Maybe it was happiness… maybe it was surprise, or even the words that goddess had spoken to him.
But the white-haired boy felt a fierce emotion, seeing the world more vividly… as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and anchors removed from his feet. Despite the pain from the hits and probably a few fractured bones, he felt better than ever.
He was scared, but that fear was quickly replaced by excitement, as if an adrenaline rush he'd never felt before now surged through his body.
What was it…? When he trembled at the thought of the Silverback, his muscles tensed, freezing him…
When he thought of telling the goddess Loki he was afraid to fight, his throat tightened.
That was it.
He wanted to fight.
He wanted to battle.
He wouldn't waste the opportunity the goddess had given him; he wouldn't die after being accepted by his favorite goddess. Maybe she'd only granted it to him so he could survive, but she had enough confidence in him to believe he'd get out of this situation; he was grateful.
Gripping the sword tightly, he nodded toward his new goddess, glancing at her for a few seconds with a smile.
Without a second thought, he ran out of the alley, seeing the Silverback about to break down a door. He kicked it, forcing the monster to back up as he stepped out.
Bell would make the first attack. The adrenaline rushing through his body wouldn't allow him to wait for his opponent's first move. He went for a direct thrust to the chest, which the beast quickly dodged, taking the chance to swipe at Bell with an open hand. With all the strength left in his arm, he shifted the direction of his sword, turning the thrust into a swift, upward slash aimed at the monster's moving hand. The sword hit… but caused no damage. Though it stopped the hand, it didn't cut through.
Bell's hand shook from the impact, the loud metallic clang echoing as pain shot through his fingers… with a nervous smile, he kicked the Silverback's chest, pushing himself back.
"That thing's like hitting a wall," the boy thought. Luckily, the sword hadn't broken, and his wrist was still working, but even so, he'd have to consider the force of the impact.
The beast, with a deafening roar that made Bell cover his ears and alerted nearby civilians, lunged forward with an upward strike, which Bell quickly sidestepped. Seizing the opportunity, Bell swung a high, horizontal slash toward the Silverback's eyes, but it raised its head and bit down on the sword, shaking it from side to side before flinging him into a window, shattering it with his body and frightening the people inside the house.
Did it hurt? A lot… The glass shards embedded into his weak armor, which was just thick fabric. Luckily, he hadn't been thrown all the way inside, but this only gave the Silverback the chance to leap again, aiming to crush him underfoot. Bell quickly rolled backward, letting the Silverback smash the floor where he'd been, causing a minor tremor. Bell, pushing off the wall behind him, passed between the beast's legs, drawing a simple metal dagger and slicing at the creature's tendon. The dagger shattered in the process, making only a small cut but enough to destabilize it. Immediately, he grabbed his sword again and tried to strike at the monster's left rib, but he took a quick kick to his left leg, forcing him to kneel. The pain was unbearable; he felt like something had fractured in his leg.
The Silverback, using both hands like a hammer, tried to crush Bell's back. He responded with an upward thrust, lodging his sword in the monster's forearm.
A deafening roar filled the air.
"Hurts, doesn't it? That shit hurt me too, bastard," he muttered dryly, feeling the pain throbbing in his leg. No doubt, blood was pooling there. Without wasting time, the Lycan twisted his sword with a harsh growl, letting his race's characteristic side shine through.
The twist was enough to torque the sword and, at the same time, the monster's entire arm, ripping it off at the elbow and sending it crashing to the center of the open area where they were fighting. Bell staggered back a moment. Every breath was a sharp pain in his chest, and his sword, which had once filled him with a renewed sense of strength, now felt stiff and heavy, aching… The boy's breathing was erratic, nearly to the point of hyperventilating.
The beast was in agony; who was this creature? A moment ago, he couldn't even counterattack, and now he was fighting with everything he had, as if his… no, his life depended on it. He fought to survive.
Though not very intelligent, the beast still had some reasoning. It stepped back and, bending its knees, started pounding its chest with its remaining arm, making Bell worry for a moment, before lunging at much greater speed toward the white-haired boy, who tried to block it with his sword before being hurled into the opposite wall.
The impact hit his entire back and right arm, making him cough blood before he tried to stand up again. As he rose, he felt a loss of strength in his right side; it wasn't just a fracture anymore—it was broken, and the fragments seemed to pierce the surrounding tissue. But the Silverback gave him no time, grabbing him with its remaining arm and slamming him again against the wall, filling him with a sharp pain.
Bell began to feel his vision dimming, but he quickly regained some clarity and strength; he wasn't going to lose or die after promising himself so much.
He wouldn't pass out and leave Loki to fend for herself. He simply couldn't.
