Just Extra

The Rainbow Reptile swayed but stayed on its feet. Blue blood ran down its body, and its breath came in harsh bursts. Its eyes moved quickly, watching both women.

Naviga wiped her sword, Black Death. The dark blade shone in the dim light. She kept her breathing calm, though the long fight had worn her down.

Minerva held her sword, Scorching Tyrant. Fire still burned on the edge, giving her warmth against the cold. But the flames had taken much of her strength.

The reptile stopped its usual attacks and began to circle them. Its scales shimmered, and soon its body blended into the icy walls. Only faint ripples in the air showed where it moved.

"It wants to confuse us," Naviga said, her voice low. Her eyes followed the subtle shifts around them.

Minerva turned with it, keeping her blade ready. "Stay close. We can't let it split us apart."

The reptile struck without warning, appearing behind Minerva with claws ready. She spun just in time, her Phoenix Guard forming a wall of fire. The claws hit the flames and bounced off, but the force pushed her back a few steps.

Naviga reacted fast. Using Phantom Moon Step, she closed the distance and cut upward with Black Death. The blade tore across the reptile's chest, spilling more blue blood.

The creature hissed and swung its tail. Naviga leapt away as it smashed into the ground, carving deep marks in the ice.

Minerva steadied herself and charged, fire bursting under her feet. "Infernal Burst Slash!" she shouted, her sword blazing as she struck down. The reptile blocked with both claws, but the blast shook its body and cracked its scales.

It opened its jaws, ice energy gathering. Before it could fire, Naviga's Eclipse Slash struck. Shadows and light disrupted the buildup, and the energy scattered into nothing.

Minerva followed up with Flame Vortex Slash. Fire spun around her blade, driving the reptile back until it reached the river's edge. Trapped between flame and water, it paused—then dove into the river.

The women rushed forward, blades raised. The water was clear, but the reptile was gone, leaving no ripples.

"Where did it go?" Minerva asked, scanning the surface.

Naviga sent out her chip's detection waves. The readings made no sense—the creature had simply vanished.

A sudden crash came from behind. The reptile burst through the ice floor, water dripping from its scales. It had used an unseen tunnel to ambush them, its timing precise.

Naviga spun around, bringing Black Death up in a defensive position. The blade met the creature's claws with a ringing impact that sent vibrations up her arms. She held firm, her Moonlit Shield technique reinforcing her defense.

Minerva wheeled around and immediately launched into her Blazing Phoenix Reversal. Her sword moved in complex patterns that created a cage of spinning flames around the reptile.

The creature was cornered. Naviga held her ground, Black Death ready to intercept any sudden strike, while Minerva's wall of fire sealed off its escape. Blue blood continued to drip from its wounds, staining the ice beneath its feet.

Its chest heaved with every breath. The earlier confidence in its sharp eyes was gone, replaced by strain and desperation. The long battle had drained it, and each movement seemed slower than before.

Rainbow Reptile fought against the flames, its body twisting in rage. Its scales shifted from blue to red, trying to resist the fire, but the effort failed. The wounds across its body drained its strength, and the colors flickered without control.

Naviga's eyes narrowed. The beast was trapped, its guard broken. She steadied her breath with Lunar Serenity, her focus sharpened.

"Young Lady, keep the flames strong," she said, lifting Black Death high.

Shadows wrapped tightly around Black Death, and pale moonlight ran along its edge. The two forces merged, dark and silver light becoming one. Naviga held the sword steady, her focus absolute. This was Eclipse Slash at its full power.

The reptile's panic grew. It hurled itself at the fire prison again, burns spreading across its body, but Minerva's flames did not break. Trapped and bleeding, the beast could only thrash as the deadly strike neared completion.

"Eclipse Slash - Final Moon!"

Naviga brought the sword down with devastating force. The blade cut through the air like a falling star, trailing both darkness and light in its wake. The technique was so fast that even the reptile's enhanced reflexes couldn't track it completely.

reptile's chest, breaking the armor that had stopped every strike before. The blade came out its back, dripping with glowing blue blood.

