Chapter 601: Trapped on the Horizon
Strax returned to the beach with heavy steps, the sea wind still whipping his half-open black wings. His hybrid body bore the marks of the fight: broken scales, deep scratches on his shoulders, and splatters of dried blood on his hands. Zani remained sheathed, silent as if she, too, reflected defeat.
He advanced across the wet sand, the waves crashing against his feet, until he reached the spot where Beatrice and Bellatrix were waiting.
Beatrice, her long black hair tied in a thick braid, looked up from the sand slipping through her fingers. Bellatrix, fair-skinned and cold-faced, sat on a log, sharpening a short dagger, her feline gaze fixed on Strax.
He stopped before them, taking a deep breath before speaking:
“It’s impossible.”
The two exchanged a quick glance.
“Impossible?” Beatrice arched her eyebrow, her voice calm but with a curious weight.
“That monster.” Strax clenched his fist. “No blow works. Not brute force, not my demonic energy. It’s like cutting through a mountain made of iron. His skin is impenetrable.”
Bellatrix sighed, putting away her dagger and crossing her legs. “So you finally understand.”
Strax narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean by that?”
Beatrice replied softer, but with the same resignation. “That’s how we’ve felt since we arrived here. No matter what we do… it’s as if this place drains our strength.”
Bellatrix added, leaning forward. “It’s not our weakness. It’s this damned territory. It drains the energy of everything that steps foot here.”
Strax gritted his teeth. The memory of the Kraken resisting every blow echoed in his mind like an affront. ‘Drain energy’… yes, that made sense.
Before he could say anything, the sound of heavy footsteps coming from the forest made them turn.
Cristine appeared first, her red hair tied in a messy bun, her skin glistening with sweat. On her shoulders, she carried nothing less than a colossal tiger, so large that its tail dragged through the sand, leaving deep marks. The animal was already dead, but its weight revealed her supernatural strength.
Beside her, Yennifer was pulling a red-furred lion, larger than any ordinary lion, by its thick tail. Its muscles were broad, its flaming mane seemed to slowly fade as it was dragged. Yennifer smiled mischievously, as if it were just a game.
Beatrice, Bellatrix, and Strax stood still for a few seconds, trying to process the scene.
“…How the hell did you find this?” Bellatrix was the first to break the silence, her voice thick with disbelief.
Cristine dropped the tiger to the ground with a thud that stirred up sand. “We didn’t find it.”
Yennifer pulled the lion close, tossing it like any other prey. “They appeared out of nowhere.”
Strax frowned. “Out of nowhere?”
“Yes.” Cristine wiped the sweat from her forehead with her arm. “We were hunting, when they just appeared. Two enormous monsters, a tiger and a lion, out of nowhere, as if they’d burst from the forest.”
Beatrice stood, her brown eyes scanning the dead beasts. The smell of blood permeated the air. “And were they strong?”
Yennifer laughed, squaring her shoulders. “They seemed to be. Their roar made the forest tremble. But when it came to fighting…” she gave the red lion a light kick in the flank, “…they were ridiculously weak.”
Cristine nodded, crossing her arms. “It was too easy. Suspicious, even.”
Strax walked over to the bodies, kneeling down to get a closer look. Her hand brushed against the tiger’s thick fur. There were claw marks and cuts, but nothing deep. A brief fight. Her eyes narrowed.
“They’re not normal.”
Bellatrix snorted. “Nothing here is normal.”
Beatrice crossed her arms, the wind stirring her braid. “Still, this is strange. Creatures of this size, of this build, suddenly appearing… as if they were…”
“Summoned,” Cristine finished, staring at Beatrice.
Silence fell over the group for a few moments, only the sound of the sea in the background.
Strax stood, his wings folding against his back. “Summoned or not, it doesn’t matter.” His tone was harsh. “What matters is that even they, which seem so menacing, are easy to defeat. While the Kraken…”
He didn’t finish the sentence. His heavy gaze turned to the horizon, to the spot where he had tried and failed.
Beatrice observed him calmly. “You’re saying the Kraken is different.”
Strax nodded slowly. “He’s real. Alive. Tough as nothing I’ve ever faced.” While these ones here…” he kicked lightly at the tiger’s body, sending dust and blood scattering. “…are just distractions.”
Yennifer arched an eyebrow. “Distractions?”
“Yes.” Strax clenched his fist. “As if the island were baiting us to tire us out. Big, noisy creatures, but hollow inside.”
Cristine stepped closer, her red eyes narrowing. “So you think the Kraken is the true guardian.”
“Or the prison itself,” Bellatrix finished icily.
Beatrice took a deep breath, looking at the bodies on the ground. “Be that as it may, something is manipulating us here. Not just weakening us, but testing us.”
Yennifer gave a short laugh. “Testing us… well, then, bring on the next round.”
Strax, however, didn’t laugh. His gaze was still fixed on the sea. “I won’t accept being powerless against that.” Zani appeared in spirit form beside him, her clear eyes watching the others. “Maybe it’s not about raw power, Strax. Maybe we need to find the core of this island’s power. As long as it exists, you’ll be at a disadvantage.”
Beatrice looked at the sword. “The core…?”
Zani lifted her chin toward the sea. “I get the feeling everything starts from there. From that monster.”
Silence returned. The wind carried the salty scent, mixed with the blood of dead beasts.
Strax took a deep breath, his muscles still tense, and declared:
“If that’s it, then we’ll have to find a way to kill the impossible.”
Bellatrix smirked, a cold smile. “The question is… how?”
Cristine crouched beside the lion, running her hand through its still-warm fur. “First, we need to figure out what else this island will throw at us.”
Yennifer smiled, resting her hands on her hips. — Whatever it is, I hope it’s more fun than those two.