Leighton activated his speed skill, his form blurring as he dashed across the battlefield. His pistol barked once, an energy round slamming into the lion’s side, halting its movent for a split second. Without hesitation, he holstered the weapon, drew his dagger, and carved a sharp line across the beast’s flank.
The lion roared in fury, arcs of electricity dancing violently across its mane and body. Leighton, calm even in the storm of power, muttered under his breath, "Thunder won’t save you if I cut faster than lightning."
Vivi tightened her grip on her dagger and shouted, "Then we should strike with our speed, keep it off balance!"
But Leighton shook his head, voice sharp yet composed. "No, listen. This creature channels electricity through its body. Every ti it builds up, it releases bursts like a living storm. If we rush recklessly, it’ll fry us before we can land a clean hit."
Before the warning could fully sink in, Zoe, already in her massive black wolf form, lunged forward with a snarl. Her claws raked across the lion’s hide, forcing sparks to scatter. The lion countered instantly, surging with lightning, and hurled a violent discharge straight into her chest.
The blast sent Zoe crashing back across the ground, her black fur scorched as she hit the earth with a heavy thud.
Vivi’s eyes widened as she saw Zoe hurled across the battlefield. "Zoe, are you alright?!" she called out, her voice tinged with worry.
The black wolf didn’t answer with words, only a guttural snarl that echoed like thunder. Her golden eyes burned with fury as she forced herself back onto her paws, muscles tensing before she charged again, teeth bared.
Vivi grit her teeth, muttering under her breath, "She’s fighting like a beast without reason..."
Leighton’s gaze stayed sharp on the lion, analyzing its every movent. "Doesn’t matter. As long as she’s drawing its attention, we strike when its focus is on her."
But Vivi shook her head, stepping forward with blades shimring faintly. "That won’t be necessary. I can hit it myself." Her eyes glead as her aura flared. "With Acceleration, I’ll outpace its lightning and carve it down before it knows what hit it."
Leighton’s eyes flickered toward Vivi, his tone steady despite the chaos. "You’re right, but if we coordinate, we can force that thing to react too late."
Vivi exhaled, nodding once. "Fair enough. Let’s hit it together."
The mont Zoe slamd her massive claws into the lion’s flank, Leighton shot forward with blinding speed, his dagger glinting as he carved across its side. Sparks of lightning lashed out in retaliation, but Vivi was already moving, her body a blur. She appeared at the lion’s blind spot, her twin daggers slicing deep as she spun through.
Their combined assault rained down relentlessly, quick, sharp, and precise. The lion roared in fury, its golden mane crackling with electricity. Blood streaked its hide, yet it still stood defiant.
Then Zoe, her black fur bristling, drew in a deep breath. Energy pooled at her maw, swirling into a dense sphere of darkness before she released it in a devastating blast. The black beam tore across the battlefield, slamming into the lion and staggering it backward.
But instead of collapsing, the beast lifted its head high, fury vibrating in its bones. Its roar shook the air as arcs of lightning burst from its body, surging skyward until they split the clouds. Bolts cascaded down in waves, striking the ground around them with explosive force.
"Fall back!" Leighton barked, pulling Vivi aside as the three of them scrambled for cover. The lion’s storm raged wildly, each strike threatening to tear the battlefield apart.
The lion stood tall amidst the crackling storm, its golden mane sparking with arcs of electricity, body battered but nowhere near falling.
Leighton narrowed his eyes, breath steady despite the tension. "That thing’s stamina is unreal. If we can’t drop it fast, it’ll keep wearing us down. What we need... is a killing blow."
Vivi clenched her daggers tighter, her voice edged with frustration. "Not from . My cuts barely scratch its fur, if I could drive these blades past its skin, maybe. But as it stands, it’s not enough."
Leighton’s gaze hardened, but then a thought struck him. "Then we won’t rely on your blades alone. I’ve got another idea."
Vivi arched a brow, wary yet curious. "And what’s that supposed to be?"
Leighton’s eyes shifted toward Zoe, the massive black wolf still thrashing against the lion with raw, untad ferocity. Sparks burned across her fur as she lunged again, driven by instinct more than reason.
He leaned closer to Vivi, lowering his voice so only she could hear through the comms. "We get her to use that attack from before, the black beam. If she fires it at the right mont, when we pin the lion down, it might pierce through."
Vivi’s eyes flicked to Zoe, then back at Leighton, doubtful but intrigued. "...That’s risky. She’s not exactly listening right now."
Leighton smirked faintly, though his tone stayed sharp. "Then we’ll make her listen."
"We can’t brute-force this thing, not with just our blades. We make Zoe the spear, and the two of us beco the hands that guide it."
Vivi let out a sharp breath, flicking her daggers in her grip as sparks from the lion lit the ground around them. "So you want to dance around a thunder lion with you, hold it down long enough for Zoe to line up that blast?."
Leighton kept his pistol lowered for once, his eyes never leaving the thunder lion as arcs of blue-white lightning split the air. His tone was dry, but there was a flicker of agreent. "You’re right. For all her rage, Zoe hasn’t turned on us once. That ans sowhere in there, she’s listening."
Vivi twirled one dagger and nodded, sweat trailing down her cheek. "So she’s still got reason in her."
The lion snarled, its mane glowing like a storm about to collapse on them, but Zoe stood her ground, hackles raised, eyes locked on the beast.
Leighton exhaled sharply, muttering, "Then we try. Words might reach where blades can’t."
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