YUUKI - To Move Forward: Prelude 1

Log #12: Biology

One well-known monster that is almost as common as the Silverwolf is known as an Onikuma. An Onikuma, at a glance, resembles an oversized black bear with a slightly elongated muzzle. Unlike your average black bear, Onikuma apply the name literally, as the entire creature is covered with black fur, including the muzzle. However, that isn’t to say the Shade is entirely black; its belly is reinforced with exoskeletal white ribs, and patternless white spots dot the creature like some perverse ladybug. Blood-red irises glare through any target the Onikuma may come across, and with its obsidian-black claws that can retract and extend about five decimeters from its base, any target who wanders into its line of sight is in for an unpleasant encounter.

-General Shura Averin

499 BPE

A muffled, noisy buzzing snapped me out of my drowsiness, and I sat up immediately. Straightening out my leather jacket, I picked up the source of the obnoxious noise, and hit ANSWER. After a bit of static, a woman’s voice crackled through.

“Hey, kid- you there?”

I couldn’t help rolling my eyes at the stupid question. “Nope, nobody here but a turtle. What do you want now?”

She sounded amused, as always. “Hmm. Well, I’d love it if the turtle could remember what his mission was. Or fall off a cliff and make a wonderful crunching sound.”

“So it’s ready then?”

“Just about. Now all ya need to do is watch her back. Can ya do that much for me, little turtle?”

“No, but I can do that much for Dad. Bye.” I clicked END before she could talk back.

Honestly, it seemed as if everyone in the world was trying to be a pain tonight.

If somebody were present atop this cliff, and asked me to recollect how many moments of the past had gathered in this exact position, no answer under the sun would quite satisfy me as correct. The reflective moon had resumed its empty voyage throughout the blank, blue sheet around it, watching over us like a guardian angel. The twinkling trees swayed with the gentle wind, caressing the once tense atmosphere atop the cliff. The boy in my lap never stirred, not to the beauty, not to the wind, and not even to my own stirring. He simply laid there, undisturbed, unnoticing.

When he was like this, he was at his most beautiful. It was impossible to see the same, furious boy I had spoken to this same night.

However, even though the universe had forgiven the transgressions of this boy, Chorus would not. Eyes of hatred and red fury watched from the forest behind me, waiting for the perfect moment of revenge. Revenge against the boy, whose hatred had plagued the entire journey. The bushes rustled dangerously, as more and more onlookers appeared. It seemed that waiting peacefully would not protect us any longer.

I had never been so careful in my life as I laid Kazu’s sleeping figure on the smooth stone next to me. Once he was safe and secure, I turned towards my assassins, and drew Shining Tempest with one, swift move. The moment I did, the first Shade emerged from the vegetation.

Two large bear paws slashed at me from either side, aiming directly for my head. I swiped at the left paw with my baton, and used the force of the blow to knock myself out of the trajectory of the other paw. The Onikuma on my left roared furiously, unharmed by my attack, while the right Onikuma charged forward, jaws wide. I gritted my teeth, and leapt up at the black beast, baton raised high in the air. A switch pulled, and a heavy bullet shot out from the bottom of my baton, rocketing me up and over my assailant. I rolled on my shoulder to absorb the impact as I hit the ground behind it, and immediately aimed my baton at the back of the Onikuma. Three large bullets shot out, piercing through the Shade’s fur and flesh with ease. It crashed to the ground.

I lowered my weapon to catch my breath, breathing a sigh of relief. The second I did, a sharp pain raced through my back. I quickly rolled to the side, avoiding a second slash by the first Onikuma. A finger to my back reassured me that my armor had taken the blow, but the pain still lingered. I ran forward without as second to waste, ducking under another swipe until I was directly under its head. I let out a yell as I swung with both of my hands, aiming my baton straight for the creature’s throat. The Onikuma roared in fury, bringing its jaws down towards my exposed head.

It was moving much quicker than I was. I adjusted my strategy, and as soon at the baton’s end was close enough, I fired another bullet out. The jaw that was mere millimeters away from its target suddenly lurched upwards, blood gushing from its open throat. I pushed the corpse backwards, and it fell to the stone with a thud. I didn’t have a second to waste, so I wiped the blood from my face and turned to the forest edge.

A pack of Silverwolves had gathered, observing the fight I had just won. Behind them, I heard more approaching.

