As Skyla ran through the forest, her mind couldn't think of anything but Lukas' question.
'...Are you okay?...'
It rang through her mind, but so did all of her rampant thoughts that formed from her inability to close off her thoughts. They coalesced into a fervent song of discordant disconnected worries.
'What is he talking about..? Does he know..? What does he know..? I should tell him... He's just a kid... Someone should know... So is Kai... What if I'm not-'
Then, the world fell silent as a single sound rang out through the forest. The sound of a screeching whistle. She stopped dead in her tracks and snapped her head towards the treeline. Of course, Skyla knew only one thing could make that sound.
After a second, she shifted her posture to face the direction where the sound came from. Then she held her arms back in the same position as an archer.
"Rei"
In an instant, a blinding light in the shape of a bow and arrow appeared in her hands.
***
The ghast lunged at Lukas from the shrubbery, aiming at his legs. The ghast was much smaller, and its mouth was filled with razor-sharp teeth, like a shark. Its snout was only a few centimetres from its face, and its talons were now hooves.
Lukas managed to kick it out of the way, but when it landed it lunged at him again. Every time Lukas would deflect or alter the ghast's path, it would simply continue its assault. Each time, it would change its shape slightly, slowly gaining speed as the unending barrage persisted.
Lukas began to dodge instead of deflecting, and every so often he was able to get a good strike at it. But the fruits of his labour were pitiful, the deepest cut he made healed over in seconds. He couldn't risk making a mistake, yet he knew deep down he would sooner or later.
Eventually, however, the ghast ceased its endless bombardment. It stood no more than 5 metres from Lukas, staring daggers at him. Perhaps it grew tired or was simply planning its next move.
Lukas desperately wanted to grab his kusarigama, but attempting to dash for it was too reckless. He needed an opening, a single moment when the ghast let its guard down. He would only have one chance, but once he got his kusarigama back he could change the tide of the battle.
'Know yourself.'
It had been a few minutes since Lukas last used his rewind Frequency. If in the event he made a mistake it wouldn't be as dire. He had his sword and the strength of his training behind him. He was skilled, he was focused, and he was ready for anything.
'Know your enemy.'
This ghast seemed to be a normal one, its heart always stayed in the same place. It had a rapid regeneration and the ability to change its shape to its benefit. It was smart enough to exploit weaknesses in its opponent and to know when it was at a disadvantage.
'Throw everything else away.'
Lukas took a deep breath, slowly exhaling every thought that clouded his mind. In this moment he was in complete control of his mind and body. He entered a state of clarity and focus he hadn't achieved before.
When the ghast attempted to ram into Lukas' legs with its newfound pitch-black horns, Lukas dodged out of the way. Simultaneously, he moved his sword into the path of the ghast, causing it to run head-first into the blade's edge.
The tachi dug into the horns, stopping the ghast dead in its tracks but failing to kill it. He slammed his foot onto the ghast, pinning it to the ground, as he dug his sword out of its horns. Once freed he stabbed it straight downward at the ghast's heart.
But the ghast managed to grow a pair of arms on its back. They grabbed at Lukas' legs and threatened to shatter his shins. The force was deceptively powerful for how small the arms were. He didn't rewind himself this time. Instead, he cleanly severed the arms that grasped his legs.
He once again missed his chance, but he needed to preserve his strength above everything else. It's one thing to miss a chance to kill the ghast. But it is far worse to miss his opportunity and have his strength or mobility crippled in the process.
Using this chance, the ghast squirmed out of Lukas' grasp once again. But it didn't try to run. It recognized the strength and skill of its opponent. It knew it could not escape this creature.
This ghast, like many others, possessed a limited intelligence. It had the insight to at least know what it could and could not fight, and formulate simple tactics. Beyond that, however, the limits of its intelligence began to show.
It was not known how smart ghasts were. But it was widely agreed among those knowledgeable in the existence of ghasts none were intelligent enough to outsmart a human. So long as you were strong or skilled enough, you would never lose.
Despite this, what happened in the next minute could not have been predicted by either side. Before either side had a chance to make a move, an arrow made of blinding light pierced through the heavens straight toward them.