I kept watching the silver beast face off against Goliath.
The Snow Lion remained several meters from him, body low and claws dug into the earth. Its eyes did not leave Goliath for even a second.
On the other hand, Goliath seemed to be enjoying every damn second.
He turned toward me and raised a hand enthusiastically.
"Master, master! What do you think now? Aren't I impressive? Ha, ha, ha!"
He laughed as he pointed at the monster with his thumb. I didn't respond.
"That wasn't impressive. It was stupid."
Surviving a Snow Lion in its natural state was already considered an achievement worthy of bragging about for an entire lifetime. But facing one... was another story. And if that creature decided to take the fight seriously, I wasn't even sure Goliath could survive.
"Goliath!" I finally shouted, not caring that the monster might hear me. "We have to get out of here! Now!"
Goliath tilted his head. He seemed genuinely confused.
"Flee? Why, master?"
He brought both hands to his waist and began to move his hips from side to side, as if it were some kind of dance.
"I have this kitty in the palm of my hand."
"Kitty?"
"Grrr..."
A deep growl ran through the forest. The atmosphere changed. The birds that still remained among the branches immediately flew away.
The wind seemed to stop. Even the trees stopped creaking. The Snow Lion's eyes began to tint red as its muscles tensed.
And then... a golden energy began to surge from its body.
My expression froze.
"Shit..."
I took a step back and turned my head toward Goliath.
"Run!"
But it was too late.
An explosion of golden energy burst from the Lion's body.
BOOOOOOM!
The shockwave swept away nearby leaves and branches. I had to cover my face as a gust of air tore through the forest. For a few seconds I couldn't see anything at all. I could only hear the creature's roar.
When I finally regained my vision, my eyes swept over the monster.
Its silver fur had disappeared. Now it was covered in golden fur crossed by thick crimson stripes that ran across its entire body from mane to tail.
Its black claws glowed with an incandescent red. And around its mane... orange flames burned. The ground beneath its paws began to burn. The air smelled of ozone and scorched flesh.
"Damn it..."
My body began to tremble.
"GOLIATH!"
My voice came out with all the strength of my lungs.
"RUN! THAT'S A DAMN ORDER!"
The shout echoed through the entire forest. Even the Lion seemed to pause for an instant. Goliath, on the other hand, simply tilted his head.
"But, master..."
He smiled.
"I've got it under contro—"
BOOM!
The Lion's claw slammed directly into his body. Goliath was sent flying. He tore through the trees of the forest, finally disappearing into a cloud of dust and shattered wood.
"..."
I stood paralyzed.
For the first time since I had met him, I had nothing to say. The Snow Lion had entered its second phase and had just sent Goliath flying like a rag doll.
I looked desperately toward where he had disappeared.
"Goliath..."
Then I felt it.
A current of air brushed against my neck.
My entire body froze. I slowly turned my head.
The Lion was in front of me. No. It was on top of me. Its enormous claw was advancing directly toward my face.
I tried to move, to dodge. But my body didn't stand a chance.
"Shit!"
CLANG!
The sound of metal clashing against something gigantic echoed through the forest.
I opened my eyes.
A figure stood in front of me.
Pink hair and torn clothing, accompanied by a sword.
Goliath.
He had stopped the Lion's claw with his sword. His feet had sunk several centimeters into the earth due to the force of the impact. His arms were trembling. A spark jumped between the claw and the blade.
"Heh, heh..."
His smile trembled.
"Looks like the kitty got angry..."
Goliath gritted his teeth and pushed with all his strength. The muscles in his arms tensed. Finally...
BOOM!
With a powerful movement, he managed to deflect the claw and push the beast back several meters.
Goliath fell to his knees.
"Ah..."
His breathing was heavy. He leaned on his sword to stay upright. His clothing was completely torn in several places.
And then I saw it.
A wound ran through his leg. Blood began to slowly descend to his foot. A red thread that was lost among the grass.
