Battle Against Smilodon

[PoV Yatagarasu]

I could feel power surging through my body, was this the rune's doing? Whatever the reason, I was more than ready to face the massive cats standing before me now.

As if provoked, they advanced towards me, bristling with rage after I'd managed to kill one of their companions. Slowly, they picked up their pace, charging straight at me. I followed suit, mirroring their approach with a slow walk that quickly turned into a sprint, my spear hidden behind me.

The first smilodon leapt, claws aimed straight for me. I dodged right, slamming its side with the spear handle and sending it flying left. Before I could catch my breath, two more smilodons lunged at me. I swung my spear, throwing them off balance to the right. But then, without warning, the largest smilodon, the one that seemed to lead them, was airborne, poised to pounce with razor-sharp claws.

I rolled left to evade. But bad luck, one of them pinned me down. Fortunately, I managed to block its claws and snapping jaws with the spear's butt.

Strangely, why did they feel so light? As the weight of the smilodon bore down on me, a thought crossed my mind. Were they light, or had I become too strong?

"Yata, stay focused!"

Fenrir's shrill voice cut through my thoughts, snapping me back to reality. I caught a glimpse of the other smilodons rushing toward me from the corner of my eye.

I quickly shoved the one on top of me aside and sprang to my feet. I braced myself and, as they jumped at me all at once, swung my spear horizontally.

"Graah!"

They were thrown back, deep gashes marking their chests from my spear's tip. Without hesitation, I darted toward the smilodon directly in front of me. With a quick, powerful thrust, I pierced its back, driving the spear through to its heart.

The smilodon collapsed, taking its final, ragged breath on the snowy ground. The others, seeing their fallen comrade, hesitated, their aggression waning.

"Good, seems like you've got some survival instincts left."

This was a typical reaction for most pack animals, few continued fighting when one of their own fell. Even though these were monsters, they seemed to follow this instinct. If I could exploit, I might end this fight quickly, sending them fleeing from me.

"You should run, or I'll kill every last one of you," I muttered, my gaze sharp and low.

"Watch out behind you!"

I turned, eyes wide, realizing the leader was right behind me. Its foreleg raised high, showing off black, gleaming claws.

The leader swiped down, and I rolled to the side, narrowly dodging. Snow flew up as its claw struck the ground, shaking the earth.

The giant cat shot me a piercing look before letting out an ear-splitting roar.

"Graaaah!"

"What is it doing?"

I winced in pain, my eardrums vibrating from the force of its roar.

As it stopped, I noticed I was now surrounded by the smilodons who'd hesitated before. Their eyes glowed red, as if their bloodlust had returned.

"So that's how it is… Damn!"

Cold sweat trickled down my temple as I realized that the roar had been a command, urging them to resume the attack together. They leapt toward me, claws and fangs flashing. I struggled to parry their blows, each one hitting harder than before.

"Great… that roar must have been some sort of command magic to boost their fighting spirit."

The biggest problem emerged, the leader joined the fray. It lunged at me, claws outstretched. I tried to block its strike, but it was too strong, nearly making me lose my grip on the spear as I parried.

Fortunately, the leader's focus on attacking me created an opening. I swung my spear upward, slicing across the giant creature's face, causing it to stagger back.

Seeing an opportunity, I tightened my grip on the spear and prepared to thrust it with all my might. At this distance, I could probably kill it by striking a vital point.

"You're done!"

Thud.

But just as I struck, two smilodons threw themselves in the way, taking the hit and blocking my chance to finish it.

"Damn it!"

Seizing the moment, another smilodon charged at me, my heart racing in response. I tried to pull my spear free from their bodies.

"Damn, it's stuck!"

My eyes widened as yet another smilodon leapt at me, claws slashing toward my face. Its jaws were open wide, ready to tear me apart with its saber-like fangs.

At the last second, a wide grin replaced my panic. I quickly pulled out a few feathers tucked inside my pocket and threw them forward.

"Henshin!"

Their assault faltered as my thrown blades interrupted their momentum. Using the chance, I yanked my spear free and leapt high into the air.

"Henshin!"

My spear transformed into a nearly two-meter katana as I spun mid-air. Descending, I used the centrifugal force of my spin to enhance the swing of my blade, aiming straight at them.

Slash.

Three smilodons were decapitated, their heads rolling onto the snowy ground. Blood poured from their severed necks, staining the pristine white with red.

Landing gracefully beside them, I swung my sword at the nearest smilodon. My long katana cut through its neck effortlessly once more.

With the distinct-looking giant smilodon down, only two were left, watching me with fierce, glowing eyes, growling in anger after seeing all their comrades fall.

Finally, the largest smilodon advanced, signaling the remaining two to retreat. It growled softly, locking its gaze with mine. The one that had fought from the back, launching surprise attacks, now stood tall before me.

I paused, meeting its eyes. Eventually, a thin smile spread across my face as I understood its intentions. "So that's what you want. Lucky for you, I feel the same way."

I lowered my sword, loosening my stance. Then, I walked toward it slowly, my gaze unwavering. The monster did the same, mirroring my movements.

"Graaah!"

The big smilodon roared, charging straight at me. I stood my ground, legs braced, blade poised in front.

When there was barely any distance left between us, I closed my eyes, focusing. In that moment, I could feel the empty vibrations in the air, letting me pinpoint exactly where I needed to strike.

"Tsubame Gaeki!"

