[DANRYU'S POV]
I should've known.
The second he tilted his head and went, "Ohhh look at the cute doggies," I should've launched him into a tree.
And yet—there I was. Letting him do exactly what Katxu does best.
Touch things he absolutely should not touch.
He reached forward.
The wolf-puppy-thing blinked, tilted its head—
And spun.
They both did.
My eyes widened. "No. Don't you—"
BOOM.
The smoke exploded.
Thick. Fast. Blinding.
"This idiot—!" was all I managed before the mist swallowed everything.
Sound died.
Color, too.
And with it—Katxu.
I slammed my palms to the ground. "Verdant Pulse!"
Nothing.
Just my own roots circling back.
A trap.
Tch.
This wasn't smoke.
It was mist. Controlled. Directed.
I stood slowly, eyes sharp, shifting my weight.
That's when I heard it.
Not footsteps.
Not growling.
Breathing.
Wet. Heavy. Wrong.
I spun—and saw it.
A creature stepped through the shadows. Slow. Confident.
Wolf-shaped. But not real.
Its scales shimmered like oil over stone, every plate lined with jagged edges, like knives pretending to be skin. But its face... its face was too clean. Too symmetrical. Almost elegant.
Fake.
And worst of all—its band was gone.
No glow on the leg. No pulse of target color. Just polished scales that shimmered from head to toe.
"...Great."
This one was smarter. I could feel it.
It didn't pounce.
It stalked.
It knew it was invisible.
I kept still.
Tried to ping it again—Verdant Pulse.
Still nothing.
I needed to expose it.
And I needed to survive long enough to figure out how.
It lunged.
I barely dodged—used a Vine Jolt to push myself back and flip over a fallen log.
The wolf turned midair, landing silently, completely balanced.
"Of course you're an acrobat."
It lunged again—twice. Faster now.
I summoned Whip Vines and lashed forward—one hit, two—direct hits to its sides.
But the scales didn't flinch.
They shimmered again—changing texture, light reflection, even sound.
It was like it was wearing an illusion made of armor.
The Glance Shield.
I had to break it.
"Fine," I muttered, then reached into my pouch.
I pulled a seed—bit down.
"Lifeburst Root."
A green glow spread through my arms as my body tensed. Mana rose sharply—fast and hot.
I shot two vines straight up—hooked onto a tree branch—and launched myself over the wolf's back.
Midair, I threw three Needle Thorns, aimed not for damage—but for consistency. Impact. Pressure.
All three landed. Two bounced.
One stuck—barely.
The shield flickered.
"There you are."
The wolf twisted, growling now. Angry.
Panicking.
I dropped back to the ground, dodging low, and summoned Strangling Roots.
They burst from the ground and tangled around its legs, just long enough to hold it.
One second.
One shot.
I aimed a focused needle straight for the flicker point.
Let it fly.
THNK—
Direct hit.
The illusion shattered.
The scales shifted, and the band underneath flickered once—visible.
The wolf let out a distorted howl and lunged for me with a last, desperate twist.
I didn't move.
Two vines shot out from behind me, grabbed both its hind legs—and slammed it into a tree.
Hard.
Then again.
The third time, it didn't move.
The mist thinned.
The forest grew still again.
I wiped sweat from my brow and walked forward.
Its body had already begun dissolving into Arc particles—but something solid remained in the dirt.
A glowing card.
Glance Shield – Hides your wristband from view.
I picked it up, breathing steady now.
"...Good."
Then I narrowed my eyes toward the forest.
Now I had to find Katxu.
Before he pet something else.
The mist was thinner now.
Not gone. Just... spread.
But I could feel it shifting—recoiling. Something big was moving it.
I followed the distortion in the air like a thread. Vines shifted beneath my feet, still responding to my pulse. Burned bark. Ash. A trail of crushed leaves and scattered claw marks.
Then I found the belt.
Katxu's.
His talisman belt—snapped at the buckle, lying half-buried in the dirt, still warm.
I picked it up.
"...Idiot."
That meant he had nothing now. No fire. No wind. No earth.
Just himself.
And that meant—
CRACK—!!
A massive shockwave pulsed through the trees.
I sprinted toward the sound.
Branches split.
And then I saw it.
Katxu.
Fighting.
No, brawling—with something he had no business touching.
A massive wolf stood across from him. Same species as the one I fought—but this one was different. Bigger. Broader. Its muscles rippled like rolling waves beneath its glistening scale-armor. Every step made the forest shiver. A growl rolled from its throat like thunder.
Its scales weren't just armor—they moved, shifting over its body in defense rhythms.
The Alpha.
Its eyes glowed blood-orange.
Katxu's shirt was nearly gone—clawed to shreds. Blood ran from his shoulder and temple, and his knuckles were raw.
He dodged another lunge, sliding under the beast's jaw and slamming both fists into its ribs.
It barely flinched.
"Stop trying to box the dragon turtle, idiot!" I yelled, rushing in.
Katxu whipped his head toward me. "Oh look, it's the team's emotional support plant!"
I threw his belt at him. He caught it mid-sprint and grinned through the blood. "Missed you too."
The Alpha roared.
Mist exploded outward like a bomb.
Everything went dark again.
I dove forward, slammed my palm to the ground. "Caged Vines!"
A burst of green energy formed a semi-sphere barrier around us—blocking the incoming claw swipe. The impact cracked the dome, but it held long enough for me to breathe.
Katxu checked his talismans. "I got four left."
"Then make them count."
The dome shattered.
And the fight resumed.
The Alpha leapt. Katxu rolled left, I moved right.
"Whip Vines!" I shouted, lashing the beast's leg and yanking it sideways. It stumbled—just enough for Katxu to leap and plant his foot on its jaw.
