@AThousandCurses@Yankee@Erode@baraquiel@Vertigo

Lifting her head as she turned to look over her shoulder, two pieces of wood in either splinter filled hands as she worked to make her little shelter more sturdy. A frown slowly formed on her face as she gave a short shake of her head before turning her gaze back to her task at hand. Letting out a brief sigh as she started to reinforce her lean-to shelter with extra support.

“I think not, It will be a waste of time, something that was preventable in the first place, I won’t pretend to be surprised or saddened, the others would not want me to be there regardless of my feelings on the matter, his life could have easily been saved if they opened their eyes and accepted the truth….” Keeping her back towards Hiroshi, her tone nonchalant, even with all that had previously happened.

Tilting her head back as she looked up into the sky at nothing in particular. “You know, I knew that it would happen, as soon as I awakened to my true self once more, I knew his fate if the others remained blind to it all. If the others refused to accept my blessing, to accept the truth, but as the honored one….the blessed one, I can only try to convince them, but if they refuse to keep their ears deafened, their hearts locked, their minds and eyes blind to it all, then they will never accept the truth, accept the blessing that was bestowed upon I…..Until they come to accept it, then further chaos, death and misfortune will befall them…..” beginning to shake her head again, she let herself fall onto her back laying there with her legs and arms spread.

“The question is, with what I have told you, if you will accept this truth into your heart? Will you truly become one of the awakened and blessed? One of the honored and redeemed? That remains to be seen, the future is cloudy….murky….always changing, fate is a fickle mistress…now, are you going to run off to join them for the first of many pointless occasions? The blood is on their hands, just as much as it is on that of the beasts that brought about his demise…” Her eyes shifted up towards Hiroshi as she laid there looking up at him upside down.

“In the mean time, I will remain here, perhaps….even search for Pack-A-Punch Shun…..I believe she has what I desire the most….maybe she will learn something from it as I have learned….even if she is able to harness even a slight tiny little ounce of power from my Endless Eclipse….it could open her eyes….as for the others, let them have their funeral, let them wallow in their misery….because I couldn’t feel any better then I feel right now that I have become whole once more” a smile brimming from ear to ear as she brought her legs up and rolled over her shoulders tucking her head as she rotated and landed on her feet after her roll. Losing her balance in the process and sending herself tumbling towards Hiroshi.

After she crashed and burned she was able slowly and gingerly get herself back up to her feet. Dusting herself off she glanced towards her shelter, satisfied with her results even if it was rather sloppy and had taken her quite some time to keep it standing after knocking it over and breaking various things during her attempts to build it.

She knew that the next thing on the agenda was to secure her treasure from Shun, wherever she had run off, her Endless Eclipse would surely lead her to her and guide her way. What the others did was up to them, whether they chose to listen to her, or ignore her, the choice was in their hands, outcast, pariah, it all mattered little in the grand scheme of things.

-----------

A short while later after the funeral had been taken care of, she had decided to briefly stop by the main campsite which was a short distance away from her little encampment. To see what was happening around camp before she headed off on her search, happening to overhear Masatos announcement and request for a volunteer.

With no hesitation She burst forward with great energy and speed as she came to a skidding halt right in front of Masato nearly tipping over into him as she struggled to keep her balance. Having to try to lean herself back onto her feet to regain her composure, she brought her hands behind her back and clasped them together. A grin from ear to ear as she slowly raised her face and torso upwards from her off balanced bow. Her face coming right up mere inches from Masatos, her smile growing even more as brought around both hands from behind her back. Slapping them down on both of Masatos shoulders "A volunteer you say? well it just so happens I was already planning on venturing out to hunt for Pack-A-Punch Shun, which means that I should be this volunteer as we will able to to kill two squirrels with one paperclip.....or however that saying goes....sooooo how about it PAWWWTTTTNAWWWWW! it will be me and you Ma-Sa-Tooooooooooooo, what great fun it will be....." brimming with energy and excitement even after recent events. Grasping the opportunity presented to her, not only could she hunt for Shun, but she also could have the ear of the esteemed class president.

---

"Ugh, this is the worst..."

Asahi rested in the shelters, slowly eating the soup for breakfast while massaging a headache. He was honestly surprised the aftermath of him going all-out in Yuki's dying mind wasn't as worse as he initially thought. He was actually expecting to have blood run down his nose and all that icky stuff, but he was thankful he was lucky this time. It was the least he could do for Yuki after all.

He stared at the human-sized hole Duncan dug to bury their dead classmate, and remembered he was already starting to dig the hole before Asahi was going to connect with Yuki. All of them knew Yuki was close to dying and there's nothing they could do about it, it was just Asahi trying to be a hero and save the day. Asahi thought it was plausible despite the odds but it was clear the current state of their powers wasn't enough. He thought about apologizing to Yukiko for failing, but decided against it. Not that it would do anything good anyway.

He waited with the rest of his classmates as the others prepped Yuki for the burial and joined them as the rites were starting. Asahi developed a quick sharp pain in his head when seeing Yuki's face. He reeled and massaged his temple, then focused in on their dead classmate again.

'Wait, why am I there? Why am I standing here? Why are they burying me in the ground? I'm not dead, I still have so much to live for! He-

Another sharp pain and he had to bite his lip to stifle his groan. What the hell was happening to him? It's so bizzare to think that he was him and he was him. Wait, who even was him? What was him? Where... Why...

He slowly knelt on the ground. For the others, it might look like he was taking the death of their classmate pretty deeply. For him, he was struggling to define who he really was. Was he Yuki, the try-harding basketball loverboy, or Asahi, the human snake with pink hair? Oh! Oh, it must be the latter, right? Yeah, yeah, it's the human snake.

Asahi took some deep shaky breaths to calm himself, the pain in his head gradually subsiding as he anchored himself into his own identity. Whew, that was fucking scary. He knew something like this might happen but to actually experience it... Just thinking about it gave him the shivers.

After the burial was done, Masato announced he needed a volunteer to go find food for everyone. Asahi considered going with them since they're probably going to end up facing a monster or ten and they needed all the help they could get to survive. That's when Oros opened their crazy mouth.

"You guys have fun. I'm gonna go back and rest again. I'm sure most of you guys are gonna end up heavily wounded so I have to prepare." Asahi lazilly waved his hand at them like he was shooing them away as he got up and trudged back towards the shelters.

