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66. Engagement – Old Phantom Fox

– Gyaaaaaaa!

The Old Phantom Fox let out a furious scream. Her gaping mouth was large enough to swallow a person whole.

Eyes as big as human heads, with vertically slit pupils, were filled with a desire to tear the two of them apart.

Lena and Leo gulped. The fox’s ravenous roar made their flesh tremble.

‘How did Dehorman manage to deal with this alone?’

The Old Phantom Fox was so large that they had to look up to see her while sitting on her hind legs.

Honestly, it was terrifying.

One wrong move and the battle would end in an instant. The moment they were caught in that huge maw, their limbs would be ripped apart and turned into chunks of meat destined for her belly.

But Leo tightened his grip on his sword. If they couldn’t handle that monster, this engagement scenario would be shackled to a doomed {war} event, unable to take even a single step forward.

He signaled to Lena and stepped sideways to create some distance. They had to perform a flanking maneuver, just like when dealing with Noel Dexter. When one person was attacked, the other would strike.

However, there was a difference between facing Noel Dexter and this situation.

The Old Phantom Fox’s attacks couldn’t be blocked. With her log-like legs swinging, it wouldn’t matter if they crossed their swords in front of her—nothing would change the outcome.

Dehorman had swung an axe as large as a door, stopping the Old Phantom Fox’s assault, but they didn’t have that ability, so they somehow had to avoid her attacks.

The fox, with her blood dripping from her maw, first turned her eyes towards Lena. It seemed that previous claw attack had caused her quite a bit of pain.

As the Old Phantom Fox attempted to approach with a growl, she unconsciously pressed her front paw onto the ground and felt the pain from the iron spike lodged in her foot.

The iron skewer stuck in her paw showed no signs of coming out.

The fox wrinkled her long snout in agony. She swung her paw, “Boom!”

Lena quickly leaped back to evade, and in that moment, Leo aimed for her flank.

– Kyaak!

As he approached, the Old Phantom Fox spun around, extending her maw.

– Thwak!

The sound of the jaws snapping shut.

Leo sidestepped, evading the fox’s jaws as he circled around to her back, swinging his sword to slice her leg.

However, it did no damage at all.

Swinging horizontally caused the blade to catch in the fur, reducing its effectiveness. He needed to cut or stab vertically along the flowing fur.

It was quite a challenge.

While it was easier to swing horizontally while spinning and attacking, that option had become difficult.

Fortunately, the Old Phantom Fox’s movements were slightly slower after having her front paw and one hind leg injured.

Enduring the pain in her pierced thigh, the fox stubbornly turned to follow Leo, who was trying to move behind her.

Then,

– Kyaak!

Lena had sneaked up and slashed at her front leg.

Annoying little monkeys!

The fox realized these primates were attempting to take turns attacking her while spinning around. The Old Phantom Fox quickly made a decision and, with the speed of lightning, turned her head and lunged forward toward the monkey that had just slashed her front leg.

Startled by the sudden movement, Lena rolled sideways. The narrowly missed claws left deep scratches on the ground in the shape of a cross.

That was a close call. If she had rolled back like before, it would’ve been fatal.

Leo, chasing after the leaping fox, plunged his sword into her rear.

He stabbed deep! With a painful howl, her tail swirled around, but it was no longer a threat.

However, the fox seemed determined, twisting her body as she was falling over, targeting Lena.

Rough breaths burst from the Old Phantom Fox’s mouth.

– Thwak!

Lena, in fear, rolled over to avoid the jaws that were closing in on her.

The white snow piled on her body clung to her, but it quickly melted away with the sweat pouring from her.

This is my chance! Leo leaped high towards the partially flipped fox.

Gripping his sword with both hands in a reverse grip, he drove the blade into her ribs with all his strength.

– Kyaaaaaaaaaaak!

This was significant. Due to her size, it might have damaged her insides, for the Old Phantom Fox trembled as if in shock.

Leo landed on the fox’s back. As he worked to pull the sword from her side, he spotted scars on the fox’s body.

She was injured.

Several long, deep cuts. While not critical, they seemed recent, and the wounds were slowly healing.

‘What is this?’

But there was no time to ponder that. Leo gripped the lodged sword and pushed off with his legs to yank it out. Just then, a paw as large as a table came crashing down where he had just been.

