The world shook as the moose let out a roar, and along with the world, I could feel my core shake with it. Gripping the knife tighter, I brought it closer to my face, bending my knees slightly.
As the moose stared at me, I made use of this chance and started to run off to the side. Before, when I first fought the moose in the forest, the thick snow held me back, making it hard to go all out. Here was different.
When I stride off to the side, I could feel the wind and the snow on my face as the beast tracked my movements. When it found an opportunity, it rampaged at me. Coming close to me, it almost grazed like before. Trying to pivot directions as I dodged, our eyes met. When it did, I bit the inside of my cheeks.
I could feel the adrenaline building. As the beast slid across the snow, trying to keep its balance, I leaped onto one of the buildings, not in one jump, but in two small ones, climbing it.
Running along the edge of the roof of the building, the beast stayed with me. Getting the chance to do so, I glanced at my environment for any ideas on how to use it. Jumping down off the building as it came to an end, I made my way down one of the pathways leading to other sections of the academy.
I looked back to make sure it was following me. That was because right now, my goal is to keep it away from the rest of the group as long as possible. There was no need to be a hero right now. I had better odds with them than I did on my own.
As I saw it behind me, I could see parts of the building flying as there wasn't enough room for the beast.
These buildings were in worse condition than the tower and weren't enhanced with Numen, but they allowed me to confirm my hypothesis from before. 'The moose, it can bring down the tower.' It would just take a few more hits, with it being corrupted.
I turned onto another path, and the beast found it hard to pivot in the narrow walkway. When it did turn, it didn't see me. Instead, I am sliding below it. When I did, I brought the knife along its legs. I could feel the hilt of the knife vibrate as it grazed along the beast. The skin was tough, but my speed made it a bit easier than it should have been. When I did, it let out a deafening roar.
I got up from where I had been sliding and started making my way into one of the other paths. A row above the previous, the beast and I were on. As I looked back to see it once again, I didn't find the beast. Turning my head back in front of me, I found the beast rampaging through one of the buildings. It was now in front of me.
"What the!"
I tried to pivot back, but it was hard to do on the snow. Barely managing to, I found myself close to being hit by the beast.
Running down another pathway, it continued to rampage through buildings, following me. Each building now had a hole in it.
'That's one corrupted beast.' I thought. My eyes followed as it ran through each building. Each wall is being brought down as easily as the others. After a few more walls, I lose sight of it. That's because the beast was now in front of me. It managed to wrap around me and was not running directly at me.
'Shit, shit, shit. There's no dodging this one.'
Still trying to do so, I am met face to face with one of its antlers. Using the knife, I brought it up to my face, letting it graze along the antler to deflect it. Barely getting out of it, I turned to the left.
'I have to change plans.' I thought, 'Clearly running from it isn't going to work.' Having my back faced towards it, I disappeared from its line of sight. Before the beast knew it, I stood above it, flying mid-air, spinning. Using the spin's speed, I pierce it through one of its eight eyes. Staying on top of it, I twisted the knife and kept gouging at the wound.
The beast started to shake wildly, trying to knock me off, but I kept on stabbing it in its eye. After a few more stabs, the beast finally manages to shake me off, throwing me into one of the buildings.
The impact left me in a daze. As I got up, I found it approaching me. Seeing this, I noticed that one of the many holes it had made was next to me. I used my class ability Light Slash for the first time. A massive slash of light makes its way to the moose, but only grazes them. When it did, I ran to the holes. After running through a few of the buildings, I looked back. I don't see the moose following me.
'Where is it? Where is it?' I thought in paranoia.
When I reach the end of the holes, I am back at the center of campus, where the clock tower is located. The whole eastern part of the campus was destroyed. Some buildings collapsed, while others ran through.
Realizing this, I heard footsteps approaching me. Turning, I saw the moose approach me, not from where the moose was originally, but from the other side of the quad. It didn't have any of the wounds I inflicted and was perfectly healthy. Well, besides being a corrupted beast. After a few more moments, I heard another set of footsteps from the hole I just ran through—this one with the eye wounds.
'Two of them?!' A lump began to form in my throat.
I thought back to all the times we saw the mooses. I never put two and two together, but there were places where they shouldn't have been in each loop. I always thought it was because of the different actions taken, but there were two the whole time.
On both sides the mooses stand, as I am in the middle. A lump began to form in my throat. Handling one was hard, but now that there were two.
'What is this...' I thought.
I saw both moose exhale in the snow, waiting for my next move—but I don't move. I was stuck. I looked back at the cafeteria but knew they were still there. There was a big chance I would die here. Clenching my jaw, I get ready for their next attack.