---

//Day 2 | Location: Nameless Forest - Lakeside
_{@Vertigo@baraquiel}
His fist struck wood and ran right through, leaving a fist-sized hole in the trunk. It was an unimaginable level of force to be generating, but the tree itself still stood strong, supported by a network of roots that ran much, much deeper. Stray twigs scattered down, leaves pinwheeling as they were shook off with each mighty blow. His knuckles didn't hurt, and even now, Duncan couldn't feel the refreshment that came with physical activity.

Somehow, he had become so strong that he was limited by his visualization, rather than by his physique.

Knuckles against wood once more, the pulp of the tree coming away as he drew back his fist. Dimly, he could understand that he was 'chopping down wood'. If he thought about it a bit more, he'd realized that even this, even his ability to tear apart living trees with his hands alone, was still entirely inefficient compared to the blades that Rin could draw in the air itself. But it mustn't have mattered, not if he continued to punch through wood once more. It was the action, not the result, that mattered. His fist finally punched through to the other side, the length of his entire arm inside the tree. Still, it did not collapse. It was just a fist-sized hole, after all.

"That serves no purpose."

A voice sounded behind him. Rin. He could choose to ignore it, but he couldn't choose to not hear it.

"I'm going to build a tower," she continued, matter-of-factually. "And you can either do nothing, or you can help me."

---

//Day 2 | Location: Nameless Forest - Forest Trails
_{@Yankee@Nakushita}
It was perhaps the prospect of going anywhere alone with Ayana, with Oros, that proved to be the ultimate deterrent for any other volunteers. There were a couple, Ayane for one, who looked as if they were considering joining, but what was she going to do out in the wilds anyways? Nothing, that was what. And the big game that Masato planned on hunting wasn't anything that the more cat-like of the Ito twins cared to handle anyways. In the end, it was only Hana who approached the duo, handing a rudimentary spear over to the student council president. It'd have just been a nice gesture, if not for the fang-knife affixed to one end.

"I'll keep this brief," she began, glancing between the two before her gaze settled upon Masato. "Humans are naturally clumsy and have a habit of moving too evenly. On the approach, move as slowly as possible, stopping if you ever make noise. Be conscious of the direction of the wind at all times. If it's blowing from you to your quarry, reposition yourself. Move at an irregular pace upon approach, mimicking the movements of prey from one bush to another. And keep track of where you've gone. It's too easy to get lost, and..." Hana pulled out her phone from her pocket. It was still at 80% battery, perhaps because she had shut it off immediately and only turned it on when necessary. Predictably, there was no reception and the time was wrong. However, the Compass app that she had pulled out also was also running haywire. The electronic needle spun in meaningless directions. "...you'll have to trailblaze to find your way back."

That was all she said, and outside of Mayumi telling Masato that she'd try to keep the rest of the students all together in his absence, the duo parted with relatively little fanfare.

It wasn't an arduous trek, but it was a quiet one. Their enhanced senses picked up the sounds of wildlife in the distance, but only in the distance. On occasion, the two came upon bushes with bright berries, mushrooms with vibrant caps, but they weren't there to forage, and it was impossible to tell which was poisonous and which were edible. Could they recover from neurotoxins? It wasn't worth finding out, especially when one wasn't trusting enough to risk being vulnerable in the presence of the other.

Their clipped pace carried them through brush and dirt, between disorderly trees whom competed with each other for light, until finally, the two Awakened happened upon something that gave them pause, something that promised more than just meaningless meandering through the woods.

A pungent smell lingered closed to a rotted trunk, the smell of an animal's urine. Faint indentations in the tall grass indicated that a creature must have passed nearby, slipping through the vegetation to head elsewhere. The dampness was still visible; it must not have been too long again.

And yet, in another direction, they could spot curious marks upon the bark of the trees, perhaps ten meters up. Grooves, evenly spaced, marked where a creature, or perhaps a group of creatures, traversed overhead, bounding from one tree to another like monkeys or squirrels. Though there would have to be something done about the height at which those creatures lived, following the marks would be easier than tracking through the tall grass...especially if the tall grass disappeared.

There were options there, certainly.

But perhaps, in the eyes of Oros, there was only one Truth.

"Hmmm... This taste disgusting." Shun mumbled to herself as she ate an insect. The wanderlust curiosity had soon faded as she finished it up. It took her a few minutes to down one of the critters and she wasn't going to do it again. The last thing she wanted to have a meal in this world was a bug. There were several suspicious looking mushrooms that looked somewhat edible. She picked a few but did not eat them. They would make do for dish along with the other plants she'd found.

Even if the events of foraging seemed to be mudane, it felt liberating for Shun. Without any worry about her future and only focusing what was in front of her was the ideal life she'd imagine.

That was until she stepped three foot lower than what she should have. Animal tracks and ones that Shun were familiar with. The same animals- No monsters that crushed Yuudai when he was still in the bus. What was once desire for adventure soon became a thirst for vengeance. She needed to kill it. For Yuudai, for herself.

That monster would become her prey.

Shun thought to herself and formed a simple strategy. If she crippled one of its legs, then she'd have an easier time killing it. No matter how thick the hide, a blunt attack will strike true to the bone. "Ah..." As she knelt down to conceal herself, a sharp pain stabbed into her leg. She had forgotten but Shun knew instictively what it was.

Ayana/Oro's rock.

This rock was a good charm or whatever. Perhaps it would give her some luck in return? "Please give me strength..." Shun muttered. She clutched the rock before putting away back into her pocket.

All or night.

The engine in her soul breathed out life. Her body accelerating, the promised thrill was envisioned. In one moment, Shun was within the bushes.

Until she wasn't.

A Shun sized projectile shot forward towards the hulk-phant. The metaphorical meteor that would wipe out the monster out from existence. Sun was giving it all she had.

---

Asahi sighed and kept slowly massaging his temples. His headache wasn't as prominent as before but he found the massaging calming enough. He was inside one of the shelters his dear classmates made, using one of the pillows as a makeshift pillow.

With his heightened senses, he could hear practically everything. Shoes and feet crunching at the little stones, dried leaves, and twigs on the ground. Ripples on the lake's surface made by the fishes. Tree branches dancing in the wind. Calls of the animals and beasts in the forest. His classmates' breaths and heartbeats. When he found himself exhausted from overusing his powers, Asahi found these sounds as soothing white noises that help him sleep.

He looked to the side, at the place where Yuki was while he was in a coma. He looked so peaceful lying there, and Asahi almost wished he could feel as serene and calm as the expression on his classmate's face. Asahi also found it unfair that Yuki got a proper funeral and burial unlike the others, but there was nothing they could all do for them except to keep moving forward with the memory of them in their hearts.

