Free End Online: Volume 2 by D. Wolfin

entirety of the stamina I had
recovered.
    Not wasting the opportunity, I stab both of my swords overhead
and into the centre of the boss's back. It may have been wearing armour, but
striking any defensive equipment other than a shield is the same as striking
the body.
    My attack cuts sharply into its back, critical damage removing a
further fifteen percent of its health. The cudgel comes swinging around along
with the rest of the boss, but I had already witnessed how quick it could move
and would not be falling prey to it again.
    I narrowly escape the blow, the wind pressure does a little
damage and blows me back a couple of meters further than I had intended. But I
would call the attack successfully dodged.
    The 'aggro' effect on Grigor all of a sudden wore off and he
turned his attention towards the little white wolf, completely out of magic,
dashing back and forth slashing at his ankles.
    Pointing the cudgel at the ground, A red glow signalled a sacred
art. 
    "Fen! Get away from there!" Panicking, I shout out to
the wolf, trying to warn her.
    But my warning came too late. Driving the cudgel into the
ground like a tombstone, a shockwave buffeted the room. I was far enough away
and even I took damage. Fen, who was much closer to the origin of the force,
gets blown away, lying limply on the ground ten meters away.
    "FEN!" I run over as fast as I can, any blow that
could launch something weighing over two thousand pounds was sure to cause
serious damage.
    Through the party window on the side of my vision, I could see
Fen was not dead, but that attack immediately had put her in a near critical
state. There was also a strange icon I had not seen before flashing next to her
name. Judging from her not moving and the icon, I will assume that it means she
is unconscious right now.
    Consuming a few more herbs, I rush at the boss. Any afterimage I
had gets dismissed when I land an attack but it only takes me a moment to leave
another one and escape its attacks. I may be acting reckless, but there was no
timer on Fen's negative status effect and I could not possibly pick up her
enormous weight and move her to safety. 
    The only method to keep her safe right now was to get the boss's
attention, hoping I will be able to 'aggro' it again.
    However, Grigor is still intent on attacking Fen, barely even
swinging his weapon at me. With forty percent health left the boss was
getting closer to the wolf step by step.  
    Glancing at my health, the herbs have recovered enough that I
should be able to take an ordinary swing or two from its club. But if it uses a
sacred art it is all over.
    I don't want to lose Fen! Despite everything, she has been
the best partner to have.
    My health is low, the same as my hunger and thirst bars. My
entire body right now feels heavy and exhausted, as if there was a great
weight on my shoulders. 
    Pushing myself to move as fast as I can manage, I appear in
front of the boss. My first strike is a critical hit along his throat, but the
subsequent moves were random hacks to anything I could reach. I was getting to
the point where I could no longer leave afterimages from my speed alone.
    Grigor's eyes shift to me. Good! I have his attention and
probably 'aggro' now. He suddenly grips his weapon in both hands, the club
emitting the red hue of a sacred art!
    'NO! I won't survive that!'
    My entire mind goes in to panic mode. I instinctively resort to my
primal instinct to protect as much of myself as possible, crouching down as low
as I can and covering my head.
    My weapons leave my hands as drop down, bringing my chest
to my knees with my hands protecting my head. 
    I feel a strong wind pressure pass through me, rocking
me back and forth. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw that the attack had just
narrowly passed over my head.
    If Grigor was any shorter I would have been doomed.
    Jumping back, I started laughing like some evil genius who had
just defeated the hero. Not because I felt like I had won, but because