"Stone Spike!" he shouted, slamming a talisman into the ground mid-air. A thick earth spear shot up from below the wolf, stabbing its underbelly.
It howled—then twisted violently, flinging us both back.
I hit a root hard. Gasped.
"Needle Thorns!" I fired a volley across the clearing, aiming for the joints between scales. A few hit—but the Alpha shook them off.
Katxu got back up slower. He was limping.
"Verdant Pulse—Verdant Needle!" I called, dashing toward him.
I touched his shoulder—green light surged from my palm, stabilizing the worst of the bleeding. He flinched.
"...You alright?" I asked.
"I've had worse. Probably."
"Don't lie while I'm healing you."
"I'm charming when I'm half-dead."
"More tolerable."
The Alpha circled us now. It had stopped lunging. Watching. Calculating.
Then it stepped forward—and growled.
The ground beneath us trembled.
"No, no—move!" I yelled.
Too late.
Vines exploded upward.
"Snare Zone—!" I realized.
It was marking the area.
The vines grabbed Katxu by the leg, then me by the arm. I slashed one free, but two more wrapped my ankle.
Katxu roared, "Gale Force!" and triggered his wind talisman—
It yanked him upward, dragging the vines with it, lifting the Alpha's trap roots out of the ground with sheer force.
I used the gap to bite down on a Lifeburst Root, then forced another pulse through my veins.
"Vines Army!" I called again.
This time, I directed them to grab Katxu mid-fall—catching him—before slamming downward onto the Alpha's back.
The vines crushed down like a wave of fists.
The Alpha bucked and roared—but we were in rhythm now.
We moved.
Together.
The vines cracked under the Alpha's roar.
It threw its body sideways, slamming into trees, trying to shake us off. The forest groaned from the force. Bark exploded like splinters.
Katxu was still midair, being carried by one of my vines. He grinned like a lunatic. "Hey! Not bad, Princess!"
"Call me that again and I drop you."
"Do it. I'll land fists first."
"I'll aim for the rocks."
The Alpha turned again, scales grinding like armor shifting into attack formation.
"NOW!" I shouted.
Katxu twisted in the air. "Fire Dragon!"
He slammed the talisman into the air mid-flip. The flaming serpent spiraled downward—direct hit—straight onto the Alpha's exposed back.
It howled, but didn't drop.
This thing was tanking everything.
"Tch. We need to pierce it." I bit another seed—boosted my vines. "Get ready to line up a weak spot!"
"What do you want me to do, talk it into opening up?!"
"No. Just hit it until it gets sloppy."
He dropped.
Straight into the Alpha's line.
I sent two vines—one wrapped his wrist, the other pulled me forward.
We met in front of the wolf at the same time.
Katxu ducked under a claw. I lashed forward with a vine from below—caught its leg and bent it inward.
Katxu saw the opening.
He sprinted up the arm.
Literally ran up the beast's body.
"Katxu—!"
"Shut up I got it!"
He reached the base of the Alpha's neck, jammed a Stone Spike talisman against the top of its spine, and leapt off—
"DO IT!" he yelled midair.
I didn't hesitate.
"Needle Storm!"
A barrage of verdant thorns launched from every direction.
The Stone Spike burst upward, forcing the neck open just enough.
The storm hit.
Right between the plates.
The Alpha jerked violently.
It let out a final, distorted roar—then collapsed, vines crumbling around it like snapped threads.
Silence.
Smoke rose from the wrecked clearing.
Katxu landed on one knee, panting hard.
I dropped beside him, my arm bleeding from the snare trap.
"...We good?" I asked.
"Still breathing," he muttered.
I nodded. "Barely."
"Same."
Then we both looked at the dissolving corpse.
It flickered.
And in its place...
A single card hovered above the dirt.
We stepped forward.
Snare Card – Sets a hidden trap to bind enemies.
Katxu whistled. "That was worth the blood."
Katxu stepped forward, reaching for the Alpha's card. Dirt smudged his fingers, blood still trailing from his jaw. His hand hovered over the glowing square of light.
I let my guard down.
Just for a second.
That was all it took.
THNK—!!
A silver blade spun from the shadows and struck Katxu's hand mid-reach—piercing through the flesh between his thumb and index finger.
He gasped—stumbled back.
Blood ran fast.
"Katxu—!"
He clutched his hand, eyes wide. The blade didn't stay.
It shivered once—then yanked itself back, sliding out clean and fast as it zipped through the air and disappeared into the mist.
He screamed as it left—his hand ripped wider from the withdrawal.
The wound pulsed deep.
"Who—" he managed, through clenched teeth.
That's when we heard it.
Laughter.
Three voices.
Slow. Unbothered. Casual.
They stepped out from the trees like they'd been watching all along.
The first was wrapped in a shimmering, dark-gray cloak that rippled like smoke. His face was hidden by a featureless black mask—no eyes, no mouth, just an empty canvas.
But the air around him warped. Bent. Like even the light refused to touch him properly.
The Phantom Cloak.
The second was broad, stone-heavy. Not tall, but solid like a fortress wrapped in muscle. He had a thick gauntlet on one arm, connected by roots and stone plates that pulsed like veins. Dust trickled from every step he took.
The Golem User.
And the third—he was already grinning.
Twin blades danced between his fingers like they were weightless. His hair was tied back, and he walked like someone used to applause after blood. The one who'd thrown the blade.
The Blade Dancer.
The one who'd made Katxu bleed.
He caught the blade out of the air, twirled it once, then pointed it at us casually.
"Oops," he said. "Was aiming for your throat."
Katxu said nothing. Just held his hand, eyes burning, blood dripping between his fingers.
