At the very last moment, Malik jumped up, limbs tucked into a tight roll mid-air.
SSSSSSSSSSST!
The ‘blades’ sliced the air above and below him as he slipped through a gap between them, barely avoiding a fate that would’ve split him into two.
‘Holy shit!’
His boots hit the ground in a rough landing, sending a jolt of pain up his legs.
No time to care. No time to think.
Malik was up again in a second, wheeling around to face the Roc.
Its left side was a mess, blood dripping from its ruined eye, staining the earth below.
But that didn’t slow it down.
It was already turning, its remaining eye locked on him.
The rage that fueled it was now gone.
It wasn’t just trying to kill him anymore.
It was fighting to survive.
The Roc swiped its talons, and Malik rushed forward to meet it.
He jumped through like last time, only to see them come back around.
‘Fucker’s learning.’
Malik blasted the air above him, sending his body to the ground.
Thud!
Just as his feet touched the dirt, he weaved back, dodging the attack completely.
Immediately after, he went back in, closing the distance in a few steps.
Leaping onto its wing, he unsheathed his shamshir from its flesh, instantly noticing the cracks that adorned it.
‘Just one more big attack.’
Taking a deep breath, he lunged forward.
“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
With a jump, he flew up and went back down like an arrow.
His blade pierced into the spine, just behind its head.
KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!
The Roc roughly convulsed before it cawed in extreme pain.
Malik reveled in that pain.
He drove the blade deeper, the flames burning its flesh.
Sizzling blood spurted from the wound, staining its brown feathers.
“Die!”
Malik then withdrew the blade and stabbed again, his free hand clutching it for balance.
The Roc bucked wildly in response, but he held firm, stabbing it over and over.
“DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIEEEEEEEEE!”
His screams were now louder than its own, as he used all the strength he could muster, using his adrenaline rush to its fullest.
Every stab felt like his last, yet he never stopped, knowing what the result would be if he did.
But then, just as he stabbed it once more, he pulled out nothing but the hilt.
The blade had broken off.
“…”
No sound was heard for a long moment.
Malik, in his rage, seemed to have forgotten what he had just pointed out.
…He was stunned.
That gave the Roc a break from pain.
SKREEEEEAAAAAAW!
Taking advantage of the free second, it let out a piercing scream, rumbling his brain.
Its wing lashed out on the ground, the wind bouncing back and throwing him up.
Then, as he was high in the air, it flipped its body, catching him with one of its wings.
He was smacked across the field, tumbling until he slammed into a nearby tree.
All the air in his lungs escaped him, and he heaved hard, struggling to breathe, his vision dimming.
Yet luck had not forsaken him entirely.
The tree that nearly claimed his life was next to the same tree that Jasmine and Safira took cover behind.
“Malik!”
“Teach!”
Both screamed as they rushed towards him, their little legs working on overdrive.
“Use this!”
Safira crashed to the ground beside him and shoved the healing Scroll into his chest.
Malik held her wrist and looked at her eyes.
“…Did you memorize it?”
Dumbfounded, Safira froze, not knowing what to say to that.
But Jasmine, displaying her bravery, screamed at him loud and clear:
“THIS ISN’T THE TIME FOR THAT!”
Glancing at her for a moment, he shook his head and softly pushed Safira away.
His gaze returned to the Roc.
“I’ll take the other one… it looks like you still didn’t memorize this.”
Safira opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.
“…Haaa.”
She gave up convincing him before she even tried and took out the other Scroll.
This one wasn’t as good as the other, only capable of healing minor wounds, but that was enough for him.
Just as he pressed the Scroll to his chest, a circle and an Ability Path appeared above him.
With it came a golden light that engulfed him, immediately beginning the healing process.
But before it could even finish, Malik forced himself to his feet, stumbling forward to his foe.
The Roc, stabbed up and burning, clawed at the ground in a desperate attempt to rise.
Its eyes, one blinded and the other burning with hate, had again locked onto its approaching enemy.
Malik had one leg drag behind the other, his dagger now held by both his arms.
His breath came in ragged gasps, his body near-malfunction, but his resolve burned brighter than ever.
“This… ends… now.”
With a final surge of strength, he charged.
The Roc lunged and they met in the middle.
Its beak shot forward.
He did so as well.
It snapped shut, aiming to clamp him within.
Malik slid under it, the beak mere inches from his face.
“Rah!”
He rolled onto his feet, took a step, and then jumped.
Like a spear, he pierced into its throat.
The dagger went deep, severing arteries and sending a torrent of blood over him.
Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaww… www…
The Roc gurgled as its lifeblood drained away.
Yet, even then, when victory seemed cemented, Malik didn’t stop.
He grabbed onto its feathers, and like earlier, he struck again.
“Die…”
And again.
“Die.”
And again.
“Die.”
And again.
“Die!”
And again.
“Die!”
And again.
“Die!”
And again.
“DIE!”
Each blow was fueled by the memories of his countless deaths.
A nightmare beyond any other.
Then… finally, just when it showed signs of collapse, he bolted out from under its throat.
The Roc dropped to the ground, creating another crater, no smaller than the others around it.
Kaa… www…
It convulsed one last time before falling still.
Malik stood before its corpse, his chest heaving, his whole body dripping with blood.
“…F-Fuck—”
He swayed, his strength leaving him as the adrenaline faded.
“W-We got you!”
“Malik!”
Safira and Jasmine caught him before he could fall, their faces pale with fear.
Though they could barely hold him up with their little bodies, they did their best, softly landing him on the ground.
“Is it…?”
Safira began, her voice trembling.
“It’s dead.”
Malik confirmed the end of the endless, feeling his body deflate.
For a while, the three of them stared at the carcass.
One so big it could be mistaken for a building made of flesh.
Eventually though, one of them closed their eyes.
It was Malik… accepting a moment of rest.
This time, there was no need to blink.
He could sleep.