Edrin had never expected his greatest strength to be falling.
Yet here he was.
"…I can't believe this is the plan," he muttered, gripping his sword as the massive Invader loomed over them.
"Focus!" Lyra called, narrowly avoiding a sweeping strike.
"I am focused! I'm just also disappointed!"
The creature roared—its form shifting violently where one of its cores had been destroyed. The remaining glowing points pulsed faster now, erratic and unstable.
"Did that make it weaker?" Edrin asked.
"Yes!" Lyra replied. "But also more dangerous!"
"Of course it did!"
Ronan dashed in again, slashing across the creature's side, forcing it to turn. "It's reacting slower on the left!"
"I'll aim for the right then!" Edrin shouted.
"That's not what I meant!"
Too late.
The creature lunged at Edrin again.
He stepped back—
Then sideways—
Barely avoiding the first strike.
"Okay," he said, breathing fast. "I'm alive. That's good."
The second strike came immediately.
Edrin panicked.
His foot slipped—
"…Here we go!"
He fell forward.
But this time—
It wasn't entirely an accident.
He angled his body, twisting mid-fall as he had before.
"I'm doing it on purpose!" he yelled.
His sword struck—
A second core shattered.
The creature howled, its form flickering violently now.
"Yes!" Ronan shouted. "Again!"
"I'm working on it!"
Edrin hit the ground and rolled awkwardly, scrambling back to his feet.
"I don't think I can keep doing that!" he added.
"You don't have to keep doing it perfectly," Lyra said. "Just keep doing it!"
"That's not reassuring!"
The creature's movements grew wilder, its attacks less controlled but far more destructive. Each strike tore into the ground, sending shockwaves through the clearing.
Edrin stumbled back, barely staying on his feet.
"…It's angry," he said.
"Yes," Lyra replied.
"I preferred it when it was calm!"
"It was trying to kill you then too!"
"That felt more polite!"
The creature slammed both arms into the ground.
The impact knocked Edrin off balance—
He fell again.
"…This is becoming predictable!" he shouted.
But as he fell, he saw it—
Another core.
Flickering.
Exposed for just a second.
Edrin didn't hesitate.
"Third time!"
He twisted—
Struck—
Light burst from the impact as another core shattered.
The creature staggered.
Three cores gone.
But still standing.
Edrin lay on the ground, breathing heavily.
"…How many does it have?!" he asked.
"Too many!" Ronan replied.
Lyra's voice cut through the chaos. "There! The center!"
Edrin looked up.
At the heart of the creature, deeper than the others, one core glowed brighter than the rest.
Stable.
Protected.
"…That looks important," he said.
"It is!" Lyra said. "That's the main one!"
Edrin pushed himself up slowly. "And I suppose I have to hit it?"
"Yes."
"…Of course I do."
The creature turned toward him again.
Slower now.
Weaker.
But still dangerous.
Edrin tightened his grip on the sword.
His arms shook.
His legs trembled.
"…Alright," he said quietly. "One more."
Ronan moved to the side. "We'll distract it!"
Lyra nodded. "Find your opening!"
Edrin swallowed.
"No pressure," he said.
"Lots of pressure!" Ronan corrected.
Edrin sighed. "I preferred it when no one expected anything from me."
Then—
He ran forward.
Not away.
Not hesitating.
Forward.
The creature attacked.
Lyra's magic struck it from one side.
Ronan's blade cut from the other.
It staggered—
Just enough.
Edrin's foot caught.
"…Perfect," he said.
He fell.
But this time—
It was deliberate.
He twisted mid-air, aiming straight for the glowing core at the center.
"This is either very smart," he said—
"Or very stupid!"
His sword struck.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
A blinding burst of light exploded from the creature's core.
The entire form froze.
Cracked.
Shattered.
The Invader collapsed into fragments of fading shadow, dissolving into nothing.
Silence.
Edrin hit the ground.
Hard.
"…I'm going to stay here," he said weakly.
Ronan laughed, lowering his sword. "You did it!"
Lyra stepped closer, her expression a mix of relief and disbelief.
"You hit the main core," she said.
Edrin didn't move. "…While falling."
Lyra nodded. "While falling."
Edrin let out a slow breath.
"…I think that's officially my fighting style."
Ronan grinned. "It's ridiculous."
Edrin closed his eyes. "I know."
Lyra allowed a small smile.
"But it works."
Edrin smiled faintly.
"…I'll take it."
Above them, the sky rumbled faintly.
A distant crack spreading further.
And though the clearing was quiet again—
It wouldn't stay that way for long.