Combat the elemental.

Snow open fires, sending a few arrows in a row directly at the creature's body. While it's difficult to miss such a wide target, her shots barely scratch its hardy form. The last one sticks in momentarily before clattering to the ground. It swings one of its arms down to the ground, shattering the stalagmites in front of you, and sending shards of stone in all directions. The shock nearly forces everyone to the ground. Besides Taiga of course, who retaliates form the air, diving down like a bolt from a ballista to slam the point of her spear into its side.

Pieces of stone fly from her point of impact. She then lands her feet on top, spins her spear around, and drives it straight down. For a moment, she almost loses her weapon as the head becomes lodged inside, but thankfully she pops it free and buzzes away before it can swat her down.

You can barely make out what's happening with the only light coming from your torch. Swiftly, you dash past the beast and slice your blade across its legs. Sparks fly. Even with your magic weapon, its defenses are incredible.

"This is the most powerful elemental I've seen in person." Snow hangs her bow back and instead draws her blade.

"Earth elementals are physically strong, are infamously difficult to damage, but they're also incredibly slow," Yin explains. "And I haven't seen one this powerful either. A cave, left untouched for so long... but maybe it's attracted to something here. Sometimes they're dawn to places of magical power."

Snow pounces like a wildcat. She flips up the side of the creature's arm, and than slams the point of her blade down, just as Taiga did previously. Though as it pierces slightly into the stone, a piece of the metal chips off. She withdraws her weapon and leaps back down to the ground. "Damn it..." she mutters under her breath. "We need something more than swords, spears, and arrows!"

Another swing of its arm nearly crushes you, but thankfully, you leap to the side with ease. It may be slow, but it's also so hard to see.

"Master! I-I know you're strong, and I'm your maid. I want you to protect me so that I can help you in return, but if I can't keep you alive too, then I can't call myself a proper servant!" She turns to the elemental and takes a deep breath. You feel an intense heat wafting from her body, and then you notice the air wobbling around her weapon. Smoke rises from the tip. Suddenly, the metal end of the spear glows bright red, and she disappears into a plume of smoke.

She reappears right in front of the creature's midsection, where she thrusts forward her weapon. The burning hot spear melts a small hole in its body. It throws its arms up into the air and quakes in distress as an attack finally pierces past its exterior.

But then her eyes widen. She flexes her arms, but the weapon isn't coming back out.

Yin is **** to retreat before she's crushed. Her valuable weapon is left behind, and now all she has is a tiny crossbow. If Snow's arrows were doing minimal damage, then that won't do anything at all! She's unarmed and distressed, through at least she did some damage.

"I'm so sorry, I--" she begins to whimper.

"Good job, Yin," you cut her off. "Don't apologize. You did well, but the fight isn't over yet."

"Yes, Master!"

There's no way a bolt of fire will do much. It was the heated steel that melted inside. There's my flaming sword... It's a little different, but it might help. This thing isn't the strongest opponent we've faced, but it definitely has the highest defense stat I've ever seen. We could run away too. I doubt it could follow us. But if we can find a way to take it down, maybe it's guarding something we can take. I don't want this trip to be for nothing.

You place the torch on the ground, and then you glide your hand down the flat side of your weapon. "Flare Blade," you utter, and the steel begins to glow. Flames rise up around the blade which also grants you some additional light.

"Take this!" you shout as you lunge forwards, slashing a scorching strike up the side of its stone body. It does carve deeper this time around. However, it still doesn't feel like enough. You feel confident that if you stay careful for long enough, your party will be able to take it down, but it could take so long that you'll be too exhausted to move on. Also, if anyone makes a single mistake, they'll be crushed, and that'll be it.

You deliver a few more slashes. Meanwhile, Taiga joins you with strikes of her own. Snow remains back, trying to formulate a plan, but she's also there to protect Yin as well.

The flames of your weapon gradually fade. "Can we lure it somewhere better maybe?"

"If this is an earth elemental, this entire cave system is its optimal terrain," Taiga replies. "There's nowhere we could go where it couldn't follow. An open area is the best we can hope for."

"Hey!" Snow calls out from behind. "What are you doing?"

You turn to see Yin nearby, but she has something in her hand.

"What's going on?" you ask.

It's an arrow, but it's no ordinary one. Yin's holding a magical Dajy arrow in both her hands. She takes a deep breath, purses her lips, closes her eyes, and then thrusts the point of it back towards her own stomach like a dishonoured samurai.

"What are you doing?!" Snow calls out.

But it's too late. Upon contact, the arrow bursts into sparkles.

Her head slowly turns to face you with a trembling smile across her face. She has glowing hearts over her pupils. One hand pushes against the fabric of her maid skirt, holding between her legs, and her breathing increases in speed. Dark red begins to fill her face. Despite what's going on around the room, Yin's eyes are focused entirely on you and nothing else.

A pink glow emits from your weapon. "Yin... Did you--?"