[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."
"We've been watching you since earlier," the Blade Dancer said, his voice smooth, almost mocking.
Twin blades spun lazily around him, orbiting his body like predators waiting for the command to strike. "You fight well... for a Normal."
His smile never touched his eyes.
Then came the Golem User—his voice a grinding rasp, broken by that same sickening laugh.
"Hee-hee-hee-hee... This'll be fun. Shall we crush them now, boss?"
His thick fingers twitched and steepled together, like he was imagining the ways he'd tear us apart.
Katxu cursed under his breath, pressing his bleeding hand tighter against his side.
"Tch... Dammit. More freaks crawling out of the mud," he muttered, trying—and failing—to sound unfazed.
The Golem User laughed again, the sound scraping across my nerves like rusted nails.
"Hee-hee-hee-hee... Keep barking, boy. We'll see if you're still so loud when you're begging."
He turned to Phantom Cloak, almost bouncing in place with excitement. "Boss... boss... come on. Let's snap 'em now."
Phantom Cloak finally spoke, his voice low, empty, final.
"Not yet."
His head tilted slightly, like he was studying prey that hadn't finished dying yet.
"Let them heal."
His words slid across the clearing, cold enough to leave a scar.
"I want a real fight."
"Huh. Normal," the Blade Dancer sneered, circling slowly. His blades still spun lazily around him like vultures. "Only relying on your little paper tricks to fight.
What now, huh? Looks like you burned through all your talismans already."
He wasn't wrong.
Katxu had used up everything in the last fight.
And now another enemy showed up.
Katxu was right—these monsters just kept coming at the worst possible times.
But even bleeding, even cornered, Katxu just smirked like a lunatic, like he wasn't two seconds from collapsing.
He acted brave.
But I could see it.
He knew exactly how bad this was.
I cursed under my breath and threw a small vial at him.
"Hey, idiot. Drink this!"
A basic healing potion—not much, but it would at least stop the bleeding.
I couldn't summon another Lifebite Seed yet. It was still on cooldown.
We were screwed.
Phantom Cloak stepped forward, his voice low and calm.
"Good. Heal yourselves," he said, his head tilting just slightly. "I want to see exactly how long you can stay standing."
The Blade Dancer chimed in, spinning one of his knives on a fingertip.
"Yeah, patch each other up real nice. Makes it more fun when we tear it all back open."
The Golem User let out another one of those disgusting, wheezing laughs.
"Hee-hee-hee-hee... The little healer thinks he can fix broken meat. How cute."
Phantom Cloak's masked face didn't move, but somehow, I could feel the amusement rolling off him like a storm.
"Tell me, healer," he said, his tone sharpening, "how many times can you fix him before your own body gives out?"
I clenched my jaw, forcing the potion down Katxu's throat and ignoring the boiling anger clawing up my spine.
Another second. Maybe two.
We needed a miracle.
And miracles weren't exactly growing on trees today.
Katxu wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, smirking weakly.
"Heh... is this seriously the best you monsters can offer?" he muttered, voice rough but steady.
He forced himself to stand straighter, even though his legs were shaking from blood loss.
"You talk like bosses..." Katxu continued, dragging the words out just enough to mock them, "but all I see are three desperate nobodies who need a three-on-two just to almost win."
He chuckled low in his throat, shaking his head.
"That only shows how weak you really are."
His gaze lifted, locking directly onto the Phantom Cloak, a crooked grin twisting his battered face.
"You think you're predators?" Katxu spat to the side, blood hitting the dirt. "You're just scavengers... picking at what's already half-dead."
He tilted his head slightly, like he was genuinely pitying them.
"And here I thought real awakeners earned their kills."
"You little shit!" the Golem User roared, slamming his massive feet into the dirt as he launched himself toward Katxu's position.
Katxu had really pissed him off.
"Stone Knuckle!" the Golem User bellowed again.
His arms swelled grotesquely, morphing into two huge, boulder-sized fists. The ground cracked under their sheer weight as he charged, stone grinding against stone with every step.
Without thinking, I slammed my palms onto the ground.
