As he was still running while calling out to Azumi.
"Well she may look pretty mature but she definitely doesn't act the part." He mumbled to himself.
As he was about to approach her, she suddenly stops. Jason asks with a curious tone, "Uhm Azumi… why did you stop all of a sudden?"
A brief, tense silence rose in the air, as she took a glance around the environment.
She felt a slight change in the Mystica molecules in the air, "The density of the air just changed. What could be the cause of this?" She muttered to herself.
Jason became curious as to what she was muttering about, "Uhm… if you're going to say something, say it out loudly."
She looked at Jason with a piercing glare and then started walking cautiously.
Jason then thought to himself:
"She must be angry about what I said earlier… I guess that's why she ignored me. I better make my apology very clear."
Jason then ran and stood in front of Azumi.
"Look Azumi… I'm sorry about what I said earlier, please forgive me, this time I mean it." He spoke as he humbly bowed his head.
Azumi looked at Jason with her gaze as piercing as ever, "Shhh… keep your mouth shut or you will get both of us killed."
Jason curiously whispered to Azumi, "Uh… W-what do you mean by 'get both of us killed'?"
"Are you really that dense? Mystica in this area is increasing at an alarming rate… this may mean that we are getting closer to a beast domain." Speaking with a serious look on her face.
Jason wondered to himself not sure what Azumi meant, he straight out asked to quench his curiosity, "What is a beast domain?"
Azumi sighed her annoyance away and said, "It's an area where mystical beasts or monsters habit, low rank and middle ranked beasts are not that hard to deal with, but high ranked beasts on the other hand..."
With his mind reeling with confusion, unsure of what terrified him the most, him asking Azumi another question or the fact that he was in a beasts domain.
He tries a more subtle approach and asks Azumi, "A-Azumi… uhm so… Since we're near this beast domain, is there another way of avoiding us actually stepping into it?"
"Beats me. How am I supposed to know?" Annoyed by his question.
"Wait… How come you are not able to sense the density of Mystica in this area?" She asks, with her look still as piercing as ever.
Jason hesitant to answered, he sighed and said, " This may sound a bit strange but… I was born without the ability of using mystical powers and I don't have any Mystica to begin with."
Her surprise was obvious, Azumi's eyes squinted as her mouth slightly opened, she then thought to herself:
"I knew something was off about him, in rare occasions its either people are born with little Mystica or too much Mystica that overwhelms them, but… it's unheard of for someone to be born without any Mystica. I-it's just impossible, very impossible to begin with. But… I just can't shake off this feeling that I have about him ."
"Oh boy… Why did I have to spoil the mood by telling her?" Jason thought to himself.
Trying to snap Azumi back to reality he spoke, "Azumi… uhm are you there? Hey! Azumi!"
As Azumi stands unhinged by Jason's words, a roar echoes in the forest, notifying the approach of a mystical beast. Jason started to grow uneasy.
"W-what was that roar?" Jason asked with his voice trembling.
Azumi quickly regains her composure.
"Come on don't just stand there, get behind something and don't make any sound… We need to look for a shelter before nightfalls." Azumi says firmly.
A few hours later…
After relentlessly moving around with empty stomachs, Azumi and Jason began to look for a place where they could set up camp, as they were doing so, they found themselves in the secluded part of the forest, while proceeding, they found a big tree full of berries.
After gathering the berries, they also gathered wood and settled their camp.
Sitting by the crackling fire, they began to eat, not so sure if they should talk or not…
After eating the berries part of their hunger was satisfied.
As Azumi was sitting in silence she thought to herself, "I should find a way out of this place, that is safe enough not to expose any of us to danger."
Jason stared at Azumi as if he was expecting her to say something.
She noticed Jason's annoying gaze and asked out of annoyance, "And what are you looking at?"
"Uhm I've been wondering… what type of mystical powers do you use?" Jason asked with a tone filled with curiosity.
She sighed as she replied to the question, "I'm afraid I won't tell you that."
"Come on Azumi… I just want us to be on good terms." Jason stated.
"And who said we aren't?" Azumi boldly asking.
"Fine… i won't pry, but just let me ask you this question, please?" Jason stated with a serious tone.
Sighing her annoyance away, "Yeah, sure."
Jason asked, "I have never seen you in the village before. So tell me... where did you come from, where is your home to be exact?"
Azumi was hesitant about answering, but since she knows where Jason comes from, it wouldn't hurt if he knew the same, "l... I come from the city of Nebulon." She firmly stated.
"Nebulon? Isn't it a city of great prestige and of nobility ?" Jason curiously asking.
"Yeah that's right." Azumi stated.
Speaking out of amazement, Jason said, "S-so this means one thing, that you ar-"
Before Jason could finish his statement Azumi interjected, her tone calm, "Don't get the wrong idea. Let's just forget that we had this conversation."
