Looking at that blade flying towards me, I felt the panic settle quickly in my chest. My brain was screaming at me to dodge, but the speed of the blade was brutal - impossible to keep up with a single movement. Instinctively, I looked around for any sign of the mages, hoping that the protective shields would appear in time. But there was nothing. No shield, no barrier, no help.
It kept coming, sharp and relentless, and I knew that if I didn't do something, it was going to cut me to pieces.
Then, as if someone had switched on a light inside my head, that familiar voice echoed in the back of my mind, firm and serene:
(There's nothing you can't cut)
That's what the sensei always said. That phrase hit me hard. It wasn't just empty advice; it was a reminder that I had power, that I had control. That I could.
I took a deep breath, letting the fear come into focus. My hands automatically formed the seals of magic, the world around me slowed down, and I began to trace the path of that blade as if it were a line I could touch. I visualized exactly where I would need to intercept it, with what angle and force.
Total concentration. Nothing else mattered apart from that moment.
When the black blade cut through the air, I counterattacked. A cutting spell, fast, sharp - almost as lethal as the blade coming at me. The impact echoed through my body; I felt the vibration of the magic in my hand, the wind of the shock pushing me back hard.
The blade of the sword was thrown far away, spinning in the air, as I staggered, trying to balance myself.
My heart was racing, but an involuntary smile appeared on my face.
I had made it.
It wasn't just luck. It was training, it was confidence, it was power.
I barely had time to celebrate my small victory when a wall of ice suddenly appeared right in front of me. The formation was quick, perhaps a little late, but still a necessary barrier.
The blades of the beasts cut into the icy surface with a dry, sharp sound, but fortunately, they only left small scratches. The ice seemed too resistant to be pierced by those sharp blades - at least for the time being.
Behind the translucent wall, I can see the wolves advancing. Their eyes gleaming in the dim light, their agile bodies full of tense muscles ready to leap, like predators on the hunt.
I felt the air getting colder, almost sharp, as if the ice itself was sucking the heat out of the surroundings. The momentary silence between attacks made everything even more oppressive - even the sound of the wolves' breathing seemed too loud for that moment.
The mages in our group, who until then had been casting offensive spells, now positioned themselves in defense, forming a line behind the barrier. They weren't attacking. Not yet.
It was as if they knew that this was a moment to resist, to hold the line and allow the group time to react.
I could feel the tension in the air, the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Every muscle in my body was preparing for what was coming next.
The smell of damp earth mixed with the icy scent of magic that froze the air - a strange, almost metallic smell.
I looked at Mika beside me, who held his sword steady, his eyes fixed on that hungry pack.
I felt my pulse quicken, my heart pounding in my throat. We had to act fast, or that barrier would be our last defense.
The first wolf made an impressive leap, jumping an almost three-meter wall as if it were nothing. From below, I could clearly see its neck tense, muscles ready to attack.
Instinctively, I lowered my body, feeling the oxygen saturated with mana coursing through my veins, especially in my legs, preparing every muscle for the thrust. I launched myself into the air with everything I had.
But I miscalculated - or maybe I underestimated gravity. Instead of reaching the planned three meters, my body cut through the space between the wolf's front and back legs, and I ended up flying almost five meters.
Gravity was unforgiving. As it pulled me back to earth with its relentless force, five sharp blades were thrown in my direction. At first, I thought that would be the end of it - but the mysterious goodness of the gods of randomness seemed to be on my side today. A flurry of "water blades" appeared out of nowhere and knocked down the slashing attacks before they could hit me.
I fell right in the middle of the pack.
I felt the thud of the impact, but I didn't have time to catch my breath. A wolf lunged forward with its mouth wide open, sharp teeth gleaming. I dodged at the last second, letting its head scrape past my body. With one fluid movement, my sword slid into its neck, severing its jugular.
There was no time to hesitate. Almost at the same time, I had to dodge an icicle thrown by an ally - a spell that glittered dangerously in the air - and then a "stone bullet" fired by the wolves flew towards me. I sliced it through the air, not without a little difficulty. Silly to try to hit me like that, I thought, half-smiling despite the adrenaline rush.
My body was in a state of full alert. Every second could be my last, but I wasn't about to let that happen any time soon.
We need to get out of this meat grinder, and fast - if we don't, our allies will end up killing us through carelessness or desperation. (Oxygen in the legs), I think, sending an extra rush of air into my muscles; jerk to scare away the fear, cut off the enemies' heads, jerk again to maintain focus.
The pain surges like a cutting wave through my hand and up my shoulder, throbbing fiercely. The blades of air scrape past, leaving deep cuts, but not fatal - yet.
I mentally shut out the pain, a control skill I've learned to use to stay focused on the battle. With a conscious effort, I inspect the wounds: my left hand is cut - the skin and muscles torn - and a deep cut that reaches the bone in my shoulder.
I take a deep breath, trying to ignore the burning as I prepare for the next move. We still have to get out of there.
The left hand doesn't last long in this world. I take a deep breath, forcing my body to normalize its hormonal state, trying to tame the panic that insists on rising. I stop the bleeding and advance - albeit by leaps and bounds - towards our magicians, this time paying extra attention to dodge their spells.
After all, how much mana do they have? Not much.
Suddenly, a "cold ball" cuts through the air, flying towards me, but heading straight for the wolves. I exchange glances with the group; an evil smile forms on our faces. We wave goodbye to the wolves, who receive the freezing surprise.
The wave of residual cold from the spell chilled me to the bone, and my legs soon began to cramp. I groaned, falling to the ground, and pulled in a sharp breath, trying to cut off all the mana around me - except the fire - while focusing the oxygen on my trembling legs.
It seemed to have worked.
With effort, I stood up, turned around and started laughing at the sight of the ice sculptures that imprisoned the wolves. They really thought they were going to take me down, but it didn't work out like that.
I sat on the floor, still laughing, letting the sound escape for a while. Then someone touched my shoulder.
"Hey... Are you okay?"
Mika's soft voice cut through the fog that was beginning to form in my mind.
"Yes, Mika, I'm fine, I can't tell you how much!" I replied, trying to sound firm, even with the adrenaline still coursing through my veins.
I made an effort to normalize my hormones, control my breathing and recompose my body. I slowly turned around and my eyes caught sight of her worried face - blue hair like a stormy sky and that mesmerizing heterochromia: one eye golden, the other dark blue. (What a colorful combination...) I thought, fascinated.
But then there was a strange sensation, as if another consciousness was approaching my body. An invisible invader, someone else's "body control" slowly entering my mind. The world blurred. My vision blurred. And before I could react, everything went dark.
I had just fainted.