"Cage Vines!"
Thick, twisted vines exploded from the soil right in front of Katxu, weaving into a barrier just in time.
The Golem User slammed into it full force.
CRACK—!
The vines held — barely — before splintering apart, snapping like dry branches.
But it bought enough time.
Katxu kicked off the ground, flipping backward to safety as the Golem's massive fist tore through where he had just been standing.
"Are you crazy?!" I shouted, my heart pounding.
"You don't even have any talismans left — and you're still trying to piss them off like you can fight barehanded?!"
Katxu landed in a crouch, his wounded hand still clutching his side, but that same reckless grin never left his face.
"Relax, Back Princess," he muttered under his breath, standing up slow. "I've fought uglier things than this."
"Watch this!" Katxu barked, grinning through the blood on his teeth.
He took a deep breath, his muscles tensing, his body shifting slightly—nothing monstrous, but just enough that the lines of his arms and back looked sharper, stronger.
His presence changed.
Before the Golem User could react, Katxu pushed off the ground—faster than before.
He closed the distance in a blink.
"Pulse Palm!"
Katxu slammed his open palm into the center of the Golem User's stone-covered chest.
A dull, brutal shockwave burst from the point of impact—like a cannon blast trapped inside the body.
The Golem User's heavy frame actually staggered backward, dust blasting from his shoulders, his stone armor cracking slightly from the inside out.
Katxu landed smoothly, feet digging into the dirt, a wild look in his eye.
"Tch. Didn't think you'd budge that easy," Katxu muttered, shaking his hand slightly from the recoil.
Katxu grinned, his muscles tensing up slightly, his body more defined now.
He darted forward, Phantom Step making a blurred afterimage behind him.
The Golem User growled, swinging hard.
Katxu ducked under it, slipped inside, and slammed a Pulse Palm straight into the Golem's chest.
"Ugh—!" the Golem grunted, his body rocking back from the force.
"Hee-hee-hee-hee! Where did you get that strength, huh, Normal?!" the Golem barked, his face twisted into a snarl.
Before Katxu could press, the Golem roared—his right arm ballooning twice its size.
"Hammer Punch!"
He swung his massive stone fist downward like a hammer.
Katxu barely reacted—he raised both forearms, blocking the hit with a hard grunt.
The impact cracked the ground under him, his legs sliding half a step back.
"Shit—" Katxu hissed under his breath, feeling the sting run through his bones.
Gritting his teeth, Katxu twisted his stance, pushing the Golem's arm aside with a hard shove and countered fast—
"Rib-Crush Hook!"
His fist slammed into the side of the Golem's ribs with a dull thud.
The Golem grunted again but spun fast.
"Stone Twister!"
His whole body whirled, arms spread wide, kicking up a heavy whirlwind of dust and broken dirt.
The wind smashed into Katxu's side before he could dodge clean.
"—Ghk!" Katxu gasped, skidding sideways across the dirt, coughing.
The Golem laughed low. "Hee-hee-hee! Thought you were tougher than that!"
Katxu wiped his mouth, grinning anyway. "I was just letting you breathe a little."
He stomped down, resetting his stance.
The Golem charged, fists ready.
Katxu stayed calm, letting him come.
As the Golem swung again, Katxu dropped low—
pivoted behind him—
grabbed the back of the Golem's neck and belt—
"Spinebreaker Toss!"
With a roar, Katxu flipped him up and over, slamming him hard into the ground.
"Ugh—!" The Golem wheezed as the earth cracked under him.
Katxu didn't stop.
He leapt high—
spun midair—
and dropped his heel straight down.
"Skull Comet Kick!"
The Golem barely raised his arms to block, but the force still slammed him deeper into the dirt.
The Golem groaned, struggling to rise, stone cracks spreading along his gauntlet arms.
Katxu landed lightly beside him, panting but smirking.
I could see it.
The Golem was slower now.
The damage was stacking.
From the side, we heard it—
Blade Dancer twirling a blade, smiling like a kid seeing candy.
"Boss, can I join them? This seems fun!"
