The group left the camp, venturing deeper into the surrounding forest. They walked on a narrow pathway hidden by the canopy of cedar trees, Tsukino leading the way. Such favoritism displeased Shinji and his goons. Mostly, because the quiet atmosphere was making the situation more haunting.
The group wanted the Main Character to show them an act or two, to lighten things up. Tsukino, on the other hand, favored stealth and silence, she did not want to alert their enemies to their approach.
"Can't we at least sing a song to honor our possible last day alive?" Shinji asked, but Tsukino shook her head.
Shinji grumbles, muttering under his breath, "You're just acting cocky... because you're fooling around with that hippo Tama Artist. We saw you giving him the glare of love." —it was the glare of death, nonetheless, he had to say.
Tsukino's eyes narrows, inquiring, "I didn't hear you well. What did you just say?"
Shinji sneers, "I said, you're ugly!"
The group's movement came to a halt, as the two exchanged vicious insults. However, their ruction was cut short, one of their group mates suddenly collapses beside them, headless.
Before they could process what was happening, two more headless bodies gushing out fountains of blood fell to the ground.
Tsukino's gaze lands on a profound beast that was playing with one of the human wastes. Crestfallen, she thinks: 'I'm still too weak to save anyone.'
She didn't ponder much, and alarmed the group, "Everyone, prepare for battle! We're surrounded by a pack of stage 2 wind jaguars!"
Much to her expectations, she was the only one ready to fight. Most of the young men were shivering in fear. On the Hill Cat they fought again stage 1 profound beasts. Stage 2 beasts are something they aren't ready for.
"Tsk, useless as always." She complained underneath her breath, "I just have to do this myself."
Hearing her lasts word, Shinji gives her an eccentric side glance that seemed to say, 'naive as always.' Before she took out her katanas, he tugs her to the ground, saving her from an unexpected attack, yelling;
"Everyone! Our opponents are hidden in the trees! They are aiming for our heads!"
Much to Shinji's surprise, only two people remained on their feet —Lucien and Sora at the back—; the rest mirrored his move - jumping to the ground.
Right then, Tsukino stands up, before kicking his side: "Stay out of my way! I don't need help from a dumb scholar!"
The beauty wasn't going to let women get done in a world ruled by them. Taking out her dual kitanas. In a swift motion, she pulls them to the opposite arm's direction, before violently swinging them back, widening her arms.
Whoosh!
Her action managed to cut down a wind coming at her, leaving it falling to the ground in three thirds.
'These guys are only stage 2 because they hunt stealthy.'
She is right: wind jaguars although 30% faster than the jaguars in the reader's world, they don't have any other added advantage, other than their green-brown spotted skin perfect for hiding.
Without wasting time, Tsukino rushes over to one of the boys who had his hands protecting his head. Arriving in time, she saves him from an ambush, living the dead body falling on top of him; the boy released a small whimper.
"Mimo!"
Playing deaf, Tsukino vertically swings her left kitana, chopping down another wind jaguar. However, she was left open, as two profound beasts change toward her head —she had made a mistake thanks to her overconfidence.
Thack! Thack!
Just like last time, Shinji saved her, before she could repeat her previous endeavor, the young man looks at the group on the ground. His emotions slowly getting out of control.
"You Tama-Artists' punching bags! Always leaving the job for others! Why are you sleeping?! Even dead people have more value than you! If you don't fight, I'll ask Lucien-san to murder you all!"
It was an empty threat, but hearing Lucien's name made them shiver ever so slightly... The chances of Lucy using them as sacrifices were high. As they all stood up, Shinji used the chance to ostracize himself from the group.
"Let's wait, and see." He talked to himself, standing behind a tree with a big trunk enough for two people to hide. Moreover, he gazed at the clear sky, before his (sandals) geta.
Pfft!
He coughed out blood. Furthermore, he is feeling, a little bit, of heatstroke thanks to his sickness. Perturbed, he wipes his nose bleeding nose, taking a seat.
"Haa! Haa! Should I be thankful that it's a hot day, and I'm here. The Tama-Artists would have done me in... that's if I don't swallow back my blood... I wonder if all blood is tasty like mine."
He talked to himself again:
"It was mild during the previous days... Mmn, isn't this supposed to be the second month of the year, late summer?"
He claps his hands at a sudden realization; "Ahh! This island doesn't have a stable geographic location, but that's not the matter. It must be because the most beautiful person is absent."
He becomes silent, an image of a certain blue-haired maiden flashing in his mind, prompting him to smile wryly.
"If only my curiosity had stopped itself, then I would have spent more time with her. Her pretty face, it's mesmerizing, I can stare at it and not get bored, all day long. Just me and her. I want to see her; kiss her till heaven comes..."
Now, that he was relaxed; no longer stressed about the boiling pain in his body, Shinji's thoughts returned to his mind, focusing on the current events.
What he didn't know: someone had managed to hear his gibberish, and smiled too.
***
The Kurenai Villagers had managed to pull up a fight against the wind jaguars, and Tsukino had limited the amounts of deaths to five —this didn't make her happy.
Suddenly Chili-Chili —another Tsuki Slave— had a wind jaguar stuck on his head. Unfortunately, for Chili-Chili, it hugged him, blocking his vision, it's teeth sinking into his human waste.
Ahhh!
He screamed, and moved over to Lucy's direction unwittingly. Without hesitation, Lucien triturated him with his giant hammer, putting him out of his misery —his death was inexorable.
Seeing this, Tsukino casts the red hair a glance filled with abhorrence:
"Why are you so cruel?! There were many ways to save him, yet you killed him without betting an eye! You're not the only one who lost a loved one, you know? Do you think being rancorous is going to bring back your mother?!"