The sky above, once smooth obsidian, amid luminous stars now tarnished by the grayish and crimson clouds of smoke and fires. Below, the formerly vibrant forest intertwined with a cacophony of animal sounds disappeared, leaving only an unsettling silence weaved between chaos and destruction.

Elaine stood alone in the vast forest. Her petite figure seemed smaller than usual against the approaching storms. She watched the monstrous predators dashing closer. Their bodies blended into the darkness, but Elaine could still distinguish the fearsome red eyes piercing through the night. Behind her, Cecil was still lying on the ground, half-unconscious. If she continued her current immobilized state, they'd both be dead. Elaine looked around, and her heart sank. The Devil Beasts besieged them from all sides, blocking their escape routes.

Fight or flight were natural responses embedded within each human being when pushed too far. Though in Elaine's circumstance, running was no longer a viable option. But how long would she last fighting against almost a dozen Devil Beasts? Elaine understood her limitation. Even if she recovered to full strength, at most, she could only battle one of these monstrous creatures. Elaine knew her chance of survival was slim. But instead of dying in fear, she would rather conduct one last resistance.

If they blocked all the escape routes, then I'll create one.

Elaine clasped her hands together and concentrated. She then mumbled an enchantment and extracted water vapors from the surrounding vegetation. The water swirled together, forming a tornado in midair, then it dropped toward Elaine. But before reaching her, the tornado split in half and transformed into an icy barrier enclosing her and Cecil. The translucent wall halted the monsters' advances. They roared in anger, sharp claws and teeth ripping and bitting the obstacle. Their acidic salivas trickled down, melting away the ice. However, the melted ice again converted into water vapors and returned to the damaged position, repairing the barrier.

Elaine knelt and held Cecil's hand. She then chanted another spell, cloaking them both invisible. Elaine reinforced the barrier with her energy. Therefore, the Devil Beasts' attack also damaged her. Recognizing she could not withstand for too long, Elaine again pulled Cecil's arm over her shoulder and used her remaining strength to trudge deep inside the forest.

She plodded past two Devil Beasts. Too occupied with destroying the ice wall, they overlooked the footsteps she left behind. Elaine's body felt heavier with each additional step she took. She could feel her bones cracking while enduring the beasts' relentless attack on the barrier. They did not reach far when Elaine stumbled, dragging Cecil with her. Red blood spewed from her mouth and soaked the nearby plants. Maintaining two spells simultaneously proved too strenuous for her. Elaine collapsed to the ground while blood continued cascading from her lips. Breathing and moving became more difficult. She could feel her life force diminishing.

This is probably the end. Perhaps I really didn't have what it took to survive here.

Elaine chuckled, coughing up more of the red liquid.

Despite knowing her life was approaching its final stage, Elaine felt a strange calmness. The villainess died before the story started, but that could be good. Maybe she could return home after parting from this world. She glanced over at the unconscious young man lying beside her. When Elaine died, the effect of her magic should wear off. The barrier would deteriorate, and Cecil's invisibility would also disappear. She could only hope he regained consciousness and escaped before the monsters discovered this place.

With that last thought, she closed her worn eyelids.