The battlefield was silent for a fleeting moment, save for the ragged breaths escaping Frank's lips. His muscles screamed from overexertion, his vision slightly blurred from the force of dodging blows that should've torn him in half. The beast loomed over him, its grotesque form twitching with predatory excitement. Its long, sinewy limbs tensed, ready to strike once more. Frank's legs felt like lead, but the adrenaline coursing through his veins kept him standing, barely.
He exhaled sharply. Move. He had no weapon, only instincts that had kept him alive this long. He didn't even have time to think, only react.
The monster lunged.
Frank twisted, his body bending unnaturally low as the creature's razor-sharp claw carved through the space his head had just occupied. The wind pressure alone sent shivers down his spine. Too close.
The beast's second arm was already descending. I won't make it—
A sickening crack echoed through the air as Frank rolled away, barely escaping but at the cost of his right arm. The pain was blinding. It felt as if fire licked his bones, his mind recoiling at the unnatural angle of his limb. A sharp gasp tore from his throat, but he had no time to process it.
The monster advanced.
Its eerie, gleaming eyes fixated on him, analyzing his weaknesses. Blood dripped from its gaping maw as it let out a guttural growl. Frank struggled to his feet, swaying slightly. His ribs screamed in protest, sharp daggers of pain with every breath. Breathe through it. Focus.
His heartbeat pounded in his ears. He could barely move his right arm. His ribs were cracked, maybe broken. Every ounce of logic told him he was done for, but something deep inside him refused to let go.
The creature lunged again, its movement nothing but a black blur.
Frank willed his body to react, narrowly sidestepping, but the beast was faster this time. A searing pain shot across his cheek, warm liquid spilling down his jaw. It got me. The realization was immediate, but his body didn't falter.
He planted his foot, twisted his torso, and with a forceful pivot, slammed his left fist into the creature's torso with every ounce of strength he had left.
The impact rippled through the beast's grotesque body. It stumbled back, letting out an enraged shriek, its grotesque form momentarily faltering. Frank's knuckles were numb from the sheer force of the strike, his own body protesting as if he had hit a solid wall. But the damage was real. He could see it in the way the monster trembled, a thick black substance oozing from the wound. I hurt it.
A moment of disbelief flickered in his mind. How?
The monster, furious now, let out a guttural roar, lunging forward, its claws gleaming under the dim light. Too fast—
But before the final blow could land, a blur of motion erupted from the side.
Tayla's blade arced through the air, slicing deep into the beast's exposed side. A sickening squelch followed, the monster's shriek deafening as it reeled back. Kaido's presence followed immediately, his aura flooding the battlefield like a suffocating force. His blade, glowing with bloodlust, cut through the darkness.
Tayla's strikes were precise, rapid. Kaido's were brutal, relentless.
Frank collapsed to his knees, barely registering the whirlwind of movement before him. The beast let out one final ear-splitting shriek as Kaido's blade severed its grotesque head from its body. The carcass fell with a sickening thud.
Silence.
The only sound left was Frank's ragged breathing. His vision swam as the exhaustion and pain finally caught up to him. His body was no longer responding.
As the last remnants of the battlefield blurred away, the only thing he could make out was Tayla crouching beside him, her face contorted with concern.
Her voice reached him, distant, laced with worry.
Then, darkness.
---
When Frank's consciousness resurfaced, he was lying on rough dirt. The world around him was blurred, but he could hear voices—familiar ones. His body ached in ways he didn't know were possible.
As his vision cleared, he recognized the scenery.
They were back.
The farmland of the village stretched before him, the remnants of battle and warped space dissipating into the night air. The others stood around him, murmuring, shaken but alive. He saw Raymond, his expression unreadable as he stood beside the villagers they had rescued. Joel was already tending to the wounded, his magic a faint glow in the night.
Tayla, still beside him, sighed in relief.
"You're awake."
Frank tried to sit up, but his body protested violently. He groaned, opting to stay still instead. His head was still spinning.
Kaido folded his arms, staring down at him. "You're a reckless idiot, you know that?"
Frank let out a weak chuckle. "You're just figuring that out?"
Raymond, however, had a different expression. His gaze lingered on Frank a little longer than usual. There was something in his eyes, something calculating. He finally spoke, his voice even.
"How did you survive that?"
Silence fell over the group.
Frank swallowed, his throat dry. He had no answer. He didn't know. His body had reacted on its own, moved faster than he thought possible. And the damage he inflicted—
Tayla's gaze lingered on him as well, something unreadable behind her expression.
But the question remained.
How did he survive?