Asahi grimaced, feeling weirded out at himself at thinking about something so cringy. He turned on his other side and closed his eyes, letting the inevitable feeling of sleep claim him. His dreams were just as confusing. Faces that his classmates he connected with before kept popping up like a movie at a faster playing speed. Most of the times their faces would even merge together like a scene in a horror movie. Asahi's fear and confusion will be shortlived thankfully as he'll forget about his dreams the moment he woke up.

The sun would be fully shining down on them by the time Asahi fully woke up. Each of his classmates, hopefully all of them and not just some, were doing their part and contributing to their survival. He and Duncan were already the medics and lifesavers of the group but Asahi felt it was a waste to not just do anything. He wasn't on vacation after all.

While the others went back to the forest to forage and hunt for food and other resources, he turned his attention back at the crystal clear lake. The fishes he caught the last time were delicious when cooked, and none of them were poisonous lucky enough, so he oughtta give it another try. Asahi took his top off and carefully folded it on a pile in the shelter. He couldn't remember where his fang dagger was anymore but he still did have his trusty wires he could use to catch fishes. He then went over and dove back into the lake.

@AThousandCurses@Yankee@Erode@baraquiel@Vertigo

Frowning, her gaze locked on the phone that Hana had pulled out during her explanation. “That won’t be a problem, we won’t get lost, not as long as Masato stays by my side that is, for when one understands and embraces the truth, you are never truly lost and these eyes will guide us back no matter where we may find ourselves” Having a complete lack of concern about whether or not they would get lost during their exploration and resource gathering. Feeling quite confident that she would be able to find her way back to the camp if it came down to it.

Sapphire eyes trailing over to the makeshift spear that Masato now held. She remained quiet, its presence only gaining her attention temporarily. Any doubt or concern she had about it potentially being turned against her if Masato saw fit while they were out in the wilderness melting away from her thoughts. She had no doubt that Hana had given it to him, not only for the beasts and predators, but because of Ayana as well.

However that all mattered very little in the current situation, what was important was the time she was going to have alone with the class president. She had never spoken to him before much in the past. Having not crossed paths often, for a wide variety of reasons. But all of that stuff was in the past, and the past wasn’t of Oros' concern.

No, what was important now was the future, and bringing her classmates into this future. The first step to making them come to accept and understand the truth, to be blessed and honored as Oros had. To open the eyes of the blind, it was to bring Masato over to her side, to make him see the truth, to embrace it and bring it into his soul, she needed to open his eyes. For once he could truly see for the first time, would he come to understand the truth.

With his understanding, it would prove helpful for Oro’s cause. Unlike Ayana, Masato commanded a bit of respect and power amongst their peers due to his position as class president. He would be a valuable ally for her cause, for if he presented the truth to the others, it would surely begin to open their eyes if the message came from their glorious class president.

------------

Her thoughts were interrupted by the stench of rotten wood and urine. A woody pungent smell that burned her nostrils that woke up her mind to everything around them. Her eyes came into focus on the signs of a creature having recently been here, signs in the grass and the marks higher up in the trees. "What a smell...I would not recommend it as a form of fragrance..." The forest was brimming with wildlife. Options, possibilities, limitless possibilities….

“So…..Ma-Sa-To…..it seems we have come to a important decision, a crossroads, a dilemma….to take the route of the beast on the ground, that is likely to be larger, or to go in pursuit of whatever traversed in the trees and potentially have more numerous prey to bring back….” Her voice cheerful as it trailed off, a big smile plastered across her face. Thoughts of how she should approach this racing through her mind, but they all came to one conclusion, he must be tested.

“What will it be glorious leader?....or perhaps you have something else on your mind? Or maybe you want to stick that spear of yours into my heart? So many options are before you…..now what will you choose…..” Spreading her arms out to either side of her as she left herself completely open. Her smile remained as she even laughed a little, not taking any of it too seriously. She still needed to get a better idea of how Masato thought, what Masato was like when alone and not having to put up a front.

After all, she only ever saw Masato from afar typically, going about his duties as class president. He remained a mystery to Oros, one she wished to figure out and solve. Who was Masato really, what made him tick. Sure they had an important task of gathering food and any other valuable supplies they could get their hands on right now. But she wasn’t about to let that dissuade her even if she understood the importance of it.

"Make sure if you do stab me with that thing to hit me right in the solar plexus, and give it a good twist and pull while you are at it, I heard that is a much less painful and quick way to go out if you have to get stuck with some kind of foreign object...." her tone almost teasing even as she made light of potential murder. "Or did I just see that in a movie or something? oh well I guess we won't find out unless you go for the ole pokey poke"The smile never leaving her face as she tilted her head aside in thought and curiosity. But how Masato would react, now that is something she had to see with her own eyes, especially without her Endless Eclipse, with Shun still clinging to her valued treasure elsewhere in this wilderness limiting what she could see.

______________________________________________________________________

Todokawa... Oros being the volunteer he asked for wasn't exactly Masato's first choice, but after a few seconds of staring blankly at her Masato realized that this could work. She was, if nothing else, one of the Awakened. She would be useful for her enhanced strength alone. And perhaps he could skip to one of the later items on his mental to-do list if he was alone with her.

He gave Oros a short nod, consenting to her coming along. He accepted the spear Ryuugasaki gave him, and her words of advice. Finally before setting out he thanked Kondo. Masato could never feel completely comfortable with leaving something important in someone else's hands, but if it was Kondo and Hoshino, they'd manage.

Besides Oros' parting remark to Ryuugasaki, she and Masato left with quietly. Their trek through the woods was just as quiet. Masato had thought he would be listening to the girl's inane rambling the entire time, so her silence came as a present surprise. With more focus afforded to them, the two of them set a quick pace.

They'd set out from the lakeside camp in the opposite direction that they'd initially come from. There was more of the unknown the way they were going, which was part of the mission - hunt and clear out anything dangerous. Oros had mentioned something about finding Kanamori, but honestly Masato wasn't optimistic of their chances of that. Kanamori's facsimile made her far faster than any of them - maybe any living thing in general. She could have put miles between them, if she'd wanted to.

As they walked, Masato periodically stripped pieces of bark from trees. Hopefully that would be enough to "trailblaze" back if they really did get lost? He'd noticed some other kinds of marks on the trees higher up, but he mostly disregarded them. They were only a reminder to look up every once in a while and make sure nothing dangerous lurked above them. He had no intention of trying to follow monkeys or squirrels up there.

It was during the latest of these quick making of marks that Masato's nose wrinkled. It was an unpleasant smell, but just one of many the class had endured over the last couple of days. He glanced in the direction it came from, saw the tree and realized it was on the fresher side. He couldn't help but let a stray thought of its grossness cross his mind even as he turned away, checking to see which direction the thing had gone in.

