Yujin barely had a moment to react before the beast lunged toward her, his enormous form bearing down with a speed that defied his size. With his magic nullified, the beast's ferocity grew even more intense, each swipe of his claws coming dangerously close as he demanded his powers back. Yujin dodged and parried as best as she could, but she was running out of options. "Kai! Minji! Get Soobin out of here!" she called with urgency.
Kai and Minji didn't need to be told twice. Together, they lifted Soobin's limp form toward a safer spot, away from the chaotic fight. As they set him down, Minji knelt beside him. She looked to Kai. "What should we do?"
Kai's face was pale, his expression torn with pain and frustration. "I can't... I can't take on those wounds," he murmured, his voice breaking. "Splitting this level of damage between us would..." He trailed off, looking down, his wings wilting as he reverted to his human form, aware that there was little he could do for Soobin.
Minji bit her lip, determination flashing in her eyes as she raised her hands over Soobin's chest, channeling her magic. She poured her energy into him, her fingers trembling as the healing light glowed over his wounds, trying desperately to mend the torn flesh, to revive his fading pulse. "Come on, Soobin, stay with us," she whispered.
But his breathing grew slower and more ragged. Her heart sank, dread settling in her bones as she watched his chest rise and fall, each breath shallower than the last. And then, in a gut-wrenching silence, his chest stilled.
"No..." Minji's hands fell, her voice barely a whisper as her healing light faded. She looked to Kai, who had gone still, his eyes wide with the terrible realization.
Kai placed a trembling hand on Soobin's shoulder, his fingers tightening as he bowed his head, grief radiating from him. For a long, silent moment, they stayed by Soobin's side, unwilling to move, to accept the loss of their leader, their friend.
But a snarl from the beast tore through the air, bringing them back to the brutal reality before them. Minji's face hardening as she turned to Kai. "We have to help the others. We'll... we'll come back for him."
-
The beast's enraged bellow echoed through the forest, his massive fists slamming down in relentless pursuit of Yujin. "GIVE IT BACK! GIVE MY MAGIC BACK!" he roared, each attack fiercer and more desperate than the last. Yujin braced herself, dodging his onslaught with agility, her breaths coming quick and sharp as she focused on maintaining the nullification of his magic.
Yeonjun was a whirlwind beside her, his eyes blazing with fury as he launched himself at the beast again and again, landing fierce punches and swift kicks, his claws tearing into the beast's tough hide. He fought with reckless abandon, his rage ignited by the loss of Soobin. He didn't hold back, attacking with an almost feral intensity, completely focused on tearing the beast down. His lack of defense left him vulnerable, but the beast seemed blinded by his anger, intent on reclaiming his powers from Yujin.
Meanwhile, Y/n wove in and out of the fight, channeling her flames to shield Yujin from the beast's relentless pursuit. She maneuvered quickly, flames flickering at her hands as she redirected the beast's focus just enough to keep Yujin safe. Every time the beast advanced, Y/n was there, countering with bursts of fire to divert his gaze, forcing him to turn his attention away from Yujin, if only for a few precious seconds.
From behind, Chaewon raised her hands, the air around her crackling as she summoned ice spears, their sharp edges gleaming as they took form in midair. She calculated her timing carefully, watching as Yujin, Yeonjun, and Y/n darted around the beast, searching for the right moment. Finally, as Y/n managed to redirect the beast with a surge of flames and Yeonjun unleashed another wild punch, an opening appeared.
"Now!" Chaewon launched the ice spears, each one cutting through the air with lethal precision. The beast turned, and although he evaded most of the spears with uncanny agility, one struck true, embedding itself deep in his shoulder. For a moment, hope flickered in the Elites' eyes as the beast let out a roar of pain, staggering back.
But the beast merely snarled, his gaze burning with hatred as he glanced down at the wound. Before their eyes, the flesh around the spear began to knit together, the ice melting into nothing as his body regenerated almost instantly.
"No way..." Y/n breathed, her heart sinking at the sight. Chaewon's spear, a strike that should have been fatal, was reduced to nothing in seconds.
Yeonjun's fury only grew, his fists clenching as he prepared to charge again. "How is he healing so fast? This... this is impossible!"
The beast's laughter was a chilling sound, echoing across the clearing as he flexed his shoulder where the ice spear had struck. "You're surprised? I'm immortal, you fool!" he sneered. "With the gift of regeneration... thanks to the flesh of a beast I caught weeks ago, delicious, really. And now, well, it's mine."
The realization hit them hard. The beast wasn't just dangerous, he was practically unstoppable, his strength now reinforced by the power of swift healing. They exchanged glances, worry flashing in each of their eyes, but they knew there was no room for fear here. They'd lost Soobin, but they couldn't afford to lose each other.
Chaewon stepped forward, her eyes steely with determination. She couldn't let despair consume them now. "We're not done yet!" she called out. She threw a quick glance at each of her teammates, reminding them of their strength and resilience. "We stick to the plan, and we fight harder. We don't back down, not now, not ever!"
Chaewon directed the attack, coordinating their efforts with precision. She reinforced her ice barrier, using the frozen spikes to try and trap the beast. But he swatted them aside like they were nothing, his massive claws ripping through her defenses as if they were made of paper.
But it was Y/n who, in that moment, truly took the lead. Her hands flared with bright yellow flame, flames that seemed to burn with an intensity she'd never summoned before. The heat was almost unbearable as she lunged forward, her flame aimed directly at the beast's chest. The fire crackled and roared as it made contact, its searing intensity lighting up the night air.
