Naviga watched as an orange beam sped toward her and minerva in the crater. the beam hit her barrier talisman, breaking it with a loud crack. however, the attack lost strength on impact. the infernal raven had already drained most of its power after using its horn attack a second time. it was clear that the beast's horn attack could only be used once at full power.
"chip, scan the infernal raven for weak spots," naviga ordered.
"yes," the chip replied. a scanning light came from her eyes and swept over the infernal raven.
"host, the infernal raven's universal essence is gone. it can now only fight with its body," the a.i. chip informed her.
naviga had suspected this. the second horn attack had clearly drained the beast's core. while the infernal raven was still a strong physical opponent, it had lost the advantage of its universal essence. her instincts and calculations were correct.
holding her black sword with red lines, naviga activated her lunar edge sword arts: crescent moon. a glowing crescent of white light burst from her blade as she slashed at the beast. the infernal raven sensed danger and tried to move away, but its large orange wings got in the way. the slash hit the tip of its right wing, causing it to screech in pain.
Naviga pressed on, immediately launching another crescent moon slash aimed at the beast's claws. the infernal raven, still hurt from its wing, tried to avoid the attack but lifted its claws just in time. the slash missed, making the beast even angrier.
Furious, the infernal raven dived toward naviga, its beak—a deadly weapon—aimed right at her. the sharp beak shone menacingly, even without the boost from universal essence.
Naviga readied herself, sidestepping at the last moment using her phantom moon step footwork art. the raven's beak hit the ground, cracking the rocky surface. seizing the chance, she raised her sword and prepared to counterattack.
Lunar edge sword arts: moon fang
naviga infused her sword with universal essence. the blade glowed brightly with moonlight. she performed moon fang, creating a crescent-shaped slash aimed at the infernal raven's left wing. the slash moved through the air in a sharp c-shape.
the infernal raven felt the threat and quickly raised its large wing to block. although its wing did not have universal essence to defend, its strong body was still tough. the moon fang slash left a deep scar in the left wing, causing blood to pour out in red streaks.
the infernal raven roared, moving back as naviga landed nearby, breathing heavily. her sword arm shook from tiredness and the effort of using her skills. the last strike had damaged the rock behind the beast, creating a deep groove in the ground.
she focused and began her next move: eclipse slash sword art: eclipse thrust. moonlit energy filled her sword, creating a sharp beam at its tip. she expertly thrust the blade forward, sending a beam of moonlight towards the infernal raven's neck. the attack hit, making a deep cut in the beast's neck. blood sprayed, soaking the rocky ground below.
the infernal raven pulled back, momentarily stunned by the sharp pain. naviga quickly took her chance and moved in for another attack.
movements, though hindered by her injuries, were calculated and swift. she executed lunar edge sword arts: moon fang, aiming at the beast's already injured right wing.
the crescent-shaped slash struck with precision, slicing deeper into the wing. the infernal raven let out a guttural cry of agony, its piercing wails echoing across the volcanic mountain. blood flowed freely from its wounds, but its beastly will refused to let it succumb.
in a desperate attempt to escape, the infernal raven flapped its battered wings and took flight. its ascent was clumsy and pained, but it managed to rise above the battlefield.
she moved carefully because of her injuries. her strikes were quick and precise. she used the lunar edge sword arts: moon fang and aimed at the beast's injured right wing.
the crescent-shaped slash hit hard, cutting deeper into the wing. the infernal raven screamed in pain, its cries echoing over the volcanic mountain. blood flowed from its wounds, but it refused to give up.
in a last-ditch effort to escape, the infernal raven flapped its hurt wings and flew up. it struggled to rise above the battlefield.naviga followed the a.i.'s plans to stop the beast from escaping. she used phantom moon step footwork art and quickly moved to the side of the beast's neck. her sword shone with bright moonlight as she got ready to strike.
the infernal raven sensed the danger and acted desperately. it twisted its body and lowered its head, pulling back just in time. naviga's sword, meant for the neck, missed and hit its orange horn instead. the sword bounced off, leaving a small scratch but not breaking through its tough surface.the infernal raven roared defiantly. it retreated slightly as naviga landed nearby. her chest heaved from tiredness. her sword arm trembled from exhaustion and strain. the last strike had chipped the rock behind the beast. it created a deep groove in the volcanic ground.
naviga's a.i. chip gave a serious warning:
"host, universal essence reserves are at 50%. be careful."
naviga tightened her grip on her sword and tried to breathe steady. across the battlefield, the infernal raven swayed a little. a small crack showed on its huge horn from earlier. the beast screeched in pain and anger, but its fury was far from gone. ignoring its injuries, the creature grabbed a big boulder from the ground and threw it at naviga.
she looked up at the falling rock. she quickly used phantom moon step footwork art. her form blurred as she dashed to safety just in time. the boulder hit the ground where she had been, breaking into many pieces.
the infernal raven did not give up. it saw its chance as naviga tried to escape. in a burst of speed from desperation, it lunged forward. its huge claw slashed down toward her.
