The beast let out another deafening screech and lunged forward, thrusting its claws toward Theo, forcing him to defend himself.
He barely managed to do so by raising his sword just in time.
CLANG!
The curved claws, as hard as iron, crashed against the sword, letting out a metallic clang.
Theo poured all his strength into holding them back, fighting to keep himself from being torn apart by the beast.
He glanced upward for a split second, realizing that he had no escape route at all. The only option was to somehow run smartly and get out of its territory.
But the beast had already shifted all its body weight onto the blade while Theo was straining with everything he had just to keep the blade steady.
Piercing pain shot through his left hand as the blade dug into his hand while he continued holding it that way. He cursed himself and regretted not wearing any gloves. He had avoided them because they hindered his grip on the sword's hilt.
