(Wake up)
Kojo opened his eyes. He had a weird fuzziness inside him; it felt weird.
(Now that you're awake, let me just...) She took a deep breath. (WHAT THE HELL, MAN! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED? YOU KNEW THEY ADDED SOMETHING TO THE TEA THEY BROUGHT, AND YOU NOT ONLY DRANK IT BUT DRANK IT ALL AT ONCE!)
Kojo rolled to the side and held his ears. "I was just trying to see if my poison king stat was legit."
(LEGIT MY ASS! YOU'RE LUCKY IT TURNED OUT TO BE ONLY PARALYSIS POISON.)
"I wonder where Sharone is?" Kojo sat up and rubbed his chin.
(ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?)
"Of course I'm listening. You're my one and only Sysia, I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you," he said charmingly.
(O-okay,) she stuttered.
"So easy," Kojo thought.
(I HEARD THAT!)
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. You don't have to yell," Kojo said, holding his head. "I feel like my head's about to explode."
There was a loud explosion.
"Hm?" He turned to the window.
Outside, the people were running for cover from the chaos the Lynx was causing. The guards and raiders tried to use their various skills and magic to stop it, but it tore through them before they could react. A woman took her daughter out of their house seconds before it blew up. The blast caused them to fall. The beast roared, then noticed them on the ground. It growled and was about to pounce, but an explosion knocked it back. Koniko sent another arrow flying at it, and the beast was knocked into another building. It got to its feet and vanished.
"I don't think so," Sharone said, trapping it in an energy barrier. The Lynx broke the barrier and ran at them. Lin rushed forward and sent it into the air with a whirlwind that appeared under it. She, Lin, and Koniko then aimed their magic at it and hit it with a barrage of blood spears, flaming arrows, and wind bullets. There was another explosion as the attacks hit, and the Lynx crashed to the ground. The smoke cloud suddenly parted as the beast lunged at them. Sharone rushed forward to block with her blood scythe, but the beast's momentum drove her backward, causing them to crash through several buildings. She planted her feet into the ground and used the beast's own momentum against it, throwing it over her head and causing it to crash into a building. Koniko and Lin came to stand beside her.
"Did you get it?" Koniko asked. No sooner had she said that than the Lynx appeared behind them and knocked them away with its claws, causing their clothes to get ripped.
It saw Lin lying helplessly and pounced on her. The attack was, however, blocked, and a shockwave shook the area.
Jack Alabaster, the raid chief, stood holding the Lynx back. He had a sword with two large curved blades at each end of the handle. He balled his free hand into a fist and sent the Lynx flying with a punch.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.
"No," Lin said.
"That's good. Then I guess you three can help me subdue this fiend," he said as the Lynx roared.
"We're going to need some backup if we want to take it down," Sharone said.
"Yes, that is true, but more beasts have entered the city, and so the guards and raiders have their hands full. That's why I'm here to personally kill this thing."
"Hmm, then let's give them a helping hand." Koniko took out some crystals.
"Kill all the beasts," she said to them before engulfing them in flames. They flew upward and shot in different directions.
"There, that should give them a boost."
"I never expected to find a beast tamer here. Do you think you can tame this one too?" Jack asked as they came to stand beside him. Koniko threw her broken bow away and made one using fire. Lin spun her staff, causing it to morph into a halberd, and Sharone took a fighting stance.
"Okay then, you two," he said to Lin and Sharone, "You're with me. We're going to form a kill box. I attack from the front while you two attack from the sides. Beast tamer," he said, looking at Koniko. "You're going to the rear. We're going to push the beast to your end of the box so you can subdue it." The flames from Koniko's flame bow dissipated and engulfed two daggers she pulled from her back.
"Let's do our best and save the city."
"Right," they said together.
They then charged at the Lynx, which also ran to meet them. The group danced around it, attacking and hitting it with their attacks, slashing it with their weapons, and hitting it with magic.
"Rotate," Jack yelled.
They began to rotate their positions, attacking as they did so. The Lynx, however, managed to create a gap during Jack and Koniko's switch, breaking out of the box and making a run for it.
Thorned vines shot out of the ground and wrapped themselves around Jack's left arm. He then used them like a whip, lashing at the Lynx. It roared and lunged at him. He dodged its attacks and hit it with his vine and slashed it with his sword. Koniko shot a fire arrow at it from behind. It turned and was about to attack her, but another blast from Lin sent it airborne. Sharone made some magic circles on the ground, and chains shot out of them and wrapped around it. Sharone brought it hurtling downward with a downward motion of her scythe, with Lin firing wind bullets at it as it descended. It hit the ground with a loud crash, sending dust into the air. Jack stabbed the ground, and vines burst out and held the beast down.
"Plant magic," Lin thought. "How can a human use plant magic that efficiently?" She looked at Jack. His long hair was blowing in the wind. It was then that she saw the pointed ears. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Beast tamer," he yelled.