***
I barely had time to catch my breath before the Blade Dancer spun toward me.
Fast. Fluid. Like a damn storm wrapped in knives.
Without a word, he flicked his wrist—
Two blades shot out, slicing the air.
I sidestepped the first by a hair.
The second nicked my cheek, a shallow cut burning across my skin.
"Tch..." I wiped the blood off with my thumb, keeping my glare steady.
The Blade Dancer smiled, spinning lazily like he was warming up.
"You bleed prettier than I thought," he said, voice almost playful.
I didn't answer.
No point wasting words on clowns.
He lunged—
One blade aimed low, the other curving high in a clean arc.
I dropped low and rolled under the swing, slamming my hand into the ground.
"Whip Vines!"
A snap of green vines shot up, slashing toward his legs.
He danced through it—twisting, sliding between the attacks like he was weightless.
Then—
He spun again.
"Cyclone Cut!"
His blades blurred in a full-body whirlwind.
The air around him bent—sharp and slicing.
I couldn't dodge clean.
A shallow cut opened across my cheekbone. Another nicked my shoulder.
I grunted, stepping back fast.
He laughed lightly, "What's wrong, tree boy? Roots not fast enough?"
I clenched my jaw.
Annoying bastard.
He charged again—
Both blades arcing like fangs.
I shifted my stance, grounded low.
Waited.
When he came close—
I snapped my hand out.
"Verdant Catch!"
A hidden vine shot from under the dirt, catching his ankle mid-spin.
His eyes widened for half a second.
I yanked hard.
The Blade Dancer stumbled—just enough.
I stepped in, fast and brutal.
"Verdant Thorn Spike!"
A burst of thorns erupted under him—forcing him to jump away clumsily instead of attacking.
He flipped back, landing unevenly, his breathing faster now.
Still smiling.
But I saw it.
He was tiring.
I flicked a needle from my belt between my fingers.
"You're fast," I said, voice flat. "But you waste too much movement."
The Blade Dancer tilted his head. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just toying with you."
I narrowed my eyes.
Then he rushed me again—
both blades flashing.
I sidestepped sharply, spinning low.
My vines lashed out from under his blind spot.
"Snap Root Trap!"
It grabbed his left ankle mid-attack—
he twisted his body to slice the vine off, but it threw off his balance for a second.
And that second was mine.
I moved in.
"Verdant Spikes!"
Sharp thorns burst in a line, forcing him to block with both blades.
His arms shook slightly from the force.
I didn't stop.
I grabbed his wrist mid-deflection.
"Thorn Chain Grasp!"
The vines from my gloves wrapped around his sword arm—locking it halfway up.
His smile finally cracked.
I yanked him forward and drove my knee into his gut—hard.
"Ugh—!" he gasped, finally losing that smug tone.
He stumbled back, tearing free from the vine grip, but slower now.
We both stood panting—blood trailing down my cheek, dirt and cuts all over him.
Across the field, Katxu and the Golem User were locked down too.
The Golem staggered to one knee, breathing heavily.
I planted my feet firmly, feeling the pulse of the ground under me.
The Blade Dancer readied himself, but his arms were trembling slightly now.
Weakening.
Both of them.
Good.
***
The Golem User and the Blade Dancer were down on their knees, breathing ragged.
That's when Phantom Cloak stepped forward, silent as mist.
He leaned in close to them—
whispered something too quiet to catch—
then blew a thin gust of air across their faces.
The change was instant.
The Golem User roared as his body expanded, stone plates ripping out of his flesh, molding into a hulking monster form. His eyes burned a deep red, cracks spreading like veins across his rocky skin.
The Blade Dancer's body twisted unnaturally—his fingers stretched into sleek blades, his feet sharpened into silver points. His long hair spun like thin razors, cutting the air itself.
Katxu cursed under his breath beside me. "Tch. Great. They upgraded."
The Golem slammed his massive fists into the ground, cracking the field under him.
Chunks of his body broke off and floated, orbiting him like angry meteors.
The Blade Dancer just smiled wider—
then flicked his head.
