end up as dog food

Liria and Enara stood side-by-side, facing the massive beast, eyes wide but refusing to back down. The Behemoth Direhound let out a thunderous growl, shaking the earth beneath their feet as it snapped its jaws, venom hissing as it dripped from its fangs.

"Alright, princess," Liria muttered, keeping her gaze locked on the creature. "Got any brilliant plans, or are you just going to keep looking terrified?"

Enara shot her a withering look, though her voice trembled. "You think you're any better? That thing could swallow you in one gulp, forest mouse."

[Recommendation: Immediate retreat.]

Liria almost snorted. "Thanks for the advice, System, but we're a bit stuck, if you hadn't noticed."

The Direhound had already set up a shimmering, shadowy barrier around them, sealing them into a makeshift arena. Liria threw a tentative Fireball at it, but the flames fizzled out as soon as they made contact, leaving the barrier entirely unscathed.

[Warning: Barrier is resistant to current level of magic. Critical threat persists.]

Enara huffed. "Alright, genius, since you seem so eager, let's see if your little flames can do anything."

Liria rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Like I'd let you take the lead here." She took a deep breath, gathering her energy. With a snap of her fingers, dark flames roared to life around her hands, casting flickering shadows across her determined face.

"Let's dance, ugly," she taunted, sprinting forward and unleashing her Inferno Burst directly at the Direhound. The flames engulfed the beast's face for a moment, but as the smoke cleared, it didn't seem fazed. In fact, it looked angrier.

Enara smirked, but her confidence cracked as the Direhound swiped a massive claw toward her. She dodged with a Shadow Step, materializing a few feet away. "You're wasting your time with that weak magic, Liria."

"Got any better ideas, then?" Liria snapped, dodging a venomous glob that splattered on the ground beside her, sizzling through the grass. "Or are you just going to criticize me all day?"

Enara raised her hand, conjuring a swirling orb of dark energy. "Watch and learn." She hurled it at the Direhound, and for a moment, it seemed like her magic might actually break through its hide. But the beast shook it off, snarling even louder, and turned its attention fully toward Enara.

The princess swallowed hard. "Well… maybe that wasn't quite enough."

[Observation: Teamwork recommended.]

"Oh, now you're giving me teamwork advice?" Liria muttered under her breath. She glanced at Enara. "Hey, princess, maybe if we combine our attacks, we can actually make a dent."

Enara looked at her like she'd suggested eating dirt. "You want me to team up with you?"

"It's that or end up as dog food!" Liria shot back.

Enara hesitated, but a quick glance at the Direhound's dripping fangs made her swallow her pride. "Fine. But just this once. Don't think I'll go easy on you if you mess up."

Liria rolled her eyes, ignoring the dig. "Let's hit it with everything we've got at the same time. I'll go high, you go low."

"Fine," Enara grumbled. "But don't slow me down."

As the Direhound prepared to lunge, Liria and Enara darted in opposite directions, encircling it. Enara summoned a dark energy barrier to distract the beast, while Liria launched a series of quick Ember Swipes to keep it off balance.

Enara's eyes flashed. "Now!" she shouted, her hands surging with Darkfire Manipulation. She hurled the blazing energy directly at the Direhound's legs, the dark flames crackling with raw, intense power.

Liria took a deep breath, summoning her Inferno Burst and flinging it at the creature's chest. The dark flames merged with her own, creating a whirlwind of fire and shadow that exploded against the Direhound, momentarily shrouding it in smoke and embers.

For a second, there was only silence, then a low, menacing growl echoed through the clearing as the Direhound emerged from the smoke, barely scratched but now utterly enraged.

"Well, that didn't work," Liria muttered, feeling a trickle of sweat down her back.

Enara grit her teeth, clearly rattled. "You think?"

The Direhound leaped, its massive jaws snapping as it aimed for Liria. She barely dodged, rolling to the side and calling on her magic to summon another Fireball. She glanced at Enara. "We need something stronger. Your Darkfire—can you make it bigger?"

Enara's face twisted in concentration. "I can try, but it'll drain me."

"Then I'll distract it. You focus on charging up. I'll keep its attention on me."

Enara raised an eyebrow, her expression equal parts surprise and skepticism. "And what makes you think you can handle that?"

Liria flashed a grin. "Watch and learn, princess."

She darted forward, her heart pounding, and unleashed a rapid flurry of Ember Swipes, each one carefully aimed to keep the Direhound's gaze fixed on her. The beast snarled, snapping at her with each pass, but she ducked and weaved, pushing her agility to its limit.

Enara's hands trembled as she gathered her magic, a sphere of Darkfire growing larger by the second. Liria caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye and felt a surge of excitement. Almost there…

[Critical Magic Levels Detected. Warning: User is at risk of physical strain.]

"Shut up, System," she muttered under her breath, gritting her teeth as she poured her remaining energy into dodging the Direhound's relentless attacks.

Finally, Enara called out, "Liria! Now!"

Without missing a beat, Liria rolled backward, giving Enara a clear line of sight to the Direhound. With a roar, Enara hurled her fully charged Darkfire sphere at the creature, the dark flames blazing hotter than ever before. The Direhound howled as the Darkfire exploded against it, leaving a charred mark on its massive body.

For a moment, it staggered, and Liria's eyes lit up. "Yes! We got it—"

But her words died on her lips as the Direhound rose, its eyes blazing with newfound fury. Black veins pulsed along its scales as if feeding off the very energy they had thrown at it. It opened its jaws, unleashing a pulse of dark energy that reverberated through the barrier.

"Well, that backfired," Liria muttered, bracing herself as the pulse slammed into her.

Enara stumbled, her strength visibly sapped. "How is it… still standing?"

[Threat Level: Extreme. Immediate solution required.]

Liria's mind raced, panic creeping in. "There's no way we can beat it alone."

Enara clenched her fists, looking furious but helpless. "If you're suggesting we run—"

"No," Liria said, steeling herself. "We don't run. We're going to work together. For real this time."

Enara met her gaze, reluctant but resigned. "Fine. But this had better work."

As the Direhound prepared for another attack, Liria extended a hand toward Enara. "Let's combine our flames, princess. Make this one count."

Enara hesitated, but after a beat, she gripped Liria's hand, a small, defiant smirk tugging at her lips. "Let's burn this mutt to ash."