It was an obligation, a duty…
And before that sense of duty, the first flicker of Vilja Einherjar manifested in Bell's mind. His vitality wasn't renewed, his strength didn't increase, his endurance didn't recover, but… even so, he felt like he could fight better than before. With his body shattered yet still standing, it meant he could still wield his sword. Maybe he didn't have the strength to drive back the gorilla, and the arm holding his sword was pinned by the monster's overwhelming force, but he'd do whatever it took to win. After all, his body and spirit were unbreakable.
Gathering the blood pooled in his mouth, he spat it directly into the Silverback's eye, which, surprised, pulled back, giving Bell the chance to catch his breath before launching a counterattack alongside a loud growl directed to the beast in front of him.
Loki couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had adventurers far stronger than this boy in her Familia: Braver, a skilled and capable leader; Vanargand, a warrior of the same blood as this boy but at a much higher level; and Aiz Wallenstein, the Sword Princess. But this boy… there was something about him that captivated her.
He reminded her of the ancient warriors from long-forgotten tales she once knew. Fierceness. Determination. Power… yet a power unlike the strength adventurers gained as they rose in level.
She was certain she'd discovered a hidden gem, feeling grateful that no other Familia had taken him in. She would be the one to shape him, to make him strong. He was exactly what she had been searching for.
Her surprise grew with each strike: the boy would get back up, dodge, counterattack. Loki felt a thrill. Yet her worry also grew as the beast's kick struck Bell's back. That worry shifted to exhilaration when, in a savage motion, Bell tore off the Silverback's arm. Fierceness.
For some reason, he reminded her of the wolf that wanted to devour the sun. With his white, majestic hair—even stained with blood—it retained its purity. And his gaze held a fierce intensity, a primal urge to destroy the enemy before him.
The beast charged again, throwing a direct punch at Bell, but the boy dodged. Using his sword, now nearly blunt, he slashed quickly at the Silverback's armpit. The beast deflected it with its elbow, forcing Bell to evade a sideways attack, ducking and spinning to cut at the creature's abdomen, though it wasn't entirely effective.
The enraged monster kicked Bell, who shielded himself with his arm and leg, using the momentum to flip in the air and grab onto a laundry line. The beast, quick as ever, lunged at him. Bell, taking advantage of the momentum, used the line to spin, dodging the Silverback and landing on the ground before the creature.
He used his body weight to deliver a spinning kick, hitting the beast square in the stomach. The monster fell, pained. Bell quickly tried to sever the creature's other arm, but his dull blade failed.
The Silverback's furious growl echoed, startling the inexperienced Bell. The beast seized him by the waist, slamming him into the ground, making it tremble. His spine felt on the verge of snapping. With a desperate move, Bell plunged his sword into the beast's elbow—not enough to sever it, but enough to make it pull back.
Instead of retreating, Bell pressed forward, dodging a hook from the monster with a swift sidestep, using his shoulder to deflect the blow and unbalance the Silverback. Then, he drove his sword into the creature's neck.
What a terrible decision…
The sword lodged in, but not deeply enough, and shattered in the process. His hope dimmed as the Silverback, mocking, prepared to strike directly at his stomach. Bell felt his last bit of strength leave him. The blow sent him flying to the ground, where he bounced and felt a sharp pain like thousands of needles piercing his arm. He let out an agonized scream; his arm was broken.
Vilja Einherjar activated once more. Bell no longer wanted to fight. He wanted to leave. His body burned and ached; he couldn't feel his arm, and the blood loss blurred his vision and mind. But the skill drove him forward, even stronger now. His instincts resisted the skill, yet Bell welcomed it, embracing it with determination. After all, it was the only thing keeping him standing despite his weakness.
His veins stood out along his arms; his fangs showed in a fierce expression. With what strength remained, he rose, watching the Silverback charge toward him.
Bell lifted his broken arm to absorb the impact, grinding his teeth as the pain tore through him. It was unbearable; he almost wished he could tear his arm off. But he didn't waver, didn't flinch. With his other arm, he used all his strength to widen the wound on the beast's stomach, forcing it back slightly. Without losing momentum, he used the monster's leg to push himself up, delivering a powerful kick to the sword embedded in the Silverback's neck.
The blade lodged deeper, slicing through the creature's throat. Finally, the Silverback collapsed. Bell, coughing blood, tried to celebrate his victory.
As he fell to the ground, he noticed a figure approaching in the alleyway. An angel? Golden hair like the sun, a radiant figure… in his darkened, blurry vision, he saw only an angel coming toward him.
Then, nothing but darkness. A brief moment of awareness remained, leaving him unsure if he had died or simply lost consciousness.
Hey there! How did you like the chapter? Was there too much yapping, or was it perfect? I'd love to hear your opinion, so don't hesitate to leave a review; I love reading them. Let me know if the fight was well done or too long... if it was hard to understand or if the pacing was good. In any case, the fourth chapter is coming soon! I hope you enjoyed the read!