"Huff… huff…"
The girl panted heavily, her chest rising and falling violently. Her entire body felt limp, her legs trembling as if about to give out. She was so exhausted that she could barely take another step.
But—
Before she could catch her breath, dozens of razor-sharp stones suddenly materialized out of thin air… and then—
Whoosh!
Each shard shot toward her at terrifying speed!
"Fireball!"
She shouted, and immediately, a blazing orb of fire exploded mid-air. The intense flames incinerated the stones before they could touch her.
But it wasn't over—
Right after the first wave, another barrage of stone spikes launched from all directions.
"Flame Burst!"
She screamed again, unleashing another fiery blast. Columns of flame roared outward, colliding with the incoming stone projectiles. Explosions echoed across the frozen landscape.
Yet, if one looked closely—
Her flames were growing weaker with each cast.
In contrast, the stone spikes remained as fierce and sharp as ever. There was no sign of them slowing down.
...
"Huff… huff… Damn it!"
Hidden behind a veil of shattered earth and smoke, Kyouno gasped for air, her voice heavy with fatigue and frustration.
In truth, she had a plan from the very beginning to deal with this monster.
No matter how strong it was, even if its magic tier outclassed hers entirely—it only possessed Earth-element magic.
And Earth… was weak against Fire.
Even if her own Fire Magic was only Novice-tier, she still had a chance to fight back.
However—
Just luring the beast away from the snow wolves, dodging its relentless kill-focused attacks, had drained far too much of her strength.
Not to mention—Kyouno hadn't had a proper meal in nearly a week. Her body was already at its limit, completely depleted.
And casting magic… required a lot of physical energy.
When her stamina ran out, not only would she be unable to use magic, even dodging would become nearly impossible.
And the monster?
It was like a tireless demon—each of its attacks carried the same deadly force as when the battle began.
More than that, it was a Master-tier beast—a level of magic that granted it the ability to establish its own elemental domain.
Once within that domain, the entire surrounding space would be transformed, saturated with the element it commanded.
There, it reigned like an absolute monarch—where every grain of dust, every whisper of wind, and every glint of light bent to its will.
Elemental magic required no incantation—just a flicker of thought, and the spell would manifest anywhere within that zone.
In other words, stepping into its domain meant stepping onto a battlefield where it was the sole player, sole master of the board.
Though she had only once witnessed an elemental domain conjured by her mom, that single glimpse was enough for Kyouno to grasp the terrifying might of such power.
It wasn't merely a supremacy of magic—it was a force that crushed the spirit, making the enemy feel as though they were struggling within a world that no longer belonged to them.
Dodging? Nearly impossible.
She was at an overwhelming disadvantage.
While the girl was still gasping for breath, not yet recovered—
Behind her, the ground began to stir again.
Chunks of earth swirled into formation, condensing into razor-sharp projectiles—
And then—
Whizz!
They shot toward her at a deadly speed.
"Wind glide!"
Kyouno twisted her body, narrowly dodging as her figure streaked through the air like a blade riding the breeze.
But calling upon another elemental magic now—
Was a double-edged sword.
Her body had reached its limit.
Even breathing was a struggle.
Fatigue gnawed at every tendon, every bone—standing upright itself was a battle.
And before her—
From the haze of shattered stone and dust, the beast stepped forth.
Each footfall heavy and deliberate, like a countdown—
As if it wanted its prey to feel every last second of life slipping away.
Its eyes glimmered in the gloom, cold and flickering—
Like an oil lamp about to go out in the wind.
Then its face emerged—
Twisted. Grotesque.
Accompanied by—
A crooked, chilling smile.
It was enjoying this.
Savoring every second of the cruel game.
Watching Kyouno inch toward despair.
Backed into a corner, no way out.
Until, finally—
It would crush her.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
With sick delight.
"Damn you…" Kyouno gritted her teeth, her curse barely more than a breath.
Just moments ago, she had burned with resolve.
Now, she stood rooted in place—
Motionless.
Like a statue of sorrow.
A bitter, familiar sensation welled up inside—
Helplessness.
Exactly like that day.
The day she faced the knight.
And was powerless to stop him.
Truthfully…
She wasn't all that afraid of dying.
She'd long grown used to the emptiness of this world.
If death were to claim her now—
So be it.
But if she fell here—
Would the beast return?
Would it slaughter the snow wolves—the mother and her cub?
"Damn it all…"
Kyouno let out a soft, broken laugh—
One that trembled with pain and bitter resignation.
And then—
The beast towered over her.
Its mouth gaped wide, revealing jagged fangs glinting in the dim light.
Death was only breaths away.
Kyouno's legs had gone numb.
No strength to run.
No room to dodge.
No power left to fight.
In that final moment—
The girl… let go.
Surrendered.
Her mind echoing with one last farewell:
"I'm sorry… Mother…
Sorry, Mana…
I just… can't live in a world without you anymore…"
She closed her eyes.
Let her body fall still.
And braced herself—
For the end that awaited.
...