tearing through my shirt, but I had already slipped away, barely touched.
"Zainab, now!" I called out to her, seeing the momentary weakness in the tiger's defense.
Her massive form struck again, her body wrapping around the tiger's hind legs. With her sheer strength, she tried to pull it to the ground, but the tiger was cunning, twisting in her grip and attempting to claw at her. One of its talons found purchase, slashing across one of her heads.
"Venomous Bite!" The tiger's fangs extended, dripping with venom as it aimed for Zainab's exposed neck.
"No!" I shouted, desperate. I couldn't afford to lose Zainab.
The serpent's hiss echoed in my ears, but she was quick. She coiled tighter, her thick body constricting around the tiger's legs, squeezing it into submission. But the tiger's venomous bite found its mark. Zainab's scales darkened, the venom spreading like a storm across her body. Her movements slowed as the poison began to take effect.
I couldn't wait any longer.
"Ultimate Ability: Ice Burst Barrage!"
The ground beneath the tiger froze, ice rising from the earth like an army of frozen spears. I gathered all my remaining energy into the blast, releasing it in a single devastating wave. Hundreds of ice needles launched from the ground, piercing through the tiger's flesh, each one aimed at its already wounded body.
It howled in agony as the needles found their mark, blood spraying across the battlefield. One of its wings tore free, and its massive form collapsed beneath Zainab's unrelenting grip.
But it wasn't enough to kill it. The beast was too powerful, too resilient. It managed one last desperate swing of its claws, but Zainab's strength held it down.
The moment of truth had arrived.
With a final, ferocious bite, Zainab closed her jaws around the tiger's throat, crushing the life from it. The sound of bones snapping echoed across the battlefield as the tiger went still.
I fell to my knees, chest heaving. My body screamed in protest from the exertion, my head spinning with the aftershocks of the battle.
Zainab slithered toward me, her multiple heads now looking at me with something approaching concern. Her scales were darkened, the venom still spreading through her body, though her vital signs remained stable.
"You're reckless," she muttered, her voice softer now.
I managed a dry smile. "So are you."
We both shared a moment of exhaustion, but the battle wasn't over. Not yet.
Zainab's gaze shifted toward the second master-ranked tiger, still alive and waiting in the shadows.
"We're not done yet," she reminded me, her voice grim.
I took a deep breath, summoning every last ounce of energy. This was far from over. And if I was going to survive this, I would need to dig deeper than I ever had before.