Grin ran through the field as if he already knew where to go, without needing any command from Fay. At nearly one hundred meters out, they could already see the battle unfolding between the three remaining hyenas and the four warriors, Kimya among them.
"Go for the one the three catfolk are fighting!" Fay shouted. He wasn't sure if his creature would understand, but within seconds, Grin shifted his stance and veered toward the correct target, almost as if he had heard correctly the order.
Kimya was engaged in a fierce duel with one of the larger beasts, while his panther kept another pinned further back, locked in a tense stalemate of dodge and counterattacks.
Fay closed in on his target.
He raised the curved blade Kimya had given him, aiming for the creature's hind leg. The hyena was too distracted by the catfolk to notice the attack from behind.
That was all the opening they needed.
Fay plunged the blade deep into its flank. The beast howled in pain, staggering, just as the three warriors seized their chance, slashing, stabbing, and striking with relentless force.
Spears and swords pierced fur and muscle. Within moments, the monster collapsed, legs buckling under its weight.
Grin circled back. Fay leapt from his back onto the dying beast, driving the blade once more into its spine. The hyena shrieked in agony, then fell still.
"Let's help Kimya! We still have two more!" Fay called out, raising his sword. His voice cut through the noise, and the other warriors turned, seeing their leader pinned between two enemies—one of them the massive hyena Kimya was dueling, the other approaching from behind. Kimya's blade was already broken in half.
The catfolk cried out and surged forward.
Fay turned to follow—but paused, glancing back. Grin was already hunched over the fallen beast, devouring it hungrily, blue energy pulsing faintly across his fur.
"Why is it you never help when we need it," Fay muttered under his breath before sprinting to join the others.
But instead of charging into the main fray, he veered toward the panther. The two creatures—panther and hyena—were both bloody and worn, but the panther looked worse. One of its paws had been torn off. Its body shimmered faintly, barely holding together.
Fay moved quickly and quietly. He pressed his sword low to the ground, drew his dagger, and used his small frame to stay close to the earth, waiting for the moment the creature turned its back.
Then he rushed in.
He knew the weak spots by now—this was the fourth time he'd fought one of these beasts.
His only challenge was timing the strike perfectly, when the creature wasn't looking.
But that was the problem.
Just as he closed in, one of the hyenas' hind legs snapped out and kicked him back hard. It had seen him. Somehow.
Instead of hesitating, Fay hurled his dagger. The blade flew and buried itself in the creature's back.
"Ah—damn it!" Fay cursed, feeling the pain in his stomach, he got up and scrambled to find cover. The Hyena ignored the panther on its flank and turned fully toward Fay, eyes burning with hunger, jaws gnashing as it lunged for what it saw as easy prey.
Fay barely had time to grab his weapon and raise it defensively. He slashed wildly—the first strike clipped a fang, making the hyena flinch. The second missed entirely.
He jumped back, struggling to maintain at least half a meter of space between himself and those deadly jaws.
"Grin, where are you!?"
Another paw swung toward him. Fay raised his sword to block, but the impact knocked the weapon from his hand, sending it flying into the tall grass.
He glanced around, desperate for anything he could use to shield himself. But there was nothing. Not even the panther—still clinging to the hyena's back—could stop the beast's rampage.
One more leap was all he could manage before he tumbled to the ground, rolling just in time to dodge a vicious stomp.
The hyena loomed over him, and for a brief moment, its characteristic cry sounded like mocking laughter.
"Grin, you dumb beast—help!"
Another swipe came crashing down. Fay braced himself—
—but a shadow streaked across the sky.
A creature dove in from above—a buzzard, slashing at one of the hyena's eyes with its talons, then trying to peck at the other. It let out a sharp cry as it fluttered upward, but not fast enough. The hyena snapped its jaws and tore out several of the bird's rear feathers. The summon barely escaped, a few bloodied quills trailing behind.
Fay didn't waste the opportunity. He dashed forward, hand outstretched, and grabbed the dagger still lodged in the beast's back.
The panther, with what little strength it had left, lunged with its full weight and slammed into the hyena's side. It wasn't enough to topple the creature, but it staggered, just for a moment.
Fay yanked the dagger free and rolled to the side, landing hard. His breath came in ragged gasps, every limb aching—but he was still alive.
He looked back, only to see Grin still devouring the previous hyena corpse. Fay scowled, then turned and caught sight of Horin perched in a tree nearby.
She didn't meet his gaze. Instead, she looked toward Kimya and the others, who were nearly finished with their own fight.
Fay turned away and focused on his own battle. There was no time to wait for help.
"It's just you and me, panther," he muttered. "Let's hit this thing together. Pick your part and destroy it."
He sprinted forward, choosing to target one of the hyena's limbs. If he could damage it enough, it would lose its balance—maybe even the ability to fight. The panther, consistent in its tactics, lunged again toward the creature's neck.
That meant Fay had to keep the beast's attention—force it to watch him to give the large cat enough time to kill it.
They moved together now, both attacking in rhythm.
Fay made for the spot where his dagger had been flung earlier. The hyena noticed and charged. Evading a three-meter-long predator wasn't easy, but it became possible when a panther tore a fresh chunk from its back.
Fay reached the sword, grabbing it with his left hand. His right still held the dagger, both blades now ready.
His hands were tired, but the adrenaline pumping through his veins was more than enough to keep him going. He dodged, stabbed, and blocked with his blade. The dagger in his dominant hand did most of the damage, its smaller size allowing for quicker, more precise strikes.
But within a few more exchanges, his arms were already near their limit. The last battle had drained him—now he was running on fumes.
"Damn it, Grin, get over here!"
Fay shouted, frustration and fatigue rising in his voice. He was just about to give up and run when a blur of movement crossed in front of him—a creature nearly the same size as the hyena he was fighting.
His heart jumped.
For a split second, he thought a new enemy had arrived.
But no—it was Grin.
The summon had grown again.
Without hesitation, Grin lunged straight for the hyena's throat, slamming into the weakened beast with crushing force. The panther, as if using the last of its strength, vanished from sight, its form dispersing like smoke in the air.
Now it was just Grin and the last hyena.
Fresh, strong, and pulsing with energy, Grin easily overpowered the hole-ridden creature.
The battle didn't last long.
With a final, savage bite, the hyena was silenced.
The fight was over.