For a brief moment, the beast flinched, a howl of agony ripping from him as the flames licked at his skin. But then... again, the impossible happened.
The beast's wounds began to regenerate at an alarming speed. His body twitched, and before Y/n could even react, the searing burn she had inflicted vanished as though it never happened. The beast bared his teeth in a wicked grin, his confidence unshaken. "You think fire will stop me? You have no idea what you're dealing with," he sneered.
Y/n's heart sank, but she didn't hesitate. She couldn't afford to.
"Again," she muttered to herself, reigniting her hands with a fresh burst of yellow flame, this time casting it toward the beast's back. The flames swirled in the air as they collided with him, sizzling across his hide. The beast roared, staggering back under the force of the blast, but, once more, the wounds began to knit themselves together almost instantly.
Her flame, though powerful, was simply not enough to stop his healing. They had to find another way.
The Elites fought with everything they had, their bodies battered and exhausted, but they refused to back down.
Y/n's flames blazed across the battlefield, arcs of bright yellow fire streaking through the air as she hurled them at the beast's massive form. She had learned the hard way that his regeneration could outlast most of her attacks, but she still kept pushing forward. Her flames cut through the forest like a dagger, igniting trees and brush as they came into contact with the beast's thick, armored hide. The fire burned, but it was not enough to break his will. He let out a deafening roar as he swiped a massive claw through the air, sending a shockwave toward the Elites.
Minji darted in to take advantage of any opening. She weaved through the beast's swipes, delivering strikes with her magic, bursting waves of kinetic energy that cracked against the beast's tough hide. But even as she hit him with her full force, the beast would laugh, its regenerative powers undoing all of Minji's hard work in an instant.
The beast responded with a brutal counterattack. He slammed his fists into the ground, causing the earth to tremble. Massive cracks spread through the forest floor, and from the depths of the fissures, thick tendrils of shadow shot up, snaking toward the Elites with horrifying speed. The tendrils wrapped around their legs, pulling them into the earth. Y/n was the first to react, her flames erupting around her as she burned the tendrils away, but the moment she freed herself, the beast turned his attention back to Yujin.
Yujin, already exhausted from nullifying the beast's magic earlier, was doing her best to keep up. She dodged a slash from the beast's claws, only for the next instant to feel a suffocating force as the beast slammed his fist down on the ground, sending shockwaves that knocked her off her feet. In the blink of an eye, the beast closed the distance between them.
Yujin barely had time to react before the beast seized her by the arm, his massive, calloused hand curling around her with an iron grip. His eyes burned with fury. "You think you can take my power? You're nothing!" he snarled, lifting her off the ground effortlessly, the muscles in his arms bulging as he squeezed.
Yujin gasped, pain flooding through her as his grip tightened. She tried to summon her magic to nullify him again, but the beast had anticipated this. He slammed her against the nearest tree, pinning her there with his weight. Yujin's breath caught in her throat, her vision blurry as the impact left her dazed.
The Elites stopped dead in their tracks. The sight of Yujin, pinned and struggling, was enough to freeze the blood in their veins. Their greatest asset, the one who had been keeping the beast's magic in check, was now incapacitated.
"Yujin!" Minji screamed, her voice breaking through the shock.
But before anyone could react, the beast turned his head toward them with a twisted grin. "It's over now," he growled. "You've lost."
"Release her!" Y/n screamed, slamming her hand into the beast's side. The flames spiraled outward, lashing at him, but it was clear, the beast was invulnerable to her fire alone.
The beast roared in laughter. "You can't defeat me," he said with sickening amusement. "No one can."
And then, the beast's grip on Yujin tightened even further.
Yujin gasped, struggling for air as her body trembled, blood trickling from where the beast had held her too tightly.
With a reckless gleam in her eye, Yujin grinned, staring up at the beast with a fierce defiance that cut through her pain. She could feel the tension rising, could sense the desperate fear in her friends' eyes.
"Go on," she hissed, her voice was taunting. "What are you waiting for? Kill me. Get it over with."
The beast faltered, confused by her fearlessness, but only for a moment. His eyes narrowed as a dark realization crossed his face. "You're bluffing."
With a wry smile, she replied, "You want your power back? Alright. But you're not going to like how you get it."
Her friends' faces were stricken, shouting her name in desperate worry, but she gave them a look of reassurance, a look that said this was her choice.
Before the beast could react, Yujin unleashed the magic she had nullified from him, letting it surge outward with a release so powerful it distorted the very air around her. Released not back to him but into the air, dispersing the power that he so desperately craved to regain.
The force of it was catastrophic.
The beast, caught at the epicenter, roared in agony. His own magic, now uncontrolled and unleashed, seared into his skin, tearing through his defenses. But no matter how he struggled, there was no reclaiming it. His power was gone, dispersed into the atmosphere.
The Elites were thrown back by the force, hitting the ground hard as the concussive blast shook the entire battlefield. The scorching heat burned everything in its path, reducing leaves, branches, and anything else nearby to ash.
When the flames finally died down, the smoke and dust began to settle, revealing the scorched earth left in the wake of Yujin's final act. Y/n, groggy and disoriented, forced herself to sit up, looking around in horror and sorrow.
Where Yujin had stood, there was nothing left but ashes, drifting softly on the smoky air.