We were able to inflict damage on the scorpion with coordinated movements.
Sharin, who had skillfully latched onto its back, plunged her dagger into the wound Cecilia had made. Just as she thought she’d won, the scorpion moved again. Sharin looked on, bewildered.
“Sarin, get down quickly!”
Philiana’s cry was in vain as she was grabbed by its extended pincers.
“Guh…!”
She wore a pained expression. This was bad; if this continued, she’d be split in two by those large pincers. No matter how fast Sharin was, her body was still flesh and blood. To the scorpion, she was no different from tender meat.
I ran towards the scorpion with a dagger in one hand. I knew it was reckless, but if I didn’t distract it now, Sharin would die. My feet sank into the sand, making it difficult to run as I pleased. I forced my increasingly heavy legs to move and approached the scorpion. Naturally, the opponent opened its pincers and rushed towards me, trying to catch me.
“Move, body!” I urged myself, and bending down, I dodged the attack by half-falling, narrowly escaping. The large, black shell passed overhead. Crawling on the ground, I tightened my grip on the dagger, which felt slippery from sweat, and urged my weakened lower body onward. I forcefully thrust my dagger into the repulsive, alien-like mouth that advanced towards me.
“Whatever happens, happens,” I thought, putting my weight into it and pushing the hilt of the sword. Blood mixed with the sticky foam, and red droplets splattered onto my body. A chill ran through my entire body. Please, I prayed, let this just be a nightmare.
Contrary to my wish, the scenery suddenly receded. Before I knew it, I was caught by the other pincer and lifted into the air. A pain, as if being squeezed in a vise, shot through my abdomen. I pushed desperately, but it wouldn’t budge. Looking to my side, I saw Sharin struggling in the same way.
“Hey! Are you alright?”
“Ugh, damn it… I’m managing to hold on by sticking my sword into a gap, but…”
She skillfully stuck her dagger into the base of the pincer to hold on. As for me… I had left it behind. While I worried about them, my own end might come sooner.
But in this situation, perhaps this was an opportunity. The stinger at the tip of its tail was gone, and its pincers were being held at bay. However, I didn’t know if attacking from its back would be effective. The fact that it was still alive after taking attacks from two of us suggested that might not be its weak point.
Think, I have to think quickly, or I’ll die. The thorns of the pincer were still digging into my defenseless abdomen. So, what was the weak point? Could it be its mouth? Perhaps piercing from there towards its head would be best. Philiana, with her long sword, could potentially do it. But with her height, reaching its mouth, which was lower down, would be difficult. Who could attack quickly now…?
“Philiana! Give Nina your sword! Pierce it from under its mouth towards its head. Piyo, fly above its head and distract its gaze!”
I shouted, squeezing out all the air left in my lungs.