The Blade Dancer smiled wider. "But hey, now that you're warmed up... we figured we'd say hello."
The Golem User crossed his arms. "Took down the Alpha, huh. You two really are full of surprises."
The Phantom Cloak didn't speak.
He didn't need to.
The shadows around him whispered enough.
Katxu reached for the card still glowing faintly on the ground.
Thnk!
A silver blade slammed into his hand—clean through the meat between his fingers.
"Gah—!" he staggered back, blood pouring from the wound.
Then—fwip!—the blade tore itself free and zipped through the air.
Katxu shouted again as it ripped out, leaving a larger gash.
I spun fast.
Laughter drifted through the mist—three voices, mocking, amused, way too relaxed.
They stepped into view like they'd been watching us bleed on a stage.
The first was a walking slab of granite with a mouth that barely moved and a laugh that didn't sound human.
"Huurr-hurr-hurr," he chuckled as he cracked his knuckles, one by one. His gauntlet arm oozed stone like wet clay, veins pulsing with mana.
"Always knew the pretty ones would go down first," he muttered, eyes locked on Katxu. "He bleeds so nice. Makes a good trail."
The second was all curves and curls—curly black hair, a face too smooth to be trusted, and blades that spun around his fingers like ribbon.
"Such a shame," he sang, smile wide. "Your hand was the only decent thing about you. Now it's ruined."
He twirled his blade and caught it without looking. "We thought you'd be more exciting. But no awakening? Just a few parlor tricks and flashy swings?" He laughed, sharp and high. "A poser, not a fighter."
The last stood still. Silent.
Phantom Cloak.
His voice, when it came, was low. Measured.
"These two..." he said, gesturing lazily to the others, "...are assigned to hunt you."
He didn't smile. He didn't have to.
That one sentence held weight.
Katxu clenched his wounded hand.
I took a step forward, eyes narrowed. "And what, you three thought this would be fun?"
"It is," the Bladed Dancer said. "We've been watching since round one. You—" he pointed his blade lazily at me "—barely attack. Hiding behind healing tricks and vines like you're playing a support role in someone else's war."
"Because I'm smarter than you," I said flatly.
The Golem chuckled again, deeper. "Hurr... that's what weaklings always say. Until their bones snap."
"And you," the Bladed Dancer said, shifting to Katxu now, "You're the loud one. No AE, no awakening. Just throwing fire like a street magician and copying people's power like a desperate little fanboy."
His eyes glinted. "You don't even know who you are, do you?"
Katxu didn't respond.
So the Golem stepped in with a grin. "Let me guess. Temple reject. No parents. No future. All bark, no bite."
"Hurrr-hurr-hurr... broken Normal boy wants to play warrior."
"Watch your mouth," I said coldly.
"No," Phantom Cloak replied, calmly. "You watch yours."
He finally stepped forward, just slightly, as the mist pulled tighter around his cloak. "You were easy to track. Easy to isolate. Easy to read."
"We thought," said the Bladed Dancer, licking his teeth, "why not make it fair? Heal up. Catch your breath."
Golem tilted his head. "We like it when they scream longer."
Katxu, still bleeding, just smiled back. It wasn't warm.
"Cool," he muttered. "Guess this is how villains monologue before they get beat."
"Is that optimism?" Cloak asked.
"No," I said. "That's him stalling so I can rip your arms off."
The Bladed Dancer tilted his head in mock surprise. "Ohhh, teamwork. How quaint."
The Golem laughed again. "Let's see how long it lasts when I crush one of you."
The Phantom Cloak finally lifted a finger.
"Run," he said.
Katxu's hand was still bleeding, his breath sharp and uneven.
I clicked my tongue, bit down on another Lifeburst Seed, then jerked my chin up and shot it straight at him—spitting it like a bullet.
He caught it midair, reflex still sharp despite the blood loss.
"What the—?" he blinked. "Next time don't use your saliva, man."
"There wasn't any," I muttered.
"Still counts."
"Too many complaints," I snapped. "Just eat it."
He grinned, tossed it in his mouth, and chewed fast. The glow hit his veins seconds later. The color returned to his face.
"Hurr-hurr-hurrrr..." The Golem chuckled, flexing his stone-covered hand as rocks cracked off and reformed like mud in reverse. "Good. Heal fast. Makes it more fun when we start."
Tch.
They were really underestimating us.
I took a slow breath, analyzing the layout. These three weren't just random hunters. They'd been studying us.
And I needed to do the same—fast.
Phantom Cloak. No weapon in sight. No aura flaring. Which meant high-level stealth or displacement. The cloak itself might be the weapon—or something bound to it. His words were cold, calm. Tactical. That one would strike only when it guaranteed advantage.
Golem User. Obvious brawler. Slow-footed, but those arms? They were like siege towers. If he lands one hit, bones are gone. But he lacked precision. Probably used traps. Territory control.
Blade Dancer. Fast. Smiling too much. And the blade? The way it tore out of Katxu's hand and returned on command... it wasn't just control—it was sentient motion. Arc-infused. He wasn't throwing blades. He was playing with them. Probably light armor. Fragile if we could pin him down.
Each of them was dangerous alone.
Together? They were a goddamn hunt team.
"Been watching you two from the start," Blade Dancer said, voice lilting with that strange theatrical tone again. "One of you's a borrowed magician with no core. The other?" He tilted his head at me.
"A healer who clings to support magic like a scared little priest."
I kept my face blank.
"Thought the tree boy would be stronger," Golem added, shaking out his gauntlet like it had itched. "All that glow for nothing."
Phantom Cloak remained silent. But I could feel it—that judgment from him was worse than their words. He wasn't here to speak. Just finish the job.
Then the Blade Dancer took one more step forward.
