Alana stood firm as Lacy positioned herself directly in front, planted on all four legs, teeth bared in a deep, threatening growl. Above them, Macy circled through the sky, ready for battle.

Alana’s full focus remained locked on the Inverted Demonic Boar. The monster was charging straight at them on its five remaining legs, one foreleg held uselessly off the ground. Its six glowing eyes burned with savage fury.

She glanced quickly to her right. Hana stood beside her, gripping her thrower tightly. The girl’s hands were trembling, but not from hesitation. She had seen what happened to Dominic, his broken body, the brutal beating he had endured. The fear inside her had only grown stronger.

Yet she refused to let it win.

She had watched Dominic fight for them. She had seen him bleed and suffer so the rest of them could have a chance. There was no way she could stay on the sidelines after that. She had to contribute. She had to do something.

Hana tightened her grip on the thrower. It was already loaded with a potion she had never tested in battle. She had only just finished creating it recently. She had no idea how strong the effect would be... or if it would even work. Still, she placed all her hopes on it.

Everything is riding on this one gamble. If it failed, they would all die. That was what she believed.

Alana turned her attention to Lacy, the Fire Spirit hound standing protectively in front of her. Their contract was still new, so she hadn’t given the beast any life-risking orders yet. She couldn’t bring herself to force a newly contracted spirit into mortal danger against its will.

Macy was different. They had grown up together. Macy wasn’t just a contracted beast to her, she was family, a true friend who would gladly give her life for Alana. But expecting the same level of loyalty from Lacy right now would be unreasonable. Trust took time.

Even so, Alana couldn’t afford to hold Lacy back. Their survival depended on everything they had.

She took a long, steadying breath. Reaching out through their contract bond, she gently touched the minds of her two spirit companions. She felt their emotions clearly.

There was no fear.

Only unbreakable resolve. They stood ready to fight with everything they had, no matter the cost. They didn’t want to abandon her. They refused to let anything happen to her.

Alana’s eyes grew misty for a moment. She quickly blinked the tears away.

There’s no time for that now.

She had to win.

"Macy, Lacy... prepare yourselves," she said firmly. "We’re going to use the combination attack we practiced. Our lives are in your hands now. So give it everything you’ve got."

Lacy answered with a powerful "Woof!"

From the sky, Macy let out a sharp, determined cry.

Alana smiled.

"That’s the spirit. Get ready."

***

The Inverted Demonic Boar was only ten meters away.

Alana steeled herself, stepping forward and extending one hand. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, focusing deeply on her bond with Macy and Lacy. When her eyes snapped open again, they burned with determination.

"Now, Macy...Spinning Tornado! Lacy...Flamethrower!"

Both beasts attacked at once. Macy unleashed a roaring vortex of wind from her mouth while Lacy spewed a long, intense jet of flames. Their attacks weren’t aimed directly at the boar. Instead, the angles were deliberately offset so the two forces would collide with each other.

The spinning tornado and the flamethrower slammed together mid-air.

Hana, watching from the side, was momentarily confused, until she saw what Alana was doing.

Alana thrust her outstretched hand toward the point of collision and poured her mana into it.

Combination Attack: Inferno Vortex.

A massive swirling pillar of fire erupted from the clash and hurtled toward the Inverted Demonic Boar at terrifying speed. The beast saw it coming and instinctively tried to dodge, but with one leg crippled and its movements slowed by blood loss, it was far too sluggish.

The fiery vortex engulfed the monster completely. Trapped inside the blazing inferno, the Inverted Demonic Boar let out a piercing scream of agony. Its thick hide and coarse fur burned away layer by layer. Two of its six eyes were completely scorched, bubbling and melting in the intense heat.

When the vortex finally dissipated, the boar’s condition was horrific. Most of its body was charred black, its fur almost entirely gone. Two of its eyes were ruined, and its once-fearsome appearance had been reduced to a smoking, grotesque ruin.

Alana felt a surge of relief, and Hana allowed herself a small breath of hope. But neither of them lowered their guard.

The boar still moved.

Slower and more labored now, limping badly on its five remaining legs, it continued its relentless advance.

Hana quickly raised her thrower, aiming at the approaching monster. She channeled her mana into the device, causing the loaded potion to glow with a bright, unstable light. Without hesitation, she fired.

The potion arced through the air and shattered against the boar’s body in a burst of brilliant light. A huge splash of pale olive-colored liquid cascaded over it.

Sulfuric Shower.

The Inverted Demonic Boar let out another agonizing roar as the powerful acid ate into its already burned flesh. Its remaining skin and large chunks of muscle began to melt and slough off. Nearly eighty percent of its outer body dissolved in seconds.

Hana stared in a mix of triumph and horror. She had never expected the potion to be this devastating.

On the far side of the battlefield, Necrotize watched with one finger still raised, the small white orb of energy hovering above it. After seeing their combination attacks, he slowly lowered his hand and dispersed the spell.

Looks like they don’t need my help after all.

He glanced toward Dominic’s position. Sarliya had already rushed over and was kneeling beside him, both hands pressed to his chest as she poured divine energy into his broken body. Healing such severe injuries, shattered ribs, dislocated shoulder, internal damage was taking a heavy toll on her. Blood steadily trickled from Sarliya’s nose, but she refused to stop.

Suddenly, Dominic’s eyes fluttered open. He saw Sarliya leaning over him, blood running down her face.

She managed a weak smile.

"Go finish this."

The moment the words left her lips, she collapsed unconscious beside him.

Dominic shot to his feet. He looked down at Sarliya’s peaceful, smiling face for a moment, then turned toward the monstrous boar. Its body was now a melted, charred wreck barely recognizable as the terrifying creature it once was.

He gripped his sword tightly and broke into a sprint.

The Inverted Demonic Boar kept limping forward, refusing to fall.

Then it heard a calm voice from its left.

Aslan Style, First Sword: Gentle Rain.

Dominic’s blade moved with graceful, fluid precision. He poured every last ounce of his remaining strength into the vertical slash. The sword passed cleanly through the boar’s neck in one smooth motion.

For a brief second, everything was still.

Then the Inverted Demonic Boar’s head tumbled to the ground as it’s body fell.

Dominic raised his sword high and let out a victorious shout.

"We have won!"