Which is when Oros spoke up for the first time since they'd left. Masato hadn't said anything to her either, and the sudden break in the silence was almost startling.

'Wouldn't recommend' was right. Crossroads, dilemma, what? Ah, she meant the option of chasing down the animals in the trees. He opened his mouth to refute that idea, when she offered him a third one.

Masato stared at her in shock, his eyes wide. Was she mocking him, or did she actually think he wanted to kill her? Did he give off that impression? Or maybe Oros thought that of everyone? He had to admit, things would be so much simpler without her around. Saner.

Masato jerked away from the girl. The spear was held away from her, and his surprise quickly turned to ire.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" He all but hissed. He did sort of know what was wrong with her, she had gone crazy. He still thought that bringing her along and giving the others a break from her might do some good, but he wished he'd talked to Maeda beforehand.

"I'm not just going to randomly kill you without a reason! Fuck. Haven't we lost enough people?" He was glaring now. "Cut the crap and just focus on what we came out here to do."

Masato pointed in the direction that he'd seen the indentations in the grass. As long as Oros wasn't a major hindrance, he thought he should be able to follow its trail. "We're going after this animal. Don't mess it up." Begrudgingly, he added, "So come on."

Maybe he should hope for another big thing to strike her and reset her personality again.

---

//Day 2 | Location: Nameless Forest - Lakeside
_{@Vertigo@baraquiel}
“Ok.” Was Rin’s flat response, before she pointed at the tree that Duncan had punched a hole through but otherwise left standing. “We’ll start by splitting that in half.”

…

They ended up splitting that one tree into quarters afterwards. Each quarter was jammed into the earth itself to serve as guideposts for the walls. Thicker logs were brought in afterwards, cut out from the treeline that was slowly ebbing away from the campsite they were in. Duncan was regulated with the heavy lifting, while Rin settled to using her tools instead. It was, perhaps, the only sign that she had been drained from her work yesterday. No magical slices this time.

But with two Awakened, the weakness of one didn’t matter. A few other students could only gap at amazement over the speed in which the tower was built, Duncan first lifting, then jumping and dunking the logs in place. Within the span of an hour, the skeleton of the watchtower was complete. Crossbeams on the top served as a makeshift tower, while a second felled tree with steps cut into it served as the ladder for more physically-mundane folks to reach the top.

It had taken strenuous effort, certainly, enough so that even Duncan was sweating at the end of it, but there he stood, ten meters up upon a surprisingly solid structure, the vantage point enough to afford a view on the entire lake, enough to grant a naked view of the mountain in the distance.

Was it a peaceful, up this high? Was it nice, having built something? Was this a good enough distraction, with an hour gone by constructively?

Only Duncan would know how he himself felt. Only he c-

Someone seized him by the waistband of his pants, lifted him up in the way that only an Awakened could. Before he could register what was happening, before time could dilate as a sense of danger overcame him, Duncan found himself flying through the air, limbs flailing madly, before belly-flopping into the lake and catching Asahi in the splash zone.

Standing upon the watchtower, Rin looked down at the scene impassively. She understood that dopamine struck people during two particular moments: physical exertion and sensations of excitement. With the building of the watchtower, the former was covered. With a surprise ten-meter bellyflop into cold waters, the latter was covered. With this, Duncan would probably be okay now.

…she had clearly learned nothing from her past experiences with Kumi.

---

//Day 2 | Location: Nameless Forest - Forest Trails
_{@Yankee@Nakushita}
A flash of anger, but one settled down swiftly.

Masato took to the front, as if physically denying Oros’s own implications, while the girl herself stayed behind, indulging in the madness of her own mind. They passed through smaller streams, clusters of fungi upon trunks, the occasional bird-like creature flitting overhead. If not for the lunatic behind him, if not for the responsibility at hand, perhaps it would even be a peaceful hike for Masato.
He could not let go of his responsibilities though.

Flowers dotted their path, bright and vibrant dots that broke up the monotony of brown and green. The tracks they followed were at times hidden or indistinct, but careful observation brought it back to focus. It must have been an hour or two, the silence only leaving when Masato left another mark on the trunk or Oros brought up another grim or delusional point.

A sweet smell wafted in the air.

And, perhaps fifty meters away, they could both see it.

A moving mound of white, unlike any of the monsters they had encountered before. Six stubby limbs stomped through the forest at a deliberate pace, while a craggy back hid many holes and crevices. An estimate would place the chalk-turtle perhaps the size of a truck: larger than the wolf-bears but smaller than the hulk-phants. If it was as meaty as those creatures too, that was a substantial amount of food.

The only question then, would be of the approach, when both of the Awakened present only had their physical strength and a single weapon to share between them.

---

//Day 2 | Location: Nameless Forest - The Den
_{@AThousandCurses}
Instantaneous impact!

A titanic force rattled Shun’s bones as her right shoulder collided with the rubbery mass. She could feel it, the rippling of energy being transferred from her body into the monster’s, too large to have become a bullet, too light to have become a true meteor.
Powerful enough, however, to kill that hulk-phant.

In dilated time, she could sense its organs within its body popping like balloons, bones rattling then rupturing out from its flesh. Blood sprayed, a visceral shower as the beast let out one gasping cry, no air escaping its ruptured lungs, before it fell over. Shun collapsed over it, her own heart still beating like a war drum as blood drenched the entire front of her body. Hands went up, wiping away the scalding blood, the viscous bits and globs of flesh. Her shoulder ached with a wretched pain, but that injury ebbed away. Her self-inflicted wounds would heal. Her healing would speed up once she ate.

But there was no opportunity yet, to eat.

For as her vision cleared, Shun saw her surroundings clearly as well.

It had been impossible to ascertain this when she was still far into the brush, looking only at the mountainous form of the hulk-phant. Once she had Overclocked, she had been moving too fast to catch anything more than a blur of her surroundings. There had been no opportunity for her, perhaps no desire either, for her to confirm anything.

But her vision was clear. She saw her surroundings.

Two hulk-phants loomed before her. A sinuous shadow of a Short-Tail. And a wolf-bear, lurking in the outskirts. The remnants of the pack that had attacked the students.

Her legs were like jello, fatigued from that first burst of Overclock. Her heart was out-of-control, adrenaline and anxiety mixing together. Her core was burning ashes, her all-or-nothing effort giving her both all and nothing.

The monsters bared their fangs.