Dozens of blades shot out from his hair like arrows, peppering the ground around us.
I barely rolled aside as one buried itself an inch from my face.
"Heh," Blade Dancer chuckled darkly. "Let's dance harder, boys."
Without warning, he spun—
Tornado Assault.
Katxu tried to dodge, but the new storm was too fast.
The spinning blades locked around him, a cage of cutting wind.
Slash—slash—slash—
"Argh—!" Katxu grunted, cuts opening all over his arms and legs as he shielded his head.
"Damn it—!" I reached into my belt, yanked out a Lifebite Seed, and hurled it at him.
"Catch!"
Katxu barely caught it midair, his hands slick with blood.
He grimaced. "Next time don't add saliva in it!"
"Just eat it!" I barked.
He shoved it in his mouth with a pained snarl, and I saw the green glow start to patch up his wounds fast.
Meanwhile, the ground under me shook.
The Golem had disappeared underground—
and then—
CRASH!
The ground exploded beneath my feet.
A giant stone arm shot out, grabbed my leg, and dragged me under.
"Shit—!" I slammed my palm against the dirt.
Underground, it was dark, suffocating. The Golem was moving like a shark through loose soil, dragging me fast.
But he made a mistake.
He gave me ground to work with.
I bit down on a Lifeburst Root and slammed my hand into the mud.
"Verdant Army—Burst Root Form!"
Vines exploded out from my arms—
stabbing through the soil—
piercing through the Golem's rocky body.
"Ugh—!" the Golem groaned, jerking violently.
The vines wrapped around his legs, arms, torso—puncturing deep.
I felt him stiffen through the connection.
He was caught.
Above ground, Katxu used his boosted energy to recover fast.
Still bleeding from the earlier slashes, he grinned through gritted teeth.
His muscles tensed, his stance dropped low.
"Let's end this," he muttered.
He rushed the Blade Dancer, who tried to summon another whirlwind.
But Katxu moved faster now.
He slammed a quick Pulse Palm into the Blade Dancer's spinning chest—
staggering him mid-spin.
Then—
Iron Clasp—
Katxu grabbed the Blade Dancer's bladed arm, crushing it with pure force, ignoring the shallow cuts slicing his palm.
"Not so fast anymore, huh?!" Katxu growled.
The Blade Dancer slashed wildly in panic—
Katxu ducked under—
planted his foot solidly.
"Dragon Nail Driver!"
Katxu lifted him high and slammed him head-first into the dirt hard enough to make the ground ripple.
"GAH—!" the Blade Dancer gasped, the wind knocked out of him.
The ground cracked under the impact.
His blades stopped spinning.
He didn't get up.
Underground, I tightened the last vine wrap and sent a pulse through the network.
Verdant Thorn Bloom.
The vines erupted from inside the Golem's armor, bursting out like sharp green spears.
"GUH—!" the Golem howled, his massive form collapsing into a heap of broken stone and dust.
I dragged myself out of the hole, coughing dirt, and stumbled next to Katxu.
We both stood there—bloodied, panting, bruised.
But still standing.
Across from us, the Golem User and the Blade Dancer lay unmoving, their monstrous forms slowly crumbling apart.
Katxu wiped his mouth, spitting blood to the side.
I cracked my knuckles, letting the vines slide back into the ground.
"...Took long enough," I muttered.
Katxu grinned weakly. "Yeah... but at least now they're quiet."
***
"Tch. Weaklings," Phantom Cloak muttered, his voice cold and disgusted.
I kept my stance low, breathing shallow.
The ritual he used earlier—that strange whisper and breath—it wasn't simple healing or buffing. It felt deeper. Dangerous.
This guy...
He wasn't some ordinary examinee.
We needed to be careful.
Phantom Cloak moved without urgency. He placed one hand firmly against the ground.
A red glow flared out from beneath him—spreading fast.
A large, intricate ritual circle etched itself into the dirt, lines burning crimson against the dead soil.
Katxu stiffened. "Oi... you feel that?"
I nodded grimly.
The Golem User and Blade Dancer, both collapsed earlier, suddenly jerked violently.
