The beak came crashing down again, wood splintering to all sides as I dove to the side. Damn, how could she forget this giant thing when they told me about the cure? It flapped its wings, the sheer air pressure generated from it pushing me backwards. As I steadied myself once more its beak already shot forward once more.

“[Flame Shield; Modify: Strength]!” A golden barrier appeared before me just in time to block the crane. But just as quickly as it appeared it started to break down again, cracks building from the point the beak crashed into. I jumped backwards, leaving my back to the flames ravaging the outer wall.

I conjured another circle, making the fire twist, stretching outwards and flying towards the crane as hundreds of fiery birds. It flapped its wings, dispersing dozens of them, but I kept at it, pelting it with more and more.

It shrieked in pain, as the fire started to burn at its feather. Not so tough, aren’t you? But just as I started to feel relief a pair of wings lit up, glowing brightly green. Don’t you fucking… “[Flame Shield; Modify: Strength, Multiple].”

It flapped the shining wings, hurricane like winds picking up and smashing towards me. I felt my shields cracking as the wind braced against them, the gust blocking out any other noise, before everything settled down, leaving the place covered in debris and dust.

Then came another breeze, blowing away the dirt and letting me see my surroundings. Deep grooves were cut into the nest around me. The wind cut through the veil of leaves, letting the sun light the nest to show its destruction. It had cut everything besides me, tearing away half of the dome we stood inside and a big part of the nest while spreading my fire all around it. Mangled masses of flesh were strewn around, twitching before being covered by flames, corpses of dead cranes and broken eggs.

My focus was turned back towards the crane when it shrieked in anger. Don’t blame me for this, this is entirely on you. With an opening to the outside other cranes started to gather again, only to be blown away when their king expanded his wings, preparing to lift off. Before I had a chance to hit it with another attack it rose dozens of feet with a simple swing of its wings, staring down at me before another pair of wings began to glow.

“Not a fucking second time!” I released another wave of Fiery Wings trying to stop it before it could complete its spell, but just as they got near it the wind picked up again, circling around it before turning into a massive tornado. The crane released another as the tornado started to get closer.

Thinking you’re save inside there? The ground before me lit up as I created a circle. I poured the rest of my mana inside. “Die already! [Burnflame; Modify: Corroding Fire]!” I felt the wind tear at me as I released the fire under the tornado. Quickly the flames spread upon the wind, turning into a fiery twister.

It shrieked in pain while I was thrown aside by the wind, crashing through the nest. Then, as if it couldn’t control its magic anymore, the twister fell apart, scattering flames all throughout the tree. When it disappeared, I saw the crane, burned black and falling towards the nest. Another gust of wind came as it crashed into it, the flames leaning sideways before flickering still as silence spread.

With the notice came a rush of energy as my wounds started to heal and mana returned to my body. Come on. I’m just waiting for it now. My last time against a boss didn’t end that well because of this fucking system. But even before another message came the body lifted itself once more. It’s not dead yet?

It cracked and fell apart while lifting itself. Then it started to spread its wings once more as a third pair began to shine, this time though in a white light. I released flames once more, fiery birds flying towards the sky before diving down and crashing into the crane. But opposed to simply dying its burned feathers started to fall, growing a new batch of feathers to take their place.

It shrieked and growled but opposed to attacking it just stood there, taking my attacks on while regenerating its body. But then other cranes started to come back, attacking me while protecting their king, giving him time to heal himself. Soon they fell downwards, dyed pitch-black, but having accomplished to stall time for it.

While it was still burned in a few places, seemingly having reached the limit of self-regeneration, it was healthy enough to start fighting once more, lifting its wings. I rushed forward, nothing good will come out of this, shooting one Fireball after another. When I saw the first pair of wings glowing again, I conjured a Flame Whip, grabbing a hold of it and pulling myself forward.

I felt the wind rushing out behind me, tearing out chunks of the nest and foliage. “Don’t believe it will work a second time.” It lifted its claw, trying to crush me under it, but only gave me a chance to get into a better position, coming out behind it. It tried to twist around but I jumped upwards while conjuring Flame Whips. I split them multiple times, grabbing down on pairs of its wings.

“Seeing how they always light up before you do something let’s rip them off.” I poured more mana into the whips, hearing its flesh sizzling under my flame, as it cried out, tossing its body around to shake me off. I held on steadfast, burning everything down to the bones, ripping at them till they started to crack and brake, completely separating the first pair of its body.

It went into a frenzy, striking its body against the remains of the nest and throwing itself on its back. My body cracked as it was pushed into the branches, wood splintering around me, but I held on, lashing out at the next pair. It didn’t take long before I got rid of them too.

Realizing it couldn’t shake me off the crane slapped its wings, taking flight with me. We brushed through the foliage before the light of the sun shone towards us moments later when we passed through it. The crane wobbled, unsure in its flight after losing four wings, with the others already burning down.

As if waiting for a chance to use it its last pair of wings lit up. I let go when I felt the mass of mana it gathered. It released a piercing shriek at making me let go of it. “Don’t think you’ve won asshole. [Fireball; Modify: Multiple, Explosion]!” As I fell towards the tree, I shot them outwards, blasting away the last bits holding together its wings and body.

I crashed into leaves as I heard the explosion, followed by a vengeful outcry. I ripped through the leaves, my fall only slowing down somewhat with nothing to hold on to. When I saw the nest again, I heard it beside me, the body of the crane crashing downwards, passing by me moments before I slammed into the nest. It banged into the nest, making it visibly tremor before it continued onwards breaking through it and falling further towards the ground, creating a hole where we fell towards.

I summoned a last Flame Whips, twisting it around my arm while slamming it into the debris left by the hole, pulling me closer to it. In a last effort I summoned a shield under me as I crashed into the side of the channel left by the cranes passing, trying to held onto anything as my body was mangled by the brute force, breaking through branches and vines.

As I saw the end of the hole, I pushed my body towards a branch protruding outwards. My chest slammed into it, pushing out any air still left and breaking a few ribs, while the branch leaned downwards, starting to crack dangerously, before coming to a standstill. Beneath me resounded the crash of the crane slamming into the ground.

Stay dead.