Magical energy whipped through the air as I stared up at the two before me from my sitting position on the ground. The black lion beast stepped forward, a mighty roar escaping its lips. Fauve roared back before she rushed forward with the burst of speed. 

Extending her claws, Fauve called back, “Evie!” 

Evolet let out of breath as she opened her eyes, “Dawn eyes.” 

Her normal violet eyes sparkled like blue crystals as she stared at the beast in front of her. 

Her sight blackened into a monotone landscape as the only shreds of color came from the tiny threads of magical energy weaving around the area. Grabbing a hold of a few of these threads, only visible to her, she pulled them tight.  

The beast roared in what seemed to be pain, the fire of its mane weakening. At this moment, Fauve slid in front of the beast, flexing her claws as they were enveloped in shadows once more. 

“Dusk Claws: Ombré Uppercut!”

Fauve jabbed the beast with a powerful uppercut blast, red and black energy shining brightly amongst the misty shadows of her magic. However, the beast was unscathed by the attack and quickly swiped it’s paw down on Fauve. 

Fauve reacted quickly, jumping back and flipping out of the way as she grinned at the challenge. The beast’s paw glowed red suddenly and Evolet quickly reacted, grabbing a different set of threads, she pulled right as the beast slammed down its paw. The earth cracked and blew apart from underneath the beast’s paw, causing an explosion of magical fire. With her cat-like reflexes, Fauve jumped onto the torn-up earth as she dodged the explosion. 

Thanks to Evolet reducing the radius of the attack, it never reached us, but I could still feel the heat from how far back I was. My body trembled with fear as I was paralyzed, watching the battle unfold. My breath shook as my mind reeled, overwhelmed with everything that was happening before me at the very moment. 

“Fau!” Evolet called out, clutching six new threads and giving them a sharp tug. The beast halted for a moment as Fauve rushed forward, flicking her claws, once more igniting them. 

“Dusk Claws: Sha-” Fauve was cut off, as the beast broke free, burning Evolet as she quickly let go of the threads. The beast swiped its paw as Fauve jumped and twisted out of its way again, before coming down with a strike of her own on its paw. 

“Dusk Claws: Shadow Strike!” she yelled, clawing down with a blast of magical energy. Fauve’s eyes widened in surprise as the beast was revealed unscathed once again. 

“Fau!” Evolet called out. Fauve looked up as the beast was charging up a blast of fire from its mouth. Evolet quickly pulled some threads, lessening the fire attack, but not enough as Fauve jumped. 

A sizzling sound echoed within Fauve’s ears as the blast had gotten part of her left side. Fauve rolled to the ground before sliding back to her feet. Her violet eyes shined as she grinned up at the beast. Fauve charged; her attacks relentless as she clawed back at the beast like a wild animal. Evolet scanned the beast with her eyes, aiding Fauve anyway she possibly could. 

“Where is it?” Evolet muttered, her eyes darting around. 

Suddenly the beast roared loudly, the blast blowing all of us back. Sitting up, I noticed the beast starting to glow.  

“Damn, if we don’t stop this Altalion now, it’s going to explode,” Evolet muttered, my eyes widening at her words as I turned to the rapidly glowing beast. 

“Evie! We have to do it now!” Fauve shouted running towards the beast. 

“Right!” Evolet shouted back as sweat dripped down her face. 

I glanced at the two as if they were insane, but in my fear, I couldn’t even formulate words to argue with them. Fauve jumped with all her might over the beast as she fell towards it. Evolet grabbed some threads as her eyes flared with magic, the threads in between her fingers igniting as they traveled right to Fauve. Fauve’s shadowed claws burst with magic energy as she fell down towards the Altalion. 

Suddenly, Fauve and Evolet’s magic flickered and disappeared. Both girl’s eyes widened, fear flooding through them both as Fauve’s smile disappeared. The beast below glowed white engulfing the area as I finally could no longer stay still. 