Their bodies convulsed—screaming, twisting, like every nerve was being torn apart.
"What the hell are you doing to your allies?!" Katxu shouted, anger flaring in his voice.
Phantom Cloak lifted his head slightly, the emotionless mask never leaving his face.
"Huh. Allies?" he said, almost amused.
"They're not allies. They're just tools."
He stood slowly, the red circle still pulsing under him.
"I told them I'd help catch you both," Phantom Cloak continued, his voice sharp, like he was lecturing children.
"I said I'd make their targets easier."
He chuckled darkly.
"But unbeknownst to them... you—"
he pointed at me and Katxu without even looking—
"—are both my target and my decoy."
Katxu's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"But unfortunately," Phantom Cloak said, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve, "they were too weak.
I have to finish you myself."
I tightened my grip, feeling my vines pulse under the skin of my arms.
Phantom Cloak's body began to change.
Dark veins bulged along his arms and neck.
His cloak twisted, fusing with his body as he absorbed the two twitching figures on the ground.
Their screams faded quickly—
their bodies shriveling into dry, hollow husks—like every drop of life had been drained out.
Katxu cursed under his breath beside me. "Tch... what kind of awakening is that?"
Phantom Cloak answered, almost bored.
"My Awakening," he said, "is to enhance the power of others temporarily... then consume them.
Their strength... becomes mine."
His body finished shifting.
One side of him was jagged, rocky—like the Golem's heavy armor.
The other half was sleek and bladed, sharp edges where muscles should be, his hair flowing into thin cutting strands.
A perfect fusion of brute force and deadly speed.
I could feel it.
He wasn't just stronger.
He was faster. Smarter. Deadlier.
And he had seen us fight from the start.
Katxu wiped blood from his chin, gritting his teeth.
I dropped lower, feeling the ground under my fingertips.
This was going to be bad.
Really bad
The second Phantom Cloak finished absorbing his "tools," he moved.
No warning.
No stance.
Just pure, deadly instinct.
A blur—
and a heavy bladed arm came slashing toward Katxu.
Katxu barely rolled aside, but a piece of his sleeve shredded instantly.
"Tch—fast!" Katxu hissed, skidding backward.
I threw my palm down.
"Verdant Spikes!"
Thorns erupted from the ground, trying to block Phantom Cloak's charge.
He didn't even slow down.
His rocky leg crushed through them like weeds, the ground cracking with every step.
Katxu dashed in from the side, fists ready.
He feinted left—
then twisted low, aiming for a Pulse Palm into Phantom Cloak's exposed rib.
WHAM!
The hit connected—
but Phantom Cloak barely flinched.
Instead, his rocky arm lashed out and—
BAM!
Katxu flew like a ragdoll, slamming into a tree trunk with a sickening crack.
"Argh—!" he grunted, sliding down into the dirt.
"Katxu!" I barked, launching vines to try and cover his retreat.
But Phantom Cloak didn't stop.
He stomped forward, each footfall sending tremors that split the ground open.
Stone Shards launched from his mouth—
jagged rocks tearing through the air toward me.
I dove aside, feeling one graze my ribs—hot, burning pain lancing through.
I bit down on a Lifebite Seed and slammed my hands down again.
"Vines Army!"
Two vine constructs erupted, rushing Phantom Cloak from opposite sides.
He barely looked at them.
A single spin of his bladed arm—
and the vines were shredded into green pulp.
Katxu coughed, dragging himself upright by the tree.
His hands were shaking—but that grin never left his face.
"Heh... still ugly, even fused," he muttered hoarsely.
He pushed off the tree and sprinted back in.
We moved together this time.
Katxu baited high—faking a Skull Comet Kick—
I lashed vines low—trying to trip Phantom Cloak's legs.
For a second, it almost worked.
Almost.
Phantom Cloak spun on his bladed side, turning into a living cyclone.
His hair-blades stretched outward, slicing through the air in wide arcs.
One blade caught Katxu across the chest—
another slashed the side of my leg.
