She died...

Or at least she thought so...

[ Lumi-nee...! ]

...

...

As she hears the voice of her companion, Nina, the illusion created by her instinct disappeared like smoke.

She blinks her eyes and realized that she was still alive; kneeling behind the back of Nina.

Everything she just saw was created by the fear she felt when she looked at the enemy"s eyes. She thought death was certain. But it seems that was not the case.

[ Lumi! Nina! ] Sarah, who"s standing in panic, far on the other corner, shouted her name.

[ Lumi-nee! I...! I won"t be able to hold much longer...! ]

[ ...! ]

Because of the confusion and shock, it was a little slow for Lumi to realize, but as soon as she did, she started to panic.

Nina is holding off the relentless bites and headb.u.t.ts of the numerous heads of the enemy.

She and Lumi are both inside a sphere-like, transparent shield that at any moment - will be destroyed.

*Crack...!

*Crack!!!

Immediately, Lumi made her move.

She rushed and took Nina"s body that seemed to have been taken off all of its strength and immediately dashed away from the pursuit of the enemy"s attacks without hesitation.

( Tsk! This is my fault! ) looking at Nina"s limp body, who had reached its limit protecting her, Lumi could only blame herself for not being able to do anything.

Carrying Nina"s body, she turned her head upwards to the enemy who"s still hanging half of its body on the ceiling.

Its eyes are red in anger. She feels its irritation - probably because of its two prey escaping from its attack.

( ...! ) opening its mouths, it spits at them.

Green liquids were shot towards them. Nina knows what that attack was. It was said that the spit of a Draconic Snake-hydra can easily melt metal. It was more than dangerous to get hit by it.

She leaps small distances every time the shots were about to hit them - it, being effective and none was able to hit their target.

Lumi was dodging all of the enemy"s attacks with her nimble body, not letting a single one hit her and Nina.

Every second felt like a while as the enemy continues to pursue her. Her master will always put them into harsh and impossible situations, but in the end, she knows that he won"t let them die from it. What"s happening right now is completely different from that - with one wrong move, she, and her companions will die.

[ Lumi! ] Sarah, who seemed to have already caught up, attacked the enemy with her sword, cutting one of its head.

Being in shock, the enemy stopped its tracks and look at the figure of Sarah who has her guard up, gripping the hilt of her sword tight. There was also Caiden, who also tried to attack the body of the enemy but failed to injure it.

[ Lumi! Give her master"s potion! ]

[ Ah! ]

Maybe because she was panicking and was under the pressure of the enemy that she forgot to give Nina the potion her master had given them, but either way, she needs to eventually and immediately do it.

Taking out a blue-colored bottle from her pouch, she looks at the face of the girl she"s holding in her arms. She bit and open the lid of the potion and made Nina drink its content.

[ Come-on, Nina! ]

*Cough! *Cough!

The effect was immediate, Nina was able to regain consciousness just seconds after drinking the potion.

She opens her eyes and looks at Lumi.

[ Lu-Lumi-nee... ] she says in a voice that seems to be whispering.

[ Ni-Nina! I thought you were going to die! Huhu~! ] Lumi cried, hugging the limp body of Nina who is still in a dazed and confused state.

It was a heartfelt scene if not for the enemy who was pursuing and attacking them.

[ Nina! Lumi! Mind if you help us here!? ] called Sarah.

It was only a few seconds of holding off the enemy, but Sarah and Caiden are almost at their limits.

Sarah"s armor is almost torn off, showing her bare skin, leaving it in exposure to the enemy"s attacks. Caiden also has his axe almost melted away from blocking the enemy"s spit with it.

The enemy, on the other hand, has already recovered from its injuries. Regenerating its cut-off head and started to attack again.

[ Ri-Right! ]

[ Un! ] the two people on their backs replied. And they immediately got in their positions.

In a blink of an eye, Nina was already in front of the two knights, creating a shield that blocked the attacks of the enemy and protecting the two of them. With this, Sarah and Caiden regained their composure and they also get in their positions.

[ Sarah-san... This guy almost killed me earlier... I"ll make sure he pays for it, Sarah-san! ] says Lumi from the back who has her bow and arrows already prepared to shoot the enemy.

[ Yes, now that it has itself exposed to us, it won"t be able to ambush us like before... It was just lucky we didn"t notice his presence before... ]

[ You guys seem to already have a plan... I"ll just try to get along with it, okay? ]

[ Don"t worry Caiden, my friend, we"ll kill this guy before you can even cut it with your large ax! ] with a tone as if they"re familiar with each other, she gave her rea.s.surance.

[ Okay! ]

[ Nina, we"ll leave the defense to you! ]

[ Un! ]

Now that they regain their formation, they"re now confident they can beat the enemy.

***

Or so they thought...

[ SSarah-san! Whe-Where did it go!? ]

[ I-I don"t know! Just prepare yourselves! Never let your guard down! ]

With their backs against each other, they prepared themselves and their weapons for the upcoming attack of the enemy.

[ I thought you already have a plan!? ] Caiden complained.

[ I didn"t know it can bury itself underground! Just how it was able to do that? ]

[ Sarah-nee, by joining its head together as one, it can go and dig underground. But with this floor this hard, I"m sure it"s also hurting itself by doing so... ] Nina replied to Sarah"s question.

[ Tsk! What should we do now!? Just dealing with its growing head is hard enough! Now we also have to deal with it burying underground!? Just how worst our situation can possibly get!? ] Caiden shouted with his face serious and worried.

*BooOOoom!!!

The ground shook again and smoke came out just beside the four of them.

[ Shield! ]

The enemy attacked again as soon as it unburied itself underground. Its joined heads separated, and again, it started to spit and tackle at its prey.