With Shin's connection through the crest, Laverna felt a surge of power coursing through her veins, amplifying her speed and precision. Her mind sharpened, a plan forming in an instant.
"Shin, we need to break its armor! I'll take care of that! Just hold it down!" she shouted.
Shin scoffed, shifting his stance as he met the beast's charge. "Oh sure, let me just wrestle the giant, armored death lizard. No problem at all."
Laverna smirked, launching into a sprint. "You do have a habit of throwing yourself into bad ideas."
"And you have a habit of making me go along with them!" he shot back, his muscles straining as he locked blades against the beast's brutal horns. He gritted his teeth, buying Laverna the opening she needed.
With her newly acquired jamadhar, Laverna launched herself into a deadly spin, her blades carving into the beast's plating in a relentless flurry. She twisted through the air, using her momentum to chip away at the thick obsidian-like armor. The dual blades spun like a relentless buzzsaw, striking the same weakened points over and over.
The battlefield trembled beneath them as each strike sent cracks spiderwebbing through the once-impenetrable armor. Dust and debris shot into the air, caught in the chaotic gusts created by the Falzath's enraged movements.
The ground beneath Shin's feet split open from the sheer force of its thrashing, forcing him to dig his heels in as he held his stance. "Oh no, you don't! You're locked in here with me!"
The beast's roar shattered the silence of the forest, sending flocks of birds scattering into the darkened sky. Every blow Laverna landed was fueled by the memory of George's final moments, his desperate fight, his sacrifice. The weight of his loss bore down on them, turning their every action into a tribute to the fallen warrior.
"This is for George!" Laverna snarled, her blades flashing as she tore into the beast with renewed fury.
Shin, gritting his teeth as he absorbed the brunt of the Falzath's monstrous force, let out a low growl. "And for everyone else you took from us!"
With one final spin, Laverna's blades found their mark, striking the weakest point in the Falzath's cracked armor. A resounding snap echoed through the battlefield as a massive section of its plating shattered, exposing the vulnerable flesh beneath.
As soon as the Falzath jumped back, it tried to swing its tail, but with Shin's quick reflexes, he slashed through the tail, cutting it down. Ichor squirted from the wound as the Falzath howled in agony, its fury now fully unleashed.
Writhing in agony, the beast barely remained standing. Laverna seized the moment, her breath steady despite the exhaustion weighing on her limbs. With a fierce cry, she lunged forward, her jamadhar gleaming in the dim light.
Using the exposed wound as her target, she twisted her body into a final, decisive spin. Her blades carved deep, tearing through sinew and bone. The Falzath let out a deafening shriek before collapsing, its monstrous form finally brought to an end.
As the dust settled, the town bore witness to their incredible battle. The once-darkened sky slowly cleared, as if the oppressive presence of the Falzath had been lifting all along. Murmurs and gasps spread among the townsfolk, their eyes wide with awe.
Moments later, a group of hunters arrived, the ones originally assigned to subjugate the beast. They stopped in their tracks, stunned by the sight before them. The massive corpse of the Falzath lay lifeless, and in front of it stood two warriors, their bodies battered but victorious.
"No way... Two Coals took this thing down?" one of the hunters muttered in disbelief. Their ranks barely whispered in the grand scheme of the hunter hierarchy, yet here they were, proving themselves against impossible odds.
Shin and Laverna turned away from the stunned hunters and walked toward George's fallen form. Laverna fell to her knees beside him, silent tears streaming down her face. Her shoulders trembled as grief overtook her, the weight of loss settling deep in her chest.
Shin knelt beside her, wrapping an arm around her as he pulled her close. "He fought bravely. He wouldn't want us to break over this," he said, his voice steady, though his own grief clawed at him from within. He hated himself for losing another friend, for being unable to save him.
Laverna clutched George's lifeless hand, her voice barely a whisper. "He deserved better."
Their bond, forged in battle and loss, strengthened in that moment. As they mourned in silence, George's party arrived, their expressions stricken with grief.
The healer rushed forward, hands trembling as they attempted to cast a revival spell. But it was already too late. The light of the spell flickered and faded, unable to bring back the fallen warrior.
The weight of reality settled over them. Laverna clenched her fists, fresh tears spilling onto her cheeks. Shin closed his eyes, his grip tightening around her shoulder, his own sorrow buried beneath a hardened exterior. The world moved on around them, but for that moment, their grief held them still.
Word of their victory spread fast. The town murmured with reverence, whispers of their names already being spoken with awe.
The Hunters Guild would mark them as heroes, the rising stars who had taken down a beast far beyond their rank. But to Shin and Laverna, it all felt hollow.
What did it matter if they were called heroes when their friend lay cold at their feet?
Shin glanced at Laverna, seeing the way she leaned into him, seeking solace in his presence. Their bond had grown stronger, tested by fire and grief.
She trusted him now more than she ever had before. And in that trust, there was something deeper, something neither of them dared acknowledge. A pull, an unspoken connection that lingered between them, unshaken even in the wake of death.
Laverna looked up at him, her teary eyes reflecting something raw, something vulnerable. "We did what we had to do... but it still hurts."
Shin exhaled, his fingers brushing against hers in silent understanding. "It always does."
When they returned to the guild, Yuri was already waiting for them, having heard what happened. Laverna, like a little sister seeking comfort, rushed into Yuri's embrace, clinging to her as fresh sobs wracked her body.
Yuri held her tightly, stroking her hair as she whispered soothing words. Silent tears slipped down Yuri's cheeks, her grief restrained but no less profound.
A funeral was held for George Applebee. The mood in the Lucky Sturgeon grew somber as the members raised their glasses in his honor, a quiet tribute to a comrade lost.
The warmth of the tavern could not banish the chill of grief, but in shared sorrow, they found solidarity. George's absence was a wound that would not soon heal, but his memory would endure in the hearts of those who fought beside him.
But grief would have to wait. The Harvest Festival loomed near, and with it, their meeting with Guild Master Davis and Laginaple's Crown. There was no time to dwell in sorrow. They had to prepare for what was to come.