I approached immediately.
"Goliath."
I placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head, surprised. For an instant he seemed confused by my concern. Then he smiled.
"I'm sorry, master. I..."
"It's fine."
I interrupted him. My eyes remained fixed on the Lion.
"There will be time for apologies. Right now we have to get out of here."
The Lion stood up again.
The wounds Goliath had inflicted on it... were disappearing. The flesh was closing. The fur was growing back. The beast was regenerating.
I felt a chill.
"It's not going to stop until it kills us."
I looked at Goliath.
"Can you hold out a little longer?"
Goliath let out a small laugh. Blood slid down his forehead.
"If it's to protect you..." His smile grew wider. "S-sure."
I nodded.
"I have to think. Fast."
I couldn't fight. Goliath could hold it back, but he didn't seem capable of defeating it, and the forest was too open.
Then I remembered something.
The Snow Lion was a predator. It wasn't going to abandon prey as long as it was still capable of chasing it. But... what if we stopped being prey?
I looked around. The enormous roots of the trees. The rocky cliffs that could barely be seen among the vegetation. And, in the distance... a sound. Water. A river.
My eyes flew open.
"Goliath."
"Yes?"
"The Lion is going to use a ranged attack."
I pointed toward the river.
"I want you to block it with your sword."
Goliath looked toward where I was pointing. Then he looked back at me, nodding as if he understood my plan.
"Understood!"
The Lion roared. Golden energy began to concentrate around its mouth.
My expression changed.
"Now."
Goliath positioned himself in front of me. He dug his feet into the ground. He raised his sword with both hands.
The Lion opened its jaws. A sphere of golden energy began to form between its fangs.
BOOOOOOM!
The attack shot out. A gigantic golden beam tore through the forest.
Goliath crossed his sword in front of his body.
"AAAAAAH!"
The impact made him stagger back. His feet began to sink into the earth. His wound reopened. Blood burst from his leg.
"Goliath!"
"D-don't worry!"
His arms trembled.
"I can still...!"
The sword began to crack.
"...hold on!"
CRACK.
A crack ran across the blade.
"GOLIATH!"
"RUN, MASTER!"
With one last effort, Goliath deflected the beam. The energy exploded against the mountains, raising a gigantic cloud of dust.
I didn't wait, and I grabbed him by the arm.
"Now!"
We ran.
For the first time since I had woken up in that forest, I ran with all my strength. Behind us, the Lion's roar was heard again.
ROOOOOAR!
The flames began to consume the trees.
Goliath limped. His leg bled more and more. But he kept running.
We reached the river.
It was much larger than I had imagined. The current descended violently among the rocks, forming rapids that disappeared into the mist. The roar of the water was almost as loud as the Lion's.
I looked back. The Lion was approaching. The flames of its mane set fire to everything in its path.
"Shit..."
There was no time.
I looked at the river. Then at Goliath.
"Do you trust me?"
Goliath smiled.
I wrapped him in my arms and covered his head with my hands, and then we jumped.
The icy water struck our bodies. The current dragged us immediately. I heard the Lion's roar from the shore. But it didn't follow us. The current was too fast and too deep even for that beast.
As the water carried us farther and farther from the forest, I managed to grab hold of a rock. Goliath could barely stay conscious.
"Goliath!"
"Master..."
He opened his eyes with difficulty.
"Did we win?"
I looked at him for a few seconds. Then I let out an exhausted laugh.
"No."
I looked toward the forest. In the distance, among the trees, I could still make out the flames.
"We survived."
Goliath smiled.
"That counts too."
And, before I could answer him, he buried his head in my chest and closed his eyes.
"..."
I watched him. His pink hair floated on the water. The blood mixed with the current. I sighed.
"You're a damn idiot," I whispered.
I held him tighter so the current wouldn't carry him away.
"But I suppose..."
I looked toward the forest one last time.
"...it's better if you don't die."