"On it," Koniko responded, rushing forward. She did a hand sign, and a magic circle appeared under the Lynx. Another appeared between her hands, rotating in the middle. She was about to touch its forehead.
Blood splashed in the air. Koniko looked down and saw a blade in her abdomen. The hooded figure pulled it out and kicked her back.
"Koniko," Lin yelled, rushing to her. Sharone ran past her.
"You bastard!" she yelled, jumping and raising the scythe over her head, about to strike. The figure took out a crystal which blasted her backward and trapped them in a dome. A massive rune shone in the ground under them.
"You've meddled in my affairs long enough," Harvey said, taking off his cloak.
"What is the meaning of this, Harvey?" Jack asked.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to destroy the city," he said with a grin. "My employer, for whatever reason, wants this place destroyed, but he wants it in such a way that it would be attributed to a beast attack."
"Meaning it was you who breached the wall," Koniko said weakly, trying to get up but falling back, holding her wound.
"I'm surprised you can still talk. No matter, it's a fatal wound. You'll bleed out in a matter of moments," Harvey said, smiling even more sinisterly. Sharone and Lin knelt beside Koniko.
"Why are you doing this? Is it money?" Jack asked.
"Of course. But not only that. I enjoy listening to the screams of the weak. It makes me feel powerful, like the god I am!" Lin fired a huge blast of wind, but it hit the dome and dissipated.
"I wouldn't waste my strength, dear. This dome slowly drains Arcana from any who are trapped in it. If you try, all your energy will get drained, and you'll be traveling the same road as your friend," Harvey said with glee.
Sharone put her hand on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding with her blood magic.
"When I get out of here, I'm going to kill you!" Lin yelled, tears streaming down her face.
"Hmm. I think I'll turn the four of you into food."
"You won't get away with this," Koniko said.
"I already have. Oh, and thanks for those summons. They were instrumental in nourishing my beasts," Harvey said, turning.
"This isn't over, Kojo will come and save us."
"Kojo? Ah yes, the idiot you were prancing around with. I'm sure he's met his end at the hands of my beasts. But he did have good taste," Harvey said as he eyed the rips in Sharone and Lin's clothes. "Perhaps I'll have some fun before I feed you to my beasts," Harvey said, licking his lips.
"That's so not cool, man." They all turned and saw Kojo standing Behind them with his hands in his pockets.
"Who's this guy?" Harvey wondered, puzzled by the bored look on Kojo's face.
"Hey, were those skinny dogs moving around the city yours? 'Cause if they are, you have a terrible eye for picking pets."
"What are you talking about?"
"I thought they'd put up a fight, but they were as weak as hell. The rest of them saw me, then turned tail and ran."
"That's impossible," Harvey yelled. "Guess you don't know anything about beast taming. If they attempted to disobey me, they'd die."
"So that's why they killed themselves," Kojo said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
"What!" Harvey yelled. Kojo noticed the girls in the dome and saw Koniko bleeding. His face became expressionless. Harvey struck Kojo with a blast of lightning.
"There, that should take care of—" Kojo appeared behind him. Harvey turned and jumped back, pulling out his sword and pointing the crystal at him. His arms dropped to the ground. Harvey's eyes widened as he saw blood spraying from his arm stumps. He fell to his knees, screaming in pain.
"I didn't see him draw a sword," Jack observed.
"He doesn't seem to have a weapon. Then how did he do that?"
Kojo walked up to Harvey. Harvey slowly looked up, tears streaming down his eyes.
"Please, spare me, and I'll—" Kojo pinched his head into the ground. Then stepped over his body and went to stand in front of the dome. He hit it with a finger, and it broke.
"No way," Jack looked on in surprise. "Who is this guy?"
"I had a feeling Harvey would fail me," the hooded figure said, observing from a rooftop. He brought out a needle and flicked his finger, causing it to get buried in the Lynx's hide. Its eyes became bloodshot.
"Are you okay?" Kojo asked, kneeling beside Koniko.
"Yeah," Lin said. "Lin used healing magic on me."
"She's still weak due to blood loss." They heard a roar. The Lynx broke free of its binds. A black mist emanated from its body as it morphed, becoming more monstrous, its fur turning silvery black and its yellow eyes turning crimson red.
It roared again and vanished with a boom.
"Look out!" Jack yelled. His jaw dropped in surprise as the dust began to clear. The beast's claws had ripped through Kojo's clothes but didn't pierce his skin.
"Who, who are you?" Jack asked.
(You have made contact with the target. Requirements have been met. Skill copy successful. SKILL: QUICKSILVER)
Kojo smiled.
"I'm more of a cat person, but today I'm gonna side with the dogs." He said, knocking the Lynx back and charging at it. He opened his hands and jumped.
HOUND.