The monsters turned sharply toward the bushes, their claws and legs scraping against the ground as they rushed forward without hesitation.
Tokarou and Sumi slowly shifted their gaze back to Sarei. She was frozen in place, her body stiff, breath shallow, eyes unable to look away from what was coming.
Tokarou reached behind him.
The sword Dekor had given him slid smoothly into his hand.
Before the nearest monster could take another step, the sword left Tokarou's grip.
It flew.
There was no sound at first, only a sudden blur slicing through the air. In the next moment, the blade pierced straight through one monster's head. The force carried it a step farther before the body collapsed mid stride, legs buckling as it hit the ground. Thick fluid clung to the blade's tip as it vibrated once, then went still.
The remaining monsters halted in shock.
"Watch out," Sumi said quietly.
She vanished.
The air behind one monster distorted, and Sumi appeared close enough that her shadow overlapped its body. She raised her hand calmly, placing two fingers near its temple. A small flame formed between them, no bigger than a spark.
Boom.
The explosion was sharp and contained. The monster's head was erased instantly, its body dropping forward.
Two remained.
One tried to turn and flee.
Tokarou appeared behind it in the same instant. His foot drove forward, passing through the monster's back with a heavy impact. His leg tore through its chest taking out it's heart, and when he pulled back, a still beating heart came with it. The monster froze, mouth open, then collapsed lifelessly at the ground.
The last monster trembled, eyes shaking wildly.
"S-save m—"
Sumi and Tokarou appeared beside it at the same time.
Their fists moved together.
The impact crushed its chest inward and shattered its head in a single motion. The body was thrown back, rolling across the dirt before stopping completely.
Silence fell.
Sarei stood unmoving, her eyes wide, mouth covered by her hand as her legs trembled. She had watched everything.
Tokarou walked forward and pulled his sword free from the fallen body, wiping the blade once against the ground.
"More are coming," he said calmly.
The jungle stirred.
Branches cracked. Heavy footsteps echoed from multiple directions. Low growls spread through the clearing, overlapping, growing closer.
Sumi exhaled slowly. Water gathered around her feet, thin streams forming lines across the dirt. She lifted her hand, and the water rose, wrapping lightly around her arm.
The first monster burst from the trees.
Tokarou stepped forward, his body blurring. He slipped past the creature's claws, sword flashing upward in a clean arc that split its neck before it could react. Another lunged from the side, only for Sumi to flick her wrist, water hardened for a moment, striking like a hammer and snapping its jaw shut with a dull crack.
Two more rushed in together.
Tokarou ducked beneath one and kicked off the other, using the momentum to spin. His sword traced a shallow line that deepened as the monster moved, and it collapsed moments later, clutching its side. Sumi followed through, fire and water mixing briefly as steam burst outward, knocking another monster back into a tree.
The jungle floor became scattered with fallen bodies.
Within minutes, the clearing was quiet again.
Sarei sits there completely frozen.
Then suddenly from the corner of the clearing, the ground suddenly shook.
Heavy footsteps pressed down the earth, each step leaving deep marks behind. Trees bent aside as a massive figure emerged from the shadows of the jungle.
It was tall far taller than any of the monsters before. Its body was thick and uneven, covered in dark, rough skin that looked closer to stone than flesh. From its back and sides stretched nine long arms, each one moving independently, joints bending at strange angles. Some arms ended in clawed hands, others in blunt, heavy fists, and a few had bone like blades growing straight from the forearm. Its head was wide and flat, with a mouth that split far too wide. Three dull eyes glowed faintly across its face.
In a deep, rough voice, it said,
"What the hell is going on here."
Its gaze shifted to the fallen bodies scattered across the ground. Then it turned toward Sumi and Tokarou.
"Humans…"
The monster's arms slowly spread outward. Its shoulders cracked loudly, and its hands opened.
Then its body split.
The flesh tore apart without blood, dividing cleanly as the main body separated into nine different monsters, each shaped from one of its arms. Smaller, but still large enough to be dangerous, they landed around the clearing in a wide circle.
Sarei let out a sharp breath, frozen in fear.
Tokarou stepped forward slightly and lifted the sword. He glanced at the blade, then at the monsters.
"Let's not break this," he said calmly.
"It's the only decent sword they have."
Sumi nodded, water and fire faintly swirling around her hands.
"Yeah," she replied.
"And our readers won't like a boring, quick fight."
"That again...." Tokarou said in a small voice.
The monsters attacked at once.
One lunged straight for Tokarou, claws swinging down with enough force to split a tree. Tokarou slid to the side, the claws tearing through empty air. He brought the sword up just enough to redirect the strike, then stepped inside the monster's reach and slammed his elbow into its chest. The impact crushed inward, and the monster flew backward, skidding across the dirt before hitting a rock and going still.
Two more rushed Sumi from opposite sides.
She raised her hand, and water burst upward from the ground, forming a spinning wall that caught one monster mid jump and slammed it into the air. At the same time, she twisted her body and sent a narrow line of fire across the ground. It didn't explode just burned straight through the legs of the second monster, dropping it face first.
Another monster leaped high, aiming to crash down on Sumi from above.
Tokarou appeared beneath it, crouched low. He kicked off the ground, his shoulder slamming into the monster's stomach midair. The force redirected its fall, sending it straight into another monster. Both crashed together, rolling across the clearing in a mess of limbs.
A blade armed monster charged at Tokarou, swinging wildly.
Tokarou blocked once, twice and each strike rattling the sword in his hand.
'Too much force,' he thought.
He ducked under the next swing and punched the monster in the side instead. The punch sent a shockwave through its body without tearing it apart. Bones cracked internally, and the monster collapsed, twitching.
Sumi moved again, this time stepping lightly across the ground. With each step, a small burst of flame pushed her forward, keeping her speed controlled. She raised both hands and compressed water into thin, sharp streams, firing them one after another. The streams pierced joints and necks precisely, dropping monsters without tearing them apart.
Only one remained.
The last monster backed away, growling low, its eyes darting between the two of them. Its body began to swell, muscles tightening as it prepared to attack with everything it had left.
Tokarou and Sumi moved at the same time.
Tokarou rushed from the front, drawing its attention. The monster roared and swung both arms at him.
Sumi appeared behind it.
She placed her palm against its back and whispered,
"Just enough."
A controlled burst of water exploded outward, followed instantly by heat. Steam filled the air, and the monster's body locked up, then fell forward heavily, unmoving.
The clearing fell silent again.
Sarei stared at the scene, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to breathe.
Tokarou wiped the sword clean and slid it back into his grip.
"Looks like that was the biggest one here," he said.
Sumi glanced around once more, then relaxed her hands.
"Good," she replied then looked at Sarei and said in a small voice.
"I hope this is enough proof for you..."
"Let's go before more show up."
Sarei nodded weakly, unable to look away from them, Sumi picked her up then they turned to return back at the village.