"Can I catch a break?"
The creature picked up speed and transitioned into a cheetah-like running style. It pounced, opening its jaws wide and raising its head, trying to attack from up above.
Shiiing!
He unsheathed his katana, but it was too late. He couldn't put it into a good position to block. He dropped into a squat and tried to roll forward to avoid its claws and jaws. He did so successfully but its paddle-like tail sliced his thigh. It wasn't fatal, but it wasn't exactly a paper cut either.
He quickly got up and noticed his bleeding right thigh. Crap. He wasn't nervous or scared. This was a Frostgnasher—creature mainly active during winter, and for good reason.
It had pale, almost corpse-like skin, stretched tightly over a muscular body, blending in perfectly with the snow. Its mouth formed a wide, gaping maw filled with sharp, uneven, needle-like teeth. It had reddish lips. The creature was eyeless, mainly relying on sound and vibrations.
Its front limbs are very long compared to its hind limbs, making them support a lot of its weight. The front limbs end in two long, bony fingers that are capable of both crawling and grasping. The creature's shape and posture make it move with a low, predatory crawl, hugging the ground.
It had a long, paddle-like tail—thick and muscular. Viewed from the side, its upper and lower parts were razor sharp. It was the lower part that cut Reiji's thigh. The creature had a bone attached to the humerus of its front limb, unlike birds, which had two. Tissue connected these bones, creating a wing-like appearance.
These weren't for flying—the creature's entire structure wasn't for flying. The Frostgnasher is cold-blooded, so it would spread these 'wings' and warm its blood in the sunlight. During the night this bone was tucked in against the humerus.
Reiji wasn't nervous because these were talked about as often as wolves or bears. Though everyone knows that if you encounter one, you have no chance of survival.
Reiji slightly grinned at the monster. "Let's stretch our legs a little!"
He turned and quickly ran in the other direction, deeper into the forest. The Frostgnasher quickly took off after him. He sheathed his katana, and when he felt like the Frostgnasher was right behind him he jumped up into a tree.
He climbed up and felt the whole tree shake, it was trying to go after him. Most of the branches snapped when it tried climbing up. Its two fingers would close around a branch and snap it with its own weight.
It slid back down, still trying to climb up the tree. Reiji saw this and jumped down. The Frostgnasher was too overwhelmed by the sounds and vibrations caused by itself to notice.
Reiji landed right on its head. The Frostgnasher's head was covered in dense muscles that dulled the impact. Its head nearly touched the ground from the force before it stopped and, with its thick neck, flung Reiji away.
When he was in the air, he realized something very important: this was going to be the fight of his life.
He managed to have a soft landing, the snow helping to cushion the landing. It immediately moved toward him. Reiji unsheathed his katana with a grin on his face.
He parried its attacks while retreating. It swiped with its right claws, which got parried by Reiji. It then went in to bite him. He stepped back with his right leg and twisted his whole body, using the force to strike its lower jaw.
The parry saved his life, but the Frostgnasher was far from done. It pushed down against the blade, trying to bite his hands that were gripping the hilt of the katana.
Reiji jumped back. It swung its left claws too late, a weak attempt to keep him close.
A lot is known about Frostgnashers. I guess I woke this one up when I fell down here. It perceives sounds and vibrations. It has a terrible sense of smell. Climbing up a tree worked before. The safest bet would be to kill it—but can I?
The Frostgnasher spun around and hit Reiji's right side with its tail. He flew like a tiny stone, his katana flying out of his grip. He hit a tree and fell into the snow.
"Not again…"
Reiji said in a slow, pain-filled voice. As he lifted his head from the snow, he saw the Frostgnasher rushing at him. He rolled on the ground, the creature hit its head against the tree.
He quickly got up and climbed up another tree. The Frostgnasher pushed against the tree he just climbed up before leaving. Reiji breathed a sigh of relief.
I forgot that it's eleven meters in length, six of that being the tail. Now, where is my ka—
He froze up, hearing the crunching of snow, followed by thumping that was approaching at a fast pace. The whole tree was suddenly rocked from an impact. It didn't give up, it just tried a different approach.
When it wandered off and rushed back again, he jumped to another tree. The Frostgnasher kept banging against the same tree.
There it is!
Reiji spotted where his katana ended up. Wait… what good would it do anyway? It's not like I can kill it! After thinking for a moment, he broke off a branch, the snap got picked up by the Frostgnasher. It was as if it was looking right at Reiji, but it had no eyes in the first place. Its hearing was so good that it knew exactly where he was.
After unfreezing from its non-existing gaze, he threw the branch away, making it spin through the air. When it landed the creature turned sharply and rushed towards the sound. He jumped off, rolled in the snow, and ran towards his katana.
He noticed that snow was being kicked up to his right. It came back after hearing him run in the snow. He ran for a few more seconds, darting between his katana and the beast that was closing in on him.
Crap, I won't make it in time! I can't die here. I promised that I'd protect him!
The Frostgnasher got close and pounced from behind. The creature got close, really close. Just ten centimetres and it would bite his head off. I'm sorry, Haruto. He closed his eyes.
After a moment Reiji grinned with an exhale, opening his eyes. The katana landed down the hill they were on. All this time they were fighting on a small patch of flat land. He extended his right leg and pushed off the left, sliding across the snow. The Frostgnasher soared right over his head.
"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you, you bastard?!"
He grabbed the katana and kept sliding downhill. The creature ran after him. Reiji started laughing. "That's it, I'm right here! Follow my voice, you jackass!"
It got really close and when it pounced again, he stabbed the katana into the ground and used all his other limbs to slow down in an instant. He was lying flat on his back as the creature flew over him again, crashing into the ground. The slope grew steeper. The creature lost control and was now going downhill tail-first. Reiji pulled out his katana and pushed off the ground.
"I'm not done yet, bastard!" He stabbed the tip down its mouth and both of them flew off the cliff. I'm sure this guy will make a great cushion. He kept an iron grip on his katana as the creature hit the ground first.
They flew in different directions. This time he didn't lose his katana.
"AGH!"
He spat out some blood. Some water would be great. He slowly got up and so did the Frostgnasher.