I raised my baton, aiming at my enemies. As if reading my thoughts, the pack charged forward, converging on the lone teenage girl atop the cliff.

The first two snapped at my calves, so I sidestepped to the right, pivoting out of their reach. Two more swings brought one Silverwolf to the stone, and a bullet finished it off. As the other pounced towards me, I felt the presence of three more behind me.

If I knock the one in front of me to the side like I did the others, I won’t have time to deal with the wolves coming from behind. But if I turn to them, the pouncing Silverwolf will have a clear target.

With little other choice, I leaned to my right, holding my baton in front of me. The baton made direct contact with the wolf’s belly, and I used its momentum to swing it backwards, heaving it at the three to my back. The momentary distraction broke their formation, providing me with the perfect opportunity. I stepped forward, and slammed Shining Tempest into their started temples. The third one was too far to do the same, so I sprinted towards it, pulling my weapon back like a golf club. It shook its head to reorient itself, just in time to see my baton crash into it, propelling the Shade all the way off the cliff.

A growling alerted me to another Silverwolf to my back. I turned to face it, aiming a bullet at its head. It pounced at me, and I pulled the trigger.

Click.

“Cra-!”

The Shade tackled me to the ground, Shining Tempest slipping from my grasp. It took every ounce of my strength to push the Silverwolf’s jaws back. Its breath stung my skin, drool spilling onto my cheeks as the beast pushed harder and harder against my hands.

“Ngh... gross... Get... back...!” No matter how much I resisted, this Silverwolf was determined to rip me apart. I felt my arms weaken, and my grip began to slip.

Rapid footsteps alerted the two of us of a new player entering the struggle. The Silverwolf lifted its head to size up its newfound prey.

I watched with stunned awe as my assailant was split in half, its head ripping apart as a long, dark red blade hummed in its place.

I pushed the corpse halves aside, and looked up at my glorious, timely savior. Whoever it had been must have left, though, because all I saw was Francis towering triumphantly above me, holding his sword over his shoulder like some hero.

“Oh... It’s you.”

The blank statement practically knocked him to the stone. “W-What?! I just saved your life, girl, you could at least feign gratitude!”

“Took you long enough.”

He straightened his jacket, collecting himself, before responding, “Well, jeez. Maybe I should save you less often if that’s how you’re gonna be.”

I stood up as well, wiping dirt off of my outfit. “Don’t give me that crap, Francis. What are you doing here? This isn’t some shounen ‘savior ex machina’ story, okay? What are you doing here, and now of all times?”

“Hmph. I happen to like those stories.” Another pack of Silverwolves had arrived, circling their two prey. “If you really wanna know, then orders are orders. A lotta people like to see you alive, okay? Not that I especially care, but that’s against the point.”

“Fine.” He wasn’t about to say any more than that, clearly, but whether he wouldn’t or couldn’t was a mystery to me. “So. Ready to back me up here? My mission is to protect Kazu on the cliffside, no matter what. Surely you can do that much.”

“Ha! Surely indeed. I’ll try to keep up with you, little princess.”

We raised our respective weapons, and the Silverwolves began their assault.

Hm... They aren’t half bad.

Of course, they weren’t half good, either, but it was a start. For such little kids wielding such big weapons, they were managing all right. Of course, they were still dead meat as it was.

Still, I was more than content to stand back and watch, observing the little squabble like some action scene in a movie. Of course, it wasn’t some movie, but it felt like it. And that was cool.

The boy was swift and precise, definitely the best katana wielder I’ve seen around. His movements were rough, though, and he was sloppy with his speed. It seemed at a glance that his moves were elegant and precise, but a trained eye knew better. Of course, that was why he was training, but training ain’t so useful on a corpse. Doubtful he’d make it through the coming storm.

“Hm... The girl ain’t so shabby, though...”

While the boy looked elegant to hide his sloppiness, the girl payed no mind to her appearance, maintaining a perfect form no matter what. Of course, whether she was an expert with the baton was arguable, but her form was impeccable. Still no match for me.

Of course she wasn’t. None of them were. It wasn’t their fault; the kids were simply too green. I ain’t the strongest, either, but years of experience have given me a confidence in my strokes that simply aren’t present in the forms of the boy or girl. Of course, that would change. Everything would change. The future always rewrites the past, and when it doesn’t, tragedy ensues.

Behind me.

