The night was a blur of wind and pain.

Ada flew wildly, dragged by chains of viscous energy that gripped her leg. The creature pulling her seemed to revel in her agony, though it had no mouth to laugh. It was a grotesque monster, vaguely resembling a turtle, but its jagged shell was a nightmare of black crystal spines, reflecting the moon like living blades. Its deformed paws dug into the ground with each advance, making the desert tremble under the beast's weight.

Ada gritted her teeth, her eyes flashing red. The tentacle that held her was burning her skin, devouring it like acid.

"Damn it… my body isn't ready for this yet…"

Its demonic wings snapped open, their membranes ripping through the wind like blades. Each tug from the creature nearly ripped her in two, but Ada wouldn't let go. Her breathing was ragged, her heart pounding in furious bursts, and pain throbbed throughout her body.

She raised her hand and summoned her weapon.

The blood sword was born in her palm, forged from her own essence, dripping as if alive. The blade pulsed dark red, matching the rhythm of her heart.

Ada roared and slashed at the air, aiming for the tentacle. The solidified blood glowed for a moment, but upon striking the chain, the blow rebounded as if it had struck iron. The force of the repulsion threw her to the ground.

The sand exploded, swallowing her in a crater. Ada slid for meters, her body scratched, the taste of iron filling her mouth.

Gasping, she spat blood and rose. Her knees trembled, but the sword remained firm in her hand.

The monster roared—a low, hollow sound that vibrated within her, nearly splitting her chest. Its multiple red eyes glowed with hunger, fixed on her like easy prey.

"I won't win this with brute force…" she thought, panting, spitting blood again. "Every blow eats me up inside… and he didn't even scratch."

She took a deep breath, her shoulders hunched. The urge screamed to run, but running was the same as dying.

The monstrous turtle charged. Its footsteps shattered the earth, opening fissures across the desert. Ada raised her wings and launched herself into the air, dodging at the last second. The wind from the impact nearly ripped her from the sky.

Spinning in the air, she gathered power in her blade. Blood ran down her arms, enveloping the sword, and then she unleashed a crimson wave against the shell.

The flash ignited the sand. The explosion kicked up a choking storm of dust.

When her vision cleared, her stomach churned.

The shell was intact. Untouchable.

The monster shifted its spines, which writhed like independent creatures. Some elongated and shot at her like black spears.

Ada raised her sword, creating a barrier of solidified blood. The projectiles ricocheted, but the force threw her back as if struck by a wall.

Her body burned, her muscles screamed. But it was in that instant, amidst pain and despair, that realization dawned.

"The carapace cannot be broken…"—her eyes narrowed, fixating on the joints. "But between the spines and the legs… blood can enter."

That was the weak point.

But reaching it meant risking her life.

"All or nothing."

Ada dove toward the ground, zigzagging as the crystals sliced the air around her. One of them tore through her wing, making her howl in pain. Blood gushed, but she pulled it toward her sword, steeling the blade, which throbbed even hungrily.

The creature lunged forward, and the tentacle gripping her tightened. But Ada didn't resist. Instead, she used its strength to accelerate, flying straight at its front paw.

With a primal scream, she drove the sword into the junction between flesh and shell.

Demonic blood seeped in like liquid fire. The blade pulsed and expanded within the creature, spreading crimson currents beneath its carapace.

The monster's roar was abysmal. The sand trembled as if the desert itself were about to split in two.

Ada was thrown back, her body whipped by the impact. She rolled on the ground, bones protesting, wings shattered. The pain nearly knocked her out, but against all logic, her lips curled into a bloody smile.

"It works... if I repeat... a few more times..."

But her body screamed in denial. Her muscles were in tatters, her wings torn, and her heart felt like it was about to explode.

Still, she rose. Trembling. Nearly broken. But standing.

Her wings, even in pieces, unfolded. The night welcomed her once more.

Ahead, the monster roared in fury, its spines vibrating like a storm about to break. Its red eyes burned with murderous rage.

Ada raised her blood sword, its golden eyes blazing in the darkness. There was no divine power in her stance, only pure demonic stubbornness.

"Come… damn you…" Her voice was a hoarse whisper, but filled with fury. "Let's see who falls first."

The monster unleashed a shower of thorns, slicing through the sky in a thunder of crystals.

Ada dove.

Each second dragged on like an eternity. Her body moved on instinct, dodging on the edge of death. The blood dripping from her wing stained the air, but also reinforced the blade, which pulsed like a heart on the verge of explosion.

When she reached the creature's flank, she gathered all her remaining strength into a single strike.

The blood on her sword ignited in crimson flames as she drove the blade into the second knuckle.

Energy spread through the monster's gut like a fiery serpent.

The roar was deafening. The ground cracked open, and the entire desert seemed to crumble under the impact of the beast's pain.

Ada was thrown like a meteor. Her wings gave way, unable to respond.

She fell, rolling across the ground until she landed on her back, staring at the starry sky that swirled above her.

Her vision darkened, each breath a battlefield.

But amid the blood and pain, her lips curved into a thin, defiant smile.

"If I... succeed one more time... he falls."

Even fallen, her hand wouldn't let go of her sword. Her fingers trembled, but refused to unclench.

Ada lay on the ground. But not defeated.

Ready to get up.

Ready to fight.