Smiling.
But the voice changed. Lower. Deeper.
And aimed straight for my spine.
"Or maybe..."
He stopped, looked directly at me.
"...you can't even save your clan, can you?"
That word hit me like a blade to the spine.
Clan.
I froze.
The grin on Blade Dancer's face was still there—but all I saw was red.
I dropped to one knee, slammed my palm into the earth.
Mana surged through my veins like wildfire.
"Verdant Surge!" I roared.
A violent pulse of green erupted from the soil around us—vines shot up like spears, jagged and fast, curling midair and slashing toward all three enemies from below.
Not like the usual vines I used for control.
These were aggressive. Sharp. Twisting like angry limbs trying to drag something into the ground.
The Golem leapt back with a heavy stomp, shaking off one vine that latched to his shoulder.
Blade Dancer twisted midair with a surprised laugh as a vine nearly caught his leg.
And Phantom Cloak?
He shifted.
Like light itself blinked—and he was suddenly ten feet back, cloak fluttering as if gravity didn't matter.
They didn't expect that.
Good.
Katxu looked at me with wide eyes, then stepped up beside me, still holding his wounded hand.
"And you say I'm the reckless one?" he said.
I didn't look at him. "Shut up."
I stood, slowly, breathing hard. "I won't let them talk about me and my clan. Not like that."
Katxu smirked despite the tension. "Glad you're mad now. Let's make it count."
Phantom Cloak's voice cut through the fading mist.
He stood calmly where he landed, hands still in his sleeves.
"Oh," he said, unbothered.
"You're ready to fight now, huh?"
"Good."
"Go for them," Phantom Cloak muttered, not even raising his hand.
Blade Dancer moved first—a blur of wind and steel, curling low like a predator. The Golem followed, steps slow but thundering, each footfall cracking the dirt under his weight.
"Blade Surge. Cyclone Reap," I muttered under my breath, recognizing the tempo of the Dancer's attacks.
Wind shimmered around him. His blade began to spin—like a scythe in a storm.
"Graveflow Gauntlets," I added, glancing at the Golem. Mud twisted around his arms, forming dense gauntlets that pulsed with liquid stone. That one was going to reshape the terrain—block, trap, crush.
Katxu moved to intercept.
No talismans in hand. Just fists.
Brave idiot.
Blade Dancer twirled, launching one of his spinning blades. It curved mid-air—unnatural, like a boomerang wrapped in wind.
Katxu ducked, rolled, and caught it with a crack against his shoulder before it zipped back toward its master.
Meanwhile, the Golem slammed a fist into the ground. The earth quivered, then a mud pillar erupted beneath me.
I jumped, flipping mid-air.
"Whip Vines!" I roared, snapping my palm downward. Thorned vines burst up and slapped the mud pillar aside, scattering it into sludge.
From the side—
"Take the healer," Golem grunted, surprisingly articulate through his raspy tone.
"Hurr-hurr-hurr... not bad for a support class," he added, grinning through jagged teeth.
Blade Dancer's voice was a whisper as he slashed past Katxu. "You're not bad for a Normal."
They said it at the same time.
Mocking. Dismissive.
I clenched my jaw.
Katxu barely glanced at me as he cracked his neck. "You take the mud pile. I'll deal with the tornado."
"Stay alive," I muttered.
"No promises," Katxu muttered, smirking.
Typical.
I dropped into a low stance, already sensing the Golem's mud-charged punch flying at my left side. I spun out just in time, letting his fist crater a tree trunk instead.
"Whip Vines!" I lashed my arm, sending a flurry of vines snapping toward him. They wrapped around his arm—only for him to yank me forward with the weight of a collapsing mountain.
"Bad plan!" I growled.
I activated Thorn Chain Grasp, slamming my hand into the ground.
Vines burst from beneath the Golem's legs, wrapping his calves and yanking downward.
He dropped to one knee.
Katxu didn't miss the cue.
He launched himself at the Blade Dancer with a fierce Phantom Step, vanishing for a moment—only to reappear inches from the Dancer's ribs.
"Jaw Hook Snare!" he shouted, his fist uppercutting under the chin.
The Blade Dancer staggered, eyes flickering in shock—but his smile never wavered.
He kicked backward—spinning—blades slicing air.
Katxu ducked and weaved.
"Rib-Crush Hook!" he slammed another punch into the Dancer's side.
The Dancer flipped midair—spinning like a windstorm—and hurled a blade at me.
"Earth Harden!" Golem bellowed, his body coating itself in shimmering mud armor. He plowed through my vines like they were weeds.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Vines Army!"
Four humanoid vine constructs erupted behind me—arms like branches, eyes glowing green.
"Block him!" I yelled.
The vine warriors swarmed the Golem, slowing him just enough.
"Tree of Life!" I clapped my hands together—green light pulsing out. It wasn't for him. It was for Katxu.
Across the clearing, Katxu twisted his whole body into a mid-air grapple—Sky Coil Slam—spinning the Blade Dancer and driving him neck-first into the ground with brutal force.
"Got you!" he hissed.
But the Dancer vanished in a shimmer of wind—his afterimage dissipating.
"What the hell—?!" Katxu snarled.
A whisper came from behind him.
"Cyclone Reap."
The Blade Dancer reappeared, both blades rotating like spinning saws, aiming at Katxu's back.
"No—!"
I slammed my palm down.
"Root Cage!"
A dome of thick vines burst from the ground around Katxu, blocking the Dancer's blades just in time.
Katxu's voice echoed from inside. "...Not bad for a healer."
But that's when it happened.
"Echo Step."
The voice came from above.
Phantom Cloak dropped down, blade-first, directly between me and Katxu.
A flash of silver.
My shoulder burned.
