Noah lets out a piercing scream as he turns his head around to see a Feral sinking its teeth into the meat of his shoulder. Another one? Tahno only told them there were three! But then Noah notices the jagged line down the creature's center and realizes it's not a different one—it's the Feral that Mai had split in half. However, it seems she didn't manage to slice through its heart, which is required to kill them. Without that, they simply heal themselves.
He continues to cry out in pain as the Feral behind him latches on even tighter, making it impossible for him to shake it off while his hands are still buried in the other one's chest. Sensing his predicament, the Feral grins and then impales him right through his back, its claws slicing down through him. As Noah arches back in agony, the other Feral seizes the opportunity to use its claws to impale him from the front, completely trapping him.
Everyone is silent, stunned by what just happened in a matter of seconds. But then Mai snaps out of it, entering crisis mode. "Stop standing around! We have to get them off him!" she commands.
Her call shakes everyone out of their stupor and into action. They all withdraw their weapons and attack the Ferals with a vengeance, setting off what must have been an impressive display of elemental power.
Noah cries out again as the Ferals withdraw their claws and teeth from him, turning their attention to the others as they launch their assault. He hears the clash of weapons, the impact of rocks and ice against the creatures' bodies, and the singe of fire accompanied by gusts of wind. Everyone is going all out, likely for the first time as a group. Meanwhile, Noah lies face down on the ground, unable to move a muscle and in so much pain that he can barely register it anymore. He feels the wetness of his blood pooling beneath him. Is this how it ends? Is he really going to die? Strangely, he almost feels relieved, tempted to just let go. Then he could be with his mom and Caleb, his big brother, again. The irony of it makes him laugh bitterly. Bleeding out after a Feral attack, just like they did—maybe he deserves this after all.
The battle seems to come to an end as the final shriek of the last Feral echoes through the air. Immediately afterward, Noah hears Nik's voice. "I think they're actually dead this time. Good riddance. But Noah… is he…?"
"He's… he's not moving! There's a lot of blood too! I think he's really hurt!" Lili cries out.
"He should be okay, right? I mean, he's a demon. He should be able to just heal, right?" Gunther's voice is full of worry.
"He should, but he got so much damage at once, it's possible it may have been too much… Anyway, we have to get Tahno immediately. I'm sure he'd know a way to help him. I'll go—"
Noah suddenly lets out a cry of pain as his body jerks violently. He feels strange, as though his body is shifting around inside. His skin starts to burn, and he realizes with dread that he's beginning to transform—this time into his full-fledged demon form, not the half-baked version from his nightmare that morning. He hasn't fully transformed in a long time, and though his memory of it is hazy, he knows it wasn't good.
"Noah?" Lili's voice sounds closer, as if she's moving toward him. "Are you okay?"
Noah's body jerks more rapidly, and he hears his bones breaking and reforming. "No! Stay back! Don't—ah! Don't come any closer! Get away from me! All of you! Ahhhhhh!" he shouts in agony.
"Noah, what's happening to you? Here, let me try healing you. I've been getting lessons on it. I—"
"No! Stay away!" Noah's body convulses violently as the transformation reaches its peak. He feels his face change, and his vision turns red. He snarls and growls as he struggles to his feet, the demon taking over completely.
"Noah?" Lili's sweet voice calls out to him, but all he can focus on is the pulse of her blood beneath her skin.
"Lili, get back!" Mai runs to her, pulling her out of the way just as Noah's claws swipe at her. Deep down, he knows these are his friends and he doesn't want to hurt them, but he can't control himself. He's never felt hungrier.
"Whoa, Noah, chill! That's Lili you're attacking there! Don't lose yourself to the demon, even if it is your own. You're stronger than that!" Nik tries to sound encouraging, but Noah can see the fear in his eyes.
Somewhere deep inside, Noah knows he shouldn't do this, but the pull is too strong. Suddenly, he's no longer himself. Something else takes over—a side of him he's never really known before now. It's terrifying, but it also feels exhilarating, and he's ashamed to admit that he likes it. He feels as though he's finally lifted the restraints off himself and is truly free—free to do whatever he wants. And right now, his mind is telling him he wants meat, so he fixates on the four "meat sticks" in front of him.
"Run!" Mai shouts, grabbing Lili's hand and making for the woods.
"Mai, wait! We should try and help him. He won't hurt us; he's still Noah, isn't he?" Lili pleads.
"I don't think he's Noah right now, Lili. He's like a totally different being at the moment," Nik replies, his voice tense.
"Even if that's true, shouldn't we still try to help him? He's our friend!" Gunther's voice is desperate as he watches Noah chase after them. Noah quickly catches up.
"Shit! He's already on our tails. We might have to split up. Where the hell is Tahno?" Nik throws a fireball at Noah, hoping to deter him, but it's no use.
"Dammit, Noah, I don't want to hurt you, but if you keep chasing us like this, I may have to. Come back to your senses already!"
"Reasoning with him isn't going to help us right now, Nik. That's not Noah at the moment, so reasoning won't work. We need to counterattack him—it's the only way we're going to get out of this alive," Mai insists.
"But, Mai, if we attack him, it'll hurt. Even if he's out of it, can we really attack Noah? He's our friend and our leader. I don't want to!" Lili cries.
"But what else can we do, Lili? If we don't, we'll die!" Mai counters.
"Mai, I agree with you, but also Lili. There's gotta be a way to stop him without attacking, right?" Gunther suggests.
"There certainly is, Gunther, but I'm afraid it's still gonna hurt him." Tahno suddenly jumps out from the trees and lands in front of Noah, forcing him to stop. The others halt as well, watching to see what Tahno has planned. Noah snarls at him, and Tahno grins smugly. Something about this seems familiar, as if they've faced off like this before. Unable to control the urge, Noah lunges at him, but Tahno doesn't attack. Instead, he holds up a small device and clicks a button.
Suddenly, electricity courses through Noah's veins, searing through his brain as if it's being fried. Slowly, his vision becomes hazy, causing him to fall to his knees in pain. After a few agonizing moments, everything goes black, and there is calm.