The aerial battle transformed into a tense dance of death.
With one hand gripping Terminus Est, Charlie fought desperately to parry the Juggernaut's relentless attacks.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
Each slash of his sword, though swift and powerful, was evaded by the Juggernaut with agile movements unexpected for such a massive creature.
*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*
The Juggernaut moved like a shadow dancing around Charlie, its sharp claws constantly aiming for his vital points.
"Fire Ball!"
Charlie attempted to use Spirit Arts to launch a ranged attack. He materialized giant fireballs that shot towards the Juggernaut, but the monster seemed immune to magic and remained completely unharmed.
'So that monster is immune to fire. In that case, keep probing with other elements.'
Charlie created sharp ice spears, but the Juggernaut leaped and dodged nimbly. Even the whirlwind he created to trap the monster had no effect; the Juggernaut charged through it without losing any speed.
Every Spirit Art attack Charlie launched seemed futile.
*PU-CHI!* *PU-CHI!* *PU-CHI!*
Conversely, every attack from the Juggernaut that managed to hit Charlie carried terrifying consequences. Although the Armor of Fafnir still provided protection, the force of the monster's claws left deep and painful lacerations. Blood continued to flow from Charlie's body, staining the surrounding air crimson.
*WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!*
Charlie was forced to constantly evade and move, using his speed and agility to avoid the Juggernaut's deadly attacks. However, with one wounded arm and his stamina steadily draining, he found it increasingly difficult to keep up with the monster's pace.
*CLANG!*
Each time the Juggernaut lunged at him, Charlie had to exert all his remaining strength to dodge or parry with Terminus Est, his remaining arm trembling from the continuous impacts.
Amidst the fierce battle, Charlie tried to analyze the Juggernaut's movements with his Six Eyes, searching for any small pattern or weakness. However, the monster moved in a wild and unpredictable manner, as if driven by pure killing instinct.
'If this continues, it's only a matter of time before I'm defeated. Defeat means death.'
Realizing that fighting conventionally wouldn't work, Charlie had to try something different, something riskier. He gathered the remnants of his magical essence, preparing to use Spirit Arts in a more drastic way.
"GROOOAAARRR!"
However, before Charlie could launch his attack, the Juggernaut lunged at him with a deafening roar.
*SWISH!*
The monster's claws aimed directly at Charlie's chest.
*WHOOSH!*
*PU-CHI!*
With a final reflex, Charlie tilted his body, and the claws only grazed his shoulder, tearing through his flesh with excruciating pain. He was thrown backward, coughing up blood.
"Onii-chan!"
"Cough... Cough... Don't worry, Est. It's just a small wound."
Calming the panicking Est, Charlie frowned as Aishia had not yet returned.
"Cura—"
*WHOOSH!*
The Juggernaut didn't give Charlie time to recover. The monster charged again, its claws moving like lightning.
*CRACK!*
Charlie tried to parry, but with one arm, he wasn't fast enough. The Juggernaut's claws slammed into his remaining arm, breaking it with a sickening crack of bone. Terminus Est slipped from his grasp and fell spinning into the darkness below.
"This is bad!"
Charlie was now completely defenseless. Both his arms were severely injured, his sword was gone, and his body was covered in wounds. The Juggernaut opened its fanged jaws, ready to deliver the final, fatal blow.
"Shield!"
In desperation, Charlie focused all his remaining will. He exerted his Spirit Arts for the last time, not to attack, but to defend.
*BUZZ!*
A weak and trembling white energy shield formed in front of him, his last hope against inevitable doom.
*CRUSH-BANG!*
As Charlie expected, the shield instantly shattered into pieces like brittle paper caught in a strong wind. His last defense crumbled without significant resistance.
*PU-CHI!*
"ARGHHHHHH—"
Charlie's pain-filled scream echoed loudly throughout the cave as the Juggernaut's terrifying jaws gaped wide and bit into his midsection. The monster's sharp teeth pierced through flesh and bone with ease, sending waves of excruciating and unbearable pain through his nerves. Darkness began to threaten his consciousness.
