The cave's darkness was suffocating, Selena's flickering fire orb casting jagged shadows that danced like specters on the damp stone walls. The air reeked of blood and fear, the monstrous creature's presence a crushing weight that seemed to choke the life from the group. Its enormous head twisted unnaturally, its bulging eyes glowing with a malevolent hunger, each fang in its jagged smile glistening with saliva that dripped onto the floor with a sickening *plop… plop…*. The creature's laugh, a grotesque cacophony like breaking bones, echoed through the cave, making the walls tremble as if the stone itself recoiled in terror. Renjiro stood at the forefront, his silver-and-white hair matted with sweat, his eyes locked on the monster, while the others froze in paralyzing fear, their breaths shallow and ragged.
Without a second thought, Renjiro hurled his dagger, the blade slicing through the air toward the creature's gaping maw. The dagger reached its mark, but the monster vanished in a blur, leaving only a mocking chuckle in its wake. Before Renjiro could react, it reappeared behind him, its giant left claw raking across his back with a sickening tear. Blood poured from his mouth as he stumbled, vomiting crimson onto the cave floor, his body trembling as he fought to stand straight, his legs buckling under the pain.
Haruto, his stitched wounds pulling, grabbed his sword and lunged at the monster's right side, his blade flashing with desperate fury. The creature effortlessly blocked the strike with its claw, the metal screeching against its hardened surface. "Eeeee, you kid, what are you doing?" it taunted, its voice a guttural rasp, saliva dripping to the ground as it laughed, the sound a chilling mockery that sent shivers down their spines.
Takeshi, his bandaged arm trembling, summoned a destructive fireball, its roaring flames illuminating the cave as it hurtled toward the monster. With a casual flick of its claw, the creature deflected the attack, the fireball slamming into the cave wall with a deafening *crack*. Stone shattered, dust spreading in a choking cloud, the echo reverberating through the cavern like a death knell. The monster's ease was terrifying, its movements fluid and unnatural, as if it toyed with them, savoring their fear.
Himari, tears streaming down her face, stepped toward Renjiro, who lay crumpled on the ground, blood pooling beneath him. She sobbed uncontrollably, her hands glowing with healing magic as she knelt beside him, her cries echoing in the cave. "Renjiro, please!" she choked, her voice breaking as she poured her energy into mending his torn flesh, her tears mixing with his blood on the stone floor.
---
Far from the cave, Tetsuya traveled toward Mizuhara Village, his armor clinking softly as he rode beside the royal carriage, guarding King Veltoz. The cold mountain air whipped past, the distant peaks looming under the starlit sky. A fellow guard, the one who had given Tetsuya the scroll for Renjiro, leaned closer, his voice low. "Mr. Tetsuya?"
Tetsuya barely turned, his sharp eyes fixed on the mountainside. "What?"
The guard hesitated, curious in his tone. "What did you give that boy at the Adventurer's Guild?"
Tetsuya's lips curved into a faint, chilling smile. "Something I never even dared to visit."
The guard's eyes widened, his voice tinged with intrigue. "What is that?"
Tetsuya turned to him, his gaze steady. "It's a map, actually, but it's something passed down in our family. No one knows that place. No one visits it."
The guard's confusion deepened. "Why? Is there something we should see?"
Tetsuya's voice was calm but laced with an edge of dread. "Once, I visited. I saw the jungle, the forest, the vines, heard shivering sounds… and more than that, that day I felt fear for the first time."
The guard's eyes widened, his mind reeling at the thought of something terrifying one of the continent's strongest guards. "What is that fear?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Tetsuya's eyes sharpened, deadly and cold. "Dead fear. Like someone might kill me."
The guard's breath caught, his voice trembling. "Then why did you give that thing to that boy?"
Tetsuya looked out the carriage window, his gaze fixed on the mountains and the river glinting in the moonlight. "He gave me the same chill I felt that day," he said, his voice low, as if the words carried a weight he couldn't shake.
---
Back in the cave, the monster's bulging eyes fixed on Himari as she healed Renjiro, its jagged smile widening. "Hey, young girl, heal me, hehehe!" it shouted, saliva splattering across its grotesque face. It licked its face with a long, slimy tongue, the wet sound sending a fresh wave of revulsion through the group. "Heal me!" it mocked again, its voice a guttural taunt that echoed like a nightmare.
The creature surged forward, passing through Haruto and Takeshi in a blur, its claws outstretched toward Himari and Renjiro. Renjiro, lying on the ground, used his left hand to brace himself, slamming his leg into the monster's leg with a desperate *thud*. The creature lost its balance, crashing to the ground with a bone-rattling impact. "Sister, now!" Renjiro shouted, his voice hoarse but urgent.