Loud rustling trying too hard to be quiet alerted me to the presence of more students. Of course the three on the cliff weren’t alone. I slipped through the trees, distancing myself from the newcomers to find a new vantage point. Of course, I wouldn’t be a spectator for too long.

I had a job to do, of course.

A final Silverwolf thudded to the ground, its corpse signifying the end to the pack. Heavy breaths shook my frame, but the waves of Shade appeared endless. Francis was even beginning to look sloppy.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead, and took a look around the open area, taking advantage at the momentary lull.

Dozens of Silverwolves and even a few Onikuma littered the once peaceful platform, but only about a quarter of them with blade wounds marking their deaths. At the forest’s edge, two characters deeply contrasted the sight around us.

I smiled and waved to them. “He-ey! Nicole, Isabelle, nice to see you could make it!” They looked a bit shocked as they absorbed the carnage surrounding us, but my yelling seemed to bring them back. The two girls ran over to me and Francis, Nicole with a strange blue blade in hand.

Nicole spoke first. “We heard something, and noticed that Francis wasn’t at camp. Since we didn’t want to—”

“We left on our own so Marinos and friends could get a good night’s sleep!” Isabelle jumped in the air.

“I see. Alright, thanks, you two. It’s been a bit rough here on my own—”

Francis shot his head up.

“-so a bit of backup is much appreciated.” I glanced around. The atmosphere had begun to darken once more, and a new horde of red eyes locked onto their prey.

The girls hurried to my side. Francis had stepped up behind me, and with a glance I could tell he was ready for the next round, sword balanced confidently over his shoulder again.

Three pairs of eyes entered the stone arena, drawing closer with each careful step. Amidst the bloodthirsty glares and furious howls, the Silverwolves were clearly deciding on a strategy to secure their dinner.

Isabelle released a quiet sigh, and walked ahead of us.

I grabbed her arm, nervous for the bubblegum girl. “Hey, Isabelle, we need to carefully consider this! We can’t just jump in and—”

“It’s just a few puppies, isn’t it?” She beamed at me, her light blue hair bouncing as she spoke. “No worries, be happies!”

As much as I wanted to stop her, to keep her with the rest of the squad, a part of me couldn’t help but be curious about her weapon. Throughout the entire field trip, and even during our time at Arcos, not once had she drawn it.

Despite my better judgement, I nodded and released her arm. “Alright then; if you think you can handle that pack, then the stage is yours. Go get ’em, Isabelle.”

She merely giggled in response, marching towards the pack of Silverwolves, who were now crouching in preparation for an assault. When she was a few feet from the enemy, her head whipped back towards us, and she winked as she spun around, reaching into her dress towards the holster that contrasted her outfit so. The 360 degree twirl finished, and Isabelle aimed a red-and-blue pistol of some sort at the Silverwolves. She held it up to her eyes crouching low. The next second, a crack exploded from her weapon, and some sort of projectile shot towards the Shade pack. They leapt out of its trajectory easily, but as the bullet hit the ground, it expanded instantly into an icy trap, freezing the Silverwolves’s paws into the ground. Smiling, Isabelle ran towards the Shade, holding out her blaster casually. A leap into the air, and a blade appeared from the top of the weapon. She landed right next to the trapped creatures, and twirling and laughing all the way, Isabelle decapitated each Silverwolf, one by one.

Isabelle wiped the blood off of the thin blade extending from the top of her blaster, humming as she worked. She was so into her cleaning, and us at her marvelous efficiency, that nobody noticed the barrier of trees shattering at the appearance of two Onikuma, roaring as they swiped upwards at their target. Surprised, she lifted her blaster to block the impact, but it instead launched her body into the air. Before she could land, she aimed at the two opponents that had entered the field. Three consecutive shots exploded around the Onikuma, and one vertical shot softened the impact of her fall. Isabelle gripped her right arm as she stood, but quickly shook off the pain and began a new rush at the two Shade who were clawing at the icy chains that held them in place. Isabelle jumped up again, pulling back the blade to lob off the head of the first Shade.

“Woo-hoo!” To add a little fun, she tilted her body, spinning as she descended on the Onikuma. One slice brought the large beast to the ground. She hopped up its back playfully and pierced her blade through its throat. It struggled for a moment, then followed its companion to the earth. This time, Isabelle walked back towards us before cleaning her weapon.

“Hey, you’re not too shabby, BG Girl.” Francis lowered his longsword, smirking at the cheerful girl. He seemed mildly impressed, but not terribly surprised.

