The treeline erupted as the creature shoved its way through, branches snapping and splintering under its massive weight. 

My breath caught in my throat as I caught my first glimpse of it. 

I felt a surge of adrenaline, instinctively reaching for my rifle. 

The others followed suit, weapons in hand, ready to face the beast. 

Everyone except our guide, who had opted to stay hidden in the tent, peering out with wide eyes.

Ryu stepped up beside me, pulling out his sickle, its blade gleaming ominously in the dim light. 

The tension in the air thickened, an electric charge that warned of the imminent danger.

I quickly opened the chamber of my rifle, checking to see if the shard was still intact. 

Relief washed over me as I saw it nestled securely inside. 

I cocked the rifle back, feeling the familiar weight of it in my hands, and aimed at the creature just as it let out another deafening roar.

The creature's skin glimmered with a whitish-blue hue, reflecting the light in a way that made it look almost divine.

 A long, crystal spike tail trailed behind it, swaying ominously.

Its arms were uniquely terrifying, each one extending into wing-like appendages that appeared both powerful and grotesque

Its teeth, stained with blood, were bared in a snarl that sent a chill racing down my spine.

[Great i go from almost dying to a Velkhorn to now fighting a Kaldrith…this is just my fucking day…]

“Cédric! Cover Yvette!” 

Nicholas barked, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

Cédric nodded, positioning himself protectively beside me, his expression serious and focused. 

“I’ve got your back!”

“Ryu, Elise—offense!” 

Nicholas continued, glancing at them as they prepared to charge forward.

Ryu tightened his grip on his sickle, his eyes narrowed in determination. 

“Let’s do this.”

Elise fell into step beside him, her own weapon ready, a fierce glint in her eye. 

“I’ll distract it!”

“Gabriel!” 

Nicholas shouted, directing our tank. 

“Try to throw anything you can at it!”

I took a deep breath, my heart racing as I steadied my aim, watching as Ryu and Elise charged toward the beast. 

I felt Cédric’s presence beside me, a reassuring reminder that I wasn’t alone in this fight.

“On my mark!” 

Nicholas called, his eyes locked on the Kaldrith.

Instinct kicked in, and I instantly aimed my rifle toward the creature's wing. 

My heart raced as I pulled the trigger, the sharp crack of gunfire shattering the tense silence. 

The crystal shard shot forth, piercing through the Kaldrith's wing and creating a gaping hole. 

The creature let out a bone-chilling screech, a sound that resonated with both fury and pain.

Fueled by rage, the Kaldrith turned its attention toward me and Cedric, its eyes blazing with vengeance. 

It lunged forward, its massive body crashing through the snow as it barreled toward us.

Instinctively, I bolted to the side, trying to reposition for another shot.

My feet pounded against the frozen ground, heart racing in my chest.

But before I could make it far, the Kaldrith's tail swung toward me, whistling through the air with deadly speed. 

Time seemed to slow as I looked up, the massive crystal spike just inches above my head.

[I'm gonna die...]

The thought gripped me, freezing me in place as the monstrous tail loomed over me.

In a flash, Cedric threw himself in front of me, his shield raised just in time to block the impact. 

The force of the blow sent a deafening shockwave through the air, but somehow, his shield held.

I stood there in disbelief, heart still hammering, unable to move as I watched Cedric's shield splinter under the force.

"GO!" 

he screamed at me, his voice raw with urgency.

He planted his feet, every muscle straining as he held back the crushing weight. 

I should’ve moved. 

I should’ve done something. 

But I just stood there, my fingers twitching as the essence coiled in my palm, twisting into a sharp, crystal shard.

I was too slow.

I looked up just as the creature’s tail came crashing down.

 It happened in an instant—his shield shattered completely, and then…

 silence. 

No roar, no scream. 

Just a sickening crunch.

Cédric was gone, crushed beneath the massive tail. 

The snow around him darkened, turning red, the contrast sharp against the cold white.

I couldn’t react, couldn’t process it. 

I just stood there, staring at the blood-soaked snow, the shard in my hand slowly crumbling into nothing.

My stomach churned, the cold biting at my skin suddenly hitting me all at once. 

Before I knew it, I lurched forward, vomiting onto the ground, the acid burning my throat. 