______________________________________________________________________

When he first noticed it Masato stuck his hand out to stop Oros, who was behind him, from going any further or making noise. He moved to kneel, squinting ahead.

...a turtle?

Or something like a turtle, anyway. On it's back was not a shell exactly. To Masato it sort of looked like water-eaten rock. Or like the ground after turning over a dead stump. Either way it would serve the same purpose as a shell if it could pull its legs and head underneath the chalky-rock's protection.

Kneeling there Masato quietly considered his options. There were tons of ways to kill a normal turtle, but he didn't think they'd be able to crush this one or tear it from its 'shell' given its size, even with super strength. Of course it would probably die if he just pierced its brain or neck.

There were yet other things to consider too. How dangerous would this thing be? He'd heard about people getting fingers and toes bit off by regular snapping turtles. At this size, could the monster turtle easily cleave off one of their arms or legs? He knew turtles were a lot faster than they seemed, so he couldn't assume this one would be slow. And if they did kill it, could they eat it? If it was more like a tortoise rather than a snapping turtle, he had no clue if it would be edible. Probably? And if it was, would cutting its armor away from its body prove too difficult a task? Should they try and drag it back just to cut its limbs off and leave the rest of it to rot? How would they even cut it up in the first place if its skin was tougher than the wolf monsters? Maybe the Awakened could try and crack the carapace all together and use it, but was the craggy thing on its back actually part of it or just sediment that had gotten attached to it somehow?

Questions, questions. Masato didn't speak a word while he thought about them, and he did not ask for Oros' opinion. The turtle was slightly out of sight now, but he could still hear its footsteps so it hadn't gone far. One top of everything else, there was also the girl behind him. What was he going to do with her if she had some kind of death wish?

"...okay," he said eventually, keeping his voice low. For all his thinking, he was frustrated that he couldn't come up with any real answers. At first impression, this monster didn't seem as bad as the predators they'd faced already, so his decision amounted to "fuck it, let's try killing that thing." And as for Oros... Masato glanced at her. He pointed in the direction the turtle was.

"We're going to try and hunt that. I want you to go around, like the other side of it." He moved his finger so it traced a wide arc towards where he assumed the thing was presently. "I'll come up from this side. And remember what Ryuugasaki said. Once you're close enough, just... go off, I guess. Try and stun it, or drive it toward me."

Needless to say, the student council president would be holding on to the single spear they had. Honestly, Masato wasn't expecting the quick plan to go smoothly. Oros was as much bait to see what the turtle would do as she was an actual participant. Of course that was assuming that she went along with it, being an unknown variable as she was.

@Yankee@Erode

Letting out a sigh as she cast disinterested eyes towards the turtle like beast that lumbered before them. Masato’s reaction and response told her all that she needed to know about the current situation and where his mind was at. It was disappointing to say the least, she had hoped he had learned something by now from the previous events that they had been subjected too.

It was quite clear that more needed to happen, that he still need another jolt too his system. To shake up his thought process, to awaken him to the reality and truth that Oro’s had to offer to him.

“You disappoint me Ma-Sa-To…..I’m more focused on what we came here to do then you are, you see, I have accepted and come to terms with reality, to terms with the truth….but it is clear that you are still blind, like a naive child…..” sighing as she finished her last word, before positioning herself to block off the escape route of the turtle beast.

Sapphire eyes narrowed, fists clenched as she stared down the beast as it lumbered in her direction. Muscles tensing in her legs and back as she braced for her next act. Crouching down, loading her legs like tense springs as she finally leapt forward. Getting as much speed, momentum and power that she could muster to propel herself up above the beast. Rotating her body to spin herself forward head over heel, spinning quickly as she extended both of her arms to either side of her to control her rate of spin. Bringing both of her feet together as she brought both of her heels down towards the creature's head with as much force and speed that she could muster from the rotation and height of her approach.

She had not waited for Masato’s next order or command, having gone after the beast with little to no hesitation. She knew as well as anyone that in his eyes, she was just good for being bait in this kind of situation. As long as he remained blind and determined to remain so, then he would never become blessed with the truth as Oros had become.

“No, no, no…….what you have said are the words of a blind and misguided fool…..if you did understand then you would know that what you have said have only proven to me that not enough people have perished…..for if enough had truly perished then you would have been more open and willing to accept the truth into your heart and into your mind….to be honored and blessed…..no….you still haven’t come to terms with reality….with what I have offered to everyone….you see me as nothing more than a crazed lunatic….but I’m far more sane then any of the rest of you….who seem to be hell bent on repeating the same things over and over against expecting different results…..that is the true meaning of insanity….so ask yourself….Ma-Sa-To…..who truly is insane…..If you are incapable of accepting this new reality, then perhaps you should end my existence….it would make everyone's lives so much easier back at camp wouldn’t it….? ” A frown replacing the usually unhinged smile that had taken over her expression ever since she had once again accepted her true self.

Trying to prove a point to Masato, if he truly continued on this path, then it would only lead to more suffering. To more classmates perishing and losing their lives needlessly, if he chose to see her as nothing more than a lunatic, as someone who had lost their sanity. She could do nothing more to convince him. Not until more classmates met their grisly demise. At which point Oros didn’t know if there would be anyone left to accept the truth.

---

The water felt cool and refreshing. Asahi really felt at home when he's underwater, being in his main element. The motions of his arms and legs, the familiar hue of blue surrounding him, and the shifting of sunlight on the waters from above. They all helped remind him of home.

Schools of fishes swam by him while there were a few fishes here and there that swam in threes or solo. He could recognize some of the fishes he caught before and he deemed those as safe to eat, seeing that none of his Non-Awakened classmates complained of food poisoning yet.

Asahi extended his arms in front of him as his pink threads re-appeared, wading through the waters and piercing the heads of the fishes from under their mouth up to their head like hooks. He hoped what he was doing was giving them a quick and painless death as he caught them.

He impaled more fishes with his power, some threads having two fishes pierced on them. Majority of them were the ones his classmates were familiar with while he took some that were new to his eyes for variety.

He swam up to the surface a few feet away from their camp. He was about to swim back when he noticed a shadow blocking him from the sunlight. He looked up and saw someone falling and possibly screaming. Asahi's brain was too slow to process a sight like this. How the hell could a person like that drop from that high? Should he be moving? Why wasn't he moving? He should be moving. Wait, was that Duncan? Why is Rin- Oh.

"Tsk." Asahi imagined himself in a reality TV show looking at the camera with an irritated yet defeated look on his face as a huge wave came crashing down on him. He still had that same look on his face as he went spiraling under the lake. Of all the things in this world that could inconvenience Asahi, it was really his classmates that were experts at it.