“B... G?” She pondered this title openly, tapping her fingers on her chin. “Ohhh, BG! Bubble gum, right?” Isabelle turned to Francis, eyes shining proudly at her discovery.

“Well, duh. Isn’t that the image you were going for when you chose that color scheme?”

“Hm... No, I never actually thought of that. I like it! Oh yeah, I’m BG Girl now!”

“... Seriously? Ah, whatever, do as you please, BJ Girl.”

“B... J? What does that sta-”

“AAAND WE ARE MOVING ON!” I stepped between the two promptly, determined to maintain a PG-13 rating. “Let’s get back on track, okay guys? And we can start by figuring out why this place has suddenly gotten so quiet...”

The three of us looked around the cliff, but nothing seemed out of place.

Nicole, on the other hand, had already identified the silencer. “Check it. Forest’s edge.”

The three gazes on the cliff shifted to the target of Nicole’s pointing, resting on a lone man. Two assumed blades rested in sheaths symmetrically behind his waist, diagonally coming together as they disappeared behind the man. His facial hair was disorganized, uncut; his entire face screamed homeless exhaustion. Despite his facial features, the sharp leather cloth he wore was anything but cheap. His outfit was in peak condition, and even from our distance, it was clear that the sheaths were well-cared for, too.

The strange man took a deliberate step forward, silencing any sound that had dared defy his presence. His aura radiated with authority, and his expression was stern. His eyes darted between our faces, analyzing our entire squad in seconds.

He took another step closer, and raised his head to speak. He inhaled deeply, brought his arms up to his chest...

... and stumbled backwards, burping with the force of two hundred men. His release was so powerful, in fact, that he nearly fell over completely, catching himself last-second. The man held a hand up apologetically. He coughed a bit more, and eventually stumbled over to a bush to heav an entire dinner’s worth into the poor vegetation. In the meanwhile, the four onlookers stared blankly. Francis face-palmed, groaning inwardly as if he was watching his drunk brother stumble home.

About a minute later, the man was once again standing tall, now a few feet ahead of his... opening act... but his composure still seemed shaky. What worried me was that during his entire alcoholic breakdown, that sense of danger and ability hadn’t diminished in the slightest. In fact, he almost felt more confident in that drunken state.

The man sized us up carefully, a steely gaze inspecting every aspect of each one of us once again. Once he had finished, his posture loosened, and he yawned.

His voice was deep and serious, but simultaneously wasted and bored. “So... you guys are the, guys? Of course you are, I ain’t stupid. Of course...” More coughs impaired his speech, until he reached into a satchel attached to his belt, whipping out a bottle of water and chugged it down in seconds. The bottle fell to the stone floor as he wiped his mouth, smirking. “What’re y’all looking at? Never seen an armed not-entirely-sober man in the middle of Shade-infested territory before? Oooof course not... amateurs...” He reached again for the bottle, grasping at the empty satchel at his waist. “Nngh... Which one of y’all done took my bottl’?”

Francis stepped forward with a pitifully exasperated expression. “Jee-sus, man, it’s on the ground! But no matter the damn bottle, what the hell are you doing here? I wasn’t told they were sending the hobo here.”

The man looked up, apparently noticing Francis for the first time. “Right. You’re here, too. Of course y’are. Ah! There you are.” He scooped up the bottle and brought it to his eyes, watching it dangle from his fingers. “Damn, empty. And I liked that one, too.” A sigh brought the bottle back into his satchel, his right hand patting the bag graciously.

Francis looked more angry than annoyed at the complete deflection of his question. “I said, what are you doing here?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, I’m here... doing... yikes. Of course I am.” He smiled to himself for remembering something. “Sorry, kids. It’s what I’m here for, after all.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, I raised my baton in defense. The man was already two steps ahead of me, however, and I felt a massive force crash into Shining Tempest. Even though it absorbed most of the impact, the remaining force still knocked me back into Isabelle. As we both fell to the smooth stone, Nicole ran forward, swinging her strange blue sword at the man. He deflected the blow effortlessly, delivering a powerful front kick directly into Nicole’s stomach. The blue-haired girl stumbled back, coughing violently. In her place, Francis charged forward, Hades aimed to pierce straight through the man’s leather tunic. The man’s weapon deflected the blow, but Francis applied the recoil of his katana to add to the force of his next strike. Another easy block.

