The Mantiscrab bared its rows of serrated teeth, the sound of them grinding together echoing through the giant grass-like trees—a primal challenge.
Its previous strike had sent debris flying everywhere, and a jagged edge had caught Shinji across the shoulder. He stumbled to his knees, a dark red stain spreading rapidly across his tunic.
On the opposite side, Lumber and Gumber leaned in close, exchanging a sharp glance and a few muffled words. Suddenly, Lumber gripped his spear tight, let out a roar, and charged head-on.
The Mantiscrab reacted instantly. It beat its wings with a fury that whipped up a localized hurricane of dust and dry leaves, blinding everyone in the clearing.
When the dust finally began to settle—
Lumber was standing far back.
And Gumber had vanished.
The monster froze. Its multifaceted eyes vibrated with unease. It shifted its weight, backing up as its instincts screamed that something was wrong. But it was already too late.
"Piercing Spear!"
Gumber erupted from the low brush like a shot arrow, his spear driving straight into the joint of the monster's rear leg. There was a sickening CRACK. The massive limb buckled, and the Mantiscrab shrieked in agony as its giant frame lost balance and slammed into the ground.
It tried to thrash its wings to clear the area, but Alba was already there. From the distance, Alba curled his massive body into a ball, rolling like a living boulder. He collided with the monster's flank, the impact flipping the beast onto its side and sending a fresh cloud of choking dust into the air.
"Now!"
Lumber spun his spear with blinding speed, focusing every ounce of his strength into a single point. He lunged.
"Soaring Spear Strike!"
The spear hissed through the air, a flash of light blooming for a split second. The blade tore through the Mantiscrab's torso, carving a hole so clean and deep it practically severed the creature in two. The monster twitched a few times, then went still.
Across the clearing, Lio rushed to Shinji's side, frantically pulling back his tunic to check the wound. But there was nothing there.
The long, deep gash on Shinji's shoulder was gone. No scar. No blood. The skin was as smooth as if the blade had never touched him. Shinji followed Lio's gaze, looking down at his own shoulder in disbelief.
"I... I felt it. I was bleeding..."
No one had an answer.
Nearby, the dying Mantiscrab spent its final moments dragging itself toward a hollow in the dirt. It used its remaining strength to pull leaves over a cluster of eggs—some crushed, but others still intact. The eggs began to shudder and crack, tiny Mantiscrabs crawling out to huddle around their mother's carcass.
The sight left the group in a heavy silence. A knot formed in Shinji's chest, but he said nothing. The sun had passed its peak; evening was coming. They had to move.
Akidou walked beside Shinji, his eyes still glued to the boy's shoulder.
"Shinji... I saw the blood. I saw the cut. How is there nothing left?"
"I don't know. It feels like... like it never even happened."
Up ahead, Omelet stopped dead. He flew back, handed the map to Akidou, and gestured for him to take the lead. Akidou looked at him, surprised.
"Are we almost at the fairy village?"
Omelet didn't answer. He simply bowed his head, hiding behind Akidou's back and giving him a small nudge to keep walking.
Back where the Mantiscrab lay, its body was broken, yet it still tried to shelter its unhatched young. Its dimming eyes scanned the shadows.
Thump. Thump.
Footsteps approached. Slow. Heavy. Like ancient roots being dragged across the floor. The Mantiscrab let out a weak hiss, raising its one good pincer in a final, desperate threat. The figure didn't stop.
The newcomer's feet weren't human—they were masses of gnarled wood wrapped in thorny vines.
The ground began to shake. From beneath the soil, countless vines erupted, lashing around the Mantiscrab's body. They tightened, shredding through chitin, muscle, and bone. Before the monster could even let out a final cry, it was torn into pieces.
The mysterious figure stepped out of the gloom. His body was a horrific symbiosis of wood and greenery, with long vines hanging from his head like hair. He reached down, peeling away a fresh strip of meat and chewing it greedily.
Blood and ichor dripped down, soaking into the soil of Greenpath.