As it jumped, I swung my blade upward, slicing cleanly through its forelegs. Then, with a swift movement, I reversed my blade, slicing vertically upward to split open its belly.

It collapsed in a heap, its eyes staring in horror at its mutilated body. Its final growls were faint and despairing, as it looked at its remaining pack, signaling them to defend it. But instead, they retreated, fleeing into the distance.

Just as it seemed everything was over, I felt a burst of uncontrollable magical energy erupting from the Alpha's body. The magic crystals on its back began to glow, sparking bolts of lightning that shattered everything nearby.

Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

A bolt of lightning shot toward me, too fast to dodge. "Damn, I won't make it –"

Before it reached me, Fenrir grabbed my collar and threw me backward, not gently. "Out of the way, Yata. Let me handle this!"

"Ouch-."

I tumbled back, landing near the mysterious orange-haired girl we'd saved.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, yeah. Getting tossed by her hurts more than dealing with those monsters." I sat up, rubbing my sore back after Fenrir's rough throw.

The lightning strikes seemed to have no effect on Fenrir. Casually, she walked up to the roaring smilodon, still sending bursts of magic everywhere. Once she was close, she stomped down on its head, crushing it and ending its roar permanently.

"Phew, that should take care of the noise," she sighed, wiping her brow.

I raised an eyebrow, taken aback at how effortlessly she dispatched it with just her physical strength. It served as another reminder of how immense Fenrir's true power must be.

"A-anou…"

I turned to see the mysterious girl with orange eyes nervously fiddling with her fingers, a light blush dusting her cheeks when our eyes met. She immediately looked down, as though mustering the courage to say something.

"Thank you for saving me." Finally, she managed to voice her thoughts.

I smiled at her. "No need to be so formal. There's nothing wrong with helping someone."

"That's right, little one," Fenrir chimed in, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders with a warm smile. "Hey, what's your name?"

"L-Linnie, my name is Linnie," she replied shyly.

"Ah, my name is Fenri –" Fenrir caught herself and cleared her throat. "I'm Fenrys, and this guy here is my friend. His name is Yatagarasu, but just call him Yata if the whole name is too tricky."

Before we found Linnie, I'd told Fenrir to use the alias Fenrys, just to keep her identity under wraps. It would be troublesome if anyone recognized her as Fenrir, Loki's daughter, who was prophesied to bring disaster.

"Nice to meet you, Linnie." I waved to her with a friendly smile.

"Pleasure to meet you too, Fenrys, Yata." Linnie returned our greeting, her shy smile brightening her face.

*****

The moon quickly rose to replace the sun, bringing a curtain of darkness scattered with glimmering stars, covering the sky that had once been the blue of a robin's egg.

Fenrir sat between Linnie and me. The three of us sat in silence, gazing into the dim light of the campfire we'd built, filling the cave we occupied with its soft glow. None of us spoke, each lost in our own thoughts.

The smoky smell of roasting meat filled the air, trapped by the cave walls around us. The aroma wasn't pleasant; it was pungent, almost rotten. This was because the meat we were roasting was from the smilodon we'd fought earlier.

Fenrir had told me monster meat could be eaten, so we'd decided to cook it, having no luck finding other game for dinner. Linnie and I agreed with her suggestion, not knowing how foul monster meat truly smelled.

"No matter how many times I eat it, I still hate its stench." Fenrir pinched her nose, looking as if the smell was making her sick.

"I think it's ready." Linnie took one skewer of roasted meat and examined it carefully. Satisfied, she handed the cooked meat out evenly between us.

I looked down at the piece before me, then took a small bite. After chewing a few times, I realized it was entirely flavorless, burnt, tough, with a putrid smell that clung in my mouth, making it by far the worst thing I'd ever eaten.

"Ugh... I hate the taste."

"Same here."

Both girls echoed the same sentiments, wrinkling their noses at the bitter flavor lingering in their mouths. They glanced at each other and burst into laughter, leaving me puzzled at their reaction.

I would never understand the ways of girls.

"So, Linnie, what brought you here?" I asked to break the silence as we continued our meal.

Linnie paused, setting her meal aside as her expression softened with sadness, clearly affected by my question. Guilt tugged at me for bringing up what might be a sensitive topic.

"You don't have to answer if it's too personal."

"No, it's alright." She shook her head, patting her cheeks to steady herself. "I ran away from home after a big fight with my father."

"What was it about?"

I nudged Fenrir, trying to subtly remind her not to pry into Linnie's personal issues, but she just looked at me curiously, seemingly unaware of the intrusive nature of her question.

"Nothing. You don't need to worry about it," Linnie replied, appearing understanding of Fenrir's curiosity.

"Got it." I quickly tried to steer the conversation away from her troubles. "What's your plan now?"

"I'm heading to the nearest town, trying to avoid my father."

"Perfect timing," Fenrir chimed in. "We're also on our way to the nearest settlement. Can we tag along?"

Linnie initially looked skeptical, but she eventually agreed. "Alright. I'll help guide you two to the nearest town."

"Yeeeeah!"

Fenrir was practically beaming with excitement at Linnie's answer. She even hugged me so tightly I winced in pain.

"Fe-Fenrys, let go… I can't breathe." I tried to get her to release me, but Fenrir was lost in her joy, caught up in the excitement of finally seeing Jotunheim in person.

That night, we slept in the cave together. Fenrir and Linnie huddled on a makeshift bed I'd crafted from my feathers and runes. I lay alone just outside the cave, under the vast sky twinkling with starlight.