While their blades were locked, I finally had a chance to see the weapon that this man had used to beat Nicole and I.

It was something between a dagger and a short sword, with harsh, light-blue lines dancing over the blade’s surface. Such a weapon explained why the bottom of his sheaths didn’t pop out from behind his back. It also meant that he had another weapon like the white-and-blue blade he used to beat most of our team.

Despite that, he man wasn’t nearly as skillful as I’d expected. He certainly was powerful, easily stronger than any of us. But it wasn’t his skill with a blade that had taken down me and Nicole, it was his precision and calculation. He knew where our blind spots were and exactly how to strike them to achieve a swift victory with minimal swordplay. Now that he was head to head with our best swordsman, however, the battle was dragging on much longer. Francis, more than anyone else I knew of, knew his own weaknesses to a T, and he was constantly aware of every exposure to them while fighting. It was that awareness and his cool headedness that made him such a frightening opponent. In this particular fight, he was far from collected, but the look on that man assured me that it wouldn’t have made a difference.

For a moment, it looked like the man was on the defensive, so Francis took the opportunity to plant a downward slash directly on the man’s temple. But his bothered state made his reactions just a bit slow, and he noticed it a split-second after I did.

The air between Hades and the man’s head rippled, and every bit of force was reflected back at its sender. Francis released his grip on Hades, and the sword flew backwards towards the rest of us, clattering against the solid stone. Francis fell to the ground, and the man raised his blade high in the air.

“Aaand, that’s checkmate!”

He brought the blade down, burying it in the stone a hair’s length away from Francis’s head. “And now you’re dead. Of course, your buffers would normally reflect the impact, but even those beauties aren’t invincible. Nice try though, kid.”

He went as far as claiming that his strike was powerful enough to shatter a layer of buffers, too? This man was a professional, no doubt, but he was certainly not a Slayer. Not with that attitude.

He walked past the unarmed, furious Francis and stepped up to the rest of our squad.

“I don’t care too much about killing that boy, of course, but you all...” He chuckled as he lifted his blade to eye level, “y’all are disposable. Expedable. Not-entirely-useful in any way. Particularly the hair-dye fanatics over there. I suppose you could be fun, though.” He eyed me hungrily. I didn’t bother showing him my disgust.

His slow, slightly wobbly approach took an eternity in each step, only to be overlapped and rewritten by the next. I had confidence that the three of us could defeat him normally.

But this wasn’t normal.

I was still recovering from the waves of Shade that had entertained me the past hour, Nicole was clutching her gut painfully, and Isabelle’s blaster didn’t stand a chance at such close range. I dared look towards the edge of the cliff to debunk a rising fear. Surely enough, Kazu’s unconscious body was exactly where I had left him. He seemed no closer to stirring than he had at the start of the cliff defense.

The man was reveling in our uncertainty and fear. He smiled confidently as his blade rested limply at his side, its symmetrical other still sheathed.

Turns out, his deliberate advance had a cost. The sound of a rope ripped through the cold sky, and a hook flew over the cliffside, burying itself between the man and the four members of Chang Squad. Rapid footsteps echoed from below, and a lean man followed the hook, its rope retracting as it pulled its owner towards it. As he neared the ground, he flipped once for show and bent his knees to absorb the impact. I stepped out of his way; the other two girls had done the same. Unlike our assailant, however, this newcomer was instantly recognizable.

After all, it’s hard to forget the face of our own teacher.

Mr. Darnay slowly straightened his legs, until he was standing even taller than the homeless guy. He turned towards me and Nicole, and smiled. His smile was like that of a father grasping the hand of his shaken child. His very presence was reassuring and inspiring, and with just a smile, the world felt corrected, repaired. I looked past him towards the intruder with renewed strength, and Mr. Darnay followed in suit. His smile never abandoned him.

“Oh, hello there. You are most certainly, well, a new face. Can I help you, or have my dear students provided sufficient assistance?”

“A teacher...” The man regarded the title with open contempt. “A teacher’s arrived. Was I really so unlucky that a teacher just happened to be passing by? Is that seriously how this’ll-”

“A teacher is always looking after his students. All of them. And that is no coincidence. Judging from that unsatisfactory look on your, well, everything, I assume you still need help. In that case, I’ll be happy to oblige.” He slowed his speech as he finished, flipping something I assumed was his weapon around in his right hand. The object stopped on his shoulder, and we got a clear glimpse of what our teacher used against the creatures of Shade.