Despite warnings from her a.i. chip and minerva's earlier shouts, naviga's reaction was a fraction too slow. the claw struck her midsection, sending her hurtling down the mountain. she tumbled violently, her body slamming against rocks and jagged edges before she finally came to a stop at the mountain's foot.
watching from above, minasa clenched her fists tightly as she witnessed naviga's battered form lying at the mountain's base. her silver eyes burned with suppressed fury. "a mere ant dares to harmn her..." she muttered under her breath.
for a moment, her protective instincts screamed at her to intervene, yet she resolutely restrained herself. minasa understood that this battle was naviga's to confront. "she will grow stronger through this struggle... but should she perish—" her silver eyes gleamed with a cold promise of vengeance as she fixed her glare upon the infernal raven.
the beast momentarily trembled under her unseen gaze but quickly dismissed the ominous sensation, redirecting its focus towards naviga.
naviga groaned as she struggled to push herself up. her body was in shambles. her white tunic was torn and soaked in blood, half of it completely shredded on her left side. deep gashes marred her left breast and stomach from the claw strikes, and blood flowed freely from the wounds. her left arm hung limply, and her vision swam from the loss of blood.
despite the excruciating pain, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to her knees. just as she moved, the infernal raven swooped down, its massive beak aimed at crushing her skull.
naviga's a.i. chip delivered an urgent alert:
"danger imminent! beak strike approaching! evasive action required."
But before the strike could hit, a red slash cut through the air and hit the raven's back. the beast shrieked in pain, stopping its attack and turning to see who had hurt it.
minerva stood bravely at the edge of the crater. her red hair waved in the wind, and her fiery eyes were fixed on the beast. her blade glowed with a soft red light, still raised from the attack.
the infernal raven, recognizing minerva, faced her with more anger. ignoring naviga for now, it flapped its hurt wings and flew towards minerva.
naviga recognized the opportunity and forced herself to sit upright, disregarding the intense pain coursing through her body. summoning every bit of willpower, she lifted her sword and activated the lunar edge sword arts: crescent moon. by channeling universal essence, she released a sharp, crescent-shaped slash directed at the beast's already injured right wing. the blow landed precisely, cutting deep into the old wound. the infernal raven's right wing, unable to bear the additional damage, was severed completely. the creature emitted a deafening cry of pain, blood spraying as it lost its balance. with one wing missing, it fell to the ground, crashing with a resounding impact that rattled the earth.
naviga moved slowly, her legs struggling to hold her up. she used phantom moon step to get closer to the fallen creature. the infernal raven moved weakly, its body covered in wounds.
"host, serious injury found in the beast's stomach. suggestion: use this chance."
following the chip's advice, naviga used eclipse slash: eclipse thrust. she channeled moonlight energy into her sword and drove it into the creature's open stomach. the attack went deep, causing blood to spray out. parts of the creature's insides spilled onto the volcanic ground, turning it red.
The infernal raven screamed. its cries echoed across the quiet mountains. it thrashed, trying to claw at its attacker, but grew weaker.
naviga, breathing hard, raised her sword again. she activated lunar edge sword arts: moon fang, aiming for the beast's back. the slash cut deep, splitting the flesh a its back.
The raven's glowing red eyes locked onto naviga. they were filled with rage and pain. its large body trembled, unable to rise or fight back. naviga moved closer, struggling to stand as pain hit her hard.
with her last bit of strength, she channeled all her universal essence into her blade and struck decisively across the creature's neck. the blade severed the raven's head, ending its life in one final blow.
The infernal raven fell heavily to the ground. naviga felt weak. her vision grew darker as she became exhausted and lost blood.
The a.i. chip sounded a final alert: "warning: host has lost significant blood. universal essence reserves depleted. immediate medical attention required."
Naviga felt a sharp pain in her chest. her knees gave out, and she gasped. she collapsed to the, losing consciousness as everything faded to black.
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