Katxu shouted—charging forward.
But Phantom Cloak already flickered backward, grinning faintly. "Just sampling the rhythm."
"You bastard," I growled.
He stepped aside, nodding to his allies. "Don't hold back. They're still breathing."
The fight exploded.
Golem grabbed one of my vine warriors and snapped it like dry bark, then charged.
I whispered, "Soilbind Step."
The ground around me pulsed, locking his feet in thickened dirt.
I darted forward and leapt—Needle Thorns launched from my wrist like a spray of darts, some embedding in the Golem's neck and chest.
He didn't stop—but he flinched.
Just enough.
Katxu used the opening.
Pulse Palm.
A strike to the Golem's chest—so fast, I barely saw it.
The Golem stumbled, coughing up mud.
Then Katxu grabbed his shoulder.
"Dragon Nail Driver!"
With a roar, he slammed the Golem headfirst into the earth, shaking the clearing.
The Blade Dancer appeared again, whirling—his blades aimed at me this time.
He ducked my vines. Spun through the forest air.
"Blade Surge!"
Too fast.
But Katxu—bleeding and breathless—intercepted.
"Coiled Fang Elbow!"
The elbow cracked into the Dancer's temple mid-spin.
He staggered.
Katxu landed beside me, wincing.
"You good?"
"No. But this guy dances like a bird. Keep him still."
I nodded.
"Whip Vines!"
"Ground Lock Stance!" Katxu braced.
Together, we caught the Blade Dancer in mid-charge—my vines pinning his arms while Katxu's grounded stance absorbed the blow.
And then—
"Throat Fang Chop!"
Fast. Sharp. Final.
The Blade Dancer collapsed.
Not dead. Just out cold.
His blade hit the ground.
The Golem tried to rise—but his knees shook. Poison from my needles finally kicked in.
Katxu turned to him, cracking his neck.
"You're next."
But Phantom Cloak was already watching us.
Expression unchanged.
"I'm impressed."
He took one step forward.
"Let's make it interesting."
Phantom Cloak stepped forward. Calm. Almost bored.
"Let's make it interesting," he said again.
Then he vanished.
Not blinked—not moved fast—just gone.
My instincts screamed—
"Katxu—!"
CLANG!
A thin blade swept past my cheek, grazing skin.
Katxu barely ducked, rolling backward. "Yeah, I saw it!"
But I hadn't.
Not until it was almost too late.
The fight erupted.
The Golem charged straight at me like a living wall.
The Blade Dancer spun toward Katxu, twin blades slicing air in flashing arcs.
And Phantom Cloak?
He appeared behind us again, midair, cloak flaring like wings—then disappeared the moment our heads turned.
Katxu shouted, blocking a low slash with his forearm. "Damn, they're coordinated—!"
"Behind you!" I yelled.
Katxu spun, just in time to catch a flying knee from the Blade Dancer straight to the ribs.
He staggered. The Dancer followed with a spinning blade aimed at his shoulder.
I threw Whip Vines.
Too late.
The blade cut shallow but left a deep red line across Katxu's arm.
"Tch!"
The Golem hit me hard from the side, mud fist hammering into my ribs.
I flew—slammed into a tree trunk and felt the air rip out of my lungs.
"Verdant Pulse!" I managed, vines reacting instinctively to push the Golem back.
"Needle Thorns!" I launched a spread to cover Katxu's flank—but Phantom Cloak appeared again, slipping between the thorns like water.
His blade nicked my arm again, then vanished.
He was testing us.
We regrouped under a tree, panting, bruised.
Katxu was bleeding from his shoulder and lip. I was pretty sure two ribs were cracked.
"You good?" I asked.
"Define good," he groaned.
"Still standing?"
"Then yeah."
We moved again.
Blade Dancer dashed toward Katxu, blades spinning.
Katxu dodged, blocked, kicked off a tree and threw a tight Coiled Elbow Smash—but the Dancer parried mid-spin and caught him with a backhanded slice across the thigh.
Katxu dropped to one knee.
"Dammit..."
I turned and found the Golem already raising both hands.
"Mud Pillar Crush!"
Two massive towers of rock shot up—aimed to sandwich me.
I dropped instantly and rolled as they slammed together above my head.
"Vines Army!" I roared, planting my hands.
Four vine warriors burst forth and grabbed the Golem, dragging him back—slowing him.
I staggered to my feet—then—
CLANG!
Phantom Cloak's blade hit my shoulder again—this time, slicing deep.
"Argh—!"
"Danryu!" Katxu shouted, limping forward. "We're not gonna win like this!"
I gritted my teeth. "We're wearing them down. Keep going."
"You call this a plan?!"
I spat blood. "It's working!"
Katxu dashed forward—pure instinct now.
His fist clashed with the Blade Dancer's spinning blade again and again.
Even bleeding, he forced the Dancer back—
But just as he raised a talisman to counter—
Flick.
The blade returned, slicing past Katxu's ribs.
He grunted. Wavered.
The Golem slammed through my vines and nearly crushed me again.
We were running out of time.
Running out of stamina.
Running out of tricks.
Then Phantom Cloak's voice came again. Calm. Cold.
"You're struggling."
He wasn't wrong.
He appeared midair, above both of us now, his cloak flaring—
"This ends now."
He dropped, blade first.
Phantom Cloak dropped from above.
Blade-first.
Instinct took over.
I slammed both palms to the ground. "Caged Vines!"
A dome burst upward just in time—his blade ricocheted off the living wall, carving deep, but not piercing. He vanished again, mist trailing behind.
Katxu coughed, leaning against a tree. "Tired yet?"
"Only bleeding out of three places."
He spat blood. "Lightweight."