"Uh… Sorry if I went too far." As he stated with sincerity.
Azumi was surprisingly calm and had total control of her emotions, "It's fine… keep your guard up, mystical beasts might appear any time from now, even as we speak." He glanced around, taking Azumi's words to mind.
Suddenly, the ground trembled. The trees creaked, the rustling sound of the leaves grew by the second.
Unsure of what's happening, Azumi fixes her eyes on Jason.
"What is happening?" Jason whispered with his voice trembling.
The ground shook, a loud roar reverberated through the forest, growing louder by each step.
Unsure about what to do next, while Azumi was looking at Jason she said, "Let's hurry up before whatever it is, finds us here."
As they were about to run for it the trees parted, revealing a furry beast, it's presence menacing, with a hulking, wolf-like appearance, a think grey fur, glowing red eyes with vertical pupils, razor sharp teeth stained with blood.
Jason eye's widened in a state horror, "Damn! How on earth are we supposed to run away from that… thing." Thinking to himself.
"Why now out of all times… guess I have no choice but to." Azumi thinking to herself, sighing, she said, "Hey Jason! You asked what kind of mystical powers I have, right? Well… I guess the time is now."
Azumi walking towards the beast, "This isn't a pleasant way of greeting people." Stopping as she faced the beast she says, " Jason! Feast your eyes on this."
Azumi's hand started glowing, casting a red ethereal light, the red light was materializing strands from her hand, "Blood manipulation : PIERCING BLOOD THREADS." She stated as she summoned a thread attack.
"Let's do this!!" Letting out an explosive shout.
The beast lunges, focusing mystica on its glowing sharp fangs. Azumi readies herself for an all out attack.
Azumi surrounds the entire area with her piercing blood threads aiming to put done the beast in one go, not only did it dodge but it was assessing its target.
Releasing its sharp claws imbued with mystica, it closely watches Azumi preparing to attack her.
The beasts lunges again, Azumi dodges the beast's slashing claws, while dodging she strikes the beast with her piercing thread but barely scratch its hulking muscles.
Jason watches from a distance as he is frozen in awe.
"Azumi is… a-awesome, she's taking on that thing all by herself. I should be out there protecting her not the other way round, i need to be of use to her." Jason thinking to himself as he is frustrated of what is happening.
Jason started analyzing the area, and instinctively took an action…
He ran towards Azumi and the beast, Azumi unaware of Jason's action, Jason called out to the beast trying to lure it into chasing him.
The beast noticed him and almost immediately, it started running towards Jason, and Jason shouted these words to Azumi as he ran from the beast, "Azumi! No strings attached, directly under your feet a place to slide!"
"Damn! What has he planned this time?" Azumi spoke out of frustration.
Meanwhile as Jason was being chase by the beast he tries to maneuver the series of trees and bushes, not being fast enough to dodge beasts claws, his back gets slashed by the claws.
He quickly regains his composure, and runs as fast as he could, trying to go back to Azumi.
After running and managing to avoid the deadly claws of the beast, he manages to see Azumi, ready to launch a big attack.
"Align yourself to my legs and slide down NOW!" Shouting above her lungs.
Sliding through the opening, the beast found itself tied with the thinnest threads that one could not see with their eyes.
"STRINGS OF FATE!" Azumi delivering the final blow.
Jason running out of breath, "Phew… I'm glad that worked out."
Sitting down due to exhaustion, Jason rushes over and asks, "Azumi! Are you okay?"
"Relax… I'm fine, but you do not look so good, those claws seem to have dug deep into your back." Azumi firmly stating.
"I'm doing just fine, but it sure does sting a little." Jason boldly stated.
Azumi with her gaze piercing, "And tell me how the heck I was supposed to know when you stated 'NO STRINGS ATTACHED?' "
Jason smiling trying to brush it off, "I knew you would understand some how, thank you for making sure I wasn't entangled."
"That wasn't guaranteed, the gap was quite small, and call me impressed Jason, one mistake, you could have been somewhere else as we speak." Azumi stated.
Jason stood in awe, "You've got to be kidding me. S-so if I had made a wrong move, I-I would have been sliced to tiny pieces." Speaking to himself.
"It's best we get out of here while we still can." Azumi boldly stating.
Jason looked at Azumi and laughed, "Yeah right, we don't want one of those showing up again."
As they were walking, the ground shook, this time with an intense tremor than before.
"Oh great, what now!?" Jason spoke.
Azumi eye's widen in surprise, "T-This can't be… the mystica that I'm sensing… it is more than one beast… we are dealing with an entire group of beasts."
He's mouth slightly opening, "Tell me you're joking? H-how are we supposed to face off an entire horde when we struggled with only one of them…"
"We need to set a trap large enough to get most of them in one go." Azumi fixing her hands for battle. "Now… Blood Manipulation: STRINGS OF FATE!"