'NO! I MUSTN'T FAINT NOW...! THAT'S THE SAME AS DEATH…!'
Charlie gritted his teeth, preventing himself from losing consciousness.
"GRRRRRR…"
Just before the Juggernaut tore Charlie's body in two with its monstrous mouth, a miracle occurred.
Terminus Est, which should have been thrown far into the darkness after Charlie's arm broke, suddenly shot back with incredible speed.
*WHOOSH!*
The sword flew like an arrow released from a powerful bow, its light gleaming through the darkness. Uncontrolled by Charlie's hand, Terminus Est slashed through the air with terrifying precision, heading directly for the Juggernaut's head, which was still clamped around Charlie's body.
*SHING!*
A horrifying sound of metal striking bone echoed as Terminus Est's blade slammed into the Juggernaut's skull with full force. The holy light emanating from the sword burned the monster's flesh and bone, creating a gaping wound in its head.
"GROOOAAARRR—!!!"
The Juggernaut roared in fury, its grip on Charlie's body loosened involuntarily.
Perhaps feeling that Charlie was already defeated, the Juggernaut roughly spat Charlie's bloodied body away from it.
*WHOOSH!*
*BAM!*
Charlie's body floated helplessly in the air before finally slamming hard into the ground, creating a painful thud.
"Cough... Cough... Cough... Hisss…"
Overwhelming pain surged through Charlie again, but at least he was free from the monster's deadly grip.
"Dia... Fratel..." Charlie mumbled weakly, barely able to stand upright in a pool of his own blood.
With his Spirit Arts, he activated the high-level healing magic of Airmid Teasanare from the Dian Cecht Familia.
*BZZZT!*
A soft green light began to envelop his shattered body, crawling over the gaping wounds and attempting to knit together the torn flesh and bone. However, due to the severity of the damage, the healing process felt much slower and more painful than before. Every second felt like an eternity.
"Onii-chan, let me buy you some time. Just focus on recovering."
In that critical moment, Est took over the fight. As a spirit sword, she sensed the danger threatening Charlie and acted without hesitation.
*WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!*
The silver sword floated in the air, emitting an increasingly bright holy light. With its own will, Terminus Est shot forward to attack the Juggernaut.
An unusual battle unfolded in the air.
The Juggernaut, the terrifying monster that had dominated Charlie with its brutal strength and speed, now seemed hesitant to confront Terminus Est directly as it floated and attacked with free will. The holy light emanating from the sword felt burning and disturbing to it, a stark contrast to the darkness and aura of death that surrounded it.
Thus, the Juggernaut evaded Terminus Est's sharp slashes with swift and unpredictable movements. The monster used its incredible agility to dance in the air, avoiding the sword attacks that came from various directions.
*WHOOSH!*
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
However, Terminus Est did not give up. Guided by Est's desire to protect Charlie, the sword continued to pursue the Juggernaut, its blade spinning and slashing with terrifying precision.
*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*
The Juggernaut dared not face Terminus Est directly. Instead of clashing claws with the Holy Sword, the monster chose to continuously evade while occasionally launching quick and deadly counterattacks. Its claws swiped at Terminus Est, trying to crush or deflect it, but the sword moved nimbly, avoiding those attacks with ease.
*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*
The aerial battle looked like a terrifying display of light and shadow. The silver gleam of Terminus Est clashed with the Juggernaut's darkness, creating sparks of energy in the air. The Juggernaut's furious roars mixed with the sharp hiss of the sword cutting through the air.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
Est used every ounce of her power to pressure the Juggernaut. The sword not only slashed and pierced but also emitted waves of holy energy that felt painful to the Juggernaut.
"GROOOAAARRR!!!"
Each time Terminus Est managed to hit the Juggernaut, even with just a small scratch, the monster would let out a groan of pain and retreat slightly.
*WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!*
The aerial battle continued intensely. The Juggernaut continued to evade and counterattack, while Terminus Est relentlessly pursued it, trying to inflict significant damage.
"Hold on, Est... Cough…"
Below, Charlie was still struggling with his healing magic. The green light on his body pulsed weakly, indicating a slow recovery process.