I threw a Lifeburst Seed at him. "Eat. Now."
He caught it with his teeth, muttering, "Still gross," before swallowing.
The glow hit fast—his shoulder straightened, his legs firmed.
I felt the same warmth in my arms.
We locked eyes.
No words.
We charged.
Katxu went for the Blade Dancer. I went for the Golem.
He met the Dancer mid-spin—ducked one blade, caught the second with his wrist guard, and—
"Iron Clasp!" he shouted.
His palm struck the Dancer's chest, fingers locking onto the center like claws of steel. The Blade Dancer's eyes widened—he couldn't pull away.
Katxu stepped forward, tightening his stance.
"Dragon Nail Driver!"
With a roar, he lifted the Blade Dancer midair and slammed him headfirst into the earth, sending a tremor across the clearing.
Crack.
The ground split under the impact. Dust exploded. Silence.
The Dancer didn't rise.
Katxu stood, panting, blood still trickling down his cheek.
"One down."
The Golem roared and charged at me like a falling wall.
"Whip Vines!" I lashed out—his arm caught.
He grabbed the vine—pulled—dragged me forward like a ragdoll.
"Good," I muttered.
I bit down on a Lifeburst Root.
My mana flared.
"Strangling Roots!"
The ground exploded beneath him—roots burst upward, grabbing his arms and legs mid-motion, freezing his charge.
"Needle Thorns!" I added—peppering his joints with a wave of spikes.
His limbs jerked.
Then I jumped—flipped—landed right in front of his chest.
"Final shot," I whispered.
"Verdant Crush."
All the vines and roots I'd summoned snapped inward—a coordinated slam from every direction.
They collapsed on the Golem like a cage made of hammers.
He roared, trying to resist.
One last vine shot from the ground, wrapped his throat—
—and yanked.
He hit the ground with a boom.
Didn't get back up.
I exhaled, sweat dripping down my chin.
Katxu was already dragging himself beside me, limping, but grinning.
"Still standing," he said.
"Barely."
Then—
We both turned.
Phantom Cloak stood twenty feet away.
Unaffected.
Unmoved.
And smiling beneath that damn mask.
"I see," he said. "You really are full of surprises."
He raised one hand again.
"But let's see what's left in the tank."
The forest had quieted.
The Golem was a heap of stone and breath.
The Blade Dancer was limp, still bleeding faintly into the earth.
But Phantom Cloak—
Still there.
Still standing.
Like none of that mattered.
"I was wrong," he said softly, tilting his head. "You are interesting."
Katxu spat blood to the side. "Oh, we're gonna be your favorite real soon."
Phantom Cloak didn't blink. Didn't raise his blade.
But the air behind him rippled.
He stepped forward—
And vanished.
I reacted fast. "Whip Vines!"
A burst shot from the ground—but hit nothing.
Katxu jerked his head. "Right!"
He turned—
Just in time for a blur to appear behind him.
CLANG!
Katxu blocked with his forearm—barely.
The blade sliced through cloth and skin, blood flicking across the ground.
"Damn he's fast!"
Phantom Cloak danced around him, blade flicking in and out like a whisper. He moved like liquid shadow—silent, immediate, deadly.
But I watched the pattern.
He didn't vanish randomly.
He was warping through patches of mist—controlled space.
I slammed both palms into the dirt. "Verdant Pulse!"
Green light flooded the floor.
There. His footprints shimmered—a half-step behind his movements.
Katxu caught it too.
"Back-right!"
Phantom Cloak appeared mid-lunge—his blade raised.
Katxu twisted—
"Pulse Palm!"
A hit to the ribs—
But the Cloak dispersed again, his body vanishing into smoke.
I braced.
"Vines Army!"
Two vine warriors erupted behind me just as Phantom Cloak reformed with a downward slash—
CRACK—!
The vines blocked it—then exploded from the impact.
I flew back, caught myself with another pulse of vines—but my arm was torn, bleeding.
Katxu rushed forward.
He grabbed two talismans. "Fire Dragon!"
Flames roared forward.
"Wind Boost!"
He zipped behind the flame, reaching Phantom Cloak mid-evade.
WHAM!
His fist hit square in the chest—for once, the Cloak didn't dodge.
He stumbled.
"Got you now—!"
But Phantom Cloak raised one hand.
"Echo Step."
He vanished again—but slower.
I narrowed my eyes.
His movement was getting sloppy.
I bit down a Lifeburst Root, then whispered:
"Verdant Snare."
Roots erupted around where he would land—this time, we predicted it.
He reappeared—trapped.
Katxu leapt.
"Coiled Fang Elbow!"
The blow connected.
The Cloak coughed for the first time.
Blood. Just a little.
Then—
"Dragon Nail Driver!"
Katxu slammed him downward.
I summoned vines to reinforce the impact.
The forest shook.
For a second—
It looked over.
We approached slowly.
Phantom Cloak didn't rise right away.
But then—
He did.
His cloak hung torn at the edges.
His blade was chipped.
His breathing was unsteady.
He looked at us.
Not angry.
Almost amused.
"You're strong."
He swayed a little.
"But not enough."
His body began to shimmer—like Arc particles gathering around him.
"Not yet."
Katxu stepped forward. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Phantom Cloak vanished again.
But this time—not an attack.
Retreat.
We stood there. Both of us bleeding, bruised, burned.
Alive.
But just barely.
I looked at Katxu.
He nodded.
"We won that, right?"
I exhaled. "...Almost."
***
[KATXU'S POV]
I could barely breathe.
My lungs were burning, my arm was cut open, and my last talisman was hanging by a thread in my belt. But we were still standing.
Danryu stood next to me, bruised, bleeding, but alive.
The Golem and the Blade Dancer were out cold.