My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed to my knees, the rifle slipping from my shoulder. 

I barely managed to place it beside me, my hands shaking uncontrollably.

The ground trembled as the Kaldrith’s tail swung up again, the massive shadow looming over me.

But before it could strike, a deafening clash filled the air. 

I looked up, dazed, just in time to see Ryu standing over me, Élise’s sword held high, catching the force of the beast’s tail. 

His muscles strained, the weight of the blow pressing him down.

“Did you really think…that i’d let you die after all that trouble earlier…”

Ryu growled through gritted teeth, his body trembling under the pressure, yet refusing to give in.

From the side, Élise darted in, her movements quick and precise as she slid beside me. 

Without hesitation, she handed me my rifle, her eyes locking with mine—cold, determined.

“Get up.”

 she said, her voice firm. 

“We can’t fight this thing alone. You’re the only one who can do real damage from afar.” 

Her gaze flickered to Gabriel, who stood a distance away, hurling shards of crystal at the Kaldrith, each one shattering against its thick hide, useless.

“Not even Gabriel’s attacks can pierce its skin.” 

She gripped my shoulder, her fingers digging into my arm. 

“It’s up to you…”

I stared at the rifle in my hands, still shaking.

My breath was shallow, my body felt heavy, but something inside me clicked. 

The weight of it all—the blood, the death, the crushing pressure—faded into the background.

My hand tightened around the arcane flux in my palm, and I forced it to form.

A crystal shard took shape, larger this time, twice the size of the last. 

Its sharp edges glimmered in the pale light as I loaded it into the chamber of the rifle.

“Not as long as I still breathe…”

The click of the bolt sliding back as I cocked the rifle was deafening in the freezing silence.

Then, the ground shook again.

The Kaldrith’s tail swung viciously, crashing down onto the tent with a sickening force. 

The guide inside didn’t stand a chance—his body crushed beneath the weight. 

The beast turned its gaze toward Gabriel, its eyes narrowing, wings unfurling as it began to beat the air, preparing to fly away.

"Nicolas!" 

someone shouted, but he was already moving. 

Shaking off the shock, he rushed to the wreckage of the tent, grabbing a rope from the debris. 

He ran with everything he had, hurling the rope over the Kaldrith’s leg. 

It wrapped around, and he pulled with all his strength, his body straining as the beast thrashed, trying to break free.

The Kaldrith let out a deafening screech, its wings beating furiously, kicking up snow and wind in all directions as it squirmed, desperate to escape.

“Yvette!” 

Nicolas screamed, veins bulging in his neck as he struggled to hold the rope. 

I could barely hear him over the pounding of my heart. 

Time seemed to slow, the world narrowing down to the creature before me. 

The Kaldrith’s massive wings flapped wildly, creating gusts of freezing air that bit at my skin, but I pushed everything aside, steadying my aim. 

My breath hitched as I lined up the shot, focusing on the creature's jugular, a weak point just beneath its thick, scaled hide.

I took a deep, long breath, forcing my hands to stay steady.

[This has to be it...]

The sound of the trigger pulling back echoed in my mind as I squeezed it, the rifle kicking hard against my shoulder. 

The crystal shard shot out, striking true, embedding itself into the Kaldrith’s throat.

The beast let out a guttural, agonizing roar, its wings flapping harder as it stumbled backward, crashing into the ground. 

Blood poured from the wound in its throat, dark and thick, staining the snow beneath it.

The Kaldrith's wings flapped erratically as it staggered, refusing to fall despite the blood gushing from its throat. Its massive body swayed, desperate and enraged, fighting death with every ounce of its fading strength.

Ryu, his face calm but eyes focused, dashed forward, grabbing Elise’s sword from the ground. 

The beast let out another pained screech, its movements wild, but it didn’t stop him. 

Ryu moved with swift precision, leaping onto its back as it thrashed.

He raised the sword high above his head, gripping it with both hands. 

With a determined shout, he plunged the blade deep into the Kaldrith’s skull, driving it through the thick bone and straight into its brain.

The creature let out a final, agonized roar, its body convulsing one last time. 

Then, its massive form finally gave in, collapsing under its own weight with a heavy thud that shook the ground.