I struggled, kicking my legs with all the strength I had left, but without giving myself time to react.
The enormous beast, reminiscent of a tiger, lunged at me like a flash of living darkness. Its claws descended with a brutality that tore through the air, a hiss that seemed to split reality.
A thunderclap of raw force.
I couldn't just stand by and wait for death.
Frying with a silent howl, I managed to swing my sword at the last moment. The blade, coated in my mana, received the impact with a piercing screech that shook my entire body.
But it was useless.
The force of the blow was overwhelming, beyond what my battered body could bear.
My knees lost their strength and buckled under the violent impact, cracking like dry branches. I felt my bones creak, my tendons tense with pain as I collapsed face first onto the ground.