It was, in a word, terrific.

Although that word hardly did it justice.

The base appeared to be like any other sword handle, silver and white streaks creating a double helix pattern. Once my eyes reached his “blade,” however, the pureness of the weapon vanished, replaced by crimson-spotted veins snaking their way around a tube-like structure. The veins were lined with actual thorns. The tube was entirely pitch black, other than the veins adorning it, and at the far end of the weapon, a thorned hook retracted into a slit at the tube’s tip. The majority of the hook was a golden color, but the very tip was the crimson shade of blood.

It was like a rescue hook combined with a thorned baseball bat, used to brutally beat enemies into submission.

Despite that, Mr. Darnay hoised it up on his shoulder like no big deal, the polite smile never leaving his face.

The intruder was clearly unsettled; his teeth gnashed together as he stepped back, just a bit. He was pissed at something, but I couldn’t tell exactly what.

But that weapon... Something was very wrong about our friendly, neighborhood teacher wielding a hookshot from Hell.

Or maybe that just proved how little we really knew him.

“Ngh!... I thought it was you... Damn it. Julian, the Blood Recon, isn’t it?” Even the strange man’s voice was shaking, whether from fury or fear.

Mr. Darnay took a step towards the man, standing tall. “Oh? I didn’t know that many people knew about me... What an honor! I assure you, sir, I could not possibly hope to live up to a reputation such as that. But, I do try...” Our teacher removed Recon from his shoulder, and swung it down to the ground in front of him. The stone cracked and broke apart where the hook impacted, and Mr. Darnay stopped looking at his opponent for a second to observe the small crater. With a somewhat satisfied “Hm!” and a shrug of his shoulders, he returned his attention to the man ahead.

“So... What’ll it be?” The odd man growled.

“I’m not quite sure. I appear to be winning this bout at this moment, so I’ll leave the outcome up to you, sir. Our battle has yet to begin, and yet your fear is palpable.”

“Ngrrrrrrgh!” The man grinded his teeth together furiously, mumbling. “... by a damn teacher... Recon, no less... Fine! Have your your own way, freak. I don’t fight to battle, unlike some- Jeez, I get it, ’aight? I’m out.” The man snorted, hiccuped, and stumbled away.

Mr. Darnay watched his opponent slowly retreat. “Huh. Was expecting some sort of fight, or something, at least. Well, less is more, right?”

His next words were hardly above a mumble. “This, and Ptoma, too. Tonight has been terribly eventful, hasn’t it?”

Our teacher returned his attention to us once again. Francis had assembled with Nicole and Isabelle, and save Kazu, we had the entirety of Chang Squad at attention.

I stood up, ignoring the pain of my body’s defiance, and looked straight into Mr. Darnay’s eyes. There was something about him that didn’t seem right.

He seems dangerous, edgy.

He had said it was because we were being threatened, but there must’ve been more to it.

“Mr. Darnay, thank you for coming to assist us at such a perfect time! We were in serious trouble with that guy before you got here, so we really appreciate it. However, I’m not entirely sold on how you did so. If what you said to that man was true, then does that mean you’ve been following us this entire time? And what about the other groups? Are they close by, or...”

I paused my unintentional interrogation as he held up a weak hand, sheathing Recon behind his back. He looked exhausted, weak. “Hey there, kiddo. Calm down just a notch now, would you? First thing’s first,” he started, walking over to Kazu’s unconscious body. “Now while I’d love to take credit for everything I said, I’m afraid I’m just a teacher. I’m not omnipotent, and I can’t watch every team simultaneously. Fact is, I was lucky enough to be trailing a team somewhat nearby here, and I heard a boy spilling his heart out. Judging from this clifftop, I assume Kazuki was the lucky one?” He kneeled down, feeling the boy’s neck and cheek gently. His tense expression softened somewhat, but the bags under his eyes remained as he looked to us.

“Yeah. Kazu’s been through a bit of trauma, and we helped him get past it. Hopefully,” I said, my eyes lingering on Kazu’s peaceful expression.

“Oh, so that’s how it went... I’m so sorry to hear that. The fact that any student of mine is experiencing something like that is indescribably regretful.”

Nicole spoke quickly, “Who was that? He was so strong, and smart, too. You saw it, Alison. That man was no ordinary fighter.” Her question ended abruptly as she clutched her gut.

