Reincarnated as the Villainess's Unlucky Bodyguard

Chapter 21 end up as dog food

Liria and Enara stood side-by-side, facing the massive beast, eyes wide but refusing to back down. The Behemoth Direhound let out a thunderous growl, shaking the earth beneath their feet as it snapped its jaws, venom hissing as it dripped from its fangs.

"Alright, princess," Liria muttered, keeping her gaze locked on the creature. "Got any brilliant plans, or are you just going to keep looking terrified?"

Enara shot her a withering look, though her voice trembled. "You think you're any better? That thing could swallow you in one gulp, forest mouse."

[Recommendation: Immediate retreat.]

Liria almost snorted. "Thanks for the advice, System, but we're a bit stuck, if you hadn't noticed."

The Direhound had already set up a shimmering, shadowy barrier around them, sealing them into a makeshift arena. Liria threw a tentative Fireball at it, but the flames fizzled out as soon as they made contact, leaving the barrier entirely unscathed.

[Warning: Barrier is resistant to current level of magic. Critical threat persists.]

Enara huffed. "Alright, genius, since you seem so eager, let's see if your little flames can do anything."

Liria rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Like I'd let you take the lead here." She took a deep breath, gathering her energy. With a snap of her fingers, dark flames roared to life around her hands, casting flickering shadows across her determined face.

"Let's dance, ugly," she taunted, sprinting forward and unleashing her Inferno Burst directly at the Direhound. The flames engulfed the beast's face for a moment, but as the smoke cleared, it didn't seem fazed. In fact, it looked angrier.

Enara smirked, but her confidence cracked as the Direhound swiped a massive claw toward her. She dodged with a Shadow Step, materializing a few feet away. "You're wasting your time with that weak magic, Liria."

"Got any better ideas, then?" Liria snapped, dodging a venomous glob that splattered on the ground beside her, sizzling through the grass. "Or are you just going to criticize me all day?"

Enara raised her hand, conjuring a swirling orb of dark energy. "Watch and learn." She hurled it at the Direhound, and for a moment, it seemed like her magic might actually break through its hide. But the beast shook it off, snarling even louder, and turned its attention fully toward Enara.

The princess swallowed hard. "Well... maybe that wasn't quite enough."

[Observation: Teamwork recommended.]

"Oh, now you're giving me teamwork advice?" Liria muttered under her breath. She glanced at Enara. "Hey, princess, maybe if we combine our attacks, we can actually make a dent."

Enara's hands trembled as she gathered her magic, a sphere of Darkfire growing larger by the second. Liria caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye and felt a surge of excitement. Almost there...

[Critical Magic Levels Detected. Warning: User is at risk of physical strain.]

"Shut up, System," she muttered under her breath, gritting her teeth as she poured her remaining energy into dodging the Direhound's relentless attacks.

Finally, Enara called out, "Liria! Now!"

Without missing a beat, Liria rolled backward, giving Enara a clear line of sight to the Direhound. With a roar, Enara hurled her fully charged Darkfire sphere at the creature, the dark flames blazing hotter than ever before. The Direhound howled as the Darkfire exploded against it, leaving a charred mark on its massive body.

For a moment, it staggered, and Liria's eyes lit up. "Yes! We got it—"

But her words died on her lips as the Direhound rose, its eyes blazing with newfound fury. Black veins pulsed along its scales as if feeding off the very energy they had thrown at it. It opened its jaws, unleashing a pulse of dark energy that reverberated through the barrier.

"Well, that backfired," Liria muttered, bracing herself as the pulse slammed into her.

Enara stumbled, her strength visibly sapped. "How is it... still standing?"

[Threat Level: Extreme. Immediate solution required.]

Liria's mind raced, panic creeping in. "There's no way we can beat it alone."

Enara clenched her fists, looking furious but helpless. "If you're suggesting we run—"

"No," Liria said, steeling herself. "We don't run. We're going to work together. For real this time."

Enara met her gaze, reluctant but resigned. "Fine. But this had better work."

As the Direhound prepared for another attack, Liria extended a hand toward Enara. "Let's combine our flames, princess. Make this one count."

Enara hesitated, but after a beat, she gripped Liria's hand, a small, defiant smirk tugging at her lips. "Let's burn this mutt to ash."