'Ugh!'
My back struck the massive tree with great force, and blood burst from my nose in a harsh, violent cough.
'Close call.' I rose to my feet.
Meanwhile, Lucy swiftly sidestepped, evading the razor-sharp claws of the enormous dire wolf. She subsequently performed four backflips to reach my position.
As we watched, fifteen wolves emerged from the cluster of trees, their green eyes glowing as they walked toward us.
Lucy stood beside me while the massive tree loomed behind us, blocking any chance of escape. We exchanged glances with the dire wolves, their jaws opening, saliva dripping in eager anticipation of devouring us.
'Ba-dum! Ba-dum!'
I stepped back, glancing at Lucy, whose expression remained fearless.
The surroundings were adorned with yellow grasses and glowing red flowers. In an ideal world, it would be a perfect location for a date.
I gasped, sucking in air like I had forgotten how to breathe. Cold sweat slicked off my palms, making them slippery against the two shields I was holding.
'Aaah!'
I charged toward the wolves. My feet dug into the dirt as I propelled myself forward, swiftly closing the gap between us.
The wolves' bloodlust grew more intense as they charged in my direction.
As the distance between us diminished, the wolf before me lashed out with its claw. Horrified, I raised one of the shields to protect my face.
The force of the sharp claw striking the shield compelled me to retreat.
Simultaneously, Lucy leaped from behind and executed a mid-air spin. Wielding a long sword forged from pure blood, she ruthlessly decapitated the wolf that had attacked me.
At that moment, another wolf leaped and sank its teeth into Lucy mid-air, attempting to crush her ribs within its powerful jaws.
Had it not been for the armor she wore, her life would have come to an end.
Meanwhile, another wolf observed my distraction as I focused on Lucy and swiftly charged toward me. Before I could respond, its jaws were wide open, poised to sever my left arm.
"Blood Art Technique: Negative Touch," I yelled.
Suddenly, my heart started beating faster as if it was going to explode, a force of gravity coursed through my blood vessels and landed on the tip of my Clenched fist.
In a violent rupture, a wave of gravity erupted from my clenched fist and struck the wolf.
The blast generated a powerful recoil, propelling me backward and causing me to collide forcefully with the enormous tree.
The wolf's head was severed by the immense force of gravity, leaving a lifeless body behind.
[Ding... Mana: 50%]
By that moment, Lucy had succeeded in stabbing the wolf that had attempted to crush her ribs. Nevertheless, five additional wolves surrounded her, each growling menacingly.
One of them reached out with a claw towards Lucy's head, but she quickly ducked to avoid it.
Another wolf widened its fangs, lunging to sink them into her left leg, but Lucy swiftly sidestepped.
Before she could reposition her foot, a sharp claw struck her back, causing her to bleed.
A surge of adrenaline coursed through my body.
Despite my left arm being dislocated due to the revelation I used, I grasped the two shields in my hands and lunged toward Lucy with determination.
To my astonishment, rather than succumbing to the wolf's direct attack, Lucy sprouted elongated spikes from her back. The blood spikes impaled the wolf, penetrating its brain.
Lucy fled in the direction of the wolf she had slain.
After surveying the battlefield, she changed direction and dashed toward me with the wolves pursuing her closely.
We sprinted toward each other, feet pounding against the dirt until we collided at the center.
Lucy leaped forward and landed on my shield. I swung it, catapulting her into the night sky. Her body twisted mid-air as she conjured four blood daggers, clutching them tightly.
Focusing on the necks of the four wolves, Lucy hurled the daggers with precision, striking and impaling them.
The wolves halted their advance as they closed in on me, their bodies dropped like sacks of potatoes.
The wolves were not the only creatures that fell. Lucy, unable to maintain her balance, lost her center of gravity and fell heavily to the ground.
Upon arriving at her location, I found her pale body, her skin gradually transforming into the hue of snow.
"Hang in there," I said. Taking hold of her hand and gently placing her body on my lap.
"I have lost too much blood," Lucy stated, her lips laughing and smiling at me.
"Did you know I was a virgin before I met you?" Her eyes turned toward the approaching group of eight remaining wolves.
"I had hoped you would endure for at least two minutes," she remarked, a chuckle escaping her lips as she coughed up blood.
"Stop speaking; you are losing too much blood." I gripped her hand firmly and turned my gaze toward the advancing wolves. "I will protect you."
Lucy raised her left hand and slowly pointed it at the wolves, "A goddess must protect her disciple, not the other way round."
"Blood Art Technique: Inferno."
Lucy snapped her fingers. Instantly, a massive fireball materialized where the wolves had been. It twisted and turned as though moving in harmony with her heartbeat.
I watched the eight wolves combust and burn to a crisp almost instantaneously.
"I would not have taken that course of action if I were in your position," a mysterious voice echoed from the dense cluster of trees ahead of us.
"Exhausting the entirety of your mana in a single instance will inevitably lead to death," the voice said.
Our greatest fear materialized—the knight stepped forward from the shadows and stood before us.
"Cough!"
A single droplet of blood landed on my hand as Lucy struggled, clutching desperately at my shirt.
"You should run; I will be fine."
Her body was hot as if she had bathed inside a volcano; the side effect of using her trump card turned out to be fatal.