Mr. Darnay sighed, and spoke purposefully. “That man is a Hunter. A rogue Slayer who fights without much regard for their own life. Dangerous people, especially that one.”

Francis spoke up next. “Hey, what were you mumbling about just then? You said something about that guy and a tome... toma...”

“Ptoma Tyrannos.”

The cliffside went deathly silent as he spoke that name. Francis stepped back instinctively, speechless. Nicole and Isabelle glanced at each other.

“Ptoma... Are you saying that thing is here? Mr. Darnay, please tell us. This is important, for all of us,” I asked, swallowing my fear to even get out that much.

He looked into each of our eyes, and I finally understood why he looked so thrown off. “You all really want to know, do you? I’d rather spare you further suffering, but you are correct; this information is a must-know. Steel yourselves, Chang Squad, for what I am about to say can only be said with a heavy heart and reluctant words.

“Earlier tonight, I was trailing another group not too far from here. Moore Squad and Lee Squad. Great kids, a bit lightheaded, but overall quite optimistic. Teamwork unlike any I’ve seen this year. Anyway, I was watching over them, careful to avoid being seen, when they started to set up camp. As they lit a campfire, a light fog seemed to drift into the forest from everywhere at once. In minutes, the fog had thickened to a blinding level, and I could make out students calling out to each other. Then the clicking started.

“The sound of clicking filled the campground, but the fog hid whatever was making the racket. The noise grew louder and louder, and before long I could have sworn it was the fog making that noise. The kids quieted down, and their footsteps seemed to unite, so I assumed they’d regrouped. The clicking grew louder and louder, and right when it was at its loudest and most unbearable!- it stopped. Silence. The fog was still thick enough to slice a portion off for brunch, but there was no noise. For about two seconds, that is.

“One of the students began to ask if it was over, but a world-splitting roar cut him off, unlike anything I’d heard before. The roar was that of a king, of a monster beyond Shade. As soon as it stopped, I heard a student’s scream and darted into the campground without another thought. Everybody was frozen in horror, all staring up at something. Suspended in the fog, a behemoth of a jaw held one of the kids flailing in its trap.”

Mr. Darnay paused his story, his gaze falling to Kazu.

I decided to speak up, shaken yet confident in the story’s conclusion. “They were killed, weren’t they? Eaten, devoured, by that...”

“Every one of them. Both squads fought as hard as they could, but Ptoma was far too much for them. I couldn’t use Recon in fear of hitting those I swore to protect, so I tried to call out and lead anybody I could away from the monster.

“In the end, the screaming died out, and I knew it was too late. I ran with all of my strength towards the nearby hills that I knew of from previous years. Then I heard shouting in the distance, and followed that sound desperately. In that moment, I could only think of finding someone I could help. And it looks like that’s exactly what happened.”

Mr. Darney’s eyes were red; it looked like he was about to cry. He probably already had. “I’m so glad to see all of you alive. I mean it.”

“So we need to leave then. Now.” Nicole was looking around at us, as if stating the obvious.

In her defense, she was.

If that thing was still nearby, we had to get out of here. Prolonging our occupation in the proximity of a beast of that caliber was pleading to the gods for a slow, painful demise. “I agree. Nicole’s right, we’ve gotta get out of here before it locates its next meal. Any ideas what we can do, Mr. Darnay?”

He looked around, considering our options.

Francis spoke up, yawning. “Well, I’m afraid we can’t just cut to when we get back home safely, so our options are pretty limited.”

Mr. Darnay took a breath, closing his eyes. “Honestly, I don’t think that there’s that much of a problem.”

We all looked at him incredulously.

“I mean, it is true that Ptoma is somewhere in the vicinity of this cliff, but none of you even knew that much until I told you, correct?”

“Yeah, so? What about i-” Francis stopped mid-objection, smirking.

I glanced around at my team, determined to get everyone home safely. “If Mr. Darnay’s assumption is right, then now is our perfect opportunity to retreat to Devarden. There’s a good chance Ptoma has already moved on from here, otherwise at least one of us would have heard it. If that’s the case,” I turned to Darnay and smiled, “then we should head back fast, before it remembers that it missed a spot.”

He returned my smile. “Indeed. Very well, everyone. I’ll carry Kazuki, so you all wake Marinos Squad and get them packing. The sooner, the better, so let’s get to it.”

Due to some unbelievably good fortune, or perhaps by Chorus’s mercy, not a single encounter disturbed our trek home.