“Hah…”
Seeing Kurt like that, Rudell let out a short sigh.
How could he have forgotten?
Kurt’s thirst for revenge against Charybdis was beyond imagination.
Heck, in the original story, his desire for vengeance nearly put the whole party in danger, leading Kyle and others to a literal life-and-death duel!
“Are you out of your mind!? How do you expect to fight something like that!?”
“If you’re going, go by yourselves.”
“Are you trying to get us all killed for your sake!?”
[W-wait, everyone, let’s not fight…!!]
Reje shouted with a look of disbelief, but Kurt was still burning with fighting spirit.
In the meantime, Silphier, caught in the middle, wore a bewildered expression as she tried to mediate, but the two could not find common ground.
All the while, the ice storm stirred up by Charybdis was gradually getting nearer to the Winter Great Tribe’s fortress.
Kahlan and the barbarians calling to them from atop the palisade had long disappeared below.
“Stop just standing there and say something! Are you really planning to just sit here and die like this!?”
The ice storm was drawing closer by the second, and with a panicked expression, Reje shouted toward Rudell.
However, Rudell couldn’t easily come to a decision.
He could drag Kurt away, but that could very well lead to Kurt quitting the party.
This had happened in the original too, so Rudell didn’t want to consider the worst-case scenario.
Meanwhile, the ice storm was right in front of their group.
“Rudell!!”
At Reje’s shout, Rudell clenched his teeth.
There was no more time to hesitate.
Should he side with Kurt or with Reje?
“Reje! Kurt…!!”
Just as Rudell shouted to Reje at the crossroads of a difficult choice…
-Fwaaaah!!!
“What!?”
A brilliant flash erupted from Eleor, who was praying in front of Thunder Fang.
In the sudden commotion, Reje, Rudell, and the rest of the party turned to gaze at the spectacle.
Then, in the next moment, something began to emerge from the flash.
“Did you wait long?”
“Eleor?!”
Walking forward, Eleor shone with the radiant light of Divine Power.
[Growwwl…]
And behind her was a Monstrous Beast…
Monstrous Beast…
No, the Sacred Beast has revealed itself.
The fur that was once black now shimmered in pure white, and the purple lightning dancing across its skin radiated an overwhelming Divine Power that was solemn beyond belief.
But what stood out the most was the large horn positioned between its eyes.
The horn, straight like a unicorn’s, exuded an incredible amount of Divine Power.
“This is…?”
“Could it be the Sacred Beast?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
[AAWWWWWW-!!]
Ludell and his companions, standing before this grand sight, looked utterly bewildered.
In response to their question, Eleor nodded, and at that moment, Thunder Fang…
No, whatever it was that should now be called the Sacred Beast let out a mighty roar.
*
Even though Thunder Fang awakened as a Sacred Beast, it didn’t mean that the situation was resolved.
Charybdis and the storm swirling around it were still advancing toward Ludell and his group, now close enough that escape was no longer an option.
Despite wearing thick winter clothing, the overwhelming, freezing wind pierced through it.
Now, there was truly no choice but to face the fight head-on.
“Is this really the right move!?”
“We have no choice. We can’t run now.”
Ludell and his companions were still unharmed solely thanks to the Divine Power radiated by Thunder Fang.
The warm energy saturated with Divine Power emanating from Thunder Fang was protecting Ludell and his group from Charybdis’s storm.
If they strayed too far from Thunder Fang, there was no denying they would become frozen statues, forever sleeping on the plains.
“Eleor! What on earth is going on!?”
“I’ll explain later. For now, let’s focus on what’s in front of us.”
[AAWWWWWW-!!]
In response to Leje’s question, Eleor replied that way, and simultaneously, Thunder Fang roared once more.
As it did, the Divine Power erupting from it spread outward, and upon clashing with Charybdis’s storm, it began to quell the tempest.
And as the storm completely dissipated, something revealed itself before Ludell and his companions.
[Growlllll-!!]
It was a creature resembling a certain horned dinosaur.
The first major difference was that it was unbelievably larger in size.
And, gigantic ice crystals covered its body like armor.
“This is… Charybdis…!!”
[Kyahhhhhhh-!!]
Upon seeing it, a low groaning sound escaped from Leje’s mouth…
As if that were a signal, Charybdis let out a tremendous roar towards Rudell and his team.
The roar was so deafening it felt like it could rip your eardrums apart.
If it weren’t for the blessing of Thunder Fang, Rudell and his team would have been sent flying like feathers in the wind just from that roar.
“Hah… Why do I have to fight something like this, what’s with my luck…”
As the roar subsided, Leje, who had drawn her sword, said with an expression of disbelief, narrowing her eyes at Kurt.
“I’m definitely going to make you pay for this light later!”
“…”
Though Kurt, still burning with a desire for revenge, didn’t offer much of a response, Leje readied herself with a serious expression.
And then, at that moment…
[Kyahhhhhhh-!!]
Once again roaring, Charybdis charged towards Rudell and his team.
*
Disaster of winter, king of storms, tyrant.
All of these were nicknames for Charybdis.
And Charybdis was showing exactly why it had earned such titles.
-Kwaaaaziiiiiick!!
Rudell and his team narrowly avoided the charge from Charybdis, as its massive frame crashed down upon the Winter Great Tribe’s fortress.
Though the fortress had stood strong against the monstrous beasts’ assaults, it crumbled in an instant like a sandcastle before Charybdis’ onslaught.
“Ughhraaahhh!!”
“Ughh…!!”
Leje and Kurt, having dodged Charybdis’ charge, rushed in to swing their weapons at it…
-Clang!!!
As their weapons struck Charybdis’ body, a loud noise erupted as if they had hit metal.
[Kuwooooooor-!!]
However, Charybdis let out a rough snort, completely unfazed, and swung its gigantic tail at the two.
By a hair’s breadth, the two dodged the tail, but the tail instead obliterated a house, leaving nothing but rubble behind.
The house that was hit by Rie literally shattered into pieces, leaving only debris behind.
“Wow… if that had hit, it would have been lights out…!!”
“Leje! Focus!!”
While Rudell shouted at Leje, Charybdis approached them, lifting its massive foot to slam down.
With a powerful shockwave, sharp ice spikes grew out from around Charybdis’ body…
“Ugh!?”
“Leje!!”
Blood began to flow from Leje’s shoulder, grazed by the spikes.
But as the light of divine power that surrounded Thunder Fang touched Leje’s wound, it was instantly healed.
“Whoa…!! That’s incredible?”
Grahh-!!
Leje gasped in admiration, and leaving her stunned, Thunder Fang charged at Charybdis.
Charybdis swung its ice-clawed arm, but like wind, Thunder Fang dodged the attack and bit down on Charybdis’ neck.
Graaaar-!!
Grrrrrrr-!!
As Charybdis began to thrash around, Thunder Fang clung on fiercely to its neck.
Despite Rudell and Kurt’s attacks leaving not even a scratch on Charybdis, a huge gash appeared on its neck, and the black blood leaking out fell to the ground, forming massive ice chunks.
It was at that moment.
Kaaoooo-!!
While Charybdis shook violently, it threw off Thunder Fang, letting out a deafening roar and conjuring another massive ice storm.
The ice storm rapidly spread, engulfing Rudell and his party…
Aoohhh-!!
As Thunder Fang’s howl echoed from within, a bright light burst forth, dissipating the ice storm.
But…
“What, what’s going on!? It escaped!?”
“Oh my goodness…”
Once the storm cleared, there was no sign of Charybdis to be found.
Only the bewildered faces of Rudell and his companions remained.
Thus, the first battle with Charybdis came to an end.
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