He managed a nervousugh, trying to brush off the tension. Jade, assessing his condition with a critical eye, noted, "Those moves must have taken a lot out of you. You''re at about 100 right now on your energy levels. Let''s refrain from using your fire as much as possible as we try to aim for—"
Her strategic advice was abruptly interrupted as Rosa, with quick reflexes, shoved her out of harm''s way. The creature had stealthily appeared behind them, its weapon raised for a deadly strike. Rosa, ever vignt, conjured a protective barrier of fire in the nick of time.
The fire web enveloped them, a glowing shield against the creature''s aggression. As they skidded to a halt, Rosa and Jade positioned themselves defiantly in front of Oscar, whose face was marked with the signs of battle, the blood from his wound beginning to dry.
The creature, pausing to survey the scene, finally spoke, its tone carrying a mix of amusement and revtion. "I guess I understand why the dogs have struggled for so long. But to be honest, this was sort of just forgotten about.
No matter, The lord of the Vale was right to send me, switching my cest second for a test. Once I kill you three, I will ry this information about this to him, and we can proceed properly."
Rosa''s nervousughter, barely masking her apprehension, filled the air as Jade caught sight of her leg trembling subtly. In a defiant gesture, Rosa shed her cloak, signaling her readiness for the confrontation. "Well, I guess we will just have to kill you first, huh?" she dered, adopting a battle-ready stance. Her fists ignited, wrapping in tendrils of fire, showcasing her resolve.
The creature, unfazed, responded with a chuckle of its own, brandishing a hiltless de that resembled a sharp, frozen ice spear more than a traditional weapon. "Come dance as well," it taunted, beforeunching itself at Rosa with a swift dash.
Jade, keenly observing the exchange, called out, "Keep him distracted while I focus on finding a way to hit his weak point!" Her strategy aimed to capitalize on the creature''s momentary focus on Rosa, searching for an opening to exploit its vulnerability.
Rosa, acknowledging Jade''s n with a quick nod, met the creature''s advance head-on. She deftly ducked under a swing of its icy de, countering with an attempted strike to its chest. The creature, however, parried her hand aside.
Undeterred, Rosa maneuvered around its form, delivering a forceful hit to its sword arm, disarming it momentarily.
In that instant, Oscar saw his opportunity. He dived towards the fray, his de aimed at the creature''s chest in a decisive strike.
The creature, with surprising agility, caught Oscar''s de mid-strike, its own blood sttering as it grasped the sharp edge. In a swift retaliation, it aimed a backhanded fist at Rosa, expecting to send her reeling.
However, as its fist made contact with her face, a burst of mes erupted. Rosa''s blood trickled down her cheek, but the creature found its hand momentarily adhered to her fiery visage, the mes binding them together.
With a mixture of shock and frustration, the creature struggled to free its hand, ultimately releasing a strange liquid in the process.
Seizing this moment of vulnerability, Oscar didn''t hesitate. He swung his sword again, this time severing the creature''s other hand in a clean cut. Without missing a beat, he aimed another slice towards the creature''s chest.
But the creature was prepared; as Oscar''s de made contact, it met a surprisingly slippery surface, deflecting the attack. The creature''s foot mmed into the ground in response, and Jade, observing from a distance, yelled a warning, "It''s a spiked attack!" Oscar, reacting swiftly, used his sword to deflect the iing assault.
He managed to parry most of the spikes, but one found its mark, embedding in his side and causing further injury.
In a desperate bid to turn the tide, the creature, now free of the mes,shed out with a powerful kick to Rosa''s chest. The force of the impact sent her skidding across the concrete tond in a puddle of water, struggling for breath.
Meanwhile, Jade, having circled to the creature''s rear, seized her chance. With the creature distracted by its assault on Rosa and Oscar, she aimed for the red gem on its lower back, the identified weak point.
!Jade''smand cut through the chaos, her eyes zing with an intensified white me, a visible testament to her focus and power. "Rosa!! Burn the ground right now!" she yelled, her voice echoing with urgency.
In the same breath, she hurled the small knife, its de tinged with an oil-spilled hue—a gift from the director—towards the creature. "Throw your sword now, Oscar, and put all of your me into it, whatever you have left!" she instructed, rallying her teammates for a coordinated strike.
The creature, momentarily caught off guard by the rapid sequence of events, reacted instinctively. As the dagger drew near, it stamped its foot down, attempting to deflect the iing weapon with a familiar technique. However, Jade''s unwavering gaze and Oscar''s ming swordbined in a relentless assault.
The sword, empowered by Oscar''s remaining energy, cleaved through the creature''s watery defenses, striking true at the gem embedded in its back. The creature, caught by surprise, whirled around only to find the water beneath it evaporated by Rosa''s fierymand.
With a desperate gesture, the creature faced Jade, recognizing her as the linchpin in their strategy. "You''re the nuisance seeing through all of my attacks, huh?!" it used, as itunched a barrage of water spikes from its palm.
Jade, her agility on full disy, weaved through the spikes, her eyes betraying the strain of her heightened state. Closing the distance, she delivered a powerful punch to the creature''s face, a bold move that left her momentarily vulnerable. The creature seized this chance, capturing Jade by the neck in a swift counter.
Yet, Jade''s smirk was the prelude to her final gambit; she ced her hand on the creature''s chest and unleashed a surge of energy. The force of the st tore through, leaving a gaping hole where the creature''s heart should have been.