I gritted my teeth, summoned healing vines around my calf to stop the bleeding, and hurled a spike trap forward.
Katxu pressed in again, stubborn as always, exchanging brutal close-range strikes.
He ducked under a swing—
jammed a Coiled Fang Elbow into Phantom's gut—
but Phantom retaliated immediately, slamming a rocky fist into Katxu's side.
"Ugh—!" Katxu staggered.
"Verdant Catch!" I shouted, yanking Katxu back with a vine before another blow landed.
"Thanks, Princess," Katxu wheezed, winking at me.
"Shut up and move!" I barked.
We regrouped, circling Phantom Cloak cautiously.
He was breathing heavier now.
Small cracks ran across his rocky side.
But his bladed half gleamed even sharper.
And then—
Phantom Cloak slammed both fists into the ground.
A massive ripple of cracked earth surged outward, splitting the battlefield like a wave.
"Move!" I yelled.
Katxu dove left, I jumped right, vines springing under my feet to boost me.
The earth erupted where we stood seconds ago.
He wasn't just fighting—
he was reshaping the entire damn field.
Katxu wiped blood from his mouth, grimacing. "Tch... this guy's a monster."
I nodded, chest heaving.
We couldn't beat him like this.
Not head-on.
I lashed out a few covering vines—Katxu grabbed one mid-sprint, letting it sling him backward.
I pulled myself away too, just as Phantom Cloak charged again, leaving shattered dirt in his path.
We needed space.
We needed a new plan.
***
[KATXU'S POV]
I glanced at Danryu, eyebrows twitching. He is whispering something to me.
"You will never defeat me," Phantom Cloak's voice boomed, low and heavy. "Even if you combined your pathetic skills. Just surrender, hand over your wristbands... and let me kill you."
I turned my head a bit toward Danryu.
"You going crazy right now?" I whispered-shouted at him, barely hiding my confusion.
Danryu's face stayed stone cold.
"Yes," he said without flinching. "Just do it. This is our last chance."
I clicked my tongue, heart thumping in my ears.
"Fine... don't die too early, idiot."
He didn't answer. He didn't need to.
We moved.
I dashed forward first, baiting Phantom Cloak's bladed arm to slash wide. I barely slipped under it, the edge nicking a line across my shoulder.
Pain flared hot.
I grit my teeth.
Danryu followed a breath behind me, low to the ground, vines coiling around his arms ready to strike.
I jumped up mid-run—
boosted by one of Danryu's vines wrapping around my waist and hurling me like a sling shot.
I twisted mid-air—
"Skull Comet Kick!"
and crashed both heels down at Phantom Cloak's shoulder.
He blocked it with his rocky arm, but his foot shifted back slightly.
Not invincible after all.
Before he could counter, Danryu slammed both palms onto the cracked ground.
"Verdant Thorn Cage!"
Thick vines erupted, spiraling upward and wrapping around Phantom Cloak's legs and waist, slowing his movement.
I hit the ground running again, fist pulled back.
"Pulse Palm!"
I slammed it into the vines themselves—
the shockwave spread through the tangled roots, tightening the bind around Phantom Cloak's body even harder.
He snarled—first real emotion we got out of him.
He broke the vines easily after a few seconds—
but those seconds were enough.
Danryu circled behind him, fast, slipping through the cracks like smoke.
He threw several thorn needles—
one—two—three—striking weak points along Phantom's rocky armor.
The hits landed—but Phantom Cloak spun fast, using his blade-arm like a tornado again.
I ducked low, feeling the air slash my hair.
Danryu wasn't so lucky.
A chunk of the spinning blade caught his side—
not deep, but enough to stagger him for a second.
I rushed in to cover him, using my body as a shield.
"Move, you damn plant!" I barked at him.
Danryu coughed, blood at the corner of his mouth, but nodded.
We moved again.
I faked a wide left swing.
Danryu jumped off my back, vines launching him high above Phantom Cloak.
Mid-air, he hurled a Verdant Net Trap straight down.
The trap exploded into dozens of thorny vines, trying to lock Phantom Cloak again.
