Grrr... Equidema lowered its massive body, its predatory gaze locking onto its prey. It was assessing the situation, preparing to crush any perceived threat in an instant. The tension among Ghislain’s group was palpable as they waited for his next command. Feeling an ominous sense of doom, Piote’s voice trembled as he called out, “I-I’ll heal everyone!” Ghislain shook his head. “No need. You don’t need to use any strength right now.” “W-Why not?” Piote was flustered, but before Ghislain could respond, Alfoy walked up to him with a sly grin. “You don’t like me, do you?” “What? No, of course not!” Piote replied, shaking his head vehemently. As a priest devoted to a god, harboring dislike for another was against his nature. Though Alfoy’s constant antics annoyed him to no end, he prayed daily to forgive and let go of such feelings. However, Alfoy smirked knowingly. “It’s fine. You can hate me. I won’t mind.” “What are you talking abou—” Before he could finish, Alfoy grabbed him by the collar. “Wha—?!” And before Piote could even process what was happening, Alfoy hurled him straight toward Equidema. “Aaaaahhhhhh!” Thud! Piote landed directly in front of Equidema’s massive claws. Startled, the monster hesitated, pulling its head back slightly. “W-why...? What’s happening?” Piote stammered, his mind spiraling into panic. He had no time to process the situation as Equidema’s monstrous eyes loomed closer. Grrr... The Rift beast’s gaze was filled with malice and hatred, unlike anything Piote had ever encountered. Tears welled up in his eyes as he squeezed them shut. Why did they throw me out here?! Why is it always me?! Anger and despair boiled within him. Though he rarely blamed others, being thrown into a life-or-death situation like this pushed him to the brink. His thoughts raced with blame—toward Alfoy, the world, and even his god. Fear for his life, anger at his helplessness, and resentment for his companions consumed him. But now wasn’t the time for blame. “Raaaawr!” Equidema raised its massive claw and let out an earth-shaking roar. “Master!” Belinda and the others flinched, instinctively moving to rescue Piote, but Ghislain held them back. “Stay put! Just watch!” Though it seemed reckless, Ghislain had faith in his plan. The group could only watch nervously as Piote, quaking in fear, clenched his fists and cried out, “O-Oh Goddess!” Divine Intervention Rumble! Dark clouds gathered rapidly above them, and a silvery glow enveloped Piote’s trembling body. Radiant divine energy began to pour out of him. Just as Equidema’s massive claw came crashing down, the energy erupted. Boom! The sound of an impact echoed across the battlefield. Yet, something unexpected happened. “Raaaagh!” Equidema recoiled, letting out a guttural scream. Its claw was smoking and visibly charred, as if burned by an otherworldly force. Sizzle! Piote opened his eyes hesitantly, stunned to see himself unharmed. His body, glowing with divine energy, seemed untouched by the devastating attack. Around him, Equidema's front limb continued to sizzle from the divine radiance. How am I still alive? He glanced upward, noticing that the storm clouds were beginning to dissipate. The divine energy had lessened, its intensity fleeting. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮 Ghislain sighed. “Not enough.” Piote had tapped into a fragment of his goddess’s power but hadn’t been able to fully channel it. If he had succeeded, they might have immobilized Equidema long enough to land a decisive blow. Belinda, still stunned, stammered, “M-Master, how is he alive?” Ghislain smirked. “He’s wearing a relic.” “A relic?” “Yes, a true artifact.” Piote was wearing the Ring of Juana’s Blessing, a relic Ghislain had acquired and gifted to him. The ring provided an unshakable protective barrier fueled by his divine energy, shielding him even from catastrophic attacks. Though the barrier drained his energy rapidly, its protection was absolute. “Raaawr!” Infuriated, Equidema raised its claw for another strike. Boom! The beast struck with all its might, but Piote remained unharmed, crouching and shielding his head with his arms. Ghislain grinned. “Now’s our chance. Attack while it’s distracted! Priests, keep feeding him divine energy!” The Assault Ghislain surged forward, his greatsword glowing with mana. He leaped into the air and brought the blade down onto Equidema’s head. Boom! The impact landed squarely, staggering the monster. “Raaaagh!” The beast roared, jerking its head to retaliate, but Ghislain had already retreated. Taking advantage of the opening, Tenant darted in, slicing deep into Equidema’s leg. Slash! Blue mist and ichor spilled from the wound, clouding the battlefield. “Keep it up!” Ghislain bellowed. Belinda hurled a flurry of enchanted daggers at Equidema’s face, forcing it to shield its eyes. Meanwhile, Gillian and Kaor struck at its flanks, their weapons cutting through its tough hide. “Raaaagh!” Equidema’s frustration mounted as the relentless attacks chipped away at its massive frame. Yet, no matter how many times it struck Piote, he remained unharmed. His presence, radiating divine energy, became the focal point of its rage. Equidema’s primal instincts overrode its strategy. It fixated on eliminating the glowing priest, completely ignoring the others. Finally, the beast made its move, opening its massive jaws to swallow Piote whole. Vanessa’s Strike Just as Equidema lunged, a brilliant crimson light streaked through the battlefield. Boom! Vanessa’s concentrated fire spell struck Equidema square in the mouth, forcing it to recoil. The blast wasn’t the end. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Dozens of magic circles materialized in the sky, each pulsating with destructive energy. Unable to risk harming his allies, Vanessa had carefully focused his spells. Each one was designed to inflict maximum damage on Equidema without harming the rest of the group. The magic circles unleashed their energy in rapid succession, pelting Equidema with precision strikes. Boom! Boom! Boom! Mixed among Vanessa’s spells were smaller, sharp bursts of magic from Alfoy, a testament to his resourcefulness despite his gruff demeanor. The combined onslaught left Equidema battered and bleeding, its roars growing weaker with every hit. Boom! Boom! Boom! Vanessa unleashed a torrent of magical energy, his spells battering Equidema relentlessly. Every incantation carried the full force of his mana, each impact ripping into the beast’s already wounded body. “Raaaargh!” Blue smoke poured from Equidema’s gaping wounds as Vanessa’s magic widened and tore through its injuries. The creature’s once-massive frame now bore deep, jagged gashes. Despite Alfoy’s contributions to amplify the attacks, his spells had only a marginal effect. Equidema’s near-impenetrable hide and colossal vitality rendered even the fiercest assaults nearly ineffective. Its resilience was nothing short of monstrous. “How the hell is it still alive after all that?” one of Ghislain’s knights muttered in disbelief. “It’s disgustingly tough,” grumbled another. “Guess we’ll just have to keep hitting it until it’s dead,” Tenant replied grimly. Though it lacked speed, the beast’s durability was its ultimate weapon. In his previous life, Ghislain had learned this lesson the hard way, opting to attack the monster’s brain through its eyes to take it down. Vanessa, nearly out of mana, gazed at the beast with exhausted frustration. Even after pouring every ounce of his strength into the fight, Equidema still stood. Yet the massive Rift beast wasn’t unscathed. Drip... drip... Blue ichor oozed from its mouth, pooling at its feet. Vanessa’s fire beam had struck its throat directly, inflicting a critical wound. Grrr... Equidema’s snarls grew weaker as its life force drained away. Ghislain stepped forward, his greatsword raised, and said calmly, “It’s tired. Time to finish this.” The Final Assault Ghislain’s greatsword began to glow, shrouded in a dark crimson aura. His entire body seemed to disappear into a haze of the same ominous color. The others followed his lead, channeling the last reserves of their mana into their weapons. Grrr... Equidema stood its ground, glaring at its attackers with fiery malice. Despite its injuries, it burned with an almost sacred sense of purpose. For this beast, its mission was everything—its reason for existence. “Raaaargh!” The Rift beast lunged toward its closest target, radiating pure hatred. “Why me again?!” Piote crouched instinctively, bracing for the worst. But the blow never landed. Boom! Ghislain’s massive aura blade intercepted Equidema, slamming into its wounded flank. “Raaaaagh!” The beast staggered sideways, and in the same instant, Tenant struck its hind leg with surgical precision, slicing deep into its flesh. Slash! On the other side, Gillian and Kaor unleashed devastating mana-infused strikes, carving into Equidema’s flanks. Their sheer power blurred the line between mana blades and aura attacks. Having trained relentlessly under the influence of Dragon Heart fragments and using advanced mana circuits, the two warriors had risen to the brink of breaking through their limits. The synchronized assault overwhelmed Equidema, forcing it into a defensive posture. The Rift beast roared in frustration, its every attempt to retaliate interrupted by precise strikes from all sides. “Move aside!” Belinda’s voice rang out as dozens of daggers shot forward from his enchanted cloak. Each one found its mark, embedding deeply into the beast’s wounds. “Raaaaagh!” The sheer number of embedded daggers seemed to pin Equidema down. It thrashed violently, trying to dislodge them, but Belinda severed their connecting threads, leaving the blades lodged firmly in its flesh. Equidema’s movements grew sluggish, its massive body teetering. The Turning Point “Just a little more. One final push!” Ghislain commanded. He advanced steadily, his greatsword aimed for the beast’s throat. Equidema, now surrounded, retreated toward the Rift. Though countless smaller Rift creatures continued to emerge, the knights of Fenris swiftly dispatched them, ensuring they posed no threat. The beast roared again, its cries echoing with desperation and fury. It glanced toward the Rift, almost as if pleading for salvation. “Raaaaargh!” Ghislain and the others closed in, ready to land the killing blow. And then, the unexpected happened. Boom! From the now-massive Rift, a colossal white hand emerged. The hand, large enough to dwarf even Equidema, reached out with terrifying speed, slamming down on the beast like swatting an insect. “What the—?!”