When he emerged, Asahi blew a lot of water from his nostrils and spurted out also a lot of water in an arc from his mouth. It even formed a small rainbow as Duncan called out for him to go do that free-fall thingy like they were on a ride at a resort. "Pweh! Ya good-for-nothing, sons of-" But he was quite far from Duncan and the rest so his classmates could faintly hear him yelling like a grumpy old man. Simply put, Duncan could take that answer for his question as a 'no'.

For a brief moment all Shun saw was red. Her brain buzzed in happiness and her attack connected true into her target. Hard bone and soft meat were met with an unstoppable hurricane that tore all in its path. Her mania clouded her senses to the point she didn't realize she was giggline. She soon turned into laughter and then straight into hysterics. Yes, this is she what she wanted. To bath in the glory of her enemies. This must be true freedom. Freedom to do whatever you want in spite of consequence.

"More, more!" As if to answer her pleads, voyeurs seemed to come to spectate the scene. A grin grew on her face as she looked over to them. "How did you like it?" Shun uselessly said to the beasts. As denizens of this strange world, it must've looked like she was nothing more than barking them. In a sense, talking to them wasn't for the beasts, they were for herself. "A sudden departure! A sudden twist! Something that'll make a footnote in your mundane lives!" However there was one concept that was universal for all.

Insanity.

With a cackle that seemed to shake the trees, Shun dug into the entrails of the mammoth. Her teeths met into the chewy flesh and immediately went down her throat. For a car to move, it only needed fuel. While the taste left much to be desired, just like oil, all she needed was something in her stomache. Even if it wasn't efficient, all it needed to be was enough. With the mammoths flesh stuck between her teeth, she stood from her bloody playground.

"Let's us be merry and have fun!" She screamed outloud. Drunk off of her previous victory, Shun charged back in. No strategy was involved, only fighting to till the end. Shun launched herself into hulkphant. Whatever remained or was restored from her meal wouldn't be left unexpended. Shun was intent of wiping all them out along with herself.

---

//Day 2 | Location: Nameless Forest - Lakeside
_{@Vertigo@baraquiel}
Mayumi felt a migraine was inbound. “What is that idiot doing?”

“Mine.” Kunio slipped into the waters of the lake, detouring the boisterous Duncan and his pink-haired catch in order to retrieve the skewered fishes.

Ayano let out a dramatic sigh as she looked up from her task of doing absolutely nothing. “Ugh, fooling around at a time like this…Rin! You can make a rope swing, right?”

Daisuke side-eyed the fashionista, before cupping his hands around his mouth. “C’mon, Duncan! Let’s see a proper jump!”

Tsubaki was caught between conflicting feelings herself, but kept it to herself, a wry smile forming before she got back to adjusting to her one-handed life.

The inclusion of the watchtower-turned-diving tower looked to have improved the mood somewhat, at least. Dripping wet from the initial dunk, Duncan practically hoisted Asahi with him for a second go at it, while Rin made herself scarce, already moving on to her next construction project. It was a warm summer’s day, despite it all. A friend had died in the morning, and yet the world kept turning. They were stuck in the Otherside, but it felt like a camping trip. And all it too for that mental switch to happen would be to throw one’s self off a tower and let the adrenaline take you.

A curious thing, that.

Perhaps Asahi too, would have felt a switch, if only his senses were a touch duller.

But they weren’t.

Ten meters up once more. Breaking past the treeline. Exposed to the entirety of the sky, the horizon so much clearer. The mountain in the distance too, so much closer. Its jagged peak, like a shark’s tooth, gnawing at the heavens. It was entirely unlike the mountains of Kuroshio, wholly barren and malicious, promising no opportunity for life except through the deliverance of death. The sensation had been masked before, masked by closer concerns of shelter and food, of healing the injured. But his classmates were now either healed or dead and others were moving to hunt for larger prey. The shelter had already been built, and it would only approve as time went on.

Now, Asahi could feel it.

A magnetic pull and a creeping trepidation.

Something was there, in that mountain.

Something that would be their ruination and their salvation.

Something…that would have to wait until after this slow-motion journey from tower to lake concluded.

---

//Day 2 | Location: Nameless Forest - Forest Trails
_{@Yankee@Nakushita}
A spinning axe kick!

Though Oros was not by any means the fastest, she had spirit if nothing else, and she had seized the initiative immediately. Both her heels slammed into the crown of the chalk-turtle, the impact like a car crash. Pain shot up her tendons, but the force had driven the monster’s face straight into the dirt. It had to have been effective, right? Even if it wouldn’t be a killing blow in the same way that Shun could deliver a killing blow, Oros had presented herself as a threat and, according to Masato’s own plan, her threat would cause the monster to turn around and run away…right into the tip of Masato’s spear.

Except it was a turtle. And turtles did not run.

She had failed to stun it and had failed to scare it off. Instead, Oros decided to start yapping, while the chalk-turtle itself retreated its limbs and head into the crag-like shell upon its back, completing its transformation into a boulder. If that was it, then the two Awakened could just argue with each other before thinking up a solution for breaking open the shell and getting the soft turtle meat beneath.

But it was Masato who heard the hum in the air first, sensed the danger in the too-many holes, in the multitude of imperfections within the chalk-turtle’s shell. Why those structural weaknesses? What purpose did they serve? How could such a slow creature avoid predation from the hulk-phants and the wolf-bears?

The humming could now be heard by Oros, and its origin became clear.

A symbiotic relationship.

One between the chalk-turtle and the…dragon-wasps!

Wriggling out from the chalk-turtle’s shell, elongated wasps with stingers that looked more like hooks crawled out, before their four wings buzzed and they took flight, a murderous swarm that spread out to dive right for Oros! This was no boulder, this was a hive!

---

//Day 2 | Location: Nameless Forest - The Den
_{@AThousandCurses}
They did not understand human words.

But they did understand the yowling of a mad beast.

Her tendons snapped like rubber bands as Shun propelled herself the second time, Overclock misfiring from lack of energy. She crashed into the neighbouring hulk-phant, feeling its shoulder bones fracture from her head-long charge, but before she could follow up, a wolf-bear lunged for her, swatting her off its packmate. The two of them tumbled away briefly, a tangle of limbs and rage, bloodied teeth and sharpened fangs. Shun could feel the weakness of her own limbs still, the aching looseness of her ruptured tendons preventing her from springing back up to her feet.

Suddenly, the weight of the wolf-bear is gone, the beast springing away to reveal two paws like tree-trunks, raised up in the air to smash into her while she's prone. She had broken the hulk-phant's shoulder, but so what? It had three more limbs to go, and enough mass to smash her flat!