Selena, her black hair glowing under her fire orb, unleashed a lightning spell. A radiant spear of light pierced the monster's neck, exploding in a blinding flash. Dust engulfed Renjiro, Himari, and the creature, obscuring the scene in a choking haze. Selena prepared to use her wind element to clear the dust, her hands trembling with focus, but the monster emerged beside her, its tongue dripping to the ground. "Hey, you kid," it said in a mocking, playful tone, "are you searching for me?"
Selena froze for a split second, her heart pounding, but before she could react, the monster slammed its claw into her chest, crushing her lungs and breaking her ribs with a sickening *crack*. She flew into the cave wall, rocks smashing around her as dust billowed, blood spilling from her mouth as she collapsed, her body wracked with pain. Reina, witnessing the horrific sight, staggered, her mind reeling with terror, her breaths coming in shallow gasps as she struggled to process the carnage.
Yuki, her face streaked with tears, unsheathed her sword, infusing it with a fire element. The blade blazed as she leaped toward the monster, her attack a fiery arc aimed at its chest. The creature jumped backward, its movements unnaturally swift, and Yuki's strike hit the ground, shattering the stone with a thunderous *boom*. Waves of force rippled through the cave, the sound echoing like a storm. Haruto, seizing the moment, charged from behind, hoping to catch the monster off guard, but its tongue lashed out, wrapping around his body and stopping him in midair. The creature spun him violently, slamming him into the cave wall with a *crack* that shattered his sword, fragments scattering as the wall fractured.
Renjiro struggled to his feet, his vision blurring as he saw Selena and Haruto unconscious. "Himari, don't involve yourself in this fight," he rasped, blood dripping from his lips. "Heal them both." He picked up a quarter of Haruto's broken sword, its jagged grip all that remained, and faced the monster.
The creature's bulging eyes gleamed with amusement. "What can you do with that tiny blade?" it taunted, its voice dripping with mockery, saliva pooling on the ground.
Renjiro's mind flashed to a memory—his mother, Naomi, cleaning dishes, her warm hands ruffling his hair. "Renjiro," she'd said, "it's not about the knife being the worst. With this, you can kill, do other stuff. It's all about mentality." Her words echoed in his heart, stealing his resolve.
Renjiro charged, the monster meeting him with equal ferocity. He swung the broken sword right to left, aiming for the creature's tongue, but it retracted it swiftly. Renjiro, gripping a shattered piece between his leg fingers, used the broken sword's grip to balance himself, flipping his body upside down. With a fierce cry, he slashed upward, carving a deep scar across the monster's left eye, black ichor oozing from the wound. The creature roared, charging to punch Renjiro, but Yuki launched an attack between them, her fiery sword blazing. Renjiro flipped back, maintaining his balance, and stood beside Takeshi, who had joined him, his face pale but determined.
Selena stirred, her eyes fluttering open as Himari's healing magic glowed over her. She scratched her head, wincing as pain shot through her body. "What's happening?" she asked, her voice weak.
Himari, tears still falling, replied, "Your ribs are broken. Don't move for a while."
Renjiro's voice cut through the chaos, shouting, "Reina, are you going to be scared and die?" Reina, trembling on the ground, looked up, her eyes meeting his. "We need your help! Don't be scared, we're here!" he urged, continuing his fight with the monster.
The creature's voice boomed, its tone dripping with disdain. "You kid, you talk too much. I don't like you." It lunged, and Renjiro jumped, but froze midair, the monster's claw piercing his stomach with a wet *crunch*. Blood spilled from his mouth as he clutched his wound, his body crumpling. Selena screamed, "Renjiroooo!" her voice was raw with terror.
The monster slammed Renjiro into the cave wall, the impact cracking the stone with a deafening *boom*. The wall shattered, revealing a gaping hole through which a shivering, cold snow wind howled, dragging Renjiro's body toward it. Takeshi shouted, "What the hell is happening?" running toward Renjiro, but it was too late. Renjiro, barely conscious, drove his broken sword into the ground, gripping it tightly as the wind pulled at him. Takeshi leaped to help, but the monster sneered, "Hoo, kid, you're not a hero," and kicked him, sending him rolling across the cave floor.
Renjiro's body weakened, his vision blurring as blood poured from his wounds, his grip faltering. Selena, ignoring her pain, launched a fireball and a lightning spear at the monster, the attacks illuminating the cave with blinding light. Haruto, regaining consciousness, charged at full speed to save Renjiro, but it was too late. Renjiro's eyes closed, his body giving out as he lost his grip, the cold air and snow swallowing him into the hole. The cave wall sealed shut with a final, thunderous *crack*, leaving the group in stunned silence, the monster's laughter echoing like a death knell.