“Ugh!”

Instinctively, he rolled. In his haste, he even abandoned his sword.

With a crash, the fox’s paw slammed down where Leo’s body had been.

“Hey!”

In that moment, Lena swiftly slashed the Old Phantom Fox’s maw again as it was trying to lift itself up.

Just like before, the sound of “clang!” echoed as the iron skewer lodged in her maw shuddered, but the fox didn’t react as sensitively this time.

As if to say “go ahead and hit me,” the fox slowly began to rise, her eyes glowing an ominous blue.

– Kank! Kank! Kank!

An all-too-familiar bark, this time more rapid.

The phase had escalated.

Despite it being daytime, the Old Phantom Fox began to shake her head slowly, leaving behind an afterimage in her glowing eyes.

This was a first for Leo. Whenever Dehorman and the hunting team tackled her, the fight would have ended before she displayed such behavior.

– Whoosh!

Just as she exhibited that intimidating behavior, the fox unconsciously elongated her body and swung her left paw wide. The snow piled on the ground swirled up, creating a snowy wind.

Leo attempted to grab his sword but quickly dropped to the ground. From his lowered perspective, the gigantic fox appeared majestic.

There was no time for admiration. Almost immediately, the right paw swung, this time, the sharp claws dug into the ground, “Scratch, scratch, scratch,” as they advanced towards the downed Leo.

Leo pushed off the ground with his arms and rolled backward. Thunk! His rolling body collided with a tree, finally stopping.

He avoided it! ─ but before he could breathe a sigh of relief, a yawning mouth was approaching from his dazed vision.

The Old Phantom Fox had opened her mouth and launched herself at him.

“Huff!”

There was no time to evade!

Bending low to avoid the gaping jaws made rolling sideways impractical, and with a tree behind him, rolling backward wasn’t an option either.

‘I’m going to die…’

Before he could finish his thought, Leo dove forward, slipping beneath the massive maw, into the space underneath the fox’s body.

– Snap!

The tree behind Leo was bitten. A thick branch splintered with a crack.

Spitting out wood shavings, the Old Phantom Fox looked around with her bright blue eyes, unaware of Leo’s location.

And just as she sensed something below her chest,

“Haah!”

Lena charged in and slashed at the fox’s right shoulder.

“Leo! Hurry!”

Seizing the moment while the fox’s gaze was diverted to the right, Leo rolled his body to the opposite side.

That had been a close call. Really close.

His face was ashen, breath coming out in gasps. His body, heated by tension, began to puff out white mist like a mirage in the cold air.

But it was frustrating.

If I had my sword right now.

The fox’s chest and neck were wide open, but he had no weapon to take advantage of the opportunity.

In the meantime, the Old Phantom Fox switched targets, slowly turning her head to gaze at Lena. This time, she swung her left paw widely, then the right, and then…?

‘It’s a pattern!’

“Lena! When she shakes her head, it’s left paw, right paw, then bite!”

Perhaps realizing this as well, Lena easily evaded the next attack. In that moment, Leo dove to grab the sword he had dropped earlier.

After recognizing the pattern, the fight began to turn in favor of Lena and Leo. They dodged according to the pattern, while one attacked as the other evaded.

With blood streaming from various parts of her body, the Old Phantom Fox appeared frantic, swinging her front legs haphazardly and even stumbling over herself.

“Got it! We’re almost there!”

Just as Lena and Leo were filled with optimism,

– Kank! Kank! Kank! Kank! Kank!

The fox barked more frantically than before.

And then… she leaped high into the sky!

‘Whoa! Wasn’t she unable to jump because of her injured legs?’

“Lena! Get out of the way!”

The Old Phantom Fox charged directly at Lena, her gaping maw aimed vertically.

– Thud!

Lena quickly rolled to evade, but immediately, the previous pattern was activated once more.

Swinging widely with her left paw, accurately aiming with her right as it came flying in…

“Crap!”

The next was the bite, and as Lena evaded the left paw passing by, she leaped back, pulled out her hand axe from her belt, and rolled to avoid the incoming right paw.

– Kyaaaaaaaaaaak!

The fox couldn’t bite. The hand axe Lena threw stuck near her brow, dangling precariously.

