The desert winds of Dalmasca were thick with heat, carrying dust and sand into the air as the Wild Saurian let out another guttural roar. Its claws gouged the ground, its long body rippling with power as sunlight struck its scarred scales. The beast's tail glowed faintly, twitching unnaturally as though the air itself recoiled from the energy coiling within.
The party stood in a battered semicircle, weapons raised, their breaths heavy. Sweat ran down Clive's brow, his sword blazing faintly with Ifrit's ember-red light. Lunafreya held her staff at her chest, blue sigils of water circling her in rhythmic pulses. Serah adjusted her grip on Mog's transformed bowsword, the blade gleaming sharp and eager. Vivi's small form was still, his eyes burning with the light of magic, staff trembling as if it wanted to sing another spell. And Auron… Auron planted his katana into the earth, using it as support, his frame solid despite the blood trailing down his cheek.
The creature's shadow fell across them, vast and heavy.
"Careful," Auron warned, voice low but clear. "That tail… it's preparing something."
Vivi swallowed hard. His small voice carried a tremor, but his determination was fierce. "It's Screwtail. If it hits us… it could end everything."
Clive grit his teeth, sliding into stance, fire erupting faintly along his arm. "Then we don't let it hit us. We finish it now."
Serah glanced at Lunafreya, her bowstring drawn back with Mog humming in her hands. "Paradigm?"
Luna nodded, eyes sharp despite her sweat. "Commando and Ravager. We'll burn it down."
"Understood," Serah replied, her voice firm.
The Saurian roared and lunged.
---
Auron stepped forward to meet it. With a fluid motion, he drew his blade up, his voice rising in a sharp command as his katana blazed with energy. "Armor Break!"
The weapon crashed down onto the beast's forelimb, sparks flying as scales cracked. The monster shrieked, staggering under the sudden weight of weakened defenses. Auron followed with another swing, this one heavy and deliberate. "Power Break!" The force of the strike sent a ripple through its muscles, slowing its crushing blows.
Behind him, Vivi's body shook as energy surged. His Trance had triggered—double streams of light twining up his staff. His eyes widened, burning with magic. "Firaga—Thundaga!"
Twin spheres of flame and lightning launched forward in perfect unison, exploding across the Saurian's torso in a thunderous blast. The air seared with fire, then cracked with electricity, forcing the beast backward.
Clive took the moment, sword igniting as he charged. "Now!" His Ifrit-fueled blade cleaved across its chest, a streak of flame marking his path.
The Saurian roared, its tail snapping around.
---
The ground shook as its tail smashed against the sand, blasting a shockwave outward. Serah jumped back, raising her bow to fire glowing arrows into its side, while Mog chirped encouragement. "Kupo! Keep pushing!"
But then the beast lowered its head, its jaws glowing. A shriek like tearing steel erupted as it used Sonic Fangs. The air rippled, slicing through the desert like invisible blades.
Clive braced, his sword catching some of the force, but the blast sent him sliding back, boots digging trenches in the sand. Lunafreya raised a shimmering barrier of water, absorbing the strike enough to shield Vivi.
"Stay close to me!" Luna cried, her voice calm but commanding.
The Saurian twisted, its movements erratic. A lone wolf, drawn to the fight, crept too near. The beast's eyes gleamed. It lunged—not at them, but at the wolf.
"No," Vivi whispered, realizing. "It's trying to Cannibalize—heal itself!"
"Not happening," Serah snapped, shifting Paradigm to Ravager, Mog glowing brightly in her hands. She fired a chain of magical arrows, each laced with elemental sparks, striking the Saurian before it could reach the wolf.
The monster screamed, enraged, snapping its jaws toward her.
Auron moved like a wall, intercepting, his katana clashing against teeth with a deafening clang. He held the line, muscles straining, eyes hard.
"Go!" he barked. "Strike it while I hold!"
---
Clive's sword burst into flame, Ifrit's fire howling around him. "Vivi, with me!"
Vivi nodded fiercely, both hands gripping his staff. "Flare!"
The spell detonated like a star, white-hot fire erupting across the Saurian's side. Scales melted, steam rising in plumes.
"Again!" Clive roared, plunging forward.
Lunafreya raised her staff, blue light swirling. "Oceans, bind this fury—Watera!" A surge of water slammed into the beast's legs, slowing its movements as if the desert sand itself had become quicksand.
Serah drew back her bow, her voice steady despite the chaos. "Mog, let's finish this!"
"Kupo!" Mog shifted mid-air, transforming fully into a massive glowing blade. Serah's strike pierced deep into the beast's neck, a cry of defiance echoing through the battlefield.
The Saurian howled, collapsing to its knees.
Auron's eyes gleamed with finality. "Bushido—Dragon Fang!"
His blade swept wide, an arc of pure energy tearing through the creature's core.
Clive seized the moment, Ifrit's fire roaring along his sword. With a final cry, he drove it down, flame erupting outward as the Wild Saurian's body convulsed.
The monster gave one last roar, its Screwtail glowing, threatening one last deadly strike—
—but Vivi raised his staff, casting a final Thundaga that struck the tail directly. The glow shattered, exploding harmlessly into sparks.
The beast slumped forward, crashing into the sand with a final, thunderous impact.
Silence followed.
---
The party stood in the settling dust, their bodies trembling with exhaustion, their breaths ragged.
Vivi collapsed onto the sand, staff across his lap. "We… we did it…"
Serah panted, lowering Mog to her side. She managed a smile. "We really did."
Clive sheathed his blade with a long exhale, the fire fading. His eyes softened as he glanced at the others. "That was no ordinary hunt. That was… a monster worthy of respect."
Auron cleaned his blade with deliberate calm, his stoic face betraying only the faintest ghost of a smile. "Strong. Worthy prey."
Lunafreya knelt, her staff glowing faintly as she began healing their minor wounds. "We endured only because we fought together. This victory belongs to all of us."
They looked at the fallen Wild Saurian, its massive form casting a long shadow across the sands.
---
Serah broke the silence with a small laugh, soft but hopeful. "Well… should we tell Montblanc that we hunted his request?"
Clive chuckled, shaking his head. "He'll probably think we overdid it."
Auron smirked faintly. "Let's see what he says."
The five turned, leaving the carcass behind as they began their trek back to Rabanastre. The desert winds followed, carrying their laughter and weary voices.
For though the Wild Saurian was fallen, the fire of their fellowship burned brighter than ever.