As they walked into the forest, the dense canopy above filtered slight stray paths of light. It caused the floor of the forest to be a slight shade of silver. The ki within this area were dense, it was visible, they felt ki surrounding them and engulfing them within it.
"Let's walk in a little further before we start to surveillance the area better." Jin said before leading the group further in and pulled his tanto out ready to kill if necessary. As they headed deeper, they all had a sudden feeling. "I'll go out on a whim and assume we're all feeling this?" Jin asked looking forward with his concentration focused.
Kade replied pulling out his sword and had it tightly gripped. "…Feels like there's eyes on us everywhere, and so quick too… did they notice a slight change with us coming in?"
Luna nodded slightly towards Kade, "The beasts here have grown accustomed to a certain feeling of ki. Any changes no matter how slight if they're close enough they'll feel it. That's how these beasts are." She said taking out her fan and preparing for a fight she sensed was doomed to happen sooner than later.
After several hours of walking, Jin suddenly stopped and looked around before noticing a rock. "…I don't mean to be the bringer of bad news, but, this is the fourth time I've seen this rock in the exact same damn spot." Jin said clutching onto his tanto tighter looking around.
Kael exhaled with frustration filing his tone slowly. "Great, a forest of ki that feels alive, with a damn terrible sense of humor. What else can happen?"
"It seems like it's either a barrier of some sort or an illusion to keep us around here… we're being played with." Kade said releasing his ki around to sense the land. Luna looks over and instantly flicks his forehead forcing him to stop releasing ki. "What the hell are you doing?!?" Luna asked, looking all around the place.
"What was that for?" Kade asked, but before anyone could say anything they heard a howl, a deep, dark tone of a scream could
be heard all around. Suddenly, the sound of leaves brushing against each other started as if running from this place. A second later a giant beast appeared with one eye having a scar over it. A wolf-like creature that was over 15 feet tall appeared towering over them.
A low growl could be heard from it when it looked down at them.
"W-what the hell is this?" Riven thought to herself. Suddenly, the beast began sniffing the air, then locked its gaze on Jin, advancing toward him with slow, deliberate steps.
Everyone tensed, drawing their weapons. Kael was the first to strike, launching an attack. "Frostage: Shard Storm!" A flurry of ice shards surged forward, but as they neared the beast, they rebounded off an unseen shield of shadow, rendering the attack ineffective. The beast loomed over Jin, its amber eye gleaming. "Who are you?" it growled, voice thick with suspicion. "Your scent… it differs from the others. More like a beast's."
Jin's brows furrowed, curiosity creeping into his voice. "What the hell do you mean?"
A pause stretched between them, tension thickening the air before the beast replied, its tone dark and foreboding. "No… it's not you. It's something within you—something disastrous." The beast's lips curled into a snarl. "I'll put an end to you tonight, young one, to save you from it." A surge of dark ki erupted around it, saturating the air in oppressive energy.
Jin took a steadying breath, bracing himself. "Forbidden Azure: Spirit of the Phantom Blade," he called, drawing on the power within him. The others moved into position. Kael and Kade flanked Jin, while Luna stepped up beside him, her aura crackling with blue electricity as she activated Eternal Elysian Surge. The area hummed with raw power, streaks of blue electricity sparking off Luna's form.
The beast released a low howl, sending a wave of dark ki rushing toward them. Luna responded swiftly, "Field of Light!" A shimmering electric barrier formed, intercepting the wave and shattering it before it could reach them. The beast growled, momentarily retreating.
"Forbidden Azure: Condensed Redemption," Jin murmured, slashing horizontally. The invisible strike whizzed toward the beast, but it reacted swiftly, opening its jaws and biting down on the attack, dispersing it with sheer force. Riven yelped as a shadowy hand gripped her ankle, slamming her into the ground. Kael's eyes widened. "Riven! Are you okay?" he called, unleashing another Frostage: Shard Storm to ward off the shadowy figure.
The beast charged forward, gathering ki around it before absorbing the ki completely, coating its claws in dark ki. It slashed downward, destroying Luna's Field of Light in one powerful strike. "You have defiled this forest… bringing such a presence here. For that, you will die," it howled, summoning another beast from the shadows.
Kade's voice trembled. "W-what do we do? We're being surrounded!" He glanced around, spotting the second beast—a towering figure over eleven feet tall, its blood-streaked fur crackling with lightning, sparks of ice scattering from each step.
The forest's ki thickened, swirling around the beasts as they drew in its energy, strengthening further.
"Eternal Surge: The Elysian Storm!" Luna's Field of Light intensified, blending with Flux Light as she launched herself at the first beast. Her strikes crackled with electricity, spreading arcs of light with each blow. After a rapid flurry, she darted back. "Lightning Collapse!" The attack sent paralyzing shocks through the beast, momentarily stunning it.
The beast shook off the daze, fixing its enraged gaze on Luna and charging. She stood firm, calling forth Stormcaller's Purity. Dark clouds gathered overhead, and rain began to fall as her ki melted into the storm. A bolt of lightning struck the beast, driving it back. "Radiant Barrage!" She transformed the Field of Light into a barrage of energy waves, bombarding the beast with relentless strikes.
All of this took place in the span of mere seconds, each movement blurring into the next. As the beast staggered, Kael seized the opening, launching Frostage: Shard Storm once more. This time, icy spikes pierced its hide, embedding deep into its flesh.
As the first beast fell to the ground from Luna's barrage, the second beast advanced with slow, thunderous steps, each one shaking the ground beneath them. Standing at over eleven feet, its bloodstained fur sparked with electricity and glinted with frozen shards of ice, creating an aura of pure elemental power.
Jin's heart pounded as he steadied his blade, while the others regrouped. "This one's different," he muttered. "It's stronger… and more relentless."
The beast's glowing purple eyes scanned the group with a calculating malice. It lifted its massive head and let out a howl that reverberated through the forest, causing the air to hum with static. Lightning crackled around its claws, each one sharp enough to slice through stone.
As it advanced, its presence pulled in the ambient ki of the forest, strengthening its dark aura. Kade took a step forward, activating Ironbound Blitz. His sword glowed with an intense metallic sheen, and his movements grew fluid yet heavy with power. "I'll try to hold it off, all of you, run!" He said, bracing himself. "Like hell, we aren't going anywhere," Kael said.
This lion-like beast had no intention of waiting. In a flash, it charged forward, its speed defying its massive size. Kade swung his blade, clashing with the beast's claws in a fierce impact that sent shockwaves through the clearing. He staggered back, narrowly dodging another swipe as the beast's electricity surged dangerously close to his face.
Kael, seeing an opportunity, "Frostage: Snowy Grasp!" Massive ice tendrils erupted from the ground, aiming to trap the beast. But it leapt up, a torrent of lightning coating its body, shattering the ice with sheer force.