And yet, in that same instant, in the slowed time that was brought by a life-and-death confrontation, Shun could finally feel the flesh she had consumed be distilled into a drop of fuel. Flesh knit near-instantly, her tendons connecting once more as the forge flashed in an ecstatic surge of energy!

It was do or die.

But that just made it another day on the highway.

"KYAGAHAHAAHAHAHA"

Now that was a new feeling! The share pain as both her and the hulkphants bones cracked into each other. However, it did not last long as she was immediately swatted off of her prey by a jealous suitor. "If you wanted to dance, you should've just asked!" A craze cry came from Shun as she fended off the assaulting chimera. Though she blinked when she found herself rid of the beast.

Ah, it was playing wing man. A grin appeared on her face and tears were shed. Such intense friendship and camaderie. "I wonder how you'll feel at the funeral," Shun wiped off some of the tears off her face. The hulkphant was bigger, slower to her which only excaberated its hampered movement. Shun on the other hand was as top Honda. Raising her legs up in the air, Shun entered overdrive.

Whatever drop was left inside her motor heart, it shot forward straight at the behemoth's skull. The fact that it raised its head to stomp at her only served as a way to give her a better angle for its head.

If this did kill the hulphant, she wondered how she'd deal with the other two. The Wolfbear was still around and long-tail was still lurking in the shadows. Perhaps making them into a kebab would fill the emptiness, yes, it would.

@Yankee@Erode


Oros hadn’t even gotten time to hear how Masato responded. A strange but familiar buzzing vibrated in her ears as she glanced around for a moment until looking down at the turtle beast she had just axe kicked. Realizing that the source of the noise was coming from the chalk-turtle she tilted her head aside in curiosity, leaning in to get a better view as it left her dumbfounded initially.

It was then and only then she began to see the elongated wasps, wriggling free from the shell of the chalk-turtle. Their ugly hook like stingers, their multi-lensed eyes, the four buzzing wings. It was the kind of stuff that churned even Ayana’s stomach. She hated regular wasps, but these were so much more ugly and unappealing to the eye. She was just happy they weren’t some kind of spider, as those were what Ayana hated the most. But a murderous swarm of wasps wasn’t much better in reality. "That's not good....unless you like crunchy food Ma-Sa-To....." her voice trailing off at the end as she started to feel a bit of tension in the air.

“So…..I hope you thought of packing the wasp spray or the insect repellent of some kind Ma-Sa-To…..because I believe I may have pissed them off, but…I’m sure you came prepared right?.....” Oro’s gaze drifting towards Masato’s location expectantly. But they wasps didn’t give her time to hear his likely response of having no such thing.

The murderous swarm dove straight for Ayana as she knew this was bad news. “It's time for my ultimate secret technique! RUN AWAY!!!!!!” Yelling at the top of her lungs as she tried to book it the hell out of there. Trying to twist and turn, slide and dive around every bit of shrubbery, forestry and rocks that she could find. She remembered a trick she had seen before on television, to try to hide under water until the swarm had left the area and given up its hunt.

“Find water!!!!” Ayana was able to muster shouting out to Masato between breaths, as she knew there just had to be a water source nearby, after all the lake surely had to have some kind of minor streams or rivers that fed into it, or led from it. She just had to find some sort of dip in the terrain,that usually meant water could be located.

Why she knew this, she didn’t actually know. Maybe it was from too many nights of watching anime until she dozed off. Or maybe it had something to do with recovering her lost identity. All of that aside, that didn’t really matter right now as long as it worked. After all she didn’t feel like ending up full of hooked stingers any time soon.

It was then her foot got snagged by a root sticking out of the ground. Blue eyes widened, feeling her balance shift too far forward as she began to tumble head over heels “Crap!!!” Was all she could muster before she went tumbling down a hill, crashing and clipping every tree, branch and thorny bush in the world it felt like. Leaving a dust trail of destruction behind her until after what felt like forever she hit the bottom of the hill laying there in a heap for a moment.

Her body felt bruised and battered as she plucked a few pieces of greenery from her clothing, her hair an utter tangled mess of sticks and twigs as she let out a painful groan “Sometimes I hate being so clumsy….” Lifting her head ever so slightly to try to get a grasp of her surroundings, hoping that she wouldn’t be hearing any buzzing sounds nearby. Not feeling like getting up too quickly and having to run again if the wasps had stuck on her trail after her tumble.

What's worse was she didn’t know what Masato had done, or if he was even nearby at this point. Though she was sure he would be just fine on his own, it made her plans a bit more murky. The wasps had interrupted her right before she had the chance to hear his answer, to get a better glimpse into his thoughts. Now she would have to do it all over again, hopefully wasp free.

Taking this brief time to recover as much energy as she could and regain her senses from the tumble, and her breath after her full on sprint.

---

"Let go of me, you motherfu-"

Asahi's screams of defiance fell on deaf ears as he was still getting carried by Duncan. Thrash around as he would, the pink-haired lad couldn't get himself free from the basketball star's hold. Even when they're both Awakened and supposedly have improved human capabilities, it did seem that Duncan was more improved on the physical side than Asahi was.

"H-Hey! Take these before this monkey makes me lose them!" Asahi yelled at his classmates and flung the fishes he skewered with his pink threads at them. He didn't do that in a mean way but Duncan was moving too fast and Asahi panicked. He didn't want to accidentally pierce anyone with his powers still active, not for now at least.

"Oh shit! Ohshitohshitohshitohshit!" Asahi's eyes widened when Duncan climbed up the tower way too fast for his liking, the distance between them and the ground getting longer by the second.

"BRING ME DOWN YOU STUPID APE! WE'RE TOO HIGH UP YOU FUCKER!" He yelled angrily at the top of his lungs, now desperately clinging to Duncan while shutting his eyes in fear. He slowly opened one of his eyes to look at the view and he yelled more colorful words at his classmate. The higher they went, the air became colder and made him shiver through his wet body.

"DUNCAN I WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE MISERABLE YOU DUMB APE! I SAID BRING ME DOW-" He shouted again right when they're at the top, and that's when Asahi felt it. This was the first time he got a perfect view of the mountain that's been a prominent figure in their eyes since their first arrival at the Otherworld. His heart skipped a beat and that's not just because Duncan threw him casually from the tower.

Asahi didn't yell, his eyes just fixated at the mountain at the distance. There's something weird about that place, something that pulls him over there and yet he knew whatever laid there in that mountain was far more dangerous than any monster they faced.

