Time Holders: The World of Balance

”Grrrrhghh... Huff... Huff...”

”Aldrus! Come on! Hurry!!”

The seconds passed and every breath grew dangerously closer to a permanent disaster. Cedric had tried everything, but Aldrus didn’t seem to react.

Shit! What do I do?! What do I do?!!

Every attempt to snap his friend out of his absent-minded state had resulted in failure; there had to be another way.

The blond boy was running out of ideas, he was reminded at every moment of their current situation as the bursts of wind from the clash nearby struck against his skin.

What could someone like him do? If it were Alice, she might’ve been able to reach him; if it were Aiden, his worried face might’ve been enough to encourage him. But what about him? Cedric wasn’t a kind person, nor a reliable powerhouse like Aiden. If so, what was it he could do right there and then?

If he were to say so himself, there was actually one last approach he hadn’t tried—one he’d been hesitant to use. But there was no time, even if it was cruel, he had to try.

”I’m so sorry, Aldrus... bite this,” Cedric muttered, forcing the wooden handle of his spear between the boy’s teeth. ”This is going to hurt.”

Cedric squeezed his eyes shut for the briefest instant. He had never wished so desperately for someone to hate him afterward. In one fluid, desperate motion, the blond boy ripped off his blood-soaked shirt, wrung it tight, and wrapped it around his friend’s severed limb.

A bloodcurdling shriek tore through the air. Cedric pulled the makeshift tourniquet with all his might, forcing the scarlet fountain to a grinding halt. The raw stump pulsated violently as if trying to vomit the erratic bleeding. Aldrus’s legs thrashed against the dirt. Foam bubbled at the corners of his mouth, and his jaw clamped down on the wooden shaft so hard the fibers groaned.

The tourniquet wasn’t just a medical necessity; Cedric prayed the agonizing shock would drag his friend’s consciousness back from the brink... and it did.

”GrrggghhhhhhhH!!HH!H!!!!!! [M-Motion!]” Aldrus screamed through a rush of tears, his teeth snapping the wooden spear clean in two.

And then...

”T-Thank fucking god! Aldrus!”

”Hahhh... Hahhhh... T-Thank you, Cedric,” the boy said, gasping.

His body was as good as new, with the exception of his ribs, which were still in the process of fully healing. But that didn’t matter. His arm was there, the blood was gone. He was alive.

Before the lingering trauma could paralyze him, Aldrus forced his focus back to the present. The fight was far from over. He locked eyes with Cedric. Without a word, they shared a grim nod and sprang back into the fray.

As they sprinted, Cedric used his powers to rewind his shattered spear, while Aldrus scooped up one of his stone daggers from the dirt.

Seeing the two rejoin the melee, Aiden and Alice caught a second wind, a brief spark of relief flashing through their eyes. The four of them were united again, and this time, they understood their prey. They just had to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Aldrus lunged forward, thrusting toward the quadruped’s flank. The beast pivoted in a flash, kicking up dirt as its jaws snapped open.

Aldrus remembered his training with Cedric; the words his friend had told him: ”You have to learn to be less repetitive, Aldrus. You’re doing the exact same moves, just like back then.”

The boy sighed.

’It’s like it’s burned into my bones’, huh? Well, unburn it then! I’ve already lost a bone today because of it!

Right before the beast’s jaws clamped shut, Aldrus dropped to his knees, throwing his torso back to slide beneath the monster’s underbelly.

[Freeze].

His crude stone dagger transformed into an instrument of execution. Taking advantage of his sliding speed, he drove the blade upward with everything he had. The edge barely bit into the hide at first, but his momentum did the rest. Hot blood splashed across his face, but he refused to blink. From the creature’s chest down to its lower stomach, Aldrus’s dagger unzipped the flesh in a clean, brutal line.

He slid out the other side, spinning back onto his feet in a defensive guard.

”KReeeeaeeekeEEEEHHHHHKKKEKKHKEWEEeeekekKEKkk!”

The silver beast screeched once again, forcing everyone to cover their ears. Beneath its torso, the fur stained heavily with crimson before a sickening wet sound followed. The monster’s innards spilled onto the earth like a cascade of ropes.

The creature’s crimson eyes grew dimmer. But then, they flared anew with pure, vindictive wrath.

The students noticed the sudden change—a dead soul’s desire for vengeance. The monster was dying, but it didn’t seem happy with letting its killers go unharmed. Thus the beast rushed once again, aiming for whoever was closer.

But the playing field had changed. Having looked death in the eyes, the students refused to relax until that wretched head was separated from its shoulders.

They moved as a single unit. Aldrus jumped into the air, spinning twice to drive a heavy kick into the creature’s skull.

Down below, Alice met the descending weight of the beast with a brutal stab, burying her sword up to the hilt into its side.

Impaled, the monster thrashed wildly, trying to shake the steel from its ribs. Before it could swing, Aiden caught its lashing tail mid-air, planting his boot into its rear to tear the wound completely open.

At the same time, Alice rushed forward, ripped her sword free, and used the momentum to leap into the air one final time.

The combined weight of those attacks left the creature squirming and vomiting dark blood, completely disoriented. That moment wasn’t wasted, for Cedric was already close enough, driving his restored spear through its neck to pin it to the earth. The creature writhed violently, tearing deeper into the wound with every desperate struggle.

However, that was the only thing it could do.

Above, the blonde girl flipped forward through the air, descending with her blade raised overhead.

In the next instant, a sharp hiss of steel cut the air, followed by the heavy, hollow thud of meat hitting the dirt.

There lay the Orange-class beast, beheaded.