The reptile's eyes widened in shock. Its mouth opened, but only a weak hiss came out. Its camouflage failed, and its true colors showed as the light faded from its gaze. It really have seven colours it's body.

Naviga kept the blade in place for a moment to make sure the strike was final. Then she pulled it free and stepped back. The creature fell onto the ice with a heavy crash, its body still at last.

The Rainbow Reptile gave one last shudder before going still. Its scales lost their glow and turned dull. Blue blood spread across the ice, steaming in the cold air.

Minerva lowered her sword. The fire prison faded, leaving only a faint warmth along Scorching Tyrant's edge. She stepped closer, her red eyes fixed on the creature's calm, lifeless face.

Naviga wiped Black Death clean, then returned it to her storage ring. The dark blade vanished into the storage space, leaving nothing behind but the creature body.

"I think there are no more threats here, miss," Naviga said. "It should be safe to keep following the river." She confirmed the scan with her AI chip.

Minerva put Scorching Tyrant away and glanced around. The ice walls still glowed faint blue, unchanged by the battle. The river flowed on in silence, as if the fight had never taken place.

"This fight has drained much of our energy," Minerva observed. "Perhaps we should rest here briefly before moving forward."

Naviga agreed. They found a relatively dry spot near the river's edge, far enough from the reptile's body to avoid the spreading pool of blood. Both women sat down carefully, beginning to recover their strength.

The sound of flowing water provided a peaceful backdrop as they rested.

Naviga looked at the Rainbow Reptile's body. Its seven-colored scales were dull now, the light gone. Blue blood had frozen into the ice around it.

"We should move the body," she said softly. "If we leave it, scavengers will come."

Minerva agreed. They lifted the reptile together, Naviga taking the front while Minerva carried the tail. The body was heavy, far more than it looked.

Step by step, they brought it to the river's edge. With one last push, they rolled it into the water. The body splashed loudly before the River began to carry it away.

The River immediately began carrying the corpse downstream, but within moments, something remarkable happened. Dark shapes rushed through the clear water, rising from hidden places along the riverbed.

These were not the small silver fish Naviga had caught before. They were much larger,red colour, with rows of dagger-like teeth that flashed in the water. The swarm tore into the Rainbow Reptile's body, ripping away flesh with brutal speed.

"Blood fish," Minerva said, her tone calm as she studied the scene.

Naviga watched too, her eyes following the frenzy in silence.

Within minutes, the reptile's body was completely consumed. Even the bones disappeared down the throats of the hungry blood fish. Only a few drops of blue blood remained, quickly diluted by the flowing current.

The fish vanished as suddenly as they had appeared, leaving the river looking peaceful and innocent once again.

"Nature wastes nothing in places like this," Naviga said as she rinsed her hands in the cold river.

The two women moved on, following the river's edge. Afternoon slipped into evening, and the mountain passage stretched on without end. The path wound deeper into the frozen peaks, the walls of ice glowing faintly blue. As the light from outside faded, even that glow began to weaken.

"We need to find shelter for the night, Navi," Minerva said. Her breath misted in the frigid air. Even with the aid of her warming talisman, the chill was sinking in.

Naviga used her chip to scan the area for shelter.

"Host, there's a wider chamber about two hundred meters ahead." the chip reported.

She moved toward it, checking the way, and then called back to her young miss. Minerva joined her just as night fully settled over the mountain.

The chamber was larger than the place where they had fought the Rainbow Reptile. Rocky alcoves lined the sides, offering spots to rest. More importantly, the space was closed off from the icy wind that swept through the main passage.

Naviga collected frost-covered branches from the crystalline trees and stacked them into a small pile. With a simple motion, Minerva summoned a controlled flame from her universal essence and lit the wood.

Naviga laid out sheets from her storage ring, placing them near the fire but keeping a safe distance. The heat spread slowly, pushing back the chill. After the long day of fighting and travel, the warmth was a welcome relief.

They ate their dried food in silence, both glad for the warmth and rest. The fire crackled gently, and the river's flow filled the chamber with a steady sound that eased the weight of the long day.

Through the night, the fire kept burning, pushing back the cold. Wrapped in the quiet, the two women rested, gathering their strength for what awaited them tomorrow.

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