24 Chapter 23: Goodbye, Amber
(Albedo POV)
"Sucrose, Timaeus, both of you stay here," I said to the both of them after reaching the small village which in reality was only a camping area adventurers and the like use before going in or out of Dragonspine.
The camp was quite crowded as people coming out of Dragonspine were sitting blankly as they looked toward the direction where the constant malevolent roars were coming from.
Without waiting for an answer, I immediately left and ran toward the roars.
'I'm getting a really bad feeling about this.' I said as I pushed myself to the limit to arrive a little bit faster while feeling that something wrong was bound to happen.
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(Eula POV)
As I reached the place where the roar was coming from, I froze.
Countless mangled corpses and a river of blood.
In the middle of it all was a gigantic white monster laughing with glee.
The monster was holding the leg of a Fatui Cicin mage as he used the mage like a blunt weapon smashing her towards other Fatui agents.
After the Cicin mage got ripped apart, the monster grabbed another agent to use as a weapon and it continued laughing as it continued playing around with the Fatui agents.
My body shivered at the sight of such madness.
'This monster is not allowed to leave this place. It would be disastrous if it ever reached Mondstadt.' I said to myself before I griped my claymore looking for a chance to strike.
As the monster raised its hand holding a Fatui agent, I saw my chance.
Rushing toward the back of the monster, I activated my elemental skill Icetide Vortex as soon as it was within striking distance.
The cryo-infused slash connected to the back of its thighs but the monster only glanced at me for a second before its gaze went toward the direction where an ear-piercing shriek could be heard.
With the monster ignoring me, I released a breath of cold air as I continued my attack.
Using the force that came from my first swing, I activated my burst Glacial Illumination as I swung the claymore for a second time in a full rotation aiming at the same spot from my first attack. The attack connected and a phantom of a broken claymore appeared on the left side of my back.
The monster, clearly not amused raised its legs in order to step on me, but before it could another monster appeared in front of it.
The second monster was a gigantic lady wearing a dress and an opera mask mostly consisting of colors from the red spectrum, it had flaming wings and a moth feeler-like horns.
In her hands were two flaming whips which she immediately used to send a cross-shaped flaming attack towards the white monster.
Not letting go of this chance, I continued my sword dance.
With the two monsters fighting against each other, I launched an upward slash hitting the monster's thigh then with the momentum, I swung my weapon again into a horizontal slash aiming for the back of its knee.
But as I was delivering my third attack which was a vertical slash aiming at its calf a few flaming butterflies exploded beside me as blood came out of my mouth.
Even with the injury, I persisted and continued my attack.
My fourth attack was another horizontal slash that only hit the monster's feet as the monster attempted to stomp on me for a second time which I was able to dodge thanks to my lower stature.
I sigh at the height difference. My head is barely above the monster's knee.
After my successful evasion, I channeled a charged Icetide Vortex.
With the cryo-infused strike hitting the back of the monster's knee, only now did I notice that the ground was burning hot. The once snowy ground was now glowing red as flames could be seen seeping out from the cracks.
My body continuously took damage as I stood my ground not letting my only chance go.
'Four more attacks left. You can do this Eula.' I said to myself in encouragement.
My claymore swung upwards for a second time as I aimed at the monster's thigh while gritting my teeth.
'Last three' I thought as I felt my body was slowly losing its strength.
Another horizontal slash connected to its legs while I took in another flame explosion making me cough more blood.
'Two'
Even with my low stamina, I lifted my claymore as a vertical slash aiming at the monster's calf.
'One'
Finally, using all my remaining strength my claymore slashed another horizontal strike connecting towards the back of the monster's knee.
The Phantom of the Claymore now fully charged, shattered.
An explosion came out that dealt massive damage to the white monster, or not.
'I was so focused on completing my attack that I never realized.' I lamented as I gritted my teeth in frustration.
'I never realized that not a single one of my attacks dealt the least bit of damage. Everything I did was futile. The monster wasn't taking me as a threat from the start.' I said to myself as my eyes saw the annoyed monster turn its body toward me.
With no strength left in me, I simply closed my eyes as I used my claymore to support my body from falling. Before my eyes closed, I saw the monster's gigantic fist slowly traveling towards me.
'Goodbye, Amber.' I said to myself as I remembered the face of my best friend.
Now resigned to my fate, I heard a voice I never thought I would hear again.
"Rite of Progeniture: Tectonic Tide" Albedo muttered as phantoms of earth constructs appeared below the monster's feet.
The attack itself dealt no real harm but it was enough to tilt the monster's posture making its massive fist miss.
The strong wind pressure coming from the punch blew my weakened body away.
The last thing I saw was Albedo jumping out of the valley to catch me.