I followed up fast—
"Coiled Fang Elbow!"
slamming into Phantom's exposed side while he was half-distracted by the vines.
Crack!
A small crack ran along Phantom's rocky ribs.
I saw it.
I grinned.
"Heh. Not so untouchable now, are ya?"
But then—
something shifted.
Phantom Cloak's shadow pulsed weirdly.
Suddenly—
shk!
A small, hidden blade shot out from his shadow—
straight into Danryu's back.
Danryu gasped sharply.
"Danryu—!" I roared.
He staggered midair—his eyes wide—
then crashed down onto my shoulder.
Heavy.
Too heavy.
Blood was already staining my shirt.
His body slid off my shoulder, dropping to the dirt with a dull, sickening thud.
I stumbled a step, heart thudding hard against my ribs.
"Oi—Danryu!" I shouted, grabbing his arm.
No answer.
He wasn't moving.
Phantom Cloak straightened calmly, his half-golem, half-blade body gleaming in the broken light.
"You should've surrendered," he said, voice like a cold blade against my skin.
I clenched my fists so hard they shook.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
My hands shook.
Not from fear.
From rage.
I dropped Danryu's body carefully onto the ground, my fingers curling into fists so tight my nails dug into my skin.
Phantom Cloak stood there, calm, like killing him meant nothing.
My blood boiled.
I charged—
no hesitation.
No plan.
Just pure, white-hot fury.
I swung a heavy Pulse Palm at his chest.
He blocked it easy, but I didn't care.
I slammed a Rib-Crush Hook into his ribs, throwing my full weight into it.
Phantom grunted, actually stepping back half a foot.
First time he reacted.
I didn't stop.
I pressed harder—
throwing a Coiled Fang Elbow into his jaw—
ducking low to sweep his legs—
following with a Temple Hook Fade aimed at the side of his head.
I was faster.
Rougher.
Every move sharper than before.
But Phantom Cloak adapted.
He moved with the attacks—
catching my wrist mid-strike—
twisting my arm brutally to the side.
Pain lanced through my shoulder.
"Nrgh—!" I grunted, twisting free and slamming a wild haymaker at his face.
He ducked.
His blade-arm slashed upward.
I barely jumped back—
the blade nicked across my thigh, burning hot.
"Keep moving—!" I snarled at myself, staggering sideways.
I threw a Phantom Step, blinking behind him for a second.
I caught him clean—
Jaw Hook Snare!
My fist snapped into his chin, making his head jerk upward.
I dove into a Spinebreaker Toss—
lifting him half off the ground.
He twisted midair and slammed his rocky knee into my gut.
"GUH—!" I coughed blood instantly, stumbling back.
The ground shook again.
Phantom Cloak punched the earth—
sending shards of rock and debris up like a shotgun blast.
I crossed my arms in front of my face—
the rocks pelted me, tearing into my skin, ripping my already ruined shirt.
Still standing.
Barely.
I dashed in again, reckless—
ignoring the burning in my arms and legs—
throwing punch after punch, elbow after elbow.
Most missed.
The few that hit barely slowed him down.
He absorbed the attacks, waiting.
Then he struck.
His blade-arm slashed low.
I tried to jump—
Too slow.
It raked across my side, blood spraying.
"Argh—!"
I staggered—
one knee hitting the dirt.
Before I could even breathe, he closed the distance.
His rocky fist slammed into my chest like a wrecking ball.
Everything in me shook.
I flew backward, skidding across the dirt, gasping for air I couldn't catch.
I tried to stand—
my legs buckled.
I spat blood onto the ground, chest heaving, vision tilting sideways.
Phantom Cloak walked toward me, blade dragging behind him, sparking against the dirt.
I forced my body up, wobbling.
This wasn't a fight anymore.
It was survival.
And I was losing.
"Madi - Verdant Missile," Danryu whispered weakly from where he lay, almost like a ghost.
Both Phantom Cloak and I heard it — and instinctively looked up.
A storm of glowing green needles rained down from above—like hundreds of shining spears slicing the air.
"What the—?!" Phantom Cloak 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."