The mountain went upside down in his view as Asahi spun mid-air, his eyes still glued at the tall landmark. Should he even go? What if something bad would happen to his classmates during his absence? Could he even risk bringing them to the mountain with him? The mountain loomed over him more and more, making him feel despair over the choices Asahi had to make until he fell splat on the lake.

The cool waters and the impact of the fall snapped him back to reality. Asahi will, or even must find out whatever's in that mountain that gave off his powerful aura that's making him almost sick. It could be the key to helping them return to their world or it could kill all of them. If one would ask Asahi, anywhere's better than this god-forsaken place.

For now, Asahi remained underwater, thinking of ways to unalive Duncan.

---

//Day 2 | Location: Nameless Forest - Lakeside
_{@Vertigo@baraquiel}
“Race you up? There’s only one ladder,” Daisuke retorted…but that didn’t mean he was a bitch. The question of where Haruko was remained unanswered though, the twin pillars of the boy’s basketball club racing up one at a time to get to the top of the watch tower.

By the time the blond athlete made it up to the top, Duncan was already flip-flexing through the air, performing yet more antics that were near-impossible to envision. He let out a whistle as his friend hit the water, but once he was at the top, it really did look like a long way down. Daisuke licked his lips, wondering just how much clearance he could get when there was hardly any space to do a run up. And then there was the question of how shallow the water really was: he hadn’t actually taken much of a dip in there at all.

“Don’t belly flop,” Hiroshi called from down below, his shark-like grin clear even as he watched. “At ten meters, you’re hitting the water at 50 km/h.”

Daisuke gulped. He loved his bro, but the more he thought about it, the more incredibly stupid and dangerous this all s-

“What, scared?” Maki called out from right below him, and he could practically imagine her big forehead shining as she smirked at his cold feet.

He sprung off then and there, arms flailing as if would help him stay in the air further, before, seconds upon impact, he seemed to be resigned to his fate and positioned himself as if he were placed within a coffin…which was optimal, because it meant his splash was almost imperceptible as he slipped into the waters.

Maki, of course, let out a whoop herself to chase down the fear and replace with it adrenaline, as she practically hurtled through the air, striking a pose most unladylike, before she too smashed into the lake’s surface.

Then, third up was a surprise indeed.

Sasuke, reserved and controlled Sasuke, the most mature and calm of the boys in Kuroshio, stepped up on the top of watchtower next, balancing upon the edge. He smiled down at them all, in a way that was Buddha-like, as he calmly unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his toned abs, his alabaster skin. Perhaps they all needed something to enjoy. It wouldn’t be a bad thing indeed, to have a break. His eyes caught Tsubasa’s in that moment, their gazes communicating a tacit understanding.

Then, he flung himself with the grace of a dove that knew it no longer had wings.

And Tsubasa promptly said to those around her, “You know, it’s been hot all day and we’ve been working way too hard. I’m going to take a dip and freshen up. Feel free to join me. That ok with you, Mayumi?”

The treasurer rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, scram. You too, Kumi. I’ll watch the fire.”

…

There were those who engaged in reckless dives and there were those who went for a relaxing swim. Some found themselves simply walking by the shoreline, curling their toes in the water, while others floated in the center, confident that they wouldn’t drown. A few, still holding onto a sense of responsibility, took the opportunity to scrub the dirt and sweat off their clothes, but it was hard to do when others started an impromptu water fight.

Still, there were those who refused to partake altogether.

Hiroshi remained watching, acting the part of a smarmy lifeguard.

Kunio was busy charring his own fish, sick of the water himself.

Tsubaki and Yukiko were off by themselves, discussing something in quiet.

And Akito and Haruko were nowhere to be seen.

---

//Day 2 | Location: Nameless Forest - Bottom of a Hill
_@Nakushita
She fell.

After running in a panic, unable to keep track at all what direction she was heading, all that Ayana managed to do was trip and fall, tumbling down, down, down, down. A strange thing, for a downhill slope to be there. The dragon-wasps didn’t follow her this far, at least, but on the other hand, she didn’t have a clue where she was now. The river they had followed to the lake before was flowing downstream, but after that, there were no other streams they had noticed connecting to the lake. Instead, she simply found herself in a section of the forest even denser, even darker, than the last. Moist soil dampened her clothing, the dirt stains certainly something that’d require detergent and a scrub to remove. Her stomach was growling now too, the prolonged application of her heightened physique having drained the small bit of energy she had recouped from Kumi’s morning meal.

But, more than that, Ayana found herself alone. If she climbed back up, what were the chances of her finding where she had once been? What were the chances that Masato would go looking for her? What were the chances that she’d pick the right way, follow the right path? For all her heightened senses, the forest was just a wall of greenery; just because she lived out in the boonies of Kuroshio didn’t mean she had any particular outdoorsy skills.

No, all she had was her clumsiness.

Time was draining away. She was going to be dehydrated first, and then starve second, if she couldn’t figure out a way to rescue herself. Could she suck the water out of plants and trees? If she climbed one, could she somehow orientate herself to find a way back?

Or…

Should she follow the scent of fresh blood?

---

//Day 2 | Location: Nameless Forest - The Den
_{@AThousandCurses}
Her legs raised up, her motor heart running a rampant beat. Overclock activated once more, that facsimile of explosive movement, but with her legs in the air, it was Shun’s arms, planted against the ground, that bore the burden instead.

A burden that such smaller limbs were hardly equipped to handle.

Lightning coursed through them, the acceleration still the same as Shun pushed herself off the ground like a surface-to-air missile. Dodging between the tree-trunk limbs of the hulk-phant, she twisted her body and kicked out with both feet, a dropkick uppercut that collided with, then decapitated the head of the hulkphant. Its lowerjaw was pulversized, fangs punched into its upper jaw before piercing its skull, while Shun herself rocketed even higher up, a crimson arc drawn by the parabola of her flight.

Then, the recoil hit.

Her arms practically exploded from the strain, tendons popping and muscles tearing as her bones fractured from the stress. Her legs were in a similar condition; they had only just healed and were forced to take on the full impact of yet another devastating kick, and the wounds that Shun had just mended returned twicefold. She flailed in mid-air, her body hardly obeying her, and in that instant of vulnerability?

The short-tailed beast raced up upon the collapsing body of the hulk-phant, spinning by Shun to deliver a singular cut.
She had withstood its blows before. Blocked it with her arms and received flesh wounds in response. If it was just on her arms, she could get away with being cut.

This cut, however, severed her carotid artery.

Shun fell, at the same speed as the blood that gushed out from that critical wound.