And Phantom Cloak—
He was gone.
For a moment.
Then something shimmered again, just beyond the trees.
I turned, eyes narrowing. "He's still here."
Danryu growled. "Of course he is."
The mist thickened once more.
This time... it didn't swirl. It pulled inward.
Drawn toward Phantom Cloak like a funnel.
He stepped out from the shadows. His cloak now moved like oil over muscle.
He wasn't breathing hard.
He was smiling.
And then—
He raised one hand.
The Blade Dancer's body floated off the ground.
"What the hell—?"
Then the Golem.
"No—!"
Their bodies shimmered. Warped.
And screamed.
I took a step forward. "What are you doing?! They're your allies!"
Phantom Cloak didn't flinch.
The Blade Dancer reached out—eyes wide with terror—as if he finally realized.
But it was too late.
Their bodies dissolved into spirals of light, energy, and mist.
He absorbed them whole.
Their screams echoed in the trees like banshees.
Their auras vanished.
His cloak twisted, reshaped, and thickened. A stony texture bloomed across his arms. Wind flared around his blades, now longer, sharper, curved with that sickening whistle of air split clean.
He opened his eyes.
They glowed with three colors now.
Orange. Silver. Green.
"Help them?" he said, chuckling. "I don't even know their names."
I froze.
"What?"
He tilted his head, like it was a stupid question.
"I told them I'd help kill you both. They were so excited. So desperate."
His voice dropped. "They didn't know I was targeting you, too."
Danryu stepped up beside me, fists clenched. "You... used them."
He shrugged. "They were weak. It doesn't matter."
I'd seen powerful fighters before.
But not like this.
Not someone who looked like a man—but moved like a natural disaster.
Phantom Cloak's new form stood at the edge of the clearing, steam rising off his skin, the cloak now fusing into his body like a living second layer of muscle. His arms were lined with green-glowing wind runes, and hardened plates of stone encased his shoulders, elbows, and fists. And worst of all—his eyes didn't blink.
They predicted.
He moved first.
A blur.
Faster than before—way faster.
"Danryu!" I shouted—
But Phantom Cloak was already behind him.
A wind blade slashed across Danryu's back—he spun with a vine burst, deflecting—but another blow landed to his ribs.
I rushed in.
"Stone Spike!" I slammed the talisman—
He dodged before it cast.
Of course.
He saw it coming.
He always did.
"Coiled Elbow—!"
I hit his shoulder—it didn't move.
The mud armor absorbed the impact like I'd just punched a cliff.
He retaliated.
CRACK!
A spinning wind kick slammed into my side—I flew back, bounced off a tree, and hit the ground gasping.
My vision blurred.
He was everywhere.
Danryu was casting nonstop—Caged Vines, Whip Vines, Needle Thorns—but Phantom Cloak slipped between them all like mist given purpose.
He appeared beside me again—blade ready.
"Echo Step."
I barely had time to lift my arm—
SLASH!
The blade cut across my shoulder, deep. Too deep.
Blood poured. My talismans burned hot and faded. I was out.
I rolled just in time to avoid a second slash. My head was ringing. My arms felt like cement.
Danryu tried to reach me.
"Tree of Life—!"
Green light pulsed from him—but the healing didn't work as well anymore.
We were too drained.
Our mana barely sparked.
My shoulder kept bleeding.
Danryu was limping now, panting.
We were done.
Phantom Cloak walked toward us, calm as ever.
"You're slower now," he said. "The fire's fading."
Danryu threw a needle vine—Phantom Cloak batted it aside with a wind-bladed palm.
"It's not just speed or power," he said. "It's inevitability. You're going to fall."
Danryu stepped in front of me—defiant.
Bleeding.
Shaking.
But standing.
"Katxu," he muttered.
I looked up at him.
He leaned close.
"We're out of time."
He whispered something fast, eyes never leaving the monster ahead.
I froze.
"...That'll kill us both."
"It'll kill him first," Danryu said, teeth clenched. "And you won't mess it up."
"...Don't you dare make a mistake. This is our last chance."
I stood up beside him, shoulders square even if everything ached.
I grinned.
"Got it, princess."
We moved fast.
Too fast for our own good.
Phantom Cloak blurred between us, unreadable, gliding on wind-charged feet and striking with the force of falling stone. Every time I thought I had an angle—he was already gone.
Danryu launched another wave of Needle Thorns, shouting, "Now!"
I leapt through them, ducking low.
"Jaw Hook!"
My punch connected—but again—mud armor tanked it.
I flipped back before his blade could gut me.
Danryu summoned Strangling Roots—the ground trembled, and vines burst to grab Phantom Cloak's legs.
They caught.
Only for half a second.
But it was enough.
"Pulse Palm!" I struck again—this time with full body weight. It cracked through the armor—but barely. Just a scratch.
He backhanded me with a wind-fueled spin.
My ears rang. Blood filled my mouth.
I didn't stop.
"Stone Spike!"
I baited left—he dodged—but I wasn't aiming for him.
I aimed for the trees above.
They cracked.
Fell.
"Whip Vines!" Danryu shouted, snaring a falling branch and slinging it like a hammer.
It smashed toward Phantom Cloak's side—he caught it mid-spin, sliced it in half.
Nothing stuck.
Nothing slowed him.
We were getting slower.
Then came the risk.
I glanced at Danryu.
He knew what I was thinking.
I moved toward the left, fake-opening my guard.
Phantom Cloak tracked me.
Danryu shouted, "Katxu! Behind you!"
But I kept moving.
I needed him close.
I turned my back on Danryu and ran right past him, pulling Phantom Cloak forward—
Danryu stepped in instinctively.
Phantom Cloak didn't miss.