With the furious fox shaking her head, the axe fell away, and blood gushed from the wound on her brow, obscuring one of her eyes.

“Got it!”

Lena rejoiced. But the fox, as if undeterred, leaped into the air again.

Perhaps out of anger due to Lena, she didn’t even look at Leo, who was aiming for her flank.

– Thud!

Lena demonstrated ease in her posture, as if she had completely understood the next attack, deftly avoiding the vertical descent.

With the snow covering both of the fox’s front paws, the iron skewers twisted painfully, blood gushing everywhere.

“I know it all now! We can catch her!”

Lena yelled, preparing for the Old Phantom Fox’s next pattern. But then,

“Gyaaaah!”

As she swung her left paw just as before, Lena had to retreat backward, timing it just right, but this time, the gap closed, and blood gushed from the fox’s shredded front paw, drenching Lena completely.

“Lena! Watch out!”

Covered in thick, sticky blood, Lena temporarily lost her vision.

‘Next is the right paw swing!’

Her heart sank.

Unable to see, Lena jumped back blindly…

– Thump!

A terrible sound erupted.

The Old Phantom Fox didn’t just swing her right paw carelessly; she swung it accurately.

The massive fox struck with her front leg, landing squarely on Lena, who couldn’t even scream as she was sent flying.

She landed far away in the snow and lay motionless.

“Lena! No!”

And the fox lunged, seeming intent on completely crushing her throat with her hind legs.

If she jumps, Lena will die!

Leo flung himself toward the fox’s head.

With her maw aimed at him, it was as if he was throwing himself directly into her mouth, but now was not the time to be picky. Fortunately, the Old Phantom Fox, aggroed by Lena, failed to react.

– Kyaaaaaaaak!

Leo’s sword sliced through the fox’s other eye.

He didn’t know how deep the cut was. She squeezed her injured eye shut, refusing to open it.

– Grrr…

With one eye stained red, the Old Phantom Fox stared at Leo. Her vision was rapidly fading.

At that moment, Leo sensed something ominous and adjusted his stance.

The fox radiated an unsettling chill.

A small, drunken breath, a tightening of her neck, a stop of her front legs…

The Old Phantom Fox leaped into the air.

The fox, soaring high, was preparing for what might be her final attack.

Of course, Leo dodged.

He had no reason to take the brunt of that ultimate strike like Dehorman had. He didn’t have the capability to withstand it.

– Thud!

As the Old Phantom Fox landed with a thud, Leo charged at her.

He adjusted his grip on the double-handed sword, stabbing the right side of her neck.

The Old Phantom Fox’s pattern, the left paw swing, came crashing down on the fool who dared to stab her.

– Thwack!

Her attack struck her own body, but Leo was no longer there.

He adjusted the grip on his sword, this time with his left hand upwards, leaping up to stab the left side of the fox’s neck.

The Old Phantom Fox’s pattern, the right paw swing, attempted to hit the one who’d pierced her neck… only to come crashing down.

Her blood-stained head could withstand no more and toppled over. The Old Phantom Fox’s maw hit the ground in front of Leo.

“Huff… Huff.”

Only Leo’s breathing remained, and silence engulfed the area.

The massive fox lay motionless, soaked in blood.

[ Achievement: Monster Hunt – ‘1’, Weak Mana lingers in your body. ]

“Lena! Lena!”

Though the achievement pinged, Leo had no time to reflect; he discarded his sword and ran.

Lena, who had been flung into the snow, looked as if she had been filmed in blood entirely, with obvious bruises throughout her body, while her left arm and leg seemed broken. Her left ribcage might have shattered, with her side caved in.

Leo was shocked but grateful she was alive.

It was a miracle that he had managed to hit the Old Phantom Fox’s paw accurately.

If he had been even slightly off, the inertia would have snapped his spine, and had the paw been even a bit shorter, his body would have been torn apart by those claws.

“Lena! Stay with me! Lena!”

Leo couldn’t shake Lena and cried out desperately. She lay there motionless.

What do I do? I can’t just pick her up.

Unsure of what to do in the dire state Lena was in, he heard voices yelling in the distance.

Looking up, he saw the Ainar warriors rushing down the valley, having been drawn by the cries of the Old Phantom Fox.

Leo jumped up, yelling for them to come.

Blood was pouring from the massive fox’s corpse behind him.