Like a flicker of a star, the light disappeared, surprising everyone as they turned to me. The book glowed bright gold underneath me as I held a pen tightly in my hand. 

“We’re not done yet!” I yelled; a glare etched into my brown eyes. 

“I’ve stopped it from exploding! Now’s the time to fight back!” I yelled out to them. Fauve bounced off the back of the beast and landed on the ground a little bit away from it as she stumbled from her injuries. 

The Altalion roared again releasing a wave of smoke that covered the area. 

“Fauve!” Evolet called. 

Fauve stayed calm using her ears and her instincts to dodge the beast’s attacks as the two played cat and mouse. Evolet had a hand on her face as she tried to reactivate her eye magic, only for it to flicker and sputter before fading out, worry crossing her features. 

“First things first,” I muttered, Evolet turning to me in interest. 

“Let’s get your magic back,” I spoke, my pen scratching across the page before glowing. 

Evolet’s body glowed as a surge of magic energy returned to her. 

Fauve smile returned; her grin wicked as she now fought back against the Altalion with full magic power. 

“Next, let’s get rid of the smoke,” I muttered, scribbling against the page. 

The smoke parted like the sea, revealing Fauve and the Altalion and their intense battle. 

“Now, to heal your wounds.”

Fauve and Evolet’s burns healed with a glow of golden light as Evolet turned to me curiously, as I continued to scribble away. 

Liliya cannot use this book on herself, whether it be healing or learning magic.

I may not be able to heal or enhance myself with magic, but I can boost them no problem!

“Not only that, but I can weaken the Altalion as well,” I grinned to myself. 

“Now, I say we let Fauve’s attacks actually do some damage,” I smiled, swiping my pen across the book page. 

Immediately, Fauve’s Dusk Claws injured the Altalion, causing it to roar out in pain as Fauve’s grin only grew wider. 

“You next Evolet, this should help you affect its magic circuits,” I told her, scribbling once more. 

Evolet gazed at me for a moment, her eyes narrowed before she seemingly shook it off, turning forward to help Fauve. Reactivating her Dawn Eyes, she found the threads of the Altalion’s magic circuits and pulled them tight. Shockwaves of pain flowed through the threads to the Altalion as it’s painful roar echoed throughout the battlefield. 

“Dusk Claws: Obsidian Slash!” Fauve yelled, landing another strike.  Even still, it wasn’t quite enough. 

“We need to hit it with something bigger,” I muttered to myself, thinking out loud. 

“That attack you tried to do before, do it again,” I told Evolet. 

“We can’t,” Evolet responded, her eyes locked with the battle before her. 

“We haven’t ever accomplished it before. It’s incomplete.” 

“But before-” 

“Before we were just desperate.”  

I looked at Evolet as my mind reeled. ‘Incomplete? Then perhaps…’ 

“Try it again.”

“What?” Evolet said turning back to me. 

“It will work this time,” I assured her. 

“Why should I trust you?”

“You shouldn’t.”

Evolet looked me directly in the eyes. 

“You have no reason to trust me, you don’t even know me. Regardless of that fact, I need you to trust me,” I told her seriously, locking eyes with her. 

We exchanged glances as Evolet thought it over, before Evolet turned forward. 

“Fau! Let’s try that move again!” Evolet shouted as I smiled, quickly returning to writing. 

“You got it!” Fauve grinned, running up and jumping so she was just above the Altalion once more. Evolet found Fauve’s threads and set them ablaze, igniting Fauve’s magic. I scribbled away, noticing the Altalion charging up a blast of fire towards Fauve in my peripherals. 

“Oh no, you don’t,” I muttered, finishing my thought before adding an extra line. 

The book glowed, gravity increasing onto the Altalion, immobilizing it before Fauve’s claws glowed white as she released her– no, our final strike.  

“MOON ECLISMA!” 

A thin white slash sped to the ground before it exploded like an atomic bomb. White, purple, and red energy rose as the beast was engulfed in its magnificent light.