"Echo Step."
He warped forward—spun—
And the blade tore through Danryu's back.
SHHK—!
Danryu's eyes widened.
Blood poured from his mouth.
He looked at me—no words.
Just confusion.
Then he collapsed, body hitting the ground like a sack of broken vines.
I froze.
He didn't move.
Phantom Cloak tilted his head. "Baited your ally, huh? Thought he was your friend?"
I didn't answer.
I couldn't.
My throat burned.
I turned slowly.
Lifted my fists again.
"...Tch."
My knuckles were broken.
Probably.
Didn't matter.
Phantom Cloak was still standing. Still shifting. Still impossible to pin.
I threw a wide hook—he ducked, countered with a wind slash. It tore across my chest, shallow but enough to make me stumble.
He lunged again.
I grabbed his cloak mid-swing and headbutted him.
Hard.
He flinched.
Finally.
I slammed my knee into his gut—
"Pulse Palm!"
He caught my wrist and flipped me.
My back hit the dirt.
I rolled, wheezing.
I was slower now.
He was too.
We circled each other, battered shadows in a broken forest.
No talismans left.
No backup.
No Danryu.
Just me.
I charged again, screaming.
Fists. Elbows. Sloppy combos.
He parried. Countered. Another blade nicked my thigh.
I punched through his block—blood sprayed from his nose.
We both hit the ground again, panting.
And then—
Something shimmered above us.
The air cracked.
"Verdant Missile!"
Phantom Cloak turned too late.
A storm of glowing green needles rained down from above—like hundreds of shining spears slicing the air.
"What the—?!" he shouted, arms raised as the needles slammed down.
The first wave shattered his mud armor, cracking stone like ice.
The second drove him backward—he stumbled, cloak shredded, shoulder bleeding.
Then the needles hit the ground.
And spread.
Like serpents.
Dozens of glowing thorns burrowed into the soil—slithering, sensing.
They moved like they had eyes.
Phantom Cloak turned to run—
But the vines knew.
They followed his heart. His footsteps.
And then—crack!
A single thick thorn erupted from the ground beneath him.
It impaled him through the chest—just off-center—and lifted him off the ground before slamming him down again.
Vines wrapped around his arms, legs, throat—
And held.
Paralyzed.
Struggling.
His breathing hitched.
From the mist—
Danryu stepped forward.
Bleeding.
Barely standing.
But alive.
Phantom Cloak's eyes widened. "You... you were dead."
Danryu stared at him coldly.
"That's what we wanted you to think."
He limped forward, hand glowing faintly green.
"I used Verdant Rewind. A rare seed," he said calmly. "Slows the pulse. Fakes death. Restarts the heart after two minutes. Costs a lot of mana."
Phantom Cloak growled, trying to twitch.
The vines tightened.
Danryu nodded toward him. "Those vines? You move too much... you die. They act like a seal."
Phantom tried again—his arms jerked.
The thorn pulsed brighter.
"Don't you dare," Danryu warned. "You want to live? Stay still."
"You... you bastards!" Phantom hissed. "GRRRRR—!"
He screamed.
Thrashing.
But the vines didn't let go.
And we didn't flinch.
***
We sat under a crooked tree, backs against its rough bark, bodies aching like we'd just been rolled over by a dozen stone carts.
Danryu handed me one of his flasks. I didn't even ask what was in it. I just drank.
Bitter. Thick. Slightly spicy.
"Ugh... What's in this?"
He wiped blood from his cheek with his sleeve. "Painkiller. Numbroot. Something green. I forgot."
"Comforting."
"Still alive, aren't you?"
"Barely."
He pulled out another bottle and rubbed a paste onto his ribs. The smell hit like rotten herbs and burnt pepper.
I wrinkled my nose. "Smells like the monks' feet."
Danryu smirked. "Probably made by them."
I chuckled, then leaned back with a tired groan. "We really did that, huh?"
He didn't answer at first.
Then: "Yeah. We did."
The battlefield was quiet now. Burned ground. Broken branches. Faint trails of vine marks still glowing in the dirt. The wind didn't even move.
Just the sound of us breathing.
And the occasional faint grunt as we looted the bands and pockets of our now-defeated enemies.
"Useful stuff," Danryu muttered, tucking a few things into his pouch.
"Think we'll need it?" I asked.
He looked at me like I asked if trees needed water.
"...Yes."
Fair enough.
We sat again, potions half-gone, wounds patched up.
"You know," I muttered, stretching my shoulder with a wince, "you're pretty damn strong."
Danryu looked at me sideways. "You're just saying that because I didn't die."
"No. That's a bonus. I mean it."
I tapped my knuckles together. "You held up. Your moves. Timing. Without you, I'd be vine mulch by now."
He looked away, quiet for a second.
Then: "You're not so bad yourself. Didn't know you could do half that stuff."
I grinned. "Yeah... the monks at the temple trained me. In case I had to leave someday. Said I'd be too annoying to stay forever."
"That tracks."
I threw a stick at him.
He batted it aside. "Still, those moves... they bought us time."
"They were meant to." I exhaled. "I just didn't think I'd be using them this early."
Danryu glanced at me again.
Then reached into his pouch with that annoyingly calm expression.
"Want a seed?"
My face twisted immediately. "Ugh! No! I'm still grossed out from that one you fed me with your teeth, thank you very much."
He raised an eyebrow. "Didn't hear you complaining mid-battle."
"I was busy not dying."
"So... yes?"
"No!"
Danryu let out a full laugh—louder, longer than usual. It echoed through the quiet trees.
I rolled my eyes, grinning as I leaned my head back.
"...You're weird, Danryu."
"You're the one who bit it out of my mouth."
"Shut up."